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NDA to bring censure motion against PM
BJP all set to grill government
BJP lashes out at UPA on ‘minority appeasement’
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Uphill task ahead for Congress
PM to explain details of Indo-US pact to parties
Ayodhya attack: STF releases sketches of militant
SC indicates early verdict in Parliament attack case
Raje reacts to Sonia’s remarks
Left-led protests worry Rajasthan parties
Five dead as rain lashes AP
SLP on lower international bandwidth rates admitted
RJD, JD(U) ‘responsible’ for repoll in Bihar
New NCW member to fight for women cause
Narcotics smuggling up on Tripura-Bangladesh border
Last rites of Irani performed
Man found dead in tour operator’s office
70-yr-old accused of double murder
Robbers attempt to rape minor
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NDA to bring censure motion against PM
New Delhi, July 24 A decision in this regard was taken today at a meeting of NDA leaders held at the residence of the former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Opposition will seek to bring a censure motion under Rule 184 in the Lok Sabha which entails voting against the Prime Minister for his recent statement at Oxford and under Rule 167 in the Rajya Sabha, BJP General Secretary Sushma Swaraj told mediapersons after the meeting. “We want a full discussion on the statement of the Prime Minister in the UK,” she stressed. She alleged that the UPA government was making attempts to nullify the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act which has been struck down by the Supreme Court and bring it through the back door in some other form. Ms Swaraj said the Opposition would also raise several issues, including the Prime Minister’s just concluded state visit to the USA, re-emergence of terrorism in Punjab and increased naxalism in various parts of the country, plight of Muslim women, the terrorist attack on Ayodhya and FDI in retail trade. The BJP leader said that the Opposition would demand discussion on the visit of Hurriyat leaders to Pakistan without passports and forthcoming WTO meeting in Hong Kong. To a pointed question, Ms Swaraj maintained that the boycott of “tainted” ministers would continue in Parliament. |
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BJP all set to grill government
New Delhi, July 24 After attending a 90- minute meeting of leaders of various political parties called by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee here on Sunday, the BJP announced its decision to end its boycott of parliamentary proceedings and take on the “fragile” UPA government “effectively and aggressively”. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh joined parliamentary leaders during lunch. BJP Parliamentary Spokesperson Vijay Kumar Malhotra told mediapersons that his party would not obstruct the monsoon session of Parliament as it was determined to seek a debate on a number of issues as the deteriorating internal security situation, terrorism, including the recent attacks in Ayodhya and Jammu and Kashmir, the IMDT (Illegal Migrants Determination Tribunal) Act, problems of farmers, inflation and diesel price hike. “The BJP has assured the Speaker that there will be no obstruction from its side during the session. But, I’m not sure about other parties including, some of the allies of the UPA creating a ruckus on some issues.’’ Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in the USA where he expressed some doubt over the execution of the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the BJP leader said that Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer had been hopping from one country to another, highlighting the speedy execution of the pipeline. Mr Malhotra requested the Speaker to extend the
monsoon session. The BJP had boycotted a substantial portion of the Budget session in protest against the inclusion of “tainted” ministers in the Manmohan Singh government. The Speaker said that leaders of various political parties had assured him full cooperation in smooth functioning of the parliamentary proceedings during the forthcoming session. He said that if the House functions properly, any important matter can be discussed. He warned that disruption of parliamentary proceedings can result in loss of faith in the parliamentary system which was dangerous for democracy. He expressed the hope that political parties keep their promise of ensuring that the session was peaceful and orderly. Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the government was willing to discuss any matter or any issue of public importance that the Opposition or the supporting parties of the UPA wish to raise in the House. The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker C.S. Atwal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azaqd and his Deputy P.R. Kyndiah, Parbhunath Singh from JD (U), D.P. Yadav (RJD), V.K. Malhotra (BJP), Ramchandra Paswan (LJP), Kuppuswami (DMK), Suresh Pachauri (Congress), Basudev Acharya (CPM), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Ajit Singh (RLD), S.S. Dhindsa (Akali Dal) and Brij Kishore Tripathi (BJD). CPM Leader in the Lok Sabha, Basudeb Acharya told TNS that the Speaker proposed reduction in the duration of Zero Hour to 30 minutes. “The Speaker has proposed to have the Zero Hour between 12.30 pm to 1 pm for holding discussions on issues of national and international importance. He has suggested that members raise issues related to their constituencies after 6 pm when the Zero Hour would continue.’’ Reacting to the BJP’s decision not to disrupt proceedings of the House, Acharya said:“They have now decided not to boycott the monsoon session. What they did in the last session was counter-productive.’’ CPI National Secretary, D. Raja said that good sense had finally prevailed on the BJP. |
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BJP lashes out at UPA on ‘minority appeasement’
New Delhi, July 24 “The past 14 months have witnessed a concerted bid by the Congress and its allies to both placate and encourage divisive tendencies in the nation. They have not only encouraged regressive trends but lost no opportunity to denigrate the Hindus,” cautioned a resolution on “Minorities and vote bank politics” adopted by the BJP central office-bearers here. Party general secretary Sushma Swaraj told mediapersons that the BJP believed in justice for all and appeasement to none and warned that the Congress had set in motion a political pattern, which, if unchecked, would have serious consequences on Indian nationhood. Noting that the Congress response to the Supreme Court’s rejection of the Illegal Migrants Determination Act (IMDT) epitomised the problem, the resolution said the BJP had for long held the view that “this deceitful law has served as a legal cover for the unchecked illegal migration of Bangladeshis into Assam”. She stressed that the BJP saw this wanton disregard of national interests as a bid to placate its minority vote bank, which included people who had no right to vote in India in the first instance. “The BJP will resist with mass agitation any attempt to legitimise the ‘Bangladeshisation’ of Eastern India.” Further, she said it was also significant that the appeasement of its Muslim vote bank dictated the Congress’s ambivalence towards the hideous assault on the dignity of the Muslim woman in Muzzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. “The Imrana rape case epitomises the serious disabilities Muslim women are subjected to by reactionary clerics. It also highlights the dangers to the rule of law from extra-judicial courts that are mushrooming all over the country,” the resolution observed. Reiterating its longstanding commitment for a Uniform Civil Code and pending such a law, the BJP said it would press for the review of all family laws to bring them in line with gender justice and modern ethical standards. The party would set up an expert committee to identify and propose changes to all iniquitous family laws. |
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Uphill task ahead for Congress
New Delhi, July 24 But more than a year later, the enthusiasm has vanished while uncertainty, inertia and disillusionment has gripped the cadres, who see little signs of the party’s revival as news from the states is far from encouraging. Lack of political management and breakdown in decision-making at the highest level have contributed in large measures to the present mood in the party. The overwhelming view is that Congress president Sonia Gandhi is so busy managing UPA matters that she has little time for organisational affairs. Or else, her political managers are not pushing the party agenda hard enough. Congress insiders point to the long list of unfinished tasks and pending decisions. The indecision over the appointment of state unit presidents is still continuing. Meetings of Congress Chief Ministers, once a regular feature, have been almost forgotten. Also, state units are either enmeshed in factional battles or are virtually dormant. In addition, the leadership’s inability to decide on an organisational reshuffle has delayed the Cabinet expansion since the two are inextricably linked. Karnataka, according to Congress sources, is a case in point. Its Chief Minister Dharam Singh has been reduced to an appendage of Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, who is calling the shots much to the chagrin of the state Congress. There is a strong view in the party that Dharam Singh be replaced by a stronger leader like the recently-appointed PCC chief Mallikarjun Kharge before the Congress is destroyed by its coalition partner. Orissa is another state crying for attention. The Congress can emerge as a credible alternative to the two-term Navin Patnaik government, provided it is able to project a young leader with a clean image. To do so, it will have to undertake the unpleasant task of evicting veteran leader J.B. Patnaik from the CLP’s post, which nobody is willing to do. The party is yet to zero in on a CLP leader in Rajasthan as the previous incumbent B.D. Kalha was moved as PCC chief several months ago. While the Central leadership is still debating whether former Chief Minister and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot should return to take charge of the legislature party, the state unit is handicapped in taking on the Vasundhra Raje government. Similarly, the Congress is unable to mount an effective campaign against the Babulal Gaur government in Madhya Pradesh, as the state unit is virtually dormant. State leaders visiting Delhi lament that workers have lost the will to battle it out, while the local leadership is struggling to enthuse them. Uttaranchal, like many Congress-ruled states, is marred by factionalism as the longstanding feud between Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari and PCC chief Harish Rawat continues to rage. There is also a desperate need for a course correction here as these two leaders as well as the Speaker are from the Kumaun region, because of which resentment is brewing among the people of Garhwal. On the other hand, the Congress has virtually lost the key states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In fact, the Congress’ dependence on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar is now an accepted fact.
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PM to explain details of Indo-US pact to parties
New Delhi, July 24 According
to sources, Dr Manmohan Singh’s efforts are aimed at building a national consensus on the momentous agreement under which the United States implicitly recognised India as a nuclear weapons state and offered it full cooperation in the country’s civil nuclear energy
programme. The two sides also agreed to cooperate in other areas, including trade and economy, energy and environment, democracy and development, and high technology and space. The Prime Minister will make a statement on his three-day state visit to the US during the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on Monday. Dr Manmohan Singh’s decision to meet leaders of political parties comes in the wake of criticism of the agreement from the Left parties, main ally of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), as well as the BJP and other Opposition parties. The joint statement described India as a “responsible state with advanced nuclear technology” and said it should acquire the same “benefits and advantages” as other such states. It also agreed to consider resumption of fuel supplies for safeguarded nuclear reactors at Tarapur. The Left parties said India had conceded more to the US than what it had got in return and that they planned to oppose the agreement both inside and outside Parliament. They said the statement was a continuation of the pro-American shift in India’s foreign policy. The BJP and other Opposition parties described the statement as a “sellout” to the US. Sources said that the Prime Minister would explain to various political parties that the undertakings given to the US in the statement were entirely reciprocal in nature and that the commitments would be implemented only in a phased manner after the US lived up to its part of the bargain. At an end-of-the-visit press conference in Washington, Dr Manmohan Singh had asserted that he was fully confident of his government’s ability to achieve the outcomes visualised in the agreements, including the one on civil nuclear energy. He was also sure that these decisions would command universal support of all sections in the country. He said that all the decisions were guided by larger national interests. |
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No tsunami threat as quake hits Nicobar islands
Port Blair, July 24 In Delhi, the Centre said it was not issuing any tsunami alert as that could lead to “unnecessary panic”. A.K. Bhatnagar, Deputy Director General of IMD, said in New Delhi that any quake between 7.2 and 7.5 may trigger tsunami but there was no rise in sea level in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Tremors were also felt in Indonesia’s tsunami-hit Aceh province, but no injuries or damage was reported. According to a PTI report from Colombo slight tremors were felt in several parts of the island nation, including Colombo. But according to government there was no threat of tsunami in coastal areas. — PTI
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Ayodhya attack: STF releases sketches of militant
Lucknow, July 24 The STF has also requested people to inform the nearest police station if they spot anybody resembling the person in the pictures. While the attack was executed on the directions of LeT commander Mohammad Kari, Mahmood is believed to have planned and supervised the operation staying in New Delhi, Akbarpur and Ayodhya. He reportedly did not participate in the attack and left the state before the execution of his plan. He is believed to be the person who got a SIM card from Saharanpur by producing a fake driving licence with a fake address of Amritsar. STF sources believe that he may facilitate future terrorist strikes. He was one of the six terrorists who stayed in New Delhi from September 2004 till June 2005 and visited Akbarpur, Saharanpur and Ayodhya. The STF believes that he was present in Ayodhya till as late as June 30, a week before the attack. Private professionals on the basis of eyewitness accounts from New Delhi and Akbarpur, have prepared the sketch. In New Delhi Mahmood had joined an English-speaking course. He was attending classes till January this year. His batch-mates describe him as a handsome, fair complexioned, well-behaved young man in his late twenties and possibly hailing from Punjab or Jammu and Kashmir. He had, however, told his batch-mates that he belonged to Chandigarh and his family was in the cosmetics business. 12 cops suspended
Cracking down on the police for “remaining oblivious” to the presence of the five terrorists who stormed the Ayodhya complex, the Uttar Pradesh Government today suspended 11 personnel of Shahzadpur police outpost and the SHO of Akbarpur Kotwali in Ambedkar Nagar district. The terrorists who attacked the acquired land complex at Ayodhya on July 5 stayed at Shahzadpur area in Ambedkar Nagar district under Akbarpur Kotwali police station for several days “but the local police remained oblivious to it”, an official statement said here. “The police personnel failed to inform senior officials about the movement of ‘suspicious’ people in their area,” it said. The suspended personnel include Akbarpur Kotwali Station House Officer Rukmangal Singh and the in-charge of Shahzadpur police outpost Vidya Sagar Singh, the statement said. Investigations into the attack have revealed that the five terrorists had stayed in Shazadpur area for some days before proceeding to Faizabad.
— PTI |
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SC indicates early verdict in Parliament attack case
New Delhi, July 24 The verdict will also decide the fate of two Kashmiri militants, sentenced to death by the Delhi High Court, who have challenged their conviction. The indication about the finalisation of the judgment on appeals and counter-appeals by the Delhi police and those convicted, was given by a Division Bench, headed by Mr Justice P. V. Reddi, who sought final clarifications from prosecution counsel Gopal Subramaniam today about some important aspects of the case. The Court sought clarifications about the seizure of mobile phone from convict Mohammed Afzal at the time of his arrest from Srinagar three days after the December 13, 2001-attack on Parliament. The police had relied heavily on the records of the telephonic conversations among the accused, including five Pakistani terrorists shot dead by the security forces within the Parliament complex. Mr Justice Reddi, who is retiring on August 10, sitting with Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar, had heard the appeals of Afzal and another capital punishment awardee Shaukat Hussain along with the counter-appeals of the police against the acquittal of Geelani and Hussain’s wife Navjot Sandhu, alias Afsan, for nearly six months before reserving the verdict in May. Mr Subramaniam explained that the mobile phone handset of “Sony” make with number “8911481429”, was used by Afzal till December 12, a day before the attack on Parliament, to remain in touch with other accused killed by the security forces and it was identified by the Srinagar shop-owner from whom it was purchased. “Apart from Afzal’s confession about the use of the phone, the IMI number of the handset had tallied with the mobile number 9811481429, used by him,” the prosecution counsel explained to the Bench, stating further that the three SIM cards used by the accused though had been destroyed by him. To Court’s further clarification as to why the police had sought Afzal’s “police remand” from the court when he had agreed to make confession before the magistrate under POTA, while the other accused were sent to judicial custody, Subramaniam said he was to be taken to Srinagar for recovery of certain items, including the mobile phone handset, which were crucial evidence. The trial court had awarded death sentence to Afzal, a Pakistan- trained militant, Shaukat and also to Geelani while Afsan was sentenced to five-year rigorous imprisonment for concealing the Parliament attack conspiracy, which according to the trial judge, she was aware of. But the Delhi High Court had acquitted Geelani and Afsan, giving them benefit of doubt and upheld the death sentence to Afzal and Shaukat. |
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Raje reacts to Sonia’s remarks
Jaipur, July 24 In response to a letter of June 26 from Ms Raje to Sonia Gandhi, the latter had sarcastically observed that while she would help resolve the water problem, the Chief Minister should take care of the deteriorating law and order situation. Ms Raje has alleged that the state was facing the water problem only because of the blunders committed by the previous Congress government. It may be recalled that an assurance was given by Ms Gandhi last month when she visited Sohela village in Tonk district, where five persons were killed in a police firing on the agitating farmers for release of water from Bisalpur dam to their area. |
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Left-led protests worry Rajasthan parties
Jaipur, July 24 “Kindly reach out to all sections of society, especially farmers, labourers and traders, and tell them that this agitation is being organised to benefit a few self-styled leaders,” state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said in a letter to BJP legislators and office-bearers of the agitation-affected Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner
districts. The party has decided to depute separate teams to tour different villages in the three districts and inform farmers about the steps taken by the government for their welfare, Agriculture Minister Surendra Pal Singh ‘TT’ said. “So strong is the mood against the government that the BJP is not in position to implement this decision. Farmers would not allow BJP workers to enter their villages unless they join the agitation,” asserted PCC spokesman Chandra Shekhar Baid. The Congress has begun mobilising its local units to vigorously join the farmer’s agitation for irrigation water. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is likely to visit Gharsana and Rawala, nerve centres of the agitation, party sources said. The government maintains that it has honoured its promises and that farmers in the region should have no grievance to agitate. “We have implemented all our promises. The agitators have made no fresh demand,” state Irrigation Minister Sanwarlal
Jat said. “This is an issueless agitation,” claimed former MLA and senior party leader from Bikaner district Manik Chand Surana. “CPM leader Hetram Beniwal and his associates are misguiding farmers purely to serve their personal and political interests,” Mr Kataria alleged. “More than 5,000 persons attended a ‘maha panchayat’ organised at Naharwali in Sriganganagar district today. Among others, (CPM) Central Committee member Hannan Mollah, MP, and Dr Baid addressed the
gathering. The CPM has called farmer’s meetings at Raisinghnagar (July 25), Sadulshehar (July 26), Gharsana (Aug 1), Hanumangarh (Aug 8) and Sriganganagar (Aug 13) also. Another series of farmer’s protests was scheduled at Sikar (July 28), Nagaur (Aug 1) and Tonk (Aug 5). CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury is scheduled to address the “mass protest meeting” at Gharsana on August 1. “They are trying to incite farmers towards lawlessness,” charged Mr Kataria, the Home
Minister. — UNI |
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Five dead as rain lashes AP
Hyderabad, July 24 Reviewing the situation at a high-level meeting with officials here, Reddy directed the revenue, municipal, medical and health, panchayat raj and police officials to be more vigilant in view of the possible damages caused due to rains. He also wanted district collectors and Superintendents of Police to deploy special teams to alert the people to be cautious in crossing the streams when in spate besides evacuating people to safer places wherever necessary. Reddy asked the officials to take timely rescue and relief activities in all affected districts. In the rains, a total of 20 tanks were breached besides causing damage to 254 houses in Kurnool district alone and inundating some low lying areas in Suryapet, Guntur, Ramagundam and Vijayawada. A state-level control room has been set up to
monitor the situation and respond in time if any distress call received, official sources said. Meanwhile, five persons died in rain-related incidents across state, sources said. Four persons were killed in wall collapse incidents, while a 19-year-old youth was washed away in Uravagu in Warangal and Kurnool districts, sources added.
— PTI |
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SLP on lower international bandwidth rates admitted
New Delhi, July 24 The TDSAT in its April 28 verdict had asked TRAI, the regulator for telecom operators in the country, to have fresh look into the lowering of the international bandwidth price after giving sufficient opportunity to the public sector company, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) to explain its position. The VSNL had challenged the lowering of the bandwidth rate before TDSAT. A Bench of Mr Justice Ashok Bhan and Mr Justice S.B. Sinha admitted the special leave petition (SLP) of TRAI counsel which contended that TDSAT order was erroneous to the effect that the material considered by the regulator had not disclosed to the parties including, VSNL prior to the lowering the bandwidth rates. The counsel stated that under law the regulator was not supposed to disclose the material considered by it before fixing the tariff. TRAI had passed the order for lowering the international bandwidth price on March 11, which was challenged before TDSAT by the VSNL. |
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Punjab, Haryana lose forest cover
New Delhi: Punjab lost 852 sq km of its precious forest wealth between 2001 and 2003, perhaps to large-scale urbanisation and industrialisation in the state.
The state now has just 1,580 sq km area under forest cover in comparison to 2,432 sq km as recorded in 2001. As per the Forest Survey of India’s (FSI) latest report card on the country’s forest wealth released yesterday by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Haryana’s forest cover is also down from 1,754 sq km in 2001 to 1,517 sq km. The FSI’s State of Forest Report 2003 reveals that Himachal Pradesh also lost 7 sq km of its forest cover in this period. In contrast has been Jammu and Kashmir, where the green cover increased from 21,237 sq km in 2001 to 21,637 sq km in 2003. Interestingly, Chandigarh has also done well with 15 sq km area of its 114 sq km geographical area now under forest cover. It has 1 sq km of very dense forest, 8 sq km of moderately dense forests and 6 sq km of open forest area in contrast to just 9 sq km forest cover in 2001. Even Delhi has shown a remarkable improvement from 111 sq km in 2001 to 170 sq km in 2003. In Punjab, however, the dense forest cover decreased by 806 sq km and open forest by 46 sq km. For the country as a whole, though the green cover increased by 2,795 sq km between 2001 and 2003, it lost 26,245 sq km dense forests to which most states and Union Territories, barring Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Orissa and Chandigarh, contributed in a major way. However, most of these errant states also registered an increase in open forests or areas having a canopy density between 10 and 40 per cent, thereby bringing down the deficit due to the decrease in dense forest areas in total forest cover. But Punjab is the only state in the country where not only the dense, but also open forests decreased. In fact, it tops the list of those 14 states and Union Territories that lost total forest cover between 2001 and 2003. Other states in the deficit list are Madhya Pradesh (-836 sq km), Andhra Pradesh (-218 sq km), Chhattisgarh (-450 sq km), Maharashtra (-617 sq km), Orissa (-472 sq km), Rajasthan (-541sq km), Bihar (-162 sq km), Karnataka (-542). The question now is whether the Ministry of Environment and Forest will be able to protect the prime forest cover in the country in the face of a rather nonchalant approach of state governments towards environmental issues. The FSI’s report does show an overall increase of 2,795 sq km in the green cover in the country, but to achieve the ambitious national goal of bringing 33 per cent geographic area under forest and tree cover by 2012, something extra needs to be done. For one, there are plans to attract private participation in forest development, as revealed by Union Minister of Environment and Forests A. Raja during the release of the report. “As per the assessment for 2003, 20.64 per cent of the country’s geographical area is under forest cover and we have set a goal to have 25 per cent of India’s land under forest cover by 2007,” Mr Raja told mediapersons, adding that the Centre needed to spend Rs 8,000 crore every year on afforestation programmes and was exploring possibilities for a public-private partnership in this area. Explaining the decrease in dense forests areas, ministry officials say compensatory afforestation carried out in lieu of industrialisation become visible only after five to 10 years. “Whenever a project gets a green signal, compensatory afforestation on twice the area of land has to be carried out. Eventually there will be no net loss, but the effort will show in five to 10 years,” they say. Mr Raja told The Tribune that his ministry was in touch with states with decreasing forest cover, “ We have already written the states concerned,” he said. As per the 2003 assessment, 3,90,564 sq km of the country’s geographical area was under dense forest cover, while open forests covered 2,87,769 sq km of land, in contrast to 4,16,809 sq km and 2,58,729 sq km, respectively, in 2001. Mr Raja also attributed the depletion in dense forest cover to various industrial, developmental and mining projects being undertaken across the country. Madhya Pradesh, with a forest cover of 76,429 sq km, was at the top of the list of states and Union Territories with maximum tree cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh with 68,019 sq km and Chhattisgarh with 55,998 sq km. The total tree cover of the country was estimated at 7,78,229 sq km or about 23.68 per cent of the country’s geographic area. In the current survey, the FSI has introduced one more density class in the classification of forest cover. Earlier, any forest with a canopy density of 40 per cent was classified as “dense forest”, which was considered to be too broad. The SFR-2003 shows the forest cover with a canopy density of over 70 per cent as “very dense forest” and that between 40 and 70 per cent as “moderately dense forest”. The forest cover of the country was assessed using digital images procured from the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, which mapped it down to one hectare. |
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RJD, JD(U) ‘responsible’ for repoll in Bihar
Patna, July 24 The minority cell of the LJP at its meeting here felt that the two leaders, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, had scant respect for the Muslims and they were trying to hoodwink the community by advocating reservation for dalit Muslims. The two leaders do not believe in uplift of the minorities. If Lalu and Kumar had agreed to Paswan’s proposal for making a Muslim the Chief Minister of Bihar, the state would not be facing yet another elections. Addressing the conference, LJP national general secretary Maulana Nuruddin Ansari accused RJD president of befooling the Muslims on the slogan of Muslim-Yadav (MY) combination. In my opinion only Ramvilas Paswan thinks about improving the lot of the Muslims and the community would once again stand in favour of the LJP candidates in the upcoming assembly elections, Ansari said. Similar views were also expressed by other leaders who charged Yadav and Kumar with being anti-Muslim.
— PTI |
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New NCW member to fight for women cause
Bangalore, July 24 Speaking to newspersons here after garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, she said women in the country were subjected to various kinds of atrocities, including domestic violence, female foeticide and sexual harassment at work place. She said she would strongly advocate for invoking stringent punitive actions present in the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Penal Code against those exploiting women. Ms Venkatesh said a meeting of the members of Parliament would be convened to discuss the need for strengthening the existing laws for protection of women. |
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Narcotics smuggling up on Tripura-Bangladesh border
Agartala, July 24 Though the Indian Government may not admit it, the fence that is coming up along the Tripura-Bangladesh Border is being erected to stop not just the cross-nation movement of infiltrators and
militants, but also to put an end to the more insidious business of smuggling narcotics into the neighbouring country. In the past four months alone “marijuana” worth Rs 1 crore was confiscated by the BSF here. Then there was the
high-inducting, codine-laced cough syrup called phensidyl which was seized in bulk quantities totalling Rs. 9 lakh. Both the consignments were on their way to Bangladesh. In fact, so severely damaging to India’s reputation is the trade that the BSF says the 736 km
fence, out of which 309 is complete, has to come up in double quick time. Sources in the BSF said if one added the confiscation by the customs, the police and the BSF in the past six months, the amounts involving narcotics and cough syrup spirals to Rs 3 crore. The cough
syrup, which is a hit in Bangladesh, comes for Rs 46.50 for 100 ml. The same bottle, packed into cartons and pushed in with the help from Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) fetches Rs 120 in that country. A senior police official said India was never known to institutionalise the drugs business with the aim of earning top dollars from its sale to other countries. “We have always frowned on countries like North Korea, Cambodia and Burma who have done it. But now drugs are going from India to
Bangladesh. The cartel has to be broken before it gets out of hand”, said the official. The rows and rows of ganja plants in Konkabon, Devipur, Madhupur and Batodola (all in Tripura) are tended just for consumers in Bangladesh, said the official. Enforcement branch officer SP T.B. Roy was attacked by marijuana traders led by its kingpin Muslim Mia in Batadola village while on a raid early last month..”Ganja cultivation is flourishing in West Tripura with several thousand kilograms of the intoxicant worth crores in international market produced every year”, said the police. Officials here said that criminal elements in both sides did not want the fence to come up ,though the state government was determined to complete the fencing as soon as possible with the help of the centre. |
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Ustad Shafat Khan dead
New Delhi, July 24 A Padma Shri awardee, Khan had performed extensively at domestic and international art festivals. He was a bachelor.
— UNI |
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Last rites of Irani performed
Kolkata, July 24 President, Dr A.P.J Kalam, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Ms Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and others paid their tributes to the Irani, who Dr Kalam said, stood for the right cause and fought for it. The state Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, sent condolence message to the family of Irani. The Governor, Mr Gopal Krishna Gandhi today went to The Statesman House to place wreath on Irani’s body, which was kept there for the people to pay their last tributes. In the morning, Irani’s body was handed over to his family members. From 8 am to 12 noon, the body was kept on the ground floor of The Statesman House. Afterwards, the body placed in a flower-bedecked vehicle was taken out in a procession which passed through the city roads on way to Rawan Ghar for Parsi prayers. Later in the afternoon, his last rites were performed by the relatives and others at the Tower of Silence in Beliaghata in the presence of his fellow colleagues, friends and relatives. |
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President, PM mourn Irani’s death
New Delhi, July 24 In his condolence message to Irani’s wife, Threety Irani, the President has said Mr Irani, during his four-decade stint as the Managing-Director and later Editor-in-Chief of The Statesman, left an indelible mark on the newspaper. “I’m deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of your husband, C.R. Irani. I pray to the Almighty to give you and other members of your family the strength to bear this irreparable loss,’’ Dr Kalam has said. The Vice-President described Mr Irani as “an undaunted champion of freedom of Press and probity in public life.” Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh described his good friend Irani among the tallest of “our journalists’’ who upheld the finest values in journalism by wielding his pen without fear or favour. The Prime Minister said that Irani was a distinguished editor, learned commentator on political, judicial and social issues, an institution builder, a leader in his profession and above all a truly secular nationalist. BJP President and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani said Mr Irani earned a name for himself on the strength of his independent thinking, incisive commentary on events and individuals and sharp style of writing. In his condolence message, the BJP President said Irani’s courageous defence of the freedom of the Press during and after the Emergency endeared him to all lovers of democracy. |
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Man found dead in tour operator’s office
Jaipur, July 24 Preliminary investigations have revealed that Subhash had come to Jaipur for recovery of a sum of about Rs 10 lakh which he had given to a tour operator, Pawan Punia, for arranging jobs in Arab Countries for some unemployed persons of his village. Punia failed to send any one and the persons who had paid money to Subhash for this purpose were pressurising him to give back the money. Upon his arrival on Thursday, Subhash asked Punia to return the money given to him and the latter left the office assuring him that he was going to arrange the money and would come back after a few hours. But he did not turn up and Subhash decided to stay there. Meanwhile, he reportedly developed pain in the chest and the peon of the office brought some medicine for him. Following the swallowing of the pills, he fell asleep and after two-three hours, he was found dead. Punia, instead of returning to his office, fled to Delhi and from there he reportedly informed the police about the “mishap in his office”. As per FIR filed by the cousin of the deceased, it has been apprehended that since Subhash had known about the fraudulent practice of Punia allegedly duping people on the pretext of ensuring employment abroad, the latter might have drugged him to death. |
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70-yr-old accused of double murder
Mumbai, July 24 The Police said Vishnu Gangaram Vaze (55) and
D.V. Naidur (50) were making fun of accused Babu Tanu Kalvade, a security guard at the New Nandu Industries. This angered
Kalvade, who brutally assaulted the two with stones and sharp weapons. The duo succumbed to their injuries, the police said. The Police said Vaze’s body bore six injury marks, while 11 injury marks were found on the body of
Naidur. — UNI |
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Robbers attempt to rape minor
Kolkata, July 24 Four robbers raided
two houses in the G.C. block of Salt Lake city and beat up the night guard when he tried to resist, the Superintendent of Police, North 24 Parganas, Mr Praveen Kumar, said. The robbers attempted to rape the teenaged daughter of the nightguard, he said adding the girl was being medically examined. Three persons were arrested in this connection, he said. Several
articles, including a laptop and a wristwatch, have been recovered, he added.
— PTI |
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