 |
|
|
Panel okays 3 new IIMs
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Immolation bid in front of Patil’s residence
Musharraf’s claim baseless, says Mukherjee
Passport seekers can apply in Speed Post Offices Procurement of paddy to be less BJP for extensive procurement by FCI Medha threatens stir over SEZ issue 4 held for dealing in fake cheques
Adulteration: kerosene colour to be changed
Uphaar Tragedy
TMC, Congress join hands against CPM
Nitish to hand over museum theft case to CBI
Oppn seeks Karnataka CM’s resignation
Interim protection for Punjab police officer
Dissident RJD leaders inching towards
JD(U)
CM orders inquiry into road project
USA changes visa system
19 kg gold looted
|
|
Panel okays 3 new IIMs
New Delhi, September 27 The committee has put forth that the quotas that will be implemented from 2007 in a phased manner will incur an expenditure of Rs 17,200 crore. Declining to tackle the controversial issue of “creamy layer,” the committee that has been set up to draw the framework for the implementation of the OBC quota has left it to the government to take decisions on the issue. “The issue of the creamy layer has been left to the government. Though we have said in the interim report that we will take a view on the issue in the final report, we are not making any reference,” Chairman of the committee M. Veerappa Moily said. While the issue of how the quotas will be implemented has been agreed upon, the question pertaining to the inclusion of the “creamy layer” in the quota ambit remains unresolved. And with the issue heading for a stand-off between several political parties, the Oversight Committee seems to have chosen to play safe by leaving it to the Centre to take the final decision. While the CPI (M) has categorically called for the exclusion of the “creamy layer” from the quotas, the DMK and the PMK have urged the UPA to extend the benefit to the “creamy layer” as well. The final report of the Oversight Committee will be submitted to the Prime Minister soon. “An appointment has been sought with the PM and the report will be submitted soon,” an official said. The committee today reiterated that the implementation would commence in 2007-08 and would be carried out in a phased manner, spread over three years. The committee has also suggested empowering students through scholarship, research and other forms of remedial action in the process of implementation of reservation.
|
|
Package for AP soon: Sonia
Kadapa, September 27 The welfare of farmers and workers had been the major focus of the UPA government, Ms Gandhi said addressing a mammoth public meeting here after inaugurating the Rs 125-crore Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), a 750-bed multi-specialty hospital and medical college. Andhra Pradesh is presently a Congress bastion, having sent the largest number of party MPs to Parliament, besides, being the biggest state under the Congress rule. Showering praises on Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy, the Congress president said his government had set an example for other states in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, besides taking up big irrigation projects to resolve the agrarian crisis in the state. She, however, cautioned that the government must accord highest priority to address land-related issues while implementing irrigation projects under its ambitious the Jala Yagnam(Irrigation Projects) programme. The RIMS is a 200-acre complex on the outskirts of Kadapa, the home town of the Chief Minister, comprising a 750-bed hospital, medical, dental and nursing colleges, hostels and staff quarters. This hospital was committed to improve quality of public health in rural areas, Ms Gandhi said.
|
|
Immolation bid in front of Patil’s residence
New Delhi, September 27 Drenched in kerosene, Mohinder Singh, a resident of Jahangirpuri, arrived at the Janpath Road residence of the Home Minister this afternoon and threatened to immolate himself, the police said. He had intimated the police and a section of the media in advance about his intentions. He said he was being harassed by the police. Police personnel present in the high security area arrested him and a case of attempt to commit suicide was registered against him at the Tughlak Road police station. |
|
|
Musharraf’s claim baseless, says Mukherjee New Delhi, September 27 Reacting to General Musharraf’s contention in his book “In The Line Of Fire” that India’s uranium enrichment programme could have benefited from a Dubai-based proliferation network set up by disgraced scientist A.Q. Khan, Mr Mukherjee said India had never clandestinely obtained or exported nuclear technology. “Absolutely bogus, we developed our own...first reactor...We were the first among the Asian countries, the developing countries to develop (the technology) through our indigenous efforts and our track record in this matter is impeccable,” Mr Mukherjee told TV news channels in New York, where he is heading the Indian delegation to the UN General Assembly. “We did not export it to anybody, nor did we have it clandestinely from anyone. This is absolutely clear. So his (Musharraf’s) allegation is absolutely baseless,” he said. General Musharraf has alleged that several Indians worked for A.Q. Khan’s network in Dubai, some of whom subsequently “vanished.” “There is a strong probability that the Indian uranium enrichment programme may also have roots in the Dubai-based network and could be a copy of the Pakistani centrifuge design,” he wrote. Mr Mukherjee also said General Musharraf’s revelations about India-Pakistan relations in his book would not affect the joint statement issued after the Pakistani leader’s meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Havana. In reply to a question on the issue, Mr Mukherjee said, “First, the book was written earlier and the Havana meeting took place later. “What is written in the book is his perception of the things and situation but what appeared in the discussions between the Prime Minister and President Musharraf (was about) how to tackle the situation and impasse which has been created, and both sides have agreed to talk...,” he said.
— PTI |
|
|
Heritage festival at Pinjore Gardens from Oct 5 New Delhi, September 27 Pinjore
Heritage Festival, being held from October 5 to 9, will feature some top artistes in the backdrop of 17th century grandeur of Mughal gardens. State Tourism Minister Kiran Choudhry said Meena Bazaar of Mughal era will be recreated during the festival. The performers at the festival include noted ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, Bharatnatyam dancer Pratibha Prahlad and classical vocalist Begum Parveen Sultana. There will be a performance by dance ballet group of Daksha Seth and a concert by Euphoria. The Tourism Department has taken steps to restore Pinjore Gardens to its original glory. The project involves revitalising vegetation, water system and drainage of the gardens built on descending scale of seven levels. Ms Choudhry said the department would take steps to develop the area around the Bhima Devi temple, which is adjacent to Pinjore Gardens. Dating back to the 9th century, the architectural style and technique of the temple is comparable to the temples of Khajurao. The minister said Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai and state Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will inaugurate events in the five-day festival. The Tourism Ministry has given Rs 5 crore for the festival. Speaking about government’s plans to develop Kurukshetra, Ms Choudhry said shrines in the city were being integrated in a circuit. “We want to develop it into a religious city of international fame.” She said efforts were being made to get heritage city status for Kurukshetra. “We have found that the city meets 10 of the 12 norms stipulated by UNESCO for getting the status of heritage city.”
|
|
|
Passport seekers can apply in Speed Post Offices New Delhi, September 27 The network expansion of the Speed Post Passport Service, a joint initiative of the Ministries of Communication and External Affairs, was dedicated to the nation by Minister of Communications Dayanidhi Maran and Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed here. Under the system, an applicant needs not go to the passport office but can submit his application form at the nearest Speed Post Centre/Post Office, Mr Ahamed said. After the application is processed, the passport will be sent to the customer for delivery through the Speed Post, he said. The list of such post offices is available at the website www.indiapost.gov.in. Earlier, a post office charged Rs 100 as the Speed Post Passport service fee which has now been dispensed with.
|
|
|
Procurement of paddy to be less New Delhi, September 27 Procurement operations started in three states, namely Punjab, Haryana and Kerala, on September 25 due to early arrivals of paddy. “It is estimated that 270 lakh tonnes of rice (including paddy in terms of rice) would be procured by government agencies during KMS 2006-07 against 279 lakh tonnes procured during the last kharif marketing season,” the Department of Food and Public Distribution said in a statement. The FCI and state agencies have been directed to open purchase centres and to make necessary arrangements to carry out procurement on the minimum support price in all areas where paddy and coarse grains are produced in order to ensure that farmers get a remunerative price for their produce. However farmers are free to sell their produce at higher prices if available in the open market. The procurement of paddy will be on a minimum support price of Rs 580 for the common variety and Rs 610 for grade “A”, which is higher by Rs 10 per quintal than the MSP fixed last year. In addition, in KMS 2006-07 an incentive bonus of Rs 40 per quintal will be paid to farmers for paddy procured by government agencies during the procurement period.
|
|
|
BJP for extensive procurement by FCI New Delhi, September 27 Stating that the conference had only paid a lip-service to farmers’ problems, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the conclave deliberated the farmers’ issues for 11 hours and ironically 11 farmers had committed suicides in Mahrashtra alone. “India is amidst an agrarian crisis and the non-functional UPA government is playing a mute spectator”, he added. Asking the government to adopt a flexible policy or competitive pricing to ensure better deal for the farmers by way of upward revision of MSP to meet rising input costs for all crops before the commencement of procurement, he said increasing the import duty on cotton and other agriculture produce to protect Indian farmers was a must. “Agriculture credit should be available at 6 per cent interest”, he demanded. Mr Javadekar said pragmatic buffer stock management was a key issue and the recent price rise across the board for all essential commodities was the bad management of buffer stock. He said the relief package announced by the Prime Minister in Vidarbha had failed to deal with the situation and unless the policy reforms were put in place, the situation would go from bad to worse. Turning to hike in petroleum products, the spokesman said the seventh hike announced was on the basis of rising international crude oil prices when the world market was hovering around $60 or 77 a barrel. However, during the past one month, the prices had slumped to $58, hence, the government should heed to the advice of the Tax Reforms Commission to have specific duties instead of ad valorem. “The last time the government attempted to palm it on the states. Now the government mus give immediate relief to the already harassed consumer by reducing petrol and diesel prices at least by Rs 3 a litre”, he demanded.
|
|
|
Medha threatens stir over SEZ issue New Delhi, September 27 “Raising voice against mushrooming SEZs in the country has become necessary as according to us they are not special economic but special exploitation zones… And this is just the beginning,” she told mediapersons, a day prior to the Board of Approval on SEZs of the Commerce Ministry meeting tomorrow. The Board has already granting 164 SEZ projects a go-ahead in different parts of the country and some more are likely to get a green signal in tomorrow’s meeting. Citing the example of a SEZ project in Maharashtra, she alleged that whereas farmers had been paid Rs 1 lakh per acre as compensation, the mega-company developing the project was bargaining with foreign investors to sell the same land at Rs 4 crore per acre. Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is also supporting the anti-SEZ movement started by the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) in collaboration with other mass movements and organisations, says he is studying the newly framed SEZ law and policy, “to understand its implications and challenges in case a legal recourse needs to be taken”. “To me it appears to be an amazing bonanza designed to give undue benefit to SEZ developers. The SEZ policy has undermined the legal edifice of this country, as all labour laws, environmental laws and natural resources-water, forest, land-and Panchayat laws have been made subservient,” he said. Asserting that the SEZ policy and law have challenged the common people’s rights, the sovereignty of the country and will distort the agrarian balance in the country, the NBA leader said the SEZs would distort the balanced growth of the economy, natural resources and entire development process in the country. “ It is a policy that would result in displacement of farmers and other communities,” she said and urged the Union and state governments to abrogate the SEZ law and policy and integrate the issues and interests of common man in any policy of development. |
|
|
4 held for dealing in fake cheques New Delhi, September 27 Sources said the four were nabbed after raids on various premises at Safdarjung Enclave, Vasant Enclave and Vikaspuri in New Delhi, from where the consignments of counterfeit material were booked to foreign countries, specially the USA. Cheques for $ 71,000, a laptop and computer sets were seized from these premises in the raids. |
|
Adulteration: kerosene colour to be changed
New Delhi, September 27 “We plan to introduce marker in kerosene in 400 districts from October 1,” Petroleum Secretary M.S. Srinivasan said here today. In September, 2005, an NCAER study concluded that 38.6 per cent of PDS kerosene was being diverted for adulteration in petrol and diesel. The incentive being the huge price difference — while a litre of kerosene costs just over Rs 9, an equal volume of petrol in Delhi is priced at Rs 47.50 and diesel at Rs 32.40. Srinivasan said the marker, once induced in kerosene, could not be removed or tampered with. It would be imported from Authentix. By using the marker system of Authentix, adulteration up to even one per cent could be detected on the spot, he said. To ensure that the marker-doped kerosene and petrol and diesel are not transported through the same tankers, exclusive trucks would be used for the supply of kerosene. These trucks will be painted in a different colour scheme for each identification. Srinivasan said the new marker would be different from the prevalent practice of using chemicals to colour kerosene blue as the imported marker cannot be tampered with. “A simple tool kit can detect use of marked kerosene as adulterant in petrol and diesel,” he added. In its report, the NCAER has estimated the total diversion/leakage of kerosene at around 39 per cent of the total sale in 2004. It had reported very high (40 to 50 per cent) to extremely high leakage (more than 50 per cent) of PDS kerosene in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Orissa and Punjab.
|
|
Uphaar Tragedy Our Correspondent
New Delhi, September 27 Furnishing Sushil Ansal’s bank accounts, senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the investigating agency, contended that it was Sushil who oversaw day-to-day affairs in the cinema hall. “Besides, he was sole licensee of the Uphaar cinema hall, which attracts culpability in equal measure,” he added. According to the counsel, the transformer which caught fire causing loss of so many lives, had also earlier caught fire on July 6, 1989. “Breach of license conditions is flagrant negligence,” he said, adding that the license was renewed without carrying any inspection by the concerned authorities. Even the seating capacities was increased in the cinema hall, thus committing a violation of building by-laws, Mr Salve said, adding that the theatre hall was without any fire-safety measure. “If Sushil Ansal had shared the profits, he cannot escape liability,” he submitted. The arguments will continue tomorrow.
|
|
TMC, Congress join hands against CPM
Kolkata, September 27 The day was also observed as a protest day against “police excesses” on Ms Mamata Banerjee and other TMC leaders and workers who were teargassed and lathicharged around midnight during their dharna before the BDO office at Singhur on Monday. On October 9, they would jointly observe a 24-hour Bangla bandh against the “CPM’s misrule”. Ms Banerjee welcomed the Congress in her fight against the CPM. Union Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi and Mr Somen Mitra, MLA, leaders of the two opposite camps in the state Congress, declared at the rally that from now they would jointly fight against the CPM along with the TMC. Meanwhile, a writ petition was today filed in the Supreme Court by the State Legal Aid Cell against the state government, making the Chief Minister, two DIGs and six SPs party for assaulting and torturing the TMC MP and several MLAs.
|
|
Nitish to hand over museum theft case to CBI
Patna, September 27 In a daring late-night robbery on Monday, miscreants sneaked into Patna Museum, located in the heart of the state capital, through a first-floor window and cleaned out part of a gallery containing priceless bronze statues dating back to the ninth and 10th centuries concerning Buddhist and Jain eras. Historically, the statutes belonged to one of the culturally richest period of India during the Pal dynasty, which had ruled Bihar and Bengal. The holy urn of Lord Buddha was also being kept in the museum. Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Nitish Kumar said the police had already sealed the state’s common borders with Nepal and Bangladesh to prevent any possible attempt to take the relics outside the country. The West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh governments were also alerted against the possible smuggling of these priceless relics as Bihar shared common borders with these three states. Mr Nitish Kumar said the police and CID were leaving no stones unturned to recover the relics and subsequently book the culprits. “We will not spare any one,” he said. Sources in the police said in view of the established international racket in antique smuggling, the state government decided to hand over the probe to the CBI. On Tuesday, IG (HQ) Anil Sinha hinted at the possibility of the involvement of international smugglers in executing the theft through professional robbers. A visit to the museum area by The Tribune revealed that the thieves had used a bamboo ladder, the kind used in the construction sites, to reach the first-floor window from the back. The museum staff claimed that the thieves were well aware of the easy access to the main artifact gallery through this route. After preliminary investigation, the police found that the miscreants used a hacksaw to cut through the window grills and the locks on the gallery door. The police recovered ropes and a hacksaw near the broken window. The museum staff alleged lack of adequate security to guard the priceless artifacts. “Barely three months ago, art objects found from excavation sites at Muzaffarpur, Bodh Gaya and Darbhanga were stolen.Yet there was no attempt either to enhance the security in the museum or to install an alarm system,” the staff said. It was learnt that only four security personnel used to guard the museum in the night. While the museum authorities closed down the building for visitors till the investigation was complete, the Chief Minister already asked the top brass of the police to completely overhaul the security aspect of the museum to prevent any such theft in future.
|
|
Oppn seeks Karnataka CM’s resignation
Bangalore, September 27 The Opposition, which was cooperative in all government efforts on the issue, including being part of a delegation to plead the state’s case in front of the Prime Minister, demanded the Chief Minister should resign over an alleged Rs 800-crore forest scam. A private news channel has shown three land developers engaged in a conversation with former Joint Commissioner (Crime) Narayan Gowda at Utility Building in Bangalore. The former police official and the land developers talk about selling 593 acre of Turahalli reserve forest land, 5 km from Bangalore, at a price of Rs 800 crore. Narayan Gowda assures persons posing as NRIs that their work can be done through an NRI who is close to the Chief Minister. The land developers on their part show fabricated documents that they say prove that the Turahalli forests were gifted to their forefathers decades ago by the Dewan of Mysore. Narayan Gowda has denied the charges. He said the NRI issue came up when he was talking about one Amarnath Gowda, who lived abroad. He said he did not have any dealings with any land developer and that attempts were being made to frame him as he was close to the Chief Minister’s family. Meanwhile, Deputy Conservator of Forests B.M. Parameswara has clarified that the Turahalli reserve was forest land that was owned by the government and all records pertaining to the government ownership over the piece of land were in the department’s possession. The opposition Congress took up the issue in the state Assembly at Belgaum by moving an adjournment motion under Rule 60. The Speaker, however, disallowed the motion. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said he need not submit his resignation over “baseless charges hurled against him”. He claimed his name was not mentioned in the clip aired by a private channel.
|
|
Interim protection for Punjab police officer
New Delhi, September 27 Ms Brar is presently posted as the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG), Welfare and Litigation of the state police. A Bench of Mr Justice A.K. Mathur and Mr Justice Tarun Chatterjee in an interim order said the status quo be maintained in the case till further orders. The interim order was passed by the apex court while admitting the appeal of some police officers, led by Arun Kumar, challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order of January 24, allowing her induction into the state police force from the CRPF. They challenged her absorption on the ground that any such induction from other police force was against the Punjab Police Service rules. Ms Brar was initially appointment as a Assistant Commandant in the CRPF in 1988, almost an year after the killing of her brother Avinder Singh Brar, who was the SSP of Patiala, by terrorist on December 14, 1987. Besides, appointing her on compassionate grounds in the CRPF, her brother was awarded Padmashree posthumously in recognition of his bravery and services rendered to the national cause. Ms Brar was sent on deputation to the Punjab Police in 1993 as a DSP after her request was conceded by the Union Home Ministry, the court was informed. Like her brother, she had taken active part in combating militancy in the state, the court was told.
|
|
Dissident RJD leaders inching towards
JD(U)
Patna, September 27 The possible loss for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on account of former JD(U) president and NDA convener George Fernandes is thus likely to be compensated by a group of RJD leaders. Soon after hints by George Fernandes to break ties with Nitish Kumar and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav for allegedly betraying him during the organisational poll in May last, Shivand Tiwary and a few other RJD leaders started praising Nitish Kumar openly for advancing the cause of “social justice”. Nitish Kumar, however, is not much bothered by the political developments either in his party or in the RJD. “My focus is on development and nothing else. After a long time, business and industrial giants in the country, ranging from Ratan Tata to Anand Mahinda to Max Healthcare director Alaljit Singh, are showing interest in Bihar. This is a good sign,” he has said. Shivand Tiwary, along with another senior RJD leader Bhola Prasad Singh, had already asked Lalu Prasad to get rid of his brothers-in-law, Subhash and Sadhu, to save the RJD in Bihar. Talking to the media here, Shivand Tiwary said Nitish Kumar had carried forward the much delayed “social justice” by ensuring 20 per cent reservation for extremely backward castes (EBCs) at the just concluded statewide panchayat elections, besides ensuring socially balanced development by reserving 50 per cent seats for women. The disgruntled RJD leader alleged that despite claiming himself to be the “messiah” of the backward classes and Dalits, Lalu Prasad did nothing for the EBCs in 15 years of the RJD rule. The EBC constituted around 30 per cent of the total population of the state. He rebuffed Lalu Prasad for claiming that the Nitish Kumar-led NDA would fall like the Arjun Munda government in Jharkhand by dubbing such remarks as nothing but “daydreaming”. Charging Lalu Prasad with favouring family members over the party, he said he was also opposed to the idea of selecting Rabri Devi as the Leader of Opposition. Of late, another former aide of Lalu Prasad, Sanjay Paswan, had praised Nitish Kumar as the “protector of Bihar”. Meanwhile, sources close to the dissident camp led by George Fernandes in the JD(U) said the former party chief was likely to say goodbye to Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav following his return from Japan in a fortnight. Sources said George Fernandes had almost made up his mind to revive the Samta Party and subsequently quit the Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha seat.
|
|
CM orders inquiry into road project
Hyderabad, September 27 The 159-km long ring road connects Patancheru-Shamshabad- Hayathnagar- Medchal Patancheru providing connectivity to various state highway and national highways, to by pass the city of Hyderabad. The judicial inquiry will be headed by a retired judge of the high court. Announcing this at a press conference here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy asserted that no irregularity was committed in the land acquisitions as alleged by a section of the Telugu press. He, however, preferred the two probes to clear the air and prove the honesty and integrity of his government. The vernacular media has been running a series of stories on how those close to the ruling establishment made huge money by manipulating the ORR project. Farmers were made to sell off their land holdings after acquisition notices were issued. But once land changed hands, the alignments of the ORR project were changed and notices withdrawn. Hundreds of crores of rupees were made by people in the government through this manipulation, leaving the original land owners high and dry, according to these reports. The main Opposition, the Telugu Desam Party, the BJP and the communist parties also lambasted the government against what they called the ORR scam. The project, with an 8-line divided carriage way, is proposed to be implemented in 2 phases and is estimated to cost Rs 3,000 crore. The work has already started on the first phase of the project. The terms of reference for both inquiries and the time limit for submitting the reports will be finalised while issuing the order.
|
|
USA changes visa system
New Delhi, September 27 The Embassy today said an applicant could cancel a visa interview appointment only twice and after the second cancellation, the HDFC visa fee receipt was de-activated for 90 calendar days. The applicant would not be able to book another appointment till 90 days were over, the Embassy said in a press note here. If the applicant does not appear for a visa interview appointment, the HDFC visa fee receipt will be de-activated and the applicant will not be able to book another appointment. However, if the applicant has a valid reason for not appearing for the appointment, he/she can request the VFS to re-activate the visa fee receipt citing reasons for non-appearance. If the VFS re-activates the applicant’s receipt, he/she will then be able to book another appointment through the VFS. |
|
Kottayam, September 27
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
