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SC rejects Reliance plea
Bypoll for two LS, 11 Assembly seats
announced
Independents win 128 seats in Uttar Pradesh civic elections
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Scientists back mission to the Moon
Two school kids die as van falls into river
Curfew in Nagpur after Dalits thrash policemen
2 docs held for Malegaon blasts
Producer
N.N. Sippy dead
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SC rejects Reliance plea
New Delhi, November 7 A Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia said that no illegality and procedural impropriety was committed by the government in awarding the contract to the successful private bidders GMR and GVK consortiums. Upholding the Delhi High Court judgement, the Bench said the court would not interfere in government’s policy decision like this unless it was tainted by illegality, irrationality and procedural impropriety. The government had awarded the contract of Delhi Airport to Malaysia-based joint venture company, GMR Infrastructure Ltd and the Mumbai Airport to GVK Airport Company of South Africa. Meanwhile, Supreme Court’s dismissing the appeal of the Reliance Airport Developers challenging the award of contracts of Delhi and Mumbai airports would pave the way for the modernisation of the two airports. The GMR-led consortium, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has drawn up elaborate plans for the modernisation of the Delhi airport. It includes construction of a new common terminal for domestic and international passengers, a terminal for low-cost carriers and a third runway big enough to handle very large aircraft like Airbus A 380. A new terminal for both domestic and international passengers with a capacity to handle 37 million passengers is to be added and will be constructed on the southern side of the existing international terminal. It is expected to be ready by March, 2010, and will be spread over an area of 4.4 lakh sq m. As an interim arrangement, the company will construct a new terminal, 1C, which will come up between the existing terminals 1A and 1B. Presently, terminal 1A is used exclusively by state-owned carrier Indian, while the other is mainly used by private airlines. As per the plans, terminal 1C will be spread in an area of 75,000 sq m and is expected to be ready by March, 2008. Managing director of DIAL Srinivas Bommidala said after the construction of the new international-cum-domestic terminal, a single terminal would be created exclusively for low-cost carriers by merging terminals 1A and 1C. Terminal 1 B will be pulled down and converted into a cargo area. The company is also constructing a new runway along the existing runways, 9-27 and 10-28. The longest runway in the country (4,400 m) is expected to be ready by 2008. It will be Code F ready, which means it will be able to handle large aircraft such as Airbus A-380s. Mr Bommidala said the master plan for the new airport should be ready for unveiling in around one month. DIAL officials said the developers were in the process of awarding around 250 acres near the present international terminal for hotel space and other non-aeronautical activities. Mr Bommidala said the GMR group was also open to bidding for the development of other airports in the country, including the non-metro airports.
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Bypoll for two LS, 11 Assembly seats
announced New Delhi, November 7 Polling for the Bobbili Lok Sabha seat, which fell vacant following the death of the sitting TDP member, would also be held on the same day. Mr Rao, who had quit as Union Labour Minister some time back, had already announced that he would contest the seat and that the bypoll would be a "referendum" on the Telangana issue. He had challenged the Congress to face the electoral battle. "It will reflect the mood of the people of Telangana. Karimnagar will prove what is what." The Congress had already named party MLA T Jeevan Reddy as its candidate for the seat to take on Mr Rao. The TDP has also announced its nominee for the seat. The TRS, which fought the 2004 General Election in alliance with the Congress, withdrew support after not getting a commitment from the Centre on carving out of a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh. According to the poll schedule, the notification would be issued on November 10. The last date for filing nominations would be on November 17 and the scrutiny the following day. The last date for withdrawal of candidature would be November 20. The counting of votes would take place on December 7.
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Independents win 128 seats in Uttar Pradesh civic elections
Lucknow, November 7 With the secular vote spitting several ways, the BJP has managed to hold on to its seats far in excess to its actual voting percentage. This trend has implications for every party contesting the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha election, more so if parties like the BSP and the Jan Morcha would by then join the fray. The BJP, winning six of the 12 mayor seats and leading in two others is celebrating. (Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Aligarh). However, one should remember that they had six Mayors in the outgoing Nagar Nigams and at least two more had won with their support. Similarly, while the Samajwadi Party would put up a brave face, the fact remains that the urban voter has given it a rude shock. Allahabad, the only city that had a SP Mayor, is now with the Congress. In Moradabad, after trailing the BJP candidate in several rounds, its candidate S.T. Hasan won by a wafer-thin majority of 1800 votes! In the town area (Nagar Panchayat) that has 417 seats, the SP has undoubtedly won 92 of 336 seats declared so far. But the largest blocs are the 128 Independents. The BJP (61) is third and the Congress (23) fourth. The picture in the municipal towns (Nagar Palika) having 194 seats is much the same. While the SP has won 47 of the 132 results declared so far, the 40 Independents and 11 winning with BSP support cannot be brushed aside. Visibly, Congress has been the major gainer. Having only one Mayor in Kanpur in the outgoing Nagar Nigams today, it has two Mayors (Bareilly and Allahabad). Allahabad has been wrested from the SP while Bareilly is with an Independent supported by the BJP. Similarly, in Jhansi considered to be a BJP bastion, the Congress candidate is leading. The city returning BJP candidates for the past two terms may turn out to be a major jolt for the saffron party. The Congress has performed well in Rae Bareli and Amethi. In Rae Bareli it has won seven of the nine seats, including Rae Bareli city. In Amethi two of the four seats also goes to the party.
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Scientists back mission to the Moon
Bangalore, November 7 According to a source in the space agency, more than 80 scientists and technologists, including experts from leading research and development institutions, met here today to discuss the future agenda for manned missions. The meeting also went into the nitty-gritty of safety and security of such missions in view of recent setbacks to the country’s space programme. ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair confirmed the nod given by the country’s elite scientific community after the meeting while answering a question from TNS. He said the experts had endorsed the space agency’s plan to launch manned missions into space as well as the Moon. Mr Nair said the space agency was presently concerned with developing indigenous technologies to launch manned missions. He, however, said this would take time and the missions into space could come about only after eight to nine years. Mr Nair said the ISRO would prepare a report detailing all suggestions. “Only after this would the proposal be submitted to the government for consideration,” he added.
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Two school kids die as van falls into river
Muzaffarnagar, November 7 All children, between the age group of five and 13 years, belonging to Ban Nagar, Didahari, and Malira villages, were students of H.N. Junior High School, situated on the Roorkie Road. The driver of the Matador fled. The deceased were identified as Navajish (8) and Anurag (9) from Didaheri and Ban Nagar villages, respectively. The Chief Medical Officer of the local Civil Hospital, Dr Maheshwari, said 36 children, including two brought dead, reached the hospital for treatment. Two children, Muskan and Rohit, were unconscious due to severe head injuries and keeping in view their critical condition, they were referred to Meerut hospital, added Dr Maheshwari. While three other children suffered multiple fractures, others were given first aid and kept under observation, said the CMO. Heavy police force was deployed at the hospital and school building to avoid any untoward incident. The immediate help from the passersby helped in minimising the loss of life. As soon as the Matador fell into the neck-deep water of the river, people present on the spot jumped into the river and rescued the children, said Sonbir, a resident of Ban Nagar. The Matador was going at a high speed and the driver lost control over the vehicle when a truck coming from the opposite side was crossing it on the bridge and the Matador fell into river after hitting the iron railing on the right side of the bridge.
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Curfew in Nagpur after Dalits thrash policemen
Mumbai, November 7 The area had been tense for the past two days as the local Dalit population were unhappy at the slow progress in the investigation into the incident where four members of a Dalit family were burnt alive last month. The incident happened in neighbouring Bhandara district and the victims were small landholders who refused to part with their land for constructing a road. The family which had earlier surrendered a part of its land for a road project had asked the authorities to take the land belonging to the upper-caste families in the village this time. However, angry upper-caste villagers ‘instigated’ by the police attacked the four-member family two months ago and burnt them alive. The women members of the family were also raped. Yesterday morning, the protests spread through the Nagpur's Indora area and this morning the protestors attacked the Kamptee police station.
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2 docs held for Malegaon blasts
Mumbai, November 7 The names of the two doctors are Salman and Farook. While Farook was arrested from Malegaon itself, Salman was in hiding in the suburb of Govandi near Mumbai. The police said Salman had been absconding ever since several youth were arrested in connection with the blasts case from Malegaon. In all five persons have been arrested.
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Mumbai, November 7 He was 75. He is survived by a son and three daughters. He was suffering from a heart ailment for a long time and was undergoing treatment at the hospital. The end came at 6.30 this evening, family sources said. Among his other hits were “Fakira” and “Chor Machaye Shor”. — UNI
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