Patna, January 2
The ruling NDA continued its winning streak in Bihar after retaining the Bikramganj Lok Sabha seat today. It was the seventh bypoll victory by the NDA after Nitish Kumar was elected Chief Minister in 2005.

JD(U) candidate Meena Singh defeated UPA-backed RJD candidate Ashok Kumar Kushwaha by over 30,000 votes. The bypoll to the seat was held on December 29.

The outcome to the seat assumed significance because of the main opposition RJD’s stance dismissing the victory record of the NDA in earlier six bypolls held between 2006 and 2007 in the state after Nitish Kumar assumed charge as Chief Minister as nothing but “honeymoon syndrome”.

The Bikramganj seat fell vacant after the death of JD(U) MP Ajit Singh in the road accident in August. The winning candidate, Meena Singh, is the wife of Ajit Singh.

But despite JD(U)’s success to retain the seat, what reportedly surprised both the NDA and the UPA was the success of CPI(ML) candidate Arun Kumar to emerge as a close third behind the RJD.

Incidentally, the CPI(ML), and not the established Left forces like the CPI and CPM, which was now the main Left force in the state by winning five Assembly seats in 2005 polls.

Backed by LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan in divided UPA house in Bihar, the CPI(ML) could even take lead in one of the six Assembly segments under the Bikraganj Lok Sabha seat. The JD(U), however, led in other five Assembly segments to finally retain the seat.

This was the first ever such experiment in the state when an ultra Left democratic outfit like the CPI(ML) was backed by an ideologically opposed force like the LJP.

The initial analysis to the Bikramganj bypoll further indicated that LJP’s experiment with the CPI(ML) as a third force in Bihar politics was more productive than its earlier experiment with the CPI in 2005 Assembly polls.

On his part, railway minister Lalu Prasad in the run up to the bypoll had called it an acid test for the Nitish government after the NDA had completed two-year in office on November 24.

The bypoll, besides Lalu Prasad’s effort to convert it into a prestige fight for the NDA, also evoked interest because it put to test the much talked about social engineering theory of Nitish Kumar, linked to all inclusive growth, beyond caste and religion against the hitherto caste-centric arithmetic of Bihar that had dominated the politics of this crucial Hindi heartland state in post-Mandal era since 1990.

Guwahati, January 2
At least four persons were killed (5 according to PTI) and several others, including two police officials, injured as police resorted to firing on a violent mob that attacked policemen and vehicles carrying polling officials at Lakhipur in Assam’s Goalpara district today. Indefinite curfew was clamped in the area and Army was called out.

Superintendent of police Abhijit Bora said police personnel escorting polling officials counterattacked a mob of Non-Rabha Coordination Forum (NRCF) protestors, who had attacked two police vehicles and set fire to four vehicles carrying election officials at around 12 noon at Lakhipur bazaar in the district today. The officials were heading for their polling stations to attend duty on second phase of panchayat polls scheduled for January 4.

Two persons were killed in the firing and at least twenty others were injured. Two police officials were injured as well in the attack by the mob of protestors armed with sticks and spears.

Two more persons were killed in another round of police firing at around 4 pm when a mob, that set fire to four private residences of Bengali-Hindu residents in the area, was heading to attack the police station at Lakhipur. The police officials said that this time the mob was bigger, of about 3000 people, and armed with spears, sticks, torch etc.

They shouted slogans against the police and rushed towards the police station at Lakhipur. “It was a calculated move to attack the police station and incite communal passion in the area,” police sources said.

He said the Army was called out in the area after the second round of police firing and curfew was clamped in the area. The situation was stated to be very grim. The Army staged a flag march in the area.

The NRCF had called for 48-hour Goalpara district bandh from this morning to disrupt holding of panchayat election.

The state government earlier recommended the State Election Commission against holding of panchayat election in the tribal autonomous council area after the Rabha-Hasong tribe had threatened to resort to violent movement in case elections were held in areas under jurisdiction of the tribal autonomous council.

The commission has instructed the district election office in Goalpara not to dispatch any polling official in Goalpara today in view of the violence. However, polling personnel will be dispatched tomorrow to conduct election on Friday.

Rampur/Lucknow, January 2
Even as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) claimed that its personnel killed in yesterday’s fidayeen attack in Rampur were not inebriated, two suspects were detained for questioning by the police today.

Talking to reporters in Rampur, IG (CRPF) Karmveer Singh said the New Year bash at the Rampur CRPF group centre ended at 12.30 a.m. “There was no lapse in the security set up... the men killed or injured in the attack were not drunk,” he added.

Meanwhile, sources said at least two people were detained for questioning at Rampur. A senior police official, who is part of the investigating team, told UNI several people were being questioned. But he denied that anyone was detained or arrested so far.

Condemning the fidayeen attack, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has blamed paramilitary forces for the incident.

The state government has already issued a high alert in the state after the incident with the CM asking all the senior police officials to maintain a strict vigil to prevent such incidents in future. — UNI

New Delhi, January 2
Having decided to take on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Congress is now using every opportunity to pin down the BSP chief.

For the second time in as many days, the Congress today ticked off Mayawati, this time for not paying sufficient attention to growing terrorist activities in Uttar Pradesh. Accusing her of indulging in an unnecessary blame game, the Congress said the terror attack on the Rampur CRPF camp yesterday showed that Uttar Pradesh was emerging as a soft target for terrorists because of the state government’s laxity in dealing with them.

“Mayawati appears to be preoccupied with travelling around the country in order to build her party. In the process, she should not lose her focus on the primary and pressing importance of governance of a large and sensitive state like Uttar Pradesh,” Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan said here today.

With Mayawati putting the blame on the Centre for not helping them, the Congress reminded the UP Chief Minister that it was the state government which was responsible for law and order and unless it took the necessary precautions, central agencies alone could not tackle such situations.

Natrajan said the Centre could provide necessary intelligence inputs or any other support, but if the state government did not take firm measures, the situation could not be brought under control. “The feeling of helplessness will not help a state government to discharge its basic responsibilities,” she added.

Today’s attack against Mayawati comes two days after UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi declared war against Mayawati, saying emphatically, “If Mulayum was bad, Mayawati is worse”. Uttar Pradesh has also drawn up plans to launch a series of agitation programmes against the Mayawati government.

Although Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati have a good rapport, the Congress has been forced to change its stand on the BSP after it woke up to the electoral threat posed by it.

New Delhi, January 2
Despite opposition from the Left parties, defence ties between India and Israel are all set to improve with the two countries also deciding to share intelligence on regular basis as part of efforts to fight terrorism jointly, in the backdrop of threats from Al-Qaida.

The decision came at the end of the two-day meeting of the Indo-Israel Joint Working Group (JWG) on defence, co-chaired by defence secretary Vijay Singh and his Israeli counterpart Brigadier-General (retired) Pinchas Buchris. The two sides discussed ways to effectively fight the rising threat of terrorism.

Incidentally, India has emerged as Israel’s largest defence customer, with purchases worth $1.5 billion in 2006 alone, displacing even the US to the second spot with $1 billion. Since the 1999 Kargil conflict New Delhi has done a whopping $7 billion worth of military business with Tel Aviv.

During his two-day visit, Buchris held talks with defence secretary Vijay Singh, Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor, Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Air Force Chief Fali Homi Major.

India and Israel have established a mechanism for intelligence sharing and in the meetings it was decided to have this exchange on regular basis, defence ministry sources said. The Israeli defence ministry chief also had a meeting with national security advisor M K Narayanan and deputy national security adviser Shekhar Dutt. Buchris, who headed a six-member high-level Israeli defence team, also discussed the issue of joint-production of Pythen quick reaction missile.

The Cabinet committee on security recently cleared a Rs 10,000 crore deal for joint production of these missiles in India for the Indian Air Force. The two countries have also decided to focus more on joint R&D projects rather than just continue with a mere buyer-seller kind of relationship. These could include joint R&D on man-portable miniature UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and advanced radars to missile systems and electronic warfare suites.

It is expected that India will spend around $30 billion in defence purchases over the next five years. With its expertise in high-tech sub-systems, avionics, radars and missile systems, Israel is very keen to work with India in several areas. Incidentally, strategic ties with Israel are kept largely under wraps due to the domestic and international sensitivities involved.

During the meeting the Israeli delegation also gave an assurance to India that the Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) project, worth $1.1 billion, was now progressing on schedule after being hit by some delays. India had purchased the IL-76 aircraft from Russia and they were later handed over to Israel for the fitting of the Phalcon AWACS on them and which would serve as the country’s eyes in the sky.

Bangalore, January 2
A fear that the body-bag count of woman serial killer Mallika could be greater than the six attributed to her till now, has resulted in the Bangalore police’s decision to subject her to narco-analysis.

Mallika was arrested on Sunday on the charge of using cyanide to poison her unsuspecting victims, all of whom were distressed women, to rob them of their gold ornaments. She used to thrust the cyanide into the mouths of her victims while they were performing the “pooja” with close eyes.

She was able to convince all her victims to agree to a special “mandal pooja” and dress up in finery, including gold ornaments, to ensure the “blessings” of the goddess.

The Bangalore police have decided to go for the narco-analysis of Mallika, as she is not opening up to questioning about her whereabouts and activities since 1999.

Although she has admitted one murder in 1999 and five others in the last one month, investigators feel she is still hiding something from them.

Investigations have revealed that a middle aged woman, in whose house Mallika was working for some time, disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 2005. The missing woman Chandramma had gone out with Mallika but did not return back to her house.

When Chandramma’s daughter reported the matter to the police, Mallika consumed some powder feigning a suicide attempt and had to be admitted to a hospital. The police did not question her regarding the matter again and simply registered a missing complaint about Chandramma.

It has also come to light that Mallika was arrested in 2001 on charges of house theft and also underwent punishment for five months for the same. She was handed over to the police when family members of a woman got suspicious when she requested her intended victim to wear gold jewellary for a “mandal pooja”.

Mallika had then admitted that she wanted to commit a theft but did not let out her intentions of murder. The police feel in the light of both incidents there may be other cases which are still to come to light.

Police officials said they were having a difficult time while questioning Mallika as she is a diabetic patient and also suffers from high blood pressure. They said in such circumstances a narco-analysis could yield the required results.

New Delhi, January 2
The Centre today announced a generation-based incentive scheme for the solar energy sector, which is expected to take the load off the prevailing and future power crisis in the country.

According to minister of new and renewable energy Vilas Muttemwar, his ministry will provide financial assistance amounting to Rs 12/kw hour in case of solar photovoltaic and Rs 10/kw hour in case of solar thermal power to the developers of electricity grid as incentive under the new scheme.

The Centre is hoping that a state would at least keep Rs 3/kw hour as the rate at which a local company will buy power from the producer and distribute it to the grid.

Right now the project is meant to encourage private players in the field as ministry scientists’ calculations suggest that Rs 15/kw hour is the baseline, at which such projects can become realistically viable.

By bearing the remaining cost, the ministry hopes to encourage commercialisation of solar power generation as with volume creation, generation costs will also come down.

Today’s initiative will profoundly benefit Punjab, which recently announced Rs 7.35/kw hour for solar power generation by private players in the state. Ministry officials say at that price, it is neither cost effective nor viable for producers. The tariff in West Bengal, a relatively longer player in the field, is Rs 12.50 kw/hour, says ministry adviser T.C. Tripathi.

A target of 50 mw solar power has been set for the 11th Five Year Plan period. Under the scheme, to be implemented through the India Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), a maximum of 10 mw capacity will be considered in a state.

Initially, 1,000 crore will be invested under the scheme during the 11th Plan. The ministry hopes that as solar power generation becomes viable through its incentives, producers will develop cost-effective technologies and volume creation will also bring down the cost of solar power generation.

“One day solar power will be the cheapest and the capital cost will also come down,” says Muttewar, adding that at present, generation of 1 mw solar power costs around Rs 20 crore.

So far, solar power plants up to 200 kw have been developed in the country and solar photovoltaic power plants of 1 kw to 200 kw capacity have been installed in villages and areas that were not electrified. Around 11,000 mw grid interactive power has been installed from other renewable energy sources like wind, hydro, biomass and solar, making it the about 7.5 per cent in the total grid power capacity installed in the country.

The good part about solar power is the availability of the source of energy and the fact its benefits to environment. One kw solar power can save around a tonne of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

Daily solar radiation is on an average 4-7 kw/sqm, depending on location. The central and western parts of the country receive the maximum solar radiation. Meaning that solar energy, which is available in plenty, can generate 50 mw/sqkm through solar photovoltaic technology.

Around the world, solar energy is the fastest growing energy source, with production of photovoltaics (solar cells) doubling every two years.

A report by Earth Policy Institute shows global production of photovoltaics jumping to 3800 mw worldwide in 2007, up an estimated 50 per cent from 2006.

Mumbai, January 2
Two NRI women were molested by a mob of about 70 men during New Year revelries near Juhu beach, sparking an outrage.

In a replay of a molestation of a woman by revellers at the Gateway of India exactly a year ago, the women went through the 15-minute ordeal outside a five-star hotel before the police rescued them after being alerted by media photographers at the scene. The photographers captured the incident on the camera.

Downplaying the incident as a “minor issue”, police commissioner D.N. Jadhav today accused the media of making “mountain out of molehill”. He further said, “Such things can happen anywhere anytime. Here also where I am. Don't make mountain out of molehill.”

Stating that no one has come forward to file a complaint, he said the police was registering a case on its own.

The two women walked towards Juhu beach from the hotel, where they were groped and molested despite the presence of their male friends, by a mob of 70 people near a five-star hotel from where they were returning after the New Year celebrations early on Tuesday.

The incident has raised questions on whether the country’s “safest city” tag holds good for Mumbai. The police came under attack for not filing a case yesterday. — PTI

New Delhi, January 2
The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the CBI and the Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) on a petition filed by Gopal Ansal, co-owner of then Uphaar cinema, challenging his conviction by the trial court in the fire tragedy case.

Justice H.R. Malhotra also sought response of the CBI and the AUVT on the petition of another convict, out of a total of 12 convicts, MCD official S.S. Sharma and fixed the next hearing for January 4. On that day, the court would take up all the appeals against the trial court verdict.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Ansals, pleaded for hearing on their bail application claiming their present bail, granted by the trial court on November 23, was going to expire on January 8.

The court, however, refused to hear the matter and said the plea would be heard on January 4 along with the appeal. This prompted Jethmalani to submit, in a lighter vein, “We are being given special treatment by the Press in the case so I would request for the same in the court.” Ansals also questioned the locus standi of the AVUT in the case. A blaze at the Uphaar Cinema on June 13, 1997, had left 59 persons dead due to asphyxia. Over 100 others were injured in the subsequent stampede. — PTI

Rourkela, January 2
A nine-year-old girl here was kidnapped and murdered allegedly by two country liquor vendors as the victim’s father was opposing their business.

The liquor vendors -- Gopal Pradhan (24), and Hari Munda (25), -- of Kanakjura village under Sadar police station near here were arrested last night after the girl’s dresses, a skull and bones were found from a nearby field, the police said.

The two accused confessed that they committed the crime for taking revenge against the girl’s father who had been opposing their liquor business, they said.

The girl went missing on December 15 and after intensive search, her father had filed a complaint with the police. — PTI

New Delhi, January 2
India today told Myanmar that the national reconciliation process in that country had to broad based to include all sections of the society, including Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and various ethnic groups in the country.

The Indian leadership told visiting foreign minister of Myanmar U. Nyan Win that there was need for greater urgency in bringing about political reforms and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

Win called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and held talks with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee today. He briefed the Prime Minister on the recent internal developments in Myanmar. Manmohan Singh emphasised the importance of India’s multi-faceted relations with Myanmar and expressed his satisfaction at the growing bilateral relations between the two countries.

In his meeting with Mukherjee, Win conveyed the recent initiatives taken by the government of Myanmar on their political reform and national reconciliation process. Mukherjee stressed the importance of expediting the implementation of this process and making it inclusive and broad-based. He reiterated India’s support to the efforts of UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari.

The discussions also covered all areas of mutual interest. Mukherjee expressed his satisfaction at the recent conclusion of discussions relating to the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project and hoped for an early signing and implementation of this mutually beneficial project.

Both sides noted the current state of bilateral trade at nearly US $ 1 billion and discussed measures to enhance trade, especially through border trade points. The importance of strengthening cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector was reiterated. Both sides noted with satisfaction at the growing cooperation at the regional and multilateral level, especially keeping in mind India’s Look East Policy and its special focus on CLMV countries.

Myanmar is a close and friendly neighbour, with whom India shares a border of more than 1,600 km. Myanmar, also serves as a gateway to south east Asia. This visit comes in the aftermath of the recent India-Myanmar Foreign Office Consultations in December 2007, and India’s continuing engagement with Myanmar on the bilateral front.

The visiting dignitary also met vice-president Hamid Ansari.

Kolkata, January 2
The formation of a third front has become a necessity now in the wake of the BJP’s massive victory in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, CPM leader Jyoti Basu said here today.

Talking to mediapersons, he said they were informally negotiating with several national leaders in this connection but so far nothing concrete shaped.

He said the CPM would also discuss the proposal threadbare at the forthcoming party congress at Coimbatore next month.

According to party sources, leaders who had been so far consulted by the party included former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, Mulayum Singh, Chandrababu Naidu and Lalu Prasad. The CPM would also try to rope in several UPA partners to the anti-BJP and anti-Congress third front, which had been already attempted in the past.

Basu said they were disappointed at the poor performance of the Manmohan Singh government and there was no reason why the Left parties should continue their support to the UPA. But still they were forced to support the Congress-led government at the Centre only to prevent the BJP from coming to power once again. But now in the rapid changing political situation he did not know how long their support to the UPA would continue.

Still the CPM was not thinking to immediately withdraw their support from the Mamohan Singh government, though some other Left parties like the CPI, the RSP and the Forward Bloc already advocated in favour of withdrawal of support from the government now since they had a feeling that the Congress might advance the Lok Sabha polls to 2008 from its scheduled 2009.

These three Left parties were also much unhappy at the CPM’s odd stand on the UPA’s economic policies and the nuclear issue.

CPI leader A.B. Bardhan at one point of time pleaded in favour of withdrawal support from the government but a section in the CPM leadership particularly, Jyoti Basu, Sitaram Yechuri and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were opposed to the idea.

Mumbai, January 2
Indian designer Anand Jon, who is facing a slew of charges related to sexual assault and molestation in the United States, was 'being demonised' because of his success in the American fashion industry, his sister alleged here today.

“This demonisation is (happening) because he broke into an industry where Americans find difficult to break into." Sanjana Jon, his US-based sister told reporters.

Jon, an Indian citizen, is facing complaints of either rape or molestation from 30 women in several states of the US. Since June this year, he has been in jail in Los Angeles.

“All these complaints started coming after Anand's company got funded. Some of them date back to five years. Why these girls did not file complaints immediately?" Sanjana said, fighting back tears.

According to her, when the first of these complaints was filed on March 6 this year, Anand was about to launch his denim line in association with a company called Genisis.

Her lawyer Majid Memon too said there was a possibility that "Anand's phenomenal success raised a few eyebrows. They could not digest it" and 'connived' to implicate him in false cases. “Racial discrimination could be a factor," he added.

Dubbing some of the complaints as 'ridiculous and absurd' Memon said there was no medical evidence of sexual assault in any of the cases.

Sanjana said complaints made no sense because the complainants continued to go around with Anand after the alleged incidents. "Some of them came to India with us after the incident's date. Does this make sense?" she said. — PTI

Kolkata, January 2
In accordance to the railway minister, Lallu Yadav’s decision to offer new amenities to the passengers, which would be reflected in the forthcoming budget, the eastern railway yesterday introduced 12-coach EMU train services for the suburban passengers.

A separate train, terminal exclusively for the suburban trains, was also planned in the Howrah Station vicinity at an estimated cost of about Rs 300 crore.

Flagging of the first 12-coach passenger train between Howrah and Tarakeswar at Howrah Station in the evening, the railway’s general manager, N.K. Goel announced that in the coming days more such trains would be on the track at all other sections.

He claimed hence forth more stress would be given on the passenger amenities both in the mail and long-distance trains as well as the suburban services.

He said it had been proved that even by reducing the fare, the railway’s earnings could be increased and he hoped the same policy would continue in the future.

Goel said several new trains would be soon introduced both in the Howrah and Sealdah divisions, where the passengers had been traveling with great distress and disadvantages.

Our attempt will be to offer the possible facilities to the passengers for which we are committed, he said, adding that adequate attention would also be given for the safety and security of the passengers.

The general manager, however, regretted that so fat the “gariba ratha” train between Guwahati and Howrah with low-priced passengers’ tickets, could not be on the track due to the non-availability of the coaches. But he was hopeful that soon this train would be on the operation.

Patna, January 2
Despite a series of much-publicised pulse polio drives by using the services of social opinion makers ranging from religious gurus to cine stars, the record rise in polio cases in Bihar undoubtedly came as a year-end shocker in 2007.

The sudden upsurge in polio cases also left children of this backward state with little option that continue to be exposed to the threat of being crippled by the disease in 2008 too like in the past.

Bihar has recorded 162 new polio cases in the last year - the highest since the polio immunisation drive was launched.

Going by official records, Bihar had recorded the first highest number of 158 polio cases in 1998 when the immunisation drive started, and subsequently it had dropped to 123 in 1999, 121 in 2002, 30 in 2005 and 61 in 2006.

What reportedly shocked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar more was that he virtually left no stones unturned to reverse the trend in the state in 2007.

As a result, despite crores of rupees spent and hundreds of mop-up rounds have so far failed to bring the dreaded polio virus under control in Bihar.

Notwithstanding the setback, the effort by the Nitish government, in coordination with UNICEF, for a “polio free” Bihar was reflected on the streets in the passing year when the priests in the temples administered polio drops to children instead of “Charanamirt” in one hand, and muslim clerics, on the other hand, campaigned extensively in minority areas to convince parents to get their kids administered, who earlier had refused to do so for one or the other reason based on wrong notion associated with the polio drop regarding its alleged negative impact on fertility power of children.

Even in its report on Progress for children released in December 2007, UNICEF too admitted that despite some significant advances made by India towards eradication of polio, the programme suffered setbacks in 2007 with the virus continuing to circulate and resurface in some states like Bihar.

“India has the largest number of children in the world who have not been vaccinated,” the report was said to have observed with dismay.

Contrary to the established belief that polio cases were more prevalent among the minority in Bihar, the World Health Organisation (WHO) special officer Shailesh Yadav pointed out that besides the minority, the problem was also evident in Hindus.

Health minister Chandramohan Rai said, “The rise in polio cases has posed a big challenge for us. This was despite half a dozen rounds of immunisation drives as well as special immunisation rounds being carried out last year”.

139 fresh polio cases of P3 nature were said to have been detected in Bihar in 2007 alone, as against 61 in 2006.

Chennai, January 2
This year the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) will launch a pilot project in North India, particularly in New Delhi in view of the Commonwealth Games in 2010, to check the problem of stray dogs.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr (Major-Gen) R.M. Kharb (retd), newly appointed chairman of the AWBI, whose headquarters are here, said: “The problem of stray dogs in New Delhi is a major one but the municipal corporation is ignoring it and just dilly-dallying. We need to tackle this problem on a war footing and implement the animal birth control programme on a fast track.

“In view of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, we want to involve the state governments, municipal corporations and ourselves to carry out this pilot project of mass anti-rabies vaccination and sterilisation programmes on a large scale not only in New Delhi but also in Gurgaon.”

He said majority of the municipal corporations in the country are flushed with excess funds to carry out these programmes but were negligent or did not bother to comprehend the problem.

Defective garbage disposal by majority of the municipal corporations is increasing the problem as the stray dogs could feed not only on food but also on wastes from slaughter houses.

Dr Kharb pointed out, “They are getting high protein nutrition and becoming robust. Their aggression level has increased. If we can put the sterilisation programme into effect, it will also reduce the aggression level in them.”

The former veterinarian of the Indian Army said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 20,000 people die in India due to bites by rabid dogs. The deaths due to rabies in India account for 60 per cent of such deaths in the world.

“We do not agree to these statistics. But, there is no denying the fact that a large number of people do die due to dog bites and we need to control it immediately,” Dr Kharb said.

He said the pilot project on stray dogs was already being implemented in Shimla and would soon be implemented in Chandigarh, Punjab and Dehra Dun.

Dr Kharb said: “Dog has been a man’s best friend since the stone age. It is our duty to control their population instead of just killing them.”

Replying to a question, he said the Bangalore Municipal Corporation, though having a huge fund, had decided to catch stray dogs and put them to sleep.

“However, we intervened and now they have changed their mind. The same pilot project will be implemented there and also in Hyderabad,” he said.

Hyderabad, January 2
The property disputes among descendants of Nizam rulers of Hyderabad took a new twist with a great granddaughter of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh and last Nizam, moving a court against her uncle and the scion of the ex-royal family Mukarram Jah Bahadur, alleging that he had deprived her of her share in the ancestral property.

Naqvia Zainab filed a case against Mukarram Jah, his former wife Esra, his brother Mufakkam Jah, and others for cheating and misappropriation of property. She accused her uncle and his family members of threatening her with dire consequences if she pursued with the case. Zainab also filed a police complaint of trespass, intimidation, conspiracy, forgery and impersonation against them.

Zainab (29), an American citizen, is the granddaughter of Muazzam Jah Bahadur, son of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam to rule the erstwhile Hyderabad state till its merger with the Indian union in 1948.

Osman Ali Khan, who ruled Hyderabad from 1911 to 1948, was considered the world’s richest man in those days and his prized collection of artifacts are housed in Salarjang Museum here, billed as the largest collection by a single man.

Hyderabad, the richest princely state under the British Raj, had comprised of Telangana and parts of present Karnataka and Maharashtra. Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty ruled it from 1720 to 1948. Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the grandson and successor of Osman Ali Khan, has been living abroad. Zainab charged Mukarram Jah, the only custodian of Nizam’s property, with siphoning off the wealth and living a lavish life in Australia and other countries.

“I am entitled to a share Rs 200 crore that the Nizam’s Jewellery Trust received from the union government. This money was siphoned off in connivance with Mukarram Jah and Esra,” Zainab alleged. This is the second time that a member of Mukarram Jah’s family has approached a court for a share in the property.

In 2006, Manolya Onur, former Miss Turkey and Mukarram’s third wife, won a legal battle against him for payment of maintenance to her and their 15-year-old daughter Niloufer. A family court here had directed that Manolya would receive $700,000 as mehr (alimony). Mukkaram Jah was also directed to pay $15,000 per month towards maintenance of Manolya and Niloufer and rent in lieu of residential accommodation. 

Patan (Gujarat), January 2
The famed centuries-old Patola textile art has now only three families pursuing the rare form.

Called ‘Patan ka Patola’ (silk clothes) for its base in Gujarat’s Patan district for many centuries, the art is done on scarves, saris, shawls and dupattas by a special tie and dye technique, which marks similar patterns on both the sides of the fabric.

Shortage of manpower and small production units have plagued the art form. Things have come to such a passe that if you order a sari now, it will take minimum of four months to produce it.

“If you order a Patola sari now, you’ll get it only after five years. “We are fully booked till next five years,” said ‘Shilguru’ Vinayak Salvi, an award-winning Patola artist, adding it takes about four to six months to make a sari which requires at least four skilled workers.

“Our ancestors told us that there were hundreds of such artisans many centuries ago, but now the number has reduced to just three families in the entire world,” said Rohit Salvi, who chose architecture over the art which his elders have pursued for generations.

Despite numerous awards that his family members have won in the past, Salvi wasn’t keen on taking up the family reins as “it didn’t guarantee him a secure future”. A characteristic feature of Patola art is that its designs last longer and so the workshop here has samples that are centuries old.

“With the economic boom, we have got some more customers but this could not be translated into much profits as we have small production unit, for which we are over booked,” Salvi said, adding that earlier the art had a good market in places like Java, Jakarta and Indonesia, but it is no longer.

Price range is as astonishing as the art itself. “The range for Patola sarees starts from Rs 90,000 reaching to a maximum of Rs 3 lakh, depending upon the design,” said Bharat Salvi, another good hand in the art.

The high-profile clientele for this nearly-extinct art form includes the likes of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and business honchos like the Tatas, Birlas and JK group to name a few.

Many big industrialists in the state are also the prominent buyers of Patola wear. — PTI