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4,000 shops gutted in Kolkata fire
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Sharp differences between Cong, DMK
Act against Mayawati govt: SP
Maya to announce more projects
Nagaland polls to be held on time: Governor
Muslims in TN to protest Modi’s visit
No decision on Gen Panag: Antony
Netaji a ‘fake’
Mauritius PM has roots in Bihar: Nitish
Pranab meets Canadian counterpart
Centre expects all-time high wheat output
British woman allegedly
raped in Goa
3 Naxals killed
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4,000 shops gutted in Kolkata fire
Kolkata, January 12 According to unofficial estimates, the fire damaged properties worth Rs 1,000 crore. But, no death has been reported though several fire brigade men received burns. Army and the Air Force personnel were called in who immediately started their operations with special fire-fighting equipment. The fire was spreading to the adjoining wholesale business market areas. Five high-rise ladders were brought from Kalaikunda and Panagar Army bases and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose international airport. Senior Army officials from Fort Williams were on the spot supervising the fire-fighting operations. The entire area was cordoned off and the vehicular traffic in the Central Avenue, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Dalhousie areas had to be blocked, which led to heavy traffic jam in the city throughout the day. The fire, which gutted the 13-storey Nandalal market, Kashiram market, Canning Street paper market and other wholesale goods markets, damaged seven high-rise buildings in the vicinity. Residents were shifted to safer places. Over 400 fire brigade personnel with some 50 fire-fighting engines have been continuing their operation since midnight. Fire brigade officials hoped the fire, which had already been controlled in most of the areas, could be extinguished fully by night. The cause of the fire was not known. But, it was suspected a short-circuit might have led to the fire since most of the buildings there did not have proper electric supply arrangements. However, a committee, comprising forensic experts, fire brigade personnel, home department officials and the police, would go into the cause of the fire. Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi visited the spot this morning and talked to the local people. Finance minister Asim Dasgupta, Kolkata mayor Bikash Bhattacharyya, Mamata Banerjee and several other political persons visited the spot. City police chief Gautam Chakraborty said the report of the fire reached the Lalbazar Control room last night around 2 am. The fire was first noticed at a shop at Jamunalal Bajaj Street and it gradually spread to other areas. Before the fire brigade could arrive, local people tried to put off the fire. But, fire brigade and the Army personnel faced the shortage of water while carrying out fire fighting operations. However, special arrangements were made for bringing water from the Ganga and the Laldighi in the BBD Bag area.
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Sharp differences between Cong, DMK
Though the government for now has decided to seek an adjournment from the apex court when the case comes up for hearing this month to enable it to finalise a "consolidated" affidavit, union shipping minister T R Balu in a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by Dr Manmohan Singh to handle the case, had heated arguments with the Congress ministers, sources said. Balu stressed that the project should not be delayed under pressure from the BJP or due to the "fear" of any so -called political fallout on the issue and went on to reiterate DMK and its leader M Karunanidhi's known stand that "Ram did not exist". For taking such an extreme stance, the three Congress ministers led by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee reportedly "snubbed" Balu and reminded him that the sensitivity attached to Lord Ram among a vast section of Hindu society could not be simply
overlooked. Besides Mukherjee and Balu, the other ministers in the group are law minister H.R Bhardwaj and tourism and culture minister Ambika Soni. The Congress ministers took strong exception to the DMK repeatedly raking up the issue of the " non- existence" of Lord Ram.Balu was plainly told that he should be aware that "Ramnaumi" , the birthday of Lord Ram, is a national holiday and this did not leave any room for acceptance of the DMK stand. He was also told that the DMK should not have a narrow outlook on the possible political fallout of the sensitive matter.In this context, his attention was drawn to a recent massive protest rally of the VHP in the national capital. Doubly cautious Soni, whose position in the Cabinet had virtually come under threat after an earlier "Ram did not exist" affidavit filed by the ASI, reportedly took the stand that there was no need for the Archaeological Survey to file a separate affidavit now as a "consolidated" affidavit on behalf of the government would be enough to make its stand clear. After much of the deliberations on the intervention of the Prime Minister, it was decided that some more time be sought from the court to file a "consolidated" affidavit.Dr Manmohan Singh asked Balu to take a "conciliatory" approach and reminded him that elections in some state assemblies are due this year or early next year where the BJP is a major force. Besides, it could have an impact on the nex Lok Sabha elections. Dr Singh finally saved the situation for the government by prevailing upon the DMK leader to adopt a "cautious" approach and file an appropriate reply in the apex court after examining the report of the expert
committee. Balu's stand was that the project was very important for Tamil Nadu and people are anxiously waiting for its completion and the government should not succumb to pressure from the BJP. The expert committee is believed to have stated that the Adams Bridge (Ram Setu) was a natural formation but suggested that since the sentiments of a large section of public were attached to it, the same should also be taken into consideration.
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Act against Mayawati govt: SP
New Delhi, January 12 Addressing media persons, veteran SP leader Janeshwar Mishra appealed to the home ministry to sound a warning to the Mayawati government for the alleged atrocities it was committing against its political opponents and the blatant use of the official machinery to achieve its objective. We would soon be meeting the President and the Prime Minister with a report on the state of affairs in the state, Mishra said, adding that the SP was ready for an alliance with the Congress for the next Lok Sabha elections if it made any offer for that without any conditions. “We are for the time being not demanding the dismissal of the state government, but can do so after we visit the state to inquire into police atrocities against our workers and get a first hand account of the situation there,” Mishra said here. Mishra would be heading a five SP MPs’ team to the state to probe into the police firing in a college in SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s home district of Etawah in which a student, Mukesh Yadav, was killed during an agitation against police manhandling of the party’s acting state chief and Yadav’s younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav and its youth wing chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav, who is the son of Mulayam Singh. Shiv Pal Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav were allegedly mistreated while they were staging a demonstration in front of the district police chief’s residence in Lucknow against police atrocities on KK College students while they were demanding the restoration of student unions. Mishra said victory in the elections had gone to Mayawati’s head and she had lost all reasoning. Her statement that she would do the same to Mulayam Singh Yadav as she did to his party leader Shivpal Yadav, who was slapped by cops handling his Lucknow demonstration, showed that she had lost all sense of propriety that a person holding the post of Chief Minister should have. “In fact there was no rule of law in Uttar Pradesh, which she was running as her fiefdom. In such a situation, the Centre should act, first by issuing a warning, and then by dismissing her government if such conditions persisted,” he said.
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Maya to announce more projects
Lucknow, January 12 While Chief Minister Mayawati did not elaborate on the projects, SP state president Shivpal Yadav made it amply clear that the party had geared up to oppose the expressway project across the 20-23 affected districts till it is finally withdrawn. “I have information that it would be inaugurated not in Ballia as earlier announced but at her 5 Kalidas Road residence. We are mobilising people, especially affected farmers across the stretch from Noida to Ballia to oppose the project as it is of no benefit to them. It is only meant to line the pockets of a coterie of politicians, bureaucrats and contractors”, charged
Yadav.
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Nagaland polls to be held on time: Governor
Kohima, January 12 “The Raj Bhawan is well aware of the sentiments of the common people in Nagaland who want peace and a democratically elected government in Kohima. I can assure you that Assembly elections will be held in time and the Central Rule will continue for about 50 days or so,” the Governor said talking to The Tribune at the Raj Bhawan here. He said “the temporary and short phase” of the President’s Rule was not going to come in the way of the continuing peace process with the Naga rebel group. “Everybody in Nagaland now wants peace and prosperity. The state situation is not as bad as it has been projected outside. There has been a massive change of mindset among the common people of the state,” he said. Asked about the possibility of Naga rebel groups trying to meddle in the election process, the Governor said, “The elections will be free, fair and peaceful. The Raj Bhawan will try its best to ensure that the polls are held in a free and peaceful atmosphere.” The top priority of the incumbent administration headed by the Governor is to maintain the law and order situation intact. “I have instructed all the security and police officials to keep a strict vigil and avoid harassing innocent people in the name of maintenance of law and order,” the Governor said. Regarding the allegations of violation of ceasefire ground rules by Naga rebel groups in truce with the Indian forces, Sankaranarayanan said no new decision had been taken in this regard and it was the responsibility of every human being to maintain law and order. He said the state’s financial position was in a precarious condition and the Raj Bhawan’s priority would be to serve the interests of the common people and the poorer section of society with the available resources. He said there had been irregular distribution essential commodities through the public distribution system (PDS) in the state in the sense that the items on occasions failed to reach the target group, below poverty line (BPL) families. It would be streamlined. Another areas of priority are an improvement in the precarious power position and repair of dilapidated roads in the state.
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Muslims in TN to protest Modi’s visit
Chennai, January 12 Tamil Muslim Makkal Katchi (TMMK) president Syed M. Pasha said here today that Modi’s visit was political and it would mark the end of communal harmony in Tamil Nadu. He said, “Unlike other Muslim outfits, which have issued death warrants against Modi, which we condemn, we tried our level best to seek an appointment with the Gujarat chief minister to present a memorandum. We wrote a letter to him and also routed it through the state BJP unit.” “However, the state BJP leaders behaved like fascists and their cold and negative response bears testimony to Modi and his party’s anti-Muslim attitude,” he alleged. Pasha said by issuing death threats to Modi, these organisations were “playing into the hands of communal forces.” Criticising the Tamil Nadu Congress for allowing Modi to speak at the Kamaraj auditorium, owned by the party trust, Pasha said, “The Congress by lying low on the pretext of a directive from its high command has proved that it is a spent force in Tamil Nadu. It needs to assert, if it desires to retain its political identity among minorities in the state.” Other than Muslim organisations, many Leftist students, youth bodies and the Anti-Fascist Front had also announced to hold demonstrations outside the venue, where Modi would address a function to mark the 38th anniversary of Tamil magazine “Thuglak” on Monday.
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No decision on Gen Panag: Antony
New Delhi, January 12 “We have not taken any decision on the issue,” defence minister A.K. Antony today. He was replying to a question on whether Panag was being shifted from the sensitive Northern Command. Amid suggestions that he was being shunted out, Lt-Gen Panag on January 5 met Antony in a bid to stave off the move but apparently did not
succeed. As the move was initiated to shift him after he ordered inquiries in several Army procurements, General Panag is understood to have apprised Antony about the facts of those cases in which he wants inquiries to be completed under him. Sources said General Panag furnished the findings of the court of inquiry, which went into the tent scam and details of 22 other cases. The tent scam took place when Army chief General Deepak Kapoor was the chief of the Northern Command. A court of inquiry, headed by Lt-Gen T.K. Sapru, now Western Army Commander, ordered stiff administrative action against a Major-General and a Colonel in the command for procedural lapses in purchase of tents for troops. Under the transfer proposal put up to the ministry, Panag is to be moved as chief of Central Army
Command. — PTI
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Netaji a ‘fake’
Bhubaneswar, January 12 “I have not seen the content of the paper. If the allegation is correct, it will be treated as a crime,” said chief secretary Ajit Tripathy. He said the mass education department would look into the matter. According to a FIR lodged, Netaji was described as a “Bhanda Jatiyabadi Neta” (fake nationalist leader) in the guidebook for Class VII students published by MBD Publisher. Prakash Chandra Bhol, printing co-ordinator of MBD Publisher, however, admitted the mistake. “It was a printing mistake and we have already initiated steps to correct it,” Bhol said, adding the books had been withdrawn from market. Meanwhile, a group of youths in Kendrapara today burnt copies of the guidebook and staged a demonstration in the district headquarters town demanding stringent action against the publisher of the book. Reacting to the issue, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he would ask the concerned authorities to examine the matter. — PTI
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Mauritius PM has roots in Bihar: Nitish
Patna, January 12 This sets to rest speculations in the media over the ‘real’ ancestral house of Mauritian premier, scheduled to visit Bihar for three days from February 18. “I want to put the records straight that
Ramgoolams hailed from Harigaon village under Jagdishpur block in Bihar’s Bhojpur
district. — PTI
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Pranab meets Canadian counterpart
New Delhi, January 12 The Foreign Office said the discussions covered bilateral issues as well as regional and major international issues. Among bilateral issues discussed were trade between the two countries, possibilities of closer contacts on global issues. Regional and global issues discussed included Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Middle East peace Process, NAFTA etc.
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Centre expects all-time high wheat output
New Delhi, January 12 As per data compiled by the agriculture ministry, sowing is progressing well in the present rabi season. Wheat has already been sown in 270.40 lakh hectares as compared to 277.45 lakh hectares on the same date last year. And 8.54 lakh hectares have come under winter rice as against 9.05 lakh hectares last year.
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British woman allegedly raped in Goa Panaji, January 12 “The lady has complained that she was taken to an open place and raped by an unknown person in Panaji,” deputy superintendent of police Mohan Naik told PTI. “We would be able track down the accused soon,” Naik said. The police have sent the lady for medical examination. This is the second case of abuse against a foreigner registered in this tourist state during this week. Earlier, a Russian lady had complained of molestation against a shack owner in south Goa who had allegedly tried to drag her into a jeep. — PTI
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3 Naxals killed
Patna, January 12 Reports reaching here said the gun battle that lasted for more than three hours took palce at Naxal-infested Chainpur hills of Palamau district, nearly 190 km from
Ranchi. The gunfight took place when patrolling Jharkhand police and CRPF personnel spotted 10 armed ultras.
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New Delhi, January 12