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Delhi, 4 states to do PM’s bidding
Railways not to hike freight rates, fares
Train schedule revised
Assam Cong ‘defends’ Bora
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Raje govt invites Gujjars for talks
Mussoorie feels the heat of Gujjar stir
PMO to reform higher education
Better means must for low carbon: Prez
Islamabad blast
Arushi Murder
Police Recruitment Scam
Disproportionate Assets
Mumbai riots: 12 acquitted
6 multi-role aircraft for Navy
Panthers Party wants Article 370 amended
BRO man killed in Afghanistan
Cong to compile booklet listing BSP laxities
BJP defers decision on Bihar Dy CM
Mob attacks forest official in sanctuary
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Delhi, 4 states to do PM’s bidding
New Delhi, June 5 Delhi, ruled by a Congress government, announced a Rs 40 cut in sales tax on each cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The Centre had hiked the LPG cylinder price by Rs 50 and this measure would now result only in a modest hike of Rs 10 per cylinder in Delhi. Delhi responded to a request from Congress president Sonia Gandhi to all Congress-ruled states to absorb to some extent the burden of the hike in prices of petrol and petroleum products. The DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu announced to cut sales tax on diesel. The first state to announce its intent to reduce sales tax on petrol and petroleum products was Bihar, which announced the decision last forenoon, even before the Union Cabinet announced the hike. The Left Front led governments in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura similarly announced to cut sales tax on petroleum products immediately after the Central government’s announcement. However, the BJP appeared reluctant to affect a sales tax cut in the states ruled by it. In fact, its spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy denied any knowledge of such a possibility. Asked if the BJP governments would reduce sales tax, he said, “that I do not know”. But this evening Rudy said, “The national president of our party, Rajnath Singh, has talked to all the chief ministers of all BJP ruled states. The chief ministers have agreed to the proposal, but with a rider.” Rudy said, “The union government led by the Congress has been accusing the states of black marketeering and hoarding so where do they have a moral right now to seek this favour?” The BJP spokesman also complained that the Congress-led union government had been meting out step-motherly treatment to the party governments and ignoring their demands from time to time. He said, “Thanks to this their revenue base has shrunk. With this it will reduce further. The states will have to bear a burden for the primary fault committed by the Centre,” Rudy surmised. Similarly Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati also agreed to do whatever possible she could do to reduce the burden of the common man, all the while protesting that already Uttar Pradesh charges the lowest sales tax on petrol and diesel among all the states.
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Railways not to hike freight rates, fares
New Delhi, June 5 He today said the Railways had decided to absorb the diesel price hike by improving its productivity, efficiency and volume. The minister pointed out that the Indian Railways consumed 227 crore litre (2.27 billion litre) diesel per annum and an increase in the price of diesel by Rs 3 per litre would cost Railways Rs 681 crore annually nd Rs 560 crore for the remaining 10 months of the current financial year. He said all Zonal Railways had been directed to grant up to 50 per cent discount as against the prevailing 30 per cent for loading of essential commodities like cement, food grains and fertilisers in the empty flow direction. Further, reduction in freight rates is also being examined keeping in view the competitive position of the Railways in the transport market so as to attract more traffic and increase earnings, the minister added. He said the Railways had maintained price stability in passenger fares for the past four years. It had, in fact, reduced AC-I fares by 28 per cent, AC-II fares by 17 per cent, AC-III fares up to 40 per cent in case of Garib Rath trains and second-class fares by 5-25 per cent. In freight sector, too, a flurry of initiatives and discounts had attracted more customers that had resulted in a record freight loading of 795 million tonne during the year 2007-08, he added.
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Train schedule revised
New Delhi, June 5 The 4001 Delhi Junction-Atari link express will continue to depart from Delhi Junction every Sunday and Wednesday as per existing schedule. The 4002 Atari-Delhi Junction link express will depart from Atari station on Tuesday and Friday instead of Monday and Thursday. The 4607 Atari-Lahore Samjhauta Express will run on Monday and Thursday as per existing scheule. The 4006 Lahore-Atari Samjhauta Express will run on Tuesday and Friday instead of Monday and Thursday.
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Assam Cong ‘defends’ Bora
Guwahati, June 5 APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita today termed the arrest of the former minister as “unfortunate” but fell short of informing what action the party would take against him at this point of time. The APCC chief only harped on the action taken by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who sacked the minister on the day of his arrest. “Morally, Ripun Bora was not expected to do that (trying to bribe the CBI officer). A person cannot be declared guilty and punished without following the due process of law. As an autonomous body, the CBI is expected to conduct fair and impartial investigation into the case and thereafter law will take its own course,” the APCC said. Reacting to the criticism resorted to by the opposition parties against the Congress government in Assam over the issue, the APCC chief said, “The BJP whose former president Bangaru Laxman was caught in camera while accepting bribe and whose prime ministerial candidate was chargesheeted by the CBI in Babri masjid demolition case had no moral right to criticise the Congress party”. He said the opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) too had as its members certain MLAs and former ministers having criminal cases pending against them. “It is understandable that there is no issue at all in recent times for the opposition parties to exploit that is why they have pounced upon this single issue as oxygen to keep the opposition alive,” Kalita said. The Congress leader in response to a specific query said he was not aware if there was any precedence in the country when a cabinet minister tried to bribe an officer from a central investigating agency. The APCC chief declined to comment on the alleged involvement of Ripun Bora in student leader Daniel Topno’s murder case on the plea that the matter was sub judice.
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Raje govt invites Gujjars for talks
Karwadi/Jaipur, June 5 A letter of invitation for talks was handed over to Bainsla at the agitation site in the Pilupura-Karwadi area by state’s principal secretary (irrigation) S.N. Thanvi, who has been asked by the Vasundhara Raje government to deal with the Gujjar stir demanding the ST status. Responding to the government’s overture, Bainsla said, “We have accepted the letter. I have invited prominent leaders of the Gujjar community from all over the country as well as intellectuals and social workers to come here and discuss the issue and decide something.” Replying to a question, he said a decision would also be taken whether the Gujjar representatives would travel to Jaipur for the talks or hold the exercise at Karwadi where Bainsla and thousands of his supporters are agitating since May 23. To another query, Bainsla said he would not be involved in the talks and would send “my representatives. I am not going from here. My andolan will continue”. Earlier, Bainsla had rejected Raje’s talks offer asking the government to first send to the Centre a letter recommending the ST status for Gujjars. Bainsla said the talks to end the agitation, which had already claimed 43 lives in police firing and had spread beyond the boundaries of Rajasthan, was possible only if community leaders from across the country were allowed to meet here tomorrow. He said the government should not obstruct the movement of community leaders in reaching here for deliberations. Meanwhile, the Centre is all set to ask the Rajasthan government to take its own initiative for granting the agitating community the de-notified or nomadic tribe status, as has been done in Maharashtra. The granting of the de-notified or nomadic tribe status is a state subject. The Maharashtra government had implemented four per cent quota for the de-notified or nomadic tribe long ago and the Rajasthan government could follow the model for according the same to Gujjars, the sources said. The move from the Centre is seen as a reply to the letter by Rajasthan Chief Minister Raje to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending four to six per cent. The agitating Gujjars have disrupted water supply in Dausa town even as their “rail roko” and “rasta roko” movements continued for the 14th day today. According to police sources, the Gujjar protesters damaged the main water supply line at Mahsar village in Dausa district last night. Some protesters were taken into custody in this connection, the sources said. Meanwhile, blockades at some points on rail tracks in Dausa and Bharatpur districts kept Delhi-Mumbai (via Bayana, Sawai Madhopur, Kota), Jaipur-Delhi, Jaipur-Agra and Alwar-Mathura rail routes were lifted. Meanwhile, the cremation of 20 victims of the Sikandara firing on May 23 was yet to be performed. The corpses were still lying at the dharna site in Sikandara, the police said. — Agencies
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Mussoorie feels the heat of Gujjar stir
Mussoorie, June 5 Every year in May and June tourists flock to the hills to find relief from the scorching heat of the plains. But this year heavy rainfall across the country has led to a significant dip in temperature thereby adversely affecting the tourists’ arrival here. Subsequently, the Gujjar agitation has been a dampener for the local tourism trade. Usually at this time of the year, tourists from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan visit here but due to closure of road and rail links, there are just few tourists. “Since the Gujjar agitation, tourists from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan have not been able to come due to the disruption of train traffic from these parts of the country leading to cancellation of large number of bookings,” Ajay Bhargava, Secretary of Mussoorie Hotels Association (MHA) said. The business has been on the slump this year. “Every year the resort is full throughout June but this year the business is not as good,” Pankaj Thapliyal, a senior manager in a popular resort said. Shopkeepers and restaurant owners are also equally worried by the low tourist turnout. “This year sales have been much lower compared to last year but we are hopeful that the later part of June will bring better revenues,” Deepak Verma a local shopkeeper said.
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PMO to reform higher education
New Delhi, June 5 In a recent communication on the subject, the PMO has said it favours delegation of powers to the institutions in matters related to creation of posts. The April 30 note from the PMO conveys to the ministry of human resource development (HRD) that institutions be allowed to create posts on an appropriate faculty-student ratio. The PMO has further desired that instructions be issued to the University Grants Commission (UGC), which, it said, had not fixed norms for teaching posts. The note raises concern over the ratio of faculty to non-faculty being on a “much higher side.” Sources in the Ministry of HRD yesterday confirmed to The Tribune that PMO’s instructions in this regard had been received. “In light of these instructions, the UGC had been advised to examine the issue afresh and come out with a plan for implementation,” ministry sources said. At the heart of the matter is the critical balance between teaching and non-teaching posts in centrally aided universities, technical, management and science institutions. The existing teaching to non-teaching ratio, as recommended by the Expenditure and Finance Committee (EFC) and approved by the Ministry of Finance, is 1: 1.5. It was reduced from the earlier ratio of 1: 3 (faculty to non-faculty), following EFC’s recommendations. This ratio, however, is not being maintained in most cases, with hundreds of non-teaching posts lying vacant, affecting academic discipline in higher education. The universities yet don’t have the power to create and fill non-teaching posts. Resultantly, many of them, including the JNU have been writing to the HRD ministry (read UGC) to sanction non-teaching posts. In the JNU, there is a requirement of about 600 non-faculty posts to ensure academic efficiency. If instructions from the PMO are anything to go by, the UGC will now have to fix norms for teaching posts. Sources said the instructions implied that the UGC should maintain teaching to non-teaching ratio and keep it within permissible limits if it has to sanction fresh teaching posts. Normally, when a new department is set up, the UGC grants one professors’, two readers’ and four lecturers’ posts. It will now have to see that it has the corresponding non-teaching staff as well, HRD ministry sources said.
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Better means must for low carbon: Prez
New Delhi, June 5 “As we look at this issue today, there can be no doubt that new and advanced technologies will play a key role in achieving this objective,” the President said at a function to commemorate the day. She also gave the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puruskar to two individuals and one organisation, besides the young environmentalist award.
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Islamabad
blast
New Delhi, June 5 The Al-Qaida has finally claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was revenge for cartoons Danish newspapers published of Prophet Mohammad. The blast, which killed six persons and injured at least 24, could have serious implications for India, given the fact that the snow has melted in Jammu and Kashmir and mountain passes have become navigable. The Indian High Commissioner's residence in Islamabad also suffered extensive damage in the incident, which sounded a stern warning to the fragile government in Pakistan. The external affairs ministry (MEA) did confirm that the Indian High Commissioner's residence in Islamabad had been damaged in the blast, but declined to say anything more on the incident. "Yes, there has been some damage to the Indian High Commissioner's residence. Fortunately, no one in the residence has been hurt in the incident,'' the MEA spokesman said. However, officials in South Block say the blast has demolished the new coalition government's claim that it was committed to ensuring a safe security environment in the country. The blast also demonstrates the futility of the Yousuf Raza Gilani government's policy of engagement with Pashtun 'jihadi' groups in the North-West Frontier Province and the tribal belt. India has been concerned about the Pakistan government's misplaced zeal in talking peace with die-hard 'jihadis' and Monday's incident has shown that New Delhi's concerns are not unfounded. Reports in the Pakistani media today said the Al-Qaida's top leader in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, took responsibility for organising the suicide attack. Bin Laden had recently issued an audio taped message warning of new attacks after Danish newspapers reprinted caricatures depicting Prophet Mohammad. Resurgence of 'jihadi' forces in Pakistan does not augur well for New Delhi. There are intelligence reports with the Government of India that a large number of terrorists are waiting to infiltrate into India at the earliest available opportunity. The Islamabad blast may well have given a wake up call to the Indian security forces. Meanwhile, security outside the Danish embassy in New Delhi has been strengthened in view of the blast in Islamabad. Security personnel posted at the missions have been asked to remain alert and patrolling by the police has been intensified. Security arrangements at other European and important missions have also been reviewed.
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Arushi Murder Ghaziabad, June 5 The CBI produced the dentist before Special Judge (CBI) Sapna Mishra’s court in
Ghaziabad. The court took Talwar in judicial custody and sent him to Dasna jail. Suresh
Batra, the CBI lawyer, processed the application on behalf of the probe agency before the court. His wife
Nupur, brother and other family members were present in the court at the time, but no one spoke to the media. Earlier, the agency had demanded five days’ custody remand of
Talwar, telling the court that “Talwar was not cooperating in the investigation.”
— IANS
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Police Recruitment Scam
Allahabad, June 5 A division Bench, comprising justices Anjani Kumar and V.K. Verma, pronounced this decision. The Uttar Pradesh government had already recommended for the CBI probe on Februrary 4, which was, however, turned down by the investigating agency on April 21. In May 2008, several petitions were filed by the applicants, who had been declared unfit during the recruitment. Last year, the Mayawati government had terminated the services of over 18,000 constables, who were appointed in the recruitment drive by the previous government. However, police constables recruited during 2005-06 were dismissed after a probe panel report, headed by a senior IPS officer Shailja Kant Mishra. The government had also suspended 25 IPS officers, besides lodging FIR against them. On February 4, Chief Minister Mayawati said there was enough prima facie evidence to show that the then Chief Minister used pressure to get the posts sanctioned despite constant objections by the finance department. She said the high-level committee investigating the case was of the opinion that since there was involvement of certain influential politicians and senior officers, it would be apt to hand over the investigation to the CBI. — UNI
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Disproportionate
Assets
New Delhi, June 5 In October 2006, the Income Tax Department had recovered Rs 20.2 lakh from the suitcase and the locker of the accused in a Hyderabad hotel, where he was staying. During a search conducted by the Income Tax Department, two leopard skins, a deer skin and a horn of sambar were recovered from the residence of the accused. During his postings in Delhi, Mizoram and Pondicherry, the IAS officer allegedly amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Investigation conducted so far has shown that the accused is in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 60.58 lakh (179.74 per cent). Besides, other assets worth about Rs 140 lakh have also come to light which need to be verified. The CBI investigation has shown that the accused had acquired several housing plots and agricultural land in and around Hyderabad in ‘benami’ names. He is also in possession of assets in Greater Noida in U.P., Bibi Nagar Village, Almasguda village and Ralla Janagaon village in Andhra Pradesh and at Nacharam in Hyderabad. The accused has acquired these properties in the name of his wife, his brother, his father and his friends.
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Mumbai, June 5 The court acquitted the 12, whose case was registered with the Vekola police here, owing to lack of evidence. Metropolitan Magistrate R.C. Bapat-Sarkar acquitted Mohammed Nazir Mohammed Shaikh and 11 others of all charges. During the trials, four witnesses, all of them policemen, were examined. Following the demolition of Babri Masjid, riots broke out in the metropolis. This particular case dates back to January 8, 1993. The 12 were then arrested for allegedly indulging in arson and rioting. — UNI
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6 multi-role aircraft for Navy
New Delhi, June 5 The defence ministry has given the clearance for Request for Proposals (RFPs) which will be issued any time now, official sources said here today. The induction would be done in a phased manner after the order was executed in one or two years, the sources said. The six MRMR aircraft would replace the Navy's Islanders (BN-21A) from Britten Norman that were being used for coastal surveillance for many decades. At present, the Navy operates about 12 of them but they are on the verge of being phased out.
— PTI
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Panthers Party wants Article 370 amended
New Delhi, June 5 Singh said after years of independence, Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by temporary provisions of the Article that has ratified accession of the state with the Centre. He added that provincial assemblies should be set up in three regions of the state to boost the confidence of the people. He cited distinct cultures of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh as a reason for setting up such assemblies. The NPP also talked of one state assembly comprising members of all regions and districts of the state. Bhim Singh, while referring to the condition of the people living in PoK and Gilgit, said: “Three million people in PoK have no political powers as the entire legislative and executive power is with Pakistan. Gilgit and Baltistan are geographically and culturally a part of the Ladakh region but there is no civilian rule in this area.” He added that his party was ready for elections and would fight all the 87 assembly seats.
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BRO man killed in Afghanistan
New Delhi, June 5 Dev Kumar was killed on the spot in the attack in the Nimroz province, sources told PTI here. The attack took place during the movement of a convoy of BRO personnel, who are engaged in construction of the Zaranj-Delaram highway. This is the third attack on Indians working in the highway project in six months. On January 2, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a BRO convoy in the same Nimroz province, killing two ITBP personnel and injuring four others guarding them. Suspected Taliban carried out another attack on the Indian construction workers on April 12, killing two BRO personnel and injuring five. Nearly 400 BRO personnel are engaged in construction of the crucial 218-km highway between Zaranj and Delaram in Afghanistan as a part of India’s assistance programme for reconstruction of the war-torn country.
— PTI
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Cong to compile booklet listing BSP laxities
Lucknow, June 5 Based on the findings of the UPCC’s ‘Hisaab Mango’ campaign, the booklet will be presented to UP Chief Minister Mayawati for further action. Senior Congress leader and in charge of UP Digvijay Singh told reporters here that hundreds of discrepancies were found in the implementation of various central development schemes during the Hisaab Mango campaign. Giving an example of the kind of inconsistencies found Singh said many families had been left out in the BPL survey or job cards had not been given to beneficiaries under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. “The booklet would be a revelation for those who blame the Centre for every ill plaguing the state” Singh said. Hitting out at the Chief Minister Singh said, “She keeps talking of a Rs 80,000 crore package refused by the Centre but never discloses the details of the package. She thinks it is below her dignity to attend the Planning Commission meetings.
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BJP defers decision on Bihar Dy CM
New Delhi, June 5 The BJP Parliamentary Board, which met here at the party headquarters on Tuesday, under the leadership of L.K. Advani, deliberated for over an hour and a half on the grievances of its Bihar legislators, but failed to arrive at any decision. BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley later said, “The parliamentary board met and discussed the issues raised by certain Bihar MLAs. “It was decided that the party president Rajnath Singh will hold consultations with the senior leaders from Bihar tomorrow and thereafter he may take any decision.” Jaitely, however, clarified that “it is not necessary that a decision may be announced tomorrow itself.” Rajnath Singh hinted that though he will discuss the issue with Bihar leaders tomorrow, he may not necessarily announce any decision right away. Sources close to him said, “We are trying to resolve the issue in a manner that the party remains united” in Bihar.
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Mob attacks forest official in sanctuary
Ahmedabad, June 5 ACF Shashi Kumar was attacked by a group of people allegedly led by Talala MLA Bhagabhai Barad late last night, the police said. Kumar was seriously injured after he was hit on the head with a stick. The attackers also snatched his service revolver and threatened to kill him. The mob, from the nearby Piparwada and Sasan villages, also ransacked Kumar’s office inside the sanctuary, but the reason for the attack was not known, the police said. Shashi Kumar had been admitted to the Junagadh government hospital for treatment. — PTI
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HC grants anticipatory bail to TOI journalists HC dismisses PIL seeking restraint on Chhath Puja One killed in blast near Lalu's house Truckers warn of
indefinite strike 7 missing as barge sinks Diamonds worth Rs 1 crore stolen MGR's relative killed
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