 |
|
|
Now, Chiranjeevi on political screen
BJP in no mood to cooperate with Maya
Ahmedabad Blasts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
NSG Meeting
BJP: Shabana’s comments very unfair
Rice procurement 6 pc above last year but still behind target
Police clueless about cars used in Gujarat blasts
Indo-US meeting on nuclear waiver strategy put off India is among big brothers of
WTO: Lamy
Village girl has more drive
than the boys
Cong worker shot dead
More vigil at Attari, Munnabao
Jungle fowl in fairly good in U’Khand
6 more engineering colleges in Bihar
BJP accuses UPA of talking in favour of blast accused
Expelled SP MP Ateeq Ahmed may join BSP
Goa committed to fight against AIDS: CM
Protest to continue till Baltal land returned: SASS
Sibal goes poetic on POTA
M’rashtra Cong unit recast
Revised pay package will add
to government’s tax kitty
Doc’s unauthorised leave
Differences resurface in Kerala CPM
Farmers’ Harassment
M’rashtra earmarks Rs 7,000 cr for govt staff
Overuse of headphones harmful
Sangh Parivar activists attack Christian missionaries
|
|
Now, Chiranjeevi on political screen
Hyderabad, August 17 The name, party flag and agenda of the new party will be unveiled at the first public meeting to be held at the temple town of Tirupati on August 26.
Chiranjeevi said people were looking for a change in Andhra Pradesh politics. “In a way, political vacuum does exist. If not, why has there been an overwhelming response from the public and an urge from various sections for his entry into politics. People definitely want a change,” he added. Chiranjeevi’s fans are confident that he would be able to recreate the magic of actor-turned-politician N.T. Rama Rao, who stormed AP politics within nine months of floating the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982. They feel Chiranjeevi will become the Chief Minister after the elections scheduled in March next year. However, many do not agree. Observers point out that the two personalities are poles apart. The state was then dominated by a single party, the Congress, and the people were looking for an alternative. Rao showed them an alternative with the slogan of “Telugu pride”. With the Congress appearing to be firmly in the saddle, Chiranjeevi’s party is likely to damage the TDP, which is trying to make a comeback. The presence of two parties in the Telangana region also poses a challenge to the actor. While Rao, who was Chief Minister three times, had a dynamic personality and used to take all major decisions himself, Chiranjeevi relies heavily on his brother-in-law Arvind and some close aides. This is the reason for the long time he took in announcing his entry into politics. While dodging ticklish issues like separate Telangana statehood demand and naxalism, Chiranjeevi said his party would take a collective decisions on such “sensitive issues”. Chiranjeevi, after completing his schooling and graduation, moved to Chennai to seek a career in the film industry and joined a film institute in 1977. ‘Punaadi Raallu’ was the first film in which he had played the lead role, but it was ‘Pranam Kareedhu’ that was first released. The year was 1978 and he began establishing himself as an actor. Soon, his style of doing action scenes and dancing became popular. — Agencies
|
|
BJP in no mood to cooperate with Maya
Lucknow, August 17 BJP legislature party leader Om Prakash Singh said it was irrelevant to attend such a meeting after Mayawati levelled serious charges against his party during the BSP national convention on August 9, claiming that the BJP wanted to get her eliminated. The senior BJP leader said the Chief Minster should either provide evidence to prove her charges or issue a clarification in the Vidhan Sabha on the issue. The BJP’s stand has further heated up what was slated to be a rather to stormy week-long session. The ruling BSP’s political equations with all its major opponents has undergone a sea change since the House last met in March. Following the BSP's withdrawal from the UPA on June 21, it stands isolated at the state level except for an ambiguous alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal. The SP and the Congress have come closer, a development expected to be visible on the floor of the House especially while taking up the issue of farmers in Greater Noida, which is surely on their agenda. Meanwhile, taking a serious view of ministers and senior officers absenting themselves from the Vidhan Sabha, the state government has asked them to be physically present in the House during the session beginning tomorrow.
|
|
Ahmedabad Blasts
Ahmedabad, August 17 Metropolitan magistrate J.K. Pandya passed the order after police sought his custody for interrogation to unravel the details of the conspiracy behind the blasts in which 55 persons had lost their lives.
Bashir was produced before magistrate Pandya at his residence for special hearing tonight, crime branch officials said. Earlier in the day, the metropolitan court also remanded nine other SIMI activists arrested in this connection to 14-day police custody. Pandya passed the remand order after police sought custody of the activists for interrogation to unravel the conspiracy behind the blasts. Those remanded in custody are Zahid Sheikh, Imran Sheikh, Sajid Mansuri, Iqbal Sheikh, Samsudin Sheikh, Yunus Mansuri, Gyasuddin Ansari, Arif Kadri and Usman Agarbattiwala, all in the age group of 20-25 years. The police in their submission had asked remand of the accused under various provisions of the IPC which include sections 120(1a) (Waging war against the state), 153(a) (creating rift between two communities), 302 (murder) and 307(attempt to murder). The accused were also booked under the Explosive Substance Act (sections 3 & 7), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (sections 16, 18, 20) and Damage to Public Property Act (sections 3 & 4). Seeking remand of the militants in the court today, police listed 14 reasons why the accused need to be in their custody for further interrogations. They said further questioning is needed to find out how, when, where and by whom the conspiracy of the blasts was hatched. The mastermind of the blast Mufti Abu Bashir, who was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, was brought to the city last night on a three-day transit remand. Earlier, a lawyer representing some of the accused submitted in the court that his clients were innocent. The police said further interrogation of the accused can provide vital leads to whether more persons and other terror groups, besides SIMI, were involved in the serial blasts. They further stressed the need to find out from the accused about the source of fund, which procured the explosives used in Ahmedabad and Surat, apart from identifying the people who attended the SIMI training camp in Kerala and Gujarat. The police said the accused should be subjected to further questioning to recover the computer through which an email was sent after the blast in the name of “Indian Mujahideen”. In his submission before the metropolitan court, public prosecutor N.H. Saini said the accused were involved in a planned criminal conspiracy against humanity which needed a thorough investigation and sought the 14-day police remand of the accused for the purpose. He also submitted that exploding bombs in hospitals is a clear act of terror. Even during wars, the military doesn’t attack hospitals of the enemy, he added. In his argument, the lawyer representing the accused, Hashim Qureshi, said his clients were innocent and wrongly targeted. Qureshi, challenging the police’s statement that his clients were arrested on August 16 at 1215 hours, claimed that they were detained on July 31. He submitted that since the police have already interrogated his clients for over a week, there was no need for further remand. He also said his clients were mere suspects, without any criminal record and there was no need for further remand. — PTI
|
||
|
NSG Meeting
New Delhi, August 17 "The Indo-US nuclear deal is important for India's energy security and I think the Swiss government will most likely support the waiver for New Delhi at the NSG meet," said speaker of the Upper House of the Swiss parliament Christoffel Brandil. Brandil, who was here leading a parliamentary delegation, said Switzerland understands India's energy requirement for overall economic development. "The nuclear deal is good for India and it should be allowed to go through," Brandil said. Switzerland's stand will be crucial at the August 21-22 meeting of the NSG, which works by consensus and opposition by even one country could hamper India's prospects of nuclear commerce with international community. Switzerland is yet to declare its official stand on the matter but sources said the country would not pose any hurdle for a waiver to India. Asked specifically whether Switzerland would support India's case when the NSG meets next week in Vienna, he said his Government would take a favourable stand on the issue. "It is a decision that has to be taken by the government. Parliament has no role to play in it. But I am confident that the government will take a favourable stand on the issue," Brandil said. Switzerland along with New Zealand, Austria and Ireland are seen as difficult nations at the NSG as all four countries insist that such an exemption should not be given to a country which is not a member of the NPT. — PTI |
||
|
BJP: Shabana’s comments very unfair
Bangalore, August 17 At a news conference held here today, senior party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu termed Shabana’s remarks as ‘very very unfair and uncharitable comment against the nation and the majority community’. He stressed that Muslims are safe
and secure in India than any other country in the world. In a television
programme, Shabana had accused the Indian polity of being unfair to Muslims, making only ‘token gestures’ instead of addressing the real issues. Naidu said Muslims have went on to occupy high positions in India, including the President of the country, Chief Justices of Supreme Court and captain of the Indian cricket team. He noted that ‘Khans are ruling Bollywood’ with people appreciating their work. “Nowhere in the world, minorities get such
importance than in India,” he said. Dismissing her comments as an ‘irresponsible statement, that would send wrong signals’, Naidu said: “This is the mindset that has to change.” —
PTI |
||
|
Rice procurement 6 pc above last year but still behind target
New Delhi, August 17 For the other essential foodgrain - wheat - there has been an all-time record procurement and the government, fighting inflation and rising essential commodity prices in the crucial election year, says that sugar prices are expected to come down and wholesale prices of mustard and groundnut have already declined. As per the official data, rice procurement as on August 13 was 265.96 lakh tonne in the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2007-08 as against the overall procurement of 251.07 lakh tonne during 2006-2007 marketing season. The procurement this year saw an increase of 5.95 per cent over the previous year. The government is confident that rice stock will be 62.53 lakh tonne as on October 1, against the buffer norm of 52 lakh tonne. But officials feel that the government may not be able to reach the procurement target of 276 lakh tonne for rice till September, thereby falling short by almost six lakh tonne for 2007-08 KMS. They say that so far 265.96 lakh tonne has been procured and about a month back this figure was 264.27 lakh tonne. Which means that even though procurement in the current season has been better than 251.07 lakh tonne procured during the previous season, the total procurement is likely to be around 270 lakh tonne. Experts say farmers, anticipating higher MSP for kharif paddy, may be holding back the stock, as the general feeling is that paddy MSP will go up. Incidentally the total rice production is pegged at 95.68 million tonne for 2007-08, compared to 93.35 million tonne in 2006-07. Meanwhile, agriculture ministry officials say the government has taken several steps to maintain adequate availability of foodgrains, edible oils and sugar in order to check price rise in these commodities. There is comfortable stock of foodgrains and as on August 1 it is estimated that the stock of wheat on April 1, 2009, will be higher at 78.60 lakh tonne compared to the buffer norms of 40 lakh tonne. Additional release of 5 lakh MT sugar (2 lakh MT of sugar for August 2008 and additional 3 lakh MT for September 2008), besides estimated 16 lakh MT of sugar availability (through regular 9 lakh MT of monthly sugar releases and monthly pro-rata quantity of 6.5 lakh MT of dismantled buffer sugar stock) effected to control sugar prices. This will become evident in two-three weeks from now. The wholesale prices of soya bean oil, mustard oil and groundnut oil have declined by 12.10 per cent, 6.47 per cent, and 4.83 per cent, respectively, since last month.
|
|
Police clueless about cars used in Gujarat blasts
Mumbai, August 17 After the Gujarat police determined that the cars rigged with explosives were indeed stolen from Navi Mumbai, the police here has been rounding up known car thieves who are then subjected to sustained interrogations. However, so far, the police has not succeeded in nabbing the actual culprits who are believed to have stolen the cars and passed them on to the bombers, sources here said. A police team is now scouring Madhya Pradesh where some suspects are believed to be in hiding. However, the cops haven't made much headway, officials here said. The gang of thieves is believed to have changed the number plates of the cars and within hours had driven the vehicles to Gujarat. Going by the complaints filed by the car owners, the vehicles were snatched less than a month before the blasts, the police said. All the cars used in the Gujarat blasts were common models of Maruti 800 and Wagon R that were preferred by the thieves since the vehicles could easily mingle inside any city. The officials now say they expect to trace the gang that provided the cars to the bombers following the interrogation of those arrested by the Gujarat police.
|
|
Indo-US meeting on nuclear waiver strategy put off New Delhi, August 17 Burns was to hold discussions with foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon on coordination for the August 21-22 NSG meeting in Vienna to consider waiver for India. The fresh date for the US official’s visit is unconfirmed but he may come later this month or early next month. Sources said the visit was put off as Burns, an expert on Eurasia affairs, is likely to travel to Georgia in view of the Russian military intervention there that has led to an uneasy situation in that country. Ahead of the NSG meeting, India and the US are engaged in massive lobbying campaigns to convince all 45 members of the grouping and vouch for waiver for India to allow the country have civil nuclear trade with the international community. The NSG works on consensus and even if one member country opposes the move, the waiver cannot be granted. Burns’ visit was to give final touches to the coordinated moves by the two countries for the upcoming NSG meet. The US is playing the lead role in the campaign at the NSG, as New Delhi is not a member of the grouping. Menon and Burns have been in constant touch over phone to discuss what should be done to ensure that no country opposes India’s case. The US is also undertaking a campaign to persuade all NSG members, particularly a “small number” of countries having reservations to the grant of waiver to India. President George W. Bush himself is involved in the campaign, writing letters to leaders of NSG member countries. The NSG meeting on August 21-22 is unlikely to take a final view on the waiver and may meet for the second time early next month to take a decision. — PTI
|
|
|
India is among big brothers of WTO: Lamy New Delhi, August 17 Lamy, who was here last week in his attempt to restart the Doha talks that collapsed in Geneva in July, said, “Among the big brothers (in WTO) are the big developing countries. China, India and Brazil are the three big brothers,” Lamy told PTI. He said the three countries, along with key players like Australia, EU and the US, constituted the world of today. Trade ministers from India, Brazil and China were part of the core group of seven, constituted by Lamy during the intensive nine-day talks held in the WTO headquarters. The WTO chief referred to the growing influence of the three among the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies when asked as to how difficult he finds it to deal with the influential players like the US and EU. He said things had changed in the past 13 years since the end of the Uruguay Round in 1995, when a quad of the US, the EU, Canada and Japan used to be pre-dominant players in the negotiations. “When I started in this business in the end of the Uruguay round, there was a quad...the US, the EU, Canada and Japan. The world has certainly changed. (Now) when I have to take the G-7, which is the smaller group Canada is not there anymore. Austarlia has joined and you have got three more China, India and Brazil. That is the world of today,” he said. It is a tough call for a head of a multilateral body to be seen as unbiased and fair especially when he is dealing with 153 members whose economic and political stature has a range of the most developed nation and a least developed country. — PTI
|
|
|
Village girl has more drive
than the boys
New Delhi, August 17 Sushma, who hails from Sarai Alawardi village near Gurgaon, successfully parked 39 different models of Maruti cars in eight hours when her male counterparts could park only 34 vehicles in the same time taken by her during a test conducted in 2005. Her success was recounted to President Pratibha Patil by her training organisation Literacy India, an NGO, when other children of her institute met the President on July 24 this year during an invitation to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. However, Sushma could not make it to the occasion. "It was like a challenge for me to park the maximum number of cars in the parking bays. I was very happy upon landing the job," a jubilant Sushma said about her experience and added that she was very honoured to know that her story was told to the President. "We brought Sushma to our organisation from a conservative rural village. Her parents were not very comfortable with the idea of her getting training in professional skills," said Rajpal Duggal, one of the trustees of Literacy India. Sushma and other six girls were trained on the motor driving simulators along with computer operation skills in the institute. After being trained for six months, Sushma, along with two other girls, were recruited by the MUL. While, the other two girls — Anita and Asha — left the driving school due to personal reasons, Sushma excelled to rise to the post of a senior instructor with a team working under her now. — PTI
|
|
Cong worker shot dead
Silchar, August 17 The miscreants, after killing him on the spot, escaped under cover of darkness. Four suspects were arrested so far, the police said. — UNI
|
|
More vigil at Attari, Munnabao
New Delhi, August 17 In the first phase, cameras will be operational within a couple of months at the rail crossings at Attari near Amritsar and Munnabao in Rajasthan. The Samjhautha Express and the Thar Express make their respective runs through these rail crossings. The ministry of home affairs has floated tender-seeking equipment that will provide continuous video feed, which will be in turn monitored live at these stations and record also be kept. The plan is to videotape all passengers travelling between the two countries. The state-of-the-art top-end closed circuit television (CCTV) equipped with camera have been sought in the tender that has been placed on the MHA website. The operator will be able to zoom in on any suspected person, as the cameras will have very high zoom facility. A video management system software will allow greater flexibility to the operator as he will be able to pick out live video feed and re-run it for himself. The immigration counters at the two railway stations will be under constant watch. The purpose behind setting up the surveillance system is to keep a constant vigil at the entry points and also maintain visual records of those who cross the border, an official said. The bids are expected to be opened next month. According to tender documents, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is to record the arrival and departure of passengers at the two stations. The Thar Express and the Samjhauta Express are the two weekly trains between India and Pakistan.
|
|
Jungle fowl in fairly good in U’Khand
Dehra Dun, August 17 The revelations came as part of Dehra Dun based wild life institute’s nationwide Red Jungle Fowl conservation efforts. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in the first phase of its project entitled “Conservation of Red Jungle Fowl in India” has come up with current status and distribution of RJF in the country. Interestingly, its presence was also reported from the 170 protected areas including 31 national parks and 159 wild life sanctuaries. As a sigh of relief, the current distribution was found to be more or less similar to historical distribution barring for some gaps where it is discontinuous due to challenges in areas in the form of cities, changed landscapes and unsuitable habitats like wetland, high altitude areas and fragmented forest patches. Significantly, poaching continues to be another major challenge in conservation of RJF. Now, after completing the first phase of the project in April 2008, the WII scientists are now all set for next phase, which involves identifying pure RJF population in the country. Quite satisfied with the first phase and WII scientists are looking forward to phase second with much of interest. “We also plan to create genetic maps for wild RJF population in the next phase which may lead to possible patenting of strains”, disclosed Dr S. Sathyakumar, scientist at WII and also principal investigator to the project. Most important species to mankind due to its economic and cultural significance, RJF (Gallus gallus) is believed to be the ancestor of all domestic chickens in the world. The present day multi-billion dollar poultry industry is based on the wild RJF and may have to depend on it in the future as well. Poultry epidemics, like repeated occurrences of ‘bird flu’ in India and other parts of southeast Asia in the recent past, could spell doom to the poultry industry and the one of the main fall back options for mankind would eventually be the ‘wild’ Red Jungle Fowl.
|
|
6 more engineering colleges in Bihar
Patna, August 17 In a move to catch up with other states for greater technical education opportunities, the NDA government has decided to set up institutes beyond the big ones like the IIT, NIT and BIT, State Science and Technology Department sources said. The IIT, Patna began operations this month. “We have decided to make the six new colleges functional from the current academic session as the state has only two engineering colleges in Bhagalpur and at Muzaffarpur at present”, the sources said. Three more engineering colleges were ready to start academic session in Gaya, Darbhanga and Motihari under the first-phase of the state government’s initiatives, they said. Other three engineering colleges were in various stages of completion under the second phase of the plan at Sitamarhi, Chandil and Madhepura. All these colleges would start academic session from this year with admissions made through the Bihar Combined Competitive Engineering Entrance Test (BCCEET), held earlier this year. Work on the building of another engineering college is in the final stages of completion at Barauni, to be ready by next year. Altogether 20 engineering colleges will come up by the end of next year, sources said. —
PTI
|
|
BJP accuses UPA of talking in favour of blast accused
New Delhi, August 17 "Unable to rein in terror, certain UPA ministers are now talking in favour of the arrested at a time when Gujarat shows the way," BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra said. Registering objection
to railway minister Lalu Prasad's alleged comments on arrested SIMI activists, Malhotra said the RJD Chief's views were equal to "favouring" of the terror outfit. Lalu Prasad had reportedly said innocent people were being arrested and demanded evidence against them saying nobody would defend the Students Islamic Movement of India if they (Gujarat police) gave specific evidence of its involvement in the blast. The BJP leader accused that the ruling alliance comprised the parties who acted like spokespersons of SIMI and "one of the allies talks of marching to Pakistan." "The Prime Minister should ensure the collective responsibility of the Cabinet (against expressing such views) or else he should quit," Malhotra said. The saffron party today held a meeting of its general secretaries and wouldhold another meet of its office-bearers tomorrow. "The office-bearers of the party will be having an important meeting tomorrow to chalk out the future course of action in the wake of developing political scenario," Malhotra said. — PTI
|
|
Expelled SP MP Ateeq Ahmed may join BSP
Allahabad, August 17 This was stated by Nasimuddin Siddiqui, a close confidant of Mayawati and a minister in her government, who met Ateeq, an accused in BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, in Naini Central jail here yesterday. Ateeq had extended unconditional support to the BSP and had expressed his desire to join the party, Nasimuddin told mediapersons after the meeting. “The MP has also given us a letter addressed to Mayawati who will take a final decision in this regard,” he said. Siddiqui said Ateeq had denied his involvement in the Raju Pal murder case and hoped “the truth will come out before the court of law.” — PTI
|
|
Goa committed to fight against AIDS: CM
Panaji, August 17 Inaugurating the seven-coach Red Ribbon Express train, which arrived here spreading awareness against the AIDS, the Chief Minister complimented Nehru Yuva Kendra and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation for introducing the concept. Kamat said the concept would go a long way to create mass awareness amongst the people from all walks of life about AIDS. Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Shantaram Naik was also present at the function held at Margao railway station, 33 km from here. Kamat said the entire world was fighting to tackle the AIDS menace and programme like this would help curb the disease to a great extent. — PTI
|
|
Protest to continue till Baltal land returned: SASS
New Delhi, August 17 Alleging that the Centre was adopting a biased stand on Jammu and Kashmir by following a policy of appeasement towards the valley, SASS convenor Leela Karan Sharma said, “The Central government has been a mute spectator. It is following a wrong policy of division.” Sharma threatened to march to Baltal, where the piece of land is located, if the demand of SASS of reverting it to the shrine board was not met. We have many options to continue our protests. But we would better not disclose them.”
When asked whether economic blockade was one of the options, Sharma said: “It could be. But right now there is no blockade. If we really do, the whole world will come to know.” Blaming the Centre’s ‘wrong policies’ for the present crisis in the state, he said if the government wanted to save the country from terrorism, it has to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Jammu. “Kashmir is the gateway of terrorism to India. If you want to save the country, you have to strengthen Jammu. We appeal to the people of India to stand behind the people of Jammu,” Sharma said. The Samiti objected to the handing over of the management of the Amarnath Yatra to the state Tourism Department saying it has no locus standi to handle Hindu religious affairs. However, when his attention was drawn to the fact that the yatra had culminated yesterday, a defiant Sharma said the agitation would continue and went on to add that if it resulted in division of the state, they would not mind. When asked about the demand for opening of trade through the Muzaffarabad road, he said: “It was nothing but a blackmailing tactic of some of the Kashmiri leaders.” Sharma said they were ready for talks to find an amicable solution, which respect the sentiments of the people of Jammu, to the present crisis. — PTI
|
|
Sibal goes poetic on POTA
New Delhi, August 17 These are among the several emotions that are strung together with sensitivity by Union science and technology minister Kapil Sibal in his first venture into the literary sphere a collection of poems called ‘I Witness: Partial Observations’, published by Roli Books. All 84 poems, mostly composed on the cell phone, are in rhyme. “The essence of a thought can be expressed succinctly in blank verse, but for me, the rhyme of rhythm is more attractive. It also enables me to put things in better perspective and has a lyrical quality, which is a source of great joy,” he said. “Composing a poem requires time and private space, but as years went by, both became a scarce commodity. However, significant events evoked in me the desire to put my thoughts down,” he says. For him, pen and paper proved to be a tedious medium as “my mind moved faster than my fingers and so the scribble at the end was sometimes illegible.” “The cell phone was like a dream come true. I could write while travelling and in relative privacy,” he says and recounts how he came up with a number poems during a two-and-a-half-hours flight by using the phone in an offline mode. According to Sibal, many of the thoughts he has penned could have been essays or middles. “But, instinctively, poetry allowed me to express myself in a more focused manner, without having to write long-winded prose.” On POTA, Sibal writes: “Move beyond this posturing/ give politics a break. Consider the consequences; individual freedom is at stake.”— PTI
|
|
M’rashtra Cong unit recast
New Delhi, August 17 This includes giving out a position to a north Indian to counter Raj Thakarey’s anti-north propaganda in the state. Manikrao Thakre was today appointed the new Congress chief of Maharashtra, while Gurudas Kamat will be the chairman of the state campaign committee. Jayant Awale has been named working president of the state PCC, while Kripa Shankar Singh is the chief of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC). Thakre is from the Kunbi Maratha community, which is not very high on the caste set-up among the Maratha’s. Awale is a Dalit and hails from kolhapur district of western Maharashtra. Kamat is an MP from Mumbai and was till recently the MRCC chief and managed to win several seats in the state capital. Crucially, Kripa Shankar Singh is a migrant from UP, he has been given the charge of Mumbai at a time when the votes of north Indians constitute a major chunk in the city. Also north Indians have faced the ire of the Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena chief Raj Thakeray, who launched his pro-maratha campaign and hounded out north Indians specially those from UP and Bihar. The appointments were made by the party chief Sonia Gandhi ahead of the elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assembly. For Deshmukh, the new appointments mean a lot. Thakre replaces Prabha Rau, who has been made the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. Deshmukh and Rau were not on the best of terms. Thakre does not have the stature of Deshmukh or Rau and will be supposedly easy to handle. Kamat has been appointed to the key post keeping in view the assembly poll and once gain he is not seen as a anti-Deshmukh man. Former Maharashtra minister Narayan Rane was offered the post of the state campaign chief, but he did not accept it. Again Rane is known as Deshmukh baiter. The party said that Deshmukh would be holding meetings with central leaders, including Ahmed Patel and Margaret Alva this week to discuss appointments on various corporations in the state. The Chief Minister has also been stressing upon the leadership to constitute a committee for seat-sharing talks with Sharad Pawar-led NCP ahead of the poll.
|
|
Revised pay package will add
to government’s tax kitty
New Delhi, August 17 Besides, some money would also come through indirect taxes as some of the increased pay would go into buying products and services, official sources said here. The increased burden on the Centre would be Rs 22,131 crore during 2008-09. While the additional burden on the Union Budget would be Rs 15,717 crore, the Railway Budget would take Rs 6,414 crore burden due to the increased payout. However, one-fifth to one-fourth of this amount was expected to come back to the government exchequer in the form of personal income tax, depending on the slab that each employee would fall in after the pay hike, the sources said. This means that Rs 4,426.2-5,532.75 crore would be added to the central kitty. The government has increased the income tax exemption limit from Rs 1.10 lakh to Rs 1.50 lakh, in addition to restructuring the tax slabs in this fiscal budget. The tax exemption limit for women assesses has been hiked from Rs 1.45 lakh to Rs 1.80 lakh, while in case of senior citizens it has been increased from Rs 1.95 lakh to Rs 2.25 lakh. Though it is yet to be calculated as to how many of the 50 lakh government employees would still enjoy the tax exemption, it is expected that many more will move to taxable income. The sources said the entire clerical staff would move to taxable income. According to the changed slabs, income between Rs 1.5-3 lakh is taxed at 10 per cent, between Rs 3-5 lakh at 20 per cent, while for Rs 5 lakh and above the rate would be 30 per cent in addition to 3 per cent education cess. With 20-25 per cent of the increased pay expected to come to the government exchquer and some more money through indirect taxes as portion of it would be spent on buying goods and services, one could easily assume that the net burden on the government may not be as much as it might appear. Both Union and railway budget have a capacity to bear the burden on account of implementation of revised pay scale for central government employees, finance minister P. Chidambaram had said after the Cabinet approved pay panel’s report with some modifications on August 14. The finance minister had said budget deficit targets for 2008-09 would be adhered to, even after the implementation of revised pay for central government employees. He had said the revised pay scales were not a new development and its impact on deficit targets was already factored into when the Budget for 2008-09 was prepared and the economic advisory council (EAC) and the RBI gave their estimates. The pay revision would be implemented from September 1 and arrears would be paid with effect from January 1, 2006, in two tranches - 40 per cent this year and 60 per cent in the next year. However, the EAC had said recently that when other unbudgeted (pay commission and farm loan waiver) and under budgeted (NREGA) liabilities are also included, total off-budget liabilities of the Centre could exceed 5 per cent of GDP, over and above the budgeted 2.5 per cent.
— PTI |
||||||
|
Doc’s unauthorised leave
New Delhi, August 17 Upholding an appeal filed by the Punjab Government, the apex court set aside the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the subordinate courts that had earlier quashed the punishment imposed on Dr P.L. Singla. “When the trial court and the appellate court had committed this serious error, the High Court ought to have formulated an appropriate question of law and allowed the second appeal. Instead, it chose to dismiss the second appeal putting its seal of approval on a wrong interpretation of law leading to serious repercussions in regard to discipline and administration,” a bench of Justices R.V. Raveendran and L.S. Panta observed. The apex court clarified that when an “extra-ordinary” leave is granted, it does not necessarily have the effect of effacing or erasing the punishment already imposed. “The assumption that when an order is passed according to extraordinary leave for the period of absence will have the effect of effacing or erasing the punishment already imposed is, therefore, incorrect and a serious error of law,” the apex court said. In this case, the Punjab Governor by an order dated September 16, 1999, had imposed a punishment of withholding five increments on Singla for his unauthorised absence from duty between June 1, 1992 and October 17, 1997. Singla’s explanation was that he had abstained from duty because of terrorism in the state and also had dispatched a leave application for the same. The Governor imposed the punishment of withholding five increments, but by a separate order on January 1, 2001, treated the period of absence as extraordinary leave. A trial court quashed the punishment of withholding increments, while the Government appeal in the first appellate court was dismissed and the state approached the High Court. But the High Court too agreed with the verdict of the subordinate court, following which Punjab government filed the Special Leave Petition. Allowing the appeal, the apex court said it was wrong on part of the three lower courts to presume that once the extraordinary leave was granted it had the effect of wiping off the misconduct of the employee. The Governor’s order treating the five-year absence was only to be construed and consequential to the punishment imposed so as to maintain continuity of service for Singla and not for wiping off his misconduct, the apex court said. — PTI
|
||||||
|
Differences resurface in Kerala CPM
Thiruvananthapuram, August 17 Although, Vijayan and his faction had remained largely circumspect over the senior colleague's outpouring before media last week, indications are that they would take up the matter with the central leadership. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, who was in the state during the weekend, declined to comment on the developments. Whatever be the long-term consequences of the 85-year-old Achuthanandan's fresh round of salvos at his detractors, the development has dented party leadership's claim that factionalism in Kerala unit had been eradicated after the triennial state conference held in Kottayam earlier this year. What provoked Achuthanandan to come out openly, even at the grave risk of breaching the firm party discipline, was a recent assessment of the state unit that talk of a second land reform was empty rhetoric of Left extremists. This was put in black and white in a party release issued after its two-day state committee meeting last week. —
PTI |
||||||
|
Farmers’ Harassment
Lucknow, August 17 This was announced at a press conference jointly convened by national co- convener of the All-India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Prem Singh Gehlawat and state convener of UP Kisan Sabha Ishwari Prasad Kushwaha. The mahapanchayat will meet at Ghodi Bacheda village in Greater Noida where five farmers succumbed to firing by the UP police on August 13. Both Gahlawat and Kushwaha had just returned from a visit to the village that has become out of bounds for all outsiders since the incident. “We traveled by foot through neighbouring villages and somehow managed to reach the Ghodi Bacheda and talk to the farmers who are too traumatised by the turn of events”, said Gehlawat. According to Gehlawat around 96 farmers have been named in the FIR filed against them while serious charges have been framed against 1,000 unnamed farmers. “Besides the dead, dozens are seriously injured or missing”, he added. The demands to be raised at the mahapanchayat include punishment for the officers responsible for the firing, release of arrested farmers and withdrawal of false cases against them, adequate compensation for the land acquired by the government, compensation of Rs 25 lakh for farmers killed during the firing and Rs 10 lakh for the injured as well as free treatment for the injured.
|
||||||
|
M’rashtra earmarks Rs 7,000 cr for govt staff
Mumbai, August 17 The implementation of the last panel recommendations was delayed by several years as the state government struggled to find funds. Now, Maharashtra seems to be better prepared according to senior bureaucrats. Still, the funds earmarked so far would not be sufficient say sources. Another Rs 1,000 crore would have to be allocated from different sources to pay government employees, officials say. — TNS |
||||||
|
Overuse of headphones harmful
New Delhi, August 17 Moreover, the habit may develop psychogenic disorders and hypertension which would end up in cardiac ailments, doctors added. “Prolonged use of headphones is injurious to our hearing system as it has adverse impacts on the nerves. Excess of anything is harmful. Though the habit may not damage the ear diaphragm, the harm done to the nerves is irreversible,” Alok Agarwal of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said. Cochlea (the spiral cavity of the inner ear where sound impulses are produced) bears the brunt of headphone sounds. Any damage done to it will certainly cause hearing complications, Aggarwal stressed. Noting that call centre employees approaching him with hearing problems was on the rise, he said “they are susceptible to hearing impairments. Extended working hours using unhealthy devices may cause health risks.” Disturbed sleep, headache and ear pain are some of the common abnormalities that stem from overuse of headphones. According to J C Passey of Maulana Azad Medical College, the damage to hearing system depends on duration, volume and programme. Listening to high-decibel rock music for long hours is undoubtedly harmful. Of the two hearing loss cases - conductive and perceptive - the latter is irreversible. Perceptive hearing loss, which can be aggravated by headphone use, cannot be cured as the damage is done to the sensory nerves, he added. Youths with a passion for film and rock songs, however, have an altogether different say. For office-goers and college students, FM radios are a boon to beat the boredom of long wait at bus stops. “For me it is a habit now. When I am alone, I switch on the FM. Radio jockeys give me good company. Radio music helps me to relax after college hours,” Anoop Misra of St Stephen’s said. Dismissing perceived health risks as unfounded, cellphone producers, however, said they strictly comply with WHO regulations in applications of cell phones. The company strictly complies with guidelines on minimising the adverse effects of radiation and sound, said an official of LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. —
PTI |
||||||
|
Sangh Parivar activists attack Christian missionaries
Dehra Dun, August 17 It was the third alleged attack by Sangh Parivar activists including ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Christian community in Dehra Dun. Narrating the sequence of events of the latest attack, Gaushala Raju, principal of the Bible College being run in Rajinder Nagar area of the city, told The Tribune that four of the students were distributing pamphlets on the Independence day. They were attacked by a group of workers of the BJP. Three of them managed to escape while the fourth was caught. He was beaten badly and taken to the Garhi cantonement police station. "We were asked by a police party that reached Bible College to come to the police station. As soon as we reached the police station, more than thirty workers of Sangh Parivar pounced upon us and started beating us in the presence of policemen. Later, we were rescued and taken inside the police station and detained for nine hours," alleged Gaushala Raju. In a letter written to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Maj-Gen. B.C. Khanduri (retd) today, Suryakant Dhasmana demanded that action should be taken against the culprits. Meanwhile, police officers said it was a minor incident. "It was a minor thing blown out of proportion," Jagdish Lal, SHO of Garhi Cantonment police station told The Tribune. Vishwas Dabar, spokesperson of the Uttarakhand BJP, said he was unaware of the incident.
|
||||||
Family unhappy with Bhagat Singh statue Joshi is acting chairman of CBSE 3 brothers meet watery grave RPF needs 20,000 more men Restaurants on wheels Bill for courier services soon IIMs to tackle water woes 
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Hyderabad, August 17
