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Flood situation worsens in Orissa
Rain claims 52 more lives in UP
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Maya blames UPA govt for attacks on Christians
BJP wary of fewer
allies in NDA fold
Nano Car Project
AGP clears decks for Mahanta’s return
GPF Scam
60 pc Class V kids find maths difficult: NCERT
Power ministry peeved at delay in NTPC project
Wild animals’
rehabilitation scheme
Army, Air Force rescue Karmapa, entourage
Over usage causing depletion of groundwater
SC: Conviction can’t be stayed to contest poll
CPI demands probe into church attacks
Jamir meets Muivah, forgives bids on his life
Police: Missing industrialist killed
Mumbai Train Blasts
Kerala orders probe into attacks on churches
Arson continues in riot-hit Kandhamal
More cops to be deployed at churches, mosques in K’taka
Jumbo terror in village
‘Bandit tourism’ may be banned
Govt: Relief not to be stopped if child fails
Bihar distributes cash among flood victims
Referendum on Reliance SEZ begins
Rail traffic thrown out of gear
Sarita Rape Case
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Flood situation worsens in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, September 21 “Foodstuffs were air-dropped at Banki, Bayalis Mouza, Baisi Mouza, Niali, Marsaghai and other places,” revenue and disaster management minister Manmohan Samal, who along with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made an aerial survey of flood-hit areas, said. The government would provide 15 days’ relief in deltaic region and three to five days’ relief in other areas, he said adding more than 30 lakh people were affected in the severe floods in 17 districts. Patnaik, who made aerial survey in Khurda, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Angul, Boudh, Subarnapur and Bolangir, said adequate number of water pouches and dry food items were being distributed along with free medicines. “During aerial survey, I saw a large number of houses were damaged in Bolangir district,” Samal said. Rejecting allegation that the government failed to arrange adequate number of boats for relief activities, Samal said as many as 2,000 countryboats and 200 motorboats were pressed into service. Meanwhile, flow of water through Mundali near Cuttack substantially declined to 13,24,723 cusec from over 15 lakh cusec yesterday but large number of breaches caused deluge in most parts of the coastal area, official sources said. A huge breach of 400 feet on embankment of Bhargavi river near Pipili town caused disruption of road communication between Puri town and Konark. As many as seven breaches were reported from Puri district, engineer-in-chief H.C. Behera told PTI but expressed hope that flow of water in Mahanadi system may drop below 10 lakh cusec by tomorrow morning. The authorities of Hirakud dam today stopped discharge of water through more sluices. A total of 33 gates were releasing 5,69,183 cusec water while 5,31,064 cusec was entering into the reservoir. Behera said sarpanchs would be taken to task if they failed to distribute relief materials among affected people. But the affected people in Pipili town, barely 25 km from the state capital, said the government’s claim to have reached every part of the flood ravaged areas did not hold ground for them. “The government could not make relief arrangements to the people marooned in flood water for three days in Banki and other parts of Cuttack district,” Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena alleged. Holding the BJD-BJP government responsible for the calamities, state NCP president Bijay Mohapatra said it should have constantly monitored the position in Hirakud reservoir and started discharging water earlier. Meanwhile, the state secretariat and other offices in flood affected districts remained open despite it being a Sunday.
— PTI
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Rain claims 52 more lives in UP
Lucknow, September 21 While 10 persons each were killed in Sitapur and Pilibhit districts, eight persons each died in Barabanki and Bahraich, five each in Basti, Kushinagar and Deoria districts and one in Allahabad district in separate incidents of house/wall collapse and drowning. Over 110 mm of rain was recorded in the state capital even as water level in all the major rivers, including the Ganga, Gomti, Rapti and Ghagra, is on the rise. Water had started receding, but heavy spells in the past three days changed the scenario, Irrigation Department officials said. Rains also disrupted air, train and road traffic while power and communication links remained suspended for hours with several trees, hoardings and poles being uprooted, the sources added. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast more rains in parts of the state. The government has deployed PAC personnel for relief and rescue
operations. — PTI
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Maya blames UPA govt for attacks on Christians
Mayawati wanted to know why the Central government was not taking a stern action against the BJP organisations that were instrumental in spreading terror in these states. "Such leniency will further encourage them," warned Mayawati, while addressing a press conference at her 5, Kalidas Marg residence, today. Calling the lackadaisical attitude of the Central government as the root cause of the sudden spurt in terrorism, the Chief Minister said it should implement laws with an even hand. Condemning the tendency to view the entire Muslim community with suspicion and victimise them in the name of combating terror, Mayawati gave an assurance that not a single innocent Muslim will be targeted in her regime. However, for UP hitting the headlines in connection with terrorism, she squarely put the blame on the previous Samajwadi Party regime. Bailing out her government she said, "The poor law and order record of the Samjawadi Party and lack of governance had made UP a hub of terrorist activities.” Quoting the terror attack on the makeshift temple in Ayodhya, Sankatmochan in Varanasi and train blast (Shramjivi) during Mulayam Singh Yadav's tenure as proof, she held "if the Samajwadi Party government had nipped the bud of terrorism, it would not have grown in UP”. Recounting her government's efforts in bringing the situation back on the track, she complemented the state police and Anti Terrorist Squad for the arrests in the Rampur CRPF attack and recent arrests, including picking up of Abu Bashar and Shahbaz Ahmad, involved in the Ahmedabad and Jaipur blasts. The Chief Minister paid tributes to the slain Delhi inspector M.C. Sharma who was killed in an encounter in Jamia Nagar on Friday. She promised all help and support to the officer's family. Strongly refuting Mayawati's allegation regarding the Samajwadi Party being responsible for spurt of terrorism in the state, SP state president, Shivpal Singh Yadav, described it as "utterly baseless". Urging Mayawati to desist from the blame game, Yadav instead asked her to do some honest introspection. "Whenever terrorist attacks took place in our regime, we ensured that the militants were either arrested or killed," he pointed out.
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Azamgarh nursery of terror?
Azamgarh, September 21 Once known for Hindu-Muslim synergy and high intellect, now Azamgarh has come to be known as terror’s breeding ground, because it has provided a very fertile land for SIMI and other such outfits to flourish. Top intelligence and police officials said the arrest of Abu Bashir, a top SIMI activist, from the Saraimir area here, was not merely a coincidence but might be the first such arrest. “There are many SIMI operatives in eastern UP but some of them are quite active, who belong to Azamgarh.We cannot pick them up without clear evidence of their involvement in the anti-national activities,” the officials said. It is not surprising that the two terrorists, Atif and Sajid, who were killed and Mohammad Saif, who was apprehended in the Delhi encounter on Friday, belonged to Azamgarh district, a top police official of Uttar Pradesh said. Prakash Singh, the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh and a resident of the town, said, “Azamgarh, once the land of Hindi and Urdu litterateurs, Rahul Sankrityayan, Ayodhya Singh Upadhyaya ‘Hariaudh’, Prof Allama Shibli Nomani and Kafi Azami, and their soul-stirring verses and prose, is now better known for Haji Mastan, Abu Salem and Dawood Ibrahim. And the latest addition to the list, is the Ahmedabad blast mastermind Abu Bashir.” “It is unfortunate but true that people like Abu Salem, the khadi-clad musclemen Umakant Yadav, Ramakant Yadav have motivated an army of willing young converts waiting in the backwaters of Saraimir, Nizamabad, Khairabad, Mubarakpur, Mohammadabad, Atraulia and Bilariaganj to begin their career as an arms peddler or a drug supplier for Mumbai and Delhi Underworld,” he said. The top criminals, including Dawood Ibrahim, had their close relatives living here and their success stories had a fairy tale quality that greatly appealed to the youth in the district, he said. A known socialist Prabhu Narayan Singh said Azamgarh had become a land of fundamentalism. The youth had been misguided. “Nationalism in Azamgarh has been replaced by fundamentalism and this has given birth to Abu Salems and Abu Bashirs,” he feels.
— PTI
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Terrorists planning ‘strike’ in Goa
Panaji, September 21 Karnataka home minister
V.S. Acharya said in Bangalore that his government had been tipped-off by the Kerala Police that a consignment of explosives had been placed aboard a train that left Thiruvananthapuram today for being used for a terror strike in
Goa. “We have received information that a train carried explosives for a strike in
Goa,” he told reporters. A Thiruvanathapuram report said the Netravati Express bound for
Kurla, a Mumbai suburb, was thoroughly searched at Thrissur today but nothing was
found. Acharya said the Karnataka Police was “all prepared” to conduct a search of the train when it reaches the state’s border. Taking no chances, the Goa Police stepped up security around all vital establishments and also increased surveillance along the railway station. The Goa Police said it had received inputs from the Kerala Police about the train laden with explosives. “We are on our toes and have kept all arrangements ready,” SP Atmaram
Deshpande, who heads state’s special cell, told PTI here. “We are checking almost all the trains. The bomb disposal squad has also been pressed into service,” Deshpande said.
— PTI |
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BJP wary of fewer
allies in NDA fold
New Delhi, September 21 The BJP held its manifesto committee meeting here yesterday and deliberated on the issues that the party is planning to highlight first during the October-November elections to five states and then subsequently in the general election. The party, which is busy with the election preparations, is, however, a little sceptical of attracting more allies to the larger Opposition NDA that it leads. At present, there are only five parties left in the NDA, which once during the peak of the BJP power had 24 members. Though the party is still deliberating on the issues that it will highlight in its manifesto, the general thrust will naturally be on what a senior leader called “Save India campaign” clearly pointing at the rise of terrorism under the present UPA dispensation. Supplementing this will be the issue of “Congress indecisiveness” or in the words of its Prime Ministerial candidate L.K. Advani “Congress’ soft attitude towards terrorists.” BJP leaders believe that this indecisiveness has “completely taken off the veneer of shine” from the Congress, which helped the Congress-led UPA win the 2004 general elections. But the BJP leaders admit that alliances will make a huge amount of difference to the prospects of return of a Congress or BJP-led alliance. Immediately after the BJP announced Advani as its prime ministerial candidate in December 2007, the party had assigned Sushma Swaraj to look for new allies and expand the ambit of the NDA. But so far the BJP has not succeeded in attracting a single party to the NDA fold. Now, a BJP leader says, “Fresh alliances will be struck only after November this year when the results of the Assembly elections are out. If we manage to retain what we have and add say Delhi to our existing tally then there is no doubt that most of the parties sitting on the fence will come and join us.” For all this self-congratulation of succeeding at every step, the BJP is still concerned and actively taking into account how much damage will the “spoilers” cause. For instance, how much damage would the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) of Raj Thackeray cause to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra. Similarly, in Haryana it is still weighing whether it should persuade Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD to rejoin the NDA or look at Bhajan Lal as a possible ally in the state. In this respect if the BJP goes with Bhajan Lal then how much damage can Chautala cause and vice versa. Same is the case in Andhra Pradesh where the BJP knowing full-well that the TDP supremo is going along with the CPM is wondering whether to extend its hand of friendship to Telugu filmstar Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam or align with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Again it is difficult for the BJP to assess at the moment which of them will benefit the party which has now returned to the Telangana issue and which one will merely be a spoiler.
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Nano Car Project Kolkata, September 21 On the other hand, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee warned for the first time that the Tatas would leave the state if there was further delay in accepting the government’s rehabilitation package for farmers. Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, however, gave the government a seven-day deadline to operationalise the September 7 agreement reached between her and Bhattacharjee in the presence of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi or she would resume her suspended ‘dharna’ outside the Tata Motors plant at Singur. The Chief Minister, who a day earlier met the Governor to convey to him that he was open for talks with the Trinamool Congress on the package that provides for 70 acres of land from within the Tata Motors car project area and compensation, appealed to the opposition parties to withdraw their agitation and accept it. “I appeal to opposition parties to accept the government’s package on the land acquisition at Singur for the Tata Motors factory and withdraw the agitation. If there is any further delay, this project will leave the state,” he said. The Chief Minister’s statement came in the backdrop of a number of states offering land and incentives to the Tata Motors to set up the Nano car project there. “Since the project will go out of the state if there is further delay, therefore without any loss of time the Tata Motors and its ancillary units should be given the opportunity to resume work at Singur,” Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said. The Trinamool Congress chief, speaking on Bhattacharjee’s appeal to accept the package and withdraw the agitation, “If the Tatas leave, it is their affair. There is a mutual agreement with them (the government and the Tatas).” Prior to resumption of dharna at Singur, the Trinamool Congress plans a rally at Singur on September 26 after observing ‘Singur Diwas’ a day earlier. — PTI
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AGP clears decks for Mahanta’s return
Guwahati, September 21 The AGP general council, showing its desperation to have a formidable party top-brass to match the arch rival ruling Congress, today decided to forgive Mahanta and put its seal of approval on the reunification with all splinter groups before the coming general elections. Since his expulsion from the AGP, Mahanta has been heading the group called Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive) and fought Assembly elections in 2006 under its banner, only to win a single seat in the 126-member House. The reigning AGP president Brindabon Goswami, who has been resisting the re-entry of Mahanta to the party fold all along, was visibly sidelined with majority of the party top brass favouring merger with the AGP(P) led by Mahanta, who had earlier stated that he was not hankering for any portfolio in the AGP in the event of a merger. The reunification with its breakaway factions has made the AGP the largest opposition bloc in the state politics that has been dominated by the ruling Congress since 2001. Final modalities of reunification will be formulated on a later date. Mahanta’s re-entry to the AGP was strongly opposed by the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) for his alleged involvement in the infamous ‘secret killings’ (extra judicial killings) of kin of members of banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) while he was Chief Minister during 1996-2001.
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GPF Scam
New Delhi, September 21 The Centre had informed the Supreme Court on September 18 that the CBI is prepared to investigate the scam. The Uttar Pradesh government has already given its consent for a CBI probe into it. A Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat is to pass formal orders for handing over the investigations of the case to the CBI in the coming week. Earlier this week, Justice Pasayat had asked Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati to clarify the stand of the Union government on the issue of a CBI investigation in the case. Vahanvati on September 18 informed the apex court that the Union government was prepared to have a CBI inquiry into the scandal, subject to the condition that the CBI would be permitted to use the infrastructure and manpower of the Uttar Pradesh Police. Earlier, the CBI had refused to take over the investigation of the Uttar Pradesh Police recruitment scandal in which over 16,000 police constables were recruited by previous Mulayam Singh government. The CBI took the stand that it was already overburdened due to shortage of manpower. In the GPF scam, Rs 7 crore were fraudulently siphoned off during period 2002 to 2007. According to a petition filed by the Ghaziabad District Bar Association, the scandal is worth Rs 23 crore and not Rs 7 crore as alleged in the FIR having 83 accused people. The main accused in the case, former treasurer of Ghaziabad District Court Treasury Ashutosh Asthana, at present in jail, had named 36 judges as the beneficiaries in his statement under Section 164, CrPC, recorded by Special Judge Rama Jain, which is admissible as evidence . Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan has already granted permission to the CBI to quiz two sitting judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in cash-at-judges’ door scam. The CJI has also recommended the impeachment of a sitting Kolkata High Court Judge Soumitra Sen for the alleged misappropriation of Rs 32 lakh by him when he was appointed a receiver in a dispute between the Steel Authority of India Limited and the Shipping Corporation of India.
— UNI
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60 pc Class V kids find maths difficult: NCERT
New Delhi, September 21 A mid-term nation-wide survey conducted by the NCERT in schools has revealed that more than 60 per cent of students in Class V find it difficult to solve fraction, decimals and measurement questions. The survey found that 32 per cent of the students scored less than 30 per cent in mathematics, while barely 11 per cent achieved more than 80 per cent marks. However, academicians say “a weak foundation” is the reason for it and that a greater involvement of teachers can remove the shortcomings. “Mathematics ironically has been the biggest casualty for a student as he goes up the classes where subjects become more complex and he is under more pressure,” points out a senior professor. “In this scenario, it is imperative that he is strong in the basics like addition, multiplication and subtraction, which form the foundation in mathematics. If he is weak, it shows in his performance at higher classes,” he said. Therefore, an inclination towards subjects like mathematics, science and languages, which form the core of any academic pursuit, should be developed from an early age and teachers had a crucial role to play in this regard, he added. The NCERT has already set up a Mathematics Development Cell, which focuses on mathematics learning for Class I and II. Similarly, a language development cell has also come up to achieve the stated objectives. Several states are also mulling on ideas to establish such centres.
— PTI
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Power ministry peeved at delay in NTPC project
Guwahati, September 21 The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is entrusted with the responsibility of constructing the power project for which the foundation was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the project site on January 2006. The project is scheduled to be completed by the year 2011. Concerned over the snail’s pace of construction works at the project site, union minister of state for power Jairam Ramesh today visited the project site at Salakati in Bongaigaon district of Assam to take stock of the situation along with Assam’s power minister Pradyut
Bardoloi. Ramesh called for explanation from Subhas Project and Marketing Limited that is responsible for civil construction works at the site. The company took charge of the site in April this year, but was yet to start the work in full swing because of the rainy season. The company today assured Ramesh that first of three boiler units of the thermal project would be constructed and handed over to the NTPC by the first week of November. Meanwhile, the NTPC is yet to bring sufficient staffs and officials to the project site, although the Assam State Electricity Board
(ASEB) has claimed to have made 500 quarters available for the NTPC staffs. Ramesh visited the project site for the second time after May this
year. Bardoloi said that the Assam government had provided developed land to the NTPC for the project, virtually free of cost, as the 750-MW power project’s early commissioning was vital for the state, which was reeling under power shortage. He said the NTPC was supposed to construct a green field power project using modern technology for desulphurisation of Assam coal, the raw material to be used in the plant.
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Wild animals’
rehabilitation scheme
Dehra Dun, September 21 As many 17 new improved leopard cages have been provided to different forest divisions that are most vulnerable to leopard attacks. While a cage has been kept at the chief wildlife warden’s office, another has been provided to the Yamuna circle. Three cages have been provided to the Garhwal circle that is most prone to leopard attacks, two cages each have been made available to Bhagirathi, western circle, north and south Kumaon circles and the Shivalik circle. Significantly, Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji National Park have also got one cage each. Easily foldable, the steel cage has a total weight of around 98 kg. While the main portion of the cage weighs around 68 kg, the bait part of cage weighs around 30 kg. It can easily be carried by two persons on shoulders and can be attached to a jeep for ferrying, as transportation has been a big problem with the earlier 10-foot long cages. "Generally the caged animal -- mostly a leopard in the Uttarakhand -- bangs its face against the iron rods of the cage, leading to physical injuries but the new cage will ensure that the animal does not get severe injury if it attempts the same,” a senior wildlife official observed. "As the length of the new cage is flexible, it can be reduced easily and thus it will also facilitate administering of tranquilisers", he added.
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Army, Air Force rescue Karmapa, entourage
New Delhi, September 21 The rescue was carried out as the Karmapa and his entourage was caught in a snow storm for the past 48 hours. The Karmapa is the third highest spiritual leader of the Tibetans after Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. The Karmapa is the only monk reincarnate recognised by both Dalai Lama and China. Heavy snowfall in the upper reaches had meant that the 17th Karmapa along with his 13 followers were stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district for more than 48 hours. They were at a height of about 18,000 feet and located just ahead of the 16,400 feet high Baralacha pass on the 480 km-long Manali-Leh highway. In a daring rescue operation, pilots from the military garrison at Leh airlifted the Karmapa to safety. The operation’s difficulty can be gauged from the fact that the pilots had very little space to operate the chopper while ensuring that the Karmapa was winched up and safely taken away. The leader and his followers were rescued this afternoon around 2 pm, Army sources in the national Capital said while praising the efforts of the jawans of the 14 crops and the pilots who worked under taxing conditions to provide relief and rescue. Army jawans made their way through snow and reached the spot. Even without the snow, the night-time temperatures in the area are below the freezing point at this time of the year. The Army and Air Force were called in by the civil administration to help on September 19. However, the conditions did not improve and a rescue operation could not be launched. Normally the upper reaches get mild snow during this time of the year. Just before the daring rescue was carried out, pilots dropped blankets and eatables for people who have been stranded on the highway. The snow was so heavy that vehicles were covered deep under it. The Karmapa and his followers are in good health, said Army authorities. The Karmapa was on a religious tour to Buddhist-dominated areas in Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh as well as in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir since September 8. The Karmapa is the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu School, which is one of the four sects of Buddhism. The Karmapa fled Tibet and sought refuge in India some eight years ago. Since then he has mostly lived in the Gyuto tantric monastery near Dharamsala - the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
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Over usage causing depletion of groundwater
Roorkee, September 21 Besides, the quality of surface and groundwater resources has also deteriorated because of increasing pollutant loads from point and non-point sources. A recent research paper by Rakesh Kumar, scientist and head, Research Coordination and Management Unit, National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), on ‘Status and Strategies for Management of Water Resources of India’, points out that based on groundwater resources an estimation carried out for 8,189 assessment units across the country, jointly with the states and union territories, 673 assessment units have been categorised as ‘over-exploited’ where annual groundwater abstraction is more than the annual replenishable resource. Another 425 assessment units have been categorised as ‘dark-critical’ where the development is between 85 and 100 per cent with the declining trend of water levels, it adds. “To protect the aquifers from overexploitation, an effective groundwater management policy oriented toward the promotion of efficiency, equity, and sustainability is required,” says Rakesh Kumar, adding that agricultural holdings in India are highly fragmented and the rural population density is large, hence the exploitation of groundwater resources should be regulated so as not to exceed the recharging possibilities. “In critically overexploited areas, bore-well drilling should be regulated till the water table attains the desired elevation. Besides, artificial recharge measures need to be urgently implemented in these areas,” he adds.
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SC: Conviction can’t be stayed to contest poll
New Delhi, September 21 A Bench, headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, on Friday made it clear that the petitioner Jaspal Singh Arora from Madhya Pradesh has been convicted under section 27 of the Arms Act for permitting the use of his licensed revolver for murder and therefore his conviction cannot be stayed. Counsel for the petitioner relied on Supreme Court's order in the case of former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu whose conviction in a road rage case was stayed by the court to enable him to contest a byelection from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. The apex court, however, made it clear that the weapon of the petitioner in the present case was permitted to be used for murdering a person and this cannot be taken lightly.
— UNI
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CPI demands probe into church attacks
New Delhi, September 21 At the two-day national executive meeting here, the party also decided to launch a nationwide campaign against religious fundamentalism and communalism, and join other Left parties in observing the national protest day on September 25, when India and the US are expected to ink the civil nuclear deal. “The national executive has asked party units across the country to launch a campaign against communalism on its own as well as on cooperation with the Left and secular parties,” CPI deputy general secretary G. Sudhakar Reddy said here. The meeting was chaired by veteran leader Pramod Gogoi as party general secretary A.B. Bardhan is unwell. Reddy said the CPI will contest the next elections with Left parties wherever they are in a stronger position and would go along with secular parties elsewhere. In a resolution on floods in Assam, the party demanded that the centre dispatch a team to assess the devastation and sanction Rs 1,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation. Condemning the Delhi blasts, the party also urged the government to take appropriate measures in revamping security at public places to avert such acts in the future. Describing Salwa Judum as a movement “designed” to kill the tribals by civilians armed by the state, CPI asked the Centre to direct the Chhatisgarh government to disband it. The party also asked the government to take proper lessons from the economic crisis in the US and implement measures to insulate the Indian economy.
— PTI
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Jamir meets Muivah, forgives bids on his life
Kohima, September 21 During an interaction with Busi Kuzwayo, Dean of Consular Corps and Consul General of South Africa in India, at Maharashtra Raj Bhawan, Jamir, former Nagaland chief minister, told her that the world could learn from the African nation what reconciliation was all about. Jamir appreciated the fact that in spite of the severe and painful experience, the people of South Africa underwent during apartheid, society there was at present reconciled with different communities living in almost perfect harmony. "It is easy to forgive but very difficult to forget the wounds and the scars. But as far as possible, we should forget the hurt caused to each other and learn to live and let live," Jamir told Kuzwayo when she called on the Governor on Friday. According to a press release issued by Sebastain Zumvu, OSD to the Maharashtra Governor, Jamir conveyed more or less the same thing to Muivah, the NSCN (IM) general secretary, when the two met in New Delhi earlier this month. Jamir's first-ever known meeting with Muivah and offer of forgiveness assume significance for the ongoing Naga re-conciliation process initiated by churches, tribal councils and civil society organisations under the banner of Naga Re-conciliation Forum to bring an end to deep distrust, deaths and destruction.
— PTI |
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Police: Missing industrialist killed
Ludhiana, September 21 Police sources said the police had zeroed in on a suspect who had helped the police solve the mystery of his disappearance. The police was on the lookout of three other accused. With their arrest, the mystery would be unravelled. The sources said three persons belonging to Faridkot had allegedly murdered Adya. His body was yet to be recovered. He was suspected to have been killed, put in a sack and thrown into a canal. A police team has been sent to nab the accused from Faridkot. The SSP, R.K. Jaiswal, said they were close to cracking the case. Being a high-profile case, they would divulge the details only after the connecting links were established, he said. He ruled out murder for ransom. He said there was some other reason behind the crime. The reason would be clear only after the interrogation of the accused. Following the news of his death, a pall of gloom descended on his house in South City. Relatives and friends started visiting the house. The media was not allowed inside. Adya's father said Vinod had no personal enmity with anyone. ‘‘We are also in the dark. We are counting on the police to solve the case,’’ he said. Vinod, owner of Sunshine Knitwears, had gone missing under mysterious circumstances on August 12. The family had reported the matter after 17 days of his disappearance. |
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Mumbai Train Blasts
Barasat, September 21 Judicial Magistrate, Basirhat, in an order yesterday, acquitted Mohammed Sohail and Mohammed Zuber, who had crossed over to Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal from Bangladesh and were caught by the BSF. The CID, which took over the case, had claimed that objectionable documents were found in their possession, but the court did not find corroborative evidence to back it. Sohail and Zuber, who were lodged at the Dum Dum Central Jail, would now be tried only under the Foreigners' Act for illegal entry.
— PTI |
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Kerala orders probe into attacks on churches
Aluva, Kerala, September 21 The police said a statue of Christ in a catholic cemetry was found damaged and the window panes of a nearby Jacobite church were found broken this morning. While the local police claimed that this was the work of a deranged person of the same community, Bishop Thomas Chakiyath and Metropolitan Elias Mar Athanios of the Jacobite Church described it as a “well-planned attack” and sought strict action by the government to prevent such incidents. The state home minister Kodiyeri
Balakrishnan, who visited the spot, told mediapersons that the government would not allow any mischief-makers to disrupt communal harmony in the state. A Special Investigation Team, headed by deputy SP P N
Unnirajan, was set up to probe the incident, he said. Local police did not confirm if any arrests had been made in this connection so far. However, according to unconfirmed reports, a deranged man, suspected to be behind the incident, had been taken into custody.
— UNI |
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Arson continues in riot-hit Kandhamal
Bhubaneswar, September 21 SP Praveen Kumar said the police received information about torching of ten houses at Gochhapada police area yesterday. “We are yet to confirm the incident as the area is located in a forest area," Kumar said. An inmate of a relief camp at Ghumusar Udayagiri was missing since he went to meet his ailing father at Gatingia village on Friday. A case of kidnapping was registered yesterday after the inmate's wife Runima Digal lodged a complaint that her husband Iswar Digal was killed when he had gone to the village along with his wife to visit his ailing father. Runima Digal told the police in her written complaint that they were threatened by a group of miscreants not to return to the village if they did not change their religion.Though the SP visited the spot last night, he could not trace the body or find any sign of killing.
— PTI |
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More cops to be deployed at churches, mosques in K’taka
Bangalore, September 21 Yedduyurappa said the miscreants would not be spared and directed the police force to be firm with any miscreant. Law minister Suresh Kumar also said the jurisdictional policemen would be held responsible if any attack took place at the places of worship. Bangalore city police commissioner Shankar Bidari said the police were investigating whether the incident at Mariyanpalya church was the work of professional robbers or religious fanatics. |
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Koria (Chhattisgarh), September 21 At the Bahalpur Village, herds of wild elephants have caused massive losses to the local residents ever since the jumbos have fancied the standing crops of rice fields. Also, in the process, these elephants have literally caused stampede by destroying farmers' cottages and even pulling down well-built houses. Though no loss of life has been reported so far but villagers live in a constant fear of being attacked by elephants any time of the day. Apart from destroying standing crops in paddy fields, the herds have gobbled up almost all the rice stored by villagers by brining down the humble abodes of the farmers. Afraid of elephants’ herd, many of the villagers had to flee from their home and hearth. They fear returning unless concerned authorities take control of elephants' menace. “The elephants came from both the sides of our house. I was cooking inside and could not escape as they covered the entire house from outside. I kept hiding for sometime inside the house. The elephants broke the wall and entered inside eating up the rice stored inside. After some time they managed to get inside and I escaped from the house somehow saving my life,” recalled Chandkumari, a victim resident of Bahalpur Village. Meanwhile, the Sarpanch (village head) of Bahalpur wish to get relief for the affected villagers along with compensation from the Government as many of the affected villagers have been forced to abandon their homes. — ANI
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‘Bandit tourism’ may be banned
Jaipur, September 21 Under the internationally publicised "bandit tourism" of Rajasthan, tourists would have got to meet former dacoits living a reformed life. What is surprising is the statement of state tourism department that such a "revolutionary proposal" was never mooted. Meera Mehershi, principal secretary, tourism, said no such idea was ever mooted. "I wonder from where the stories of meeting dacoits appeared all over the world.” The Dang Area development Board, which was quoted in reports in international media, insists the idea did exist. Krishan Chandar Pal, chairman of the board, constituted for development of six backward districts of Rajasthan infested with dacoits, said the proposal was one of the several ideas mooted to bring in tourists. "We had suggested the novel concept to bring in more tourists.That would have brought development too. Can anything be more attractive than having breakfast and lunch with a notorious dacoit whose exploits form part of folklore? Where in the world do you find dacoits these days?" The concept that was introduced in July this year immediately caught the fancy of the international community with the Internet full of stories on “breakfast with a dacoit" as well as similar articles in news and travel guide websites. Reports said even dacoits were excited about it. Autari Gurjar, the most-dreaded dacoit of his times, said he would be happy to meet tourists if this helped bring development in the state. Ironically, this region could not be developed earlier because of the dacoits. |
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Govt: Relief not to be stopped if child fails
New Delhi, September 21 According to a notification issued by the department of personnel, the Children Education Allowance shall have no connection with the performance of the child in his or her class. "In other words, even if a child fails in a particular class, the reimbursement of Children Education Allowance shall not be stopped," the notification said. It said the Children Education Allowance and reimbursement of tuition fee, which were hitherto payable separately, will be merged and will henceforth be known as "Children Education Allowance Scheme." Under the scheme, tuition fee, admission fee, laboratory fee, special fee charged for agriculture, electronics, music, fee for practical work, library fee, games and extra-curricular fee shall be paid. This also includes reimbursement for purchase of one set of text books and notebooks, two sets of uniforms and one set of school shoes, which can be claimed for a child in a year, the notification said, adding that the annual ceiling had been fixed at Rs 12,000.
— PTI |
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Bihar distributes cash among flood victims
Patna, September 21 Additional commissioner of the disaster management department, Amrit Pratayaya, today said the camps and the beneficiaries were being identified for special relief distribution. He said the government will also spend Rs 25,000 for distributing utensils and other required gadgets to the flood victims. So far, 12,511 quintal foodgrains and nearly Rs 1.5 crore had been distributed among the affected families. Pratayay said around 3.83 lakh persons, who were displaced in the floods, had been provided shelter in 349 relief camps. About 230 medical camps had been set up for medical help. Around 855 personnel of National Disaster Response Force were still cooperating the government in the relief work.
— UNI |
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Referendum on Reliance SEZ begins
Maharashtra, September 21 Thousands of landowners across 22 villages today began submitting their approval or dissent to parting with their land for the proposed 10,000 hectare SEZ in the Konkan region. The polling is being conducted at primary schools in all 22 villages and video recording is also being done to ensure impartiality in the process. In some villages, there were complaints by landowners that the acknowledgement receipts of the forms containing their assent or dissent, did not bear government stamps. The SEZ, which is expected to attract an investment of Rs 100 billion, has been facing protests from the time the Reliance industries initiated steps for procurement of land. Taking cognisance of the agitation, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had assured activists in July that the government would seek the opinion of those residing in 22 villages in the command area of the Hetwane dam on whether they were willing to part with their land for the project. Reliance Industries had moved the Bombay High Court, seeking to set aside the government's 'proposal' to cancel land acquisition for the SEZ and also to stop the referendum.
— PTI |
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Rail traffic thrown out of gear
Jaipur, September 21 Three trains were cancelled, 10 either terminated mid-way or diverted. Railway public relations officer Kamal Joshi said measures were being taken to minimise harassment to passengers. The Ajmer-Ahemdabad Passenger, Ajmer-Jodhpur and Ajmer-Ratlam-Ajmer Express were cancelled. Trains to Mysore, Bandra(Mumbai) and Haridwar were diverted. Joshi said 12 wagons were removed from the tracks. |
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Sarita Rape Case New Delhi, September 21 “Neither the victim was ever called by the investigating officer nor were any efforts made to get the victim medically examined,” the CBI said in its chargesheet filed in the designated court in Ambala recently. The case pertains to a woman Sarita, who committed suicide at the office of Additional Director General of Police at Panchkula V B Singh on June 9, after allegedly being raped by two policemen - Balraj and Silak Ram- at Central Intelligence Authority (CIA) office on April 10. The matter was handed over to the CBI by the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court on a PIL filed by some individuals. The chargesheet, while naming Head constable Balraj and constable Silak Ram as accused in the case, said that the victim had been running from pillar to post to seek justice after allegedly being raped by two policemen. Her husband had been picked up by the two policeman in a case of motorcycle theft. The CBI alleged that the victim first made an oral complaint of rape to the then Superintendent of Police (Rothak) Hanif Qureshi on April 26, 2008 following which a Deputy Superintendent of Police was deputed to investigate the matter. During the probe conducted by the police, Sarita had identified Balraj and Silak Ram in a test identification parade. — PTI
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Panel for allowing euthanasia Marathas rev up quota campaign
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Lucknow, September 21
