 |
|
|
Andhra faces drought
All-party meeting resolves to declare Bihar drought-hit
Now, jail inmates can pursue education
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Chintan Baithak
HC stops Maya govt from acquiring land
CPM accuses Bengal Guv of partisanship
China for building ‘strategic trust’ with India
Boeing, Lockheed frontrunners for IAF fighter deal
SC: Doctors must disclose adverse effects of drug
SC rejects suspended HPSC members’ plea for work
A novel initiative to check bribing of voters
AP goes tough on acid attackers
India to host World Tiger Summit
‘Harassed’ student commits ‘suicide’
Suspense shrouds Gayatri Devi’s will
Hundreds defy curfew orders
Bihar scraps online prayer for ancestors
Karuna unveils Tamil poet’s statue
Cops suspended for assaulting mentally challenged man
Modi flays PM’s statement on price rise
Plantation drive at Doongarpur
Three members of tribal family lynched
Another Indian student attacked in Australia
Short-circuit claims 5 lives at cinema
|
|
Andhra faces drought
Hyderabad, August 9 Frustrated by their inability to sow seeds in the absence of rainfall, the farmers took the extreme step. The suicides brought back memories of the worst farm crisis that shook the state in 1997-2004 when the Telugu Desam Party was in power. The present Congress party-led government has been claiming instances of farmers committing suicides had fallen drastically since 2005 following a series of pro-farmer measures including free power supply, a rehabilitation package, soft loans and a loan waiver. Following the 2004 polls Andhra was the first state to appoint a commission to go into the agrarian crisis. Based on its recommendations it initiated some specific measures to address the crisis including restoration of compensation paid to suicides’ families, which had been stopped by the previous regime in 1998. Meanwhile, the state government has formulated a contingency plan to tackle what appears to be the worst drought in recent memory. “The plan includes sowing alternative crops like maize, groundnuts and soyabeans by supplying seeds at subsidized cost, providing fodder to animals, supplying drinking water by tankers wherever required and rescheduling farm loans,” an agriculture department official said. The state as a whole has so far received 153.8 mm rainfall against the 322 mm that is normal by this time of the season. At least 1,000 ‘mandals’ (administrative units) out of a total of 1,128 have recorded deficit rainfall. Vast stretches of agricultural lands are yet to see sowings while crops on hundreds of thousands of acres face the threat of withering due to the scant rainfall, officials said. State chief secretary P Ramakanth Reddy, who attended a meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi yesterday to review the drought conditions across the country, said the Andhra government had sought assistance from the National Calamities Contingency Fund. As against the normal kharif area of 7.907 million hectares in the state only 3.806 million have been sown so far, which works out to only 48 per cent. The water level in all major reservoirs has receded. The state government sanctioned Rs 45.5 crore for the supply of drinking water and also released an additional Rs 20 crore as drought contingency. It is also likely to declare nearly three-fourths of the ‘mandals’ drought-hit next week as well as seek financial assistance from the central government. The monsoon’s failure could render several hundreds of thousands of agricultural labourers jobless. According to e3stimates the demand for wage employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will go up to Rs 600 crore per month involving nearly 3.5 million
labourers.
|
|
All-party meeting resolves to declare Bihar drought-hit
Patna, August 9 The all-party meeting held here today to discuss the issue of drought also decided to send a joint memorandum to the Centre in this regard. Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the decisions taken by the representatives of all political parties to meet the crisis would be put up at the special cabinet meeting scheduled tomorrow for its approval. However, visualising the situation that was in store, the state government had already initiated certain steps to mitigate the sufferings of farmers. Claiming Bihar to be the first state to provide diesel subsidy to its farmers for irrigation purpose, the Chief Minister said they would also be provided with seed subsidy to purchase seeds. The state government also plans to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the rural areas for at least seven hours so that the farmers owning electric pumps could irrigate their fields. It was for this purpose the state had sought 300 megawatts of additional power from the Centre but the Centre could agree to provide only 31 megawatts of additional power to it so far. Similarly, in response to the demand of Rs 450 crore for providing diesel subsidy, the Centre had sanctioned only Rs 117 crore so far. Calling the Centre’s aid of Rs 117 to be just a drop in the ocean , Nitish said the Centre should understand the enormity of the problem and then decide on the aid. Regretting the Centre’s response to tackle the Kosi flood disaster in the state last year, Nitish said the state’s demand of Rs 14,500 crore relief and rehabilitation package for the victims of Kosi deluge, referred by the Prime Minister as national calamity, was yet to be given. In view of our past experience with the centre to tackle disasters, we decided to go ahead with our own contingency plans to meet the crisis, the Chief Minister added. The state government had already formed a ‘Crisis Management Group’ under the Chief Secretary for day-to-day monitoring. The Chief Minister at his level had already held three review meetings with the Principal Secretaries of concerned departments like water resources, agriculture, energy, minor irrigation, animal husbandry etc. The ministers in-charge of different districts had also given their reports to the Chief Minister after holding regular meetings at their respective district headquarters to assess the enormity of drought.
|
|
Now, jail inmates can pursue education
Lucknow, August 9 In a bid to reform prisoners, the prison department has launched an ambitious project, wherein inmates will be able to attend classes from primary to higher education level besides being allowed to appear in certificate examinations. “The basic education department had approved a proposal to conduct primary and upper primary examinations for prisoners in 61 jails in the state and an order had also been issued by the government in this regard,” Inspector General of Police (Prison) Sulkhan Singh told PTI. “Though classes were conducted inside the jails, there was no facility to appear in examinations like high school and intermediate. The project will give them a chance to appear in different examination and get certificates and degrees,” he said. For prisoners willing to pursue graduate and post graduate courses, a project was being launched in association with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). “Under the project IGNOU will set up its examination centres in three jails in the first phase,” Singh said. The department had also forwarded a proposal to UP Secondary Education Board to conduct high school and intermediate examinations for prisoners in 10-12 jails in different districts of the state,” he said. “The proposal is being examined by the government and we are hopeful of getting its nod and the prisoners will be able to appear in exams from the next session,” Singh said. The IG said that so far 1,500 prisoners have expressed their willingness to appear in primary and upper primary examination conducted by Basic Education Board. Three jails where IGNOU has agreed to set up its examination centres include model jail in Lucknow, Bareilly and Naini central jail in Allahabad. “Over 100 prisoners have already enrolled for various courses run by the Open University. If prisoners of other jails are interested in taking up higher education courses they will be allowed to enroll themselves. They will be taken to nearest centre for examination,” he said. He said that once the facility is introduced in proper manner more and more prisoners will get enrolled in higher education courses. “As far as primary education is concerned examinations will be conducted in 61 jails in the state. Examiners of education council will come to the jail itself thus shifting prisoners will not be required,” he added. Singh said sufficient number of teachers were available in jails. “We have at least one teacher in every jail. Besides, there are number of prisoners, who are well qualified and can assist in teaching their fellow inmates. Moreover, such prisoners will get paid for the teaching job.” At present there are nearly 82,000 inmates, including undertrials, lodged in different jails across the state.
— PTI
|
|
Chintan Baithak
New Delhi, August 9 Advani has already announced that this special introspection session will be largely devoted to look at “The road ahead” instead of crying over spilt milk” (a reference to the defeat in General Election) Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha whose biting and unsparing criticism of Advani in their letters forced BJP president Rajnath Singh to announce the Chintan Baithak, will be conspicuous by their absence from a meeting which is being held evidently at Shourie’s insistence for a free and frank discussion on the party’s debacle in the last General Election. Rajnath Singh ruled out their participation claiming that only members of the BJP core group, Parliamentary board and office-bearers and the chief ministers qualify for attending this meet. And neither of the two are members of any of these bodies. Sinha was an office-bearer but along with his letter of criticism he tendered his resignation from all party posts including the national executive. There are two others, Murli Manohar Joshi, who had questioned Advani’s renomination as parliamentary party leader and Jaswant Singh who raised a finger at the choice of Arun Jaitley as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. But before the end of this session both have been persuaded to fall in line. Jaswant Singh has been appointed chairman of PAC of Parliament, a post normally reserved for the deputy leader of the Opposition party in the Lok Sabha. As for Joshi, he has no reason to complain after he was asked to initiate the discussion on behalf of his party, against the Budget proposals for this year, said party sources. After this a confident Advani announced the other day that the baithak would mainly concentrate on how to expand the party base in the South which has 145 parliamentary constituencies but has virtually no presence except now in Karnataka. Dismissing lightly the possibility of digging up the past, he remarked that the BJP national executive has already analysed the election results. “We are now looking at the road ahead.” Rajanth too appeared reluctant to rake up old issues and said in a TV interview, “Jo baat ho gayi so ho gayi (what has happened has happened),” he said in response to a question on whether reasons for the defeat would be discussed. The baithak is also being held in the backdrop of a clear line from the BJP that Advani will continue to lead it in Parliament for the full five-year term. This assertion by Sushma Swaraj and a ready acceptance by Advani settled a contentious issue hanging fire for past three months since the election results were declared. At that time RSS leaders Bhaiyaji Joshi and Suresh Soni had met Advani desiring a thorough overhaul of the BJP, implicitly urging him to stand down and pave way for a new leader to lead the BJP in Parliament as well. In effect the baithak may see the reemergence of Advani as the supreme commander of the BJP for quite some time to come.
|
|
HC stops Maya govt from acquiring land
Lucknow, August 9 The petitioner had allegedly that the property was being acquired to be merged with the vast properties that the party had acquired in its neighbourhood for the new BSP office and a host of other memorials, including a guest house in the name of Kanshi Ram. Taking the matter on a priority basis a special two-judge bench comprising Justice Rajeev Sharma and Justice Anil Kumar heard the petitioner at the formers residence even on a court holiday. The petitioner had alleged intimidation by officials of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) who on Friday had reportedly made an attempt to bulldoze the boundary wall of the sprawling bungalow opposite the BSP office and backed out only when the media arrived on the scene. The bench took a serious note of the arbitrariness with which the 99-year old lease of the petitioner was cancelled. While staying the demolition order, the court has fixed August 13 for the next hearing. Earlier in the day, Samajwadi party had criticised the BSP for treating the state as its personal fiefdom and encroaching upon any property that the Chief Minister may fancy. “At a time when the state is reeling under the impact of drought and a deteriorating law and order situation what occupies Mayawati’s attention is how to use up more stones for buildings”. Echoing the same sentiments, BJP official spokesperson also criticised the highhanded manner in which the BSP government was trying to acquire a property next to its party office.
|
|
CPM accuses Bengal Guv of partisanship
Kolkata, August 9 Following a meeting at the party’s Alimuddin Street office, senior central committee member Shymal Chakaborty, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, told reporters Gandhi was “siding with the TMC and the Congress, which had been proved by his actions and statements”. He added the party would not urge the central government to extend the governor’s tenure that would expire soon. Recently CPI(M) secretary Biman Bose and senior leader Benoy Chowdhury had also publicly criticized Gandhi, questioning his neutrality. Konar had even advised the governor to quit and formally join the TMC. Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting in Gopalganj in East Midnapore today, TMC chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee called upon people to launch a “massive statewide movement” to dislodge the CPI(M) from power. She attacked the party for “dishonouring” the governor, alleging it “wanted Gandhi to be its yesman”. Earlier, Mamata opened a new rail line from Mechada station and also named a new station after the late freedom fighter Matangini Hazara who laid down her life while leading a protest march during the independence struggle. She also announced several other development schemes in the region including setting up of new industries on the 120,000 acres of land that Indian Railways had already acquired. The Gopalganj meet was held in memory of the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives in the country’s freedom struggle and the ‘Quit India’ movement on August 9, 1942. Banerjee declared she would visit Mongolkot on Tuesday and hold a public meeting at the same venue where the police and workers of other parties had disrupted the TMC meeting last Saturday.
|
|
|
China for building ‘strategic trust’ with India
New Delhi, August 9 India and China have decided to take a slew of measures to further their ties that include setting up a hotline between the Prime Ministers, robust people-to-people and cultural contacts, high-level visits and expanding coordination on global issues like protectionism. “China and India should endeavour to build strategic mutual trust. Both need to expand the common interests and cooperation bilaterally and on regional and global affairs,” a statement by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Friday night at the end of the 13th round of boundary talks. India’s National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and China’s State Councillor Dai Bingguo, also the vice foreign minister, held two-day talks here to devise a framework for a final settlement of the border dispute. The talks also covered other bilateral, regional and international issues. The desire to keep bilateral relations on an even keel was mutual. The two sides decided to accelerate the process of setting up a hotline between their Prime Ministers, a proposal mooted when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of a multilateral summit in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in June. In a deviation from the normally terse statement issued at the end of each round of boundary talks, both the Indian and Chinese foreign ministries came out with detailed separate statements emphasising the importance of consolidating their strategic partnership. India described China as “a key foreign policy priority” while Beijing backed “a bigger role” for New Delhi in world affairs. Ruling out any conflict, the Chinese foreign ministry said: “China and India have no other option than living in peace and developing side by side.” Beijing stressed on greater coordination with New Delhi on major international issues like the global financial crisis, climate change, energy and food security. China also struck an upbeat note about promoting the relationship with “a higher and strategic perspective” and called for expanding people-to-people contacts and cultural interactions as the two sides get ready to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2010 by observing a year of friendship in their respective countries. The re-assertion of friendship and strategic partnership comes against the backdrop of recent discordant notes in bilateral ties.
— IANS
|
|
|
Boeing, Lockheed frontrunners for IAF fighter deal
Bangalore, August 9 With trials of new aircraft to replace the IAF’s ageing fleet of MiG 21s and MiG 29s scheduled to begin here in the middle of this month, two major US multinationals - Boeing and Lockheed Martin -are said to be in the forefront of the race for the Rs 48,000 crore (over $10 billion) contract. Boeing’s F/A 18 Super Hornet fighter jets will be first to arrive in Bangalore for the trials. The other American fighter aircraft in the race for the medium multirole combat aircraft that the air force is eyeing is Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Super Viper. The signing of the end use monitoring
(EUM) agreement by India with the United States shortly before the trials has given rise to speculation that either of the two US aerospace majors will bag the contract. In the absence of such a pact it would have made no sense for them to participate in the competition as the US has barred supply of advanced defence items to any country not agreeing to their use being monitored by American inspectors. Four other contenders in the fray for the mega deal of supplying 126 aircraft to the IAF are the Swedish
Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, the Russian MiG 35 and French Dassault Aviation’s
Rafale. Though there were reports that the Rafale had been disqualified after the technical evaluation process, the IAF has not yet officially spoken on the subject. Earlier, impressed by the performance of the Mirage 2000 in the Kargil skirmish, the IAF evinced interest in purchasing more of these fighters.
Dassault, which was about to end production of the Mirage, wanted a concrete assurance from India to keep the fighter’s assembly line open. After the IAF eventually decided to invite fresh bids for medium multirole combat aircraft Dassault chose to offer the
Rafale, a more advanced aircraft. The aircraft are being tested for hot, humid and cold weather flying. While Bangalore has been chosen for testing performance under humid conditions, the hot weather test will be undertaken in Jaisalmer in
Rajasthan. Leh will be the site for high altitude and cold weather flying tests. Pilots from the city-based Aircraft & System Testing Establishment
(ASTE) will be test flying the supersonic fighters.
|
|
|
SC: Doctors must disclose adverse effects of drug
New Delhi, August 9 "The law on medical negligence also has to keep up with the advances in the medical science as to treatment as also diagnostics. Doctors increasingly must engage with patients during treatments, especially when the line of treatment is a contested one and hazards are involved. "Standard of care in such cases will involve the duty to disclose to patients about the risks of serious side effects or about alternative treatments," a bench of Justices S B Sinha and Deepak Verma observed. The bench passed the observation while holding a prominent Kolkata hospital - Advanced Medicare Research Institute (AMRI) - and four doctors guilty of "medical negligence" for causing the death of Anuradha, a 36-year-old US-based woman doctor who died in May 1998. It imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on the hospital and Rs 1 lakh on Dr Mukherjee who first administered her heavy doses of steroid -- 'Depomedrol'. The apex court regretted that neither the hospital bothered to extend proper facilities nor the doctors followed established practices in treating the victim whose husband Dr Kunal Saha is also a professor in HIV research, working in the US. The doctor couple had come to India during a holiday when the tragic incident occurred. The apex court which, however, absolved the doctors of criminal negligence, asked the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to decide the extent of compensation to be paid to the victim's family which had filed a claim for Rs 77 crore. The SC rejected the arguments of the hospital and the doctors who claimed with the support of medical research materials that administration of the excess amount of steroid may not prove fatal in such cases. The bench said it was not bound by such research materials as there are also enough research materials to prove that excess dose of steroids could prove fatal in several cases. "A court is not bound by the evidence of the experts which is to a large extent advisory in nature. The court must derive its own conclusion upon considering the opinion of the experts which may be adduced by both sides, cautiously, and upon taking into consideration the authorities on the point on which he deposes," the bench observed. "The hospitals are institutions, people expect better and efficient service, if the hospital fails to discharge their duties through their doctors, being employed on job basis or employed on contract basis, it is the hospital which has to justify and not impleading a particular doctor will not absolve the hospital of its responsibilities," the bench observed. The doctors held guilty are -- Dr Mukherjee, Dr Halder, Dr Abani Roy Chowdhury and Dr B Prasad besides the AMRI hospital. — PTI
|
|
|
SC rejects suspended HPSC members’ plea for work
New Delhi, August 9 Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan read out the operative portion of the judgment in the open court, but its details, including the reasons, were not available immediately. Saini and eight other suspended HPSC members had moved the apex court, seeking a directive to the Centre and Haryana to allot them work and avoid bypassing the statutory body by allotting its functions to officials. They had contended that since the disposal of the reference would take time, they should be allowed to discharge their duties. The charges listed against them in the Presidential reference were lack of qualification for occupying their respective position and serious irregularities, non-cooperation in the investigation and misbehaviour. The other members facing the charges are Dungar Ram, Chattar Singh, Om Prakash Bishnoi, Yudhvir Singh, Sarbir Singh, Ranbir Singh Hooda, Santosh Singh and Ram Kumar Kashyap.
|
|
|
A novel initiative to check bribing of voters
Chennai, August 9 The movement, named ‘Satyagraha’ and led by Ramakrishnan, a college graduate living in Karaikkalkuppam in the northern district of Villupuram, attracted hundreds of youths who joined hands with him. Although campaigning has so far been a low-key affair without non-vegetarian feasts and distribution of expensive gifts and Rs 500 banknotes seen in the run-up to the General Elections, many feared voters would be paid money at the last hour to draw them to the polling booths. This prompted Satyagraha to launch its campaign in all five constituencies. The response from voters in Thondamuthur in the west of the state has been particularly good. Suresh, a 27-year-old MBA, who joined the initiative, said: "Most voters are shocked when educated youths like me fall at their feet. When we explain to them the reason they are moved. Some of them vow they would never accept money in return for their votes from politicians. Corruption has spread to all sections of society in this country and a campaign to fight it should begin from the voters”. Santhanam, a 50-year-old man, who was selling fruits near the bus station and watching the youths, said: "This campaign is necessary - people are no longer ashamed of receiving money and gifts from politicians for voting for their party. Some of them even think of it an honour. Even middle class people are now going to feasts organised by political parties in which nonveg food is served”. Veluchamy, a bus driver who was buying fruits, opined a mechanism should be in place to prevent politicians from bribing voters. “Candidates of any party who are found guilty of offering money to voters should be immediately disqualified”, he added.
|
|
|
AP goes tough on acid attackers
Hyderabad, August 9 The new legislation, amending Section 326 of the Indian Penal Code, stipulates stringent punishment of 10-year imprisonment and a fine up to Rs five lakh for acid attackers. The acid attacks on women would be treated as non-bailable offence, the officials said. After obtaining approval of the House, the AP Crime Investigation (Amendment) Act 2009 would be sent for presidential assent. A new Sub-Section, 326(A), for acid attacks would now be incorporated into the bill. Also, Section 307 (attempt to murder) could be amended suitably to include acid attacks. The new legislation was mooted following a spate of acid attacks on women in the state recently, triggering a wide sense of public outrage. The Supreme Court, too, recently observed that the acid attackers must be given the most stringent punishment. In absence of a separate law to deal with acid attacks, the police have been booking the attackers under IPC sections related to attempt to murder or murder. The new law would also have stringent norms about the sale of acid by dealers. At present, there is no control and accountability of dealers for selling the corrosive substance. The government felt the need for a more stringent legislation to deal with the heinous crime. It has also received memoranda from various women’s organizations calling for a strict law to deal with the offenders. “The acid attack cases were earlier confined to educational institutions but are now spreading to other areas. This is a disturbing trend and has to be stopped,” the Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy said.
|
|
India to host World Tiger Summit
New Delhi, August 9 "Rajasthan will be hosting the World Tiger Summit at Ranthambore next year in October or November. About 200 experts from across the countries are to participate in the summit, including those from the world renowned organisation, Global Tiger Initiative," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told PTI. With over 44 royal big cats in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve will be showcased as a role model to delegates attending the summit being held for the first time in the country which is home to around 1,400 endangered species. Ramesh, however, said that India would not accept any fund from the World Bank for the country's tiger conservation programme. World Bank has been consistently pushing for pumping in money in India's tiger protection programmes but NGOs and the government have been opposing the proposal. Conservationists strongly feel that the World Bank's move to invest in tiger protection programme is just an attempt to "meddle" with the India's green efforts given its huge investments in several developmental projects such as dams and industrial projects which will damage wildlife habitat. Apparently agreeing with this view, Ramesh said the country is capable to protect the striped cats. "Who else but we being the holder of a large number of world's tiger population could know the problems better. We do not intend to take any grants or loans from them. We will, however, remain in touch with the technical experts of other countries and will send our field directors to these countries in case they need expertise in the area," he said. The summit is likely to seek to strengthen and expand a patchy system of tiger reserves across the 13 countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, China and Russia, that are home to the world's rapidly diminishing tiger population.
— PTI
|
|
‘Harassed’ student commits ‘suicide’
Guwahati, August 9 The student, Chintumoni Bordoloi, who hailed from Kaliajari village in Morigaon district under Morigaon police station, had joined the hostel on Friday last. “I came to know about the incident this afternoon when Himangshu Sarma, superintendent of the boys’ hostel, called me up to inform that a newly admitted boarder was killed after being run over by a train. The boy’s family members allege the boy was being harassed by his seniors,” Ramcharan Bharali, principal of the college told The Tribune over the telephone. “The hostel superintendent insisted that no incident of ragging occurred in the hostel. However, an internal inquiry will be conducted to probe the matter. Anybody found guilty will be handed over to the police,” the principal said. The boy’s family claimed that the deceased had called up his elder brother Ranjit Bordoloi last night and told him that he was being subjected to ragging. The student was killed by the 4055 Down Brahmaputra Mail near the out signal of the Jagiroad railway station at around 10 am today. The Government Railway Police has registered an FIR of unnatural death. Earlier, the authorities in Dibrugarh University in Upper Assam expelled five boarders of Padma Nath Gohain Baruah (PNGB) hostel in the varsity campus on charges of ragging. Four more students, including two girls of the political science department of the varsity, are facing inquiry for their alleged involvement in a ragging-related incident last week.
|
|
Suspense shrouds Gayatri Devi’s will
“Only close relatives and known members of the family would attend the meeting to observe ‘dwadasha’ today,” City Palace sources said. However, scores of scribes were camping outside the palace in the hope that her will might be opened following the prayer meet. UN Bachawat, the Supreme Court-appointed receiver-cum-administrator on royal family properties, is in the city which has further led to speculation that the wrangling in the royal family over property following the death of the 90-year-old charismatic royal on July 29 might
end soon. Yesterday, Justice Bachawat told reporters that he was in Jaipur “to pay condolences on the demise of former queen.... If there is any issue
which comes to my knowledge, I will report to the Supreme Court”. The family is reportedly divided into two camps - one of Devi’s grandson Devraj and his sister Lalitya, children of her late son Jagat Singh, and the other of Prithvi Singh and Jai Singh, stepsons of Rajmata, who was the third wife of Sawai Man Singh. The apex court had appointed a receiver on several properties, including the City Palace, Rajmahal Palace and Laxmivilas Hotel.
— PTI
|
|
Hundreds defy curfew orders
Imphal, August 9 Sit-ins and rallies were organised at Kongpal, Porompat, Sekmai and other areas to denounce the killing of Chungkham Sanjit even as indefinite curfew in force was relaxed for seven hours from 5 am today to enable people buy essential commodities, official sources said. Police mobile parties were patrolling round-the-clock and security personnel were deployed in strength in the state capital complex to prevent any untoward incident, they said. Meanwhile, Apunba Lup, the social organisation spearheading the agitation, said it would intensify the protests to press the government to take mesures “to stop killing of civilians in fake encounters”.
— PTI
|
|
Bihar scraps online prayer for ancestors
Patna, August 9 “The government has decided not to launch the online facility,” said an official recently after a high-level meeting to discuss the arrangements for the Pitrapaksh fair that begins from September 3. Thousands of Hindus from across the country and abroad gather in Gaya, about 100 km from here, to offer “pind daan” during the fortnight-long Pitrapaksh period. In June, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had announced the government’s decision to introduce a video-conferencing facility for Indians abroad for “pind daan”. However, the priests who have been conducting the rituals for centuries described the government’s decision as “interference” and an “attack on an age-old religious service”. — IANS
|
|
Karuna unveils Tamil poet’s statue
Bengaluru, August 9 Earlier in the day, the police rounded up about 50 Karnataka Raksha Vedike (KRV) activists from Malleswaram area of the city for protesting against the installation. Some Kannada outfits, while citing ongoing disputes between the two states over Kaveri river water sharing issue and Hoggenakkal dam project, had given a call for district bandh here today. The statue, which was to be installed back in 1991 but was held up owing to opposition by such outfits, was unveiled by Karunanidhi using a remote control switch. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa presided over the function while dignitaries from both states, including Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, were present in the function. The Karnataka gesture would soon be reciprocated by Tamil Nadu. A statue of 16th century Kannada poet Sarvajna will be installed by Yeddyurappa in Chennai on August 13. Karunanidhi, while addressing the gathering at the function said he was eagerly awaiting Yeddyurappa’s visit to
Chennai.
|
|
Cops suspended for assaulting mentally challenged man
Ranchi, August 9 “Five policemen, including one sub-inspector, have been suspended for beating a mentally challenged youth in a hospital in Dumka district,” said a police official in Ranchi. “Explanation has been sought from the suspended policemen,” he said. Yesterday, five policemen assaulted the mentally challenged man, Ramvilas Thakur (30), the police official here said. Thakur was admitted to Dumka Sadar Hospital for the last few days. He had beaten up his mother yesterday when she went to see him in the hospital. The district police authorities were informed about the incident. A group of policemen then reached the hospital, tied Thakur’s hands and legs with a rope and started beating him with a cane, the police said. The Jharkhand police headquarters has sought a report on the incident from Dumka Superintendent of Police AK Singh. According to the police, Thakur would be shifted to a mental hospital of
Ranchi. — IANS
|
|
Modi flays PM’s statement on price rise
Ahmedabad, August 9 “I was little surprised at the statement of the PM, who is a very learned person, an economist and also experienced since he has been elected twice as the PM. However, I believe he should have said that by proper management of water resources, we will not let the drought affect our agriculture,” he said. “I request the PM to take a lead in water harvesting, conservation and interlinking of rivers so that parched areas can be brought under irrigation,” he said. “The country wants the PM to take the river interlinking project forward so that excess water of one river can be taken to water-deficit areas,” he said. According to Modi, Gujarat has shown what benefits can be derived from water harvesting, conservation and interlinking of rivers.
— PTI |
||
|
Plantation drive at Doongarpur
Jaipur, August 9 The initiative is also aimed at providing livelihood to tribal people of the district, who in future would take care of the plants and earn money by selling fruits, seeds, leaves and others parts. Not only this, the district may set a world record by successfully performing the scheduled massive plantation. "As it is a unique project, we have informed officials of Guinness Book of Record, who according to their parameters, will take a decision," Doongarpur Collector Arushi Malik told PTI. "We are attempting to establish a mother nursery in collective 75 hectare area near Khemaru village of the district by planting around six lakh saplings of local species," she said. "However, maximum part of the land on which forest existed years ago is hilly but with enough soil to nurture trees," she said. Three hundred teams of three to four persons in each have been formed to complete the task, and every team would plant 2000 saplings. "Government teachers, staffers and locals would participate in the massive plantation which is going to take place after a detailed discussion with experts and preparation of three-four months," she said. Initially, some 1,200 people will be linked with the nursery. According to her, 26 local species of trees which included neem, mahua, mango etc. would be planted and the whole area would be secured by fencing of cactus.
— PTI |
||
|
Three members of tribal family lynched
Gumla (Jharkhand), August 9 The police said the assailants forced their way into house of a person named Kudia Munda last night and beat three persons with sticks till they collapsed. The assailants had been accusing the victims of practising black magic and causing illness in neighbourhood. The bodies of 65-year-old Kudia, his wife Karmi (55), and 25 year-old son Rahesh were recovered today and sent for post-mortem. An FIR had been lodged in this regard against the assailants - Jairam Oraon, Ropna, Jainath , Prakash and Chamru, sources said, adding that all accused were absconding. — PTI
|
||
|
Another Indian student attacked in Australia Indore, August 9 The victim, Mohit Mangal of Old Palasia locality here, was attacked allegedly by four Australian youths around 1.30 am (IST) yesterday night while he was on his way to a shopping mall in Sydney. Mohit, who works as a mall supervisor, was allegedly attacked from behind with a beer bottle on his head and beaten up with a baseball bat on his waist and leg by the four youths, sources said. Confirming the incident, Mohit’s father Anil Mangal said the condition of Mohit was out of danger. “My son has no enmity with anyone there and the incident, it appears, may be a continuation of the ongoing racial attacks on Indian students there”, Anil said. Mohit had gone to Australia about two years ago to pursue his study in BE. This was the fourth incident of racial attack on Indian students in Australia after Union External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s visit to that country. — PTI
|
||
|
Short-circuit claims 5 lives at cinema Hyderabad, August 9 The mishap occurred at the booking counter of Lakshmi theatre at Salur town in the coastal district of Vizianagaram. The jostling and pushing by a surging crowd at the booking counter led to the snapping of an electric wire, the police said. Four persons were killed on the spot while another breathed his last on way to the hospital. The condition of two others, undergoing treatment at a local hospital, was stated to be serious. The tragedy struck soon after the booking counter was opened in the evening. In a similar incident, two persons were killed due to electric shock at the booking counter of a theatre in Warangal yesterday.
|
||
|
| 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 | |
Jaipur, August 9