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Naxal Menace-I
Judicial Independence
Shillong man shows what’s puppy love |
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Death, tears and agony in Pune
Goa to tighten Chabad House security
Makki, the new face of terror
Security beefed up in Bangalore
Anguished parents await daughter’s body
Bajrang Dal activists arrested
Tiger found dead in Kaziranga park
Rlys’ market share chugs downhill
Vijay Chaudhary new Bihar JD(U) chief
Explosives seized in Gujarat
DRDO to document staff health profile
LTTE supporter to float new party
Alliance with DMK to stay: Cong
Women a happier lot after kidney donation
Karuna warns Rajapakse
Pune blast: Bollywood expresses shock
In Rajasthan, NREGS anomalies worth 1 crore
Jumbo care: Govt constitutes task force
V-Day: Muthalik sena plays party pooper
Groom Gaffe
VHP bid to disrupt MNIK screening
Visually impaired couple walk down the aisle on V-Day
IT biggies on hiring spree
Is IM behind Pune attack?
SC: Rape victim’s statement not always truth
‘Time for ULFA to introspect’
2 TMC cadres gunned down
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Maoist terror fans out in Jharkhand
Our Roving Editor Man Mohan writes from Ranchi Jharkhand, the country’s richest mineral belt, has nearly turned ‘red’. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has termed Jharkhand as an ‘epicentre’ of Maoists. Eighteen out of 24 districts are seriously affected by the Naxal problem. The remaining six districts of the Santhal Paragana division are also showing signs of Naxal activity. Jharkhand is an important ‘red territory’ in Maoists’ fight, which they prefer to call ‘people’s struggle’. It is part of the Naxals’ ‘Red Corridor’, also known as Dandakaranya Belt, which runs through dense forests and tribal areas, from Nepal through Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and down to Andhra Pradesh and also to the upper reaches of Maharashtra and some parts of Karnataka. Jharkhand is ‘locked’ from all sides by Naxal-affected states like Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. “But while in Chhattisgarh, the Naxals are physically holding huge territory in areas like Bastar, this is not the case in our state,” pointed out Jharkhand’s Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) S. S. Pradhan. “There is no terrain where we can’t reach to carry out special operations against the Naxals,” he claimed. Most of Jharkhand is covered with forests and inaccessible hilly terrain. The state is drought-prone and fully dependent on rains. The Naxal problem is intensified by several factors: difficult accessibility, poor rural infrastructure, acute poverty, rain-fed agriculture, unemployment, poor utilisation of land, forest and water resources, slow grievance redressal mechanism, mafia, money lending and other activities related to exploitation of locals, and ‘levy’ collection (extortion) by the Naxals. So far, Palamu, Garhwa, and Latehar districts are most affected by Naxalism. In all, 218 Naxal attacks occurred here in 2009. However, a decrease in Naxal incidents has been noticed in Simdega, Hazaribagh and Chatra districts. The CPI (Maoist) is the most formidable Naxal outfit active in the state. Over the years, some of the cadres left and formed their own outfits like the Tritiya Sammellan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC), Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT), Sangharsh Jan Mukti Morcha (SJMM) and Sashastra Peoples’ Morcha (SPM). Till December 2009, the area under the jurisdiction of Jharkhand’s 123 police stations witnessed Naxal incidents, whereas till 2008, ‘red violence’ was confined to areas falling under 107 police stations’ jurisdiction. In 2008, 436 Naxal incidents were reported till December, but the year 2009 witnessed a sharp rise in widespread violence -- 512 incidents, an increase of 17.43 per cent. The police casualties are also rising. Up to December 2009, 64 policemen were killed in various Naxal incidents, showing 60 per cent increase in comparison to 2008, when only 40 police casualties were reported in the whole state. However, the police succeeded in killing 21 Naxals, including four sub-zonal commanders, in 119 encounters in 2009. “An increase in the police casualty figures last year was mainly due to a rise in incidents related to landmine explosions during and after the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections,” said Jharkhand’s Director General of Police, Neyaj Ahmed. In 2009, the Naxals killed 138 civilians, compared to 154 civilians in 2008. Civilian casualties in both the years were mainly over allegations of being police informers or being supporters of the rival Naxal group. Although all Naxal-affected states with the Centre’s help are preparing themselves for ‘joint-action’ against the Reds, Jharkhand’s current political leadership’s lacklustre attitude towards them is making New Delhi jittery.
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Safeguards ineffective, says Soli Sorabjee
R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, February 14 The existing legal provisions for protecting the judges’ tenure and emoluments in order to insulate them from the executive were not sufficient as the politicians had devised methods to influence the judiciary through a “subtle and sophisticated” manner, Sorabjee pointed out in his Justice HR Khanna Memorial Lecture. HK Dua, the Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, presided over the function held at the India International Centre (IIC). Sorabjee, who has been Attorney General of India, mooted a proposal for having a “cooling period” for retiring judges before they could be considered for heading important institutions such as the Law Commission of India and the National Human Rights Commission. This would help senior judges to render justice without anticipating any such post from the government immediately after their retirement. Among other methods of government influence was sending judges’ delegation on overseas trips. On his proposal for setting up a commission that would go into complaints of corruption and other misconduct among judges, he said there should not be any place for the executive in this body as it would defeat its very purpose. Choosing “Judicial Independence - Reality or Myth” as the theme of his lecture, Sorabjee said judicial independence would be meaningless without judicial accountability as these were two sides of the same coin. For the judiciary to be independent and accountable, the judges should be fearless - social, economic, political and peer - about the consequences of their verdicts. Any judge having pre-conceived notions about the subject he was dealing with, be it capital punishment, same sex or management-labour problem, was incapable of rendering justice, he said. Justice Khanna was an embodiment of all these virtues as he did not bother about his promotions, which cost him the post of the Chief Justice of India, and the views of fellow judges, which prompted him to deliver many a dissenting judgment, Sorabjee said.Even the notion that the interest of the state was paramount came in the way of upholding judicial independence. The rare virtue of courage was the sine qua non for being an upright judge, he felt and concluded the lecture by expressing the view that judicial independence was both a reality and a myth. In his address, Dua said Justice Khanna would continue to be remembered, not only by legal practitioners but also by the man on the street, for standing out for protecting the fundamental rights of the citizens at a time when the country was going through the dark days of Emergency.
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Shillong man shows what’s puppy love
Guwahati, February 14 “My dog suffered from seizures last week. On consultation, a local veterinary doctor, Dr Tridib Kakoty, detected some heart disorder in Bonxie and consulted experts in other parts of the country including Chennai. He said Bonxie should be taken for advanced treatment to a renowned canine specialist in Chennai where proper diagnostic centers for animals were available,” said Sanjay. The man was not sure about how to take his pet to Chennai. “ I thought Bonxie would not get sufficient oxygen to breath in an air cargo. In train, I would not have been allowed to travel along with my pet. Left with no other option, I decided to take Bonxie to Chennai in my Mahindra Xylo,” said Sanjay. After travelling around 400 kms by road, the duo reached Chennai on Thursday last week where Bonxie was admitted to Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) Hospital, where Bonxie underwent a series of tests on Thursday under the supervision of Dr AP Nambi. Sanjay claims that an American publishing house called Arrow has contacted his to write a book on his entire experience of taking Bonxie in a car from Shillong to Chennai. Bonxie has been an instant hit with local media in Chennai. “Much to my relief, doctors here have detected no serious problem in Bonxie and assured that he will be fine soon with minimum medication. We’re driving back to Shillong on Tuesday,” Sanjay said.
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Death, tears and agony in Pune
Pune, February 14 The German man looked agitated as he first visited the Sassoon General Hospital, whose mortuary is holding all nine bodies, six of whom have been identified as Indians. Three others remain unidentified. The police believe that one of them, a woman, could be a foreigner. The German refused to speak to journalists at the hospital complex, partly because he knew only a smattering of English and partly because he was desperate to go over to other hospitals to continue his search. One of the senior doctors, Deepa Lad, said the state-owned Sassoon Hospital received 18 injured from the German Bakery last evening, of whom two were discharged quickly. As many as 10 persons were “discharged against medical advice” -- an official euphemism for those who insist on leaving hospitals although doctors feel they need further treatment. Six patients remain, including four Indians and one man each from Nepal and Taiwan. Six of the dead were brought to the Sassoon Hospital. The bodies of three others who died in the privately-run Inlaks Budhrani Hospital were also shifted to the Sassoon Hospital. The engineering students from Jharkhand complained that they were fed up with the procedural delays at the Sassoon Hospital, where three of their colleagues lay dead. Two of them were young women. All of them were visiting Pune, said one of the students, while declining to give his name. “We are miserable. We never expected this to happen,” said the student, barely able to conceal his agony. About 50 persons, mostly locals, milled in the hospital complex, some of them wanting to know if they could help. A handful of policemen were busy with hospital procedures related to the bomb attack. The friends of a Taiwanese and a Nepalese man warded in the hospital waited anxiously for them to be discharged. Some declined to speak to the media. Ravi Ghimghere, a Nepalese who worked at the German Bakery, said his colleague, Paras Trimank, suffered multiple injuries from flying glass splinters when the backpack holding the bomb and kept under one of the tables exploded with a deafening blast. It was the worst terror attack in India after November 2008 when Pakistani terrorists who sneaked into Mumbai by the sea went on a killing spree, leaving 166 Indians and foreigners dead. —
IANS
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Goa to tighten Chabad House security
Panaji, February 14 "Our north district superintendent of police visited the prayer house last night, immediately after the Pune incident to take stock of the situation. We have raised the security presence there. We will be mounting a 24-hour vigil," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ravindra Singh Yadav told reporters. Nine people were killed and at least 57 injured when a bomb exploded Saturday evening in Pune's German Bakery, which is frequented by many foreigners. The bakery was located near the Osho Ashram and a Chabad House Jewish religious centre. The Chabad House in Mumbai was also targeted during the 26/11 attacks. The police officer said security would be increased for the four-day Goa carnival, which kicked off here Saturday. "We also will be beefing up security for the carnival festival since it is a major tourist attraction," Yadav said. Yadav added that Goa was on a high state of alert with most vehicles entering and exiting the state being thoroughly examined. "We are leaving no stone unturned," Yadav said. Goa, which sees around two million tourists annually, has been the target of several terror threats over the last few years. —
IANS
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Makki, the new face of terror
New Delhi, February 14 The questions now haunt the security agencies as they grope for clues regarding last evening’s blast in Pune. Makki, brother-in-law of Lashkar-e-Toiba founder and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, had delivered a speech in the Muzaffarabad meeting saying three Indian cities, including Pune, would be targeted by the “jihadis to teach India a lesson”. Saeed, one of the mastermind of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks that was carried out by the LeT, too, had vowed to renew terror attacks in India. The JuD is the frontal outfit of the LeT. Security agencies are now scanning Makki’s speech for clues. “Makki’s speech, which was full of hatred towards India, is being analysed in all context,” an official said. A declaration unanimously adopted at the conference had said the PoK status as a “base camp” for militant groups should be restored and the ban on Kashmiri jehadi groups should be lifted. “If the rulers cannot help the Kashmiris, they should open the field for Kashmiri mujahideen instead of creating hurdles. They (mujahideen) will deal with India,” said the declaration issued in Urdu. The meeting was the first major public event organised by the JuD since the Mumbai attacks. The Muzaffarabad conference was also addressed by Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Al-Badr leader Bakht Zamin, United Jehad Council general secretary Sheikh Jamilur Rehman, senior JuD leaders Abdul Aziz Alvi and Abdur Rehman Makki and former Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief Hamid Gul. —
PTI
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Security beefed up in Bangalore
Bangalore, February 14 As many as 68 CISF personnel have been deployed in the Electronic City to keep a round-the-clock watch on the area. The jawans work in shifts with 22 members of the force always out on duty. To date this is the only instance of private industry getting security cover from the CISF. There is a long list of other private industries waiting in the queue to get protection from the central paramilitary force whose mandate was to protect public sector industrial installations. The Act, under which CISF was set up, had been amended to facilitate deployment of the force for private industrial installations. The Electronic City Industries Association (ELCIA) will be spending around Rs 2.5 crore annually for hiring the paramilitary jawans to guard their installations. IT industry figures high on the terror agenda as an attack on the IT units would set off a global reaction. The Infosys campus in the Electronic City got CISF protection about a year back following appeals made by the company. A large number of other IT sector companies, including Wipro, have their facilities in Electronic City. Security has been beefed up in other areas of Bangalore as well following the incident at Pune yesterday. A heavy police cover was already thrown around the city in view of the Sri Ram Sena threat to disrupt the Valentine’s Day celebrations. The cops are now doubling up to keep a lookout for suspected terrorist activities. About 16,000 police personnel have been deployed in
Bangalore.
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Anguished parents await daughter’s body
Kolkata, February 14 "We found out at around 1.30 am. We had to call the police commissioner because we were getting no information from anywhere... you can't image what we went through and then the police said that she is the one who has died. 'Shilpa Goenka is dead',” Shilpa's mother Neelam said with tears rolling down her cheeks. “We could not believe what we were hearing. We asked them how did they know it was her and they said her friends had confirmed. But how could we believe it? Even now our hearts can't accept this,” she told a news channel. On Saturday evening, Shilpa was with two of her friends in the hugely popular German Bakery. Tragedy struck when a bomb went off right under her table killing nine people and injuring at least 57 others. The Goenkas are struggling to retrieve Shilpa's body, which is still with the authorities in Pune. Her father Rajesh Goenka said, “No one in India is safe from terror strikes”. "We are all sitting on a bomb. India is no more safe for anyone. Sitting here, who knows there may be a blast just now. (I feel this way because) our government is sleeping? they are not taking proper action or precautions to prevent such incidents,” said a bitter Rajesh. “The government should ensure that such incidents are not repeated... so that more innocent lives are not lost and families like ours don't suffer,” he said. —
IANS
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Bajrang Dal activists arrested
Bhubaneswar, February 14 Similar protests were staged in some localities of Sambalpur by saffron activists, who were chased away by the police. Couples exchanged flowers, gifts and visited cinemas and popular hangouts like parks, restaurants and shopping malls amid tight security, the police said. In the state capital here, special Valentine’s Day accessories flooded the gift shops and eating joints made special arrangements. —
PTI
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Tiger found dead in Kaziranga park
Guwahati, February 14 The official said the tiger carcass was lying at a place called Lankur chapori (river isle). As the spot is remote, steps have been taken to guard the carcass throughout the night before it is brought for a postmortem tomorrow. The tiger bore injury marks on its head. “The body is intact and the tiger is believed to have died in the past 24 hours. It may not be a case of poaching as poachers would have lifted the carcass from the spot after killing the animal,” the park official said.
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Rlys’ market share chugs downhill
Chandigarh, February 14 From a market share of around 90 per cent in 1950, its current share stands around just 30 per cent, according to a draft report prepared recently by RITES for the Planning Commission. Market share is one of the key issues facing the Railways,
as brought out by a White Paper issued by the ministry about two months ago. Expansion of the national highway network, unscheduled freight services, lack of multi-nodal logistics system, low level of containerised cargo movement, over dependence on a few bulk commodities and the inability of the Railways to adapt to business other than the movement of bulk cargo over long distances are among the reasons for the decline. As far as passenger business is concerned, competition from road transport for shorter journeys and low-cost airlines for upper class, lack of policy for introducing high-speed passenger services, capacity constraints on popular routes, inadequacy and low quality of terminal infrastructure, poor on-board services like catering and cleanliness and punctuality are some of the detrimental factors. In 1951, the sole competitor of the Indian Railways was highway and road transport that accounted for the other 10 per cent. At present, highways account for 61 per cent of the market share, followed by pipelines (4.4 per cent) and coastal shipping (2.13 per cent). According to the report, inland water transport accounts for 2.15 per cent, while airlines’ market share in the overall scenario is at negligible 0.01 per cent. Increasing population and growing economy have resulted in vast increase in traffic volumes over the decades. From moving just about 82 million tonne in 1950-51, the Railways transported 2,600 million tonne. Road traffic has increased its share from a meagre nine million tonne to 1,560 million tonne. However, the Railways continues with its traditional dominance in carriage of bulk commodities like coal, iron ore, cement and fertilisers. In these sectors, it commands 60 to 75 per cent of the market share. Bulk commodities account for 88 per cent of the Railway’s freight traffic. Over the past few years, the share of the Railways in transporting foodgrains and petroleum products has gone down consistently. It has a share of 16-21 per cent in these sectors
at present. The decline in non-bulk sector over the past 30 years is 10 per cent, which according to the report is significant and hence has a good potential for increase. For this, a focused strategy aimed at providing better services at competitive tariffs is required, the report says.
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Vijay Chaudhary new Bihar JD(U) chief
Patna, February 14 Chaudhary’s appointment was announced by the party’s national president-Sharad Yadav to reporters here. Lalan Singh, considered to be a close confidante and die-hard loyalist of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for last several years, suddenly became a rebellion and resigned from the post of state JD(U) president on the plea that there was no internal democracy in the party. He had put in his papers to the national president of the party about two weeks ago. Sharad Yadav had not accepted Singh’s resignation so far, with the hope that the matter would be resolved. Yadav also tried to persuade Singh to take back his resignation letter but in vain. Singh, now a Lok Sabha member from Munger, refused to budge from his stand till the issues raised by him were sorted out. Finally, the party had to accept his papers and appoint a new president. According to Yadav, the decision to appoint Vijay Chaudhary, a former Congress MLA who had joined the JD(U) after it came to power in the state, was taken in consultation with senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
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Explosives seized in Gujarat
Gandhinagar, February 14 A Special Operations Group in Valsad, bordering Maharashtra, seized 200 kg of ammonium nitrate, 600 detonators and 200 gelatine sticks from an auto rickshaw heading towards Dadra and Nagar Haveli last night. Nearly three persons in a car accompanying the auto rickshaw had been arrested, a police officer added. Additional director general of police in charge of south Gujarat AK Singh ruled out any terror angle. The seized material had been procured from a licensed dealer but was being ferried illegally for quarrying. One of those arrested is a quarry owner. The material was being transported from Vapi to Silvassa, the headquarters of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. —
IANS
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DRDO to document staff health profile
Chandigarh, February 14 The programme will cover the entire cross-section of DRDO employees, including scientists, administrative and technical staff and class-IV workers. Some 30,000 DRDO employees would be screened for cardiac and metabolic disorders. “Our staff works in extreme environment like high altitude and deserts and is also exposed to high-pressure work situations, psychological stress, lasers, chemicals, radiation and other hazards,” Dr W Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, DRDO, said. “Hence, it has become a societal concern and it is our corporate responsibility to monitor their health and take preventive measures,” he added. Dr Selvamurthy said a limited survey exercise was carried out five years ago and it was restricted to employees over the age of 45 years. The survey revealed several cases related to diabetes and coronary problems where early intervention proved highly beneficial. He said people generally do not go for routine medical check-ups and, consequently, the “silent killers” affecting an individual’s health do not get detected. Individuals would be required to respond to a detailed written questionnaire seeking information about their lifestyle, home and work environment and medical history. This would cover their habits pertaining to smoking, consumption of beverages and alcohol, physical activity, medications being used, history of illness in the family and recent events that could have an emotional and psychological impact. This would be followed by a physical examination and blood test for estimating various biochemical and metabolic parameters, ECG and X-ray. Further investigations would be carried out if the values are not within specified limits or indicate some disorder. Henceforth, every DRDO employee would be given a health identification number and card and a complete record of his or her medical history would be maintained from the time of recruitment.
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LTTE supporter to float new party
Chennai, February 14 Seeman, who was arrested by the state government following his speeches supporting the Tigers, when the civil war in Sri Lankan was at its peak, has named his party "Naam Thamizhar" (We Tamils) and it would function from May 18, the day on which the Sri Lanka ended its war against the LTTE last year. "Was not Tiger the flag of our ancestors?" he asked, recalling the flag of the ancient Chola empire, which ruled Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka together in the Sangam age (200 BC to 200 AD). The LTTE chose tiger as a symbol of Tamil culture and history, he said and added that ancient Tamil literature was full of descriptions and praises for the tiger flag and the flag would make people of Tamil Nadu aware of their identity, as well as their close bonding with Sri Lankan Tamils, the director said. "The tiger flag was popular in Tamil Nadu for more than 17 centuries and it will be very easy to revive it among people of the state," he said. Three Tamil kingdoms headed by Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas ruled Tamil Nadu till the 15th century. The Chola empire was one of them and it had tiger as its flag.
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Alliance with DMK to stay: Cong
Chennai, February 14 "Chief Minister Karunanidhi is an experienced and powerful leader and it is the wish of not just the DMK but also its ally the Congress, which he continues as the Chief Minister of the state," TNCC president KV Thangkabalu said. Responding to reports on ties between the two parties in a "post-Karunanidhi scenario", which, he termed, was part of "conspiracy to break the alliance", he said the alliance was continuing with (mutual) understanding and good ties. "This alliance, formed in 2004, has the massive support of people. Therefore,the future is that of an alliance comprising the Congress, the DMK, the Muslim League and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and not one with the AIADMK. Any speculation in this regard (of ties with the AIADMK) won't come true," he said in a statement here. Stating that the alliance with leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Centre and Karunanidhi at the state was delivering a lot for the people, Thangkabalu said this has resulted in an increase of the alliance's vote bank. At the national level too, the Congress' votes share was increasing and those media which did not want to highlight this were trying to create a "post-Karunanidhi" scenario for the Congress, saying their votes share will take a dip in that situation, he said. Reports here had suggested that the Congress could choose between the DMK or the AIADMK for an alliance in a post-Karunanidhi scenario with a swing in votes share. — PTI
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Women a happier lot after kidney donation
New Delhi, February 14 Citing reason for conducting the study, he said, We found that women were donors in majority of the cases. Some were married, many unmarried, others were in a live-in relationship or married but separated or a divorcee or widow. “Since the mother and the wife were more prevalent, we wanted to know was this donation out of love or they were coerced to do it,” he said. To achieve this, a standard survey of donors was done in which a questionnaire was used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals in the context of physical and mental health, environment, recreation, leisure and social belongingness after donating a kidney. A total of 126 donors over a period of two-and-a-half years were included in the study and 73 per cent were women. "We ask them questions like how satisfied they are with their health after donating a kidney. Choices to such questions include - Not at all, Not much, Moderately, A great deal or Completely which were further rated between one to five," he said. Some of the other questions included: How much did they enjoy life after donating, Did they have enough energy for everyday life, Were they able to accept their bodily appearance, Was there enough money to meet your needs and How satisfied they were with their ability to perform daily living activities and in their personal relationships. It was basically the donor's perception. Women were higher but mothers and spouse were more satisfied after donation. This, independent of their age, income, education and status. —
PTI |
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Karuna warns Rajapakse
Chennai, February 14 Apparently countering MDMK leader Vaiko, who continues to target the traditional Tamil nationalist vote bank of the DMK by accusing Karunanidhi of “betraying the freedom struggle of Lankan Tamils”, the Chief Minister, writing in party organ “Murasoli”, said his government would take up the island Tamils’ issue with the Centre and urge them to do the needful. He said devolution of powers for Tamils was one of the poll promises of Rajapakse. “In a democracy it will only be fair to honour and fulfill poll promises. If Rajapaksa fails to honour the promise and tries to delay it, the DMK will not be just watching it. We will take up the issue and urge the Centre to do the needful”, Karunanidhi added. Referring to arrest of former Lankan Army chief Sarath Fonseka, Karunanidhi said the Lankan President should not forget history and recalled how Alexander the Great had treated King Porus after the latter’s fall. Karunanidhi had used the same analogy, when there were reports that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran wanted to surrender after the island government launched a massive attack against the Tigers. |
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Pune blast: Bollywood expresses shock
Mumbai, February 14 "When will these madmen realise that war is never the answer. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. Only incisive investigation and deep human understanding can eventually uproot the evil for good. An eye for eye makes the world blind. My prayers for the victims. the attackers must be brought to justice," Hrithik tweeted. Abhishek Bachchan said his thoughts and prayers were with the victims of yesterday's blast, which ripped apart a popular bakery in Pune. While Shahid Kapoor wrote on his twitter account, "Shocked to hear about the Pune blasts. Why for God sake. A silent prayer for all of humanity. Happy valentines day people spread love. Thats the only thing that can keep this world going. All this madness needs to stop. Mindless purposeless inhuman
acts." — PTI |
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In Rajasthan, NREGS anomalies worth 1 crore
Jaipur, February 14 The village sarpanch and secretary embezzled Rs 30.38 lakh, which has now been recovered from them. An FIR has been lodged against the duo while departmental action has been initiated against gram sevak and junior engineer. Surprisingly, the duo neither resorted to false billing nor fake measurement, but simply withdrew the amount. In other cases, discrepancies were unearthed in muster rolls, measurement book records, bills of materials, payments violating tender conditions, and purchases from unregistered firms.However, Suchna Evam Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan, an NGO led by noted social activists like Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey, is not satisfied with the action initiated in these cases till now. “Merely lodging FIRs would not serve the purpose. The government must make it sure that the money is realized back and the guilty faces the punishment,” Dey said. Interestingly, the panchayats where irregularities have come to light are the ones where Dey’s NGO was involved in the social audit and they had to face massive protests. “Now, we realize why those protests were staged,” he said. According to him, village panchayats in Ajmer and Sirohi districts have not complied with the CM’s order dated April 20, 2009, regarding compulsory wall painting entailing details of material procurement, job cards, work days etc, of the NREGS. |
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Jumbo care: Govt constitutes task force
New Delhi, February 14 As per terms of reference the committee, headed by an expert on forestry and wildlife history, Mahesh Rangarajan, will recommend measures to strengthen elephant conservation in the country and suggest amendments needed for the same in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The panel will devise an institutional framework for Project Elephant exploring and explaining the functioning of the same at the Centre and state levels with the objective of ensuring that it receives the same impetus and is brought at par with Project Tiger. It will also identify, catalogue and define the elephant reserves and ranges at the landscape level; simultaneously develop a framework for preparing long-term perspective plans for elephant ranges; examine issues relating to human-elephant conflict and recommend appropriate short-term and long-term solutions; recommend appropriate methodology for the tracking, estimating and the monitoring of wild elephant and measures for specialised training of the field staff in the states if required.For captive elephants, keeping in view the socio-cultural and religious sentiments, the committee will recommend future strategies and guidelines for suitable human use of elephants It will recommend measures for training and certification of mahouts, veterinarian care and management guidelines, creation of rescue centres and monitoring of captive elephants and develop general and uniform rules for the better upkeep and care of captive tuskers. |
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V-Day: Muthalik sena plays party pooper
Bangalore, February 14 Scared of assault and embarrassment, the hapless couple agreed and a rakhi, being kept in readiness by the sene activists, was tied by the frightened woman on the wrist of her companion. The entire incident was recorded by a local TV news channel that also showed an interview of Anand from the spot with the harassed couple in the background. At Anekal, near Bangalore, sene activists forced a couple to get married with the help of a priest accompanying the raiding party. At Bellary, sene activists prevented a hotel from holding the events it had planned for Valentine’s Day. Bangalore city, where the face of sene chief Pramod Muthalik was blackened by Youth Congress activists recently during a debate on V-Day celebrations - an incident that gave immense satisfaction to those who are against moral policing by Muthalik and his men - did not witness any untoward incident. There was also a pleasant surprise for the liberal section in the city as Vatal Nagraj, leader of Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha and a champion of all issues related to Karnataka and Kannada language, took out a procession in Bangalore in support of V-Day celebrations. |
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Bihar girl refuses to marry boy for ‘dirty dancing’
Sanjay Singh Tribune News Service
Patna, February 14 Moreover, her businessman father, Yogendra Mahto, and mother, an elected member of district board, also stood by her side. The desperate groom and his folks finally approached the police. The SHO of the local police station arrived there and tried to sort out the matter with the help of village elders. But the bride and her parents refused to budge. “How can we force our daughter to marry a person who was dancing in an inebriated condition and uncivilised manner during his own wedding,” Mahto the SHO. Finding no way out, the wedding party had to return without the bride.
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VHP bid to disrupt MNIK screening
Guwahati, February 14 An official source said VHP and Bajrang Dal protesters tried to prevent screening of the movie in Guwahati, Tezpur and Rangiya today, but in vain. The police had to intervene when protesters turned violent before Pragjyoti Cinema in the city. The movie is being shown in five cinemas and three multiplexes in the city besides cinemas in
other parts of the state since Friday. |
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Visually impaired couple walk down the aisle on V-Day
Ludhiana, February 14 Seeing their commitment for each other, VRTC director Sara Johnson gave them a go ahead for marriage. “Also, I have given them jobs at VRTC followed by provision of boarding and meals," adds Sara Johnson. Coming from diverse backgrounds, the duo went to their respective families to take permission before going ahead with the wedding. “My family did not object even once. Rather they are happy for me that I have found a soul mate in Basanti," says Kali Prasad. Basanti, on the other hand, feels that being blind has never bothered her especially when she is with Kali. She adds: "I feel secure, care for in his company but it indeed is the power of love that gives us a sixth sense to communicate in just the right words despite our handicap.” Living up to their repute of being true philanthropists, the people of Ludhiana once again joined hands to bless the couple as AC market shopper's association, Bhadaur House along with two more NGOs donated a handsome amount to VRTC for the couple's marriage. The couple is all set to start a new life with their one-room apartment at VRTC. “Such marriages are an example of human camaraderie which stands out against every cultural, social and economic divide," said Johnson.
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IT biggies on hiring spree
New Delhi, February 14 According to analysts, increased spending on IT infrastructure and improving overseas markets for outsourcers, are among the main factors for the upbeat hiring prospects. Diptarup Chakraborti, who is a Principal Research Analyst at global IT research firm Gartner said the industry is back on track with many projects lined up for completion. "The industry has turned the corner and renewed optimism will bring back recruitment across the globe," he noted. Last week, the country's largest software exporter TCS said it would increase headcount by 30,000 in next fiscal year while Infosys announced plans to hire 16,000 persons this year. Of the 12 companies which have announced their hiring plans, BPO giant Genpact said it would hire 10,000 persons. Besides, IBM is looking at recruiting 5,000 followed by Infosys BPO (2,000), Accenture (8,000) and Mphasis (2,000). Going by Gartner estimates, the domestic IT market is expected to grow by 19-20 per cent in 2010, a sharp rise against a 2.6 per cent growth in 2009. "IT companies usually hire to meet their next 18-month requirement. The actual hiring is always higher than the announced hiring as the companies also do lateral hiring besides fresh recruitments," Chakraborti said. An official at Info Edge, which owns the job portal Naukri.com, said the big bang hiring announcements by the IT companies took off in late 2009. "As economy started improving the IT infrastructure contracts started moving to India. The jobs in IT industry is gaining pace but for us to have a booming 2008 job market will take some more time," Info Edge National Head (Marketing and Communications) Sumeet Singh said. According to Gartner-EXP Worldwide Survey of global chief information officers (CIOs), the IT budgets are expected to witness marginal increase in global average of 1.3 per cent compared to 2009, which saw the IT budgets declining by 8.1 per cent. In 2009 the CIOs faced multiple budget cuts, delayed spending and increased demand for services with reduced resources. This is set to change in 2010, as the economies recover from recession and enterprises transition their strategies from cost-cutting efficiency to value-creating productivity, the survey pointed out. — PTI |
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Is IM behind Pune attack?
New Delhi, February 14 It is the same group that carried out a string of bomb blasts in major cities in 2008. Investigators are looking at what are trademark signs of any organisation. Firstly, in the past the IM has shown its adequate presence in Pune; and secondly, the bomb was almost identical to the one used in Jaipur. The explosive device used in Pune was made of RDX, ammonium nitrate and metal pieces and it was the same in Jaipur, where ball bearings had been used to magnify the impact. The bomb was packed too in a manner the IM has done in the past. Intelligence agencies say the Indian Mujahideen has been in touch with its handlers in Pakistan. The Intelligence has been working on a high-level to find out clues, while a team of investigators from Central agencies is tracking down known suspects. The interrogation of Shahzad, alias Pappu, arrested for the Delhi blasts, had pointed out that the IM modules in Pune were active. The IM, which has several of its foot soldiers from Azamgarh in eastern UP, has been lying low. Just recently, lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was contesting on behalf of the IM in several cases, was killed in Mumbai. Meanwhile, the Home Ministry sounded a general alert across the country and the cities of New Delhi, Indore and Kanpur have been put on high alert. Home Minister P Chidambaram reviewed the security scenario at a high-level meeting in the Capital and met the chiefs of the intelligence agencies. |
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SC: Rape victim’s statement not always truth
New Delhi, February 14
"We are conscious of the fact that in a matter of rape, the statement of victim must be given primary consideration. But, at the same time, the broad principle that the prosecution has to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt applies equally to a case of rape and there can be no presumption that a prosecutrix would always tell the entire story truthfully," the apex court said in an order. The court passed the observation while acquitting one of the three accused Abbas Ahmad Chowdhary charged with raping a minor girl. It was the case of the prosecution that on September 15, 1997, the accused-appellants Md. Mizazul Haq, Abbas Ahmad Choudhury and one Ranju Das (absconding) had raped the victim after forcibly taking her to a tea estate in Jalalpur. —
PTI |
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‘Time for ULFA to introspect’
Guwahati, February 14 It was stated by Kaberi Kachari Rajkumari, wife of ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, alias Rajib Rajkonwar, who is in jail. Kaberi stays with the family of ULFA leader at his ancestral village in Lakwa in Sivasagar district. In about two months, she had visited families of those, who had been killed by the ULFA. In an interview with a local TV channel here, Kaberi said: “Everyone in the ULFA should realise why arms were added to our organisation i.e. to defend people, for self defence and to protect leadership.” When asked about killings carried out by the ULFA like killing of children in Dhemaji on August 15, 2004, and murder of NGO official Sanjoy Ghose in Majuli in late 90s, she said: “Such killings might have been part of the design to project the ULFA as a terrorist outfit and have been carried out by elements who were planted in the organisation.” She also admitted that some aberrations committed by the ULFA might have been a fall out of politically untrained cadres. She said the armed wing of the ULFA had acquired a upper hand over the important political wing. |
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2 TMC cadres gunned down
Kolkata, February 14 According to information, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers were on their way to party office on a motorcycle when they were shot from a close range. The TMC alleged that the gunman was a local criminal and a CPM activist. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee has accused the Chief Minister of publicly inciting violence, which was a criminal offence. Also, she has demanded CM’s immediate arrest over the killings. Over the past two months, she said, more than 200 youths belonging to the TMC and Congress had been killed by the cadres allegedly at the provocation of CPM leadership. Union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy, a TMC leader, said they would approach the judiciary to seek the arrest of the Chief Minister. And as a mark of protest against the Nanur killings, he said, the TMC would organise statewide protests on Wednesday. The leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, Partha Chatterjee, has invited the Congress also to participate in Wednesday’s agitation against the CPM’s “vandalism” and “misuse of police”. Notably, Bhattacharjee had, during a meeting at Coochbehar yesterday, called upon the people to “unite themselves in the fight against TMC and Congress”. The CM had said the police alone could not combat Maoists and TMC-Congress anti-socials and it “was time that the people themselves fought against such elements for their protection”. |
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Talk of ‘pet passion’ and this media consultant from Shillong would be definitely among those riding high with it. Sanjay Sharma drove nearly 4,000 km from the Meghalaya capital to Chennai to get proper treatment for his
American Boxer, Bonxie.
New Delhi, February 14
Bollywood has expressed shock and dismay at the terror strike in Pune, which left nine persons dead and 57 injured.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his blog, "When will this mindless violence end. Will we ever resolve this? Our heart and prayers to those who suffer.” Expressing his anger on twitter, actor Shah Rukh Khan, who arrived late last night from Berlin, said, "Pains me to no end to see innocent lives lost again.
Ludhiana, February 14
