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Bandh cripples life in WB, Kerala |
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Cobalt-60 leak
Phone
Tapping
Sibal for wellness clubs in schools
the ipl controversy Shah Rukh Khan
KK Modi
It’s party time for Modi’s detractors
Now, a case for violating noise norms
Bank staff get 17.5% salary hike
India’s first dog blood bank in Chennai
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Bandh cripples life in WB, Kerala
New Delhi, April 27 The 12-hour ‘Bharat Bandh’ that ended at 6 pm had some impact in Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. Normalcy prevailed in Delhi and in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu barring sporadic protests. Besides the four Left parties, the 13-party grouping which gave the call for the bandh consists of AIADMK, BJD, SP, RJD, TDP, RLD, LJP, JD-S and INLD. The grouping is pressing for a rollback in the hike in prices of petrol, diesel and fertilisers. Roads in West Bengal and Kerala where educational institutions and offices remained closed wore a deserted look. Thousands of arriving passengers at airports and trains were stranded till evening and faced hardship. In Uttar Pradesh, state roadways buses bore the brunt of the bandh, as protesting Samajwadi Party workers burnt down four of them. The state government arrested 2,288 protesters. Sparing a handful against whom substantive charges were framed, others were let-off by evening, said ADG (Law and Order) Brij Lal. The first bus was torched right in front of the Vidhan Sabha in the VVIP area early today, making a mockery of the state government's claim of preparedness. In Lucknow, SP state president Akhilesh Yadav was detained. In Bihar, over 4,000 bandh supporters, including LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, were rounded up. Hundreds of outstation passengers coming to Kerala as well as domestic commuters were caught unawares as the protesters picketed trains in various stations. A CPM statement claimed the strike met with a “big response” in most parts of the country. Two train passengers were injured as a clash broke out between travellers in Ganga Sagar Express and bandh supporters at Pandua station in Hoogly district. In West Bengal, road and rail services and flight operations were badly affected and shutters in commercial areas were down. Hundreds of passengers were stranded at railway stations and airports for want of transport. Airport sources in Kolkata said only 10 out of 25 domestic and international flights took off this morning. Vehicular movement was affected across BJD-ruled Orissa as bandh supporters blocked national highways, state highways and other roads. Normal life in several parts of Jharkhand was affected due to the bandh and the 48-hour shutdown by the CPI (Maoist). Barring a few agitations by the cadres of AIADMK, MDMK and Left parties and attempts to block trains and buses, the bandh called evoked lukewarm response in Tamil Nadu and normal life remained unaffected. Though, several workers belonging to the unions of Left, AIADMK and MDMK did not attend duty, bus service was not affected in the state. — PTI
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No breakthrough in BARC probe
Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 27 Top Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientists, working on the 11 Cobalt-60 sources isolated from the capital’s scrap market recently, today told The Tribune that there had been no breakthrough in lab investigations and probes would now have to shift to the field to find out which foreign countries were manufacturing Cobalt-60 of the same shape and size as that of the sources found in Mayapuri. BARC scientists earlier said the radioactive material in question was not indigenous and had landed in India from the imported international scrap waste, which made it through the customs. Though investigators had hoped to trace the location of the detected source to some country, they now appear less confident of a lead. “The radioactive sources we isolated did not come in sealed caskets. It came in the form of wires which neither have signatures of the manufacturer nor traces of the country of origin. These seals had been broken open in Mayapuri. Our investigations have yielded no breakthrough and we plan to focus our energy on countries which are manufacturing Cobalt-60 of the same physical specifications as those of the sources in our possession,” Dr SK Malhotra of BARC said. He also revealed that Rajesh, the man who died yesterday of radioactive exposure, was the one who actually broke the seal of Cobalt-60 source in Mayapuri scrap market
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Tapping Technology takes a giant leap Ajay Banerjee/TNS
New Delhi, April 27 Several phone-tapping machines exist in the country that can tap any GSM or CDMA cellphone. Even the SMS data of suspects is picked up and stored. These are being put to good use in Kashmir, North East and the Naxal-hit areas, sources says. These are “off-the-air” and hence the mobile phone user does not get any electromagnetic interference or a buzzing sound hence there is no suspicion. The sound signals originating from a mobile are picked up by the interceptor machine as the cell-towers transmit it to the destination. There is absolutely no disturbance between the cellphone users and the mobile telecom service provider. No hard-wired connection to the telecom service provider is necessary for the interceptor to pick up signals, sources explain.The security agencies have been wringing their hands in disgust at the public exposure of such equipment, which has occurred due to the unscrupulous unauthorised use to keep tabs on political leaders. On the positive side, in a recent incident, one such interceptor machine was used to “listen on to” Naxal leader Koteshwar Rao, alias Kishenji, who is said to be critically injured in a shootout with the police. No bigger than a small briefcase, the intercepting machines are also used to keep tabs on militants in Jammu and Kashmir and their handlers located across the border. “It is a cat and mouse game”, said a senior officer while adding how Pakistan-based ISI recently “spoofed” the location of the handheld Thurayya satellite phones used by militants to mislead the Indian security forces in the Kashmir valley. Ajay Sahni of the Institute of Conflict Management says from the security angle these machines are absolutely necessary. The problem arises when the use is intended for political gains. He suggests legitimate tapping of criminals by following the laid-down procedure as that can be used as evidence in courts. For the common man, even the long-held belief that an SMS is safe, is totally misplaced. The machine developed to intercept the CDMA technology phones also functions as an SMS interceptor. It captures SMS data and records it. In case of the GSM mobiles, the latest is the capability to “break into” the GSM encryption algorithm. It can also pick out specific words or phrases from a predetermined threat database fed into the computers by the security agencies. These are classified as “trigger words” which, when uttered over the phone, start automatic tracking and recording. The trigger word could be a name or the audio of the suspected person. It is called a “word identifier”
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Sibal for wellness clubs in schools
New Delhi, April 27 The initiative seeks to educate children on sanitation and cleanliness. The highlight of a largely official function was a hearty-to-heart interaction between Aamir and children. Given a chance to question Aamir on the issue, one of the children said: “Why not have a period at school where teachers tells us about health, hygiene and sanitation?” The actor was impressed and said such a period would be a wonderful idea. He took several queries from students at Vigyan Bhavan, where Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal earlier said health and wellness clubs would be set up in schools and would instill among children values of good health and sanitation. The HRD and Urban development ministries, the CBSE and a German foundation GTZ has undertaken the initiative. Sibal exhorted the children to take the lead and inspire all towards high standards of sanitation. Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy said it was important to sensitise people on sanitation, energy efficiency and conservation of natural resources. He spoke about the National Urban Sanitation Policy and how this initiative could play a large role in improving sanitation levels in the country. Later, Sibal released a school sanitation manual, which will be part of the CBSE curriculum from now on. A bio-dynamic waste segregation programme was launched by Reddy to educate children about the use of waste as a resource. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development released the school sanitation report on the occasion.
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the ipl controversy
New Delhi, April 27 “After expiry of notice period, criminal proceedings will be filed against the companies and the directors,” the Registrar of Companies
(RoC), Mumbai, informed the Ministry of Company Affairs. The notices were issued to the companies and their promoters, directors for not filing mandatory yearly returns. The MCA, on Wednesday last, had directed the RoC to collect within a week all details on IPL franchisees, including the bidding process, sweat equity and memorandum of association. “My ministry is merely collecting information that we should have in the normal course of those companies that are franchisee companies,” Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had told reporters yesterday, clarifying that this was not a probe. The
RoC-Mumbai, which inquired into the details of Red Chillies Entertainment and Knight Riders Sports, and Jaipur IPL Cricket, in a communication to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on April 22, said that “after expiry of the notice period, criminal proceeding will be filed against the companies and their directors.” The RoC said that these companies have not been filing balance sheets and annual returns. Red
Chillies, headed by Shahrukh Khan and Gauri Khan, is the promoter of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, while Jaipur IPL Cricket owns the Rajasthan Royals franchise. According to an official sources, the companies have been given 15 days to respond to the notices given by the RoC
Mumbai. E-mails sent to Red Chillies Entertainments and Knight Riders Sports remained unanswered, while the Jaipur IPL Cricket remained silent on the RoC notice. Red Chillies Entertainments, promoted by Shahrukh Khan and
Gauri, holds 55 per cent stake in Knight Riders Sports has been charged for not filing balance sheet for 2006-07 with the
RoC, as required under the Companies Act, 1956. The directors of the Knight Rider Sports, which owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, include Gauri Khan and Jay Mehta and Sanjiv Desraj Chawla (husband and brother of Bollywood actress Juhi
Chawla, respectively). Knight Rider Sports has not filed annual returns for the period up to September 2008 and September 2009.As regards Jaipur IPL Cricket, its directors Raghuram Natrajan Iyer and Ranjit Rabindranath
Barthukar, as named by the RoC, have been issued notices. The Registrars of Companies of other regions are expected to give their reports on other IPL teams soon. The inquiry by RoCs follows the controversy over ownership of the Kochi IPL franchise, where Rendezvous Sports World had given 19 per cent of the 25 per cent stake held by it to Sunanda
Pushkar, a close friend of Shashi Tharoor, who resigned as a Union Minister in the face of allegations that he had misused his official position. — PTI
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New Delhi, April 27 “I SMSed him not to resign. I told him you are facing problems but the whole family is behind you and you will overcome it,” KK Modi, 73, who lords over a Rs 4,000- crore diversified business group with interests in tobacco to entertainment, told PTI over phone. Firmly standing behind Lalit, who was pulled down by BCCI on mismanagement and impropriety charges, father Modi said that he was willing to give “more money” to start a new venture. Modi said that resigning would have meant admission of wrongdoings and claimed that his son had done nothing wrong. — PTI
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It’s party time for Modi’s detractors
Jaipur, April 27 Earlier, too, he had hurled a series of posers to Modi vis-à-vis his kin’s alleged ownership stakes in IPL franchisees like Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Raking up the charges against Modi, Dixit said the anomalies perpetrated by Modi were so huge that all government agencies investigating into the IPLgate should come together to hold a joint probe. He said the probe should also be carried into Modi’s RCA entry. “Everybody knows the way he manipulated things to get into the RCA. Modi not only impersonated as one Lalit Kumar from Nagaur but also purchased a piece of land through dubious means to fulfill the eligibility for the RCA election under the Sports Act,” he alleged. However, Dixit is not the only one rejoicing the moment in the desert state, as Modi, known for his autocratic style of functioning and scant regard for system here, had earned more enemies than friends in the state during his stint as the RCA chief. Kishore Rungta, who was thrown out of power by Modi after ruling the RCA for years, said he too had taken up the matter of Modi’s “fake identity”, but their complaints fell on deaf ears due to his proximity to the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. He said they had even lodged a written complaint to the election officer in this regard but nothing was done. Rajasthan State Sport Council Chairman Shiv Charan Mali also flayed Modi for being despotic. “Modi didn’t believe in democratic way of functioning. He was abrasive and egotistic, which is why his fall was as fast as his meteoric rise in the world of cricket,” he alleged. Former Rajasthan Test player Parthsarthy Sharma said Modi did a great job as far as developing infrastructure for the sport is concerned, but his arrogant behaviour and dictatorial style of functioning were the negative aspects of his personality, which ultimately cost him dear today. On the other hand, Modi loyalists have been cautious while responding to queries on the issue. Kota District Cricket Association Secretary and Modi aide Amin Pathan said, “Modi has done a phenomenal job in promoting cricket and building the brand IPL, as we know it today. There should be an impartial and transparent probe into the matter so that the truth comes out before the public.”
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Now, a case for violating noise norms
Mumbai, April 27 The Nerul police in Navi Mumbai have charged IPL bosses with violating the sound pollution restrictions following a noisy revelry after the final match on Sunday night. The police had earlier banned the use of loudspeakers and bursting of fire-crackers after 10 pm. However, the ban was violated and there was noisy celebrations within and outside the DY Patil Stadium where the match was held, police said. According to senior police inspector of Nerul police station RY Galdhar the officials had measured the noise levels, which were found to be far more than permitted levels. Galdhar said cases have been filed against the CEO of IPL Sundar Raman and other officials. Representatives of a number of NGOs, which are campaigning against noise pollution were camping outside the stadium and filed police complaints against the IPL organisers. Residential societies in the area also complained that noise levels exceeded permitted levels during the semi-finals and the final match. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to charge IPL organisers for providing security cover during matches. According to the Navi Mumbai police, the IPL organisers will be handed over a security bill of Rs 5.21 crore for six matches, including the semi-finals and the final. In all, 2,400 police constables and nearly 300 police officers were put on security job, said sources.
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Bank staff get 17.5% salary hike
Mumbai, April 27 The agreement also gives an opportunity to those who had not opted for the pension scheme in 1995 to join the scheme again. “We have signed an agreement today with banks’ unions and according to the new agreement, employees and officers will get a 17.5 per cent hike in salaries with retrospective effect from November 1, 2007,” IBA Deputy Chief Executive K Unnikrishnan said today. Almost 8 lakh employees in 26 public sector banks, 12 private sector banks and 8 foreign banks will be benefited from this new wage agreement, he said. In all, there are over 10 lakh persons working in the country’s 26 public sector banks and 23 private sector banks, besides 31 foreign banks. The revision will cost banks Rs 4,816 crore, including arrears payment from November 2007 which will be given in one-go, he said. There is good news also for employees who did not opt for the pension scheme in 1995, he said. “The new agreement gives an opportunity to those who had not opted for the pension scheme in 1995, but contributed to Provident Fund (PF), to join the scheme again. Those who are interested can contribute to the arrears directly to the pension fund with an amount to bridge the gap in the fund. Those who already retired from the service can also join the scheme,” he said. A total of 2.7-lakh employees and 60,000 pensioners will be benefited by the second pension option in the agreement, Unnikrishnan said. — PTI
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India’s first dog blood bank in Chennai
Chennai, April 27 “So far, there was no blood bank for veterinary patients in the country. Lack of equipment for blood-typing, collection, storage, and lack of donors were big hurdles for animals in need,” Thangaraj said. The varsity bank boasts of all equipment for blood typing and would store blood of all groups, he said. Dogs constitute a large part of patients visiting the hospital and more than half that come for treatment required blood transfusion, Thangaraj added. Gift of life
Like humans, dogs, too, have blood types and some universal donor types. A dog may need blood transfusion in case of a shock, infection, iron deficiency, severe anaemia and spleen injury. Transfusion is also necessary for a smooth surgery and quick recovery.
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bandh called by 13
non-NDA and non-UPA parties today to protest against price rise paralysed normal life and hit air and rail services in Left-ruled West Bengal and Kerala while it evoked a partial response in some states.
New Delhi, April 27
Actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri, who promote IPL franchise ‘Kolkata Kinght Riders’, and Jaipur IPL Cricket that promotes ‘Rajasthan Royals’ have been issued show-cause notices for alleged violation of the Companies Act.
“After expiry of notice period, criminal proceedings will be filed against the companies and the directors,” the Registrar of Companies
(RoC), Mumbai, informed the Ministry of Company Affairs.
