 |
|
|
Maya’s dream project runs into trouble
Stir reaches Parliament
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cong favours Haryana model
Breach in dam submerges 12 R’sthan villages
CWC discusses situation in Valley Madani seeks stay on his arrest
CBI nabs ex-MP Pappu Yadav
No assurance to Punjab on power plant
Indian Army hosts Chinese soldiers on I-Day
MPs have to wait for salary hike
Sreeram breaks the jinx, becomes ‘Indian Idol’
A crash a month since April 5, 2007!
Rahman launches CWG theme song
Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman and Commonwealth Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi shake hands with Shera, the mascot for the XIX Commonwealth Games, during the launch of the theme song of the Games in New Delhi on Monday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Games village to open in ‘nick of time’
AP to be launch pad of UID project
Girls chase away Maoists in Gaya
|
|
Maya’s dream project runs into trouble
Lucknow, August 16 Angry farmers blocked traffic on national highway 93, targeted the property of JP Group executing the highway project setting ablaze its Abkheda Plant and a dozen road rollers and mixers. They also took hold of Bajna and Jattari police outposts and set these on fire along with a post office on the Aligarh-Mathura border, a petrol pump, a PAC truck, dozen-odd vehicles, including a UP roadways bus. The Mayawati government has ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident of firing, has asked the division commission to look into the issue of compensation, announced relief of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the firing. The commissioner, district magistrate and Aligarh and Mathura district SSPs were transferred last night. Political temperature in the region in and around Aligarh and Mathura soared as senior leaders like Rashtirya Lok Dal President Ajit Singh, former BJP national president Rajnath Singh and senior Samajwadi leader Shivpal Singh Yadav competed with each other to grab headlines. Out to draw maximum political mileage the leaders clearly avoided sharing a common platform. They arrived separately in the area offering condolences to the grieving families and condemned the Mayawati government for its “anti-farmer” policies. Trouble started on Saturday evening when the police picked up Sarvadal Kisan Sangharsh Samiti president Ram Babu Kataria who has been spearheading a movement for compensation at par with that paid to farmers of Greater Nodia. Kataria was arrested and taken to Aligarh. As news of his arrest spread, angry farmers from Tappal, Jahangarh, Kripalpur, Kansera and Jikrpur villages blocked the NH 93 resorting to violence. When tear gas shells failed to disperse the crowd, the police resorted to firing officially killing three persons - one farmer, one platoon commander and a child; critically injuring a dozen and further escalating the violence. Two of the 12 injured were shifted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for treatment as their condition was stated to be critical. Thousands of agitating farmers from around 50 villages in the 20-km-stretch of highway had gathered at Tappal on Sunday holding a Mahapanchayat to decide their future course of action. Speaking to The Tribune, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said they expected that the compensation for the dead would be hiked to at least Rs 25 lakh. However, the farmers in the region are not ready to concede to anything less than the immediate release of their leader Kataria and the compensation for their land matching that given to the farmers of Noida.
|
|
Stir reaches Parliament
New Delhi, August 16 The ongoing farmers’ agitation in the neighbouring state saw BJP, SP, RLD, Shiv Sena and JD-U members storming the Well in the Lok Sabha and BJP and BSP, which is in power in UP, engaging in a verbal duel in the Rajya Sabha. Trouble began as soon as the two Houses assembled for the day. Trying to corner the Mayawati government over the police action that left three dead, opposition parties led by the BJP demanded a discussion during the Question Hour. While the Opposition demanded a statement by the government, countering it the BSP said law and order was a state issue and could not be discussed in the Parliament. BSP’s Satish Mishra pleaded for a ruling on matters relating to state subjects. When the matter was raised during the Zero Hour, there was an uproar and the House had to be adjourned. When it reassembled, the trouble continued, prompting Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan to adjourn it till 2 pm. In the Lok Sabha, BJP and BSP’s arch rival SP managed to stall the Question Hour. When the House reassembled at noon, similar protests were witnessed and the House was adjourned till 2 pm. But the pandemonium continued when Lok Sabha met again. BSP’s Dara Singh Chauhan tried to put forth the UP government's position but in vain.
|
|
Cong favours Haryana model
Lucknow, August 16 UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi along with several MLAs and MLCs from the region rushed to Aligarh yesterday where she met the family of Dharmendra, the farmer who succumbed to police firing. She urged the BSP government to follow the Haryana government model for working out compensation packages with the farmers. RLD chief Ajit Singh met farmers and expressed solidarity with them. SP activists held demonstrations at the district headquarters in support of the farmers.
|
|
Breach in dam submerges 12 R’sthan villages
Jaipur/Bundi, August 16 Due to the breach, the water level rose in the Mangali river, marooning a portion of the Kota-Jaipur highway near Talera town due to which traffic on the route remained disrupted for over five hours. However, no loss of life was reported. According to Irrigation Department officials, the dam had around 45 feet water when a stretch of around 70 m of its wall collapsed around 4.30 am. The dam, having a storage capacity of 64 feet, is located in the Dhabi police station area, about 30 km from the district headquarters. Bundi Collector Aarti Dogra visited the affected villages while the people were shifted to safer locations. Rajasthan Minister for Disaster Management and Cooperative Brijendra Singh Ola, who also visited the spot, said the affected villagers would be awarded compensation. Bhimpura and Mandawa are among the worst-affected villages where thousands of acres of crops have been submerged due to sudden breach in the dam. The government has constituted a high-level panel to look into the cause of the breach, besides placing under suspension a couple of Irrigation Department officials. The collector said revenue officials had been asked to carry out a survey of agricultural losses after which adequate compensation would be awarded to the affected farmers. As per the latest reports, the water level has receded considerably in the affected villages, though the situation remains grim as the fields are still inundated. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has also been reported in the Marwar region over the past couple of days. In Jaisalmer, Phalsund and Phulasar villages witnessed heavy downpour that wreaked havoc on “kutcha” houses in the area. In the Phalodi area of Jodhpur, a breach in a water body located at Malar village left railway tracks inundated on Phalodi-Bikaner route.
|
|
CWC discusses situation in Valley New Delhi, August 16
The top brass is concerned about the situation in the Valley can be judged from the fact that Home Minister P Chidambaram had been specially invited to Congress headquarters to give a presentation to CWC members about series of events that led to the current situation in the Valley. Chidambaram briefed the members about how the situation unfolded in recent months in the Valley, explaining that such incidents were not seen in initial months after the alliance government took over the state administration. As he talked about steps being taken to improve the situation in Kashmir, the Home Minister is understood to have told the party leadership that the situation in the Valley was “worrisome”. Congress president Sonia Gandhi presided over the meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side. Party general secretaries Rahul Gandhi and Digvijay Singh were the only members who did not attend the meeting, as they were both out of station. Expressing concern over recent spate of violence, including rising infiltration, the CWC called for a “balanced” approach of dialogue and action. Worried over attempts to misguide the youth, CWC members felt the government should do all it can to bring normalcy in the Valley and said the process should be taken forward with all seriousness.
|
||
|
Madani seeks stay on his arrest
New Delhi, August 16 Madani has sought anticipatory bail, which was rejected by the Karnataka High Court on August 3. The petition is likely to be listed for mentioning tomorrow, said his advocate Adolf Mathew. The lawyer said the PDP leader has challenged the grounds taken by the HC in rejecting his anticipatory bail plea. Madani has been evading arrest since the High Court dismissed his plea. The High Court had described the blasts as a 'terrorist act' and said it was rejecting the bail plea considering the seriousness of the offences committed by Madani, who is an accused. The High Court had said the offences committed by Madani came very much under the purview of the Unlawful Activities Act of 1967 and therefore "in view of the internal security and interest of the nation" the plea was being rejected. — PTI
|
||
|
CBI nabs ex-MP Pappu Yadav
New Delhi, August 16 Yadav, along with Rajan Tiwari (another tainted politician) and Anil Kumar Yadav, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Patna court on February 14 in 2008. However, the Patna High Court granted him bail on February 18 last year, prompting the CBI and the victim’s family to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, which cancelled his bail on May 3 this year. The SC asked the CBI to take him into custody. Yadav’s review petition in the Supreme Court was also dismissed on August 5 and the apex court asked the CBI and the Bihar’s DGP to execute its order of his arrest. Yadav went into hiding and the CBI traced him to a hospital in Gurgaon today. A local court granted the CBI a transit remand to produce him in the competent court in Patna. The Bihar Police allegedly overlooked Yadav and his cronies’ hand in the murder and chargesheeted five other persons in connection with the case. The case was later handed over to the CBI which unearthed the conspiracy and gave a clean chit to those nabbed by the local police earlier.
|
|
No assurance to Punjab on power plant
New Delhi, August 16 Minister of state for Power Bharatsinh Solanki today said the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) was engaged in discussions with the Punjab Government for implementation of a 4000-MW Central power project but did not give any time-frame regarding when the Centre would implement the project in the state In a written reply to BJP’s Avinash Rai Khanna, Solanki said the NTPC officials along with representatives of the state government visited sites in Punjab to explore the possibility of setting up a coal-based power plant. “The NTPC is engaged in discussions with the state government for availability of land and water for a possible project,” he said, responding to when the government would start the power project through the NTPC if the state government provides land, water and agrees to rehabilitate affected people. Punjab officials say the state had already indicated its readiness to provide land and water linkage for the project. State Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had sought a 4000-MW or higher ultra mega power project by the NTPC with 50 per cent allocation of power to the state, saying that Punjab was the only state with no Central power plant. “As regards power projects which are in the pipeline, the eGoM had decided that subject to the availability of gas, necessary allocations from the KG D6 fields will be made to these projects, as and when they are ready to commence production,” Solanki said. Badal had urged Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to allocate of 4.5 million metric standard cubic meter gas per day at the government administrative price from the National Gas Grid via the Dadri-Nangal pipeline for the 1000 MW gas-based power plant being set up in Punjab at Ropar. Meanwhile, Power Ministry has forwarded a list of Central, state and private sector projects, including pending projects of Punjab and Haryana, to the empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM). Solanki said 102 pending projects had recently been forwarded to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for consideration in the eGoM.
|
|
Indian Army hosts Chinese soldiers on I-Day
Guwahati, August 16 According to information provided by the office of GoC 4 Cops of Indian Army, the get-together was attended by Indian and Chinese Army personnel along with their family members. Representatives of civilian population from both sides of the border also attended the function. BPMs between the security forces of the two neighbours serve as a platform for resolving local issues and fostering confidence with a view to promoting peace and tranquility on the frontier.
|
|
MPs have to wait for salary hike
New Delhi, August 16 A Bill that proposed to hike MPs’ salary from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 was put on hold following reservations by a section of ministers belonging to the Congress. After cabinet clearance, it was to be tabled in Parliament later this week. According to sources, Home Minister P Chidambarm, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and Overseas Indians’ Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi felt that the proposed hike was too high and ill-timed considering the government’s inability to curb inflation and provide some relief to the common man. Sources said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal tried to reason out that the hike was long overdue after the Sixth Pay Commission raising the salaries of government servants manifold. Bansal also pointed out that his ministry had already scaled down the hike from Rs 80001 to Rs 50,000. A committee consisting of V Maitreyan of the AIADMK, SS Ahluwalia of the BJP, Rajiv Shukla of the Congress and Ramgopal Yadav of the SP and chaired by Congress Chhattisgarh MP Charandas Mahant had noted that the legislators are listed 21st on the warrant of precedence while secretaries come in at 23rd. But MPs get only Rs 16,000 per month, while a secretary gets Rs 80,000 a month. Congress and BJP MPs indignant over the Cabinet decision joined hands to protest. Congress MP Rajiv Shukla lamented, “The salary of an Indian MP is the lowest in the world. They are being paid less than a government clerk. As per the protocol, but see the wide gap between the salary of a Secretary of the Government of India and an MP,” said Shukla outside Parliament.
|
|
Sreeram breaks the jinx, becomes ‘Indian Idol’
Hyderabad, August 16 Sreeram, a 24-year-old postgraduate engineer, broke the jinx by becoming the first singer from south India to win the prestigious contest where outcome is decided by SMS voting by viewers across the country.
— TNS
|
|
A crash a month since April 5, 2007!
New Delhi, August 16 The figure do not include transport aircraft crashes. A total number of 39 fighter aircraft, including MiG series, Jaguars, Sukhoi aircraft and helicopters, have been lost in air crashes from April 5, 2007 to July 24, 2010, the Defence Minister AK Antony told the Parliament today. Each fighter costs a couple of hundred crores each in foreign exchange and is not available off the shelf. As per the data made available in Parliament, 13 fighters were of the ageing MiG 21 series, while six of MiG 27 series fighter went down. Two aircraft each of the MiG 29 series and the latest Sukhoi 30-MKI were also lost. The IAF also lost four of its Mi-8 choppers and two of the Mi 17 series choppers. The navy lost three of its Sea Harriers. Two of its Russian Kamov choppers also crashed. One Jaguar, One Kiran and one MiG 23 also crashed. Antony said each aircraft accident in the IAF is investigated through a court of Inquiry and remedial measures are taken to check their recurrence. A constant interaction with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), both indigenous and foreign, is also maintained to overcome the technical defects of the aircraft. He said the phasing out of a particular aircraft and its replacements is decided based on the operational requirements of services which is reviewed from time to time.
|
|
Rahman launches CWG theme song
New Delhi, August 16 “Oh yaaron, India ne bula liya”, composed by Rahman, is going to be the theme song of the upcoming Games in Delhi. The song was launched today in the presence top officials of the Organising Committee (OC) of the Delhi Commonwealth Games. It would be sung by Rahman at the end of the opening ceremony on October 3 and would also
be used for promotion of the Games. Rahman said the song was ready to rock the people, exactly the way Soccer World Cup’s theme song “Waka Waka” did. “The theme song is the symbol of energy and enthusiasm. I have tried to ensure that the song becomes a sensation like “Jai Ho”,” he said while addressing reporters at the launch ceremony. The theme song is composed by Rahman, directed by Shyam Benegal and produced by Bharat Bala. The launch came after a Group of Ministers (GoM) gave the nod to the tune on Sunday. Dedicating the song to Mahatma Gandhi, Rahman said it was not Shakira’s “Waka Waka” type, but it was full of energy. However, anxious fans of the singers will have to wait for another 10 to 15 days as the song is still being given final touches and would only be available in the stores by the end of this month. “I think it won’t be good to release the theme song without making the necessary changes,” he said. “The song is very beautiful and I liked it. It generates excitement and gives the right message. The song will be released for the people of India in 10 days,” said CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi.
|
|
Games village to open in ‘nick of time’
New Delhi, August 16 The Vice-Chairman of Organising Committee (OC), Randhir Singh, today said a ‘soft inauguration’ of the Games village will be held on September 16. However, according to sources, that is also the day when the arrival of CWG guests will begin in Delhi and many believe that there would be literally no time left for the officials to check the operations at the village. “They have constantly missed the deadlines. Delay in handling over the venues puts additional pressure on those responsible for conducting operations. Now, we have no time to conduct the operational procedures or drills and if they get squeezed, there are chances of unsatisfactory performance,” said a senior OC official, pleading anonymity. He said at least three to six months of period is required to check the operations of a particular venue. Twelve of the 34 residential towers in the games village have been furnished, which also has some minor fittings to be sorted out. Whereas, the OC officials said that stadiums are all ready to host any competition anytime. Lalit Bhanot, secretary general, OC, claimed all venues are in a good condition. “Minor touch-ups are being done the local agencies,” he said, adding that the work in and around the venues will be winded up by August 25. “It is the responsibility of venue owners to get the necessary clearances and certificates. They are in the process of getting it from the agencies concerned,” said Bhanot.
|
|
AP to be launch pad of UID project
Hyderabad, August 16 The dates for the PM’s visit are being worked out. “Tentatively, it may be around August 29-30,” official sources said. AP was also the launching pad for National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP), another important project of the UPA. Thanks to aggressive e-governance initiatives, the state has a pool of reliable data and this has helped the government in taking the lead
for implementing the UID project. In the first phase of the project, over 3.50 crore people will be enrolled in the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Adilabad, East Godavari, Srikakulam, Chittoor and Anantapur by March, 2011, covering all regions, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) areas and a substantial Scheduled Caste population. The officials would take the database of civil supplies and rural development for identifying the card users. The state had already made use of biometrics (iris scans and thumb impression) in both the departments to issue ration cards and job cards under NREGP in 2006. The state government would set up special booths for citizens to come and provide biometric features to obtain the number, the officials involved with the project said. While the Unique Identification Authority (UIDA) will issue the number, the state government will subsequently take the task of providing the cards to citizens. The officials decided to cross-match the fresh data of the UIDA with the existing data in civil supplies and rural development departments. All residents, including children, are given the unique ID number. The benefits of the service include enhanced access to services, mobility
and reaching out to marginal groups. The project envisages assigning a unique identification number to each resident in the country. It aims at eliminating the need for multiple identification mechanism prevalent across various government departments. It will ensure that development deliverables reach the intended beneficiaries. In order to do so efficiently, effectively and economically, a comprehensive system of unique identity for the resident population of the country has been worked out.
|
|
Girls chase away Maoists in Gaya
Gaya, August 16 The girls raised protest and chased the Maoists who opened fire and fled. Later the girls brought out a procession against the Maoists in the village, he said. —PTI
|
|
|
| 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 | |
The CBI arrested absconding former parliamentarian Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu
Yadav, from a private hospital in Gurgaon today. The four-time MP from Bihar, who was undergoing life imprisonment after being convicted of the murder of former CPM MLA Ajit
Sarkar, was granted bail by the Patna High Court. However, he went underground after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail and ordered his arrest, the CBI said.
New Delhi, August 16
