|
|
|
|
|
Fire disrupts train services in Mumbai
Dikshit joins club of Cong CMs in trouble
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
India seeks membership of 4 export control regimes
Colonel jailed wrongly, to be reinstated
Abhishek Singhvi taken off party’s media roster?
Aarushi case
Defence Ministry to move SC to claim Adarsh land
Temple
treasure
Assam Governor wants UNESCO heritage tag for Majuli river island
Katju not in favour of media self-regulation
Tight security in place as ULFA protests PM’s visit
Bombs hurled
|
|
Fire disrupts train services in Mumbai
Mumbai, April 18 Train services in the suburban section of the Central Railway's mainline and its harbour branch were disrupted as authorities cancelled some trains and rescheduled others. The railways terminated many outstation trains to free the tracks for use by local trains, officials said. Commuters said trains were running up to an hour late, while the services that plied were packed to capacity. "Only 70% services will be operated today and normalcy will return in two-three days," a Central Railway spokesman said. According to him, a fire at the signalling yard at Kurla damaged equipment. It was put out in about half an hour. Train services resumed partially at 3.30 am today. While people were late for work, students appearing for examinations were the most inconvenienced. Political parties like the Shiv Sena arranged transport for students taking examinations. The Mumbai University has directed exam centres to "accommodate" students, who could not make it to their exam centres on time. Railways allowed CR suburban commuters to use their monthly passes on the Mahim-Churchgate route on Western line. Similarly, CR suburban commuters were allowed to board long distance trains at Kalyan and Kasara till CST using their passes. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) deployed extra buses at Ghatkopar, Kurla and Bhandup stations to cater to the rush of commuters. (With PTI inputs)
|
|
Dikshit joins club of Cong CMs in trouble
New Delhi, April 18 The list of crisis-ridden Chief Ministers includes Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot, Maharashtra’s Prithviraj Chavan, Andhra Pradesh’s N Kirankumar Reddy and Uttarakhand’s Vijay Bahuguna. They are all on shaky ground as they are busy battling growing factionalism and dealing with issues of governance. Having won three consecutive elections and dealt effectively with her detractors, Sheila Dikshit had acquired an air of invincibility. However, the Congress defeat in Delhi’s civic polls has dealt a blow to her image as she is no longer perceived by her party colleagues to be the match winner. While Congress leaders privately admit that growing disenchantment with the UPA government at the Centre cost them the MCD elections, Dikshit will not be able to escape blame for this defeat as she had staked her prestige on this election. As seen in Punjab where PPCC chief Amarinder Singh had come under sharp attack from his detractors after the party failed to dislodge the Akali government, dissidence is expected to surface in the Delhi unit in the coming days. In fact, the initial reactions of local Congress leaders like Jai Kishan Sharma or Jitendra Singh Kochar was a clear indication that Sheila Dikshit is in for troubled times. Dikshit has been fairly consummate in handling dissidence in the past but she will have a tough time now. Delhi Assembly elections are due late next year and if the party feels that the three-term Dikshit is no longer as asset, she will face the heat from her colleagues. As it is, the Commonwealth Games scandals and the controversy over the regularisation of unauthorised colonies have already dented her image. If Dikshit has run out of luck in Delhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is also struggling to contain dissidence in the state party unit. As many as 15 legislators met AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi recently to complain about Gehlot’s style of functioning and demanded his removal. Faced with a resurgent Opposition and series of scandals, including the Bhanwari Devi case, the Gehlot government has lost much of its sheen. Like Delhi, the present state of affairs does not augur well for Gehlot as Rajasthan is headed for the next Assembly election by the end of 2013.
|
||
|
India seeks membership of 4 export control regimes
New Delhi, April 18 “There are underlying objectives and principles which are common to all the regimes to which India subscribes to fully as it has demonstrated responsible non-proliferation and export control practices and has shown the ability and willingness to contribute substantially to global non-proliferation objectives,” Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said, delivering the key note address at a seminar on national export control, organised by the External Affairs Ministry and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis
(IDSA). Ever since India got a waiver from the NSG to undertake nuclear commerce in September 2008, it has stepped up efforts to attain full membership of the exports control
regimes-NSG, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement. New Delhi is quite hopeful that its case could be seriously considered by the NSG since the US is likely to become the Chairman of the 44-member nuclear cartel soon. The top Indian diplomat said that given the size of India’s industry and its projected growth, it was quite clear that the country has the ability to produce, manufacture or supply a vast majority of items that were controlled by these regimes. “As India’s integration with the global supply chains moves forward, it would be in the interest of the four regimes that India’s exports are subject to the same framework as other major supplier countries,” he added. He also pointed out to the global community that India has the ability to enforce a legally based domestic export control system which gave effect to the commitment to act in accordance with the respective guidelines of the regimes. India has also developed considerable experience in the implementation of its export control system. “We have witnessed instances of would be proliferators targeting India to source or route their supplies; our agencies have taken appropriate preventive action in such cases.” He was confident that India’s participation in discussions relating to proliferation assessments, trends, licensing experiences and enforcement issues would be mutually
beneficial. Mathai appreciated the support extended by a number of countries, particularly the US, France and Russia, to the proposal to grant India full membership of the export control regimes. He also spoke about the steps taken by India as part of its impeccable non-proliferation record, including the safeguards agreement it signed with the IAEA in 2009. ‘’We have already put 12 out of 14 nuclear reactors under IAEA safeguards. Only two more reactors are required to be notified by 2014,’’ he added.
|
||
|
Colonel jailed wrongly, to be reinstated
Chandigarh, April 18 While deciding the case of Col Avijit Misra, the Armed Forces Tribunal held, “The charges levelled against him were not proved beyond doubt and that during the GCM proceedings the accused was denied a reasonable opportunity to defend himself and there was gross violation of the principles of natural justice, which has vitiated the entire GCM proceeding and the findings thereof. Consequently, the punishment inflicted on the accused/applicant cannot stand and is liable to be quashed and set aside.” The officer’s case was that after taking over command of an infantry battalion deployed on the Indo-China border, he had projected several operational and administrative deficiencies that were the result of perpetual neglect on the part of the higher defence authorities. He was targeted for this and a case was ‘concocted’ against him. He was tried by a GCM on 10 charges of intent to defraud, extortion and corruption, and for using insubordinate language to a superior officer. The GCM, presided by Brig AK Sahni, had in April 2006, found him guilty on eight charges. He was cashiered from service and sentenced to one year’s rigorous imprisonment. A post-confirmation petition against the GCM’s verdict was also rejected by the Central government. The Tribunal, in its judgement passed yesterday, observed that the GCM heavily relied on the oral deposition of a witness who himself was a co-accused during the court of inquiry, but instead of being proceeded against he was turned into a prosecution witness in violation of procedures and hence could not be considered reliable. On insubordinate language, the Tribunal held that not only was it a trivial matter with no criminal intent, offensive expressions during the course of a judicial inquiry, as per law, are privileged and cannot be made subject of a criminal charge. While pointing out the “undue hurry” shown by the GCM on many occasions resulting in the court missing out most vital points on fact and law while drawing up its conclusion, the Tribunal observed that the MoD mechanically considered the post-confirmation petition and did not substantiate enough reasons in the order to justify the GCM’s verdict. “To our mind, there was total non-application of mind on the part of the Central government while dealing with the petition,” the tribunal ruled.
|
||
|
Abhishek Singhvi taken off party’s media roster?
New Delhi, April 18 “He (Singhvi) had to brief media on Monday but he called to say he was not well,” Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said. When asked whether Singhvi would be back for his the assigned party job next Monday, all that Alvi said in a carefully measured response was that “he should definitely come”. Even though officially the party is refuting speculations that Singhvi had been taken off the roster of media briefings in the wake of controversy surrounding him, party sources said the re-elected Rajya Sabha member had been taken off the party’s roster of media briefings for the time being in view of the CD controversy. This is not the first time the Congress spokesman has been stripped off the prestigious assignment. Taking a serious view of Singhvi's controversial act of representing lottery operators in Kerala, the party had in October 2010 asked him not to hold any briefings. Amid reports about a CD involving him, Singhvi, who briefs the media formally every week on Monday, has requested that the speculation over him should stop. “On Monday morning itself, I had informed the party office that I was indisposed,” he was quoted as saying. The Delhi High Court has recently restrained media from publishing, telecasting and broadcasting the contents of a CD pertaining to
Singhvi.
|
||
|
NBW against Nupur Talwar extended till April 30
Ghaziabad, April 18 The CBI told the court that it would not arrest Nupur till the pendency of her special leave petition before the Supreme Court but sought the extension of the warrant as an instrument to take action against her in case she does not get relief from the apex court. The CBI said since the deadline of warrant was ending today, they needed fresh orders from the court. Special Magistrate Priti Singh observed that the warrant could not executed by the CBI as the special leave petition was pending in the Supreme Court. The court fixed the next date of hearing on April 30 when it would decide the fate of the warrant. The agency also filed its compliance report before court in which it said that searches were conducted at six places to arrest Nupur but she went into hiding. It also claimed that she knew that the court had issued a NBW against her but despite that she kept evading arrest. The special CBI court had issued the warrant against Nupur, mother of 14-year-old Aarushi, as she was not appearing before the court, despite orders. The Talwars only daughter Aarushi was found dead at the family's Noida residence on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008. The next day, the body of their servant Hemraj was found on the terrace of the house. Meanwhile, the CBI officials had said the impression given out by Nupur that the agency was hounding her was absolutely baseless. — PTI
|
||
|
Defence Ministry to move SC to claim Adarsh land
Mumbai, April 18 Describing the report as an "eyewash", Nikam said the Commission had not considered the submissions made by the Defence Ministry that the Adarsh land belonged to them. The report had concluded that the land belonged to the state government solely on the basis of Section 294 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, which says that ownership of all unclaimed land belonged to the state, he said. The Commission's report said the Defence Ministry had failed to establish its claim of title to the land in question. "However, this is not so with the claim of the Government of Maharashtra. Their claim stands established in view of provisions of Section 294 of MLRC, 1966," it said.
— PTI
|
||
|
SC tells Kerala, management to share vault
cost
Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, April 18 A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and AK Patnaik asked the government to meet two-thirds of the cost, while the temple management would pay one-third. The cost would have to be paid within a month to the apex court-appointed expert committee responsible for preservation of the treasure kept in six vaults - A to F. The Bench passed the order on the recommendations of the committee for strengthening Vault C where the documentation of the valuables is on. Both the state government and the management showed reluctance in contributing to the reinforcement work, contending that they were cash-strapped. They also held each other responsible for meeting the cost.
|
||
|
Assam Governor wants UNESCO heritage tag for Majuli river island
Guwahati, April 18 Assam Government’s three earlier attempts to get the World Heritage tag for the river island located in the Brahmaputra River failed to cut ice with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on various ‘technical grounds’, including the submission of insufficient documents. The Governor has called for urgent step to make the Majuli Cultural Landscape Management Authority (MCLMA) fully functional. While making a review of physical protection measures for the erosion-hit river island and the status of its nomination dossier at a high-level in the Raj Bhawan here, Patnaik stressed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should ensure that Majuli’s nomination dossier and other required information are submitted to the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre by June. He directed the Brahmaputra Board and Assam Water Resources Department to undertake time-bound anti-erosion measures to save Majuli from erosion so that the UNESCO could be convinced about the physical existence of the river island in future. Idyllic Majuli island has a special place on the global map because of being the largest inhabited river island. It is also the principal seat of Vaishnavite culture and religion, which was preached and popularised in the Brahmaputra Valley in 16th century by saint Srimanta Sankardeva. Majuli, which is inhabited by a population of 1.52 lakh, including over 70,000 belonging to ethnic Mising tribe, houses numerous Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries). This seat of religion and culture as well as its treasure trove of flora and fauna, folk culture and tradition face a grave danger from the mighty Brahmaputra River that has been continuously eroding away its land mass. According to the available data, the area of the riverine island, which was 1256 sq km in 1991, has reduced to 450 sq km today. Because of unrelenting erosion by the river, the number of Satras (monasteries) at Majuli has been reduced to 22 from 65 at one stage. Every year, number of tourists, research scholars from abroad and distant places within the country pay visit to centuries’ old Satras in Majuli and get awed by the ambiance and exemplary practice of rich Vaishnavite culture and religion.
|
||
|
Katju not in favour of media self-regulation
New Delhi, April 18 He said regulation was a vital deterrent to let the media know that it could be hauled up for working against the national interest. “I do not agree with the Government stand of allowing self regulation for the media. In that case why should a dacoit not be allowed to self-regulate?” he said at an interactive session at the Indian Women Press Corps
(IWPC) this evening where he defended his past controversial remarks - 95% Indians are fools as they believe in superstition; women who men cohabit without marrying them are “keeps”. On the arrest of an academic in Kolkata for transmitting cartoons of West Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee, he said she should behave in a mature manner. “She is no longer a
streetfighter. She is the CM. She must learn the democratic way of working.”
|
||
|
Tight security in place as ULFA protests PM’s visit
Guwahati, April 18 The security agencies are on toes to ensure smooth visit of Singh to the city, in the wake of the proscribed anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) calling for a 12-hour statewide bandh on April 20 in protest against the visit of the Prime Minister of the ‘colonial Indian government’.
— TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
As different Congress factions were today busy trading charges over the party’s defeat in the MCD elections, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit now finds herself in the company of a host of Congress Chief Ministers who are in troubled waters in their respective states.
New Delhi, April 18
Ghaziabad, April 18
Its counsel Aniket Nikam, responding to the interim report of the two-member Adarsh Judicial Commission which held that the disputed land belonged to the Maharashtra Government, said "The title to any piece of land cannot be established conclusively through the report of the Commission which has been set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act. Title to disputed property can be established only by filing a title suit in an appropriate court of law which in this case would be the Supreme Court," he said, adding that the Defence Ministry was in the process of filing the title
suit.