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Mantralaya fire toll rises to 5
IT experts to help in data retrieval
IMD predicts ‘normal’ monsoon, ‘below normal’ for northwest
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CET row
Shiv Sena backs call for ‘Hindutva’ PM
IAF to get top-notch surveillance capability
jail Bharo agitation
Presidential election
JD(U) asks BJP to review stand
private investment in afghanistan
NCC cadets to don
olive green uniform: DG
Hinglaj temple sought for Karnataka
Team Anna justifies its claim on Pranab
To check mishaps, Rail Board for reducing duty hours of drivers
Prez Patil commuted death term of 35
Mulayam gives full marks to 100-day-old Akhilesh govt
Contempt notice to UP govt over kids’ plight at hospital
Assam pays compensation for fake encounter deaths
mumbai rave party
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Mantralaya fire toll rises to 5
Mumbai, June 22 Two of the persons who died on Thursday were identified as close associates of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Umesh Kotekar, former chairman of the Baramati Cooperative Bank and Mahesh Ghugale, secretary of the Baramati Merchants' Association were waiting to meet Pawar outside his office when the fire broke out. While Pawar and his staff escaped, the two victims were trapped in the office, fire officials said. The identities of the three remaining victims are yet to be established as their bodies were charred beyond recognition, fire officials said. Most of the people who were injured yesterday have been discharged, according to the police. One official, Hemant Khaire, continues to remain in the hospital as his condition continues to be critical, according to sources. Though the fire in the seven-storeyed building was put out early this morning, it is still not safe to enter the building as the interiors were still smouldering, fire brigade officials said. "It would take at least two days for the building to cool down," fire chief S V Joshi told reporters here. Investigations into the cause and response to the fire have begun. The Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police has formed four teams who have begun the process of recording the statements of those present in the building. Some of the ministers who met with the investigators also criticised the lack of adequate fire-fighting infrastructure and the poor response of the fire brigade. Meanwhile, even while the structural audit of the Maharashtra secretariat building was in progress, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has mooted the construction of a new building in place of the existing structure. “A new building should be constructed. But the government should build it. It should not be through BOT or private partnership…the work should not be given to private companies,” Pawar said after a meeting with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. The Union Agriculture Minister has thus effectively turned the spotlight on a plan to redevelop the area comprising the two secretariat buildings and the surrounding areas which house several bungalows for ministers. As per the original plan mooted four years ago, the state government was to hand over the prime property to an influential private developer who was to construct a new secretariat complex apart from a high-rise to house ministers. In return, the developer would have been permitted to commercially exploit the land by constructing towers with flats for sale to the public. The plan was hurriedly put in the back burner after it emerged that the developer would earn several thousand crores by selling flats in the open market.
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IT experts to help in data retrieval
Mumbai, June 22 "We will try to restore (data from the) hard disks. We will take the help of Nasscom, the cyber cell and foreign experts," Chavan said. He added that all the ministers have been asked to cancel their tours and supervise the work of restoring the files in their offices. “Files retrieved from the building will be taken to a safe location in a sealed truck,” Chavan said. The government had already begun the work of digitising records as a result of which more than 2.27 lakh files were already scanned, he said. The Chief Minister reassured the public that all the files pertaining to the Adarsh Housing Society scam were safe. "The copies of the all the files regarding the Adarsh Housing Society have been given to the CBI, so there is no question of the probe getting affected," Chavan said. — TNS
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IMD predicts ‘normal’ monsoon, ‘below normal’ for northwest
The weather office, which today marginally downgraded its earlier forecast, said the crucial seasonal rains would be “normal”, though less intense than last year, but the northwest, including granaries of Punjab and Haryana, may receive “below normal” rains. Assuring a “normal” monsoon for the country as a whole for the third year in a row, Minister of State for Science and Technology Ashwani Kumar today said the seasonal rains were likely to be 96 per cent of the long period average (LPA) with an error margin of four per cent. Allaying concerns over agricultural output triggered by erratic rains in the past few weeks, he said, “There is a good probability of a good monsoon in the coming weeks.” The range predicted by the IMD - 96 to 104 per cent of the LPA - is well within the classification of normal or average monsoon. Though it may remain stagnant for the next four to five days, the monsoon would reach Delhi by June 29 (error margin of three to four days) and cover India by July 15. In all, most parts are expected to receive good rains in July-August, the crucial months for the country’s trillion-dollar economy depending to a great extent on rain-fed agriculture. The report for the northwest, comprising Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, is not so encouraging. Met office says the region is likely to receive rains that are 93 per cent of its LPA with an error margin of eight per cent. Even though Kumar sounded all the right notes, assuaging fears of any negative impact of below average rains on the grain bowl of the country, considering that 97 per cent of Punjab, Haryana and western UP are irrigated, the fact is that less rains does mean more stress on groundwater and reservoirs. “On the whole, the causes of concern are minimal. Even though some areas may record less rains, there will be no negative impact on the country’s economy or production of principal kharif crops. Food inflation will decrease,” Kumar said. According to the Minister, apart from some parts of Gujarat, Marathwara and Rajasthan, the rest of the country will fare well. Central India will record rains 96 per cent of its LPA, South Peninsula 95 per cent and northeastern states 99 per cent, all with an error margin of 8 per cent. If the monsoons follow the IMD’s prediction, it might just aid the crisis-ridden government in recovering some of the lost economic ground. The much-dreaded El Nino is expected to appear only by August-September by when irrigation needs of rain-fed regions would have been met. A senior government functionary said the Congress-led UPA was waiting for a good monsoon to help raise the general sentiment. “The period following Presidential elections and good monsoon will see some good economic reforms,” he said. Monsoon accounts for almost all the annual rain in 75 per cent of the geographical area and 78 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country. A bad year can spell financial disaster for millions of farmers in the rain-fed areas who rely on seasonal rains for summer crops. Rural spending accounts for a large percentage of domestic consumption. Politically, a good monsoon is necessary not just to rein in food prices and spur growth figures but also generate goodwill among the electorate.
To reach Delhi by June 29 Though it may remain stagnant for the next four to five days, the monsoon would reach Delhi by June 29 (error margin of 3-4 days) and cover India by July 15 Not encouraging for northwest The report for the northwest, comprising Punjab,
Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar
Pradesh, is not so encouraging. Met office says the region is likely to receive rains that are 93% of its long period average with an error margin of 8%
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CET row
The move to convene this meet comes in the wake of unprecedented developments wherein the Senates (faculty bodies) of IIT Delhi and Kanpur rejected the IIT Council’s May 28 decision to hold a common engineering entrance exam in 2013, with weightage in admissions for school leaving exam marks and scores in JEE Main and Advanced. With IIT Delhi and Kanpur deciding to hold their own tests for admissions, the government is under pressure to clear the air on the status of engineering entrance tests next year and put to rest the apprehensions of students, who say they don’t know what they need to prepare for. Accordingly, the ministry said in a statement today, “The uncertainty faced by the student community, consequent to the resolutions of the Senates of IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi, requires to be addressed. Consequently, a special meeting of the IIT Council is being convened on June 27.” The special meeting is expected to take a call on whether the CET is to be held next year or if the ‘one nation-one exam’ proposal mooted by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and cleared by the IIT Council on May 28 needs to be advanced beyond 2013 in the larger interest of students. Sibal is also under pressure to take a firm decision in the matter after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured agitating representatives of the All India IIT Faculty Federation of the protection of IIT academic autonomy in terms of admission processes and decisions. Ministry sources said students were the top priority of the government and their interests paramount. That being the case, the Council may agree to advance CET beyond 2013 and allow JEE and AIEEE to be conducted for admission to IITs and NITs etc. It may also agree to hold CET minus the IITs or at least formally decide to exempt the IITs from the system and allow them time until 2015 to join the all India CET process.
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Shiv Sena backs call for ‘Hindutva’ PM
Mumbai, June 22 "Only a strong follower of 'Hindutva' should become the Prime Minister of the country," Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray was quoted as saying in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’.Thackeray's statement marks a U-turn by the party.
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IAF to get top-notch surveillance capability
New Delhi, June 22 The hi-tech surveillance capability will provide a real-time picture to fighter pilots and ground-based commanders to launch an air attack or thwart one. Once done, this will catapult the IAF into the elite league of air forces of the developed countries. Army’s three regiments will get the latest multi-use quick response surface to air missiles (QRSAMs). In war scenario, they can be deployed on mobile platforms for protection of ground forces and also for protection of vital strategic assets. In peace time, such missile unit are deployed around oil refineries, vital dams like the Bhakra and nuclear power plants among other places. Sources said some 48 launchers will be available to three regiments. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) - the apex decision making body on defence purchases - met this evening under the chairmanship of Defence Minister AK Antony and cleared these projects besides two others. The total cost of these projects would Rs 14,000 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by the Prime Minister, will ratify the decisions before further progress is made. The Defence Ministry has decided to ‘discourage’ the existing system of awarding a contract by nominating a Defence Public Sector Undertaking. “ Unless it is an operational emergency, nomination of a DPSU to carry out a contract should be discouraged,” Antony reportedly told the DAC. This comes after the DSPU Bharat Earth Movers Lmited (BEML) was found to be overpricing the Tatra trucks used by the Army. The CBI is probing the purchase of Tatra trucks. There was an urgent need for a project to interlink surveillance information. Called the integrated air command and control system (IACCS), the project will cost Rs 7,000 crore during the ongoing 12th plan (2012-2017). Under this, the IAF pilots and ground- based commanders will be able to detect and tackle enemy and terror aerial threats in real-time, sources said. The fully automated system enables transfer of images, data voice from satellites, ground-based radars, airborne radars called the AWACS and aerostat radars to conduct operations. The IACCS will be get its connectivity from AFNET - an acronym for Air Force Net. This is a dedicated optic fibre cable network connecting all airbases. On the new air defence missiles, sources said a sum of Rs 4,500 crore will be spent during the 12th Plan. The long-term plan is to replace the systems of 8 such regiments. The existing Russian Kvadrat systems — on which the Akash is also based — have outlived their utility. The DAC also cleared the purchase of additional 14 Dornier aircraft for IAF at the cost of Rs 15,00 crore. Separately, the DAC cleared a Rs 1,500 crore project for the Navy, which will get 116 30 mm guns for its warships.
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jail Bharo agitation
New Delhi, June 22 Addressing the people who had gathered to attend the Jail Bharo agitation here today, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Kumar Jaitley said having seen a huge rush at the agitation launched against price rise and corruption at the Jantar Mantar, it seemed that the government had lost confidence of the citizens. Jaitley made an appeal to the people to overthrow the UPA government from the Centre as it was insensitive and did not understand basic needs of the people. It has no agenda to control the price spiral that has broken backbone of the common man in the country. Rate of crude oil has come down by 33 per cent in the international market, but the government has not decided to bring down the rate of petrol and other fuels in the country. He said, “When Left parties withdrew support from the UPA on the Nuclear Deal (in 2008), the Samajwadi Party (SP) came to its rescue. All of us saw how the SP took a U-turn within 24 hours on the issue of Presidential candidate. Even the BSP took a U-turn on the issue," Jaitley said. Jaitley alleged, “The government is using the CBI as a tool to maintain its majority.” He said the government had appointed interlocutors to get the report of political situation in the Kashmir Valley. But after going through the report, it seems that the government wants to “divide” the country again. Jaitley said post-independence, the UPA government is the most corrupt government. When the Bofors scam of Rs 64 crore came to light, Rajiv Gandhi had lost the power. Now scams of thousands crores of rupees have come to light and this is all public money. He appealed to the people to overthrow the government to save public money. Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the UPA government “protected” the corrupt politicians. It has no policy for development of industries to provide job opportunities to youngsters. Rajnath Singh said for the past 10 years, the rate of inflation had gone high with the rate of 10 per cent while development had come down by 5.9 per cent. The NDA government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had controlled inflation and helped development of the country to reach at 10 points.
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Presidential election
Bhopal, June 22 "Mamata's candidate was former President APJ Abdul Kalam who has refused to contest the presidential polls so rationally, she should have supported Sangma, who is a capable leader from the northeast," Swaraj told reporters after courting arrest as part of the BJP's nation-wide protest on the issue or rising prices of food items and petrol. "Sangma will also speak to Mamata on the issue soon," the senior BJP leader said. When asked about BJP's opinion on Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's capability as presidential candidate, she said, "If Congress wanted to project him as a consensus candidate then its President Sonia Gandhi should have taken into confidence Opposition parties as was done by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the case of Kalam. — PTI
JD(U) asks BJP to review stand
Patna, June 22 Instead of asking us to review our stand to support Mukherjee's candidature in the presidential polls, the BJP should itself review is stand and support the UPA nominee in the presidential polls given his vast experience and contributions in public life, the
JD(U) national spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari said. "Mukherjee is a proven leader of tall stature and vast experience," he said and appealed to the BJP to support his candidature in the presidential polls. On the BJP squarely holding the Union Finance minister responsible the prevailing price rise and inflation, besides not properly dealing with the black money issue, Tiwari said that Mukherjee was not "responsible" for the mess in the Indian economy and said that the economic crisis as a result of host of issues, including global economic situation. — PTI
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private investment in afghanistan
Bangalore, June 22 Krishna made the opening remarks but, in adherence to India’s policy of maintaining low profile with regard to its effort to bring peace to Afghanistan, made no mention of the international conference being held in Delhi on June 28. India’s reluctance on military engagement in Afghanistan has paid off, with the Taliban recently praising India for resisting US pressure to get militarily involved in Afghanistan. India has invested more than $2 billion for reconstruction of Afghanistan and has built a 215-km road to Iran border to reduce Afghanistan’s dependence on Karachi port but it has also preferred to remain discreet on the purely civilian help extended by it Westerwelle, while addressing India’s concerns, said he had “assured” Krishna that German commitment to Afghanistan would not stop at the end of 2014 with the withdrawal of international troops from that country. “In the interest of long-term stability of Afghanistan and the region, we will continue to support Afghanistan by civil assistance and by training (its personnel),” the German Foreign Minister said. Westerwelle said he “sharply condemned” the attack on a hotel in Kabul by insurgents and taking of hostages by them. “Terror will not stop us from working for a better future of Afghanistan,” he said. Westerwelle said he and Krishna also spoke about other important issues such as the nuclear programme of Iran and the situation in Syria. He said they agreed that Iran had full right to civil use of nuclear energy. However, they also felt that Iran should maintain transparency with regard to its nuclear programme to allay fears about its making nuclear weapons, the German Foreign Minister said. On Syria, they both agreed to support former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s peace plan for the country, Westerwelle said.
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NCC cadets to don
olive green uniform: DG
Jalandhar, June 22 Gen Bhalla, who was on his maiden visit to the 21 Punjab Battalion NCC Kapurthala, said the issue of changing the uniform of the cadets was being raised by the Assistant NCC Officers (ANOs) in the past. “The cadets would be seen wearing olive green uniform like the soldiers of the Indian Army soon,” he added. The DG also said the ongoing shortage of the khaki uniform of the NCC cadets would also be solved soon as the NCC Headquarters under the Ministry of Defence have procured the uniforms. “There was a shortage of khaki uniform for sometime, following which the new as well as the old cadets were forced to go for training in civil dress. The uniforms would be made available soon,” Gen Bhalla said. It was also highlighted that a plan was afoot to upgrade the syllabus of NCC junior and senior divisions, for which talks were on with Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal. “The basics would remain the same, but more advanced lectures would be introduced so as to equip the cadets with better training facilities as per requirements of the armed forces. This topic is under process with Kapil Sibal and we are hopeful of introducing new curriculum from next academic session,” the DG added. Gen Bhalla was accompanied by Commanding Officer of 21 Punjab NCC Kapurthala Col Raobinder Singh and Group Commander Brigadier GPS Sandhu along with other officers. Gen Bhalla appreciated Col Raobinder for launching a special user-friendly
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Hinglaj temple sought for Karnataka
Bangalore, June 22 Hinglaj temple panel chairman Ganga Ram Motiyani was kidnapped in the first week of April from Lasbela in Balochistan and till date there has been no news of him. Bhavsar Kshatriyas, mostly settled in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Hubli-Dharwad region
of Karnataka, are the most ardent devotees of the goddess. “We wrote to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister to take up the issue with the Pakistan government so that adequate steps could be taken to ensure that Ganga Ram Motiyani was rescued from the clutches of the abductors,” Narayanrao B Tatuskar, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Bhavsar Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABBKM), told this correspondent from Hubli
in Karnataka. Tatuskar said the disappearance of the priest underscores the importance of their plan of setting up a shrine in the Hubli-Dharwad region on the model of the one existing in Pakistan. Quoting from a memorandum presented by the ABBKM to the Karnataka Chief Minister recently for allotment of land for the shrine, Tatuskar said devotees from India faced two major difficulties in undertaking pilgrimage to the shrine at Pakistan. The first difficulty, according to the memorandum, was that the travel to Pakistan was expensive and beyond the reach of ordinary pilgrims. The second difficulty was that getting Pakistani visa was not always an easy job, given the volatile relations between the two countries. “A substitute will never enjoy the status of the original shrine. But, devotees, who cannot visit the original shrine for various reasons, can make use of it,” Tatuskar said. He said they would procure some items from the original shrine in Pakistan so that devotees derive certain degree of satisfaction by paying obeisance at the proposed temple. For Balochistan’s Hindu community, the disappearance of Motiyani is the latest in a worrying trend. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) noted that up to 25 Hindus were kidnapped from different parts of Balochistan last year, only to be released after heavy ransoms were paid. “But Motiyani is not rich. Why should he be kidnapped?” asked Kokilaben Bhavsar, who met the abducted temple panel chairman when she made a pilgrimage to the shrine in June last year.
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Team Anna justifies its claim on Pranab
New Delhi, June 22 The letter is in response to a statement from Mukherjee’s office last week, which, while rejecting Team Anna’s allegations against him as “unfair” and “self-seeking”, had called the endeavour a reflection of lack of responsibility, while claiming to represent high standards of ethical behaviour. In response, Team Anna maintained there was a need for an independent investigation into the allegations against him as a person aspiring to be the President “should be above board”. It also said it was “unfortunate that your response conceals and distorts facts at several places”. —
TNS
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To check mishaps, Rail Board for reducing duty hours of drivers
Bangalore, June 22 The meeting was attended by chief mechanical engineers of all zonal railways and one mechanical loco inspector from each division and was addressed by Railway Board Chairman Vinay Mittal and other high officials. The meeting followed the recent spate of train accidents including the one involving the Hampi Express on May 22 leading to the loss of 25 lives. Pressure has also been mounted on the Railway Ministry by the All-India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) for improving safety measures in view of the frequent train accidents. A communiqué containing the minutes of the meetings and various suggestions made by the participants has been circulated to the General Managers of all the railway divisions in the country. It was suggested in the meeting that since the loco pilots (train drivers) were found to be above 55 years of age in majority of the cases of jumping of the signal by trains, the retirement age of drivers should be brought down to 55 years. It was also suggested that links should be made in such a way that there are not more than 2-3 continuous night duties for train drivers. Efforts should be made so that the running staff (train drivers) was not made to perform more than six hours duty between 10 pm and 6 am, it was suggested. It was also suggested that retro-reflective board indicating the type of signal with arrow towards the relevant line should be provided at each signal post. In case, there are more than two lines, the signal post of additional line should be of different colour. The name of the station should be written on signal posts of station signals. The participants also asked for ensuring proper time tabling so that margin for acceleration or deceleration is available depending on the load and gradients and incorporating a concept of loco recovery (making up for lost time) in the working time table. Suggestions made in the meeting also included subjecting drivers to breathalyzer test before embarking on a journey and counselling their families on the ill-effects of alcoholism. It was also suggested that train drivers should be protected from being arrested in case of accidents as this causes anxiety and increases the stress level of drivers. “The crew should be counselled not to work under pressure since he has to operate the train under maximum permissible speed now that the concept of booked speed is no longer there. Safety has to be given priority over punctuality,” said the communiqué.
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Prez Patil commuted death term of 35
New Delhi, June 22 However, the first woman President of the country rejected mercy petitions of five persons who had committed heinous crime, including the assassins of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said the President commuted the death sentence of 35 persons involved in 19 cases. Among those whose mercy petitions were accepted are those convicted of mass murder, kidnapping, rape and killing of children. On June 2, Patil gave her pardon to four more - Bandu Baburao Tidke from Karnataka, Buntu from Uttar Pradesh and Lalchand alias Laliya Dhoom and Shiv Lal from Rajasthan. As a swami of Sadashiva Appana Math, Bagalkot, Tidke abducted a 16-year-old schoolgirl, raped and murdered her. UP's Bantu, on death row since July 2008, was convicted of raping and killing a five-year-old girl. On February 9, she accepted the clemency petition of Sushil Murmu, pending since 2004, who was convicted for giving 'bali' (sacrifice) of a nine-year-old-boy in Jharkhand for his own prosperity. Since 1981, 91 convicts sought commutation of their death sentences to life imprisonment. Of these, 31 petitions were accepted, out of which 23 were during Patil's five-year tenure. In fact, almost all the convicts pardoned are guilty of the most blood-curdling crimes. Piara Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Gurdev Singh and Satnam Singh had massacred 17 of a family at a marriage function. Gopi and Mohan (Tamil Nadu) and Molai Ram and Santosh (Madhya Pradesh) had raped and murdered little girls. —
PTI
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Mulayam gives full marks to 100-day-old Akhilesh govt
Lucknow, June 22 Talking to mediapersons at the party headquarters, the senior Yadav himself being generous with numbers asked critics to wait for at least six months before passing their verdict. "The government has started acting on most of its poll promises. Implementation takes time, though policy decisions have been made. As far as the law and order is concerned, things are under check. Most of the remaining crime is due to personal enmities. The local police knows about these things and has been asked to fix it,” Mulayam said. Significantly, there was no official function or celebration to mark the milestone. The model code of conduct being in force due to urban body election scheduled for next week was apparently the reason behind this. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhury described the 100 days of the SP government as historic as it marked the return of democracy and transparency in the state. "The new government has a democratic work culture. The Chief Minister is accessible to the common man through his janta darbars and the extended budget session, where issues concerning the people are being discussed. A significant beginning has been made by making budgetary allocations for all the major poll promises like unemployment allowance, laptops and tablets for Class X and XII students and loan waiver to farmers." However, Leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya hit out at the SP government for its total failure on all fronts. "Look at the pitiable power scenario. With the same amount of power generation, there were more hours of power to both the rural and urban areas under the BSP government. The lesser said about the law and order situation the better it is,” Maurya said. BJP spokesperson Rajendra Tiwari also charged the SP government for failing to meet the aspirations of the people. "Instead of following its guide Ram Manohar Lohia, the SP is following the footsteps of the Congress,” Tiwari alleged.
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Contempt notice to UP govt over kids’ plight at hospital
Lucknow, June 22 Taking suo moto cognizance of media reports of the pathetic condition of the hospital the vacation bench comprising Justice Sunil Ambawani and Justice Sunita Agrawal had appointed a team of two lawyers to make an on the spot visit to the hospital and submit a report. A day after the lawyers submitted their report stern contempt order was passed. "We are deeply concerned over the negligent attitude of the Principal of the Motilal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad, Superintendent-in-Chief, Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital attached to it, Head of the Department of Pediatrics, Swaroop Rani Hospital, Allahabad and the doctors/in charge of the S N Children Hospital, Allahabad", the court said. Not sparing the senior officials of the state government either the court has also issued a notice to the Principal Secretary, Medical Education. Holding the Principal Secretary, Medical Education, UP, "equally responsible" the court in its order states "We find that they have committed gross negligence in allowing the children to die in a pitiable condition". — TNS
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Assam pays compensation for fake encounter deaths
Guwahati, June 22
The Commission, on the basis of the inquest, post-mortem examinations, magisterial inquiry reports and other material on record had observed that this was an execution, not an encounter, and a criminal and grievous violation of human rights.
It also said the evidence from the post-mortem examinations shows that the five men were shot from the back, not in an exchange of fire. No attempt was made to establish, through the ballistics and forensics tests that are standard operating procedure for any efficient police investigation, that these men had handled or fired any of the weapons allegedly recovered from the site.
Unconvinced by the explanations given by the Government of Assam, the commission had recommended that it pay Rs 5 lakhs each to the next of kin of five men killed in a fake encounter- Allauddin, Sahjamal Hoque, Promtone Sangma, Jahangir and Salim Khan. —
TNS
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mumbai rave party Mumbai, June 22 "We have received samples for 46 of the 92 persons who attended the sundown party at a hotel in Juhu last month. As many as 44 of the 46 males tested positive for the drugs," said Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, but refused to divulge their names. The results of the other 46 persons, including two IPL cricketers, Wayne Parnell and Rahul Sharma (both played for Pune Warriors India), and 38 women, have not been received yet, he added. According to police, these 46 men were taken to the civic-run Cooper hospital after they were rounded up along with 46 others partying at Oakwood Premier Hotel on May 20. The hospitals took urine and blood samples for alcohol presence testing and the same samples were also sent to Kalina Forensic Laboratory for drug tests. The results of 46 men were received today, police said. All those who tested positive would face arrest, another police official said, adding that the procedure to arrest would start in a day or two. "There could be some foreigners and high-profile personalities among those who tested positive," he said. Among the 44 who tested positive so far, 27 had consumed cannabis, one had MDMA (better known as ecstasy, a drug usually taken in pill form) while 16 had consumed MDMA as well as cannabis, according to Patnaik. Giving details of alcohol consumption, the Police Commissioner said, "29 among these 46 persons had alcohol during the party and the invitations were sent through internet. On the invitation, it was mentioned 'support the music and not the drugs'".
— PTI |
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The death toll from yesterday's fire continues to rise with three more bodies being discovered from building.
A recovering monsoon, it seems, might just come to the rescue of the UPA government, battling weakening domestic economic scenario and lingering inflation amid allegations of policy inaction.
New Delhi, June 22
Reducing duty hours of mail/express train drivers to six hours (they encounter a signal every minute on an average) to monitoring the crew on his first trip after having availed rest (since most of the signal-jumping cases have occurred after the train drivers have availed headquarter rest) are among the suggestions that came up during a recent meeting on SPAD (signal passed at danger) convened by the Railway Board.
New Delhi, June 22
New Delhi, June 22
