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Karnataka stops supply of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu
Karnataka, TN spar in SC
Underlying anxiety in Cong over Vadra row |
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Kejriwal eyes North with Manpreet’s support?
Operators to pay one-time charge for extra spectrum: EGoM
India’s richest Lord has no time to rest
Khushwant Singh Lit Fest in Kasauli from Oct 12
Asha Bhosle’s daughter commits suicide
Centre signs pact with Assam tribal militant groups
SC threatens to ban drug trials
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Karnataka stops supply of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu
MA Sadiq, managing director of the state-run Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited, said: "We have stopped supplying water to Tamil Nadu this evening. The order came from the government. The water situation in the reservoir (Krishna Raja Sagar) is pretty bad. Water is now being released only within Karnataka for irrigation purposes."
Sadiq said following a Supreme Court order, 10,000 cusecs of Cauvery water was released to
Tamil Nadu daily from September 12 to 19.
After the CRA order, 9,000 cusecs of water was released to Tamil Nadu every day since October 20 till this evening.
Kannada activists have been agitating in the Cauvery basin districts, particularly Mandya, against the release of water to Tamil
Nadu.
A state-wide bandh called on October 6 against the CRA order also evoked good response.
All major political parties, including the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, have been forced to lend their support to the agitation against the CRA order.
PM rejects K’taka leaders’ plea
Congress Union Ministers from Karnataka SM Krishna, Mallikarjun Kharge and KH Muniyappa and 16 BJP MPs from the state, led by M Venkaiah Naidu, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh separately in New Delhi today and sought a review of the CRA decision. The Prime Minister, who also heads the CRA, made it clear that only the authority could revisit the decision about the state releasing water to Tamil
Nadu.
The CRA is chaired by the Prime Minister and comprises Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, besides the Union Water Resources Minister.
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Karnataka, TN spar in SC
New Delhi, October 8 “These agitations don’t serve anything. In fact, they may spoil even a good case,” a Bench comprising Justices DK Jain and Madan Lokur remarked. When senior counsel for the two states presented their arguments forcefully, the Bench again remarked, “Let us have a congenial atmosphere at least in the court.” Appearing for Karnataka, senior counsel Fali Nariman said the order in the present form might come in the way of PM considering Karnataka’s review plea. He also sought adjournment of the hearing, pending disposal of the review plea. Senior counsel CS Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, opposed the plea for modification, contending that this would amount to the apex court holding that the PM did have the power to entertain review pleas, whereas the PM had no such authority.
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Underlying anxiety in Cong over Vadra row
Although the direct personal attack mounted against the Congress president is the primary worry of the party, its immediate concern is the possible impact this issue will have on its electoral fortunes in the upcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. These elections are crucial for the Congress as a good showing in the two BJP-ruled states will help to refurbish its image and recover lost political ground. While the charges against Vadra were first made public by activist-politician Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP has decided to use the issue to turn the heat on the Congress. Afraid of conceding opposition space to the new political party founded by Kejriwal, the BJP has jumped on to this bandwagon to demand a probe into the charges and has plans to raise the issue in Parliament. With an eye on the Himachal Pradesh elections, BJP leader Shanta Kumar has dragged Sonia’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi into the controversy by asking Kejriwal to probe details about the property she has acquired in Shimla. The CPM has also demanded an enquiry into the allegations about the financial dealings between Robert Vadra and realty major DLF. “Of course, it will affect the election campaign in the coming assembly elections since Sonia Gandhi has come under attack,” admitted a despondent Congress leader, adding that the Opposition has been making consistent efforts to hit out at the Gandhi family and this issue. It is precisely for this reason that the Congress and the government have been defending Vadra while maintaining that he is a “private citizen”. Finance Minister P Chidambaram today ruled out any probe into any probe into business dealings between Vadra and DLF, saying the the government cannot look into private transactions unless there are specific allegations of corruption. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has also slammed Kejriwal for making unsubstantiated allegations. “He is only doing this to get cheap publicity,” he said. Sonia to visit Jind today NEW DELHI: As the Congress-led Haryana Government faces flak for the recent spate of rapes in the state, a damage-control effort is being mounted with party president Sonia Gandhi set to visit Jind on Tuesday to meet the family of the deceased Dalit girl who was gangraped two days ago. Sonia Gandhi will be accompanied by Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Selja, who hails from Haryana.
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Kejriwal eyes North with Manpreet’s support?
While Kejriwal, who on Monday promised to expose “one more powerful person soon” and substantiate his case against Robert Vadra tomorrow, refused to comment on whether or not he was in touch with Manpreet, sources confirmed that feelers had been exchanged between the two for a possible political liaison. It can be win-win deal for both sides, they said. Kejriwal, who so far boasts of a good organisational base only in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, can benefit from the PPP’s existing setup for forays into Punjab and even Jammu and Kashmir. Manpreet contested the Assembly elections as a third option to the Akali Dal-BJP alliance and the Congress but failed to translate support into votes due to lack of a plausible agenda. With eyes now set on the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Kejriwal’s strong anti-corruption agenda can provide him with a perfect launchpad. For the 2014 general elections, Kejriwal’s strategy is to garner support from the middle class and the youth by raking up idealistic issues. After Vadra, he is preparing to “expose another powerful person very soon” and firm up his allegations against Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law on Tuesday with some more “proofs”. While the Congress leaders have termed Kejriwal’s allegations against Vadra “cheap political gimmicks”, they are seemingly worried. UPA ally Sharad Pawar has dared Kejriwal to approach court but senior politicians admit they were worried over Kejriwal’s future targets. Kejriwal’s open contempt for political holy cows and established systems has earned him public support. While Vadra is not a public servant who can be booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, a senior leader said in politics perceptions were important and the next target of Kejriwal’s “allegations”, whether from the ruling Congress or the Opposition BJP, could seed negative perception against the party concerned. The Congress is already feeling the heat of Kejriwal’s ante against the Sheila Dixit government in Delhi over inflated power bills. The party’s troubles over Vadra have compounded with claims of his alleged Facebook remark on “mango people in a banana republic”, which, reports suggest, he later deleted. The account is understood to have been deactivated at the behest of the Congress, which has advised Vadra to maintain a low profile. But an unrelenting Kejriwal slammed Vadra, tweeting: “Evidence pouring in from mango men from across the country. Mango men wud (sic) prove to be nemesis for the powerful”. targets priyanka
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Operators to pay one-time charge for extra spectrum: EGoM
This would mean that all the big five telecom companies --Bharti Airtel, Idea, Reliance Communications, Tata and Vodafone -- will have to pay extra for the spectrum that they hold beyond 4.4MHz. The decision to charge the incumbent operators, which has been a contentious issue with the existing operators, came at the meeting of
the EGoM this morning which continued for almost two hours. The government expects to collect about Rs 27,000 crore from the existing operators by charging
for this extra spectrum held by them. Reports said ignoring Attorney General GE Vahanvati's suggestion, the EGoM decided to charge one-time fee prospectively from October this year for all telecom companies having more than 4.4 MHz. Vahanvati had suggested in a note that spectrum allotted to telecom companies beyond 6.2 MHz should be charged and that the one-time fee should be levied from July 2008. A final decision based on the recommendations of the EGoM would be taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Department of Telecom (DoT) is expected to approach the Cabinet on the issue on October 16. “We had a two-hour meeting today. We have tentatively resolved all the issues,” Communications Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters after the meeting. The EGoM, in its previous meeting on October 3, could not take a decision on levy of the one-time charge in the absence of a legal opinion from the Attorney General on the issue. Refusing to comment on the decisions taken by the EGoM, Sibal said, “Till the matter goes to the Cabinet, I could not possibly tell you the details of the decision, but all the issues that were placed before the EGoM have been resolved.” The DoT had earlier made four proposals to the Cabinet on one-time fee. These being a no charge; levy a one-time fee on all airwaves held by existing telecom companies; impose a fee on airwaves held beyond the start-up spectrum of 4.4 MHz; or levy a fee on airwaves held beyond the contracted spectrum of 6.2 MHz.
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MoD shelves Army demand for attack helicopters
New Delhi, October 8 The Army Aviation Corps, which was formed in November 1987, flies light helicopters largely in the mountainous regions. Sources say one of the reasons that the existing arrangement will stay is the fact that the IAF has created facilities for the repair and maintenance of these helicopters at its forward bases. The IAF and the Army have a 1986 agreement on the allocation of air assets. Attack helicopters come under the command and control of the Army, but the IAF pays for the machines, maintenance besides training the pilots. The helicopters are tasked with the Army’s strike corps and are good at taking out enemy tanks. On October 5, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshall NAK Browne had said: “Attack helicopters do not have to just hit tanks. They may be needed to take out the enemy territory.” The Army had presented a demand for integral attack helicopters, he said adding: “The offer was not accepted. We have no objection.” The existing model was working well across the world, the IAF chief said, adding: “We cannot have our own little Air Forces.” The capability to carry out heavy airlift operations and conduct flights in attack formations are handled by the IAF and will remain so with the IAF for now, the source said. The MoD turned down the Army demand as it would have required creation of facilities from scratch. The Apache attack helicopters will also come under the IAF.
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India’s richest Lord has no time to rest
Over years, the rush of pilgrims at the popular hill shrine has gone up so high that the temple authorities are forced to keep the doors open virtually throughout the day to accommodate as many devotees as possible for a darshan. As a result, Lord Balaji gets just ten minutes of rest in a day! Considering the objections raised by some pundits over the Lord being starved of his sleep, the temple authorities have now decided to strictly follow the norms of “Agama Shastra” (temple traditions) and close the sanctum sanctorum for nearly 90 minutes every day to ensure unhindered celestial sleep for the Lord. The temple doors will now be closed from 1.30 am to 3 am. At present, the devotees are allowed inside the temple till 2.40 am after which “Ekanta Seva”, the last ritual of the day, is performed. Again, at 3 am, the Lord is up and awake with priests performing “Suprabhata Seva”. “We have issued orders to strictly follow the guidelines as per Agama Shastra. The main door will be closed at 1.30 am to give proper rest to the Lord,” said an official of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), an autonomous body managing the affairs of the hill shrine. In the earlier times, the temple used to be closed for public during the night. However, over years, this practice has been given a go-by because of the steady increase in the flow of pilgrims. “We want to restore the tradition,” the official said. On an average, over 60,000 pilgrims visit the temple, nestled among a string of seven hills, everyday. The number crosses one lakh mark on festivals and special occasions. With annual revenues crossing Rs 1,700 crore, Tirumala is considered the richest temple in the country. Up and about
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Khushwant Singh Lit Fest in Kasauli from Oct 12
Chandigarh, October 8 Khushwant Singh once famously declared that no condom has so far been manufactured for his pen! At 97, this grandmaster of journalism still writes his well-received columns and manages to bring a smile on the reader’s face with his humour, without malice. The lit fest is a tribute to Khushwant’s contribution to the written word that inspired many to take to writing. His son Rahul Singh, who is also director of the festival, said the concept mooted in June and has been actualised with the support of his friends, fans and lovers of Kasauli. And sponsorships for the fest have poured in. Kasauli was chosen for hosting the lit fest, despite its limited infrastructure, for it is at this quaint hill station that the writer preferred spending summers and wrote many a books and columns. Though the town can host only 300 guests, the organisers are hoping that all the lovers of written word will be accommodated. Majority of speakers, addressing different sessions during the fest too have had some connection with the hill station. The organisers placed on record their appreciation for the personnel of the Indian Army, without whose help the festival could not be held in Kasauli. On the evening of October 12, the festival will open with Sufi gospel music by Sonam Kalra. Khushwant Singh’s latest book “The Free Thinker’s Prayer Book” will be released and auctioned. A film titled “Till the pen drops” will be screened. On October 13, sessions like “Train to Pakistan”, “Art in the Mountains”, “Many Partitions Many Legacies”, “Translations from Hindi Heartland” and others will be addressed by speakers like Mani Shankar Aiyer, Lord Meghnad Desai, Ruskin Bond, Shobha De, Rahul Bose, Bhaichand Patel, Bachi Karkaria, Deepti Naval, Yashodhara Dalmia, BN Goswami, Madhu Jain, Mandeep Rai, Harish Dhillon, Raaja Bhasin, Romi Khosla, Salima Hashmi, Anand Sethi, Gillian Wright and Kishwar Desai. On the concluding day, Navtej Sarna, Inderjit Badhwar, Minakshi Chaudhury, Suneet Aiyar, Pradip Krishen and Lt Gen (retd) Kamal Davar and Juggie Bhasin will address sessions on “Holidays in Kasauli”, “The Ecological Gardener” and “The Terrorist”. An essay competition for schoolchildren will be held on the theme of environment protection. Pamela Brooks’ film “Train to Pakistan”, based on the novel of the same title by Khushwant Singh, will be screened at the Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. There are no concurrent sessions at this lit fest and in all probability, no books will be sold at the venue. The proceeds of the festival will be invested in preserving the ecological balance of Kasauli, informed Ashok Chopra, co-chairman and co-director of the lit fest. Booked
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Asha Bhosle’s daughter commits suicide
Mumbai, October 8 Varsha (56) was suffering from depression and had attempted suicide twice before. Both times she was taken to the hospital in time after she consumed sleeping pills. Asha Bhosle was away to Singapore in connection with an award function at the time of the incident. She was on her way back to Mumbai. The police cordoned off the family residence after Varsha was taken to the hospital. Her body would be handed over to the family after an autopsy, the police said. A columnist
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Centre signs pact with Assam tribal militant groups
Guwahati, October 8 The MoS was signed at the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi today, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said. As per the MoS, a special economic package of Rs 200 crore (Rs 40 crore per annum) over the next five years will be provided to the Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council (DHATC) to undertake special projects by the council. The economic package will benefit all communities, including the non-Dimasa tribals. As part of the restructuring and empowerment process, the existing North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council will be renamed as the Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council.
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SC threatens to ban drug trials
New Delhi, October 8 A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and AR Dave asked the governments to specify the number of such trials conducted between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2012 and casualties if any, their side effects and the amount of compensation paid to the affected people. The information has been sought within eight weeks. The Bench passed the order on a PIL filed by an NGO, Swasthya Adhikar Manch, alleging that a number of pharmaceutical firms were subjecting Indian citizens to such trials across the country. The Bench said if necessary it would ban such trials. Appearing for the NGO, counsel Sanjay Parekh said the trials were being conducted indiscriminately. Madhya Pradesh contended that the states could not be faulted as the Centre was giving permission to companies to hold the trials. The Bench said it was the state hospitals where the trials were being conducted.
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Suicide in train
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