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Women not safe on Delhi streets: SC
SC sets up special Benches for pending criminal, civil cases
Two-phase poll for three north-eastern states
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Sarpanch gunned down in J&K
India, China reaffirm commitment to peace
Owaisi’s arrest sparks protests in Hyderabad
SC quashes appointment of K’taka Upa-Lokayukta
Andhra bans sale of gutkha, pan masala
Last ‘akhara’ to march to Kumbh area today
Ensure clean water during Kumbh Mela: PM
Mega event to generate Rs 12,000 cr for UP
Biomedical waste disposal a problem at military hospitals
Congress looks to push Women’s Reservation Bill
BJP likely to revoke Jethmalani’s suspension
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Women not safe on Delhi streets: SC
New Delhi, January 11 “Even after the Delhi rape, such incidents are still taking place,” a Bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra noted. The Bench made the observation while issuing notice on a fresh public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an end to the “two-finger” test being conducted on rape victims to ascertain as to whether they were habituated to sex and the revocation of bus permits issued in Delhi in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. The PIL has been filed by Nipun Saxena and another law student stating that the Delhi gang-rape incident had prompted them to approach the Supreme Court. “You are absolutely correct. There is no safety. Safety has to come back,” the Bench remarked, acknowledging the sentiments of the petitioners that women on the streets of Delhi were really scared. Referring to the prayer for cancellation of bus permits, the Bench said that that was not enough. The owners found to have received permits through dubious means should not be allowed to operate any vehicle in the future. During the arguments, the Bench expressed the feeling that much would depend on the people’s behaviour towards women, who should be treated with “dignity, respect and equality”. This attitude must come, it said. Contending that the two-finger test was against the dignity of the rape victims, the petitioners pleaded for a review of this practice. The PIL has also sought a directive to the National Commission for Women for filing a status report on the steps taken to establish a criminal injuries compensation board. The Centre and the NCW should be asked to set up the board in compliance with an apex court verdict delivered 16 years ago. The SC has already sought the views of the Centre and the states on another PIL seeking fast-track courts to exclusively deal with cases of crimes against women.
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SC sets up special Benches for pending criminal, civil cases
New Delhi, January 11 The Bench would start functioning from January 14 and take up for regular hearing cases relating to rape, dowry and other offences against women, besides those involving death sentences and other criminal matters. As many as 526 cases are listed for the Bench, with Sidhu’s case figuring at 292. In a 1988 road rage case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court sentenced Sidhu to three years jail in 2006 by setting aside the trial court’s order of acquittal. On Sidhu’s appeal, the SC stayed the conviction and allowed him to contest and win the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, which he had vacated following the HC verdict. Sidhu had been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder following the death of one Gurnam Singh who had been assaulted. The Bench has been set up just days after Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir’s letter to High Court Chief Justices asking them to expedite disposal of cases relating to rape and other crimes against women. The CJI had cited the recent gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in Delhi as the reason for his letter. The SC circular, however, clarified that cases involving people languishing in jail would be given top priority. The other cases that would be fast tracked are those involving cruelty to women for dowry, harassment of SC, ST or OBC and women, dowry deaths, eve teasing, domestic violence, corruption, appeals against acquittals, election matters (Parliament and Assembly seats), senior citizens and matrimonial matters. Similarly, another Bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and V Gopalagowda will function from January 14 to expedite disposal of long-pending civil cases.
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Two-phase poll for three north-eastern states
New Delhi, January 11 The EC also announced byelection to nine assembly constituencies in Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab on February 23 and in Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra on February 24, and their results will also be out on February 28. Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said the Model Code of Conduct will be in operation with immediate effect. He said electronic voting machines will be used in elections to the three north-eastern states as well as in byelections in all seven states. The EC will deploy observers in adequate number to ensure smooth conduct of elections and appoint adequate number of expenditure observers and assistant expenditure observers to exclusively monitor election expenditure of contesting candidates. The notification for Tripura elections will be issued on January 21 and for Meghalaya and Nagaland on January 30. All the three state assemblies have 60 seats each. While 10 are reserved for SCs and 20 for STs in Tripura, 55 assembly seats are reserved for STs in Meghalaya and 59 in
Nagaland.
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Sarpanch gunned down in J&K
Gooripora (Sopore), January 11 Injured Mir was shifted to a hospital, but could not be saved. The incident happens to be the first politically motivated killing in the region this year. Mir, in his early 60s, was buried in the presence of hundreds of villagers. The funeral was a quiet affair - no slogans were shouted and no calls for revenge were made. Mir, who was affiliated with the Congress, was overseeing construction of a drain and a bathroom for the local village mosque when a man wearing a pheran (knee-length winter cloak), a red muffler and a red cap, reportedly came looking for him. He asked Mir to accompany him in connection with some work. Soon thereafter, villagers heard a gunshot. A police spokesman said “unknown militants” fired at Mir. “He was shifted to the Sopore sub-district hospital in a serious condition where he succumbed to his injuries,” the spokesman said. “I heard a shout that someone has been shot,” Mir’s wife Haja said. “I ran out of the house looking for him,” she said, breaking down into tears. Sopore, 50 km from Srinagar, is among Kashmir’s last militant bastions where militancy remains resilient despite major offensives by security forces. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in Pune, said security of the panchayat heads would be stepped up immediately. “One more sarpanch was killed today. It is necessary to step up security measures to protect sarpanches in the state,” he said. It was not yet clear as to which elements were behind the act, he added.
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India, China reaffirm commitment to peace
New Delhi, January 11 This was the last meeting between Menon and Dai, the designated Special Representatives of the two countries, to find an amicable settlement of the vexed border dispute. The two officials are learnt to have reviewed progress made by the two countries over the last few years to resolve the boundary dispute. They were of the view that peace and tranquillity must be maintained at all costs along the border. Dai told Menon that the new leadership in China was committed to promote ties with India in all fields. Sources said the two officials expressed satisfaction over the progress so far in border talks, but emphasised the need to expedite a solution. Dai is set to be replaced in March in the once-in-a-decade change in leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Dai, who headed the Chinese delegation at the BRICS High Representatives meeting yesterday, also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He has been the longest-serving Chinese negotiator on border talks with India and had held talks with Menon’s predecessors Brajesh Mishra, J N Dixit and M K Narayanan. His meeting with Menon today took place just a month after the Indian official visited Beijing and the two sides reached a “common understanding” on the negotiations over framework for a boundary settlement. Following Dai's visit, India’s Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma will travel to Beijing for the annual defence dialogue on January 14-15. Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy is also scheduled to visit Beijing in the coming days.
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Owaisi’s arrest sparks protests in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, January 11 Police used batons and tear gas to disperse hundreds of youths coming out of the historic Mecca Masjid after Friday prayers as they resorted to stoning and tried to advance towards Charminar. Youngsters raised slogans and some held pictures of Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen who was arrested Tuesday and is currently jailed in Adilabad, some 300 km from here. Police said some people pelted stones from inside the mosque on policemen and journalists. They also tried to take out a procession but were pushed back by police. — IANS
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SC quashes appointment of K’taka Upa-Lokayukta
New Delhi, January 11 The CM had “committed an error” in not consulting the chief justice of the high court. “Records indicate that there was no meaningful and effective consultation or discussion” before advising the Governor to appoint Justice Chandrashekaraiah, a Bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Madan B Lokur held. The appointment of Justice Chandrashekaraiah on January 21, 2012, was, therefore, in violation of 3(2)(b) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984 and consequently “cannot stand in the eye of law and he has no authority to continue or hold the post of Upa Lokayukta,” the apex court ruled. However, Justice Chandrasekharaiah could be considered for the post afresh along with other names as there was nothing adverse against him, the SC clarified. On April 3, 2012, the Karnataka HC had also quashed the appointment, holding that the CJ’s advice on the issue had “primacy” over the views of other consultees -- chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, the Speaker of the Council, Leader of the Assembly and of the Council -- and directed the chief minister to initiate the proceedings all over again as per the HC’s guidelines. Justice Chandrashekaraiah had come to the SC, challenging the HC ruling. The SC set aside the HC’s findings, pointing out that giving primacy to the CJ’s views would reduce the consultation process with the other four constitutional functionaries to “a farce”. All these authorities “have an equal say in the executive governance of the state and there is nothing to suggest that their opinion should be subordinated to the opinion of the CJ of that the CJ can veto their views,” the apex court noted.
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Andhra bans sale of gutkha, pan masala
Hyderabad, January 11 With this, AP has become the 14th state in the country to ban gutkha containing tobacco as one of the ingredients. There are 12 gutkha manufacturing units in the state. The State Health and Family Welfare Department issued a GO to this effect and said that various departments, including vigilance and enforcement, commercial tax, transport, labour, municipal administration, panchayat raj and police, would work together to ensure effective enforcement of the ban order. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2010), released by the Union Ministry of health and Family Welfare in October 2010, about 29 per cent of the adult population in AP consume tobacco products in some form or the other. Among them, 15 per cent use smokeless tobacco while 17.4 per cent are smokers. “Every year, over 80,000 new cases of oral cancer are reported in India due to the high use of tobacco. The ban is going to save millions of lives. This is a laudable move,” said Dr Vijayanand Reddy, Director of Apollo Cancer Hospital here. The experts point out that among the 3,095 chemical components found in the tobacco products, including gutkha, 28 were proved to be carcinogens which cause cancer. “The use of chewing tobacco is associated with high prevalence of oral cancer in India. Over 90 per cent of oral cancer is directly associated with tobacco use,” he said.
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Industry honchos flock to Modi’s Gujarat
Ahmedabad, January 11 Vice-chairman of the Astrakhan regional government Konstantin Markelov, with which Gujarat has long-term trade and cultural ties, wished Modi well for next year’s Parliamentary elections. Top bosses from all leading industrial houses in the country announced their commitment for future investments in the state on the inauguration of the two-day summit at the sprawling Mahatma Mandir. They said the reason for their coming to Gujarat was the fact that the state had emerged as the “best business destination” in the country that became possible only due to Modi, who had the vision and the conviction to bring the state to the level of present development with missionary zeal. Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and his younger brother Anil Ambani, ESSAR group chairman Shashi Ruia, Adani group chairman Gautam Adani, Maruti Suzuki Limited chairman RC Bhargava, Adi Godrej, chairman of CII and national partner of the summit, Mahindra and Mahindra group vice-chairman Anand Mahindra, ICICI Bank chief executive Chanda Kochar and HDFC Bank managing director Aditya Puri were among the host of top industrialists present on the dais besides the High Commissioner of Canada and the Ambassador of Japan, partner countries in the summit. While most industrialists outlined their future investment plans in the state, Bhargava said Maruti had decided to make Gujarat its second home after Haryana. United Kingdom High Commissioner James Bevan said Britain and Gujarat had emerged as “natural partners” and described himself as a “son” of Gujarat, drawing a link to his birthplace, Lester, which he claimed had the largest concentration of Gujaratis outside Gujarat. UK-India Business Council chairman Patricia Hewitt also sought to establish a relationship with Gujarat as she represents Lester in the British Parliament. Ron Sommers, representing the US-India Business Council, described Gujarat’s progress as “stunning”, even overcoming the problem of global recession. Pointing out that Reliance was a “Gujarati company”, Mukesh Ambani praised Modi’s “grand vision” to develop the state into a modern one while his brother, Anil put Modi in the same league as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and his father Dhirubhai Ambani. Anand Mahindra visualised a reverse trend in the coming years. “Today, we talk of the China model of development in Gujarat. Soon, a day will come when the people will talk about the Gujarat model of development in China,” he said. Modi said the current summit was not so much for investments, but was aimed at focussing on knowledge, technology and innovations. He pointed out that Gujarat had achieved over 10 per cent growth in the three key sectors of manufacturing, agriculture and service -- the three “pillars” of Gujarat’s economy.
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Last ‘akhara’ to march to Kumbh area today
Allahabad, January 11 Each of the 13 ‘akharas’ (orders) - into which Hindu saints across the country are organised - take turns to hold these processions which feature their supreme religious leaders seated comfortably in their makeshift thrones atop tractors, the modern-day chariots. Guarding the chief’s throne from the sun are gold and crimson parasols that are displayed prominently to ensure that the crowds get an easy glimpse of the supremos’ grandeur. Leading the procession are the mystical Naga sadhus, the half-naked, ash-smeared saints who represent the commando force of each ‘akhara’, walking alongside elephants and horses. Music band players - hired to add much-needed flavour to the occasion - often walk in front of the ‘akhara’ tableau, playing bhajans set to both traditional and Bollywood tunes. A spectacle to behold, the procession involves a huge amount of expenditure on the part of ‘akhara’ managers who leave no stone unturned to put their best foot forward. Conservative estimates suggest that the expenditure on all 13 processions put together could be anywhere between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore. Mahant Yogendra Giri, chief representative of Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani - the first to hold a procession on January 3, told The Tribune today, “We hired seven music bands costing Rs 50,000 each; 40 tractors costing Rs 3000 each; three elephants at the rate of Rs 3000 each. Miscellaneous expenses can easily touch Rs 1 lakh. It is expensive, but it is our best way to salute the Mahakumbh.” The size of the budget depends on the size of the ‘akhara’. The Panchayati Bada Udasin Akhara, to which Baba Ramdev professes his allegiance, is
one of the largest orders with crores of followers worldwide. Thousands have converged on Allahabad for the Mahakumbh and the first holy bath is scheduled for January 14 at the Sangam - the meeting point of the Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati. The processions are so significant to the Mahakumbh, a once-in-12-years event, that all top saints make it a point to attend these. At Bada Udasin’s procession yesterday, Ramdev was present among the other leaders. He was among the last ones in the march that organises leaders according to their seniority, the first being the chief of chiefs Acharya Mahamandleshwar. For the average visitors to the mega event, processions are an occasion to know which spiritual leader belongs to which order - a fact otherwise hidden. “I had no clue about Ramdev, but now I know. I also know now that he is far behind among his own,” Partha Das, a visitor from Kolkata, said. All processions, including the one organised by Naya Udasin Akhara today, pass through the heart of Allahabad - covering around 5 km - to reach the tented city of Mahakumbh where saints then settle into their pre-allotted camps on the banks of the Ganga. It is from these camps that they go for the holy dip as and when scheduled. The processions date back to the Mughal era when they acquire the name ‘peshwahi’. Prof Dhananjay Chopra of Allahabad University explained, “Peshwahi is the soul of the Mahakumbh. It literally means an akhara’s presentation to the Kumbh. For Hindu saints, the peshwahi is an occasion not simply to enter the world’s largest religious congregation, but to enter it in style. It is their way to flaunt their following and grandeur, hence
the ostentation.” The processions of Mahakumbh 2013 will conclude tomorrow with Nirmal Panchayati
Akhara, an order dominated by Sikh sadhus, displaying its strength.
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Ensure clean water during Kumbh Mela: PM
New Delhi, January 11 “The Prime Minister has been monitoring the availability of adequate water from Tehri Dam in the Ganga at Allahabad during the Kumbh Mela. Directions have been given to control the pollution load flowing in river Yamuna during the Kumbh Mela period”, a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said here today. The PMO also gave instructions that Delhi Jal Board should ensure that the performance of the 72 MGD STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) at Keshavpur renovated/commissioned recently is stabilised so that it functions optimally and the effluent meets the norms. The Delhi Government has been asked to ensure that the performance of the STPs and CETPs (Common Effluent Treatment Plants) is optimised to meet the effluent quality norms. At Sangam, Allahabad, the biochemical oxygen demand of the Yamuna and the Ganga is generally less than 6 mg/ltr but the main issue is of the colour of the effluents discharged by the pulp and paper industries into Ram Ganga and Kali (both tributaries of the Ganga). The PMO has also directed the state pollution control boards of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to ensure that all the paper units discharging their effluents into the Ganga or its tributaries comply with the prescribed norms. “Monitoring of water quality in Ram Ganga and Kali and their tributaries is being initiated on a daily basis by the state boards of Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh with the coordination of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),” the statement said. Meanwhile, a PTI report from Kanpur said the district administration has asked 350 tanneries to neither use water at their units nor release their effluents into the Ganga till the pilgrimage is in progress.
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Sonia may take holy dip
New Delhi, January 11 A senior Congress functionary said that she has received invitations from several religious groups but the plans for her visit are yet to be firmed up. Congress leaders were also quick to point out that there is nothing unusual about her proposed trip as it is in keeping with her family traditions. Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi always made it a point to take a dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati and perform the necessary rituals during the Kumbh Mela. Sonia Gandhi’s trip to the Kumbh this time will stand out in sharp contrast to her last visit to the Mahakumbh Mela, described as one of the biggest religious gatherings. The Congress president had created a stir when she decided to participate in the mass Hindu pilgrimage in 2001. She was then the Leader of Opposition and under constant attack on account of her foreign origin. Her visit to the Kumbh Mela at that particular juncture — when she performed puja like a devout Hindu — was seen by many as an effort to find greater acceptability among the sceptical people who viewed her as an outsider and a Catholic. The Congress had also hoped to endear itself to upper-caste Hindus in the electorally-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh by this gesture where the party has been supplanted by regional players like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. In fact, Sonia Gandhi had visited several Hindu shrines, including the Tirupati Temple, as part of this exercise while she went about the painstaking task of rebuilding the Congress party. But it will be a different story this time. Sonia Gandhi has shed the “foreigner” tag, is recognised and accepted as a key political figure, has established complete control over the Congress party and is the power behind the UPA government. While the 2001 trip was to establish her personal credibility as an Indian, her proposed trip to the Kumbh 12 years later will be about refurbishing the dented image of the Congress. The Congress-led UPA government has been battling allegations of corruption while the ruling coalition has been accused of poor governance. Aware of the challenge ahead, the party and the government have been working overtime to retrieve lost political ground with an eye on the upcoming key Assembly polls later this year which will be followed by the big electoral challenge in 2014. But it could do with some divine intervention.
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Mega event to generate Rs 12,000 cr for UP
Lucknow, January 11 The ASSOCHAM forecast paper "Mahakumbh Mela 2013 - Possible revenue generation resources for Uttar Pradesh" projects that the mega event alone would generate additional employment opportunities for over 6 lakh workers in sectors such as airlines and airports, hotels, tour operators, flyovers besides medical and eco-tourism. In addition, the activities of unorganised sectors would also gain substantially from the Mahakumbh as it is expected to prove a boom accruing maximum economic gains. According to ASSOCHAM secretary general DS Rawat, “The Mahakumbh is expected to generate much direct and indirect activity in almost every key segment as it touches the masses and has a large number of beneficiaries. Hence, the fruits of the phenomenal business will hopefully benefit the masses of Uttar Pradesh.” The paper estimates that during Mahakumbh, about 1 million foreign tourists would visit India for sightseeing. Tourist arrivals are expected to increase to 250 million from 30 million who took the holy dip in 2001. According to Rawat, foreign tourists visiting the mega event in Allahabad would mainly be from Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The hotel industry is aiming at a 100 per cent occupancy during the event which currently is 70 per cent. To cover the event, the national and international media arrives in large numbers and the average duration of stay of foreign tourists in India is about 20-30 days. These tourists are likely to employ over 2.5 lakh skilled and unskilled workforce, projects the study. Apart from Allahabad, other tourist attractions that could benefit from the tourist inflow are Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota in Rajasthan; Nainital, Mussoorie, Auli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet, Almora in Uttarkhand; and Agra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Rawat said that the ‘catchment area’ of the foreign tourists visiting India during the Mahakumbh would extend to places like Amritsar and Ludhiana in Punjab as well as Shimla, Kufri, Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Panchkula, greatly helping in revenue generation. The paper projects that the aviation industry, particularly national and international air carriers, would do much better.
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Biomedical waste disposal a problem at military hospitals
Chandigarh, January 11 There are also serious shortcomings in the management of waste disposal in military hospitals. Not only are there huge deficiencies in the disposal equipment but rules and procedures have also been bypassed. Audit scrutiny of the Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) records revealed that of the 280 healthcare establishments (HCEs) in the Army, 241 lacked this mandatory clearance, while 99 out of the 162 Air Force HCEs were out on a limb in this regard. The initial authorisation of these HCEs had expired long ago. “As authorisation under the rules is not available to a large number of HCEs, their capacity to handle biomedical waste in accordance with the rules is suspect,” the Comptroller and Auditor General’s latest report has commented. “As the renewal of authorisation is a statutory requirement, delay in this regard also carries the risk of levy of penalty by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),” the report adds. Biomedical waste management primarily consists of segregation of biomedical waste at the source of generation followed by its collection, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and final disposal. The Biomedical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 make it incumbent on part of all HCEs to adopt biomedical waste management, with the DGAFMS being the prescribed authority for implementing this Act. The CPCB has been mandated to monitor the implementation. Under the rules, all HCEs generating biomedical waste are required to apply to the prescribed authority for authorisation, the validity of which is three years. Fresh applications are required for the renewal of authorisation. On inspection of the facilities in 45 HCEs, the CPCB highlighted serious shortcomings in the implementation of the biomedical waste management rules by the DGAFMS. The CPCB found that facilities did not have valid consents under the Water (Protection) Act, 1974 and Air (Protection) Act, 1981. Records were not properly maintained for collection of waste, its movement to incinerator, disposal of incinerated ash, etc. and major leakages in incinerators in many HCEs and heavy emissions were being directly discharged into the surrounding environment. The CPCB also observed many serious issues relating to collection and disposal of liquid waste, including absence of effluent treatment plant, broken down plastic shredders and microwave, and running of equipment like autoclave and incinerators without testing and monitoring. Effluent treatment plants were not even available in command, speciality and referral hospitals.
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Congress looks to push Women’s Reservation Bill
New Delhi, January 11 The party has revived discussion on the issue, including taking a final plunge on the contentious Bill, after mass protests broke against the gang rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi demanding stricter laws for safety of women and measures leading to empowerment. Sources in the party said discussions to bring the Bill forward for its passage in the Lok Sabha were on. Addressing the first meeting of his newly-re-constituted Council of Ministers in November, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stressed the need to tap the mood generated by public sentiments, besides putting in extra efforts as the political clock of the
UPA-II was ticking. The Congress is keen on going to the polls showcasing its achievements and delivering on its promises. The UPA-II entered the home stretch this year and had a limited calendar during which effective legislative work could be done. The upcoming Budget session will be the last chance for the UPA-II to unveil its populist measures with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections. Though the government can present another Budget in 2014, it will be a lame-duck session and can only bring forward a vote-on-account allowing it to draw funds from the Treasury till a government is formed. The Constitutional Amendment Bill providing for women’s reservation has been pending with the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage since March 2011. In order to demonstrate its commitment to the issue, in 2008 the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-I had introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha and put it on the legislative calendar two years later in the face of stiff opposition from the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal among others.
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BJP likely to revoke Jethmalani’s suspension
New Delhi, January 11 Indications to this effect were available after Jethmalani met senior leader LK Advani and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari this morning. Jethmalani was also vocal on the resignation of Gadkari as BJP president in the wake of reported irregularities in the latter’s Purti Group. “At the meeting with Advani and Gadkari, Jethmalani reaffirmed his faith in the BJP’s ideology and wished that the party may come to power in the country,” BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here. He said the lawyer had also handed over a letter at the meeting to this effect. “The matter will be considered by the BJP Parliamentary Board,” Hussain said. Later, Jethmalani said he had met Advani and Gadkari but refused to go into details. “Ask the leaders... I am just a sevaadhari (servant),” was his response to questions on what transpired during the meeting. — PTI
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Two nabbed for vehicle
theft
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