|
|
|
|
|
Maharashtra set to slash power tariffs
14 killed in Goa building collapse
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
BJP tells PM to reveal Kashmir ‘breakthrough’
Cong scoffs at ‘Kejriwal as PM’ talk
Large-scale anomalies
in defence land record
CBI books Brig in Agusta scam
Terror threat triggers alert at airports
Moily: No move to hike price of subsidised LPG cylinders
Punjabi legend’s stories now for English readers
|
|
Maharashtra set to slash power tariffs
Mumbai, January 4 Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has asked top bureaucrats in the state to work out a subsidy programme for residential and agricultural users of electricity, sources said. Officials say that some sort of scheme will be announced in the coming weeks. On Thursday, Chavan told reporters that the Maharashtra Government was seriously considering providing some relief to power consumers. The matter was also discussed by the state Cabinet. As of now, the Maharashtra Government is providing subsidies to the tune of Rs 10,500 to farmers in the state, Chavan had told reporters earlier this week. However, a section of the Congress leadership feels that power companies must also be forced to rework their costs and bring down electricity charges. "Reliance Energy charges Rs 600 additional by way of Regulatory Asset Charges for those using more than 500 units per month," Member of Parliament Sanjay Nirupam said today. He added that power utilities must also be asked to cut costs and function in a transparent manner. He pointed out that there were several issues with the electricity tariffs of Reliance Energy, the dominant power supplier in suburban Mumbai. He said the company should stop installing electronic meters imported from China. "These meters should be replaced at the company's cost and consumers must not be charged for the new meters," Nirupam said. The Congress MP from North Mumbai threatened to launch an agitation from January 13 if the concerns raised by him on power tariffs were not addressed. Coming soon
|
|
14 killed in Goa building collapse
Canacona (Goa), January 4 The police said a portion of a three-storey building, Ruby Residency, located in the Chawdi ward of Canacona, collapsed burying over 50 persons working at the site. The Army has been called in for relief and rescue work, according to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. "Eleven bodies have been extracted. Thirteen injured workers have been shifted to various hospitals depending on the seriousness of their injuries, but there are at least a dozen or more trapped under the debris," an official said. Officials from the police, health and fire service departments are at the site using heavy equipment, gas cutters and cranes to get to the trapped workers. Rescue work could continue through the night. The construction was being carried out by Navi Mumbai-based real estate development firm Bharat Developers and Realtors Pvt. Ltd. Parrikar, who was monitoring rescue operation at the site, said even as rescue work was going on, the police was asked to get cracking and nab those prima facie responsible for the accident. "An FIR has been filed against the builder, contractor and the municipal engineer in-charge. We will not spare anyone," Parrikar said, adding a state government-organised cultural programme organised in the vicinity was cancelled following the tragedy.
— IANS
|
|
Relatives of Bengal gang-rape victim to meet President
Kolkata, January 4 We will meet president and place our demand for a CBI inquiry,” said the father of the victim. The father criticised the police saying that a forensic team was yet to visit the house, where his daughter was set on fire. “What are they investigating? The incident happened on December 23, but the forensic team is yet to visit the house and collect samples,” he said. A murder case has been filed by the police against the two main accused in the gang-rape of the victim who died due to burn injuries, with doctors saying she was pregnant at the time of her death. The girl, who was brutalised twice on October 25, had died at a government-run city hospital on December 31 from burns received on December 23. The death of the girl sparked outrage in the metropolis with the family of the victim alleging that they were threatened by the police to leave the state.
|
|
BJP tells PM to reveal Kashmir ‘breakthrough’
New Delhi, January 4 In an article on the issue today, Arun Jaitley, BJP leader, said the country had the right to know the nature of the “almost-arrived-at Kashmir resolution” which the PM revealed for the first time during his press conference yesterday and Musharraf during his exile in London had earlier hinted at. “What was this possible resolution on Kashmir? The people of India are entitled to know,” Jaitley said, hoping the resolution did not amount to any form of dilution of the state position on Kashmir being an integral part of India. The BJP leader recalled the 1994 Parliament resolution which asserted that PoK was an integral part of India’s territory. “Pakistan has an unfinished agenda on Kashmir. It has not reconciled to Kashmir being integral to India’s sovereignty and has instead used terrorism to achieve this end. India believes that the age and era of re-drawing boundaries is over,” he said demanding answers from the PM. AAP, Cong ‘plotting’ to stop Modi wave New Delhi: The BJP has alleged match-fixing between the AAP and Congress to stem the Narendra Modi wave. At the official party briefing on Saturday, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, spokesperson for the BJP, said AAP was the B team of the Congress and was being used to stop Modi’s march.
|
|
Cong scoffs at ‘Kejriwal as PM’ talk New Delhi, January 4 “There is no law in the country that bars people from dreaming. So many CMs want to be Prime Ministers. Why can’t Arvind Kejriwal, who has been a CM for six days, dream of being one. India is a democracy and everyone in the country has the right to go to the people and contest elections,” Shakeel Ahmed, AICC general secretary in charge of Delhi, said today after AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said their party wanted to project Kejriwal as a PM candidate to give the country options better than BJP’s Narendra Modi and Congress’ Rahul Gandhi. On AAP talking of challenging the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, Ahmed said there was no such challenge to Rahul Gandhi though in politics rivals could not be taken lightly. There is no challenge and no threat to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader stated.
|
|
Large-scale anomalies
in defence land record
Chandigarh, January 4 This has raised questions not only over the authenticity of defence land records but also issues such as unrecorded transfer of land, underhand transactions, unauthorised occupation and encroachments, besides jeopardising the government’s claim on its property. Sources said the discrepancies involve about 3,647 acres in nine stations under the Western Command. These include Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Kasauli, Dagshai, New Amritsar Military Station, Sabathu, Gurdaspur, Beas, Ludhiana, Faridkot and Kapurthala. While the records of the Defence Estate Officers (DEOs) state that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) holds 27325.48 acres in these nine stations, the records and data held by local military authorities (LMA) show MoD land holdings to be 29589.49 acres. DEOs are responsible for maintaining land records, while LMAs
are responsible for physically occupying and managing the land. Under MoD rules, land records maintained by the DEOs are the basic documents for land management. If the records maintained by the DEOs are taken as the guidelines, military authorities are holding over 2,955 acres of excess in four stations. The border cantonment of Ferozepur and Jalandhar top the list of excess land holdings by about 1,594 and 1,075 recpectively, followed by Kapurthala and Gurdaspur, while land holdings are deficient by a total of about 692 acres in the remaining five stations. Improper handing overtaking over of land records among occupying military units moving in and out on routine rotation. Inept handling of records and failure to conduct regular inspections and reconciliation of land records by both the DEOs as well as LMAs are among reasons cited for the discrepancies. While all defence land records are being computerised, sources said that a comprehensive survey of all defence land holdings had been sanctioned recently and work on the project has already been started. The survey will bring out the field situation of defence lands and ensure authenticity. 3,647 acres in nine stations
|
|
Chargesheet filed against Joshi
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, January 4 After completing the investigation against Joshi, the Dehradun police have finally compiled all the evidences gathered against the suspended officer and were filed before the local court here today. “We will now come to know the intricacies of the investigation and what all evidences were gathered by the police against our client”, Rupendra Bhandari, advocate of Joshi, told The Tribune. Meanwhile, the judicial custody of Joshi has been extended till January 18 after he was presented before the local court following completion of his judicial custody today. On other hand, the judicial custody of Ritu Kandiyal has also been extended till January 18. Kandiyal has been accused of mediating between Joshi and the victim and the investigating team has claimed that she was the one who had arranged the first meeting between the suspended officer and the girl. Later, Ritu also allegedly called Joshi and sought Rs 3 crore in lieu of the reported CD.
|
|
CBI books Brig in Agusta scam
The CBI registered the case against Brig V S Saini of Army Aviation Corps and unknown officers of the Army and Defence Ministry after the agency received a fresh set of documents from Italian police, official sources said here. The case has been registered under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, including abuse of official position, and Indian Penal Code including charges of forgery. The CBI said Brig Saini was part of the team carrying out trials of the competing helicopters in the Light Utility Helicopter. The Army Aviation was looking at purchase of 197 of light helicopters to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleet which undertakes reconnaissance and casualty evacuation operations in forward locations and high-altitude areas like Siachen, Ladakh, North Kashmir and the North-East. The acquisition process of 197 helicopters had been cancelled once in December 2007 after having been finalised. The Italian prosecutors found mention of Brig Saini in the documents seized by Italian prosecutors while probing the VVIP chopper scam. The officer is alleged to have fudged the records of the trial flight of the helicopter to favour the company for which he and other unknown officers have received hefty commission, the CBI said in its case. Italian investigators claimed to have found a document which claimed that the Brigadier had allegedly demanded a bribe of five million dollars in 2010 to swing the contract in favour of AgustaWestland. The company was later eliminated from the race.
— PTI
|
|
Vikramaditya on its way home
New Delhi, January 4 It is now being escorted by a flotilla of Indian warships which are heading towards the west coast of India. The newest warship is expected to reach its home base at Karwar, just south of Goa before January 10. “It could reach on January 8 or January 9, depending upon sailing conditions. It is running full steam,” Naval sources said. The ship that cost India $2.35 billion (approx Rs 14,000 crore at today’s dollar rupee exchange rates) was delivered by Russia on November 16 at the northern city of Severodvinsk. It had set sail on November 27 after taking supplies. En route three Indian warships sailed alongside to keep off prying eyes. Since then it has travelled non-stop for over 8,000 nautical miles (nearly 14,800 km) without entering any port en route for refuelling or supplies showing remarkable endurance at sea. Naval ships called the ‘Fleet tankers’ carrying supplies are sailing alongside and can replenish the warship mid-sea, if needed. Notably, the Indian Naval flotilla that joined the Vikramaditya at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden for its ‘home-run’ included the other aircraft carrier the INS Viraat. It is for the first time since 1994 that two Indian Naval aircraft carriers have operated together, a naval official explained. Some 10 warships from Navy’s western fleet are now in the flotilla that is headed towards India, making it the first joint operations with Vikramaditya leading the group. Once the Vikramaditya berths at Karwar, the process to fully integrate it with the fleet will commence. This will take some 5-6 months before it heads out sea for its first deployment carrying fighter-jets on deck. The first squadron of its on deck fighters the twin-engined MiG29-K are already inducted and based at INS Hansa, Goa. Since the flying time for the fighters between Goa and Karwar is no more than 3-4 minutes, these will be based at Goa. A new weapons suite will also be integrated over the next few weeks and India pilots will start landing on its deck. Significant among other features is the capability to allow fighters pilots to ‘lock on’ to the radar complex onboard the Vikramaditya and reach the ship in auto-pilot mode-all the while maintaining what naval aviators call a ‘zip-lip’ procedure or total radio silence. It will be the first-ever such facility onboard an Indian naval warship, propelling it into the very exclusive club of nations like the US, France and Russia to have similar capacities. The other task is for the remaining warships of the fleet to adapt to the wider arc of sensors, night flying capabilities and radars on board the
Vikramaditya.
|
|
Terror threat triggers alert at airports
New Delhi, January 4 “The alert that was recently given by the intelligence agencies read that the Indian Mujahideen is planning to hijack planes from small airports, so necessary precaution should be taken,” said Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officers. The CISF was setup in 1969 to provide security to public sector undertakings. It is presently providing security to nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, VIP security and sensitive government buildings. The CISF guards 59 airports, including all the major ones across India. Although the alert was about a possible terror threat to small airports in India, security was increased for all the 132 airports. Some of the small airports include the ones at Gwalior, Mysore, which are guarded by the CISF and Tirupati and Daman and
Diu.
|
|
Moily: No move to hike price of subsidised LPG cylinders
Kochi, January 4 "We don't have such a proposal before us", Moily, who arrived here in connection with the formal commissioning of the Petronet LNG terminal at nearby Puthyvype by Prime Minister Manmohan, told reporters here. "Nine subsidized cylinders a year covers 90% of the consumers. Only 10% are left without subsidy", he said. People will appreciate the government stand, he said. On Thursday, finance minister P Chidambaram had said in New Delhi that the government will "take a look" at the demand to raise the quota of subsidized LPG cylinders to 12 per household in a year from the current limit of nine.
— PTI
|
|
Punjabi legend’s stories now for English readers
New Delhi, January 4 The occasion was a discussion on "Savage Harvest", an English translation of Sarna's short stories on the theme of the Partition by his son Navtej Singh Sarna, a career diplomat and an author. Published by Rupa, the collection is the first translation by Navtej Sarna of his father's works, which typify the power of compassion at the height of barbarism. The works, set mostly in 1947, bring out gory details of the Partition and the brutality surrounding it. What sets them apart from the works of other Partition writers such as Manto though is their ability to celebrate the virtue of humanism even in the morass of barbarism. As Gillian Wright from London, an acclaimed writer who has translated two modern Hindi classics, including Shrilal Shukla's Raag Darbari, described, "These stories moved me to tears. They are stories with total brutality but with a core where compassion takes over brutality. That's what moves you the most." Personally for Sarna, currently Special Secretary with the Ministry of External Affairs, the translation of the celebrated litterateur's works was not an easy job. "Most part of the originals was poetic, literally Potohari, which we have lost today. There were words in the stories whose meaning I could not find in the dictionaries. I had to go about asking my mother and my father's contemporaries," Sarna said during the discussion moderated by top Punjabi scholar Mohinder Singh of Bhai Vir Singh Sadan. The translation will hit the markets tomorrow. Top thinkers and writers, including Mark Tully, were present on the occasion. "These stories are written in the spirit of true secularism, true India. The works are straightforward. There is no attempt to over dramatise or sensationalise the plots. That is the real art of storytelling," Tully said. "It's like when you read fine stories and feel mine are so dreadful," the author-columnist said.
|
|||||||
Chennai Panaji
Kohima MUZAFFARNAGAR Shillong Kanpur Hyderabad Lucknow
|
| 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 | |
New Delhi, January 4
