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Bihar Assembly polls gradually picking up
Jaya accuses DMK CHENNAI, Feb 3: All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) general secretary J Jayalalitha....more Win Chadha seeks NEW DELHI, Feb 3: Win Chadha, an accused in the Rs 65 crore Bofors case, today.....more
Kant to inaugurate HUBLI, Feb 3: Vice-President Krishan Kant will....more |
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Ananth Kumar takes NEW DELHI, Feb 3: New Tourism Minister Ananth Kumar, who assumed charge today, said he would strive to showcase the rich Indian culture besides its natural beauty to the world and give a thrust to providing more information and facilitation to foreign tourists as most of them were cultural tourists. ......more ‘Govt determined HAMIRPUR, Feb 3: Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav today alleged that the BJP-led Central Government was determined to change the Constitution on the directions of RSS and gradually make India a Hindu Rashtra......more Medical waste a major NEW DELHI, Feb 3: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.....more Dehra Dun robbery DEHRA DUN, Feb 3: Security has been tightened in all banks of the district......more |
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Campaigning
for Bihar Assembly polls PATNA, Feb 3: Campaigning for the first phase of election in 108 Assembly constituencies in Bihar on February 12 is gradually picking up with stalwarts of several parties fanning out to woo the voters. The first phase would cover most of the areas in violence-prone South Bihar. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which had a trying time in conjuring up a plan for seat sharing, had at last struck a concord among its constituents, and launched a massive poll campaign in favour of its candidates from yesterday. Congress president Sonia Gandhi would kick off the party’s campaign from Ranchi tomorrow. She would also canvass in Hazaribagh, Daltonganj, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Giridih. Senior Congress leaders including Mr Rajesh Pilot, Mr Madhavrao Scindia and Ms Mohsina Kidwai are a few among party star campaigners, likely to canvass from Feburary six. Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav had already traversed a number of constituencies to woo the voters in the Southern belt to get a semblance of respectability this time as the South Bihar has been a stronghold of the BJP. Besides sparing no pains for garnering support from South Bihar, Mr Yadav was also taking some time everyday from his hectic poll campaign to visit one of his Assembly segments either Danapur or Raghopur. Janata Dal (United) leader and Telecommunication Minister Ramvilas Paswan alongwith leader of the opposition in the State Assembly Sushil Kumar Modi addressed several election meetings in Gaya, Jehanabad and other adjoining districts yesterday. The leaders, however, had toface wrath of the supporters at some places, who were protesting against the selection of the candidates. Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav, who launched his campaign yesterday from Raghopur segment from where his bete-noire RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav was contesting, stressed the need for preventing a candidate contesting from two seats. Mr Yadav made a clarion call to the people to vote for those, who could solve their problems and stated that differences, which arose in the NDA over seat sharing, had been ironed out and now there was one NDA candidate in each seat. The BJP’s election campaign would be pepped up with senior party leader and Union Human Resources Minister Murli Monohar Joshi addressing three meetings at Chakradhapur, Khunti and Dhurva in South Bihar today and at five places tomorrow. Almost all the major political parties in the state were plagued by inner bickerings as several party cadres dissatisfied with the distribution of tickets were not wholeheartedly canvassing for their respective parties. The leaders, particularly those from Bihar, were reluctant in going to some areas apprehending disturbances by their own party workers. (UNI) |
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Jaya accuses DMK Govt of unleashing violence in TN CHENNAI, Feb 3: All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) general secretary J Jayalalitha today accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Government of unleashing violence in several parts of Tamil Nadu to "besmirch the fair name" of the AIADMK. In a statement here, Ms Jayalalitha, who was convicted in a corruption case and sentenced to one year Rigorous Imprisonment by a Special Court yesterday triggering widespread protest and arson by her partymen, alleged that anti-social elements and "DMK rowdies" had indulged in "mind-boggling violence" yesterday to tarnish her party’s image. She said she strongly condemned the Karunanidhi regime for "setting up mischievous anti-social elements to indulge in incendiary activities leading to the tragic loss of (three) lives near Dharmapuri and for filing false cases against AIADMK cadres." The AIADMK chief alleged that the police had resorted to indiscriminate lathicharge on party volunteers yesterday, leaving several of them injured and hospitalised. Referring to the court verdict, Ms Jayalalitha said the judgements given by the special courts set up by Mr Karunanidhi were not final in any sense and all avenues were open to seek justice in the end and "establish our innocence." she appealed to her partymen to remain calm and patient as ever. In the final analysis, dharma will always triumph and the evil ones will be trounced, she stated. (UNI) |
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Win Chadha seeks more time to appear before court NEW DELHI, Feb 3: Win Chadha, an accused in the Rs 65 crore Bofors case, today sought more time to appear before the special court here saying he cannot leave Dubai without a regular Indian passport. Chadha’s counsel Ritu Singh Mann filed an application saying her client cannot leave Dubai, where he is residing at present, due to some technical problem in issuance of his regular passport. His visa issued on the belize passport was impounded earlier by the UAE authorities and it needs to be transferred to the Indian passport, the counsel said. Chadha had been given a temporary passport by the Indian Consulate General in Dubai to enable him to appear him before the special court. He had also written to External Affair Minister Jaswant Singh to assist him to procure a regular passport. The Counsel said her client was critically ill and was bed-ridden for the last 11 years. He wants to return to Dubai as he may need medical aassistance soon after he deposes before the court. On January 30, Chadha received a letter from the consulate general stating "it is clarified that you have not been issued a temporary travel document, but a regular short validity passport. Indian citizens possessing such poassports are able to travel to India". "You should not apprehend the impounding of your passport on landing in India. Once you are in India, the Government of India’s action would be guided by the direction of the court of the special judge, Delhi. If you are allowed by the court to go abroad for treatment, the Government will assist you on issuing the passport." Central Bureau of Investigation Counsel N Natarajan said he had not received any communication from Chadha in this regard. (UNI) |
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Kant to inaugurate Karnataka University golden jubilee HUBLI, Feb 3: Vice-President Krishan Kant will inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of Karnataka University, one of the premier seats of learning in the country, at Dharwad tomorrow. Alongwith the inauguration, the birth centenary celebrations of Dr D C Pawate, a former Vice Chancellor and Main Architect of the Growth and Development of the University, would also be launched. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Dr M M Joshi, Sport and Culture Minister Ananth Kumar, Karnataka Governor V S Rama Devi and Chief Minister S M Krishna would be among the dignitories participating in the function. The Karnataka University was established in 1949 when the bombay legislatures passed the Karnataka University Bill. During the British period, most of Northern Karnataka was under Bombay presidency and there were no institutes for the development of Kannada language and culture. People of this area had to go to Pona and Bombay for higher studies. The university came into being after a struggle lasting more than 30 years by the people of Karnataka. From modest beginnings with only 11 affiliated colleges and two Post Graduates Departments, the University now has 276 colleges affiliated to it. Set in Sylvan surroundings of 749 acres, it is the second oldest University in the state. The foundation stone of the main administrative building was laid by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad in March 1951. It was declared open by Dr S Radhakrishnan, then Vice-President on October 26, 1953. (UNI) |
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‘Govt determined to change the Constitution’ HAMIRPUR, Feb 3: Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav today alleged that the BJP-led Central Government was determined to change the Constitution on the directions of RSS and gradually make India a Hindu Rashtra. Samajwadi Party will oppose this move of the Union Government tooth and nail as any change in the basic structure of the Constitution would be dangerous for the democratic and secular structure of the country, Yadav told a public meeting at village Babai in Jalaun district here. The Constitution was framed to fulfil the needs and aspirations of the people of the country, he said and alleged the BJP-led Government wanted to enforce its hidden agenda through this move. (PTI) |
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Medical waste a major health issue: Shanmugam NEW DELHI, Feb 3: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare N T Shanmugam today described bio-medical waste management as a major issue due to the proliferation of hospitals, nursing homes and blood banks, mainly in the urban areas. Citing hospital waste as a potential source of infections which could lead to diseases, he stressed that safe disposal of such waste was essential considering the emergence of diseases like HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. The minister was speaking at a symposium on "hospital waste management" organised in the capital by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Mr Shanmugam said the Government has already taken steps to ensure that incinerators are installed in major hospitals and that waste is treated. Though treated waste is not harmful and can even be used as manure the current situation was rather grave considering the entire gamut of hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries and blood banks in existence in the country, he pointed out. Besides, ethical issues were also involved in hospital waste as these involved human flesh and blood, he added. Earlier Dr Prem Aggarwal of the IMA accused private hospitals of behaving very carelessly and dumping waste such as contaminated needles, blades, human tissues, human discharge, dressing, plasters and disinfectants into dustbins instead of incinerators. Mr Shanmugam said one of the problems associated with treatment of bio-medical waste is that of expenses. "We have to evolve a technology which is cost-effective and user-friendly. The suppliers should also provide appropriate back-up for repair and maintenance", he said. Dr Ajay Aggarwal, convenor of the symposium, said while much attention has been given to plastic, bio non-degradable waste little is said about the management of hospital waste leave aside its sterilisation prior to the recycling process. Participants stressed the need to manage the menace of hospital waste on a top priority basis as it posed an immediate health risk to hospital staff and would eventually affect the entire city. (UNI) |
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Dehra Dun robbery DEHRA DUN, Feb 3: Security has been tightened in all banks of the district following yesterday’s robbery in the main branch of Punjab National in the Doon Valley. In a daylight robbery yesterday, three men looted Rs ten lakh after shooting a bank guard while the amount was being loaded in a taxi to be sent to the Kaulagarh branch of the bank. The incident took place in Astley Hall, the busiest area of the town, at about 1230 hrs. The men took away the guard’s gun with them. The money, which was in a trunk, was snatched by the robbers before it could be loaded in the taxi. Two people were carrying the trunk. One of them was the guard whom they shot at from close quarters. After the robbery, SSP K K Saxena ordered strict checking of all vehicles leaving the town from various routes. The robbers had come in a Maruti car. The incident took place despite a police patrol car being stationed nearby and five armed policemen inside the bank. The number of the car is not registered in any transport office. Police officials said that the practice of calling a different taxi every day to shift the cash from the main branch could be one of the causes of the crime. DIG police (Garhwal) K L Meena held a late night meeting and issued directions to tighten security in the region. (UNI) |
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PATNA, Feb 3: Campaigning for the first
phase of election in 108.....
