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Sinha gives clean chit KOLKATA, Nov 9: Virtually giving a clean chit to the Left Front Government on the crib death issue, Union Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha today said .......more Rebel-supported
LUCKNOW, Nov 9: Independent candidate for Rajya Sabha polls and arms dealer Suresh Nanda, who is being supported by rebel legislators in Uttar ......more Air
Marshal Ashok Goel NEW DELHI, Nov 9: With the challenge of tuning up flight safety looming large, Indian Air Force in a major reshuffle . .....more Flaws in decision-making system led to mass poverty: Pande NEW DELHI, Nov 9: Asserting that Government should act only as a promoter and regulator in the current scenario of globalisation...more |
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No fireworks at Bollywood box-office this Diwali too MUMBAI, Nov 9: The beleaguered Hindi film industry witnessed yet another dull Diwali this year with no fireworks at the box office as all the releases during the festive season sank without a trace. ........more Serenading the sun - through ‘Chhath Puja’ NEW DELHI, Nov 9: Gone are the days when Chhath Puja, worship of sun God symbolising fertility and prosperity, was a relatively obscure ritual ......more Police
will intervene JALANDHAR, Nov 9: Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Mehal Singh Bhullar today said police would intervene in a case only where there is a . ......more Research
reveals MIDNAPORE, Nov 9: Mushrooms grown in the laterite forest soil of south Bengal this time of the year contain ...more |
Sinha gives clean chit to Front Govt on child death issue KOLKATA, Nov 9: Virtually giving a clean chit to the Left Front Government on the crib death issue, Union Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha today said negligence or incapability of doctors were not the factors responsible for the demise of 14 children in the State-run B C Roy Hospital in September. "The deaths were mainly due to demand-supply mismatch of oxygen cylinders in the hospital. But there is a great deal of improvement in the situation now with piped oxygen being provided," he told newsmen at the BJP office here. Asked whether he was satisfied with the conditions prevailing, Sinha who paid a visit to the B C Roy Hospital earlier in the day, said, "there is no room for satifaction. But I am happy about the improvement in the hospital. It is the largest referral one in West Bengal." He, however, said that it needed more infrastructural support and para-medical staff. The Health Minister said West Bengal was not the only state with problems of health and poverty, these existed in other States too. Asked about Centre’s responsibility in this, Sinha said that health was a State subject. "We have certain responsibilities, but we cannot cross that line." Significantly, Sinha also directed the BJP workers in the State not to resort to politicking or go for confrontation with the Front Government as far development issues were concerned. Stating that his main priority was the ‘have-nots’, the Health Minister asked the BJP workers to inform him about the requirements in hospitals and the health sector in the State so that ‘we can take initiatives and come out with more programmes’. (PTI) |
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Rebel-supported independent RS candidate manhandled LUCKNOW, Nov 9: Independent candidate for Rajya Sabha polls and arms dealer Suresh Nanda, who is being supported by rebel legislators in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly manhandled inside the Vidhan Bhawan today even as an FIR was lodged against him in Ghaziabad for allegedly using unfair means to put his name in the local electoral list. While Mr Nanda did admit that such an incident had taken place, he refused to name the persons behind it. After remaining cooped in the room of Vidhan Sabha secretary for over two hours, he left to meet Chief Minister Mayawati. According to eye-witnesses, around 1145 hrs Mr Nanda was thrashed by some persons outside the room of returning officer for the elections. While it was immediately not clear how the trouble began, Mr Nanda was rushed to a secure place by Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari and BJP Legislature Party leader Lalji Tandon. "It seems the trouble started when a proposer of Mr Nanda had a heated exchange with others," said BJP candidate for RS polls Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Mr Lalji Tandon denied the role of his party in the incident. When the trouble started, a few members were protesting the alleged fake proof of residence in UP provided by Mr Nanda with his nomination papers, eye-witnesses maintained. Meanwhile, it is learnt that an FIR has been lodged against Mr Nanda for using unfair means to include his name in the local electoral list. Yesterday, Adm (Ghaziabad) has struck out off his name from the electoral rolls. State Chief Electoral Officer Noor Mohammed said yesterday that Mr Nanda had lodged a complaint regarding the deletion. An EC team from Delhi has left for Ghaziabad to ascertain the facts. Mr Mohammed said the returning officer has been asked not to take any final decision on Mr Nanda’s papers. Vidhan Sabha secretary and returning officer to the polls R P Pandey told newspersons that Mr Nanda has been given time till 1600 hours to prove the authenticity of his papers. (UNI) |
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Air Marshal Ashok Goel new Inspector General Flight Safety NEW DELHI, Nov 9: With the challenge of tuning up flight safety looming large, Indian Air Force in a major reshuffle today announced appointment of Air Marshal Ashok Goel as the new Inspector General of Inspection and Flight Safety. Goel, presently senior Air Staff Officer Eastern Air Command, takes over the post from Air Marshal V K Bhatia, who was reverted from his key appointment as AOC-in-C Western Air Command, in the wake of a transport aircraft piloted by him straying into Pakistan’s territory in the Kargil sector. Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, presently Assistant Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters here, has been promoted and appointed senior Air Staff Officer of Central Air Command. Air Vice Marshal A D Joshi has taken over as the new Assistant Chief of Air Staff (personnel). Air Marshal Goel who has close to 10,000 hours of operational flying to his credit has flown during all operations from 1965 Indo-Pakistan war to Operation Vijay. Goel was appointed the team leader to induct the IAF giant Il-76 transport aircraft. It was under his captiancy that the first Il-76 landed at Leh on October 14, 1985. Air Marshal Bhavnani the new SASO Eastern Air Command is one of the most experienced IAF fighter pilots and was the first to fly the Mirage 2000 multi-role fighters. He has also done an instructional tenure in the Middle East. (PTI) |
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Police will intervene only if there is clash during SGPC polls JALANDHAR, Nov 9: Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Mehal Singh Bhullar today said police would intervene in a case only where there is a "physical clash" during the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) annual presidential elections to be held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall in the Golden Temple complex on November 12. Addressing mediapersons at the Pap complex here, he said the basic duty of the security forces was to ensure a peaceful poll and maintain law and order and not to interfere in the polling process. "We will intervene in case of any physical clash," he said, but added in the same breath," we will intervene only if called for," The DGP, however, failed to specify when asked whether the police intervention would be on the call of the Tohra faction SGPC members or any other member. He, however, did not specify when asked whether police would enter Teja Singh Samundri hall, the venue of the SGPC general house meeting to elect a president, senior vice-president, junior vice-president, a general secretary and eleven executive members. SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar had yesterday ruled out entry of police into the Golden temple complex and into the Teja Singh Samundri hall and the ‘Serai’(rest house) buildings. Badungar had stated that the SGPC task force would be in charge of the security in the complex and the meeting venue. Replying to a question, Mr Bhullar denied that only the members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which controls the SGPC, were being targeted. Activists of all Akali factions were being arrested as a preventive measure to ensure a peaceful SGPC poll as intelligence inputs had suggested that there could be violence before, after or even during the polling process, he claimed. The DGP, however, failed to provide the numerical figures of the number of Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) workers loyal to Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra having been taken into custody since yesterday. The arrests were not basically a crackdown against any particular party or faction but a preventive measure to avoid any possible clash, he claimed. When questioned as to why the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Harminder Singh Gill, a Tohra loyalist, was not arrested considering his previous dubious background, Mr Bhullar quipped, "all those who could be a threat to peace would be arrested. "The arrests, he specified, were only for ensuring a peaceful election and not in view of the proposed sad ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ commencing on November 27. Mr Bhullar specified that no one, not even personal gunmen of SGPC members, would be allowed to enter the Golden temple complex with weapons. Adequate security arrangements were being made by police in the vicinity of the shrine at Amritsar but there was no question of harassing the devotees, he added. He reiterated that the police security arrangements would only be outside the shrine but police intervention would only be made in case of physical violence during or after the polls. He said arrests would continue till November 12 to ensure peaceful polls. When pointed out that a case of power theft had been registered against sad leader and former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur by the Kapurthala Police yesterday, the DGP said the matter would be investigated by police. Asked whether she could be arrested before November 12, the DGP quipped, "it cannot be ruled out. The DGP assured that the SAD members of the SGPC would be provided all security to reach the Golden temple for the polling. There was no question of police stopping them from going to the polling venue, he assured. The DGP denied that the police action against SAD workers in particular was on the instructions of the State Government. His force was acting on intelligence reports, he added. (UNI) |
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Research reveals mushrooms’ anti-cancer property MIDNAPORE, Nov 9: Mushrooms grown in the laterite forest soil of south Bengal this time of the year contain anti-cancer and anti-tumour properties, a research carried out by the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of the Vidyasagar University has revealed. Trying to isolate polysaccharides and polysaccharide protein complexes from a variety of mushrooms grown in the area, scholars discovered their strong anti-cancer, anti-tumour and immuno-modulating properties, Dr Sirajul Islam of the Department said here today. Encouraged by the results achieved, the university has applied for a patent on its mushroom polysaccharides from the Central Government under the intellectual property rights, University Vice-Chancellor Prof Anandadev Mukherjee said. Funds for the work were provided by West Bengal Department of Science and Technology, All India Council for Technical Education and the Central Government, Dr Islam said. "We got marvellous results in suppressing fish tumours by injecting the compound. We are conducting further experiments and receiving impressive results," he added. A health study conducted on 150 families living in forest areas in Balijuri, Dhansola and other areas near here, which consume these mushrooms regularly revealed that life expectancy in most of the families was very high. Not a single case of tumour and cancer was reported among them and viral and bacterial diseases such as fever, flu, cough and cold were also rare. Conversely, the minority community, which did not consume mushrooms, suffered from cancer or tumour growth, the group report said. The study report said research on mushroom polysaccharides was lacking in India, although various foreign universities such as Chinese University of Hong Kong, Haifa University of Israel, Shizuoka University of Japan and University of California, US were active in this field. Apart from anti-cancer properties, positive effects of mushrooms on liver protection and detoxification, blood circulation system, ageing, neurasthenia, high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma, allergy and beauty care have also been established. They also increase resistance against AIDS, the report claimed. There are about 10,000 varieties of mushrooms in the world, of which 700 are edible, 50-2000 have medicinal property while 50 are poisonous species. Important indigenous mushrooms growing in the laterite soil in South Bengal, which are being studied, include astraeus Hygrometricus (Kurkure Chhatu), Termitomyces (Paban Chhatu), T Clypeatus (Durga Chhatu) and Calocybe Indica (Dudh Chhatu). Mushroom polysaccharides prepared by the department could be utilised by the industry for commercial purposes, as effective anti-cancer and anti-tumour drugs and also as dietary supplements. Dr Islam said. "But before this we must have patent rights for which we have applied," he added. (UNI) Delhi to have a unique biodiversity park NEW DELHI, Nov 9: With the dual purpose of establishing a green belt around Delhi and conserving ecological habitats that exist on the banks of the Yamuna, the Delhi Government has decided to set up a Yamuna biodiversity park in the Wazirabad area here. Delhi Lt Governor Vijay Kapoor told UNI that the Government had acquired nearly 500 acres of land for the purpose. The park aims to recreate and conserve the biotic communities that exist on the banks of the Yamuna. The Yamuna had nearly 50 biotic communities on its banks, which have been reduced to just 25 over the years. "We are trying to recreate those biotic communities in the park that are gradually losing their stronghold on the banks of the Yamuna," he said. The biodiversity park would be very different from zoological or botanical parks, the Lt Governor claimed. "Unlike botanical or zoological parks, we are trying to create whole biotic ecosystems here, consisting of plants, insects, birds, reptiles and animals and aquatic flora and fauna as well," he said. The Delhi Government has sought the help of the botanical department of the Delhi University to provide technical expertise in its endeavour. One of the main features of the park would be an interaction centre, designed specially for students. "We want the park to be not just a picnic spot, but an educational experience for the young students, where they learn about various aspects of ecological habitats and biotic communities," Mr Kapoor said. The park would also serve as a study ground for researchers, he added. Seeds and saplings have already been planted and administrative buildings are under construction, but it would be a long time before the park is opened for the public. It takes a long time for any habitat to establish itself, the Lt Governor said, adding "we want the species to flourish indigenously and, therefore, do not want to force the pace of growth artificially." (UNI) 20 case registered during CBI raids NEW DELHI, Nov 9: CBI has registered 20 cases including acquisition of wealth disproportionate to known sources of income during countrywide raids on the premises of senior Government officials. CBI sources said that the search operations at 32 places in Delhi, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Pune, Bangalore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jameshedpur and Surat ended this morning. During the raids, CBI made some cash recoveries besides seizing antique idols worth crores of rupees dating back to the 14th century of Chandola dynasty, the sources said. CBI’s Chennai branch recovered Rs 11 lakh bank balance, four houses and other moveable and immoveable property from a Superintendent of Customs against whom a disproportionate assets case was registered, agency sources said. Searches were carried out against an Excise official in Hyderabad from whom CBI claimed to have recovered Rs 1.6 lakh unaccounted wealth. Another official of Excise and Customs Department was raided in Vishakapatnam. The officials against whom the cases were registered belonged to Delhi milk scheme, Punjab and Sind Bank, Land and Development Departments of Delhi Government and officials of Railways and Telecommunication. CBI sources said four idols of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Rama and Lord Natrajan dating back to the 14th century were recovered from a private house in South Delhi. The sources said the idols, worth crores of rupees in the international market, were to be smuggled out of the country. CBI first started the nationwide drive in February this year and buoyed by its success, similar exercises was carried out in June and August again. (PTI) |
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