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Naidu urges Centre to roll back hike in rice prices NEW DELHI Feb 19: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today urged the Centre to roll back the recent hike in rice prices to people above ..more
Mamta endorses demand for TN Govt dismissal CHENNAI, Feb 19: Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee today virtually endorsed the AIADMK’s demand for the dismissal of the ......more
Govt to modernise ordnance factories NEW
DELHI, Feb 19:
As part of its efforts to modernise and upgrade ordnance
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Laloo flays Centre’s decision on Bhandari
NEW
DELHI, Feb 19: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Laloo
Prasad Yadav today lashed out at the Centre for its
decision to allow S S Bhandari....more Urban Affairs Ministry
NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Minister for Urban Affairs and Employment Ram Jethmalani launched his ministry on the Website of Internet at a simple function......more
Cinestar Dev Anand MUMBAI, Feb 19: Evergreen hero Dev Anand, who is among the celebrities accompanying Prime Minister Atal Behari on his historic two-day visit to Lahore, is thrilled and elated to be part of..more |
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Naidu urges Centre to roll back hike in rice prices NEW DELHI Feb 19: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today urged the Centre to roll back the recent hike in rice prices to people above the poverty line from Rs 9.05 to Rs 7 a kilo and said the increase penalised only those states which have embarked upon the policies of food security to its people. Addressing the National Development Council meeting here today, he described the hike as absolutely unjustified and said while the current economic price of rice has gone up by only 26 paise per kg, the Centre need not have hiked the issue price by 206 paise per kg. Mr Naidu’s remarks that certain states have been sought to be penalised through this levy comes in the background that most of the Southern states have streamlined public distribution system. The Centre has already rolled back the hike it had announced in rice and wheat price for people below poverty line following criticism from the opposition, particularly from ruling coalition’s allies. Strongly objecting to the criteria followed by the Centre for allocation of resources to the states, Mr Naidu pointed out that methodology of poverty estimation in states has no built in neutralisation of huge rice subsidy programmes undertaken by them. He also demanded immediate implementation of devolution of 29 per cent of central tax revenue to states which was decided during the United Front Government last year. The percentage should be stepped up to 50 per cent progressively, he said. Demanding the abolition of centrally sponsored schemes, the Telegu Desam leader asked for transfer of full central share to states to implement the schemes. He also opposed the imposition of central levy on power and said taking up of hydel projects pending settlement of inter state water disputes in the joint sector was not acceptable to him. (UNI) |
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Mamta endorses demand for TN Govt dismissal CHENNAI, Feb 19: Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee today virtually endorsed the AIADMK’s demand for the dismissal of the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu. There was nothing wrong in it, as there were law and order problems and financial irregularities, Banerjee told newspersons after a 45-minute discussion with AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha at the latter’s residence here. What is wrong in what madam is asking? there are (administrative) lacunae, financial irregularities and law and order problems. There have been many bomb blasts and murders are taking place every day, Mamata said, when asked about the AIADMK’s demand for dismissal of the DMK Government. She sought to compare the situation in Tamil Nadu with that in West Bengal, where, she alleged, there were more than 150 political murders. Seeking justice for the sake of the people was not wrong, Mamata added. Mamata, who declined to reveal the details of the discussions with Jayalalitha, said both of them agreed that the Vajpayee Government’s budget should be pro-poor. She also wanted the budget to include a package for the minorities, besides addressing the problems of unemployment and the inadequate availability of urea and other fertilisers. Indicating that the two women leaders were coming closer, she described Jayalalitha as her elder sister’. I appreciate what she is doing, she added. A few women were playing a vital role in national politics today, and it was part of this trend that she and Jayalalitha had come together to strengthen the hands of Vajpayee, she said. Mamata, who was effusive in praising Vajpayee as a nice and reasonable man who alone can deliver the goods, and to whom there is no alternative, However, did not commit herself to joining the Ministry. When I join, I will inform you, she told a reporter. On Union Home Minister L K Advani’s remarks that small allies were threatening the Government, she did not know who Advani was referring to. Small is beautiful, and can achieve big things, she added. Replying to another query on whether she would join the Co-ordination Committee, from which she had resigned earlier, Mamata said there was no need for such a cry much part of India, she said. Asked about the BJP’s charge that the attacks on minorities were part of a conspiracy to discredit the Centre, she said this was why she had demanded a CBI investigation into the incidents in Orissa and Gujarat. The Prime Minister should take stringent action against the culprits. He should take a bold stand, she said. (PTI) |
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Govt to modernise ordnance factories NEW DELHI, Feb 19: As part of its efforts to modernise and upgrade ordnance factories, Government proposed to invest Rs 2,700 crore in the existing old plant and machinery, defence secretary T R Prasad said here today. Inaugurating a two-day conference of general managers of ordnance factories, he said this would need measures that would be fool-proof and the benefit of investment should be sustainable upto 11th and 12th plan period. It is expected that investments coupled with structured human resources planning would enable ordnance factories organisation to multiply their present level of production and productivity improving the output per individual comparable to those prevailing in private sector and abroad, he said. Prasad said there was also need to gauge the present methods of incentive existing by way of ensuring productivity from the employees. This was because future technology is likely to ensure machines taking away the element of skill from the operator and therefore, there was need to review the present incentive scheme to improve the productivity from the operators, he said. The conference would discuss human resources planning, modernisation in ordnance factories and financial management systems in ordnance factories. (PTI) |
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Laloo flays Centre’s decision on Bhandari NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Laloo Prasad Yadav today lashed out at the Centre for its decision to allow S S Bhandari to continue as Bihar Governor and said the development smacks of Vajpayee Government succumbing to pressures from Sangh Parivar. RSS and Sangh Parivar are the real centre of power. Rest are all toys in the hands of the Parivar, Yadav told reacting to the development. He pilloried the Centre for not keeping the promise for good governance and asked where have the tall talks of morality and principles vanished? Yadav, who came to the capital this morning to attend the Left Parties’ convention here tomorrow and meet President K R Narayanan on Monday, said Home Minister L K Advani’s remark that Bihar Governor would be replaced by an political person vindicated his charge that Bhandari was an RSS man, biased and unfair. It is surprising that advani is now saying that Bhandari will continue as Bihar Governor, he said and accused the Centre of allowing a political figure to function as the state’s constitutional head. The former Bihar Chief Minister charged that Bhandari was sent to Bihar on a special mission to do a hatchet job of dislodging a democratically elected Government. Since the mission is accomplished, the Centre wanted to replace him, he said. Yadav said he will lead a delegation to President Narayanan on Monday to apprise him of his belief that the Centre had conspired to get Rabri Devi Government dismissed. He alleged that the Centre had acted at the fancies of RSS, Bajrang Dal, BJP and Samata Party to bring to an abrupt end the development schemes undertaken by the State Government for uplift of the poor. He said RJD legislators, who were already on their way to Delhi, would meet on Sunday to decide the future course of action. We will parade the streets of the capital, stage dharna at Raj Ghat and march to Rashtrapati Bhawan to highlight the injustice meted out to Bihar, he said. Yadav said his party would hold Sampradaikta Ukhar Phenko (uproot communalism) rally at Patna on March 18 to highlight the conspiracy hatched by communal forces. Asked if the Home Minister had acted with vengeance against him, the former Bihar Chief Minister who had arrested Advani during his rath yatra in 1990, said this is nothing but revenge. But, I can’t compromise on the issue of secularism. Yadav said Patna Raj Bhawan had turned into an RSS citadel and criticised the Centre for not appointing advisors even a week after President’s Rule was imposed in Bihar. He also alleged that BJP and Samata Party had engineered the recent killings in the state to tarnish its image after their first effort to dismiss the RJD Government was aborted by the President. (PTI) |
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Urban Affairs Ministry on Internet NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Minister for Urban Affairs and Employment Ram Jethmalani launched his ministry on the Website of Internet at a simple function here today. The Website address of the Ministry is www.urban.india.nic.in. Speaking on the occasion. Mr Jethmalani said all areas of the workings of this ministry will now be accessible to the people worldwide on the Website. He said the added attraction will entail meeting day-to-day public queries about matters under the jurisdiction of his ministry on the Internet. The activities of the ministry comprise housing, urban development land management, urban land development, estate management, water supply, sanitation, sewerage, urban employment, poverty alleviation programmes, maintenan of Government office and residential accommodation, construction activities, policy of administration of local self Governments, urban transport, habitat, policy issues, new initiatives and decisions. The process of putting the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment on the Website is in keeping with the perspective plan of the Government that all ministers and accessed to internet to meet the requisites of emerging globalisation, openeness and public responsiveness of the Government. (UNI) |
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