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Azad amused by HYDERABAD, Dec 2: Describing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s act of prematurely dissolving the assembly as a ......more Plastic
money all set BASTAR, Dec 2 Plastic money is all set to enter the remote and tribal-dominated, Naxalite-infested region of .....more MSEB
disappointed MUMBAI, Dec 2: MSEB Chairman Ashok Basak has said the electricity board was disappointed with the decision o ...more Kurukshetra
can be KURUKSHETRA, Dec 2: A harmonious blend of the present and the mythological, the spiritual and the scientific...more |
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Verdict in Lakhubhai cheating case to be pronounced on Dec 22 NEW DELHI, Dec 2: A Delhi Court will pronounce on December 22, judgement in the one lakh-dollar Lakhubhai ...more MPs
pay tributes to NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned today on the opening day of the Winter Session after ....more POTA
committee’s NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Maintaining its hardline, the Tamil Nadu Government today challenged the jurisdiction of the POTA .....more Tension
in R’sthan JAIPUR, Dec 2: Tension has gripped the Meo dominated town of Kama in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district......more |
Azad amused by ‘childish’ pranks of Naidu HYDERABAD, Dec 2: Describing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s act of prematurely dissolving the assembly as a "childish" prank, Congress working committee member Ghulam Nabi Azad today said his party would make the most of this opportunity to dislodge the TDP Government from power. Addressing party workers at a state-level election orientation camp held at Gandhi Bhavan, the APCC headquarters here, he said Mr Naidu had failed to take advantage of the two-thirds majority the TDP enjoyed in the dissolved assembly. Instead of charging the Congress and the Naxalites with hindering development, the TDP Government could have used their majority to pass any legislation it wanted to curb extremism or lead the state towards development, Mr Azad, also the leader in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, felt. Stating that it was "sad" that the Chief Minister chose to club the Congress with the Naxalites while making out a case for dissolving the assembly, he said the "real problem is that Mr Naidu had never attempted to understand the genesis of the Naxalite problem to find a solution to it." Referring to the experiences in Kashmir, the Congress leader pointed out that despite over 30,000 officials and militants having been killed in terrorist violence in that state, the Union Government was still prepared for talks with Pakistan, which was accused of sponsoring cross-border terrorism. "That does not mean that our Prime Minister is pro-Pakistan," Mr Azad noted. Similarly, if the Congress suggested that talks be held with the Naxalites, that does not mean it was pro-extremists, he added, asserting that in democracy, the doors for dialogue must be kept open. Replying to Mr Naidu’s criticism that the Congress was opportunistic, Mr Azad said "had we been opportunistic, our party would have been in power." the TDP’s alliance with the BJP proved who was opportunistic, he added. Describing the BJP as a "cancer" afflicting the country, Mr Azad said the TDP was supporting that party despite the unsavoury developments in Gujarat and elsewhere. The onus was now on the TDP to prove whether they were secular or opportunistic, he added. Ridiculing Mr Naidu for dissolving the assembly with an eye on strengthening his party’s numbers in the house, he claimed that the TDP would not get the same number of seats in the coming elections. "I could imagine if Mr Naidu had decided to dissolve the house while heading a minority or a coalition Government. But, when his hands were already strengthened, it beats logic to seek a fresh mandate," Mr Azad said. The Congress leader exhorted his partymen to be hard working, united and disciplined to dislodge the TDP and install the Congress in power in the state. (UNI) |
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Plastic money all set to enter tribal Bastar BASTAR, Dec 2 Plastic money is all set to enter the remote and tribal-dominated, Naxalite-infested region of Chhattisgarh which is known for its natural beauty and unique cultural diversity. A nationalised bank has carried out surveys in Jagdalpur, the most advanced town of the region, and in the next few months will launch facilities like Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). In future, credit cards will also be accepted here thus boosting the tourism potential of the region. The wood craft, bell metal and wrought iron work, the red ant ‘chutney’, cock-fights, local brew — ‘salfi’ and ‘landa’, amazing food, lush forests of sal, teak, Sirsa and Tamarind, the wildlife including rare wild bufallo, hill mynah, leopards and tigers — had already placed Bastar in the international map. Spread over an area of 39,114 Sq Kms, Bastar comprising three districts is even bigger than states like Kerala and Haryana. Though the tribals with their fascinating lifestyles and perfect artistry are high-interest points, the USP here is nature and simplicity of the natives. Tourists define Bastar as an exubrance of breathtaking waterfalls, gurgling rivers and streams and greenery at its best, deep caves and the high point is the lifestyle of the remotest corner of the country. Bastar Collector Shailesh Pathak told this visiting UNI correspondent that the unique feature of the region is the forest cover which is between 80 to 90 per cent. "The toursim potential is unique. There is a bit of everything in the vast district —mystical, mythical, historical and natural," he said. But Naxalites are casting their dark shadow in the region which borders Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. But there are no reasons to worry, says Inspector-General (Bastar range) Sant Kumar Paswan. "The administration is very strict on the Naxalite issue. The police is always on alert and attempts by the outlawed groups like peoples’ war are being foiled by us," he added. "The weekly fairs are the heart of village economies and the bigger villages attract locals from as far as over 20 Kms," says a local scribe Pallav Ghosh. "There is tremendous potential in Bastar and the local people here are simple. Once a person comes here he falls in love with the place," he adds. Chhatisgarh Tourism Board Officials said that some of the finest works of Bastar crafts are showcased in some of India’s five star hotel lobbies and upmarket urban stores. The Harrapan and Indus Valley flavour of Bastar’s handicrafts heightens their appeal amongst the tourists. Kondegaon, Narayanpur and Jagdalpur are famous for their terracota crafts such as elephant bells and a selection of decorative pots and tabletop items. Jagdalpur is famous for ‘kosa’ silk weaving. Bell metal and wrought iron work is the speciality of Kondagaon and Jagdalpur. Wood and bamboo work are best seen at Narayanpur and Jagdalpur. Memorial stones are one of Bastar’s oldest craft. One can pick up lovely souveniers at Shilpgram or Narayanpur’s Handicraft Centre. The inmates of the central prison at Jagdalpur are also promoting the local art in a unique way. Jail Superintendent P D Verma, talking to UNI said that the local art is being promoted by the jail inmates in a big way and this has been appreciated throughout the country. In just one year of Mr Verma’s taking over, the income from sales of these items had gone upto Rs 22 lakh from Rs five lakh of the previous year. Tribals comprise more than 70 per cent of Bastar’s population and each tribe has their own style, dieties and food habits. The Bastar tribals are the oldest tribal community in India and one of the oldest in the world and the place is an anthropologist’s haven. Bastar is a nature lover’s paradise with vast tracts of paddy fields, trackless vistas of virgin forest and a dazzling range of flora and fauna, rivers and ancient caves and several waterfalls. The botanist’s delight is Kanger Valley National Park and there is a proposal to convert it into a biosphere reserve. The stalagmite and stalacite formations of Kutumsar caves, Kailash cave and Dandak cave are popular attractions. The translucent cascades of Tirathgarh waterfalls from a height of 100 Ft are a great draw with picknickers and honeymooners. The Chitrakote falls on the streach of Indravati river reminds one of the Niagara falls. A tourist’s visit to Bastar could not be complete without visiting the sericulture farm and the anthropological museum —which reflects Bastar’s culture. (UNI) |
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MSEB disappointed with MERC’s tariff revision order MUMBAI, Dec 2: MSEB Chairman Ashok Basak has said the electricity board was disappointed with the decision of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) to increase power tariff by only about 1.5 per cent as against the 12.5 per cent as sought by the MSEB. The MSEB had suggested the hike in its tariff revision proposal for 2003-04 submitted in July this year. In its interim order, the MERC said it had also reduced the rates for several categories of consumers. The revised tariff will be applicable from December 1. Commenting on the MERC’s tariff revision order passed here late yesterday, Mr Basak told UNI today the Commission’s order had failed to take care of the board’s financial requirements. This increase would yield an annual revenue of a mere Rs 186 crore as against the Rs 1,462 crore under the hike which had been proposed by MSEB, he said. The MSEB Chairman said that the board has to mobilise around 90 per cent of its resources to meet its annual expenditure. He, though, refused to divulge how the MSEB would meet this challenge. In reply to a question, he said that the MSEB may file a revision petition only if there was scope to challenge the MERC order on certain principles. The board would study the detailed tariff order before taking any decision on the filing of a revision petition, he added. The MERC said it had finalised the tariff after conducting a technical validation session with consumer representatives, inviting suggestions and objections from the public, and holding public hearings at Amravati, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik, Pune and Mumbai. The Commission said a detailed order would be passed in a few days. The MERC order said the net increase in revenue to MSEB from the revised tariff will be Rs 186 crore if the full year was taken into account as against Rs 1462 crore proposed by MSEB. The MSEB had applied for approval of their Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) for 2003-04 in April and had submitted a detailed tariff revision proposal at July-end. The MERC order said that the movement of tariff towards the average cost of supply had been maintained. "Cross subsidy has been reduced without subjecting any consumer category to a tariff shock", the order said. The MERC order said that the flat rate tariffs have been specified only for un-metered ‘lT agriculture consumers.’ The order said that the difference between metered and flat rate tariffs had been increased to encourage metering. The order said that in circles with average power consumption less than 1300 hours per year, a lower flat rate tariff has been fixed. A higher rate will apply in circles with higher consumption, the order said. The MERC said that the Commission had considered the target loss level at 26.87 per cent. This is MERC’s third tariff order. The first tariff order was passed in 2000 and the second was passed in 2001. (UNI) |
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POTA committee’s jurisdiction challenges in Vaiko case NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Maintaining its hardline, the Tamil Nadu Government today challenged the jurisdiction of the POTA review committee for going into the detention of MDMK supremo Vaiko and Tamil daily Nakkheeran’s editor R R Gopal, who have been in jail under the stringent anti-terrorism law. In the "preliminary objection" to the show-cause notice issued on the two cases by the committee, the State Government has questioned the committee’s jurisdiction, chairman of the POTA review committee, Justice A B Saharya told reporters. "We are going to have our meeting tomorrow and the preliminary objection of Tamil Nadu Government will be considered," he said, adding that the other two members of the committee — Arvind S Inamdar, a retired IPS, and M U Rehaman, a retired IAS, will join him. The committee, headed by Justice Saharya, had on November 13 issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Government to show cause whether the arrest of MDMK supremo Vaiko and Tamil daily Nakkheeran’s editor R R Gopal was fit and proper under the act. Vaiko has been in prison for more than a year after he was arrested under POTA for allegedly supporting banned organisation LTTE. Besides the preliminary objection of jurisdiction, Justice Saharya refused to divulge other contents of the reply submitted by the State Government. Justice Saharya said a team of officials from Tamil Nadu, which met him along with the Government counsel, did not produce other records and police diary of the two cases as they wanted that their preliminary objection be decided. The review committee, while seeking its reply on the notice, had directed the State Government to supply all relevant materials leading to the registration of the case and sanctions required under POTA to prosecute a person. The chairman said the officials have been asked to stand by till the conclusion of the committee’s meeting. Asked about the agenda of the meeting tomorrow, he said beside other cases, these two cases from Tamil Nadu will be discussed. (PTI) |
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Tension in R’sthan town after poll violence JAIPUR, Dec 2: Tension has gripped the Meo dominated town of Kama in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district following poll-related violence in which a presiding officer was badly beaten up allegedly by a relative of a Congress Minister yesterday, a senior police official said today. Prohibitory orders were promulgated and two companies of BSF and one of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC), rushed from Jaipur, have been deployed in the town to maintain law and order situation, Additional Director-General of Police S N Jairath told PTI here. A mob of Congress supporters led by a son-in-law of the Medical and Health Minister Tayab Hussain had allegedly attacked the Presiding Officer at a girls’ school polling booth causing him serious eye injury, Jairath said, adding polling was consequently stopped at the booth. In retaliation, members of Hindu Community challenged the mob of Meo community (Muslims) leading to communal tension, which was contained immediately. DIG Security Liyakat Ali, Superintendent of Police and Collector of Bharatpur Govind Narayan and Subodh Agarwal were camping in the town, the ADG said. The civil administration was holding talks with the communities concerned with a view to ease tension, he said. A case has been lodged by an employee attached with the polling party. No arrest has been made in this connection so far, Deputy Supetintendent of Police Ajay Kumar, posted at Kama, told PTI on telephone. The District Election Authorities have recommended repoll in the three polling stations in Kama, Kumar said. However unofficial reports indicated that the Congress supporters also seized some electronic voting machines while someone else in the town opened fire in air. (PTI) SC rejects bail plea of Manu sharma in Jessica Lal murder case NEW DELHI, Dec 2: The Supreme Court today dismissed a bail plea of Jessica Lal murder case prime accused Siddharth Vashisht alias Manu Sharma and lamented that in the present day society even if a murder takes place before a large gathering not one comes forward to help the prosecution. A bench comprising Justice N Santosh and Justice B P Singh refused to interfere in the Delhi High Court order dismissing his bail plea after hearing arguments from senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, the counsel for the accused. Jethmalani pleaded that Sharma has done nothing to warrant cancellation of the interim bail granted to him for the last one year. He argued that Sharma was entitled to bail as the prosecution was in no position to prove the guilt of his client in the case pertaining to the killing of the ramp model at ‘Tamarind court’ in south Delhi as none of the witnesses supported the police case. At this point, the bench observed "in this society it is a big problem. There are people watching the incident and yet nobody comes forward to support the prosecution." When the counsel kept on stressing the fact that three Judges of the High Court had granted interim bail to him and there was no occasion for the fourth Judge to reject the same, the bench asked "in a murder case of this nature whay bail at all was granted?" The High Court had dismissed the bail plea of Sharma on November 11 saying "circumstantial evidence" was "consistent with his guilt". Pusruant to the High Court order, Sharma was sent to judicial custody by a Trial Court. (PTI) SC allows PIL two-week time in Telgi case NEW DELHI, Dec 2: The Supreme Court today allowed a Public Interest Litigation two-week time to make all the states parties in the petition seeking CBI inquiry into Rs 33,000 crore Telgi stamp paper scam case. A bench, headed by V N Khare, directed another petition seeking transfer of all Telgi related cases from various High Courts to the apex court, to be listed along with the PIL. The petition sought probe by the premier investigating agency on the ground that some of the state Governments were reluctant to order probe by CBI. The petition, filed by advocate Sjay Aggarwal annexed several newspaper reports relating to the spread of the scam, alleging though Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani made a public statement that the Centre was ready for a CBI inquiry, Maharashtra and Karnataka were not making necessary request as "political big wigs" are allegedly involved in the scandal. The petitioner requested the apex court to order CBI probe into the scam and monitor the investigation as the fake stamp papers were circulated across the country in connivance with the officials and politicians.(PTI) SIA increases seat capacity on Indian routes during peak season NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Singapore Airlines (SIA) today said it will upgrade many of its flights besides operating an additional flight to Bangalore under the Government’s limited open sky policy. The policy is aimed at meeting the increased demand for airline seats during winter months. Mr Rick Clements, vice-president for SIA’s public affairs, said the airline will upgrade all night-time services from Mumbai to the higher-capacity Boeing 747 aircraft during December and January. The daytime services, which commenced in October, will continue to be operated by the lower capacity boeing 777 aircraft. The airline will offer 3,545 seats every week from the city, compared with 3,188 earlier. SIA will also upgrade five of its seven weekly services from Chennai to Boeing 747 aircraft, taking the total number of seats to 2,491 weekly from 2,146 earlier. It will add one more service to Bangalore, taking the total to four flights a week, increasing the seat availability to 1,152 seats weekly (864). The capacity on the airline’s daily service to Delhi will remain the same, as it operates the high-capacity Boeing 777 aircraft on this sector. The airline also plans to add an ad-hoc service to its weekly service to Kolkata. Overall, the airline will offer 11 per cent more seats each week during December and January. So far, the airline was operating 26 passenger flights per week from five cities in India — Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai (all daily), Bangalore (thrice weekly) and Kolkata (twice weekly). Besides, its subsidiary silk air operates 11 flights per week to Hyderabad (four flights), Kochi (four flights) and Thiruvananthapuram (three flights). The airline, which reported its first-ever loss of 312 million Singapore dollars in the first quarter (April to June) of the current financial year, has since reported a profit of 306 million dollars in the second quarter ended September 30, 2003. As on half-year ended September 2003, its deficit stood at 6.5 million dollars. Mr clements told reporters that this was a good position to be in, considering that the airline was incurring losses of six million dollars every day when the SARS outbreak was at its peak in March. He added that the airline’s subsidiary silk air will not be converted into a low-cost no-frills airline. The group will spell out its view on such an airline by the year-end. Mr Clement said the west Asia region — including India — have been registering over 80 per cent seat load factors in first half of current fiscal. That is up 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period of last year. From February, SIA will operate the longest commercial flight, lasting 16 hours between Singapore and Los Angeles with the A340-500. The airline has branded this aircraft the A345 leadership. The return flight will last 18 hours. The airline hopes to receive the first of its three A345 aircraft later this month. It will also offer a non-stop service to New York using the same aircraft from August 2004. (UNI) PMK protests against TN’s decision on IMFs CHENNAI, Dec 2: The Pattali Makkal Katchi women’s wing staged a demonstration against the Tamil Nadu Government venturing into the retail vending of Indian made foreign spirit, even as the public protests over permitting liquor shops in residential areas and at places close to schools and places of worship continued for the fourth day today. Party women’s wing secretary Kala Dinakaran led the 100-strong workers in the slogan-shouting demonstration, inaugurated by president G K Mani, MLA, in front of Valluvar Kottam. Dressed in dhoties and shirts, the agitationists, who carried broom sticks and liquor bottles, alleged that the Government’s decision went against the interests of the people. This was the second phase of the agitation organised by the women’s wing conducting stir in rural areas last month. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mani favoured total prohibition and demanded the closure of all liquor shops. If the Government did not heed to their demand, his party, would launch a massive agitation. The date and nature of the protest would be decided later, he added. Meanwhile, about 300 women of the fishing colony of Nochikuppam near Marina resorted to slogan shouting and attempted to stage a road blockade stir in protest against opening of a liquor shop by the state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) in their housing colony. The protestors contended that the move could pose law and order problems even as senior citizens in the colony tried to pacify them. They also demanded immediate closure of liquor shops. It may be recalled that the Government had recently promulgated an ordinance to take over the sale of liquor to put an end to the illicit liquor consumption and "cartelisation" of the trade. With the private shop owners downing their shutters in most of the areas, habitual boozers were finding it difficult to locate TASMAC shops in their localities. There have been widespread protests from the people and political parties even as TASMAC continued its effort to find premises to locate the wine shops in places where some owners were unwilling to hand over their shops. In some areas, TASMAC managed to take over the shops. Following a petition from some of the affected shop owners, Madras High Court had allowed TASMAC to run 7,621 shops and the remaining 879 shops were given one more week’s time to do business as they had already deposited the "privilege amount". (UNI) |
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