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Parties keep fingers
crossed on Telangana HYDERABAD, Nov 20: Is Telangana a powder keg or a damp squib? the question seems to have been crossing the minds of all political parties in ...more Telgi’s cuffe parade apartment lies deserted MUMBAI, Nov 20: A banyan tree at the very entrance of the building in Cuffe parade where Abdul Karim Telgi, the...more Strike by BSNL employees, demanding whereabout of Kuldeep SRINAGAR, Nov 20: Employees of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited today went on a ....more Telgi scam has "serious implications", says Advani BHOPAL, Nov 20: Asserting that the multi-crore Telgi stamp paper scam has "serious implications", Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani...more |
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Floriculture in Haryana CHANDIGARH, Nov 20: Floriculture has gained momentum in Haryana and the state has achieved a record production of 1200 lakh cut flowers and . ....more World Hindi secretariat to be set up in Mauritius MUMBAI, Nov 20: Do not get surprised by the Mauritius nationals speaking fluent Hindi in addition to their creoles language....more PMK
demands CHENNAI, Nov 20: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-leader S Ramadoss today demanded the resignation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, ......more Karnataka
CM rules out BANGALORE, Nov 20: Even as the demand from the opposition mounted for ......more |
Parties keep fingers crossed on Telangana issue HYDERABAD, Nov 20: Is Telangana a powder keg or a damp squib? the question seems to have been crossing the minds of all political parties in Andhra Pradesh what with assembly elections round the corner. A clear cut stand on statehood to Telangana has been hard to come by from the parties, but for one. Though the demand itself has been renewed several times over the decades, the coming assembly polls are expected to clearly define where the movement for a Telangana state stands. While both the national parties in the state are headed by sons of Telangana, the ‘pro-small states’ BJP as well as the Congress find themselves sitting on the fence when it comes to the statehood demand, even as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), founded by K Chandrasekhar Rao, has emerged as the torch bearer of the ‘Jai Telangana’ cause. The BJP, which had along with Lakshmi Parvathi’s NTR-TDP raised the ‘one vote, two states’ issue some years ago, has caught itself on a wrong foot in the state where it has now aligned with the ruling TDP, which is for an integrated Andhra Pradesh. The party was even forced to dismiss one of its MP, Narendra, for his pro-Telangana stand, as it had caused much embarrasment to its ally. Narendra has now put his weight behind the TRS. Mr Rao himself had quit the TDP in 2001 to float the TRS, after that party failed to recognise the Telangana demand. While the Congress snubbed the demand of some its legislators for a separate PCC for Telangana some time ago, it is now contemplating aligning with the TRS for the assembly polls, a move seen as appeasing the pro-Telangana workers as well as maintaining status-quo. Though the past few months have been witness to top officials from the civil services as well as intellectuals coming out openly in support of a separate Telangana, the ruling TDP has dismissed the developments as "restricted to the elites." the party has maintained that only an integrated Andhra Pradesh could ensure wholesome development. The Left parties, including the CPI(M), have echoed a similar view, maintaining that only a ‘Vishal Andhra’ or ‘United Andhra’ could lead to development. Ruled by the Nizams until its merger with the Indian union in 1956, the ten districts that constitute Telangana is today painted as the victim of step-motherly treatment meted out by successive Governments, resulting in its people being left behind in many areas of socio-economic development. Over a decade after its merger, the region was witness to a massive agitation demanding a separate state in 1969, which was followed by a ‘Jai Andhra’ agitation in 1971. With an area of 98,811 Sq Km, Telangana is the largest among the three regions of Andhra Pradesh as well as the richest in natural resources, including huge reserves of precious minerals such as uranium. However, it is the coastal Andhra and Rayalseema cousins who have emerged prosperous and remained dominant over the years. However, the real issue boils down to vote politics with as many as 107 constituencies falling under Telangana of the 295-member Andhra Pradesh assembly. Mr Rao, who represented siddipet constituency of the Telangana region in the dissolved house, would be testing waters for the first time on the Telangana card as he was earlier elected on a TDP ticket. Though his party made a sweep of the local bodies elections in the region, it is no consolation as virtually everything is at stake for him this time around. Though confident of winning at least 65 seats on its own, the TRS is nevertheless desperate for a tie-up with the Congress in a bid to "legitimise" the demand for a separate state. The Congress has 39 MLAs from Telangana in the 11th legislative assembly. The Congress legislators from Telangana, under the banner of Congress forum for Telangana (CFT), have also been pressing for at least a truck with the TRS, even though the high command had turned down their demand for a PCC for that region. The parties have already started kicking off their electoral campaigns from various districts of Telangana, with BJP and TRS being among the first to do so. (UNI) |
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Telgi’s cuffe parade apartment lies deserted MUMBAI, Nov 20: A banyan tree at the very entrance of the building in Cuffe parade where Abdul Karim Telgi, the man behind the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam was allowed to stay while in custody, today stands mute testimony to his ‘hide and seek drama’ in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam. The posh ground floor apartment at Cuffe parade in south Mumbai where Telgi stayed while he was officially in Crime Branch custody, wore a deserted look as it was attached and sealed by the Income Tax Department in January 2003. The usual hustle-bustle in the lavishly-appointed apartment (which looks very ordinary from outside) has been completely missing and no one has visited the apartment after it was attached. Babu, a gardner, who has been working in the building for the past eight years, refused to give any information saying that he is not scared as he has not done anything wrong. One of the residents in the building, on strict condition of anonymity, told UNI, "we are greatly relieved when one day we came to know that police took away the people staying in the apartment." Several people in Chauffeur-driven cars and motor bikes used to frequently visit the apartment which was being used just like a ‘guest house’. "We faced parking problems as we had to sometimes park our vehicles outside our building as the number of vehicles used to be parked by ‘his men’. We even complained to them but they used to be very careless and never paid heed to us," the neighbour said. "They did not look trustworthy or belonging to any respectable family, we did not feel safe being their neighbours and got the impression that we should be careful. However, it never occurred to us that such a scandal is cooking here," she said. "We started receiving several phone calls from relatives, friends and even unknown people cautioning us to be careful after the matter came to light," the neighbour said. The building is 95 years old, one of the oldest heritage buildings in the posh Cuffe parade area. Before Telgi came to stay in the apartment, a massive renovation was done. The entire flooring was changed to marble flooring. The whole flat was lavishly decorated, she said. The number of people staying in the flat was so large that we used to run short of water which became another headache for us. Following persistant complaints, they took separate water connection, she added. "We never came in contact with Telgi as such and never had an opportunity to look inside the apartment. We think he stayed here between November 2002 and January this year," she said. "The apartment measuring around 1,000 Sq Ft belonged to one Mr Walia and we complained to them about this tenant. Mr Walia told us that Mr Bridge, an estate broker was instrumental in bringing this tenant to him and that Mr Walia has never seen Telgi." Another interesting thing was that they did not have land line phone almost till April 2002, the time he was arrested and almost every visitor had mobile with them. We also did not come to know whether the food was being cooked here or they employed any servant for them. Also during January 2002, police used to visit the apartment and after every 15 days or so, lock it with new lock and key. It went on for quite sometime, they said. The apartment has been attached under Income Tax Act 1961 as Telgi’s Income Tax rets for assessment years 1996-97 and 2002-03 are pending. (UNI) |
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Strike by BSNL employees, demanding whereabout of Kuldeep SRINAGAR, Nov 20: Employees of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited today went on a lightening strike demanding whereabouts of Kuldeep Singh who has been missing even since two ‘fidayeen’ entered the Indira Nagar Telephone Exchange here on Tuesday. However, a BSNL spokesman told UNI that he had just received information saying that Mr Singh was alive. The employees stopped work this morning alleging that authorities did nothing to locate Mr Singh who went missing since Tuesday evening. The spokesman said Indira Nagar Telephone Exchange, costing Rs eight crores, providing service to the 15 corps in the entire cantonment area was completely damaged in the incident. He said all the 4,000 telephone connections were dead and it would be a while before another exchange was installed. Though the 15 corps had their own exchange, a large number of private telephones of senior army officers were connected to this exchange. Two fidayeens of Al-Mansoorain outfit entered the exchange, which was being guarded by SSB personnel, after making an unsuccessful attempt to storm the nearby headquarters of the 62 battalion of the CRPF around 1815 hours on Tuesday. All the seven SSB personnel have been rescued by the Army. (UNI) |
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PMK demands Jaya’s resignation CHENNAI, Nov 20: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-leader S Ramadoss today demanded the resignation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, owning moral responsibility for the Supreme Court transferring to Karnataka two disproportionate wealth cases, in which she and her close friend N Sasikala figured as accused. Talking to newspersons here, he said Tamil Nadu should hang its head in shame as the Apex Court had observed that "the course of justice is being subverted (in Tamil Nadu)." Pointing out that the Supreme Court had also observed that it was clear that a free and fair criminal trial of the Chief Minister would not be possible in Tamil Nadu, the PMK demanded that ms Jayalalithaa quit office on moral grounds. Referring to Ms Jayalalithaa’s remarks that the state assembly would pass a resolution, demanding the dismissal of the Karnataka Government, invoking Article 356 of the Constitution, for flouting the orders of the Centre and the Apex Court in the Cauvery issue, Dr Ramadoss said Ms Jayalalithaa should not give up the demand in the present circumstances. She herself should move the resolution in the coming assembly session, he suggested. Opposing the Government’s move to shift the Director General of Police Office complex, presently located off Marina, to Taramani, Dr Ramadoss said there was no need for it as only recently an annexe building was built at the complex at a cost of Rs one crore. He said the order of the three-member panel, confirming the dismissal of 587 Government employees for participating in the July two strike, was too harsh and urged the Government to reinstate them without any further delay. The PMK leader also appealed to the State Chief Electoral Officer not to reduce the number of polling booths in the state. Criticising the Government’s decision to take over retail vending of Indian Made Foreign Spirit (IMFS), he said it was disgusting that the Government itself was promoting drinking habit among youth by offering incentives to shops which sold more liquor. Welcoming the Government’s decision to bifurcate Dharmapuri district and create a new district with its headquarters at Krishnagiri, he, however, asked if this was done for administrative convenience, why the Government had merged Ariyalur with Perambalur, bifurcated by the previous DMK regime. Dr Ramadoss also appealed to the State Government to stop issuing orders to powerloom weavers for manufacturing sarees and dhoties, meant for free distribution to the poor, and instead give the orders to handloom weavers. Urging the Government to lift the ban on recruitments, he demanded that it come out with a white paper on the vacancies and details of those registered with employment exchanges. (UNI) |
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Karnataka CM rules out CBI probe into fake stamp paper scam BANGALORE, Nov 20: Even as the demand from the opposition mounted for handing over the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket probe to the CBI, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today declared that the Government would not refer the scam to the Central Investigating Agency. "We (Karnataka) have stated our position very clearly earlier. There is no change in our stand made out on the floor of the house and elsewhere that there is no need for referring the scam to a CBI probe", Krishna asserted during an informal chat with reporters here. Krishna virtually endorsed the statement of his colleague, Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, who said that since the investigations by stampit, appointed by the Government, had reached a final stage, "there was no need at this stage to go in for another probe by the CBI". Ever since the scam surfaced three years ago, Karnataka has been maintaining that police would investigate the scam and would not seek CBI help in the matter. Asked about the repeated demand of opposition leaders, including the BJP, for a CBI probe into the scam, Krishna said there was no need of it at this stage. The stampit has filed 10 chargesheets in connection with the scam and is in the process of filing another soon. The Karnataka High Court is expected to name a judge to head the Special Court, being set up for speedy trail of the case. Prime Minister A B Vajpayee had mentioned that some Congress ruled states, including Karnataka, were not cooperating with the Centre for a CBI probe. Asked whether any minister has tendered his resignation in the wake of the scam, Krishna said these were just ‘rumours.’ "They (rumours) continue to be rumours and evaporate as rumours", Krishna said. He declined to react to the allegations made by the prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi’s counsel that his client has been infected with the deadly HIV virus, saying that the authorities concerned had already replied to it. Additional Director General of Police and stampit chief, R Sri Kumar yesterday spiked Telgi’s counsel M T Nanaiah’s charge saying that the alleged kingpin had tested positive for HIV two years ago, prior to his arrest in connection with the stamp paper racket. (PTI) Many enthusiastic independents in MP assembly poll BHOPAL, Nov 20: Undeterred by crushing defeats, loss of money, energy and time, a large number of independent candidates jump into the fray regularly in elections to cross swords with party heavyweights. Their enthusiasm can be gauged from the candidates’ list for the December 1 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh where as many as 878 hopefuls are fighting the electoral battle as independent candidates. Though their number has marginally declined from that in the 1998 assembly elections in the state when 900 independent candidates had contested the polls, they still constitute more than 40 per cent of the total number of 2,171 aspirants in the race for the 230-member house. A close scrutiny of past election statistics shows that independents have always been a special feature in all elections despite most of them facing defeat. In 1998 assembly polls which witnessed 900 independent candidates in the field, barely one per cent of them emerged victorious while atotal of 868 had to bite the dust. The number of independent candidates in the 1993 assembly elections in the state was much higher at 1,792 while eight of them could taste victory at the hustings. Out of those who lost the battle, 1,744 had to lose their deposits. There were altogether 2,707 independent candidates in the race for the 1990 assembly elections out of whom ten emerged victorious while 2,665 had to forfeit their deposits. The taste of electoral battle is so intoxicating for politicians that many of those belonging to major political parties also readily join the race as independent candidates when denied tickets by their parties. This time also a number of BJP and Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh are trying their luck as independent aspirants following refusal of party tickets. Prominent among such candidates are BJP leader and former Health Minister in the state Rajendra Prakash Singh who is in the electoral fray as an independent from Ron constituency. Similarly, another BJP leader and former State Finance Minister Ramhit Gupta is trying his luck from Satna assembly seat as an independent while his party colleague and former MLA Ramashankar Bhardwaj is contesting as an independent from Sheolur constituency. Annoyed over refusal of Congress ticket, former State Minister and Dindori district Congress president Basauri Singh Masram is contesting from Bajag reserved constituency as an independent against Congress nominee Nandini Maravi. His party colleague Rajvardhan Singh quit the party following refusal of ticket and is now contesting as an independent candidate from Haylidhgarh seat. In Dhar district, BJP rebel and district Panchayat Samiti chairman Prakash Sawant is in the field against the official party nominee in Badnawar constituency, while Jaspal Arora of Congress is contesting from Sehore as an independent. However, the presence of independent aspirants in assembly elections has been gradually reducing due to increase in the securiy amount among other reasons. Another major reason behind the slide in their number is the readiness of smaller political parties in offering tickets to hopefuls from varied segments of the political fabric. (PTI) Rudy takes off to inaugurate Air Race India 2003 BANGALORE, Nov 20: Union Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today piloted an Indian Air Force HPT-32 trainer aircraft to Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu to inaugurate the country’s first full fledged air race "Air Race India 2003" from the Hal airport here. "It is a leap into the air," Rudy, who holds a pilot license, said before taking off with Squadron leader N Roopesh on the 144 nautical mile journey to begin the southern leg of the race, organised by the aeronautical society of India to mark the centennial of the historic flight by Wright brothers. About 20 aircraft from Bangalore, including nine from the services took off on a two day trip to reach Nagpur for the grand finale on November 22, even as 30 aircraft began their journey to the final destination from Goa and Barrackpore simultaneously. "It is to inspire Budding youngsters who want to leap off into the air," Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy said, while praising the hundreds of engineers and groundsmen working "out of glare" to make the event a success. "The pilots have to fly six to eight hours..It is a tough job and they have to plan for the day ahead," he said. Nearly 50 aircraft ranging from vintage light piston, microlights and Poweush intercontinental hotel, Hindi film music holds the sway everywhere. Switch on the television, and you find a host of Indian channels dishing out popular numbers. At the heavily fortified Gulkhana palace complex, home to King Zahir Shah and President Hamid Karzai, one of the Afghan commandos was more concerned over the high tarrif of an Indian movie pay channel than frisking the guests. Most cinema halls in Kabul show Hindi movies, though the viewers are not able to read the posters written in Devnagiri script. Air Race India 2003 organising Committee Chairman Air Vice Marshal (retd) Ajit Lamba said the northern leg, from Chandigarh had to be cancelled due to bad weather and the participants were accomodated in other regions. Nearly 20 women, including NCC cadets Ition, which has the support of the armed forces and the Civil Aviation Ministry. Nearly 25 airfields, including IAF bases would be used for the three day aviation event which will culminate in Nagpur on November 23, with a grand air display by the IAF and award presentation by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani. (PTI) Tale of two dropped women ministers JAIPUR, Nov 20: Two former women ministers in Rajasthan, who were dropped from the Gehlot ministry in the last reshuffle before the Assembly polls, are fighting tough electoral battles to retain their Tonk and Sanganer seats. Both Zakia, Congress niminee from Tonk and Indira Mayaram from Sanganer, are facing a formidable challenge not only from their main rival BJP but also from their party rebels. While Mayaram is facing BJP stalwart Ghanshyam Tiwari, Zaki is facing BJP’s Mahavir Prasad besides a rebel from her own party Nizamuddin. In Sanganer, Tiwari is giving a tough fight to Mayaram but his old colleague Vidhya Pathak, a former minister, who has jumped into the fray on an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket after being ignored by BJP, may prove to be a spoiler. However, the electioneering is devoid of any major issue in the largely rural constituency having a 2.40 lakh-strong electorate, mostly Brahmins. There are 1.40 lakh rural voters against one lakh urban ones. Tiwari, once an aspirant for Chief Ministership, has shifted to this constituency from Chomu where he lost to the Congress nominee in the last polls by over 43,600 votes and Mayaram’s supporters are branding him as an outsider. However, BJP’s campaign manager B C Chirania rejects the charge of Tiwari being an outsider saying he had all along been incharge of the entire show in Jaipur. Mayaram is concentrating her campaign on development plank listing works done in the constituency during the last five years. "I have got works worth Rs 1,000 crore implemented here and people would vote for them," she says. However, Tiwari’s campaigners say his rival’s tall claims would be swept in the BJP "wave" in these polls. BJP rebel Vidhya Pathak, who served as a minister in the erstwhile Shekhawat ministry, is however, making the task difficult for Tiwari. In Tonk sitting Congress member Zakia is getting sleeples nights from Nizamuddin, a Congress supporter contesting as an independent in Muslim dominated constituency having 1.5 lakh electorate. The other main contender is Mahavir Prasad Jain of BJP who is trying to regain the seat which he lost to Zakia in 1998 polls. Zakia, who married Dr Inam, a local resident, is being described as an outsider after she divorced him. There are many factors that make Congress rebel Nizamuddin a formidable contender against both BJP and Congress nominee. He is also chairman of Tonk municipal council. Nizamuddin, says a roadside hotelier Abid Hussain, has the advantage of his large Bidi manufacturing business as he directly relates to about 10,000 people either as his own workmen or as those who supply him tendu leaves. However, Mahavir Prasad Jain of BJP, who was party chief whip from 1993 to 1998, hopes to get advantage of anti-incumbency factor and Zakia’s removal from Gehlot ministry a few months before the polls. His compaigners are confident that Congress rebel would also favour Jain in these polls. (PTI) Impart quality education to students in varsities: Kalam TIRUPATI, Nov 20: Calling upon the Indian universities to provide value-based education to the students to make them moral leaders, President A P J Abdul Kalam today said the varsities had a major responsibility in nation building through enriching science, engineering and technology. Inaugurating the three-day 78th annual meet of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), he said the universities should build moral leadership by providing the students quality research and teaching and creating new environment and base for development of the nation. Stressing that the varsities were judged by the research work undertaken by them, he said research would also improve the quality of teaching and education. "This will set in a regenerative cycle of excellence," he added. Emphasising the importance of nana-science and precision engineering, space technology, advanced materials and composite technology, biotechnology in the fields of drugs and pharmaceuticals, the areas which needed more research by the universities, he stressed the need for the varsities to have networking of some of the research centres like ISRO and CSIR among the 13 scientific organisations of the country. "Our road map for the next few decades will see many frontiers in these areas of nano-science and precision engineering," he pointed out and added scientific organisations were spending Rs 500 crore per year on sponsoring research. Dr Kalam asked the Vice Chancellors to provide the dynamic opportunity to the students and the teachers to undertake advance research which would build most important knowledge resource and core competence for achieving relevance and excellence. The universities, instead of looking for other countries for technology transfer, could help industry through research projects, he added. He said necessary steps should also be taken to create a virtual university in India through networking of all the varsities and other educational institutions for imparting universal tele-education. The networking of universities would provide a common platform for teaching schools, colleges and universities and even vocational courses. This would lead to synergising the strengths of different universities in promoting quality education in a cost effective manner, he added. He called for integrated action in the areas of agriculture and food processing, education and health care, information and communication, technology, infrastructure and self reliance in critical technologies for transformation of India into a developed nation. Pointing out that the universities could play a role in interlinking of rivers, the President said the project was essential for flood and drought control, for availability of drinking water to all regions, for good navigation and transportation for increased power generation, cultivation of land and environmental ecology. This mission would also provide employment opportunities to the rural population. The interlinking would lead to enhancement of environment and national connectivity and involved many specialists from various fields of science and technology. There was need for improving facilities in rural areas, he added. (UNI) |
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