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Centre presents NEW DELHI, June 29: The Centre today presented the draft of the National Urban Transport Policy to states and Union Terrotories seeking to promote ........more Patil
visits affected SHIMLA, June 29: Home Minister Shivraj Patil today promised all financial help to the state after Sutlej river broke its .........more BJP leaders taken into preventive custody HYDERABAD, June 29: Several BJP leaders, including party national vice president . .....more IT
act review panel to NEW DELHI, June 29: A Government panel will submit its report to IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran by the end of next month for an in-depth review of ........more |
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NEW DELHI, June 29: India Ho Ya Canada, women everywhere are afraid of going to a dentist. Infact, doctors here say Indian women are nearly 1.5 ............more Chamling asks for more resources to rural sector GANGTOK, June 29: Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has expressed concern over the diversion of resources to the non-traditional ............more HC suspends Col Sehgal’s sentence for three weeks NEW DELHI, June 29: The Delhi High Court today suspended for three weeks the sentence of Colonel Anil Sehgal who was awarded four-year .......more Hearing of
Jaya cases BANGALORE, June 29: The hearing in the Rs 66.65 crore Disproportionate Asset case filed against Tamil Nadu......more |
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welfare dept rapped for non-compliance of court order
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Centre presents Draft National Urban Transport Policy NEW DELHI, June 29: The Centre today presented the draft of the National Urban Transport Policy to states and Union Terrotories seeking to promote public transport system over private vehicles. Under the policy, which would see increased funds allocation by the Centre for establishing modern transport systems, each city would develop its integrated master plan keeping in view its future growth around a pre-planned transport network. Inaugurating conference of Chief Ministers of National Urban Transport Policy here, Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said "we (the Centre) will encourage each city with a population of more than 40 lakhs to start planning for a mass transit system adopting a technology that would best suit the city requirements in a 30-year time-frame." Possibilities include buses on dedicated corridors, elevated sky bus and monorail system, electric trolley buses and underground metro systems. Azad said even cities with population of 10 lakhs and above could be considered for some systems while the government would encourage use of "non-motorised systems" like bicycles and walking throughout the country by building separate tracks and pedestrian paths. This would be given priority under the National Urban Renewal Mission which seeks to provide Rs 50,000 crore to states in the next five years, he said. "The conference was held to understand the views of different states and generally, they have all said that there is need for such a policy," he told reporters. Stressing the importance of planning for integrated land use and allocation of parking space, Azad suggested that State Governments amend building by-laws in all cities with population of above 10 lakhs so that adequate parking space be provided by developers of residential and office complexes. "Multi-level parking should be made mandatory in city centres or other market complexes where there are high-rise buildings," he said. Envisaging an Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority to oversee development of public transport, the draft policy said use of private vehicles for daily trips may be discouraged through market mechanisms such as higher fuel taxes, higher parking fees and reduced availability of parking space. "The population of India’s six major metropolitan cities has increased by about 1.8 times from 1981 to 2001 but the number of motor vehicles has gone up six times during the same period. This has caused not only congestion on the roads, increased travel time, cost and inconvinience to commuters, but also severe air pollution," Azad said. The Centre would promote investment in public transport as well as measures that make it more attractive than use of private vehicles. For this, it would provide 60 per cent financing for preparation of project reports and offer equity participation and/or viability gap funding, he said. The Government would also encourage special purpose vehicles for setting-up high-cost mass transit systems, levy of dedicated taxes to be credited to an urban transport fund and private partnership, the draft policy said. Azad also underlined the use of cleaner technologies like compressed natural gas to check pollution. Addressing the conference, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit advocated construction of expressways around large cities so that vehicles from outside did not have to transit through them. "About 90,000 to one lakh vehicles which do not need to enter Delhi criss-cross the city everyday adding to the traffic chaos. This can be stopped if the expressways are built," she said. Dikshit said talks on land acquisition was already on with Haryana. The Chief Minister said though introduction of CNG had been a major success for Delhi, research and development work on other technologies like solar energy and electric buses had to be encouraged. On discouraging use of private vehicles, she said uniform taxation should be introduced throughout the country so that people desisted from buying old used cars. "Even if Delhi increases taxes, people will buy vehicles from neighbouring states," she said. Asked by reporters what could be done to ensure safety of women using public transport, she suggested that police vans with women officials be deployed around the city. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said a coordinated approach to building public transport system had to be adopted keeping in mind railways, airports and waterways. (PTI) |
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Patil visits affected areas promises all help SHIMLA, June 29: Home Minister Shivraj Patil today promised all financial help to the state after Sutlej river broke its banks and wrecked havoc in the all along its banks from Kinnaur district to Tatapani in Mandi district on June 26. "A team of Central officials would be arriving here in the evening to assess the losses in the flash floods. We have assured state Chief Minister of all financial help. Whatever, he says would be accepted," he said in a press conference here after making an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of the Kinnaur district along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Mr. Singh. Ms Gandhi was already here on a vacation along with her daughter Priyanka Vadera, son-in-law Robert Vadera and their children since June 26, while the Home Minister arrived early morning today. Mr. Patil said the Centre would announce immediate relief once the Central team makes an assessment of the estimated losses. He said relief assistance would be provided in three phases. "In the first phase of three to four days, we will do whatever needs to be done immediately. In the second, what has to be done in the next three months and in the last, a permanent settlement of the problem. Helicopters have also been put at the state Government’s service following its request for airlifting stranded tourists at various places in Kinnaur district, Mr Patil said. Efforts were also on to help the orchidists and the agriculturists in transporting their produce to the market, he said. Mr. Patil said helicopters could also be used to transport the agriculture produce to the market. "They are the worst affected." while reacting to a question whether satellite pictures of the Parchu (also Parechhu) lake suggest that it had been breached, he said "the worst was over", adding that the Central Government was in touch with the Chinese Government over the matter. The Home Minister said the Central and State Governments were in constant touch with each other and whatever the Chief Minister requires would be provided to the state. Mr. Patil said extensive damage to public and private property has taken place in the flash floods besides damage to the Hindustan-Tibet road at various places. "Several bridges have also been washed away." On Monday, Kinnaur District Commissioner Amandeep Garg said more than 17 bridges in the district were unsafe and would require reconstruction. The Home Minister also expressed satisfaction at the adequate stock of essential commodities in the areas. Mr. Patil said he had witnessed large-scale destruction of property in the flood-affected areas, but appreciated the state Government for its prompt action, which saved the lives of thousands from the flash floods. "We are have been told of the difficulties being faced by the people and the loss of their houses. We will do everything within our means to make good the losses," he added. (UNI) |
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BJP leaders taken into preventive custody HYDERABAD, June 29: Several BJP leaders, including party national vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, alongwith around 200 activists were taken into custody when they took out a rally to protest the hike in petrol and diesel prices here today. Barricades were erected to prevent the BJP workers, including women, who had gathered near Indira Park as part of their nation-wide agitation to prevent them from proceeding towards the Secretariat. But when they tried to proceed further raising slogans against the Centre and State Governments, demanding immediate roll back in petrol and diesel prices, they were taken into preventive custody, police said. Former Union Minister and party’s national secretary Bandaru Dattatreya, Andhra Pradesh unit president N Indrasena Reddy, vice-president Seshagiri Rao, party’s floor leader in the state Assembly G Kishan Reddy and ex-MLA Laxman were among those arrested, police added. Naidu and others were later released, police said. Addressing the party workers prior to the preventive custody, Naidu accused the UPA Government of pursuing anti-poor, anti-people and anti-farmers policies. The Congress and the Left parties, who had promised that the UPA Government would work for the welfare of people, have been deceiving poor people, Naidu alleged. The hike in the petrol and diesel prices would ultimately increase the prices of essential commodities in the country and common man would not be able to bear the burden, he said. Demanding immediate roll back of the hike in petrol and diesel, the BJP vice-president said "it is a test for Left parties, which always claim that they are supporters of the common man." Taking a dig at Left parties, Naidu said "the Left parties show green flag in coordination meetings and while coming out from it, they show the red flag. The UPA, by increasing prices of sugar, coal, pulses, cement, steel, petrol and diesel during last one year, has betrayed the common man, he said. BJP national secretary Bandaru Dattatreya, state unit president N Indrasena Reddy and other state leaders also spoke on the occasion and criticised the UPA Government.(PTI) |
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IT act review panel to submit report to Govt in July NEW DELHI, June 29: A Government panel will submit its report to IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran by the end of next month for an in-depth review of the IT act proposing amendments, including a data protection law. "The IT act review expert panel will submit the report by the end of July and, among other things, data protection law is part of the proposed amendement. The larger issue is harmonising the need to support a booming industry through adequate law and, at the same time, protecting the individuals of the industry who should not be unnecessaryly harrassed", IT Secretary Brijesh Kumar told PTI here. Kumar is heading the review panel set up in January this year and has members including A K Chakravarty, Scientist-G, Dit, Kiran Karnik, president of Nasscom, Ajay Chowdhry, Chairman, HCL Infosystems Ltd, Ajit Balakrishnan, CEO, Rediff, and R Ramraj, CEO, Sify Ltd. The need for a data protection law has emerged again with the alleged leakage of credit card information by an employee of a Gurgaon-based web marketing firm. In fact, the call for amendment was prompted by the controversy involving the arrest of Baazee.Com CEO in December 2004 in a case of sale of a sexually explicit clip on the auction site. Making the Baazee.Com case as a reference point, the committee is looking at ways of balancing the rights of enforcement authorities with the rights of those who could be potentially accused. The mandate of the committee includes re-examining the IT act so as to ensure that it remains an enabler for development of Information and Communication Technology and has adequate measures for promoting growth of e-commerce and e-governance in the country and for preventing cyber crime and regulating cyber forensics. It would consider the recommendations made by the inter-ministerial working group on cyber law & cyber forensics and finalise the amendments to the act; Consider suitable legislation for data protection (privacy) in the act; And consider the feasibility of making the act technology-neutral. It would also consider the issue of regulating cyber cafes operations and blocking of web sites; And look into the matter of India signing the European cyber crimes treaty and make suitable recommendations. India’s ITES-BPO exports registered a growth of 44.5 per cent in 2004-05 clocking revenues of USD 5.2 billion and are forecast to grow at approximately 41 per cent to USD 7.3 billion in the current financial year. (PTI) |
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Hearing of Jaya cases adjourned to July 2 BANGALORE, June 29: The hearing in the Rs 66.65 crore Disproportionate Asset case filed against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was today adjourned to July 2 after the prosecution sought four week adjournment to challenge in the apex court special court’s order clubbing the cases for a joint trial. The Special Public Prosecutor B V Acharya contended that the prosecution intends to recommend to the state of Tamil Nadu to file Special Leave Petitions before the Supreme Court challenging the June 27 order of the Special Court on merging of two cases and June 20 clarificatory order of the Madras High Court on exercising options over consolidation of asset case and London Hotel case for a single trial. "Since the process of taking decision to challenge these orders is expected to take time, the court is pleaded to grant four week adjournment to the hearing", Acharya submitted in his application made before the Special Court Judge A S Pachhapure. Acharya further submitted that the "clarificatory order of the Madras High Court was one without jurisdiction and in the circumstances I intend to recommend to the concerned authorities to challenge the said order before Supreme Court." N Jyoti, counsel of Jayalalithaa and others said he would file objections to the prosecution’s application on July 2 and the court adjourned the hearing to that day. Acharya said the role of Karnataka was only to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor and as such he had no authority to take decisions independently on issues like preferring appeals to challenge the court orders. Earlier, Jina Senan, counsel for T T V Dinakaran, accused number 5 in the Disproportionate Asset case, following merger of cases, pleaded the court to take fresh cognizance of the case and issue summons for appearance to his client. Acharya, objecting to the defense counsel contention, said there was no need for taking fresh cognizance of the offences, which have already been taken by the court. "The court takes cognizance of offences and not offenders", Acharya submitted. The court can only complete the formalities of issuing summons to Dinakaran, which follows in a normal course, the prosecution argued. The court rejected Senan’s plea on the ground that since both the cases have been merged for joint trial, there is no case for taking fresh cognizance of the offence in London Hotel case. Jyoti pleaded for issue of fresh summons to Dinakaran who was not an accused in the main asset case.(PTI) |
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Social welfare dept rapped for NEW DELHI, June 29: In a stinging criticism of the Delhi Government’s Social Welfare Department, a city court today took serious view of its non-compliance of a direction to set up de-addiction centres at all juvenile observation homes in the capital. "Nothing can be more unfortunate. The basic function of the department is to work for welfare of the children, women and weaker sections. Bureaucratic approach on such issues will only hamper effective rehabilitation of the juveniles", juvenile Justice Board Principle Magistrate Santosh Snehi Mann said. The Magistrate gave the direction on May 2 after the mother of a minor boy addicted to smack and who was facing trial in a theft case told the court that his addiction had worsened after his stay at a juvenile observation home for six months and there was no reformatory facilities there. Responding to the directive, the Social Welfare Department, through its Joint Director Rashmi Singh submitted that "setting up of de-addiction centres has to be an administrative decision based on proper assessment which has to be approved by the Planning and Finance Departments". What invited the wrath of the court was that instead of taking steps to comply with the directive, the department said "if our position is not acceptable to the board, we may be given an opportunity to file appeal against the order". The court said the measure was urgent as the number of cases where juveniles commit thefts because of their increasing addiction to drugs were rising. Observing that de-addiction centres set up inside the tihar jail for adult offenders has proved "very effective", the court said "de-addiction of juveniles is the first step for their rehabilitation without which no fruitful purpose would be served". "In the absence of effective de-addiction treatment, juveniles with the history of drug abuse will always be vulnerable to come in conflice with law", the Magistrate said. The court said rehabilitation is not "merely a welfare activity where the state will have a choice", but a "right of a juvenile conferred on him by the United Nations convention on the rights of the child to which India is a signatory". Sending a copy of the directive to the Delhi legal services authority on the issue, the court also sought their assistance in the matter. (PTI) Alleged timber smuggler killed BARAMULLA, June 29: One person was killed and another critically wounded when they were caught in an ambush laid by the security forces at Rafiabad in this border district of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said. They said one Hamid Lone, an alleged timber smuggler, was killed and another, Rashid Khan, was critically wounded when the security forces opened fire after laying an ambush in the Khaimoh forests at Rafiabad in the district. The sources said the security forces handed over Lone’s body to the Panzala police station, while the wounded was shifted to a hospital here. The locals later took to streets, alleging that the security forces had opened fire on the two and claimed that no ambush was laid for the militants. (UNI) No takers for Kashmiri language SRINAGAR, June 29: Mother tongue is the symbol of the identity of a community but there appears to be no takers for Kashmiri language in its homeland even as Kashmiri was made compulsory for both private and Government schools five years back. Educational institutions have not shown interest in teaching children their mother tongue though Government in 2000 had issued a directive to schools to introduce Kashmiri up to the middle standard, writers and intellectuals said. Despite the directive which warrants de-recognition of schools not implementing the order, not a single school has shown interest in teaching Kashmiri as yet, the writers said. They were supported by the officials of Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education saying textbooks issued by the board are eating dust in the offices of the Chief Education Officers. The main hurdle in introducing Kashmiri was that there were no teachers to teach Kashmiri, they said. Senior National Conference leader A M Sagar who is convener of the sub-committee on estimates that examined Education Department said he was pained to note that barring a few, most schools have ignored the directive and ironically many did not even have a teacher who knew the language. Worried over the plight of Kashmiri language, a delegation of writers and intellectuals recently met Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and demanded implemention of course curriculum in Kashmiri from 4th standards up to middle. They also demanded revival of Kashmiri section of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages which has remained shut for the past several years. Even books of Kashmiri poets were not available, they complain. Sagar said the high-profile English medium private schools in Kashmir, which charge hefty fees, were reluctant to teach Kashmiri in their institutions. Sagar said it was unfortunate that there were no graded textbooks in Kashmiri and a few schools which have shown interest in teaching Kashmiri have to teach from one book available for both classes four and fifth. The NC leader said had the Government shown some seriousness and got the order implemented strictly no school would have dared to disobey the directive. Veteran Kashmiri scholar Mohammad Yousuf taing said the State Government ought to be serious about a language that was spoken by about 60 lakh people in the world and by 66 per cent population of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chief Minister said his Government is making all out efforts for the development of all regional languages, including Kashmiri. He said he had issued directions to the Commissioner, education for quick and effective implementation and monitoring of Kashmiri course curriculum as per earlier issued orders. (PTI) Satnam Singh’s father, brother rounded up AMRITSAR, June 29: The Tarn Taran police today rounded up the father and brother of hardcore Babbar Khalsa militant Satnam Singh, who was arrested by Delhi Police on Monday, a senior official said. Jaswant Singh and Sukhchain Singh, the father and brother of Satnam, respectively, were rounded up for investigation and would be released shortly if they are found innocent, Senior Superintendent of Police P S Garewal told PTI. They are being interrogated regarding their support to Satnam. Satnam Singh alias Langda, who was trained as a human bomb and had planned to attack former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and two prominent religious leaders of Punjab, was arrested near the Majnu Ka Tilla Gurudwara in Central Delhi by the Crime Branch. During inquiry about Satnam, who is physically challenged, it was found that he was born in 1976 and studied upto class XII, sources said here. Sources further said that Satnam had left his house seven years back and used to stay at the headquarter of Damdami Taksal at Chowk Mehta in Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib in district Ropar of Punjab but just three days back before his arrest visited his house in Tarn Taran.(PTI) |
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