BJP alleges misuse of official machinery in Uttaranchal

NEW DELHI, Dec 28: A delegation of Uttaranchal BJP, under the leadership of party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, today met Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami to demand a probe into the alleged misuse of official machinery by Chief Minister N D Tiwari and his party to influence the voters.

The delegation, consisting of state BJP chief Bhagat Singh Koshiari and party MP Maj Gen B C Khanduri, brought to the CEC’s notice, the announcements of projects by the Chief Minister and other ministers of his cabinet, without any administrative or financial sanctions, only intended to derive people’s support.

They urged the CEC to enforce the Model Code of Conduct with immediate effect in the state.

The leaders urged the EC to dispatch a special team to the state to probe into "large scale misuse of Government machinery and the discretionary funds" and to take appropriate action.

Their other demands include, transfer of officials staying put in one place beyond three years, putting an end to all ‘manipulated transfers’ and deployment of Central forces to ensure free and fair polls.

They alleged that State Information Department was spending huge amounts on hoardings in the towns and villages of the state to help the ruling party ahead of elections. Foundation stones were being laid pressurising the departments to provide huge amounts on advertisements, they charged.

To a question on Parliament passing a bill to change the name of the state to Uttarakhand, the BJP spokesman said everybody had understood the Congress ‘game plan’ of changing the name two months ahead of elections.

"Since the Government could not deliver on development, it was changing the name to woo the voters. People have not forgotten about Mr Tiwari and the Congress opposing the creation of a separate state of Uttaranchal out of Uttar Pradesh," Mr Prasad said. (UNI)

Aishwarya offers prayers at Ajmer dargah, Brahma temple

AJMER, Dec 28: Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai today paid obeisance at the tomb of Sufi saint Khawaja Moinudeen Chisti in this town and offered prayers at the Brahma temple at Pushkar near here.

Aishwarya's entry into the dargah went unnoticed by most people. Clad in black jeans, a shirt and a scarf and accompanied by her mother, she offered a chadar at the saint's tomb.

She was at the dargah for about ten minutes before leaving for Pushkar, about 10 km from here.

As she came out from the Brahma temple, a huge crowd of people tried to have a glimpse of her but policemen pushed them away, a senior police official said.

Aishwarya parried questions from reporters about her relationship with actor Abhishekh Bachchan. Turning towards the temple, she said, "Whatever city I visit, I go to temples or religious places for prayers." (PTI)

Centre may impose President's rule in UP: Amar

FAIZABAD, UP, Dec 28: Alleging that the Congress, BJP and BSP were conspiring against the Uttar Pradesh Government, the Samajwadi Party today said that the Central Government might impose President's rule in the state by January 10 next.

There seemed to be some political understanding among BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BSP supremo Mayawati to dislodge Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in the state, SP general secretary Amar Singh claimed here.

Top BJP leaders had met UP Governor T V Rajeswar and urged him for the dismissal of the State Government, he said addressing the second day of the SP's "youth training camp" here.

Claiming that law and order situation in UP was better than Congress-ruled states, Singh said there was no ground of imposition of President's rule in the state.

Accusing the Centre of meting out step-motherly treatment to the state, he said delay in taking decision on supply of coal to Roza power project and gas to Reliance's Dadri unit was hampering the projects.

Singh said both these power projects were important for all round development of the state.

The state had recieved investment proposals worth Rs 28,000 crore under the industrial development plan, he said.

Maintaining that the State Government had started Kanya Vidhya Dhan scheme and unemployment allowance, which were unique in the country, and Rs 22,000 crore of sugarcane dues were given to farmers, he said the state's rural and agricultural development had taken good progress in Yadav's regime. (PTI)

Buddhadeb to send another letter to Mamata

JALPAIGURI, WB, Dec 28: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said he was ready for a dialogue on the Singur issue and would again write to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to ask her to call off her fast against the acquisition of farm land.

"I don't know how many times I should write to Mamata. She is not listening to anybody. But I will send her another letter after returning to Kolkata. I am ready for a dialogue," Bhattacharjee told reporters here.

"She must, however, keep aside all undue demands," he said earlier in Siliguri.

The Tata Motors' small car project in Singur would go ahead and land would be handed over to the firm very soon, Bhattacharjee said.

Referring to the NDA's decision to rally behind Banerjee on the Singur issue, he said, "They have decided to approach the President. I have also apprised him about the entire situation."

Banerjee, whose health deteriorated as her fast entered its 25th day today, is demanding that land that was allegedly "forcibly acquired" for the Tata Motors' project at Singur should be returned to farmers. (PTI)

Woman killed due to roof collapsed

AKOLA, Dec 28: An elderly woman was killed and a teenaged girl seriously injured after the roof of a factory collapsed in Gaigaon village here.

The deceased has been identified as Subhadra Kishiram Mehre (55) while 17-year old injured Vandana Chandrbhan Gadade was undergoing treatment, police said today.

The factory owner Vijay Mahavir Kedia has paid a compensation of Rs one lakh to the family member of the deceased, police added.

An offence under section 304 of IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) has been registered against the factory owner. (PTI)

Consumer courts instructed to deliver decisions in Marathi

MUMBAI, Dec 28: The district-level consumer fora across the Maharashtra would now deliver their decisions in Marathi.

"The district consumer fora have been instructed to deliver decisions in Marathi, considering that it is common people who approach the consumer fora," President of Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Justice Bhalchandra Wagyani said here yesterday.

Looking at the huge pendency of cases in the consumer fora, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission -- apex consumer body in the state -- needs to have one or more benches, Vagyani said, kicking off the National Consumers' Day at a function organised by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection department.

At present around 15,000 cases are pending before the state Commission and over 18,000 cases pending at the district level, Justice Vagyani said. (PTI)

Couple whose land was acquired for
Tata project found dead

SINGUR, WB, Dec 28: An old couple whose land had been acquired for the Tata Motors' small car project here was today found dead in their home, police said.

The bodies of Tinkari Dey and his wife Maya Dey, aged above 60 years, were recovered from their house in Dolouigachha village this morning.

Police suspect it could have been a case of suicide but said the motive behind the extreme step was not known and investigations were on.

The couple owned more than an acre of land at Singherbheri mouza which falls under the 997 acres acquired by the State Government for the car project, sources said.

The Jami Bikreta Committee (Land Vendor's committee) Convenor Dibakar Das said the couple had been issued a cheque against their land during the process of acquisition. (PTI)

Islamic body protests proposed ban
on veiled customers in Pune

MUZAFFARNAGAR, Dec 28: A leading Islamic seminary here has opposed the proposed ban on women entering jewellery shops wearing veils in Maharashtra.

Terming the proposal as anti religious, the Darul Uloom Waqf Deoband (DUWD) requested the Maharashtra Government to take action against its implementation.

"It an act of creating tension," Maulana Anjar Shah Kashmiri said.

"The Maharashtra Government should take steps to prevent such an act," he added.

The Jewellers' Association of Maharashtra had sought permission from police to bar customers sporting veils from entering jewellery shops to avoid increased robberies.

The police however, refused to give such a permission to the jewellers. (PTI)

Four members of Chhota Rajan gang arrested

MUMBAI, Dec 28: Four members of mob boss Chhota Rajan's gang, who were allegedly planning to rob the cash collection centre of an electricity utility, were arrested with weapons in the northwestern part of the city, a senior police official said today.

Devendra Jagtap alias JD, Naresh Hukumchand alias Kaliya, Sardar Khan alias Shakeel and Sabir Khan were arrested yesterday near a restaurant in Juhu with two imported pistols, four magazines, 14 bullets and a chopper, police said.

"Prima facie, all of them seem to be members of Chhota Rajan's gang," Additional Commissioner of Police (Western Region) Bipin Bihari said.

The men had gathered outside Copper Chimney restaurant in Juhu, allegedly to loot a nearby cash collection centre of Reliance Energy, a senior official of Juhu police station said.

They will be produced before a local court tomorrow to seek their remand, he said.

The official refuted reports in the electronic media that said some Bollywood personality was the target of the four men.

JD is said to be a former associate of Chhota Rajan's slain lieutenant Balu Dokre and has cases of murder and dacoity registered against him at the Navghar police station, the Andheri Crime Branch and the Thane Crime Branch, police said. (PTI)

Leaders and Govt officials top list of 'Land Grabbers' in UP

KANPUR, Dec 28: District officials are waiting for the green signal of the Uttar Pradesh Government to take action against the land grabbers whose list has been provided by Kanpur Development Authority (KDA).

Several prominent personalities including legislators, leaders and senior district and police officials have been named in the list.

The list has been sent to the state government for approval and district officials are waiting for their response.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had directed the District Magistrates of all the districts of the state to take strict action against those who had illegally grabbed Government land and asked them to report to the state Government within a month.

Sources in the state government said after the orders of Chief Minister, KDA officials had prepared the list a month back.

After long persuance, District Magistrate Anurag Srivastava said that CM's orders would be implemented strictly and those found guilty would not be spared.

According to the Government documents, those persons are named as 'Land Grabbers' who had registered the Government land falsly, or had not taken the land in their name.

Persons who purchased land from farmers on cheap rates and got the land registered in their name using their contacts are also named in the list. (PTI)

Industrial units must not be on cultivable lands: Karuna

CHENNAI, Dec 28: Noting that agriculture would be affected if cultivable lands were alloted for the industrial purpose, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said his Government was setting up industrial units only on non-cultivable lands.

Referring to the hunger strike by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Singur land issue, Karunanidhi said his Government abandoned the satellite town project near Chennai as it would affect cultivable lands.

However, he referred to an editorial in CPI-M mouthpiece "Theekathir" supporting West Bengal Government's stand on the issue and said, "the views in that editorial should be kept in mind by all".

The editorial said industry and agriculture were both necessary and adamantly opposing one among the two would be an injustice to the people, especially unemployed youth. A confrontationalist attitude would not help in finding a solution and it would only complicate the problem.

He also defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks on Muslims.

"The Prime Minister has only said that fruits of nation's development should be made available equally to all communities, including Muslims. He has also said that differences among Dalits in social, economic and educational conditions should be removed," Karunanidhi said.

"Since the BJP did not like this view, it is opposing it. DMK, which believes in secular Government and communal harmony, cannot accept the BJP's stand, he said. (PTI)

Corruption in central schemes in MP, says Congress

INDORE, Dec 28: Congress General Secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh V Narayanasami today alleged rampant corruption in the implementation of central schemes in the state and said the state's growth had stunted during the three-year BJP regime.

The state would be left backward if the BJP was allowed to rule further, he told reporters here.

Alleging corruption in the national employment guarantee scheme in which the Centre's share was 90 per cent, he said the scheme had failed to generate employment in the BJP-ruled state.

The State Government had failed to implement many schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rajiv Gandhi Electrification Scheme and Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, for which the Centre had provided funds to the tune of several crore of rupees, he said, adding though the Centre had provided Rs 500 crore for giving relief to farmers affected by flood and hailstorm, it did not reach the farmers.

Mr Sami said the farmers were in distress as they were not getting seeds, fertiliser and electricity. Every section of society, including farmers and employees, wanted immediate end to the BJP rule, he said, adding the BJP, which came to power on the issues of "Bijli, Sadak, Pani", failed to deliver goods.

The Congress leader said the party would shortly launch an agitation to highlight the failures of the BJP Government. Denying any rift between Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia stating it was a media creation, he said all senior party leaders would participate in a programme in the state capital shortly.

Formation of the PCC executive was in the final stage and it would be declared soon, he added.

(UNI)