Monica Bedi to teach prisoners in mahila jail

HYDERABAD, Oct 5: Monica Bedi, former bollywood actress and gangster Abu Salem’s girlfriend who was recently convicted in a passport forgery case, is set to take on a new role—that of a teacher for women inmates in jail.

Bedi, who was sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment, was asked to teach prisoners in Chanchalguda Mahila Jail where she is lodged, Jail authorities told PTI here today.

Like other convicts, the former starlet has to work in the jail and she would be assigned to teach uneducated prisoners.(PTI)

Security tightened at Kashi Vishwanath temple

VARANASI, Oct 5: Stepping up the security measures at the sensitive Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex here, authorities have prohibited items like pen, book, toys and match sticks inside the compound.

"We have decided to ban pen, book, toys, match sticks, tiffin, etc inside the shrine complex as these items could be potentially used by the terrorist and subversive elements as explosives," Additional Superintendent of Police, Security, Jugal Kishore Tiwari told PTI here.

The para-military and the police forces deployed at the shrines have been directed to ensure rigorous checking of the pilgrims so that the banned goods did not reach inside the complex, he said. Tiwari, who is in-charge of the security arrangements at the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex, also urged the pilgrims to cooperate with the security personnel.

Referring to the threat perceptions to the sensitive religious shrine, he said the temple city in general and the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex in particular, have been under constant threat from the terrorist and subversive elements.

The security measures at the shrine have been upgraded from time to time on the basis of the intelligence inputs and directives of the high-powered committee set up by the state Government to review the security arrangements of shrines at Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi, he said.(PTI)

Clemency for Afzal Guru: BJP to
launch awareness campaign

BHOPAL, Oct 5: Accusing the Centre of failing to safeguard internal security, the BJP today threatened to launch a nationwide awareness campaign against the mercy plea for Mohammad Afzal Guru, facing execution for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament.

Senior BJP and RSS leaders, who met at party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s residence yesterday, have decided to make the campaign seeking clemency for Guru a big issue and ask the Centre to follow a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, L K Advani, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, told reporters here.

"How can a logic be given that the execution of the capital punishment will produce martyrs?" he asked. "Everyone was of the view that the Supreme Court verdict against those involved in the assassinations of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi should be executed. Why is there a demand to commute Afzal’s sentance?

"It is surprising that no Congress spokesman has spoken about it yet," Advani said. The BJP will hold meetings across the country and move the public for execution of the apex court’s ruling in one of the rarest of rare cases.

The BJP will also seek an appointment with President A P J Abdul Kalam to ask him to ensure execution of the Supreme Court verdict.

Accusing the Centre of completely failing" to safeguard internal security by following wrong policies, Advani said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement about not pursuing talks with Pakistan after the 7/11 attacks had raised hopes but events that followed had created gloom. (PTI)

Sena-BJP difference small issue: Advani

BHOPAL, Oct 5: Describing differences with alliance partner Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as a "small issue", BJP leader L K Advani today expressed confidence that this issue would not affect their relationship.

"Such small issues will not affect the relationship that has been maintained over the years between the two parties," Advani told reporters at the airport here.

"I have come to know about it (the differences) through newspapers. Talks are on," he said.

To a query, Advani said, "These issues are tiny (in comparison to) the relationship between parties, which are important."

The Shiv Sena and BJP are at loggerheads in Maharashtra over fielding a candidate for the soon-to-be-held by-election to the Chimur assembly constituency. (PTI)

Bollywood movies to entertain visitors
at Frankfurt book fest

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: Those searching for books of their choice at Frankfurt book festival would also get an opportunity this time to view Bollywood films in the German city.

The recent Shahrukh Khan-starrer ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’, India’s Oscar nominee Amir Khan’s ‘Rang de Basanti’ and last year’s runaway hit ‘Parineeta’ would be shown at the fair, which has dedicated coming Sunday, the last day of the festival, to Bollywood.

Visitors could sure learn some dance steps from Mithun Chakraborty when his 1982-flick ‘Disco Dancer’ will be screened at the ‘Book Fair Cinema’ on Sunday.

‘Salaam Bombay’ fame Mira Nair will also hit the fest with her latest offering ‘The Namesake’ on Friday.

Director Karan Johar will be present at the screening of KANK on Saturday. The internationally acclaimed filmmaker will talk about her latest film and answer a few questions on Sunday at the festival venue.

India, this year’s Guest of Honour at the fest, kicked off its campaign on a colourful note on Monday last with a cultural show ‘Dhwani’ that showcased the country’s cultural richness.

Over 200 Indian publishers and nearly 70 authors from across the country, led by Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh, are presently in the German city for the fair.

The ‘Forum Film and TV’ will play host to ‘Berlinale’, and both mainstream and parallel cinema movies not screened so far in India will also be shown.

The Forum, into its fourth year, has emerged as the international meeting point and market place for trade in film adaptation.

The fest organisers will also present Best International Literary Film Adaptation award for best film adaptation of a book.

This year’s nominations inlcude ‘Brokeback Mountain’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Where the Truth Lies’.

Hollywood’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, starring Meryl Streep, and Russel Crowe starrer ‘A Good Year’ would be screened at the fair.

Workshops led by experts are also part of the Forum, giving new insight into cooperation between celluloid and literary worlds. (PTI)

Delimitation be done after increasing
number of wards, says BJP

CHANDIGARH, Oct 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party today demanded increase in the number of municipal wards in Chandigarh to 30 before their delimitation.

"The BJP has already demanded that the elected councillors should be 30 and not 26 and, therefore, we assert once again that the number of wards be increased to 30 and delimitation done accordingly", Chandigarh BJP leader Satya Pal Jain, a former MP, said at a press conference here.

He said the draft proposal on delimitation of the wards showed variation of the population from 19,763 in one ward to 41,000 in another ward, whereas as per section 8 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Act, the population of all the wards should be the same throughout the city.

"Therefore, the proposal seems to be in gross violation of the provisions of the Act", he said.

Mr Jain said that views of both Shiromani Akali Dal and the Chandigarh Vikas Manch should be also sought by the administration on delimitation of wards. " We are also of the view that not only the views of the political parties, but suggestions and objections should be invited from the people of Chandigarh also on such a vital issue", he added.

The BJP, he said, received the draft proposal only yesterday and has sought a week's time to discuss it at party level before submiting its views, he said. (UNI)

Delhi’s dengue toll goes up to 16; 673 cases so far

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: One more person died of dengue here today, taking the toll in the national capital to 16 even as the number of people afflicted by the disease rose to almost 700.

Dharam Singh (20), a resident of Badarpur in South Delhi, who was admitted at AIIMS today, succumbed to the disease, a hospital spokesman said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s son-in-law and two grandsons, who are being treated for suspected dengue at AIIMS, are in a stable condition.

A total of 673 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi, a jump of almost a hundred over yesterday’s figure of 589.

Of the 673 cases, 409 are Delhiites while the remainder 264 are from other states, a Delhi Government spokesperson told PTI.

She said while 11 deaths have been confirmed to be due to dengue, the other five deaths reported due to the disease are being verified.

While 349 cases have been reported from MCD areas, 16 others belong to the NDMC zone, with the worst-hit being Najafgarh (58) and Shahdara North (50) zones.

Thirty-four fresh cases were reported at the AIIMS alone, taking the total number of patients undergoing treatment at the hospital to 99.

The NDMC has served a notice to AIIMS for lack of proper sanitary conditions. Institute authorities claimed it was the first notice by the civic body this year and they had already filed a compliance report with it.

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Secretary D S Negi today held a meeting with the civic agencies and other concerned officials to review the situation.

The Health Secretary issued directions to the civic agencies to fix responsibility on the district health officers (DHOs) and take strict action against them for any lapses to control the spread of dengue, the Delhi Government spokesperson said.

The DHOs will now be required to give daily reports of the anti-dengue measures in their areas, she said.

The MCD and NDMC officials were also directed to focus more on the vulnerable zones. (PTI)

Dengue may further decline tourists inflow: ASSOCHAM

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: Raising concerns over the declining share of tourism in India's services exports, Industry body Assocham today said the situation might further be impacted by the ongoing menace of Dengue, if the disease is not curbed timely.

Tsunami in 2004, Mumbai floods, Avian Flu and cross country floods in 2005 did have a severe impact on country's total services exports in the past. It declined from 18.7 per cent in 2003-04 to 14.1 per cent in 2004-05 and subsequently to 12.9 per cent in 2005-06, it added.

If the current threat arising out of Dengue is not dealt with at war footings, the tourist arrivals in India during peak season of October 2006 to February 2007 will also witness a substantial fall, the industry body warned.

It also said that although software service exports (38.9 per cent), other business and professional services exports (35.6 per cent) continued to rise, the share of tourism sector in the total service exports declined 8.5 per cent during 2005-06.

ASSOCHAM suggested that the Government needs to buckle-up and take instantaneous measures to get its act together to again make India attractive as the land of mixed cultures.

"A more rigorous approach to promote India as a tourist destination is a must, and if need be, should take lessons from Singapore and Malaysia in attaining global visibility," it said.

The chamber found that Dengue fever, if persists for even a little more longer, will have large possibilities to dampen mass tourists arrivals in India.

Travel and Tourism sector had contributed a major 12.9 per cent to toal services exports followed by transportation (10.4 per cent), insurance (1.7 per cent), Government not included elsewhere (GNIE) (0.5 per cent), software (38.9 per cent) and miscellaneous (35.6 per cent) to India's total services exports to the world during 2005-06.

ASSOCHAM pointed out that tourism earning reflecting both business and leisure travel, though continued with its buoyancy, witnessed since 2003-04 fiscal, have declined in its growth rate.

Though the travel payments increased from 5.5 billion dollar in 2004-05 to 6.4 billion dollar in 2005-06, signifying rising business and leisure travel in consonance with growing merchandise and services trade and disposable incomes of residents in an environment of liberalised payments regime, it is not reflected in the growth of arrivals in India, which has undergone a huge decline from a magnificent 29.6 per cent in 2004-05 to only 11.4 per cent in 2005-06. (UNI)

Centre to bring back ‘Garibi Hatao’

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: Ahead of assembly polls in some key states, Government today decided to restructure the existing 20-point programme (TPP) for the poor and deprived segments and bring back on its agenda "Garibi Hatao", a populist programme launched by Indira Gandhi 30 years back.

A decision to change ‘Garibi Unmolan’ (poverty alleviation) to ‘Garibi Hatao’ (eradicate poverty) was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The 20-point programme is a package of social sector schemes and programmes having an important bearing on the poor and underprivileged," Information and Broadcasting Minsiter Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here.

The new programme would come into operation from April next year.

To a question, he disagreed that the Government decision was populist. "When someone in the rural areas gets electricity and roads, they are happy," he said.

On whether the Garibi Hatao programme has failed to deliver in the past three decades, Dasmunsi said "it has not failed. But it has sufficiently scored."

"However, the need for restructuring was considered inevitable as over the years several new policies and programmes have been introduced and brought within its (TPP) ambit," he said.

The need for restructing the existing TPP was felt to ensure that it was in harmony with the priorities detailed in the UPA Government’s National Common Minimum Programme, the Minister said. The UN Millennium Development Goal and the SAARC Social Charter were also considered for inclusion in the TPP 2006, Dasmunsi said.

Asked whether population management was moving in the right direction, he said it was moving in a satisfactory note but not on a revolutionary note.

Government has achieved a lot but in the new context, highest priority needs to be given to infrastructure, health, drinking water, education and employment generation and "not by merely distributing doles."

Under the earlier programme which had more than 100 different components, the restructured programme would contain 64 specific areas and components to give focussed attention with special emphasis on SC, ST and OBC, he said.

Besides Garibi Hatao, the programme includes food security, housing for all, provision of clean drinking water, education and health for all, women, child and youth welfare and e-commerce.

The programme was revisited by Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 when some more social components were added to it.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee with 14 Union Ministers as members and the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman as special invitee to look into the restructuring of the TPP.

To a question, he said that there was no discussion on uniform criteria for below poverty line category as norms were different for those living in hills and on plains. (PTI)

AIADMK will win if polls are free and fair, says Jaya

CHENNAI, Oct 5: AIADMK and allies would post "resounding victories" if the civic polls in Tamil Nadu and the by-election in Madurai Central Assembly constituency are "free and fair", party supremo Jayalalitha said here today.

Jayalalitha, who left for Madurai to begin her campaign, said she was confident that her party and allies would emerge victorious.

Claiming that her party’s "chances were bright", she added, "if elections for civic bodies and the by-poll are held in a free and fair manner, then we will post a resounding victory".

The former Chief Minister said her campaign will be based on the "failures" of the DMK Government.

While the by-poll would be held on October 11, the civic polls are scheduled for October 13 and 15. (PTI)

HC asks police why witnesses turned
hostile in Jessica Lall case

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: The Delhi High Court today asked the police as to why the witnesses in the Jessica Lall murder case were not booked for turning hostile.

A division bench comprising Justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin also

got the state counsel Mukta Gupta to accept that it was the public prosecutor who won acquittal for the accused in the trial court by toning down the case.

Ms Gupta sought the court’s permission to examine 13 fresh witnesses in the Jessica Lall murder case to prove three vital links in the chain of circumstances.

At the time of filing the appeal against the acquittal in the case, the police also sought the Court’s permission to provide additional evidence in the case.

The police sought to examine these witnesses in connection with purchase of 25 cartridges of .22 bore by prime accused Manu Sharma from Sonu Gun House at Karnal in Haryana; the opinion of Central Forensic Laboratory (CFSL) on the two empty shells of cartridges recovered from the spot and the recovery of Tata Safari owned by Piccadilly Agro Industries in which Manu Sharma was one of the directors.

The police said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to investigate the destruction of evidence had found that Sonu Gun House in connivance with other persons had fabricated the relevant records/entries in the daily sales register to create false evidence to show that the cartridges that Manu had bought from it bore ‘KF’ mark, and not ‘C’ empties which were recovered from the scene of the crime. (UNI)

HC directs Govt MCD to file ATR on dengue

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: Delhi High Court today directed the Centre the Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to file their replies by tomorrow on the action taken to prevent spread of dengue in the capital.

In view of the urgency of the matter, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vijendra Jain and Justice kailash Gambhir asked the respondents to file their replies on the action taken to arrest dengue epidemic in response to various directions by the court since 1996.

Advocate Rajeev Awasthi mentioned the grave situation in the capital before the court seeking direction to the authorities for immediate action. (UNI)