AMU gets US award for campus-community collaboration

ALIGARH, Oct 28: The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has been given the US-based Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for its community service and participation in the polio eradication programme.

The award, conferred for the first time on a university outside the United States, recognises the "innovative ideas of AMU for campus-community collaboration that makes a diference to the lives of others and enhances learning".

AMU has been organising polio sensitisation programmes, immunisation camps and door-to-door vaccinations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh with the help of UNICEF and Rotary International.

The award was presented to AMU Vice Chancellor Naseem Ahmad by former US President Jimmy Carter at a function in New Delhi yesterday.

Ahmad told reporters here today that the University was working to "remove certain unfounded suspicions among weaker sections of the society, especially Muslims regarding the after effects of polio vaccine".

"A major role in removing doubts among illiterate Muslims was played by prominent teaching staff members belonging to the Department of Islamic Studies," he said. (PTI)

Hoax call forces evacuation of office building

KOLKATA, Oct 28: A hoax call made to the security office of a landmark building in the city’s central business district sent the police into a tizzy today.

The anonymous caller, who rang up at about 10.20 am, said a bomb had been planted in the multi-storeyed Nilhat House, situated next to the Birla Building on R N Mukherjee Road, forcing the evacuation of people working there, police said.

Police was informed immediately and a bomb detection and disposal squad was rushed in from nearby Lal Bazar, the city police headquarters.

A thorough search was conducted for the next one hour but nothing was found, police said. (PTI)

Keeping register books at internet cafes
to be made compulsory

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 28: In the wake of the e-mail threat to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President A P J Abdul Kalam, Kerala police has decided to make it compulsory that internet cafe owners kept register of those who browsed.

Registration of such firms also would be made mandatory, police sources said here.

The decision follows the e-mail threat received by top police officials of the state from an internet cafe in Kochi yesterday. (PTI)

Centre should waive overdue interest of 16 lakh ryots: CM

HYDERABAD, Oct 28: Taking up cudgels for debt-ridden farmers, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to include in the special package for farmers of 16 affected districts, waiver of Rs 1662 crore overdue interest, postponed in 2004.

"Unrealistic and technical intrepretation of the eligibility for providing waiver of overdue interest, now being given, would deny benefits to a majority of the farmers who had overdues in the Co-Operative sector in the state for no fault of theirs," he said in a letter to Dr Singh, copies of which were sent to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

The letter, which was released to the media, said, "in-fact, one of the reasons identified for farmers’ suicides as per various reports, is the heavy burden of debt on farmers."

"It will be unjust to exclude 16 lakh farmers in Andhra Pradesh from the relief package and deny them the benefit of waiver of overdue interest for no fault of theirs," the Chief Minister said in the letter.

The interpretation of the eligibility would lead to discrimination against farmers whose loans were merely rescheduled in 2004 and no amount was waived whatsoever, he said, pointing out that the discrimination might attain political overtones.

Political parties and farmers groups might resort to stir, besides raising the issue in Parliament and in respective legislative assemblies. This might become a major issue in view of a large number of districts involved in the state, he added. (UNI)

Extensive modernisation plan for Coast Guard planned

PANAJI, Oct 28: Indian Coast Guard has worked out extensive modernisation plan for its fleet, which includes induction of two off-shore patrol vessels, 11 interceptors and three pollution control vessel.

This was disclosed by Director General of Coast Guard Vice Admiral R F Contractor today after commissioning ‘ICGS Savitribai Phule’, an extra-fast patrol vessel.

Contractor said six medium range patrol aircraft would also be inducted into the fleet for surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

To a query, Contractor termed the Coast Guard as a "lean and versatile" fleet, considering the manpower.

"Government has recently sanctioned manpower as part of its modernisation," he said.

About proposed hotline between India and Pakistan, Contractor said the process to set up the hotline is on. "We are waiting for the response from our counterparts," he said.

On EEZ, he said, Once constitutional shelf is delineated, our EEZ will also increase and we have given perspective plan 2007-2022, which is a futuristic plan, to the Government, to take care of delineated continental shelf".

ICGS Savitribai Phule would be based at new Mangalore. The ship is fifth in the series designed and built by M/S Goa shipyard Limited for the Coast Guard.

It is 50.4 metres long, draws 275 tons and has an endurance of 3,000 kms. The ship is equipped with cutting edge technology, ystems and equipment and would be commanded by commandant Donn Michael. (PTI)

Nursery student dies after sodomy

ALLAHABAD, Oct 28: In a tragic incident, a six-year-old boy died last night at a private hospital in Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh after he was allegedly sodomised by his neighbours, police said today.

The incident occurred in Neem Sarai area, where aclass nursery student was allegedly sodomised by Suraj (12) and Rajdeep (14) on Thursday.

The victim was rushed to S R N Medical College in critical condition. Later, he was sent to a private hospital, where he died.

Vishva Hindu Parishad activists staged a ‘dharna’ in protest against the incident.

Meanwhile, the accused have been arrested, the police added. (UNI)

Patil assures CRPF of facilities at par with armed forces

NEW DELHI, Oct 28: It was a string of assurances, made by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today to officers and jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force, which included providing insurance cover, housing, schooling and medical facilities at par with the armed forces.

While the army was mainiting vigil at the borders, the central para-military forces were instrumental in ensuring peace within the country, Patil, who flew to the CRPF training camp at Jhardon Kalan in an Indian Air Force helicopter, said on the occasion of 67th Raising Day celebrations of the para-military force.

"Therefore, the facilities for them should be at par with the armed forces and the ministry will take steps in this direction," he said.

"Shelter is also a big problem for the CRPF personnel and the government is aware of it," he said, adding necessary steps were being taken to meet this demand as well. "The Government is assuring that the problems of jawans, who are guarding us, will be taken care of."

He said the Government wanted to provide them more insurance cover and "something was being worked out on it."

Among other assurances by Patil was of raising more batallions.

He made a brief mention about CRPF presence in the UN Peace Keeping missions and said "this force is not only uniting Indians but the humanity as whole."

Earlier, he reviewed the CRPF parade along with Director General of CRPF J K Sinha. (PTI)

Violation of voting guidelines in civic polls:
DMK cracks whip

CHENNAI, Oct 28: The ruling DMK issued notices to three of its MLAs seeking explanation on charges that they had violated party guidelines on voting during the indirect elections to the local bodies in Tamil Nadu today.

The MLAs served with the notice are M Appavu, Udhayam Shanmugham and K P Ramasamy.

The party also expelled 18 party functionaries belonging to Thiruvannamalai, Vellore, Madurai, Salem and Nagapattinam districts for not following the party directive on voting in the elections, DMK general secretary K Anbazhagam announced today.

Indirect elections were held all over the state in which ward councillors elected Mayors for five coporations, chairmen of 152 municipalities, 561 town panchayats and other local bodies.

The DMK had already identified the local bodies to be shared with its alliance parties and issued directions to the party councillors in those places to vote for alliance parties.

The action comes at a time when the DMK allies have accused second-rung leaders and district-level functionaries of the party of not following "coalition ethics" in the recent local body elections. (PTI)

Burger buns, cooking material gutted in fire at Mcdonalds

NEW DELHI, Oct 28: Several hundreds of burger buns, vegetables and other cooking material were gutted in a fire that broke out in a store room in a McDonalds outlet in the busy Connaught Place here this morning.

Four fire tenders were rushed to the popular fast food outlet opposite Shivaji Stadium bus station after a PCR van received a call of smoke billowing out of the restaurant at about 10:30 am.

Firefighters had a tough time identifying the exact spot of the blaze as the building did not have proper approach way with a takeaway counter built in the which was supposed to be a backyard, a NDMC official said.

At least five firefighters, wearing oxygen masks, entered the smoke-filled restaurant and located the source of the fire in a store room used to stack raw material to make burgers, he said.

Firefighters had to be extra cautious in preventing the fire from spreading as a high power diesel generator was installed at height of over 10 feet near the store room.

"Unauthorised construction in the immediate vicinity of the building is proving to be an impediment in firefighting operations," a fire official at the site said.

The blaze was put out at about 1:00 pm, fire brigade officials said. (PTI)

Two railway booking clerks arrested on charges of fraud

SONEPAT, Oct 28: Two railway booking clerks were arrested here today for allegedly cheating and tampering with railway tickets, officials said.

The Government Railway Police arrested Pankaj Luthra and Suresh Kumar following a complaint by Chief Booking Clerk of Sonepat railway station Ved Parkash Sharma, they said.

Both the culprits were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate R P Goyal who remanded them to 14-day judicial custody, they added. (PTI)

Traders request Sonia Gandhi’s
intervention in sealing issue

NEW DELHI, Oct 28: A delegation of traders from the capital today met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, asking her to intervene in the sealing issue and ensure that a constitutional amendement is brought to protect their interest.

"We have urged Gandhi to intervene in the matter and give reprieve to the traders facing the sword of sealing. We have also urged her to bring a constitutional amendement to legalise shops in residential areas to address the crisis," Praveen Khandelwal of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) told reporters after the delegation met Gandhi.

"She gave a sympathetic hearing to our plea and said that she would do whatever possible in the case," Khandelwal said quoting the Congress chief.

However, in an apparent indication that the traders were not satisfied with Gandhi’s response, he said, "unless some concrete action is taken, we have decided to go ahead with the three-day bandh call from October 30."

Showing solidarity with the traders was the leader of MCD House, Jitender Kocchar, who also urged the Congress Chief to bring in an amnesty plan for all traders who have set up their shops till December 2005.

They also sought implementation of the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 by January 31 next year.

The traders also brought to Gandhi’s notice the "serious ramifications" that the sealing drive would have on the families of the affected traders as well on the city’s economy. (PTI)

Congress leader shot dead

VARANASI, Oct 28: A local Congress leader was shot dead by unidentified persons under Adampur police circle area, police said here today.

Ram Lal Tripathi was killed while returning home from his ashram in the Raj Ghat area, they said.

The miscreants fired at him from close range and escaped on a motorcycle, they said, adding that the police rushed Tripathi to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Police suspect the murder was a result of gang rivalry as Tripathi was a history-sheeter. (PTI)