NEW DELHI, July 16: BJP today indicated that it was ready to form a government in the national capital, nearly six months after the party refused to take the plunge citing lack of majority.
Newly-appointed Delhi BJP Chief Satish Upadhyay, after two separate meetings with party MLAs and MPs on the issue, said the party will consider taking a shot at government-formation if invited by the the Lt Governor.
Sources said almost all MLAs and MPs were in favour of BJP forming the government and a final decision on the issue is likely to be taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from Brazil.
They said senior leader and former Delhi Finance Minister Jagdish Mukhi was the front runner for the Chief Minister’s post as he is known to have good equations with all quarters in the party.
BJP will require the support of five additional MLAs to prove majority in the assembly and the sources said the party was confident of getting them.
“We will consider it (formation of government) provided Lt Governor Najeeb Jung calls us,” Upadhyay said.
The sources said at least five Congress MLAs were ready to form a separate group and extend support to a BJP government.
BJP had emerged the single largest party after in the assembly polls with 32 seats including ally Akali Dal’s one MLA in the 70-member assembly.
The party fell four seats short of a simple majority and had refused to form government in December last year, saying did not have the numbers and will not resort to any “unfair means” to take the reins.
AAP with 28 MLAs had later formed the government with support of eight Congress MLAs.
BJP’s number came down to 28 in the House in May after three of its legislators Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pervesh Verma were elected to Lok Sabha. With the resignation of three MLAs, the strength of the assembly also went down to 67 and the simple majority mark would be 34. (PTI)
BJP hints at having a go at forming govt in Delhi
Janak holds talks with protesting civic workers
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 16: Senior vice president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress and former Member of Parliament, Janak Raj Gupta along several party leaders and workers held a meeting with protesting sanitation workers at Udhampur and assured to take up their genuine issues with the higher authorities concerned for their early redress.
During the meeting the daily wagers and casual civic workers rued official antipathy claiming that they had been working full-time for the past 10-15 years on meagre wages.
“Due to temporary nature of their jobs, they couldn’t get any benefits such as loans or other benefits availed by permanent staff,” the workers regretted, adding, “several representations have been made for regularization of jobs to authorities but to no avail.”
Pertinently, Safai Karamcharies Union Udhampur has been observing tool-down strike besides holding a dharna in favour of their various demands.
According to a statement issued here today, Gupta along with other leaders after interacting with the protesting Safai Karamcharies spoke to the Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigzin Jora and Director local bodies over telephone and sought early redress of their genuine demands including regularization of civic workers against the permanent posts, benefits of sixth pay commission, selection and issuance of appointment order on merit basis and availability of vacant posts.
The Minister and the Director listened the demands patiently and agreed to concede.
President All India Masih Seva Dal, Camres David also addressed the protesting workers.
Sham lays foundation stone for protection wall
Excelsior Correspondent
AKHNOOR, July 16: Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma, laid foundation stone for protection wall work at Sumah Nallah in Akhnoor to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs. 10.51 crore. On completion, the protection wall, having length of 8244 m, will protect more than 1650 kanal land.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that with construction of protection wall at Sumah Nallah a long pending demand of people of the area has been fulfilled. He said that Government is committed to ensure all basic facilities to the people of the State especially living in rural and far-off areas. He said massive development has been registered during the past five and a half year in the State in every sector like health, education, PHE etc. He appealed the people to monitor the quality of development works in their respective areas for better results.
While listing development works in Akhnoor, the Minister said that number of schools have been upgraded besides work on Ayurvedic college, Nursing College and various other projects is in progress.
Lahiri ready for Open challenge
Hoylake, July 16: Buoyed by the experience of playing his final practice round with in-form and two-time Major champion, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, Anirban Lahiri is all ready to fight it out at the British Open Championship, starting at the Royal Liverpool here tomorrow.
Kaymer has won the US Open and the Players’ Championships this year.
“It was a great round of golf. It was awesome fun. He’s a nice guy and very down to earth. Obviously he is a fantastic player. It was nice to play and get to know him. We spoke a little bit about football (Germany won the World Cup on Sunday) and a bit of this and that. It was a fun day,” said Lahiri.
One of the only seven Indians to played the Open, Lahiri will become the first to make the cut more than once if he is still in the fray on the weekend. The four Indians who have made the cut are Jyoti Randhawa (2004), Jeev Milkha Singh (2012), Lahiri (2012) and Shiv Kapur (2013).
Lahiri, who will tee off with EurAsia Cup teammate Koumei Oda and Ben Martin tomorrow, limited his practice after his round with Kaymer due to a slight fever, which he picked up earlier in the week.
“I was a little jetlagged. I’ve got a low grade fever. It also happened to me the last time I was here (the 2012 Open) when I got a fever on Monday. I wouldn’t mind a similar finish,” smiled Lahiri.
The 27-year-old four-time winner on Asian Tour, who marked his debut at the world’s oldest Major with a hole-in-one in 2012, is also due to play the PGA Championships, the season’s last Major, next month. (PTI)
Priyanka’s son visits Parliament
NEW DELHI, July 16: Priyanka Gandhi’s son Raihan today visited Parliament along few friends and watched Lok Sabha proceedings from the visitors’ gallery of the Lok Sabha.
Sporting a jacket and a Mohican hairstyle, the 14-year-old grandson of Congress president Sonia Gandhi also visited the Central Hall and sat for sometime at Gandhi’s office in Parliament.
When asked about his visit to Parliament, the fifth generation Nehru-Gandhi clan said “it was good.”
Priyanka has often taken her son and daughter Miraya along while campaigning in Rae Bareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. (PTI)
SMC cautions people over sub-standard dates
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 16: Srinagar Municipal Corporation Health Officer Dr Rubeena Shaheen today conducted market checking in various market places including Soura, Nawhatta, Koker Bazaar here and found some branded packaged dates tampered with the expiry labels.
An SMC spokesperson quoting Dr Rubeena said the dates were not only tampered with but also were found substandard.
The Health Officer has advised to be cautious in checking the expiry labels before purchase of dates.
The spokesperson said meanwhile 10 kgs of low quality loose green tea containing different harmful articles was also recovered during the inspection.
Working on details of minimum pension of Rs 1,000: Govt
NEW DELHI, July 16:
Government is working on its decision to provide minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000 under the Employees’ Pension Scheme-1995 (EPS-95) run by retirement fund body EPFO, Parliament was informed today.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced the decision in his Budget 2014-15 speech last week to provide Rs 1,000 as minimum pension under EPS-95. It will immediately benefit about 28 lakh pensioners, including 5 lakh widows. In all, there are 44 lakh pensioners under the EPFO scheme.
“The minimum monthly pension shall be Rs 1,000 per month to members and widow(er) pensioners under EPS-95 for the financial year 2014-15,” Minister of State for Labour Vishnu Deo Sai said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
On whether it would be (implemented) retrospectively, the minister replied, “The details are being worked out”.
Jaitley has made an initial provision of Rs 250 crore for providing the minimum entitlement under the pension scheme run by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation.
However as per the EPFO estimates, about Rs 1,217 crore is required to provide minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000 under the EPS-95
The minister also informed the House that the number of persons expected to be benefited under the EPS-95 from this notification (to provide minimum pension of Rs 1,000) is 28 lakh approximately.
Meanwhile, replying to another question, on raising of rate interest on PF deposits for EPFO subscribers for current fiscal to 9 per cent from 8.75 per cent provided in 2013-14, Sai said there is no such proposal under consideration. (PTI)
Pandits demand Army guard at Mattan temple
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 16: The displaced Pandits from village Mattan today demanded that the Army guard be provided at the holy Shrine and Sun Temple Mattan and the local police and CRPF be replaced from there in view of the recent happenings there.
The meeting which was chaired by Ashok Sidha ex president of the Mattan Sabha said the role of DC Anantnag, SHO, Mattan and CRPF Commandant which was guarding the holy shrine was totally dismal. The meeting said that Mattan being an important religious place of Hindus dating back to Puranic period which also has no less significance than Haridwar as per Hindu scriptures needs to be given full protection.
The meting said that the annual Amarnath yatra is also linked to the holy shrine and Mahant of holy mace of Swami Amarnath Ji on his way to holy cave with Charri Mubarak also performs pooja at this holy place which has been a tradition from times immemorial.
The meeting, while holding the administration totally responsible for the recent episode said they failed to maintain the order. It said on the one hand the Government was claiming to take Pandits back and on the other hand it has failed to protect their old age religious places.
Meanwhile Prohit Sabha Martand in its meeting at Tirath Raj Martand today while taking the stock of unpleasant developments which took place yesterday has sought the cooperation of all community members at this crucial juncture.
The meeting, which was chaired by M K Yogi said that R L Koul has been replaced from the post of chairman of the Sabha and Sham Lal Tickoo has been appointed as acting chairman.
The meeting among others was attended by Bhaskar Nath Bhawani, A K Mussa, R K Pandita, R L Tickoo etc.
CCRO demands security for Machail Yatra pilgrims
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 16: A meeting of Crime Control and Research Orgainsation (CCRO) was held wherein large number of devotees of Chandi Mata (Machail Yatra) attended.
The meeting requested Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for making full security arrangements in Kishtwar district for pilgrims of Chandi Mata from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and parts of the State.
The meeting was presided by Ajay Gupta, senior vice president, Crime and Research Orgainsation along with other member requesting CM to provide proper security for langers and other facilities during the yatra.
Jammu Centre of IIMC shines again
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 16: The final result of PG Diploma Courses (2013-2014) offered by Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), an autonomous institution of Ministry of I&B, Government of India was announced yesterday.
The students of 2nd batch (Session 2013-14) of Jammu Centre in English Journalism brought laurels to the Centre again like that of 1st batch (Session 2012-13) as four students namely Avantika Gupta, Sumedha, Kritika Joshi and Megha Sharma have secured 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th position respectively among all the six Centres of IIMC across the country.
Out of twelve students of Jammu centre appearing in the exams, ten have secured 1st division and one of the students of 1st batch namely, Sugam Singhal was declared the overall topper among all the six centres of IIMC across the country during session 2012-13 also.
This is second successive year when 1st position has been bagged by the student of Jammu Centre. As far as placement record is concerned, most of the students have already been engaged in different media houses even before declaration of the results.
While the achievement is due to hard labour put in by the students and faculty, the contribution made by the State Government in providing accommodation for institution and hostel in the heart of the City and IIMC Hqrs for all other infrastructure facilities like conveyance, equipment and faculty, beside overall guidance has yielded results.
IIMC Jammu Centre is currently offering PG Diploma in English Journalism- an intensive one year programme, wherein students are exposed to Print Journalism, TV and Radio news reading through theory classes and practical with the help of latest lab equipment and well-stocked library.