LUCKNOW, July 5:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today launched a scheme to make secretariat offices “paperless” by obtaining his digital signature.

            “It is an important step aimed at not only increasing efficiency and bring transparency in working of departments, but also to turn the concept of green governance into reality,” an official release issued here said.

            With taking a decision to make IT and Electronics department paperless in the first phase, the Chief Minister obtained his digital signature and approved a departmental file using the same, it said.

            Using the e-office application developed by NIC, Yadav directed all divisional commissioners and district magistrates that hurdle should not be faced by the people and students in obtaining various Government services like certificates.

            The Chief Minister said the Government was committed for providing services and information to the people near their doorsteps through electronic delivery system, it said.

            After making functioning of the Secretariat paperless, the disposal of files would be quick and it could be tracked immediately, Yadav said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 5:
Nearly 600 Indian nationals will come back from conflict-hit Iraq over the next two days of whom 200 will return by an Iraqi Airways special chartered flight from Najaf to Delhi tonight, External Affairs Ministry said today.

            “The return of Indians from Iraq has gathered pace,” the Spokesperson in External Affairs Minister said, adding apart from 200 Indian nationals, another 400 Indian nationals would be returning to various destinations in India, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, through commercial flights by Monday.

            “It is estimated that about 1200 would have returned to India at Government cost by Monday,” the Spokesperson said.

            In addition, the Indian Mission in Baghdad has been able to persuade Iraqi companies to send back approximately 600 other Indian nationals.

            “Our Mission in Baghdad is also separately processing papers of approximately 400 other persons who are in some major companies. Once these are processed, the total number of Indians who would have returned to India in the last fortnight would be about 2200,” he said.

            “The number of others who have evinced interest in returning after this is very few,” he added.

            Meanwhile, with 46 nurses out of the conflict zone, nearly 50 Indians are still expected to be in these zones, which include the 39 captives.

            There were about 10,000 Indians before the start of the serious strife between Government troops and Sunni militants backed by al Qaida in Iraq. With MEA facilitating the departures, it is estimated that there are about 7500 Indians in the non-conflict zones left. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 5:

Breaking his silence, former Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today rubbished claims of the head of AIIMS’ forensic medicine department that he was pressured to manipulate the autopsy report of Sunanda Pushkar and questioned Sudhir Gupta’s credibility, saying he can “shoot his mouth off anytime against anybody”.

            “Can I even think of such a stupid thing? Media knows me, entire country knows what kind of person Ghulam Nabi Azad is…I can’t even think of doing such a criminal thing,” Azad told reporters at Congress headquarters.

            Citing newspaper reports over certain allegations levelled against Gupta in past by his colleagues and superiors, the senior Congress leader questioned his credibility.

            “You must have read in newspaper reports about credibility of the person. He can shoot his mouth off anytime against anybody,” Azad said.

            Gupta, who headed a three-member team that did the post mortem on the body of Pushkar had reportedly filed an affidavit before Central Administrative Tribunal in a service matter in which he had leveled the allegation.

            AIIMS had rejected the charge.

            Sunanda, wife of former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, was found dead in a 5-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, a day after her twitter spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar over an alleged affair with Tharoor. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 5:
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot today said that his ministry has requested finance ministry to consider doubling the tax exemptions for differently-abled persons.
“We have requested Finance Ministry to consider tax exemptions for differently-abled people. We have sought the doubling of the exemptions currently enjoyed by them. The finance ministry is looking into the matter,” Gehlot told reporters here.
The minister was speaking on the sidelines of the 13th national meeting of State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities to review the implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.
As regards the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the previous UPA government, Gehlot said that a new Standing Committee would look into it.
“It (Bill) was with the Standing Committee. The old committee stands dissolved after (Lok Sabha) elections. A new Standing Committee must be formed for the purpose. I think it would be constituted after the (upcoming) budget session.
“After a review of the Standing Committee, our ministry will pursue the Bill,” he said.
Replying to a query on the implementation of three per cent reservation for differently-abled persons, Gehlot said that a circular in that regard had been sent to the different ministries and state governments.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, the minister stressed on the need for the state governments to set up a separate department for the welfare of persons with disabilities.
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Sudarshan Bhagat, for his part underscored the need for overall development of persons with disabilities. (PTI)