NEW DELHI, Mar 4: US-based search engine Google Inc, facing a civil lawsuit along with 21 other websites for allegedly hosting objectionable contents on its web posts, has told a Delhi court that the blanket ban and monitoring of material would be against the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.
In a reply, filed before Administrative Civil Judge Parveen Singh, Google Inc said, “Its mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Most services offered by it are premised on sharing of information and knowledge without the exercise of any editorial control or of monitoring by it.”
The US giant is being impleaded as a party in the civil suit filed by Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi through his lawyer Santosh Pandey seeking to restrain it and 21 other websites from posting objectionable contents and removal of existing ones from their web posts.
Seeking to set aside the case against it, the company said that a blanket ban on certain contents from being carried by “platforms” would not be legal, given the fact that the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Jammu, Mar 4: Reiterating resolve of his party to restore sustainable peace in Jammu and Kashmir, patron of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said that PDP would create conducive atmosphere for the return of migrant Kashmir Pandits to their native places in Kashmir Valley.
“Policies and programmes of PDP are formulated by accommodating wishes and aspirations of all sections of the society”, he said and asserted that party would work assiduously to implement its policy of peace and reconciliation in the State.
Interacting with prominent citizens at Gole Gujaral area of Jammu city, PDP patron said that it was his desire to make Jammu and Kashmir as an island of peace. “I was comfortable in the Congress but we formed PDP with an aim of restoring lasting peace in this region”, he said and sought support of every section of the society to fulfill this dream.
He said that some vested interests have launched vicious campaign against PDP to create misunderstanding. “My political life is an open book. My political life is also crystal clear”, he said.
JAMMU, Mar 3: To bridge the gap between the builders and the Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) organized a builders’ meet here this afternoon.
The meet was inaugurated by Ashok Gupta, Circle Head, J&K Operations.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gupta informed that the main purpose of the meet was to bridge the gap between the builders and the bank so as to dispel various benefits of availing housing loan from banking sector.
He said that the broad structure of the Housing loan scheme needs to be understood by the builders as well which in turn will prove beneficiary to builders, public in general and the bank.
Mr Gupta also informed that the Housing loan sector will always remain a thrust area for Bank on account of the fact that many other industries like Hardware, cement, iron, paint and furniture thrive on this segment.
The sector is also labour intensive, he added.
Mr Gupta further informed that Housing loan is offered at confessional rate of interest with additional benefits like Income Tax rebate under various sections of IT Act.
The Circle Head of the Bank said that Housing loan are now given for purchase of plots, flats, out right purchase of residential house/flats and even for furnishings.
About 20 prominent builders participated in the meet, which was followed by interactive session. Manjit Singh representing Horizon Group, Upinder Maji representing Ansal Housing, Chetan Gupta of Florence Apartments, Chandresh Sharma and Sanjay Vaid of Royal Palm, Amit Mahajan and Sumit Mahajan of Kamdhenu Apartments, Nico Demes of Dream Homes, Omkar Nath Kaul of Royal Nest, Vinay Saraf of Heritage Apartments and Vinod Kalra of Kalra and Associates took active part in the meet.
They gave their suggestions during the interactive session and the Bank representatives assured them that these suggestions will be taken care of.
Mr Gupta informed the builders that in PNB work is done with transparency within days. While Dr M D Bali Chief Manager Retail Hub Jammu said that PNB is different from other banks and there is no prepayment pendency in PNB. He said in car loan PNB has lowest rate than other banks all over India and if all formalities are complete the customer is given the cheque on the same day.
He said in case of building loan the customer is given the cheque within three to four days after completion of formalities.
Suresh Gupta, chief Manager Circle Office Jammu and S S Chib, district co-ordinator Jammu and other staff were present at the function.
*All four BJP MLAs entered the Central Hall of Legislature wearing black half cut kurtas with slogans written on them against the Government.”Seven rebel BJP MLAs had entered the House well before the official group. Six of them were seated on second row on right side of the Hall while their leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta was sitting on front row. ” “The leaders of BJP official and rebel factions were not seen speaking to each other at both Central Hall and Legislative Assembly, when it met for obituary reference.” “The BJP leaders, both official and rebel faction
Setting the stage for taking on the Government, the major opposition, PDP tonight moved adjournment motion in the Legislative Assembly seeking suspension of entire business tomorrow to discuss the “extra ordinary situation’’ that has arisen due to notices issued to Chief Minister, Advisors, various Chairpersons/Vice Chairpersons of Boards/ Corporation and two Cabinet Ministers by the State Accountability Commission.The adjournment motion was moved by PDP Legislature
JAMMU, Feb 23: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tomorrow evening, is likely to give its nod for carrying out amendment in the J&K Transfer of Property Act so that three power projects under Chenab Valley Project Private Limited are implemented on fast track basis. The Cabinet will also accord approval to the introduction of a bill in the State Legislature for setting up of first ever Nursing Council in the State. Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that following setting up of Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited, a Joint Venture Company of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation, NHPC and Power Trading Corporation (PTC) for execution of Pakaldul, Kiru and Kawar hydro electric projects on river Chenab with an aggregate capacity of 2120 Mega Watt, the Power Development Department submitted a proposal to the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for effecting an amendment in the Transfer of Prop
JAMMU, Feb 23: Principal Sessions Judge, Jammu, Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal today awarded life-imprisonment to eight accused including then SSP Karnail Singh and his wife Ratno Devi. According to the police case, Nitin Sharma, a driver by profession, had developed relations with the daughter of then SSP Karnail Singh and later they entered into wed-lock on March 31, 2005, against the wishes of Karnail Singh and his wife. Soon after the marriage, they fled to unknown location and stayed there for sometime before returning back to Jammu. On her return, Karnail Singh kept his daughter under strict vigil following which she jumped from the roof top to meet her husband. In the incident she s
JAMMU, Feb 23: Governor NN Vohra today said the Government was committed to establishment of three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State by holding elections to the Block Development Councils followed by District Planning and Development Boards. In his address to joint session of Legislature, Mr Vohra said the Government has commended the process for securing functioning of the Panchayati Raj institutions and flow of resources to them. “For complete establishment of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the State, the process of elections to the Block Development Councils has been initiated, which will be followed by elections to the District Planning and Development Board’’, the Governor said. Noting that elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) were immediate priority of the Government, he said the polls would be completed by April 2012. “This would complete the process of establishing urban and rural self-governing institutions all over the State’’, he added. Observing that the Government was following a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and hum. .
JAMMU, Feb 23: Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said today that he was surprised at the notice issued to him by the State Accountability Commission (SAC) as neither his Ministry nor he himself figured anywhere in the allotment of contract for making Smart Cards for the Government employees given to his son. Describing the anonymous complaint lodged against him in the SAC as “part of vilification campaign’’ launched against him for last two years, Mr Rather told a press conference that he would quit the politics if any allegation was proved against him. “The allegations that Smart Cards contract was given to my son by me or the Finance Department were absolutely false. It was the Information and Technology (IT) Department, which allotted the work to Jammu and Kashmir Bank. The Bank outsourced the contract. The SAC has itself admitted these facts in the
JAMMU, Feb 23: Budget session of the State Legislature today began on a stormy note with Governor NN Vohra’s Address to joint session of the Legislature being disrupted by official four member faction of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lone member of Jammu State Morcha (JSM) in Central Hall of Legislature while the National Panthers Party (NPP) staging a demonstration outside. The BJP and JSM also held a protest outside the Legislature Hall before the Governor’s Address.However, the major 21 members opposition party, the PDP, maintained silence during the Governor Address. The PDP members led by their Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti listened the Governor’s 48 minutes Address without any disruptions. Seven BJP rebels too kept quiet though their leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta stood up for a while.After the BJP’s walk-out, the silence in the Central Hall of Legislature was broken
