Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

Malayalam director P Ramdas passes away

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 28 Maret 2014 | 08.20

KOTTAYAM: (Kerala): Yesteryear veteran director P Ramdas, who introduced the neo-realistic wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1950s through his path breaking movie "Newspaper Boy", has passed away at a hospital.

Ramdas (83) died following age-related ailments yesterday. He is survived by his two sons, family sources said.

Breaking the traditional notions and techniques of cinema, he stepped into the tinsel town with "Newspaper Boy", a social drama on the lives of a printing worker and his family, at the age of 22.

Though the movie, released on May 13, 1955, bombed at the box office, it won wide critical acclaim.

Ramdas also produced two more feature films — "Nirapara" in 1976 and "Vadakaveettile Adithi" in 1981.

However, financial setbacks forced the veteran to keep away from mainstream cinema world for the rest of his life.

Kerala government had honoured him by presenting him with the prestigious 'JC Daniel Award' in 2007.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

BJP may discontinue rural job plan if voted to power: Chidambaram

SIVAGANGA (TN): Senior Congress leader and finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday said BJP may not continue UPA's rural employment scheme if it was voted to power at the Centre and urged the electorate to vote for his party to derive benefits of welfare schemes.

"No senior BJP leader has said that they would continue the national rural employment gurantee scheme if voted to power," Chidambaram said addressing a series of meetings at villages, including Pazhaiyanur and Maranadu near here, introducing his party candidate and son Karti to the electorate.

Terming BJP as a party of "Hindi chauvinists, Hindu fundamentalists and big businessmen representing only the elite of the society," he said Congress stood for the common man and the marginalised sections of the society.

Engaging the people, he wanted to know from them why BJP did not launch welfare schemes like rural employment, farm loan waiver, and educational loans while it was in power.

Stating that both AIADMK and DMK's influence was confined to only Tamil Nadu, he said these parties could not do anything in Delhi in terms of government formation or decision-making as the Lok Sabha had 543 members.

"At best, the ten to fifteen DMK and ten to fifteen AIADMK members can fight there (Delhi) amongst themeselves", he said.

Criticising Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for using helicopters to reach the venues of election meetings, he said "if you look from above, from the skies, road or rails will not be visible."

Outlining the development work done in his constituency, he said ground realities could be understood if a person visited villages and travelled by road like Congress icon and freedom fighter K Kamaraj.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jiah Khan case: HC asks cops why SMS text, calls not in chargesheet

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday asked Juhu police to explain why it had not included in the chargesheet the text of SMS messages and number of telephone calls received by actor Jiah Khan minutes before her death.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Rabia Khan, mother of Jiah, demanding a probe by Special Investigating Team or CBI into the actor's death as she suspected that it was a case of murder and not suicide.

"You (police) must place all the material before the Court and let the Judge decide what to do", a bench of Justices Naresh Patil and Abhay Thipsay told Additional Public Prosecutor Madhavi Mhatre who represented the state of Maharashtra and Juhu police which is probing the case.

Mhatre sought time to seek instructions from the State and police on their stand for transferring the case to CBI or SIT and why they had not included text of SMS messages and numbers of telephone calls received by Jiah just before she was found dead in her house last year.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on April 7. In October 2013, Rabia had filed a petition seeking CBI probe but did not press for it as the High Court had asked police to record her statement and probe as if it was a case of murder.

The police had probed on these lines and filed a chargesheet saying it was a suicide case and charged actor Suraj Pancholi, Jiah's boyfriend, for abatement of suicide.

Senior Counsel Mahesh Jethmalani, on behalf of Rabia, argued that he was asking for a fair and transparent probe.

The police have made out a case as if Jiah was a maniac and in depression and hence she committed suicide. But, circumstances point out that this could be a case of murder, Jethmalani said.

He argued that two days before her death, Jiah had returned from Hyderabad after bagging a role in a film. It is very unlikely that she would commit suicide.

53-year-old Rabia has cited circumstances which point out that Jiah was allegedly killed. The air-condition of Jiah's bedroom was on but windows were open when she was found dead. Also, there is no explanation as to how Jiah reached the ceiling fan to hang herself when there was no stool in house.

Blaming Suraj for her daughter's death, Rabia said she had carried out a sting operation of few witnesses who said in an audio recording that they had not told police what had been recorded in their statements, thereby doubting the police version that Jiah had committed suicide.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

BJP may discontinue rural job plan if voted to power: Chidambaram

SIVAGANGA (TN): Senior Congress leader and finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday said BJP may not continue UPA's rural employment scheme if it was voted to power at the Centre and urged the electorate to vote for his party to derive benefits of welfare schemes.

"No senior BJP leader has said that they would continue the national rural employment gurantee scheme if voted to power," Chidambaram said addressing a series of meetings at villages, including Pazhaiyanur and Maranadu near here, introducing his party candidate and son Karti to the electorate.

Terming BJP as a party of "Hindi chauvinists, Hindu fundamentalists and big businessmen representing only the elite of the society," he said Congress stood for the common man and the marginalised sections of the society.

Engaging the people, he wanted to know from them why BJP did not launch welfare schemes like rural employment, farm loan waiver, and educational loans while it was in power.

Stating that both AIADMK and DMK's influence was confined to only Tamil Nadu, he said these parties could not do anything in Delhi in terms of government formation or decision-making as the Lok Sabha had 543 members.

"At best, the ten to fifteen DMK and ten to fifteen AIADMK members can fight there (Delhi) amongst themeselves", he said.

Criticising Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for using helicopters to reach the venues of election meetings, he said "if you look from above, from the skies, road or rails will not be visible."

Outlining the development work done in his constituency, he said ground realities could be understood if a person visited villages and travelled by road like Congress icon and freedom fighter K Kamaraj.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bihar's former chief minister Satish Prasad Singh quits BJP

PATNA: Bihar's former chief minister Satish Prasad Singh on Friday quit BJP, barely seven months after joining it, to protest against the 'inadequate' ticket distribution to the backward Kushwaha and Keori castes.

"I have decided to quit the BJP to protest inadequate representation to the Kushwaha Samaj during ticket distribution for the general elections," the 83-year-old leader, who was earlier with the Congress, told reporters here.

Amid speculations that he might join the JD (U), Singh, however, refused to divulge anything.

Singh, who had served as the state chief minister for five days, between January 28 to February 1, 1968, had joined the BJP on September 22 last year after spending a long time in wilderness.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mumbai University postpones exam dates

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 27 Maret 2014 | 08.20

MUMBAI: Mumbai University has postponed all examinations — around 126 papers that were scheduled on March 28 and a similar number of papers that were scheduled on April 1 — as most college teachers are put on election duty.

Around 88,000 students from the university and its affiliated colleges will be affected as a result.

Exams were supposed to be held in 476 exam centres on Friday. While third year BA and some of the masters' exams had already begun on March 25, third year BCom exams were scheduled to start from Friday.

The university will release the revised dates soon. Most college teachers will be unavailable for supervision work on these days as the Election Commission will be holding training camps for the staff.

The Bombay University and College Teachers' Union (BUCTU) had asked the university to intervene in the matter as most teachers were assigned election duty which they thought would affect the exams.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

World's 'longest-serving' death row inmate freed for Japan retrial

TOKYO: A man believed to be the world's longest-serving death row inmate walked free from jail on Thursday after decades in solitary confinement, in a rare about-face for Japan's rigid justice system.

A slightly unsteady-looking Iwao Hakamada, 78, emerged from the Tokyo prison with his campaigning sister after Shizuoka District Court in central Japan ordered a fresh trial over the grisly 1966 murder of his boss and the man's family.

Presiding judge Hiroaki Murayama said he was concerned that investigators could have planted evidence to win a conviction almost half a century ago as they sought to bring closure to a crime that had shocked the country.

"There is a possibility that (key pieces of) evidence have been fabricated by investigative bodies," Murayama said in his ruling.

Shizuoka prosecutors, who have three days to appeal the decision, told Japanese media that the court's decision was "unexpected".

Apart from the United States, Japan is the only major industrialised democracy to carry out capital punishment, a practice that has led to repeated protests from European governments and human rights groups, who say the justice system is heavily skewed in prosecutors' favour.

Hakamada is the sixth person since the end of World War II to receive a retrial after having a death sentence confirmed, and his case will bolster opponents of capital punishment.

Of the past five former death-row inmates who received retrials in Japan, four were subsequently cleared. Higher courts threw out a retrial motion for the fifth prisoner, although his lawyers have submitted a fresh request for a retrial with new evidence.

After his arrest, Hakamada initially denied accusations that he robbed and killed his boss, the man's wife and their two children before setting their house ablaze.

But the former boxer, who worked for a bean-paste maker, later confessed following what he subsequently claimed was a brutal police interrogation that included beatings.

He retracted his confession, but to no avail, and the supreme court confirmed his death sentence in 1980.

- Doubts over evidence -

Prosecutors and courts had used blood-stained clothes, which only emerged a year after the crime and his arrest, as key evidence to convict Hakamada.

The clothes did not fit him, his supporters said. The blood stains appeared too vivid for evidence that was discovered so long after the crime. Later DNA tests found no link between Hakamada, the clothes and the blood stains, his supporters said.

But the now-frail Hakamada remained in solitary confinement on death row, regardless.

His supporters and some lawyers, including the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, have loudly voiced their doubts about the evidence, the police investigations and the judicial logic that led to the conviction.

Even one of the judges who originally sentenced Hakamada to death in 1968 has said he was never convinced of the man's guilt, but could not sway his judicial colleagues who out-voted him.

Japan has a conviction rate of around 99 percent and claims of heavy-handed police interrogations persist under a long-held belief that a confession is the gold standard of guilt.

The decision to grant Hakamada a retrial came as Amnesty International issued its annual review of reported executions worldwide, which showed Japan killed eight inmates in 2013, the ninth-largest national tally in the world.

Hakamada's sister Hideko, 81, who has passionately campaigned for a retrial for decades, thanked dozens of supporters who gathered in front of the court house.

"Everyone, really, really thank you," she said through a loud speaker in front of hordes of journalists and supporters. "This happened thanks to all of you who helped us. I am just so happy."

Hakamada seems to have developed psychological illnesses after decades in solitary confinement, Hideko said in an interview last year.

"What I am worried about most is Iwao's health. If you put someone in jail for 47 years, it's too much to expect them to stay sane," Hideko said in the interview.

Amnesty, which has championed Hakamada's cause and says he is the world's longest-serving death row detainee, called on prosecutors to respect the court's decision.

"It would be most callous and unfair of prosecutors to appeal the court's decision," said Roseann Rife, the organization's East Asia research director.

"Time is running out for Hakamada to receive the fair trial he was denied more than four decades ago," she said.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Commute Bhullar's death penalty to life term: Centre to SC

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it has "no problem" with commutation of death sentence of Khalistani terrorist Devinderpal Singh Bhullar to life term and the petition in this regard has to be allowed in view of the court's verdict that delay in deciding mercy pleas can be a ground for such relief.

"This is a case which has to be allowed because the mercy petition of the convict was decided after a delay of eight years," Attorney General G E Vahanvati told the bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam which said that a short order will be pronounced on March 31.

The Attorney General also said that he was making the submissions to this effect as the Centre's petition challenging the January 21 judgment, in which it was held that inordinate delay by government in deciding mercy plea of death row convicts can be a ground for commuting their sentence, has been dismissed.

"So we have to follow the January 21 judgment and we have no problem," Vahanvati said.

He said there was no need to go into the merits of the curative petition filed by Bhullar wife Navneet Kaur.

At the outset, the bench, also comprising justices R M Lodha, H L Dattu and S J Mukhopadhaya, wanted to know about the health condition of Bhullar and perused the February 8 medical report of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS).

The bench had on January 31 stayed Bhullar's execution and had agreed to review its judgment by which it had rejected the 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict's plea to commute his death sentence to life term.

It had issued notice to the Centre and Delhi government on a curative petition and had also directed IHBAS, where Bhullar is being treated, to file a medical report on the condition of the death row convict who is alleged to be suffering from mental illness.

The plea of Bhullar's wife for commutation of death sentence assumes significance in view of the apex court's January 21 verdict holding that inordinate and inexplicable delay by government in deciding mercy plea of death row convicts can be a ground for commuting their sentence.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shakti Mills gang rape: HC refuses to interfere in trial 'at this stage'

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday declined to interfere in the Shakti Mills gang rape case of a photojournalist at this stage.

Hearing a petition filed by the accused challenging the adding of charges that attract the death penalty, a division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Abhay Thipsay said that the accused could raise the issue of whether the charges were properly added before the trial court. This leaves a window open for the accused to argue before the trial court that the prosecution was not right in invoking section 376 E in the case.

The high court also issued notice to the attorney general on the challenge to the constitutional validity of section 376 E of the Indian Penal Code that presecribes a maximum punishment of death sentence for a second time offender in rape cases.

Vijay Jadhav, Qasim Shaikh and Salim Ansari who were held guilty of raping a photo journalist approached the high court on Wednesday morning following the trial court's order to add charges under section 376 E of the Indian penal Code, as they were also convicted for raping a telephone operator.

Advocate general Darius Khambata said that since the sentence was not pronounced in the photo journalist's case the law allowed the trial court to add charges and consider the previous conviction to punish the trio for being repeat offenders. He said that only after a punishment is awarded that a judgment can be said to have been pronounced. Defence lawyers Moin Khan and R Gadgil opposed this and they claimed that judgments in both cases were pronounced on the same day with a few minutes of each other.

Advocate Aabad Ponda, who was appointed as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to assist the court said that the use of 376 e in the photo journalist rape case after they were convicted in the telephone operator rape case was questionable.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Modi vows to end terrorism, mum on Maoism

GAYA/SASARAM: Launching a frontal attack on Nitish Kumar-led Bihar govt for its alleged failure to deal with terrorism with an iron hand, mainly on account of the compulsions of vote bank politics, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday afternoon vowed to end terrorism once he came to power at the Centre.

Dwelling on the terror threat for a good part of his nearly 25-minute speech amid slippers and other objects being thrown, Narendra Modi identified 'tourism' as a major source of income of the Biharis and said that terrorism will end tourism, which, in turn will destroy Bihar (tourism khatam, Bihar hhatam), said Modi.

Prefacing his speech with the July 7, 2013 terrorist attack on the Bodh Gaya shrine, Modi regretted that the place which delivered the message of peace and fraternal feeling to the entire world was subjected to such attacks. "The Bihar govt was more anxious to protect its vote bank and not the nation," said Modi.

To the utter surprise of the Magadh people, Modi did not say anything about red terror even though the Maoists greeted his maiden visit to the temple town with two explosions that blew up mobile phone towers and placed a 5kg can bomb in Dumaria Bazar that was according to CRPF DIG Chiranjeev Prasad effectively defused in the afternoon.

At one point of time, the BJP PM nominee, targeted all three opponents, the Congress, Nitish Kumar and Lalu, reserving the most acidic epithet for Lalu, whom without naming, Modi called 'jail returned'.

In his attempt to cover as many issues as possible at his Gaya rally, Narendra Modi bemoaned the lack of development in the state and the country, and cursed Congress for its failure to contain skyrocketing prices and ridiculed the party for repeatedly presenting unfulfilled promises including jobs and civic amenities in its manifestos, the latest being the one that was released by Congress on Wednesday.

"They are now promising 10 crore jobs and in the previous 2009 manifesto they promised one job for at least one member of each family," said Modi.

Modi said taking public memory to be short, the Congress repeated the same promises each election. "But people's memory was not as short as Congress believed it to be."

He also referred to the non-execution of a 1975 irrigation project which has already cost Rs 800 crore without giving benefit to any of the 25 lakh farmers of Gaya, Aurangabad and Karakat prliamentary constituencies of the state.

In Sasaram, Modi strongly criticized Lok Sabha speaker and Congress candidate Meira Kumar for doing nothing for her constituents. Accusing Meira Kumar of political opportunism for personal gains, Narindra Modi said that Meira's father late Jagjivan Ram left the Congress on grounds of principle but she betrayed her own father by clinging to the same party that her father left.

Virtually promising the moon to the Rohtas farmers, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate regretted that despite possessing the rice bowl, the area farmers have been left to fend for themselves and their produce ends in distress sale and destruction due to non availability of storage facility. Modi also promised a three-pronged strategy to the local farmers for better procurement, remunerative price, storage and proper marketing of their produce.

Narendra Modi also regretted the non-execution of the Durgawati project launched way back in the year 1972.

The prominent participants at Modi's two Bihar meets included LJP chief Ram Bilas Paswan, BJP state chief Mangal Pandey, leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly Nand Kishor Yadav and former urban development Minister Prem Kumar.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

EC bars Akhilesh Yadav from holding discussion through video conference

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 26 Maret 2014 | 08.20

LUCKNOW: The Election Commission has barred chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his cabinet colleague from holding discussion with officials of various departments through video conferencing till the elections are over.

A direction to this effect was issued by chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh Umesh Sinha.

"During the Model Code of Conduct, no video-conference would take place between the chief minister, ministers and political functionaries with the officials," the notice issued by Sinha said, while referring to a direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in this regard.

Sinha has asked all the district election officials to ensure that no such meeting is held through video-conference.

In a notification last week, the Election Commission had said that such video conferencing will be permitted only in case of a natural calamity.

It had also said that before organising such meetings, approval of Chief Electoral Officer should be obtained.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Family of Sunanda Pushkar wants end to speculation over her death

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Family members of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union minister of state for HRD Shashi Tharoor, on Wednesday asked all concerned to stop their unfounded speculations over the death of Sunanda.

In a joint statement issued by her father, brothers and son, said they were "deeply disturbed by the continuing speculation in the media about the tragic loss of Sundanda on January 17 this year."

The statement came at a time when CPM-led LDF Opposition in the state has raked up the issue in Lok Sabha election campaign against Tharoor, contesting in Thiruvananthapuram as the Congress candidate.

"Despite statements by us at the time that we suspected neither suicide nor foul play, some elements of the media and individuals with vested interests have continued to pursue the angle of alleged poisoning, to our distress', the statement said.

"Now that the leaked viscera report has apparently concluded that there was no poison in Sunanda's system, as we always believed, we request all concerned to stop their unfounded speculation over her death', the statement said.

"We stress that we have not received any official copy of the post-mortem report or the viscera report, and only know what the media has reported. We urge the police to conclude their investigations at the earliest so that she can rest in peace" the statement added.

The statement was signed by Sunanda's father Lt Col (Retd.) Pushkar Nath Dass, brothers Rajesh Pushkar, Ashish Dass and son Shiv Menon.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Murdoch names son Lachlan as vice-president of media empire

NEW YORK: Rupert Murdoch said on Wednesday that he had promoted his son Lachlan to be vice-president of the two companies that make up his media empire.

Those companies are News Corp and the TV and film producer 21st Century Fox.

For years speculation had been rife over which of the six children of the 83-year-old magnate would take over for him.

Murdoch did not totally clarify his intentions, as he promoted another of his sons, James, to be co-director of operations at 21st Century Fox.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

EC bars Akhilesh Yadav from holding discussion through video conference

LUCKNOW: The Election Commission has barred chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his cabinet colleague from holding discussion with officials of various departments through video conferencing till the elections are over.

A direction to this effect was issued by chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh Umesh Sinha.

"During the Model Code of Conduct, no video-conference would take place between the chief minister, ministers and political functionaries with the officials," the notice issued by Sinha said, while referring to a direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in this regard.

Sinha has asked all the district election officials to ensure that no such meeting is held through video-conference.

In a notification last week, the Election Commission had said that such video conferencing will be permitted only in case of a natural calamity.

It had also said that before organising such meetings, approval of Chief Electoral Officer should be obtained.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madras high court grants bail to 33 crew members of US anti-piracy ship

MADURAI: Madras high court's Madurai bench on Wednesday granted bail to 33 crew members of US anti-piracy ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio that had allegedly entered the Indian waters with illegal arms. It also granted bail to a man who supplied 1,500 litres of diesel to the vessel.

However, the court denied bail to ship's captain Dudinik Valentyn and its vice-captain Paul David Dennish Towers.

Dudinik Valentyn, 34 others and diesel supplier R Munithevan of Manali had filed the bail petitions at the high court. Justice R S Ramanathan heard the matter and reserved his verdict on March 14. While passing orders on Wednesday, the judge observed that it was difficult to find fault with the other crew members for the ship's entry into the Indian waters. If needed, the captain and vice-captain could be blamed for it.

According to the bail conditions, the 33 ship members should produce surety to the tune of Rs 2 lakh each and reside in Chennai and sign at Mylapore police station twice a day, at 10am and 5 pm. The diesel supplier should produce a surety of Rs 50,000 and sign at 'Q' branch police station in Tuticorin.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kolkata police to keep eye on expenditure of Lok Sabha candidates

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 25 Maret 2014 | 08.21

KOLKATA: Kolkata police is set to play a major role in the multiagency task of controlling the purses of the Lok Sabha candidates. As a first step, they have been asked to videograph all important rallies and meeting attended by senior politicians and contestants. The cops have also been instructed that such committees to videograph rallies should be set up at each police station and permission to hold rallies have to be placed at least three days before its schedule.

In a clear directive, EC has also instructed cops to coordinate with the expenditure commissioner and get the expenditure budget of these meetings in advance. These should then be forthwith be sent to the EC in the next 24 hours so as to allow the EC time to review the expenses. The EC, though, have exempted all those with a security threat from moving around with a cap on their cars. Usually, candidate are issued only a few campaign vehicles where its mandatory to display the permission slip.

The cops though want a clarification on the nature in which permission is to be granted to political parties to hold elections. "We will clarify if permission for public meetings and rallies of political parties would be granted on first come, first served basis as is the norm in several cities," said a senior officer at Lalbazar.

Moreover, all public meetings should be held only after obtaining due permission from the jurisdictional police stations. The events should be held only at the permitted places and no change in routes of the rallies would be allowed. Loud speakers should not be used between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and no campaign would be allowed after 10 p.m.

"The ECI has a clear view on the matter of expenditure and distribution of goodies. Any event or function that witnesses distribution of freebies, gifts, and is used for campaign is against the model code of conduct and will invite reprimand," a senior police official told TOI. "We are keeping a close watch on history sheeters and we are determined to execute all pending warrants. We will inform EC and take stringent action against violations of the model code as instructed by the EC," said special additional CP (headquarters) Rajeev Mishra.


08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chhattisgarh rice millers threaten indefinite strike from April 1

RAIPUR: Over 1500 rice mill owners in Chhattisgarh have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from April 1 to protest against government's decision to extend duration for mandatory custom milling from 2 months to 6 months and it's failure to increase custom milling charges from Rs 35 to Rs 75 per quintal.

Talking to TOI, State Rice Miller Association president, Yogesh Agarwal said that as per government policy, two months custom milling was mandatory in Nov last, which barred the sale of rice made through private custom milling units during this period. However, the government modified the policy last week back and has extended the mandatory period to six months, which would hit the rice millers financially, he said.

Asserting that this was not acceptable to the Association, Yogesh said if the government does not revert to it's old policy, they would be forced to go on an indefinite strike. According to the Secretary of the of the Association, Pramod Jain in last fiscal, 5 lakh tons of paddy was damaged due to improper storage facilities and government was pressurizing them now to use the same for custom milling.

"They expect us to provide superior quality of rice from damaged paddy", he said adding that wasn't possible. He also alleged that the FCI had not paid over Rs six crore of transportation charges for 2012-13 and state government was not doing anything about it, he said.

However, officials in food and civil supplies department said that we have sent the paddy for test milling and only if the product meets the criteria, custom milling would be undertaken.

When contacted, Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Vikas Sheel, said he had not received any notice of indefinite strike so far from the association. However, he was candid in saying that the government would not succumb to any pressure tactics. "It will be their loss, not our", he said adding that rice millers in the state were being paid Rs 35 per quintal (including Rs 10 received from the centre), as compared to only Rs 10 in other states.

Officials in food and civil supplies department claimed that the strike would not impact any of the government's social welfare schemes. "We have enough stocks to fulfil our commitment of Rs 1 per kg of rice for the next six months", they said.


08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Western Railway to run 26 trains between Mumbai and Jammu Tavi

MUMBAI: Western Railway will run 26 special services between Bandra (T) - Jammu Tavi-Andheri Weekly super fast special train to clear additional rush of passengers.

WR spokesperson said, "Train No 09021 Bandra (T)-Jammu Tavi Super Fast Weekly Special train will depart from Bandra (T) at 5.10 hrs on every Monday and reach Jammu Tavi at 15.25 hrs on Tuesday. This train will run from 7th April to 30th June, 2014."

Similarly, Train No 09022 Jammu Tavi-Andheri Super Fast Weekly Special train will depart from Jammu Tavi at 05.00 hrs on every Wednesday and reach Andheri at 13.40 hrs on Thursday. This train will run from 9th April to 2nd July, 2014.

In return direction, this train will terminate at Andheri. Enroute, the train will halt at Borivali, Boisar, Vapi, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Godhara, Dahod, Ratlam, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Hindaun City, Bharatpur, Mathura Jn, Tughlakabad, Panipat, Ambala Cantt., Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt. and Pathankot Cantt in both directions.

The train will have AC II Tier, AC III tier, Sleeper Class and General II class coaches.


08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Whistleblower knocks at Prime Minister's door, seeking probe against erring officials

NEW DELHI: Facing roadblocks to his crusade against corrupt public servants, whistleblower Sanjiv Chaturvedi — Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer — has written to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking action against certain PMO officials who are allegedly protecting powerful Congress politicians and bureaucrats of B S Hooda-led Haryana government by not sharing information under transparency law.

Chaturvedi alleged that the Prime Minister Office (PMO) officials are concealing certain information which is directly and indirectly linked to the 'proposed' CBI probe into the multi-crore plantation scam in the state unearthed by him during his posting in Haryana in 2009.

The IFoS officer, currently posted here as chief vigilance officer at AIIMS, had sought these information from the PMO under the RTI Act which, he claimed, would go a long way in fixing responsibility of politicians and bureaucrats in many cases of corruption in Haryana.

The specific information, sought by him, pertained to documents and file noting relating to meeting of officers of ministries of personnel and environment that had taken place in the PMO on the issue of recommending a CBI inquiry into the plantation scam.

Unable to get the information, he went on to appeal before the first appellate authority under the transparency law. Though the authority had in November last year directed the PMO to provide Chaturvedi the relevant information, he has so far not been lucky in getting those details.

In his letter to the Prime Minister on March 10, the Haryana-cadre IFoS of 2002 batch, Chaturvedi, said, "This is very unfortunate situation where officers of your own office are involved in blatant violation of one of the flagship legislations (RTI Act) of your tenure, which has always been projected by your good-self as the most significant achievement of your government".

Without taking names of public servants, he alleged - in this two-page letter - that only motive of these officers (of the PMO) appeared to somehow protect the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats of the Haryana government.

"However, in the process, these officers of your esteemed office have simply made a mockery of the RTI Act, 2005, for which, they should be properly punished", said Chaturvedi in his letter to the PM which he claimed to have written in his "private capacity as citizen of India".

Besides demanding inquiry against concerned PMO officials, Chaturvedi has also forwarded his letter to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) seeking immediate protection for himself under the statutory provisions related to protection of whistleblowers.

Chaturvedi had exposed the scam while he was posted as divisional forest officer in Jhajjar in January, 2009. He had detected that the fund from international donor agencies was allegedly embezzled in the state in the name of plantation. He had blown the lid off the entire irregularities when he found that the plantation existed only on papers.

The ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) had in its inquiry also found the irregularities and expressed it to be a fit case which can be probed by the CBI. The ministry had in its inquiry in 2010 even named certain bureaucrats and politicians in Haryana as being involved in the scams and harassment of the whistleblower.

Chaturvedi had subsequently in November, 2012 moved the Supreme Court to implement the ministry's inquiry report and order a CBI inquiry into the matter. The state government has, however, recently filed a petition before the high court for quashing the inquiry report.


08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kolkata police to keep eye on expenditure of Lok Sabha candidates

KOLKATA: Kolkata police is set to play a major role in the multiagency task of controlling the purses of the Lok Sabha candidates. As a first step, they have been asked to videograph all important rallies and meeting attended by senior politicians and contestants. The cops have also been instructed that such committees to videograph rallies should be set up at each police station and permission to hold rallies have to be placed at least three days before its schedule.

In a clear directive, EC has also instructed cops to coordinate with the expenditure commissioner and get the expenditure budget of these meetings in advance. These should then be forthwith be sent to the EC in the next 24 hours so as to allow the EC time to review the expenses. The EC, though, have exempted all those with a security threat from moving around with a cap on their cars. Usually, candidate are issued only a few campaign vehicles where its mandatory to display the permission slip.

The cops though want a clarification on the nature in which permission is to be granted to political parties to hold elections. "We will clarify if permission for public meetings and rallies of political parties would be granted on first come, first served basis as is the norm in several cities," said a senior officer at Lalbazar.

Moreover, all public meetings should be held only after obtaining due permission from the jurisdictional police stations. The events should be held only at the permitted places and no change in routes of the rallies would be allowed. Loud speakers should not be used between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and no campaign would be allowed after 10 p.m.

"The ECI has a clear view on the matter of expenditure and distribution of goodies. Any event or function that witnesses distribution of freebies, gifts, and is used for campaign is against the model code of conduct and will invite reprimand," a senior police official told TOI. "We are keeping a close watch on history sheeters and we are determined to execute all pending warrants. We will inform EC and take stringent action against violations of the model code as instructed by the EC," said special additional CP (headquarters) Rajeev Mishra.


08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mayawati asks tribals and dalits to change government, not religion

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 23 Maret 2014 | 08.20

BHUBANESWAR: BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday slammed religious conversion and asked members of weaker sections, dalits and tribals to change the government instead of their religions.

"I understand that people from BJP and RSS visit remote areas of Odisha and persuade adivasis and dalits to go for reconversion in order to change their living standards. I am telling you not to change religion, but governments both in the state and the Centre," Mayawati told a public meeting.

Stating that about 50% of Odisha's population comprised tribals and dalits, Mayawati said there had been no development of poor people even 65 years after Independence. She also highlighted the plights of poor people among the upper caste communities.

Blaming the economic policies of both Congress led UPA government and previous BJP led NDA regime at the Centre, she said "while a huge amount of black money is stashed in foreign banks neither Congress nor BJP had made any effort to bring it back."

"If the black money is brought back, most of the problems faced by the poor, dalits and tribals would be over for all time to come. But, those in power don't take such step," she said.

Holding poverty and unemployment responsible for the growth of left wing extremism, Mayawati said the Maoist menace would certainly come down if the government took steps to uplift the poor members of the society.

She said Odisha remained poor and backward for ages due to faulty policies of successive governments in the state and the Centre. "We will fulfill Odisha's demand of a special category State status if voted to power in Centre," Mayawati said.

"We have reduced poverty in Uttar Pradesh and distributed unutilized government land to landless people. Same can be done in Odisha and elsewhere," she said.

Appealing to people to vote for BSP candidates in the ensuing twin polls, Mayawati said "we do not have alliance with anyone in the state. BSP has put candidates in all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly segments of Odisha."

On the thin attendance in her first public meeting here, Mayawati said she was happy that poor people attended the BSP rally. "We do not bring people by bus or train to show fake strength. I am happy that so many people attended the meeting despite scorching heat," she said.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search for survivors continues in US mudslide, 3 dead

SEATTLE: Rescue crews searched into the night for survivors from a massive mudslide in Washington state that killed at least three people, after hearing voices from the debris field pleading for help.

The slide of mud, trees and rocks happened on Saturday morning. Several people, including an infant, were critically injured, and at least six houses were destroyed.

Snohomish County Fire District 21 chief Travis Hots said at a news briefing that searchers weren't giving up on finding more people.

"We have people who are yelling for our help, and we are going to take extreme risks," Hots said.

It wasn't clear how many people might still be alive, he said.

The Snohomish County sheriff's office reported that two people had been killed at the scene. Authorities later said one person who was rescued died at a hospital.

The injured included a 6-month-old boy, who was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said two other victims were in critical condition — an 81-year-old man and a 58-year-old man — while a 37-year-old man was in serious condition.

One eyewitness told the Daily Herald that he was driving on the roadway and had to quickly brake to avoid the mudslide.

"I just saw the darkness coming across the road. Everything was gone in three seconds," Paulo Falcao told the newspaper.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

IMF’s chief Lagarde says can’t do much about reform without US support

Reuters | Mar 23, 2014, 05.11PM IST
BEIJING: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said on Sunday that there was not much she should could to push reform at her organization and give emerging economies a bigger say without the support of the United States. China in January called on IMF member nations to stick to a commitment to give emerging markets more power at the global lender after US lawmakers set back historic reforms that would give developing countries a greater say.

The remarks by China's foreign ministry were an indirect criticism of the United States, the biggest and most powerful IMF member, where lawmakers that month failed to agree on funding measures needed for the reforms to move forward.

The US Congress must sign off on the IMF funding to complete 2010 reforms that would make China the IMF's third-largest member and revamp the IMF board to reduce the dominance of western Europe.

Speaking at Beijing's elite Tsinghua University, Lagarde said this was a matter for the United States to complete the process and ensure that the relevant legislation can be passed.

"This is not something I can do much about," she told students.

She added that she hoped emerging economies could have a bigger voice within the institution.

The reform of the voting shares, known as quotas, cannot proceed without the United States, which holds the only controlling share of IMF votes.

After putting off the request in 2012 because of the US presidential election, the US treasury has sought to tuck the provision into several bills since March of last year.

The administration's requests, however, have been met with skepticism from some Republicans, who see them as tantamount to approving fresh funding in a tight budget environment.

Some US lawmakers have also raised concerns about how well the IMF is helping struggling economies in Europe and the risks attached to IMF loans, suggesting Congress is in no hurry to approve any changes.

Developing nations have long viewed the IMF with suspicion for promoting disastrous privatizations that complicated the transition from communism for some emerging nations in the early 1990s, and for pushing budget cuts that exacerbated debt crises in Asia and Latin America a few years later.

That suspicion has been compounded by a power structure that dates to IMF's founding in 1944. The structure was shaped by the victors of World War II — the United States and other Allied nations.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mayawati asks tribals and dalits to change government, not religion

BHUBANESWAR: BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday slammed religious conversion and asked members of weaker sections, dalits and tribals to change the government instead of their religions.

"I understand that people from BJP and RSS visit remote areas of Odisha and persuade adivasis and dalits to go for reconversion in order to change their living standards. I am telling you not to change religion, but governments both in the state and the Centre," Mayawati told a public meeting.

Stating that about 50% of Odisha's population comprised tribals and dalits, Mayawati said there had been no development of poor people even 65 years after Independence. She also highlighted the plights of poor people among the upper caste communities.

Blaming the economic policies of both Congress led UPA government and previous BJP led NDA regime at the Centre, she said "while a huge amount of black money is stashed in foreign banks neither Congress nor BJP had made any effort to bring it back."

"If the black money is brought back, most of the problems faced by the poor, dalits and tribals would be over for all time to come. But, those in power don't take such step," she said.

Holding poverty and unemployment responsible for the growth of left wing extremism, Mayawati said the Maoist menace would certainly come down if the government took steps to uplift the poor members of the society.

She said Odisha remained poor and backward for ages due to faulty policies of successive governments in the state and the Centre. "We will fulfill Odisha's demand of a special category State status if voted to power in Centre," Mayawati said.

"We have reduced poverty in Uttar Pradesh and distributed unutilized government land to landless people. Same can be done in Odisha and elsewhere," she said.

Appealing to people to vote for BSP candidates in the ensuing twin polls, Mayawati said "we do not have alliance with anyone in the state. BSP has put candidates in all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly segments of Odisha."

On the thin attendance in her first public meeting here, Mayawati said she was happy that poor people attended the BSP rally. "We do not bring people by bus or train to show fake strength. I am happy that so many people attended the meeting despite scorching heat," she said.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Turkey shot down Syrian plane which violated airspace: Report

ISTANBUL: Turkey's armed forces shot down a Syrian plane on Sunday after it crossed into Turkish airspace in a border region where Syrian rebels have been battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

"A Syrian plane violated our airspace," Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told an election rally of his supporters in northwest Turkey.

"Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard," Edrogan.

The rebels have been fighting for control of the Kasab crossing, the border region, since Friday, when they launched an offensive which Syrian authorities say was backed by Turkey's military.

Syria said Turkish air defences shot down the jet while it was attacking rebel forces inside Syrian territory, calling the move a "blatant aggression".

State television quoted a military source as saying the pilot managed to eject from the plane. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said initial reports from the area said the plane came down on the Syrian side of the border.

Al Manar, the television station of Assad's Lebanese ally Hezbollah, said two rockets had been fired from Turkish territory at the Syrian jet.


08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger