Now, Chennai set to have it's own metro project

Chennai: After Kolkata and Delhi, now Chennai is set to have its very own metro rail project.

The 45-km elevated and partly underground network will be a Rs 16000 crore project that will aim to increase the city's public transport usage by fifteen per cent. It's a pet project of the ruling DMK and deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin has put it on the fast track.

"At least six lakh people can travel every day," the deputy Chief Minister said.

K. Rajaraman, Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd said, "It will reduce travel time at least by fifty percent."

However, Chennaites will have to wait at least for three years for their first metro rail to roll out. But with elections just a few months away already the ruling DMK is making capital of it.

"This is definitely one of our achievements, an indication that our schemes are reaching people," Stalin added.

Though the project has been long overdue, now there are demands to extend the metro by another sixty kilometres connecting Chennai's newly developed areas.


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Car vs. Cow vs. Motorcycle vs. Dog

Bernardo Johannsen has added a photo to the pool:

Just a random street...

Varanasi (aka Benares). Uttar Pradesh. India. November. 2010.

In world's largest exercise, govt to screen 20cr people for ailments

NEW DELHI: Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said 20 crore people would be scanned for diseases of heart, kidney, besides diabetes, for timely treatment.

"This largest-ever exercise in the world was being undertaken as India was emerging as the hub of cancer and diabetes," Azad said. "In all, more than 20 crore people would be screened across 100 remote districts in the next 14 months," Azad announced at the Jammu Press Club.

The government, he said, will provide treatment to the tune of Rs 15 lakh to patients of heart, kidney, eye and skin diseases. Azad said to meet the shortage of teachers in medical colleges his ministry would stress on increasing the number of seats for MD to 10,000 within three years.

Proof of why Yashwant Sonawane was killed by Popat Shinde

Mumbai, Aurangabad: Days after the brutal killing of Yashwant Sonawane, evidence has now surfaced to show that the Malegaon Additional Collector was building a case against Popat Shinde, the prime accused in his murder.

A report prepared by Sonawane in August 2010, a copy of which is with NDTV, documents that his office seized 4000 litres of kerosene and 3000 litres of petrol from Shinde's dhaba in Panewadi village in Manmad. Sonawane suggested the police seal the oil found and take action against Shinde under the Essential Commodities Maintenance Act (ESMA). He had filed the report after he conducted raids on Shinde.

Six FIRs and one externment order were registered against Shinde between 2006 and 2010. But despite that, no action was taken against him he continued to operate his illegal business. (Read: Who is Popat Shinde?)

Police sources now say that Sonawane's report and the six FIRs registered could be used to book Shinde and his accomplices under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act or MCOCA, which will make it virtually impossible for them to get bail for six months. Also, under MCOCA, statements of the co-accused can be used as evidence in court, which will further strengthen the case.

"Stringent action will be taken against those involved", state Home Minister R R Patil said.

In fact, the brutality of the crime prompted Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to urge the government for immediate action.

"We need to look at why it's happening and ensure it doesn't happen again...It's a system and if we want to change things, we have to figure out why it's happening and what is the problem in the system?" Rahul said.

Meanwhile, Sonawane's brutal murder has led to a massive crackdown on oil mafia across Maharashtra.

Sonawane was set on fire by the oil mafia in Manmad in Maharashtra on Tuesday. Eleven people have been arrested for his murder. His driver's testimony has con! firmed t hat he was burnt alive because he tried to film kerosene being stolen from an oil tanker on his cell phone. Sources now say he stopped to film the kerosene theft as he wanted to collect more evidence against Shinde.

Sonawane's report confirms the police theory that his murderers had interacted with him before, and wanted to punish him because he had tried to interfere earlier with their operations.

Oil mafia in Manmad operates uninhibitedly. This is where nearly 300 tankers are filled everyday with fuel from massive oil depots. Manmad hosts a major intersection of four highways. From here, oil tankers make their way to Malegaon, Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagar. Drivers of the tankers are seen brazenly stealing kerosene from the trucks they drive. Tankers are locked after they are filled up, but the mafia has duplicate keys. Highway robbery is a fact of life.

Sources say Popat Shinde has been working for the oil mafia for nearly 30 years. Once a roadside snack seller, he befriended truck drivers who operate at the massive oil depots in Manmad. Shinde learnt the tricks of the oil pilferage trade and soon made enough money to own two oil tankers.

He led a group of people who reportedly poured kerosene all over Sonawane while he was on an official tour. Shinde was also injured in the attack he launched. He is now in a local hospital with serious burns.

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Global warming may rob basmati of its fragrance

NEW DELHI: An experiment by Indian agriculture scientists points to the enormous effect global warming could have on the fragrant basmati rice. Basmati, Sanskrit for the fragrant one, may lose not just its aroma, the famous long grains may get shorter, say scientists.

H Pathak, principal investigator of Indian Agricultural Research Institute's Climate Change Challenge Programme, told TOI the Tarawari basmati grown in research fields in Delhi did not grow long enough and wasn't as fragrant as it should have been when cooked.

He said global warming may be to blame for the disappointing basmati produced in the 2006-2007 experiment. Temperatures that year crossed 26 degree Celsius in September when the basmati flowers and, 15 to 20 days later, when the grain begins to fill out, because of which a shrivelling of the grain was seen.

The extra heat, he said, prevented the food stored by the plant from travelling to the grain. Consequently, it failed to grow to the right length. The heat also destroyed fatty acids stored in the grain which give the basmati its distinct fragrance when cooked.

No field studies have been done so far but if true, global warming may have enormous implications for India's prized basmati crop, which stood at 4.5 million tonnes last year.

Pathak says the IARI has been receiving complaints from farmers about a sudden warming damaging rice crops. But Dalel Singh, who heads Haryana Agricultural University's Rice Research Station at Kaul, says his scientists have not observed the phenomenon seen at IARI, at least in harvests from 2007.

Pathak says temperatures in the 700 acres that make up the IARI campus in the heart of Delhi are similar to those in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh which grow Tarawari basmati. Therefore, what the scientists saw at IARI will be replicated in these areas.

Pathak says the best solution would be to bring planting dates forward, so that high temperatures in September don't affect the ! crop. Th e other solution would be to develop a new, heat-resistant basmati variety, though they generally have smaller yields.

Fake US varsity: India disapproves radio-tagging

Video

Washington/New Delhi: After being duped by a 'sham' university in California, some of the affected Indian students have been forced to wear radio-trackers around their ankles to the chagrin of the Indian community. India said the use of monitors was "unwarranted" and raised the issue with the US deputy ambassador on Saturday.

Some 1,555 students of Tri-Valley University, 90 percent of them from India, mostly Andhra Pradesh, face the prospect of deportation following the closure of the university in Pleasanton on charges of selling student visas.

Some of the students who approached Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seek help were placed under ISAP (Intense Supervision and Appearance Programme) and put in removal proceedings.

Click to play videoWashington/New Delhi: After being duped by a 'sham' university in California, some of the affected Indian students have been forced to wear radio-trackers around their ankles to the chagrin of the Indian community. India said the use of monitors was "unwarranted" and raised the issue with the US deputy ambassador on Saturday.

Some 1,555 students of Tri-Valley University, 90 percent of them from India, mostly Andhra Pradesh, face the prospect of deportation following the closure of the university in Pleasanton on charges of selling student visas.

Some of the students who approached Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seek help were placed under ISAP (Intense Supervision and Appearance Programme) and put in removal proceedings.

A number of students have already been interviewed by ICE agents, most have been questioned and released but a few have been required to w! ear ankl e bracelets, Jayaram Komati of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) told IANS.

Throughout Saturday, Indian television channels had displaying visuals of Indian students with radio trackers around one ankle, which was apparently done to monitor their movements.

India protested the measure.

"We have conveyed to the US authorities that the students, most of who are victims themselves, must be treated fairly and reasonably, and that the use of monitors on a group of students, who were detained and later released with monitors in accordance with US laws, is unwarranted and should be removed," said Indian external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash in New Delhi.

US Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu was called to the external ministry and apprised of India's concerns over the measure.

Prakash said that MEA and Indian consulate general in San Francisco are in touch with the Indian students and US authorities, adding that "everything possible" will be done to safeguard the students' "legitimate interests".

"The students should be given ample opportunity to clarify their position and present their case; those who wish to return to India should be allowed to do so voluntarily; those students who have not violated any visa or immigration laws should be given opportunity to adjust their status; and, those who are eligible to seek transfer to other universities should be given adequate opportunity and time to do so," he said.

The Indian community in the US has expressed shock and anger over the measure.

"It is very unfortunate that the students of the Tri Valley are being treated like criminals for none of their fault," Ramesh Annamreddy another prominent community leader said.

"All these students came to United States of America to receive high quality education like many students who come to US," he said.

"Not only are their dreams shattered, but they are undergoing the worst treatment they could never imagine on the land which is very sensitive to h! uman rig hts," Annamreddy said.

Meanwhile, Komati, whose organisation has some 35,000 members also advised students attending Tri-Valley University to seek immigration advice from an immigration attorney.

"Ultimately, we want to protect the kids within the boundaries of the law," he said. "They are not here to break the law. This is no fault of the students. It is the university not living up to the norms of society."

Expressing shock at the news of some students being detained by the federal authorities, North American Telugu Association (NATA) A.V.N. Reddy said his organisation is is determined to make every effort in helping students of Telugu community in their legal needs.

It has also organised a conference call for students at 12.00 PM on Sunday with immigration attorney Rajiv S. Khanna of immigration.com to understand the students grievances and guide them on the immigration issues.

Students can contact NATA for the conference call details by sending email to natacommunityservice@gmail.com with subject line "conference".

NATA is also planning to arrange counselling through Patrick Papallia who is specialist on civil litigation and business law, a partner at Herten & Burstien.

Meanwhile, the US authorities have opened a helpline for the Indian students. "We have set up an email address and voicemail that Tri-Valley students can use to contact ICE Homeland Security Investigations directly with their questions," Lari K Haley, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson said.

Haley said any affected student can call the US number 415-844-5320 and leave the voice message. An ICE representative will return the call, she said. Students can also write to 'SFRHSIFraud@dhs.gov', seeking help.

India has also asked US authorities for provide full information about the students and keep it in the loop about investigations and prosecution against the Tri-Valley University.

Next week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will issue a detailed advisory! for all TVU students, which will provide guidance on the process to seek admission in other schools.

Besides, all TVU students have been asked to report to the nearest ICE office for instructions.

"Those students who are presently in India with TVU sponsored visas should not travel to the US with that visa. They can apply to other universities and, if admitted, could apply afresh for new visas," said Prakash.

With inputs from IANS

Sham University: Treat students fairly, India tells US

New Delhi: Expressing concern for the Indian students about the impact of the US federal action against Tri-Valley University (TVU) in California, the Ministry of External Affairs has asked the US to allow students to adjust status if they have not violated laws.

Here's a statement by the government:

Government of India is seriously concerned about the impact of the US federal action against Tri Valley University (TVU) in California on the Indian students, enrolled at the now closed university. A majority of the Indian students at the university had transferred from other US universities; approximately 100 students had obtained visas from US mission in India; and, a number of students in the US as dependents of their spouses, had enrolled in the University after taking the required authorization.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco and the Ministry are in touch with the Indian students and US authorities. We have conveyed to the US authorities that the students, most of who are victims themselves, must be treated fairly and reasonably, and that the use of monitors on a group of students, who were detained and later released with monitors in accordance with US laws, is unwarranted and should be removed. The students should be given ample opportunity to clarify their position and present their case; those who wish to return to India should be allowed to do so voluntarily; those students who have not violated any visa or immigration laws should be given opportunity to adjust their status; and, those who are eligible to seek transfer to other universities should be given adequate opportunity and time to do so.

We have also asked the US Government to provide us full information on the affected students and keep us informed as the investigation unfolds, as well as, on the action being taken against the promoters of the university and others involved in perpetrating the fraud.

The principal investigator i! nto the case has provided our consulate in San Francisco a list of Immigration Attorneys, who are prepared to guide/advise the students free of charge, on immigration procedures. This list is available on the website of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The Consulate has also put up a link on its home page to receive details of all ex-TVU students present in the US.

The preliminary information provided by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to our Consulate is that they propose to bring out a detailed advisory for all students of TVU, sometime next week, which will be available on its website. It will provide guidance to eligible students regarding what they can do to seek admission in other schools.

ICE has advised that all students of TVU, wherever they are, should report to the nearest ICE office for instructions. Those students who are presently in India with TVU sponsored Visas should not travel to the US with that visa. They can apply to other universities and, if admitted, could apply afresh for new visas.

The Ministry and our Mission / Post in USA would do everything possible to safeguard the legitimate interests of the Indian students and render all necessary consular assistance."


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Buddhadeb attacks Mamata on railway factory promises

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Kakdwip (west Bengal), Jan 29: Taking a potshot at Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said there were advertisements in newspapers every day that new railway factories were being set up while the railway ministry said there was no money for projects."Everyday advertisements are being given in newspapers that new railway factories are being built. Where are those factories? The railway ministry is stating that there is no money for projects," Bhattacharjee said at a Communist Party of India-Marxist rally at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district."I will tell the young people that do not believe in those advertisements. It is not easy to set up new factories. No plant will be built," he said."Do not commit mistakes, do not support Trinamool Congress," he added.Criticising the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, the chief minister said if the union government could not take steps to rein in the soaring prices, then he alone could not be able to control it in the state."You know that for the past two to three months prices of essentials are soaring. While the prime minister and the finance minister are talking about lower inflation rate, the rate is actually becoming higher," he added. (IANS)

Petition filed by the victims of Tri Valley University

New Delhi: Students duped by the Tri-Valley University have sent a petition to the US Department of Homeland Security and also immigration and customs enforcement authorities saying they have not violated any law and they had no chance of knowing about the credentials of the university.

The students also claimed that if deported, their families would be devastated as they have invested all their savings for the various courses.

Following is a copy of one such petition filed by a victim.

Part-1

Did people gain from telecom firms selling stakes: Jayalalithaa

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Chennai, Jan 29: AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa today said she wondered how selling of stakes by telecom companies that got 2G spectrum licences had benefited the common man, as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M.Karunanidhi had stated."Letter pad companies like Swan Telecom and Unitech have sold their stakes for huge sums soon after getting the licence. Is the profiteering by the letter pad companies a benefit for the common people?" Jayalalithaa said, reacting to Karunandhi's statement that the central government had followed first come-first serve policy in awarding 2G spectrum to benefit the people.Jayalalithaa said many companies that got the spectrum are yet to start their mobile telephony service.She queried whether the former communications minister A. Raja got the consent of the union cabinet to follow a different route than auctioning of spectrum and why he rejected the recommendations of several people to entrust the spectrum pricing to empowered group of ministers (eGOM) or to auction the spectrum. (IANS)

RTI activist alleges threat by Goa minister, police

THE GOA police recently said that depending on the investigations, the tainted cop, PSI Sunil Gudlar could be arrested within the next few days. Adding another twist to the case, social activist and complainant in the police politician drug nexus case Kashinath Shetye has alleged that police were reluctant to act in the police-drug mafia nexus case with the intention of intimidating the applicants in the case and to force them to pull out of the matter allegedly under the influence of Home Minister Ravi Naik.
The Panaji police on Sunday registered an FIR against sub-inspector Sunil Gudlar attached to the Anti-Narcotics cell of the Police Department after a gap of 20 days since Sunil was caught on camera selling drugs. Gudlar has also been booked for misusing his position as a police official under the prevention of corruption and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Each department took its own time in collecting the evidences for registering an FIR into the Gudlars case and as per the conclusions reached, only then they have taken steps to file FIR and Gudlar, could be arrested within the next few days Goa Police spokesperson Deshpande said.
Meanwhile on Monday, one of the complainants in the police-drug nexus case, Kashinath Shetye, in a written complaint to the NDPS court against the Crime Branch and the special investigation team, has stated that Police Inspector Sudesh Naik approached him at his residence and asked him to withdraw the complaint initiated by them or in the alternative to, at least, delete the name Roy in the complaint.
Incidentally, Roy is the name of the Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik who is allegedly linked to the case by the Atalas friend Lucky Farmhouse, who first exposed the infamous drug nexus in Goa in February last.
PI Sudesh Naik claimed to be acting on the instructions of the home minister of Goa, superintendent of police Mangaldas Dessai, deputy superint! endent o f police Shamba Sawant, who had sent with him a threat of consequence to be conveyed to the complainants in the event they failed to comply, the complaint states.

Rahul Gandhi urges the youth to act on corruption

Video

Aurangabad: AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday addressed the media in Aurangabad. Rahul said, "It is clear that corruption is a serious issue in our politics. We have to look at it systemically."

Speaking on Malegaon Additional DC Yashwant Sonawane's murder, Rahul said, "We need to know why this is taking place. It is because doors of the political system are closed."

Addressing the media, Prithviraj Chavan also promised strong action in the Sonawane case. He said, "We have already started raids and crackdown. I will see all reports and if there are concrete evidences of nexus or anything, then we will take hard action on it."

Click to play videoAurangabad: AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday addressed the media in Aurangabad. Rahul said, "It is clear that corruption is a serious issue in our politics. We have to look at it systemically."

Speaking on Malegaon Additional DC Yashwant Sonawane's murder, Rahul said, "We need to know why this is taking place. It is because doors of the political system are closed."

Addressing the media, Prithviraj Chavan also promised strong action in the Sonawane case. He said, "We have already started raids and crackdown. I will see all reports and if there are concrete evidences of nexus or anything, then we will take hard action on it."

Rahul said that the youth of the country needs to step forward and change the political system. He stated that complaining is important but what is more important is changing it.

CBI registers case in Adarsh housing society scam

Mumbai: The CBI today registered a case against some retired Army officials and bureaucrats of Maharashtra government in connection with the Adarsh housing society scam.

The case was registered after the CBI last week received flak from the Bombay High Court for its tardy probe in the case.

It was not immediately clear whether the name of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan figures in the FIR registered at the special designated court in Mumbai.

The CBI FIR names two former senior Army officials of the rank of Major General and Brigadier, sources said.

The agency had registered a preliminary enquiry into the scam in November last year.

The decision to register a case was taken after seeking a legal opinion on the evidence which had favoured registering of a case against some people for allegedly forging the documents and abusing official position.

During hearing of a petition in the Adarsh case, a division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and U D Salvi had asked CBI why it had not registered the case.

"It has been more than two months since CBI has been conducting a preliminary inquiry into the case. Why have you (CBI) not registered FIR as yet?" it had asked.

Two former army chiefs Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen N C Vij and ex-navy chief Admiral Madhavendra Singh owned flats in the scam-hit society building in upscale Colaba.

However, the former top chiefs have claimed that they have now surrendered the flats.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had on January 16 ordered demolition of the building within three months, holding it as "unauthorised" and built in violation of the spirit of coastal regulations.

Apart from violating the CRZ norms, the society is alleged to have got clearances from various authorities through dubious means.

The plush housing society, built on prime defence land has been constructed in alleged violation of rules. The building wa! s origin ally meant to be a six-storey structure to house Kargil war heroes and their kin but was later extended to 31 floors without mandatory permission.

Chavan had resigned as chief minister in the wake of the scam.



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Black money should be used for public welfare: Rahul Gandhi

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Jan 29: The black money stashed in banks abroad belonged to the people and must be utilised for their welfare, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said today."The Indian Youth Congress is ready to ensure that this money can be channelized for public welfare activities," Gandhi told reporters here while replying to a question on the huge unaccounted cash stashed in foreign banks for tax evasion.Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had on Tuesday said $462 billion to $1.4 trillion in black money is estimated to have been stashed abroad by Indians and all steps were being taken to bring it back.Gandhi was addressing the media on the final day of his three-day visit to Maharashtra.He is scheduled to travel to the Konkan region of the state later in the day as part of his drive to attract youth to the Congress. (IANS)

Chemicals worth Rs one crore seized during raids in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: In the biggest seizure during the ongoing raids against oil mafia after the brutal killing of an additional collector, state officials have seized chemicals worth Rs one crore in Solapur district of Maharashtra.

District supply officials seized four tankers along with the chemicals near the temple town of Pandharpur late on Friday night, sources said.

With this seizure, officials have busted a major racket involving adulteration of chemicals transported on the Bangalore-Hyderabad route, the sources said.

Maharashtra government is planning to act collectively against food, sand and oil adulteration mafia in the state in the aftermath of the murder of additional collector Yashwant Sonawane.

The government is also planning to rope in the oil companies to curb adulteration of petrol and diesel. Home minister R R Patil has instructed police to seal the petrol pumps which sell adulterated fuel.

On Thursday night, police seized one lakh litres of adulterated petrol in suburban Kurla here.

No action was taken on Sonawane's report against Popat Shinde, his alleged killer

Mumbai: Days after the brutal killing of Additional Collector Yashwant Sonawane, more evidence has surfaced to show that no action was taken against Popat Shinde, the prime accused in his murder, despite a detailed report given by Sonawane in August last year.

The report, prepared by Sonawane in August 2010, said the police should take action against Shinde under Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). He filed the report after he conducted raids on Shinde around six months ago.

Sonawane was set on fire by the oil mafia in Manmad in Maharashtra on Tuesday. His driver's testimony has confirmed the police theory that Sonawane was burnt alive because he tried to film kerosene being stolen from an oil tanker on his cellphone. Eleven people have been arrested for his murder.

Police has been exploring the theory that the Sonawane's murderers had interacted with him before, and wanted to punish him because he had tried to interfere earlier with their operations. Sonawane's report proves the same.

Oil mafia in Manmad operates uninhibitedly. This is where nearly 300 tankers are filled everyday with fuel from massive oil depots. Manmad hosts a major intersection of four highways. From here, oil tankers make their way to Malegaon, Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagar. Drivers of the tankers are seen brazenly stealing kerosene from the trucks they drive. Tankers are locked after they are filled up, but the mafia has duplicate keys. Highway robbery is a fact of life.

It was one such operation that Sonawane stumbled upon while on an official tour. He was reportedly trying to contact other government officers to ask for their help when a group of people poured kerosene all over him near a roadside stall. The mob was led by Shinde, who was also injured in the attack he launched. He is now in a local hospital with serious burns. (Read: Who is Popat Shinde?)

Sources say that Shinde has been working for the oil mafia for nearly 30 year! s. Once a roadside snack seller, he befriended truck drivers who operate at the massive oil depots in Manmad. Shinde learnt the tricks of the oil pilferage trade and soon made enough money to own two oil tankers.



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Ratify UN convention against corruption: BJP demands

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 29: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday termed as a "mere eyewash" Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement about steps to recover black money stashed abroad and called upon the government to take immediate steps to ratify the UN convention against corruption.In a statement, BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was deliberately mixing the issue of black money with tax-evasion.He said that the huge amount kept in Swiss banks by Indians had been termed by the Swiss government as stolen property and is regarded by the authorities there as amount collected through illegal and corrupt practices.Referring to Mukherjee's outlining steps being taken by the government to get the names of Indians with money stashed abroad, Kumar said it was an utopian agenda which would not fetch any fruitful result for the country.He said that UN convention against corruption was the only international legal instrument to recover the money from tax havens and India was among the few countries which had still not ratified it despite signing it.He said some countries, which had ratified the treaty, had been able to get some of the money stashed abroad and added that the Swiss representative had declared in the UN General Assembly last year that his government was ready to cooperate with the countries whose illicit money was lying in Swiss banks.He said that Article 51 to 54 of the Convention binds member countries to share the information of the illicit amount kept in their banks and since Switzerland had also ratified the Convention, it would be legally binding on the Swiss gover! nment to disclose the names of bank account holders in the country. He urged the government to immediately ratify the UN Convention.He said Mukherjee had made no mention of the convention in his statement and even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not replied to his letters on the issue."Even the prime minister did not bother to reply to my letters, in which I had asked the government to justify why India is not initiating the ratification process despite the fact that 126 member countries had already ratified the convention" Kumar added.Referring to the case of Pune businessman Hasan Ali, Kumar said he was served income tax notice in 2007 after a raid on his residences across the country."It seems a lenient view taken by the government on his fake passport case was due to his political links with the ruling party," he alleged.He said ten accounts of worth one lakh dollars in Swiss banks were also detected and a notice to deposit Rs.40,000 crore as tax was issued on Khan."The fact had also been confessed by the UPA government in Rajya Sabha on 4th August, 2009. The UPA government had deliberately delayed the proceedings against Khan to facilitate him to withdraw the amount kept in Swiss banks," he said.Demanding immediate action to seize bank accounts of Khan and his accomplices, he said foreign accounts of the businessman were a concern for the nation."Recent reports on the missing Swiss bank accounts of Khan was a concern for nation as he (Khan) had established links with Adnan Khashoggi, a known international arms dealer," Kumar said. (IANS)

Two shot dead while crossing over to Pak

AMRITSAR (PUNJAB): Border Security Force (BSF) personnel shot dead two men in the wee hours of Friday while they were trying to illegally cross over to Pakistan near Amritsar. Rs 500 and a watch have been recovered from one of them.

BSF Inspector General (Frontier) Himmat Singh said a patrolling party of BSF spotted some movements in a field near BSF's Mullankot Border Outpost, about 4.5 km north of Attari border, at around 1am on Friday.

BSF jawans challenged them to stop, but they ignored the warning and instead ran towards the fence and one of them even managed to cross it, following which BSF opened fire and shot both of them dead, IG said.

A piece of paper with something written in Bangla language on it has been recovered from them which makes BSF believe that they were Bangladeshi nationals. He said the area around Mullanpur and Ratankhurd had earlier also been active with movement of Bangladeshis.

He said many Bangladeshi nationals often illegally try to cross over to Pakistan in search of work in a Muslim country or to live with their relatives largely settled in and around Karachi.

Hope Trinamool forms next government in Bengal: Pranab Mukherjee

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 28: Senior Congress leader and union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said he hoped the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee forms the next government in West Bengal."Trinamool Congress did very well in recent elections -- both in the last Lok Sabha and municipality elections. I hope they will form the next government in the state," Mukherjee told reporters at an informal luncheon here.Trinamool Congress and its allies won 26 out of 32 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the 2009 general election. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won 19 seats while the Congress won 6 seats.In the Kolkata civic polls, the Trinamool Congress won 97 out of 141 seats last year.On the Congress-Trinamool Congress coalition for the upcoming assembly polls, Mukherjee said: "They are with us at the centre. I hope we will be together during the state polls also." (IANS)

Andhra Chief Minister on students affected at the Tri-Valley University

Hyderabad:

begging at the temple

Diego Giacani has added a photo to the pool:

Orissa High Court rapped for bail to convicted BJP legislator

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 28: The Supreme Court has set aside the Orissa High Court order granting bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Manoj Kumar Pradhan, convicted and sentenced for murder in a case of the 2008 Kandhamal anti-Christian riots, ruling that a public representative could not be treated differently.A bench of Justice B.Sudarshan Reddy and Justice S.S.Nijjar assailed the high court for being carried away by the fact of Pradhan being the sitting legislator and not taking into account the serious nature of the allegations and his alleged involvement in more than one such case.Speaking for the bench, Justice Reddy said the high court failed to take into account that Pradhan was involved in more than one case of rioting. "This fact has not been taken into consideration at all by the high court," he said in the ruling delivered on Tuesday but made available Friday.Remitting the matter back to the high court "for its fresh consideration in accordance with law", the bench asked the high court to record its reasons about its findings after the fresh consideration of the matter."The high court did not record even a single reason confining the relief of releasing on bail only to the respondent (Pradhan), though there are two appellants in the appeal preferred challenging the judgment of the trial court," the court noted."What are the reasons for confining the relief only to the respondent herein and directing his release? The only reason appears to be the fact that the respondent is a sitting MLA (legislator)," the judgment said.The apex court pointed out that the law "does not make any distinction between the representativ! es of th e people and others accused of criminal offences. Neither they can claim any privilege nor can it be granted by any court. The law treats all equally."In the instant case, Kanak Rekha Naik moved the apex court challenging the July 7, 2010, high court verdict granting bail to Pradhan. She is the widow of a man who was killed and burnt in Kandhamal riots.Pradhan, who faced 12 cases for his involvement in the riots, was convicted in two for murder and acquitted in over half a dozen relating to arson and rioting. He had been sentenced to seven years in the case of Naik's murder. (IANS)

Land allotment to sons a mistake, admits Yeddyurappa

NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa admitted that he had committed a "mistake" by allotting land to his sons but appeared defiant about the act being "immoral or illegal".

"If land is there you can offer it to anybody. My mistake is I allotted land to my son. If court takes a decision, let them take back the land," Yeddyurappa said on TV news channel.

However, Yeddyurappa - who virtually forced the party high command to allow him to continue in office despite the scandal- appeared to differ with party president Nitin Gadkari who had said the chief minister's act of making out of turn land allotment to his sons may be "immoral but not illegal".

"I will speak to Gadkari. He must be mistaken. Somebody must have misguided him", Yeddyurappa said.

Yeddyurappa also lashed out at Karnataka governor H R Bharadwaj for giving sanction to prosecute him.

"He has converted the Raj Bhavan into a political party. I want to ask the governor Sahib: What is your intention?," the chief minister said.

The chief minister felt that Bhardwaj may have been sent to Karnataka with a specific mission by the Congress high command.

"He may have been sent for this purpose only. Everyday we are observing, governor is acting like an opposition party leader in Karnataka."

Yeddyurappa said the Governor had neither sent notices to him nor invited him for discussions to clear the air on the land deals.

"I am ready to face the prosecution in court", he said.

Tibetan Karmapa to be quizzed for Chinese links

New Delhi: Ugin Thinley Dorjee, a revered Tibetan spiritual leader and the 17th karmapa, is likely to be questioned by Indian security agencies for operating as an agent of China in Himachal Pradesh.

The karmapa, now 27 years old, escaped from China to India ten years ago. Indian officials now suspect that escape was staged.

The karmapa's followers often project him as a possible successor to the Dalai Lama, who does not directly endorse him.

The karmapa's accountant was arrested with 8.5 crores in cash at a monastery in Dharamshala. India believes that the Karmapa was planning to use this money to buy a five acre plot in Kangra to set up a new monastery that would be China-friendly, and would work on influencing others in the area to follow a similar bent.

Officials say this was the Karmapa's third attempt to buy land in Kangra. Earlier attempts in 2007 and 2008 were stalled after the RBI and Enforcement Directorate got involved in studying the source of funds.

Dharamshala has been home to the Tibetan community in exile, including the Dalai Lama, since 1960.


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Take a bath

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2 women take a bath in the holy river Ganga -Varanasi-India

Eden fiasco: BCCI asks ICC to reconsider

A sled boy on the slopes of Natha Top

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Supreme Court stays death penalty to 3 AIADMK workers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court stayed execution of capital punishment upheld by it earlier for three AIADMK workers involved in burning to death three hapless college girls in Tamil Nadu in 2000 after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's conviction in a corruption case.

The order was passed on petitions by three convicts -- C Muniappan, Ravindran and Nedunchezhian -- seeking review of the Court's August 30 verdict last year, upholding death penalty awarded to them.

While suspending the execution of the death sentence, a bench of justices B Sudershan Reddy and SS Nijjar also issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government, seeking its response to the writ petition filed by the convicts.

The Supreme Court had on August 30 last year upheld the death penalty for the trio, rejecting their pleas for leniency. The court had ruled that their gruesome offence fell under the category of "rarest of rare offence" warranting nothing less than death penalty.

The three victims of the infamous Dharampuri bus burning incident -- Kokilavani, Gayathri and Hemalatha -- were students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Coimbatore.

The bus in which they were travelling along with 44 other students and two teachers was torched on February 2, 2000 following Jayalalithaa's conviction in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case.

On February 16, 2007, a trial court in Salem had awarded death sentence to the three accused after finding them guilty of murder, attempt to murder and other charges under IPC and gave varying sentences of two months to two years to 25 others.

The Madras High Court had on December 6, 2007, had confirmed the capital punishment and the sentence of six months to two years imprisonment imposed on 25 others.

Upholding the death sentence, the apex court had said, "These were the murders of helpless, innocent, unarmed, young girl students in a totally unprovoked situation. No mitigating circumstances could be pointed! to us, which would convince us to impose a lesser sentence on them. Their activities were not only barbaric but inhuman of the highest degree.

"Thus, the manner of the commission of the offence in the present case is extremely brutal, diabolical, grotesque and cruel. It is shocking to the collective conscience of society.

"We do not see any cogent reason to interfere with the punishment of death sentence awarded to Nedu alias Nedunchezhian, Madhu alias Ravindran and C. Muniappan by the courts below," the Supreme Court had said.


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ICC team to reinspect Eden on Jan 31: CAB

Central Vigilance Commissioner PJ Thomas likely to resign today

New Delhi: After another hellish controversy over his appointment as the Central Vigilance Commissioner, the government is now reportedly expecting PJ Thomas to resign. Sources say he may step down today as there is concern within the government over possible strictures by Supreme Court after Thursday's controversial hearing over his appointment as the CVC.

Mr. Thomas was named the country's most-senior officer in charge of fighting corruption in November 2010 by a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj. The government had over-ruled Ms Swaraj's objections to the appointment.

The Supreme Court which is now reviewing Mr. Thomas' nomination asked the government on Thursday if the PM's committee was aware that Mr. Thomas had been charge sheeted in a case of corruption when it reviewed his eligibility. The top court questioned the Centre, "When (Thomas) is appointed as CVC, are these facts relevant before the committee? Will it not vitiate the decision of appointing Thomas as CVC?"

Attorney General GE Vahanvati said that documents relating to the case against Mr. Thomas had not been circulated among the panel.

Ms Swaraj asserted after the court hearing that "I personally brought this to the notice of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister... but the government is speaking one untruth after another. So I have decided to file my affidavit before the Supreme Court."

With the matter showing every sign of turning into a political tsunami, the government crashed into damage-control mode. Home Minister P Chidambaram reportedly phoned the Attorney General from Davos. Mr. Vahanvati then addressed reports and clarified his remarks in court.

He said that all that he had placed on record was that papers on Mr. Thomas' case were not given to the committee. He also said he did not know if committee had discussed Mr. Thomas' case orally, and that when he ! raised t hat point, the judges told him that was not relevant.

Hours after the developments in the Supreme Court, Law Minister Veerappa Moily is said to have met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the matter. Then late last night, two Home Ministry officials reportedly went to Thomas' house with some documents. As the CVC was not in, they waited for a while and returned soon after he arrived.

Mr. Thomas is one of a group of people accused of sanctioning the import of edible oil at astronomical prices when he was Food Secretary in Kerala in 1991-92. That decision allegedly cost the government Rs 20 crore.

Thomas had earlier opposed the petition in the Supreme Court seeking his removal from the post. In his affidavit, he said he was a person of "impeccable integrity" and that he became a "victim of political battle" in Kerala.

Government sources say that the Supreme Court's remarks on Thursday have led the government to believe that it's in for more serious censure in court. The act that deals office of the CVC states that the Commissioner cannot be fired - he will have to be impeached. The government is hoping that Mr. Thomas will spare it further embarrassment and quit.

The case will be heard again next week.



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Airbus sold jets worth $ 1.5 bn in 2010

Paris: France-based airplane manufacturer Airbus has said it delivered a record number of 15 jets, worth more than $1.5 billion, to its corporate clients in 2010.

The company said the deliveries were both for customers and operators in Aisa, Europe and the Middle East, including private users and government clients, Xinhua reported.

The sales list included A318 Elites, Airbus Corporate Jetliners (ACJs) and A320 Prestiges, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

In 2010, Airbus also won new orders for seven aircraft from the A318 Elite/Airbus ACJ/A320 Prestige family, plus one widebody A330/ A340.

"Like our airliner business, the market for our corporate jets is worldwide and growin," Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy was quoted as saying.

Orissa: Village headman held for helping Maoists

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Bhubaneswar, Jan 28: A sarpanch (village council chief) in Orissa's Sundergarh district was arrested on Thursday for supplying explosives to Maoists, police said.Srikant Samant of Chandiposh was arrested for supplying explosives to the rebels, Superintendent of Police Diptesh Patnaik told the media.Samant was arrested after police discovered a huge catch of explosives including gelatin sticks, detonators and fuse wires from a panchayat building, he said.Sundergarh is over 500 km from Bhubeneswar. (IANS)

Police raid Karmapa house, aide arrested

Dharamshala: Huge amount of foreign currency was seized during raids at a transit home of 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje at Sidhbari near Dharamsala on Thursday.

ADGP (Law and Order), S R Mardi, said the exact amount of currency notes of different countries recovered during the raids at Gyuto Monastery will be known after counting them.

A close aide of Karmapa, Rabjaychojan alias Shakti Lama, was arrested and interrogated about the source of the money stacked in the monastery.

The money was in currencies of China, Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, Thailand and several other countries and so far six suitcases had been unearthed, police said.

A sum of Rs 4 lakh in Indian currency was also seized and more searches were likely, police said.

The raids followed arrest of two persons Asutosh and Sanjay with Rs 1 crore at Una on Wednesday.

The money was reportedly drawn from the Majnoo Ka Tila branch of a private sector bank in Delhi and the police was interrogating the duo.

Karmapa was reportedly inside the monastery when the raids were conducted but there was no word from him or any of his aides about the raids and the money seized.

Police said it was yet to be ascertained that to whom the money belonged to and what was its source.

Kangra Police have sent its teams to Dharamsala, Ambala, Delhi and some other places and also informed the Enforcement Department (ED) and Income department about the seizures.



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Sadhu - Varanasi

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Varanasi, India

30% pay hike for workers under NREGS

BANGALORE: The Central government has revised wages of agricultural labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The new wages are based on the consumer price index (CPI), as suggested by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and are retrospectively effective from January 1, 2011. Linking wages to CPI has enhanced them from 17% to 30%. The revised salaries will benefit over 50 million people across India.

The base wage, which was Rs 100 as on April 1, 2009, is revised once in five years. As per the new wages, the highest pay is not in Communist-ruled Kerala and West Bengal, but in Nicobar district with Rs 181 per day, closely followed by Haryana at Rs 179.

The poorly paid are those in the northeastern states. Labourers in Meghalaya get Rs 117 per day and those at Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura earn Rs 118 per day.

Now, MGNREGA aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

In Karnataka, daily wages have been hiked from Rs 100 to Rs 125. Dharwad is among the districts selected for a national award for effective implementation of the scheme. Karnataka rural development and panchayat raj minister Jagadish Shettar said wages in the district are distributed through smart cards. An ombudsman has been appointed in 15 districts to supervise its implementation and cases have been registered against 302 people for corruption.

Monkey for a Guide

KidsLoveAnimals has added a photo to the pool:

Trey Ratcliff from the photo blog, StuckinCustoms.com, has an interesting photo treatment of the Red Fort in Agra, India on his website. So I was hoping to find the same perspective when I visited this fort last year. While exploring this massive fortress, I came upon a an old rhesus macaque monkey, who was covered with fresh battle scars. I love animals so I couldn't resist following him and he lead me to this location, the same perspective that Trey had shot.

www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/4493682317/in/set-72...

Twin Tombs

Lazybug has added a photo to the pool:

Nikon FM3A+Sigma 24mm F2.8+Kodak Ultramax. Processed in GIMP.

2G logjam: Pranab calls meet with Oppn leaders

New Delhi: Finance Minister and Leader of the House in Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee has convened a meeting of leaders of political parties in an apparent bid to break the deadlock in Parliament.

The meeting has been convened over lunch for "mutual consultations" over the budget session of Parliament, sources said.

With the winter session of Parliament washed out over the Opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam, the Government apparently wants to sort out issues to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament in the budget session beginning February 21.

President Pratibha Patil had in her Republic Day address on Tuesday made it clear that it was a joint responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure smooth

functioning of Parliament.

However, both the opposition and government are firm in their demands for and against a JPC probe.

Elements in Pakistani state back terror: India

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 27: Ahead of bilateral talks in Thimphu, India today asked Pakistan to tackle the 'Frankenstein monster' of terror it has created and said "some elements" in the Pakistani state were backing terrorists.India also pointed out that it had beefed up security around its assets in Afghanistan and demanded that safe havens for terrorists in areas bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan should be destroyed."Pakistan has created the Frankenstein. They will have to deal with it," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told a group of Afghan journalists here."Frankenstein (in the novel) creates an artificial human being. But the creature turns out to be dangerous," Rao said, referring to the spate of terror attacks in Pakistan."The sickness is there. They have to cure it. They have to root out this evil."In a veiled reference to the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)agency in Pakistan, Rao said the people there generally wanted to live a life free from terror but some groups and "elements in the state of Pakistan" were prone to violence."I am sure people of Pakistan want peace. But there are some groups and people who think violence is the way. There are elements in the state of Pakistan who have not done anything (to tackle terror). In fact they have allowed it to grow," she said.Rao said the Pakistan government was aware of it. In the same breath, she added that India was not blaming Pakistan for the terror just for the sake of it."People shouldn't think that we are attacking Pakistan. The Mumbai attack is an evidence. The terrorists who attacked Mumbai (in 2008) were from Pakistan. The lone surviving gunman (of the 10 Pakist! ani terr orists of the 26/11 strike) Kasab is a Pakistani," she said.Rao's comments came ahead of meeting with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in Thimphu on the sidelines of the Standing Committee meeting of the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).The talks could set the stage for a meeting between External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi and a subsequent visit by Qureshi to New Delhi.A group of 30 Afghan journalists, including 14 women, were in New Delhi to pursue a 15-day media course at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) during which they interacted with officials and journalists to get an insight on how the Indian media functions.The foreign secretary, at their valedictory function organized in the external affairs ministry's office, said the epicentre of terror "definitely" lies in Pakistan.External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna gave away certificates to the Afghans at the felicitation ceremony and stressed that India would keep assisting Afghanistan in capacity building measures.Rao told the journalists that India had strengthened the security around its missions and project sites but the threat of terror attacks was not over."There is a constant threat. It is not over. We have taken measures to strengthen security at embassy and projects. We are working with the Afghanistan government to be vigilant against the possibility of such attacks," Rao said."People who are engaged (in terrorism) need to be dealt with. Safe havens in the vicinity of your country need to be tackled," she said. (IANS)

PJ Thomas may have to resign: Govt sources

New Delhi: The government found itself dealing with another hellish controversy today over the appointment of PJ Thomas as the country's most-senior officer in charge of fighting corruption.

Mr Thomas was appointed Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) in November 2010 by a three-member committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj. The government had over-ruled Ms Swaraj's objections to the appointment.

The Supreme Court which is now reviewing Mr Thomas' nomination asked the government today if the PM's committee was aware that Mr Thomas had been chargesheeted in a case of corruption when it reviewed his eligibility.

Attorney General GE Vahanvati said that documents relating to the case against Mr Thomas had not been circulated among the panel.

Ms Swaraj asserted after the court hearing that "I personally brought this to the notice of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister... but the government is speaking one untruth after another. So I have decided to file my affidavit before the Supreme Court."

With the matter showing every sign of turning into a political tsunami, the government crashed into damage-control mode. Home Minister P Chidambaram reportedly phoned the Attorney General from Davos. Mr Vahanvati then addressed reports and clarified his remarks in court.

He said that all that he had placed on record was that papers on Mr Thomas' case were not given to the committee. He also said he did not know if committee had discussed Mr Thomas' case orally, and that when he raised that point, the judges told him that was not relevant.

Mr Thomas is one of a group of people accused of sanctioning the import of edible oil at astronomical prices when he was Food Secretary in Kerala in 1991-92. That decision allegedly cost the government 20 crores.

The top court questioned the Centre, "When (Thomas) is appointed as CVC, are these facts ! relevant before the committee? Will it not vitiate the decision of appointing Thomas as CVC?"

The case will be heard again next week.



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wall painting

Handheld-Films has added a photo to the pool:

...detail from a large mural on a house in the side streets of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

( Handheld Films 2011)

Yuvraj, Pathan key to WC success: Vengsarkar

Jaipal Reddy: Shocked to hear about Sonawane's killing

New Delhi: "Yashwant Sonawane died a heroic death while performing duty," said the newly-appointed Oil Minister Jaipal Reddy, as he expressed shock at the brazen killing of the Additional Collector, who was set on fire by the oil mafia in Manmad in Maharashtra.

Announcing a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for Sonawane family, the minister said there was an urgent need to respond to oil pilfering in systemic terms. He had earlier called a meeting to discuss the issue of a nationwide crackdown on oil mafia.

"We will reintroduce marker system to stop oil adulteration. We will also ask state government to use GPS or the Global Positioning System to keep track of tankers. The ministry will help the states to put in place GPS for oil tankers," he said.



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Intense cold wave grips Kashmir,Ladakh

SRINAGAR: Unwavering sub-zero temperature controlled Kashmir, where Pahalgam and Gulmarg tourist resorts were the coldest places, even as the mercury in Kargil hovered around 20 degrees below freezing point overnight.

Night temperature across Kashmir were several degrees below freezing point as region was in the grip of an intense cold wave, a MeT department official said here today.

Pahalgam recorded minus 10.5 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature in Gulmarg was minus 10.2 degrees Celsius .

The minimum temperature in Kargil town of Ladakh region settled at minus 20.4 degrees Celsius while Leh witnessed a low of minus 19.1 degrees Celsius , the official said.

Srinagar city witnessed a slightly warmer night at minus 4.2 degrees Celsius , an increase of 0.2 degrees than yesterday.

Qazigund froze at minus 6.6 degrees Celsius while the night temperature in Kokernag was minus 4.4 degrees Celsius Kupwara recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius .

The Solitary traveller.

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Sonawanes killing: Top officers on strike in Maharashtra

Manmad, Maharashtra: "I saw my boss on fire...I tried to save him...I can identify those who were there." This is the testimony of Kailash Gawli, who worked as Yashwant Sonawane's driver and was on duty when Mr Sonawane was set on fire by the oil mafia in Manmad in Maharashtra.

Mr Gawli also confirmed the police theory that Mr Sonawane was burnt alive because he tried to film kerosene being stolen from an oil tanker on his cellphone.

11 people have been arrested for Mr Sonawane's murder.

In Maharashtra, 15 lakh government officers are on strike today to protest against Mr Sonawane's killing and to ask for better security for themselves.

In a direct consequence of Mr Sonawane's murder, close to 250 people have been arrested across Maharashtra this morning for adulterating oil, milk and food items like lentils.

The oil mafia in Manmad operates uninhibitedly. This is where nearly 300 tankers are filled everyday with fuel from massive oil depots. Manmad hosts a major intersection of four highways. From here, oil tankers make their way to Malegaon, Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagar. Drivers of the tankers are seen brazenly stealing kerosene from the trucks they drive. Tankers are locked after they are filled up, but the mafia has duplicate keys. Highway robbery is a fact of life.

It was one such operation that Mr Sonawane stumbled upon while on an official tour. He was reportedly trying to contact other government officers to ask for their help when a group of people poured kerosene all over him near a roadside stall. The mob was led by Popat Shinde, who allegedly owns two tankers himself, and has been arrested several times in the past few years for stealing kerosense. (Read: Who is Popat Shinde?)

Mr Shinde was injured in the attack he launched. He is now in a local hospital with serious burns.

The police says that Mr Gawli ran away while Mr Sonawane was on fire.
!

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Rahul Gandhi begins three-day Maharashtra visit

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Nagpur, Jan 27: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived here today on a three-day whirlwind tour of Maharashtra to boost the party's membership drive among backward castes, minorities and women.After landing in Nagpur, Gandhi proceeded by helicopter to attend a Scheduled Tribes convention in Gadchiroli. He will also attend an Other Backward Castes (OBC) convention in Buldhana and a minority meet in Parbhani.He will on Friday attend a Scheduled Castes convention in Osmanabad, a meeting of potential candidates for elections in Dhule and a young women's convention at Shirdi in Ahmednagar district, according to an official announcement.He will also attend a meeting of the state Congress in Aurangabad in the evening.Gandhi will on Saturday morning address the media in Aurangabad before leaving for the coastal Konkan region, where his first halt will be Thane to attend a Scheduled Tribes convention in Palghar.Then he will go to Mahad in Raigad for a meeting with elected representatives, followed by a nomadic tribes convention in Satara.His previous visit to Maharashtra - on Sep 7 last year - was dedicated to meetings and interactions with college students and the youth across the state.He had met students and youth in educational institutions in Akola, Aurangabad and Pune, and urged them to join mainstream politics. (IANS)

Amir apologises for breaking ban

Sonawane murder: crackdown begins on oil mafia

Video

Nasik: As government officers across Maharashtra go on a strike to protest against the murder of Malegaon Additional District Collector Yahswant Sonawane and the 11 suspects cool their heels in custody, CNN-IBN traveled to Manmad to unearth how the oil mafia runs its business in Maharashtra.

Sonawne was burnt to death near Hotel Sagar, a dingy looking and seemingly insignificant dhaba situated on a secluded road, a few kilometers away from Manmad. Such locations are safe heaven for the fuel mafia operating in and around Nasik.

Manmad has major oil depots which supply fuel to at least 12 districts of north Maharashtra and Marathawada.

Click to play videoNasik: As government officers across Maharashtra go on a strike to protest against the murder of Malegaon Additional District Collector Yahswant Sonawane and the 11 suspects cool their heels in custody, CNN-IBN traveled to Manmad to unearth how the oil mafia runs its business in Maharashtra.

Sonawne was burnt to death near Hotel Sagar, a dingy looking and seemingly insignificant dhaba situated on a secluded road, a few kilometers away from Manmad. Such locations are safe heaven for the fuel mafia operating in and around Nasik.

Manmad has major oil depots which supply fuel to at least 12 districts of north Maharashtra and Marathawada.

Everyday an average of 300 tankers are filled at the place and secured with an advanced lock before being dispatched. The hotspots for fuel smuggling cartels are Panewadi, Chandwad, Dhule and several halts at Nasik-Mumbai highway.

Fuel mafia gangs such as that of Popat, the prime suspect in the Sonawane burning case, have a tie up ! transpor ters and security guards posted at the oil companies. Once the tankers leave with fuel, a racketeer's network is alerted.

Instead of heading directly for the consumer, the tankers are driven to the transfer points. Once on the transfer point, about 25 to 40 liters of fuel are pilfered from every tanker. On an average roughly about 5000 liters are stolen per day from approximately 200 fuel tankers.

The petrol is then mixed with kerosene, which is cheaper, before being sent in the market for final consumption. Usually this mixed fuel is sold at various petrol pumps at cheaper rates.

According to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavhan, fuel theft is a major challenge for the state government.

However, following Sonawane murder incident, Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil has ordered police departments across the state to crackdown on the fuel mafia and provide assistance to raiding parties on priority.

Untitled

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Have full belief in the India story: Sunil Mittal

Davos (Switzerland): At Davos, Sunil Mittal tells NDTV that despite the concern over scams at home, investors are not disenchanted with India.

"People are celebrating India. We in India are trying to talk more about our problems, but the world is seeing India as a great place to do business, great place to come and invest. I think that's what we need to celebrate. Let us celebrate our successes, let's showcase those good things," said the Bharti Group Chairman and CEO.

Breaking his silence for the first time after the 2G scam turned into a national controversy with the government's auditor saying losses could add upto 1.76 lakh crores, the telecom czar said, "I think we have a fine Telecom Minister who is looking after the issues now. He's been there for a very short period of time but made a very strong commitment to deliver a new National Telecom Policy (NTP). He has got a 100-day plan. So, I think, let him pull together all the pieces... I am very hopeful that we will have a long-term, sustainable telecom policy."

He also outlined his preferred areas of improvement for India, emphasising that development vs environment needs to be a carefully-balanced equation.

"We need the last burst of reforms, which are now under debate... some FDI issues. We are looking at some pressure which comes from the area of environment that needs to be dealt with. The good news is that the world, as it engages with India, recognises that India has to have a growth rate of 9-10 percent to serve its people to help them come out of the poverty and into the mainstream. India will need to grow and for growth we need to consume resources and I think our government is again engaging with the world when they are giving commitments to carbon emissions, carbon controls. I think very good balance is achieved. I am very hopeful... the government should grow the industry, create employment , ensure there are enough taxes for social programmes. We will all su! pport th ese programmes as we go forward," Mittal said.



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UP: Controversial cop named for medal, locals protest

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Kanpur, January 26: Locals and activists took to the streets here to protest the award of the President's Police Medal to the city's former Deputy Inspector General of Police Prem Prakash, accused of shielding the rapist of an 11-year-old girl last year."DIG Prem Prakash was squarely responsible for shielding the owners of Gyansthali School, where Divya was raped and sodomised following which she died the same evening on September 27 last year," the victim's mother Sonu Singh told mediapersons here today."It was this very officer who beat up protestors who gathered on the streets to raise their voice against the horrors inflicted on my daughter, it was he who was responsible for false implication of an innocent boy who had to remain behind bars for 89 days", she said.The girl was allegedly raped by the son of the school manager."I am shocked that a lady chief minister like Mayawati has rewarded this officer who was responsible for the physical abuse, torture and death of an innocent minor girl," she added.The officer figured in the list of awardees whose names were announced on the Republic Day today, following a recommendation of the Uttar Pradesh government."He (Prakash) doesn't deserve any medal. He himself is under scanner for showing laxity in supervising the investigations of the case," one of the protestors, Neeraj Mishra, told reporters in Kanpur, some 80 km from Lucknow.Shouting anti-government slogans, protestors burnt the effigy of Prakash.What irked the demonstrators even more was that the state government did not care to withdraw its recommendation even after the state police's Criminal Investigation Department (CI! D) found his conduct doubtful in the case.Even the state's Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh had said at a press conference Jan 13 in Lucknow that "the CID found the then Kanpur DIG Prem Prakash guilty of dereliction of duty", and addeed that a separate probe had been instituted into his role by Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Brij Lal. The probe was to be completed in 15 days."Awarding the President's Police Medal to Prem Prakash amounts to showing disrespect to the Republic Day. It is a matter of great shame," said Gyanesh Misra, a leader of the Kanpur Traders Association who led the demonstrations here.Prem Prakash had even gone to the extent of raiding the local editorial office of the Hindustan Times that had spearheaded the expose of the Divya case, protestors said.Prakash is now the DIG of Jhansi. (IANS)