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Monday, June 24, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Violence marks 100 hr BTAD bandh in Assam
Normal life was paralysed and sporadic incidents of violence were
reported in Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) today
following a 100-hr bandh called by Peoples' Joint Action Committee for
Bodoland Movement.
The bandh has been called by Peoples' Joint Action Committee for Bodoland to demand talks with NDFB(P) at the political level with the Union Home Minister and also to press for a separate Bodoland.
An unidentified body was recovered from Bagansali area under Kokrajhar police station while bandh supporters set ablaze a motorcycle in Kokrajhar town, official sources said.
The bandh, which began last midnight, disrupted normal life with all shops, business and commercial establishments educational institutions and markets remaining closed.
Vehicles, too, remained off the road but trains operated as per schedule, sources said.
Security has been tightened throughout BTAD with patrolling intensified in vulnerable areas.
The bandh has been called by Peoples' Joint Action Committee for Bodoland to demand talks with NDFB(P) at the political level with the Union Home Minister and also to press for a separate Bodoland.
An unidentified body was recovered from Bagansali area under Kokrajhar police station while bandh supporters set ablaze a motorcycle in Kokrajhar town, official sources said.
The bandh, which began last midnight, disrupted normal life with all shops, business and commercial establishments educational institutions and markets remaining closed.
Vehicles, too, remained off the road but trains operated as per schedule, sources said.
Security has been tightened throughout BTAD with patrolling intensified in vulnerable areas.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Nokia Lumia 800 gets a another price cut, now retailing for Rs. 18,867
After we saw price reductions for the LG Optimus 4X HD and the HTC One S and Desire V this month, Nokia has slashed the price of its Lumia 800 for a second time and it is now retailing for Rs. 18,867 with online portal Saholic.
The Windows phone device was initially launched in November 2011 alongside the Lumia 710 and was introduced in the country a month later. The device was criticised for being over-priced.
The smartphone, which was positioned as Nokia's flagship Windows Phone device, also faced some software glitches post launch, though the impact was minimal in India. The Lumia 800 received its first price cut in March this year and was made available for Rs. 23,790.
The Lumia 800 features a premium polycarbonate uni-body design, a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512 MB RAM, a Clear Black AMOLED display with a WVGA resolution of 800x480 and an 8MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The phone also features 16GB of internal storage as well as a unique curved glass display. The device runs on Windows Phone 7.5 and is expected to receive a Windows Phone 7.8 update soon.
The company announced a software update for the Lumia 800 in June that enabled users to share their 3G data connection over Wi-Fi with up to five other devices. It also brought flip-to-silence, that allowed users to turn their phone face down to mute all incoming phone calls and alerts.
In July, the Finnish handset maker launched The Dark Knight Rises limited edition Lumia 800 in the country.The device came with exclusive trailers, wallpapers, movie information, ringtones, and a game in which users could defend Gotham City.
Nokia recently launched the Lumia 510 in India, which is "the cheapest Lumia device in the world", expectedly priced at less than Rs. 11,000. It is a successor to the Lumia 610 that was announced in July this year that was priced at Rs. 12,999.
Nokia Lumia 800 key specifications
The Windows phone device was initially launched in November 2011 alongside the Lumia 710 and was introduced in the country a month later. The device was criticised for being over-priced.
The smartphone, which was positioned as Nokia's flagship Windows Phone device, also faced some software glitches post launch, though the impact was minimal in India. The Lumia 800 received its first price cut in March this year and was made available for Rs. 23,790.
The Lumia 800 features a premium polycarbonate uni-body design, a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512 MB RAM, a Clear Black AMOLED display with a WVGA resolution of 800x480 and an 8MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The phone also features 16GB of internal storage as well as a unique curved glass display. The device runs on Windows Phone 7.5 and is expected to receive a Windows Phone 7.8 update soon.
The company announced a software update for the Lumia 800 in June that enabled users to share their 3G data connection over Wi-Fi with up to five other devices. It also brought flip-to-silence, that allowed users to turn their phone face down to mute all incoming phone calls and alerts.
In July, the Finnish handset maker launched The Dark Knight Rises limited edition Lumia 800 in the country.The device came with exclusive trailers, wallpapers, movie information, ringtones, and a game in which users could defend Gotham City.
Nokia recently launched the Lumia 510 in India, which is "the cheapest Lumia device in the world", expectedly priced at less than Rs. 11,000. It is a successor to the Lumia 610 that was announced in July this year that was priced at Rs. 12,999.
Nokia Lumia 800 key specifications
- Windows Phone 7.5
- 3.7-inch curved WVGA AMOLED display
- 1.4GHz single core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512MB RAM
- 8MP autofocuscamera with Carl Zeiss optics
- 16GB internal storage
- No microSD slot
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
Friday, August 10, 2012
India committed to Teesta treaty, land accord with Bangladesh
India has assured Bangladesh that agreements on the
Teesta Water Treaty and demarcation of land boundaries will soon become a
reality.
This assurance was given to Bangladeshi
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh
who visited that country early this week.
“Of
course, there were concerns on Teesta and land boundary agreement that
were raised by Bangladesh and I reassured the Prime Minister that our
government is committed to both these agreements becoming a reality
soon,” the Minister told PTI.
On Teesta river
treaty, which has been put on hold after West Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee expressed some reservations, Mr. Ramesh said he has
assured Hasina that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “is in touch with the
West Bengal Chief Minister” to address the concerns raised by her.
“We
are working with the West Bengal Chief Minister to address their
concerns. We recognise the importance of the Teesta and Land Boundary
Agreements,” he said.
On the Land Boundary Agreement,
he said, “We are hoping that we will be able to introduce the
Constitutional Amendment Bill” in the current session of Parliament.
The Indian government has to get the agreement ratified by Parliament before implementing it as it involves exchange of land.
At
a meeting between Foreign Secretaries of the two countries here last
month, Bangladesh had conveyed its unhappiness about non-implementation
of the land boundary agreement.
Bangladesh had also
raised the issue of Teesta water-sharing which could not be signed last
year because of strong opposition by UPA constituent Trinamool Congress.
The
agreement on demarcation of the border and exchange of enclaves, over
which the two sides had reached an accord in 1974, will cover 111
enclaves in India and 51 on the other side in which about 51,000 people
reside.
The people in the enclaves will be given the
right to continue to reside there itself or choose the country of
residence, it is learnt.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Anna backs Bedi, says ‘Gang of Four' defaming his team
Anna Hazare on Monday accused the government of attempting to “defame” Kiran Bedi, and alleged that a “Gang of Four” within the Congress was attempting to break up his team of anti-corruption activists.
In his first reaction since The Indian Express published, four days ago, details of how Bedi bought discounted airline tickets but submitted inflated invoices to claim full fare and, at times, Business Class reimbursement, Hazare wrote on his blog that people accusing Bedi “of being involved in air-travel corruption” are actually opposed to the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Bedi has “time and again made it clear that if she has used the money for the benefit of her family then the government should take help of one of its inquiry agencies and if found guilty should take stringent actions against her”, Hazare wrote in his post, titled ‘Rise and fight against Gang of Four!’.
“But the government doesn’t seem forthcoming in taking such a step. To accuse and humiliate seems to be the mantra of the few. This is not the first time that such accusations have been leveled against Kiran Bedi. Every member of `Team Anna’ had to face accusations and character assassination by the ‘gang of four’. Who are these people? Those are the very same people who are not in favor of Janlokpal Bill.”
The Gang of Four, Hazare said, had accused Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan “on the CD issue” with the intention of spreading “dissension in Team Anna” and “misconceptions among people”. They were responsible, he said, for lathicharging women and children at Baba Ramdev’s rally, for arresting him before his proposed fast, for leveling allegations against Justice Santosh Hegde, and for the slipper attack on Arvind Kejriwal.
“Why do people stoop to so such low level? They have their own reasons. They are afraid if Janlokpal Bill is passed they will be stripped off their power. They will no longer be able to take bribe. Hence under any circumstances they will see to it that the Janlokpal Bill as a law does not come into existence. They will keep blaming Team Anna so they can go on doing corruption,” Hazare wrote.
He did not clarify who the ‘Gang of Four’ were.
However, the “righteous” were in a majority in the government, Hazare said, and hoped they would ultimately prevail over the “gang”, whom he likened to “goons”.
“The number of Ministers who are opposing Janlokpal Bill in Cabinet is handful. It is similar to a village where there are 2 to 4 goons who hold the entire village to ransom. In government there is a majority of people who are righteous but can’t go against these ruffians. Leaving aside these specific 4 to 6 people no one points a finger at us,” he wrote.
Hazare announced he would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking that the “draft for the Janlokpal Bill to be passed should be put on the internet”. If the Bill is not passed in winter session, Hazare said, he would tour the states going to polls. He asked people to write to PM and Sonia Gandhi demanding the Jan Lokpal — “from all over India 35 to 40 lakh resolutions should reach the government”.
Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anna-backs-bedi-says-gangof-four-def.../864992/
In his first reaction since The Indian Express published, four days ago, details of how Bedi bought discounted airline tickets but submitted inflated invoices to claim full fare and, at times, Business Class reimbursement, Hazare wrote on his blog that people accusing Bedi “of being involved in air-travel corruption” are actually opposed to the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Bedi has “time and again made it clear that if she has used the money for the benefit of her family then the government should take help of one of its inquiry agencies and if found guilty should take stringent actions against her”, Hazare wrote in his post, titled ‘Rise and fight against Gang of Four!’.
“But the government doesn’t seem forthcoming in taking such a step. To accuse and humiliate seems to be the mantra of the few. This is not the first time that such accusations have been leveled against Kiran Bedi. Every member of `Team Anna’ had to face accusations and character assassination by the ‘gang of four’. Who are these people? Those are the very same people who are not in favor of Janlokpal Bill.”
The Gang of Four, Hazare said, had accused Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan “on the CD issue” with the intention of spreading “dissension in Team Anna” and “misconceptions among people”. They were responsible, he said, for lathicharging women and children at Baba Ramdev’s rally, for arresting him before his proposed fast, for leveling allegations against Justice Santosh Hegde, and for the slipper attack on Arvind Kejriwal.
“Why do people stoop to so such low level? They have their own reasons. They are afraid if Janlokpal Bill is passed they will be stripped off their power. They will no longer be able to take bribe. Hence under any circumstances they will see to it that the Janlokpal Bill as a law does not come into existence. They will keep blaming Team Anna so they can go on doing corruption,” Hazare wrote.
He did not clarify who the ‘Gang of Four’ were.
However, the “righteous” were in a majority in the government, Hazare said, and hoped they would ultimately prevail over the “gang”, whom he likened to “goons”.
“The number of Ministers who are opposing Janlokpal Bill in Cabinet is handful. It is similar to a village where there are 2 to 4 goons who hold the entire village to ransom. In government there is a majority of people who are righteous but can’t go against these ruffians. Leaving aside these specific 4 to 6 people no one points a finger at us,” he wrote.
Hazare announced he would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking that the “draft for the Janlokpal Bill to be passed should be put on the internet”. If the Bill is not passed in winter session, Hazare said, he would tour the states going to polls. He asked people to write to PM and Sonia Gandhi demanding the Jan Lokpal — “from all over India 35 to 40 lakh resolutions should reach the government”.
Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anna-backs-bedi-says-gangof-four-def.../864992/
Friday, July 29, 2011
Hasan Ali wife goes before ED after HC order
The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed Reema Khan, the wife of Hasan Ali Khan, to appear before Enforcement Directorate for questioning. Later in the day, Khan appeared before the agency. She has also been asked to appear for questioning on August 1, August 3 and August 5. The court has also directed the ED to issue a notice to Khan if further investigation was required.
The court was responding to a petition filed by Khan for quashing proceedings initiated against her under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. “Since the Supreme Court is presently monitoring the investigations, no relief can be granted,” the judges noted.
Reema’s counsel Ishwariprasad Bagaria contended that the alleged offences were said to have been committed before 2000, when Khan had not married Hasan Ali. Bagaria also argued that since an SIT was being formed for investigating the money laundering case, Khan need not appear before the ED. However, the HC asked, “But has the SIT actually taken over the case? The order of the apex court might be there, but it has not been implemented as yet.”
Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Hasan-Ali-wife-goes-before-ED-after-HC-order/823933/
The court was responding to a petition filed by Khan for quashing proceedings initiated against her under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. “Since the Supreme Court is presently monitoring the investigations, no relief can be granted,” the judges noted.
Reema’s counsel Ishwariprasad Bagaria contended that the alleged offences were said to have been committed before 2000, when Khan had not married Hasan Ali. Bagaria also argued that since an SIT was being formed for investigating the money laundering case, Khan need not appear before the ED. However, the HC asked, “But has the SIT actually taken over the case? The order of the apex court might be there, but it has not been implemented as yet.”
Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Hasan-Ali-wife-goes-before-ED-after-HC-order/823933/
Friday, May 6, 2011
2G scam: Kanimozhi seeks bail before court, blames A Raja for conspiracy
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter and DMK MP Kanimozhi on Friday appeared before a special court, responding to summons for her alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam and sought bail on grounds of being a woman.
43-year-old Kanimozhi appeared along with Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, another accused in the case. The third accused, Cineyug Films Director Karim Morani, who too had been summoned, however, sought exemption from appearance on medical grounds.
Kanimozhi was accompanied to court by several party leaders, including DMK MP T R Baalu.
Soon after the court proceedings began, senior advocate and former Union Law Minister Ram Jethmalani filed a bail plea on her behalf contending that she "has no role, whatsoever, in the scam."
He contended that apart from having a 20 per cent stake in Kalaignar TV, she does not have any role in running its day-to-day affairs. He also said that the entire conspiracy in the spectrum allocation was done by former telecom minister A Raja.
She is neither a board member nor had attended any board meeting of the channel, said Jethmalani, adding that being a woman she deserves to be granted bail.
"The overt act committed by the company can't be attributed to a person who is a mere shareholder and did not take part in any decision which indicates about her complicity in the case."
"I have not absconded nor interfered with the evidence. I was just summoned and I obeyed court orders. I have no wrong intention and bail is my right. It should be granted," Jethmalani said.
As Jethmalani argued for her, Kanimozhi looked calm and composed. The argument on her bail plea, besides proceedings relating to other accused, who appeared in the court were continuing.
Among those who were present in court was DMK MP and former communications minister A. Raja. Others chargesheeted by the CBI - Raja's personal aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa - were also in court.
Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal was listed as a witness.
Kanimozhi was named co-conspirator along with Sharad Kumar, Morani, and Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Agarwal of Kusegaon Realty in a supplementary chargesheet. The probe agency says she has a 20 percent stake in the TV venture.
Asif Balwa and Agarwal were also present in court.
Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, Sanjay Chandra of Unitech and three officials of Reliance ADAG: Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara are also accused in the case.
Raja, Chandolia, Behura, Shahid Balwa, Asif Balwa, Agarwal, Goenka, Chandra, Doshi, Nair and Pipara are in judicial custody.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the allocation of airwaves to telecom operators that caused huge losses to the national exchequer.
Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/2g-scam-kanimozhi-seeks-bail-before-court-blames-a-raja-for-conspiracy/articleshow/8176265.cms
43-year-old Kanimozhi appeared along with Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, another accused in the case. The third accused, Cineyug Films Director Karim Morani, who too had been summoned, however, sought exemption from appearance on medical grounds.
Kanimozhi was accompanied to court by several party leaders, including DMK MP T R Baalu.
Soon after the court proceedings began, senior advocate and former Union Law Minister Ram Jethmalani filed a bail plea on her behalf contending that she "has no role, whatsoever, in the scam."
He contended that apart from having a 20 per cent stake in Kalaignar TV, she does not have any role in running its day-to-day affairs. He also said that the entire conspiracy in the spectrum allocation was done by former telecom minister A Raja.
She is neither a board member nor had attended any board meeting of the channel, said Jethmalani, adding that being a woman she deserves to be granted bail.
"The overt act committed by the company can't be attributed to a person who is a mere shareholder and did not take part in any decision which indicates about her complicity in the case."
"I have not absconded nor interfered with the evidence. I was just summoned and I obeyed court orders. I have no wrong intention and bail is my right. It should be granted," Jethmalani said.
As Jethmalani argued for her, Kanimozhi looked calm and composed. The argument on her bail plea, besides proceedings relating to other accused, who appeared in the court were continuing.
Among those who were present in court was DMK MP and former communications minister A. Raja. Others chargesheeted by the CBI - Raja's personal aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa - were also in court.
Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal was listed as a witness.
Kanimozhi was named co-conspirator along with Sharad Kumar, Morani, and Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Agarwal of Kusegaon Realty in a supplementary chargesheet. The probe agency says she has a 20 percent stake in the TV venture.
Asif Balwa and Agarwal were also present in court.
Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, Sanjay Chandra of Unitech and three officials of Reliance ADAG: Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara are also accused in the case.
Raja, Chandolia, Behura, Shahid Balwa, Asif Balwa, Agarwal, Goenka, Chandra, Doshi, Nair and Pipara are in judicial custody.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the allocation of airwaves to telecom operators that caused huge losses to the national exchequer.
Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/2g-scam-kanimozhi-seeks-bail-before-court-blames-a-raja-for-conspiracy/articleshow/8176265.cms
Monday, April 11, 2011
Japan quake's economic impact worse than first feared
Japan's economics minister warned on Tuesday that the economic damage from last month's earthquake and tsunami is likely to be worse than initially thought as power shortages will crimp factory output and restrict supply chains.
The more sober assessment came as Japan raised the severity of its nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to a level 7 from 5, putting it on par with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.
The Bank of Japan governor said the economy was in a "severe state," while central bankers were uncertain when efforts to rebuild the tsunami-ravaged northeast would boost growth, according to minutes from a meeting held three days after a record earthquake struck Japan on March 11.
The government and main opposition party have agreed to a spending package to get some reconstruction work started, but setting a large additional budget will be difficult due to Japan's large debt burden.
"After a natural disaster, people tend to refrain from spending and you get a sense that factory output will shrink," Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
"In some areas, the impact could be very big."
Japan is facing its worst crisis since World War Two after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami towering more than 10 meters battered its northeast coast, leaving nearly 28,000 dead or missing and rocking the world's third-largest economy.
The government estimates the material damage alone could top $300 billion, making it by far the world's costliest natural disaster.
Measuring the impact on consumer sentiment, factory production and the supply chain is proving more difficult, but as the crisis drags on at the nuclear power plant, the damage to the economy looks to be more severe.
Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) on Monday warned that the uncertain supply of parts from Japan could threaten its output of vehicles through July.
The evidence of deeper and long-running output disruptions because of a shortage of key parts -- including semiconductors -- from Japan comes as major automakers grapple with complications caused by parts factories that have been shuttered or are running with limited power in Japan.
"Our economy is in a severe state," BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Many BOJ members said power supply constraints are likely to impact the economy on top of the damage from the quake, minutes from a March 14 meeting showed. The BOJ loosened policy at that meeting by doubling its asset-purchase program to 10 trillion yen ($118 billion).
At its latest policy meeting last week, the BOJ launched an ultra-cheap loan scheme for banks in the area devastated by the quake, and has signaled its readiness to ease monetary policy further if damage from the quake threatens Japan's return to a moderate recovery.
Japan is set to compile an extra budget worth about 4 trillion yen, focusing on removing debris, building temporary housing and restoring infrastructure such as schools. Japan plans to allocate 1 trillion yen to stem job losses and help the unemployed, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday.
This is likely to be the first of several spending packages, but Cabinet ministers, including the finance minister, have said that Japan, which has a huge public debt already twice the size
of its $5 trillion economy, should avoid new bond issuance.
Lending at regional banks rose 1.1 percent year-on-year in March, up from a 0.8 percent rise in February, which may reflect an increase in demand for funding after the quake, a Bank of Japan official told reporters.
Outstanding commercial paper held by banks rose 0.2 percent in March, marking the first rise since September 2008, also likely reflecting the impact of the quake, the official said.
Source http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/us-japan-economy-idUSTRE73B0O320110412
The more sober assessment came as Japan raised the severity of its nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to a level 7 from 5, putting it on par with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.
The Bank of Japan governor said the economy was in a "severe state," while central bankers were uncertain when efforts to rebuild the tsunami-ravaged northeast would boost growth, according to minutes from a meeting held three days after a record earthquake struck Japan on March 11.
The government and main opposition party have agreed to a spending package to get some reconstruction work started, but setting a large additional budget will be difficult due to Japan's large debt burden.
"After a natural disaster, people tend to refrain from spending and you get a sense that factory output will shrink," Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
"In some areas, the impact could be very big."
Japan is facing its worst crisis since World War Two after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami towering more than 10 meters battered its northeast coast, leaving nearly 28,000 dead or missing and rocking the world's third-largest economy.
The government estimates the material damage alone could top $300 billion, making it by far the world's costliest natural disaster.
Measuring the impact on consumer sentiment, factory production and the supply chain is proving more difficult, but as the crisis drags on at the nuclear power plant, the damage to the economy looks to be more severe.
Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) on Monday warned that the uncertain supply of parts from Japan could threaten its output of vehicles through July.
The evidence of deeper and long-running output disruptions because of a shortage of key parts -- including semiconductors -- from Japan comes as major automakers grapple with complications caused by parts factories that have been shuttered or are running with limited power in Japan.
"Our economy is in a severe state," BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Many BOJ members said power supply constraints are likely to impact the economy on top of the damage from the quake, minutes from a March 14 meeting showed. The BOJ loosened policy at that meeting by doubling its asset-purchase program to 10 trillion yen ($118 billion).
At its latest policy meeting last week, the BOJ launched an ultra-cheap loan scheme for banks in the area devastated by the quake, and has signaled its readiness to ease monetary policy further if damage from the quake threatens Japan's return to a moderate recovery.
Japan is set to compile an extra budget worth about 4 trillion yen, focusing on removing debris, building temporary housing and restoring infrastructure such as schools. Japan plans to allocate 1 trillion yen to stem job losses and help the unemployed, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday.
This is likely to be the first of several spending packages, but Cabinet ministers, including the finance minister, have said that Japan, which has a huge public debt already twice the size
of its $5 trillion economy, should avoid new bond issuance.
Lending at regional banks rose 1.1 percent year-on-year in March, up from a 0.8 percent rise in February, which may reflect an increase in demand for funding after the quake, a Bank of Japan official told reporters.
Outstanding commercial paper held by banks rose 0.2 percent in March, marking the first rise since September 2008, also likely reflecting the impact of the quake, the official said.
Source http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/us-japan-economy-idUSTRE73B0O320110412
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
SC directs food commissioners to visit Dantewada
The Supreme Court has directed food commissioners N C Saxena and Harsh Mandar to visit three interior villages of Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district along with the collector. This comes on a day when a delegation of 10 Congress MLAs made a bid to reach the villages but were turned back citing 'security concerns', 50 kilometres short of their destination.
The three villages - Tadmetla, Morepalli and Teemapuram - have been in the news since March 23 when two newspapers reported that nearly 300 homes here have been allegedly burnt by special police officers. Five days later, a hindi daily reported that six people had died in Morepalli village due to starvation. The villages lie in an area controlled by Maoists and bereft of any civil administration.
While food rations and relief material sent by the administration reached the villages, no senior official has visited yet. On March 26, en route to distribute relief, social activist Swami Agnivesh and journalists were attacked by a mob in Dornapal, that allegedly comprised special police officers in civilian clothes and Salwa Judum members. The same evening, in damage control mode, the government transferred both the senior superintendent of police and the collector of Dantewada.
But the siege like situation continues. On Wednesday, 10 Congress MLAs travelled to Dantewada to visit the villages but could not proceed beyond Polampalli. Bastar Commissioner K Srinivasulu and Inspector General of Police T J Longkumer were travelling with the group. "They blocked our path, citing security concerns. We said we would go ahead even if they did not provide security. They finally arrested and detained us," said Nand Kumar Patel, Congress MLA.
"The police had inputs of disturbances ahead," said Srinivasulu, justifying the decision. "Besides it was already 2 pm, and it would not be safe to travel on an interior road in the evening". (According to one account, the back window his official car was smashed by stone pelted by a group of Salwa Judum supporters. But Srinivasulu said his car was parked near a school and ascribed the 'minor damage to the glass' to mischievous school children).
On Monday, the Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar had read out a statement in Vidhan Sabha, claiming the villages had been burnt by Maoists, not by the police. Nand Kumar Patel said by obstructing members of the opposition and the media, the government was simply trying to cover up excesses by the police. "Is there any place in the country which is made as inaccessible?," said Patel.
Given the Supreme Court directive, it would now become mandatory for Chhattisgarh government to faciliate a visit of the food commissioners, who would assess the reported hunger deaths, and report back to the apex court. The SC directive came in the ongoing hearing in the petition by the Right to Food campaign.
Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-directs-food-commissioners-to-visit-Dantewada/articleshow/7823548.cms
The three villages - Tadmetla, Morepalli and Teemapuram - have been in the news since March 23 when two newspapers reported that nearly 300 homes here have been allegedly burnt by special police officers. Five days later, a hindi daily reported that six people had died in Morepalli village due to starvation. The villages lie in an area controlled by Maoists and bereft of any civil administration.
While food rations and relief material sent by the administration reached the villages, no senior official has visited yet. On March 26, en route to distribute relief, social activist Swami Agnivesh and journalists were attacked by a mob in Dornapal, that allegedly comprised special police officers in civilian clothes and Salwa Judum members. The same evening, in damage control mode, the government transferred both the senior superintendent of police and the collector of Dantewada.
But the siege like situation continues. On Wednesday, 10 Congress MLAs travelled to Dantewada to visit the villages but could not proceed beyond Polampalli. Bastar Commissioner K Srinivasulu and Inspector General of Police T J Longkumer were travelling with the group. "They blocked our path, citing security concerns. We said we would go ahead even if they did not provide security. They finally arrested and detained us," said Nand Kumar Patel, Congress MLA.
"The police had inputs of disturbances ahead," said Srinivasulu, justifying the decision. "Besides it was already 2 pm, and it would not be safe to travel on an interior road in the evening". (According to one account, the back window his official car was smashed by stone pelted by a group of Salwa Judum supporters. But Srinivasulu said his car was parked near a school and ascribed the 'minor damage to the glass' to mischievous school children).
On Monday, the Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar had read out a statement in Vidhan Sabha, claiming the villages had been burnt by Maoists, not by the police. Nand Kumar Patel said by obstructing members of the opposition and the media, the government was simply trying to cover up excesses by the police. "Is there any place in the country which is made as inaccessible?," said Patel.
Given the Supreme Court directive, it would now become mandatory for Chhattisgarh government to faciliate a visit of the food commissioners, who would assess the reported hunger deaths, and report back to the apex court. The SC directive came in the ongoing hearing in the petition by the Right to Food campaign.
Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-directs-food-commissioners-to-visit-Dantewada/articleshow/7823548.cms
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
All eyes on 2G probe after DMK-Cong deal
The three days of political drama finally ended on Tuesday with the DMK conceding 63 seats for the Congress in Tamil Nadu polls."We are happy to announce the alliance. It's a winning alliance and we will come back to power again," said Gulam Nabi Azad.Now that the seat sharing deal is sealed, the questions being asked are who blinked first and what is the deal that has been hammered out? The deal raises many more questions over the investigations into the 2G scam, like if there will be a slow down in the ongoing CBI investigations into the 2G scam.
Congress sources have said the demand by the DMK is to go slow on the family with regard to the investigations.
Former telecom minister A Raja's arrest and the raids by the CBI on the DMK-owned Kalaignar TV have been seen as attacks on the Karunanidhi family.
But the 2G investigations are under the direct monitoring of the Supreme Court and Congress sources say that it will not be possible for the Congress to intervene at this juncture.
The question however is if the CBI digs deep into the 2G scam, will the alliance be able to survive?
The Congress and the DMK were deadlocked on a deal over sharing of seats in the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections following DMK's decision on Saturday to pull out its ministers from the UPA Government over Congress attitude.
The Congress was insisting on contesting 63 seats whereas the DMK was prepared to give 60, twelve more over the number Congress contested in the last elections. DMK was also not wiling to concede to Congress the choice of seats.
On Friday night, Karunanidhi had accused the Congress of being unreasonable by escalating the demand for seats from 50 to 53 to 57 and then to 60. And after agreeing to settle for 60, the party later raised the demand to 63, he had complained.
DMK's sudden announcement of resignation by its ministers on Saturday took the Congress by surprise. A miffed Congress - used to succumbing to allied pressure - decided to finally take a stand. Congress sources said that what upset it the most was the demand by the party to go slow on the family with regard to 2G investigations. Congress said its hands were tied by the Supreme Court order. It’s when the DMK was unrelenting that Sonia decided to step in.
The DMK-Congess alliance is back on track after Sonia Gandhi decided to step in. An angry Sonia even ticked off Azhagiri and Dayanidhi Maran. Sources said that she accused the DMK of violating the coalition dharma. She went on to suggest that her party was prepared to go it alone in the elections.
This is when the message hit the DMK hard, having realised that things could go worse on the 2G front and that there was no way Congress would relent. Now, the DMK will have to explain its cadre and voters that it did not give in completely to the Congress.
Source http://ibnlive.in.com/news/all-eyes-on-2g-probe-after-dmkcong-deal/145330-37-64.html
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
106 TN fishermen rounded up
For the first time in the history of the India-Sri Lanka conflict over Tamil Nadu fishermen poaching in Lanka’s northern waters, fishermen of Jaffna on Tuesday took the law into their own hands and caught 18 trawlers, with 106 fishermen from Keechankuppam, Akkaraipet and Karaikal on board, off Point Pedro.
Indian officials in Colombo and S A Mahesh, president of the All Indian Traditional Fishermen Association, confirmed the report.
A Lankan naval spokesman refused to comment as the navy was not involved in the incident. “Local fishermen were involved and they handed over the captured Indian fishermen to the Point Pedro police,” is all he said.
The captured fishermen, who had set off on Saturday, were in custody at the Padithurai police station in Vadamaraachi locality. No incidence of violence had been reported so far.
At an emergency meeting, Tamil Nadu fishermen’s representatives decided to meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Chennai on Wednesday and request him to arrange the release of their colleagues.
Thousands of fishermen of Nagapattinam kept off the sea on Tuesday night as a mark of protest.
Lankan fishermen living near the island’s northern waters, especially in Jaffna and Mannar, have often complained of Tamil Nadu fishermen crowding the area and indulging in bottom trawling, which destroys marine resources by scraping the bottom of the sea.
Source http://expressbuzz.com/nation/106-TN-fishermen-rounded-up/248439.html
Indian officials in Colombo and S A Mahesh, president of the All Indian Traditional Fishermen Association, confirmed the report.
A Lankan naval spokesman refused to comment as the navy was not involved in the incident. “Local fishermen were involved and they handed over the captured Indian fishermen to the Point Pedro police,” is all he said.
The captured fishermen, who had set off on Saturday, were in custody at the Padithurai police station in Vadamaraachi locality. No incidence of violence had been reported so far.
At an emergency meeting, Tamil Nadu fishermen’s representatives decided to meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Chennai on Wednesday and request him to arrange the release of their colleagues.
Thousands of fishermen of Nagapattinam kept off the sea on Tuesday night as a mark of protest.
Lankan fishermen living near the island’s northern waters, especially in Jaffna and Mannar, have often complained of Tamil Nadu fishermen crowding the area and indulging in bottom trawling, which destroys marine resources by scraping the bottom of the sea.
Source http://expressbuzz.com/nation/106-TN-fishermen-rounded-up/248439.html
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Govt to SC: Will reveal names of foreign bank account holders
The Centre on Thursday assured the Supreme Court that it would reveal the names of persons, who have stashed black money in foreign banks after registering a formal case against them. Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing before a bench headed by Justice B Sudershan Reddy, said government has issued show cause notices against the persons accused of having black money in foreign banks and once a case is registered against them, their names will be made public.
The bench also asked the government to ensure that Hasan Ali Khan, a Pune-based businessman, accused of stashing money in foreign banks, does not leave the country.
"It's your duty to ensure that he is available to face prosecution," the court said when Subramanium informed it that Hasan is in India and the government is taking all necessary steps against him.
The court was hearing a petition filed by noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani and some former bureaucrats seeking the court's direction to the government to bring black money, said to be the tune of 1 trillion US dollars, back to the country.
Senior advocate Anil Divan appearing for Jethmalani contended that the government is not taking effective steps in this direction.
Referring to an article in which it was reported that Letters Rogatory have been issued to authorities in five countries -- UAE, UK, USA, Singapore and Hong Kong -- seeking information regarding black money, he submitted that nothing more has been done in this regard.
Countering Divan's arguments, the solicitor general accepted that Letter Rogatory has been issued and said the government has taken "remarkable" steps in the case of black money.
Placing before the court a sealed envelope, Subramanium said all this information has been given in it.
At the end of the brief hearing, the bench asked whether Hasan Ali can be made a party to the proceedings before it.
The court then adjourned the matter for further hearing on March 3.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-to-SC-Will-reveal-names-of-foreign-bank-account-holders/Article1-660660.aspx
The bench also asked the government to ensure that Hasan Ali Khan, a Pune-based businessman, accused of stashing money in foreign banks, does not leave the country.
"It's your duty to ensure that he is available to face prosecution," the court said when Subramanium informed it that Hasan is in India and the government is taking all necessary steps against him.
The court was hearing a petition filed by noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani and some former bureaucrats seeking the court's direction to the government to bring black money, said to be the tune of 1 trillion US dollars, back to the country.
Senior advocate Anil Divan appearing for Jethmalani contended that the government is not taking effective steps in this direction.
Referring to an article in which it was reported that Letters Rogatory have been issued to authorities in five countries -- UAE, UK, USA, Singapore and Hong Kong -- seeking information regarding black money, he submitted that nothing more has been done in this regard.
Countering Divan's arguments, the solicitor general accepted that Letter Rogatory has been issued and said the government has taken "remarkable" steps in the case of black money.
Placing before the court a sealed envelope, Subramanium said all this information has been given in it.
At the end of the brief hearing, the bench asked whether Hasan Ali can be made a party to the proceedings before it.
The court then adjourned the matter for further hearing on March 3.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-to-SC-Will-reveal-names-of-foreign-bank-account-holders/Article1-660660.aspx
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Cabinet discusses black money issue
A day after the government came under attack from the Supreme Court over black money stashed abroad, several Ministers on Thursday voiced concern over the issue at the Union Cabinet meeting here but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear that the details could not be disclosed.
The Ministers noted that the government was facing the flak from virtually all quarters and the impression was gaining ground that the government had something to hide on the issue, sources said.
At the meeting, Dr. Singh pointed out that the government could not disclose the names about whom it had information regarding accounts in foreign banks as it was bound by various treaties.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the government had received information about the black money accounts in foreign banks as per international treaties and if this is revealed, no government would share such details in future, the sources said.
It was emphasised that the information was shared purely for taxation purposes and the government intends to do the same without making public the names of account holders or other details, the sources said.
Mr. Mukherjee said he would soon hold a press conference to clear the air on the issue.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the government for withholding information on black money stashed in foreign banks, saying it is not just limited to tax evasion but a “mind boggling crime” amounting to “theft” and “plunder” of national wealth having security ramifications.
Hours later, the Prime Minister said “some information” about black money accounts had been provided to India “for use in the collection of due taxes. We cannot use the information for any other purposes and that information cannot be made public” as the country cannot violate the obligations under international treaties.
Source http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1105247.ece
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Kiran Kumar Reddy meets Sonia, discusses Telangana
On the eve of the release of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee report on Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have discussed the political situation in the state.
Mr. Kiran Reddy arrived here on Wednesday morning to participate in Thursday’s meeting convened by Home Minister P. Chidambaram to discuss the contents of the report of the committee.
He met Ms. Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence for over an hour and is understood to have discussed the political situation in the state arising out of the Telangana statehood demand.
Andhra Pradesh is waiting with bated breath for the release of the report, which is understood to have dwelled into the demands for a separate Telangana state as well as a united Andhra Pradesh.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister is believed to have briefed the Congress president about the elaborate security arrangements made by his government to thwart any violence.
Violence had erupted last year in the Telangana region after the Centre decided to hold wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders on the statehood demand.
Ahmed Patel, Gandhi’s political secretary, was also present at the meeting.
The issue of Congress MPs and MLAs threatening to resign from their posts if the committee did not recommend a separate Telangana state is also believed to have come up for discussion.
However, there was no official word on what transpired at the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Congress High Command has asked all party MPs from Telangana to be in the capital today for consultations.
The MPs accompanied by PCC chief D. Srinivas are expected to meet Finance Minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee later in the day. The MPs may also meet other senior leaders of the party on Wednesday and Thursday.
Source http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1034849.ece
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
India tests two nuclear-capable missiles
The Indian military successfully tested two short-range nuclear-capable missiles from a facility in the east of the country Wednesday, a defence research official told AFP.
The domestically-developed Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missiles were tested as part of a routine exercise at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur-on-sea in the state of Orissa, S. P. Dash, the range director, said.
The Prithvi-II missile has a range of 350 kilometres (220 miles) and can carry a conventional or nuclear payload.
The weapon was last tested from same launch site on September 24 this year, when it failed due to technical problems.
"Prithvi-II missile had proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly during many trials earlier," a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official told the Press Trust of India news agency.
The drill followed a test on Tuesday by Pakistan, which successfully fired a medium-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Opposition protesters at assembly held
Dozens of opposition leaders and activists were arrested for the second consecutive day on Tuesday when they marched to the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly in Hyderabad, demanding that the government address the problems of farmers. There was tension in the high security area as protesters, including legislators, tried to advance towards the assembly building.
Led by Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) N. Chandrababu Naidu, legislators of TDP, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist walked to the assembly from the Goshamahal police station, where they had spent the night in police custody following their arrest Monday.
Leaders and activists of the opposition parties and some farmers' organisations too joined the one kilometre march. As the protesters tried to move towards the assembly gate along with the legislators, police pushed them back. As a mark of protest, they squatted on the road but were arrested.
Inside the assembly, opposition parties stalled the proceedings and encircled the speaker's podium forcing Deputy Speaker N. Manohar to adjourn the house. The members, including those belonging to the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), were demanding that the government provide immediate relief to farmers who suffered crop losses during recent rains.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) legislators also stalled the proceedings demanding the government to withdraw all the cases booked against students during the agitation for separate Telangana state. The government had Monday announced withdrawal of petty cases.
Naidu, who spent the night along with 70 legislators in the police custody, has threatened to launch an indefinite fast from Friday if the government failed to announce a package for the farmers.
Naidu Monday staged a sit-in on the road in front of the assembly building to lodge protests on the "indifference" of the Congress government towards the problems faced by farmers.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Opposition-protesters-at-assembly-held/Article1-638169.aspx
Led by Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) N. Chandrababu Naidu, legislators of TDP, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist walked to the assembly from the Goshamahal police station, where they had spent the night in police custody following their arrest Monday.
Leaders and activists of the opposition parties and some farmers' organisations too joined the one kilometre march. As the protesters tried to move towards the assembly gate along with the legislators, police pushed them back. As a mark of protest, they squatted on the road but were arrested.
Inside the assembly, opposition parties stalled the proceedings and encircled the speaker's podium forcing Deputy Speaker N. Manohar to adjourn the house. The members, including those belonging to the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), were demanding that the government provide immediate relief to farmers who suffered crop losses during recent rains.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) legislators also stalled the proceedings demanding the government to withdraw all the cases booked against students during the agitation for separate Telangana state. The government had Monday announced withdrawal of petty cases.
Naidu, who spent the night along with 70 legislators in the police custody, has threatened to launch an indefinite fast from Friday if the government failed to announce a package for the farmers.
Naidu Monday staged a sit-in on the road in front of the assembly building to lodge protests on the "indifference" of the Congress government towards the problems faced by farmers.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Opposition-protesters-at-assembly-held/Article1-638169.aspx
Monday, December 6, 2010
School teacher missing after complaint of harassment
A school teacher has gone missing after being accused of sexually harassing five girl students and police conducted raids in Haryana and Chandigarh on Monday to nab him, police said. Sham Bahadur Thapa, a music teacher at the Army Public School, was booked on Sunday for allegedly sexually harassing
Class 5 students on the basis of a complaint from school principal N R Baberwal.
"We received a complaint against Thapa from the school principal here. We raided his house in Sector 25 (in Panchkula) late on Sunday but did not find him there. We are raiding various places in Haryana and Chandigarh in search of the accused teacher," a police official said.
"Thapa's mobile phone has been put on surveillance and we are hopeful of arresting him soon. We would record the statements of victim students, their parents and the school authorities."
Baberwal registered the first information report (FIR) after he got complaints from the parents of five female students against the music teacher. The school authorities suspended Thapa with immediate effect.
Army Public School, which is over 25 years old, is situated at Chandimandir army cantonment area here, around 10 km from Chandigarh.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Army-Public-School-teacher-missing-after-complaint-of-molestation/Article1-634919.aspx
Class 5 students on the basis of a complaint from school principal N R Baberwal.
"We received a complaint against Thapa from the school principal here. We raided his house in Sector 25 (in Panchkula) late on Sunday but did not find him there. We are raiding various places in Haryana and Chandigarh in search of the accused teacher," a police official said.
"Thapa's mobile phone has been put on surveillance and we are hopeful of arresting him soon. We would record the statements of victim students, their parents and the school authorities."
Baberwal registered the first information report (FIR) after he got complaints from the parents of five female students against the music teacher. The school authorities suspended Thapa with immediate effect.
Army Public School, which is over 25 years old, is situated at Chandimandir army cantonment area here, around 10 km from Chandigarh.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Army-Public-School-teacher-missing-after-complaint-of-molestation/Article1-634919.aspx
Monday, November 29, 2010
Parliament adjourned without business for 12th day
Both houses of Parliament were adjourned Monday, again without conducting any business, as the stalemate over appointing a joint parliamentary committee to probe the alleged scam in 2G spectrum allotment continued for the 12th day. The government's every effort to break the logjam has yielded no result and question hours in both houses of parliament were derailed again with an unrelenting opposition persisting with its demand that a parliamentary panel probe the controversial second generation telephony spectrum allocation in 2008.
There were moments of peace, but these were very brief. Speaker Meira Kumar asked Lok Sabha members to join her in congratulating Indian sportspersons for their best ever medals tally in Asian Games in China.
However, as soon as she finished reading out her felicitation for the Indian medal winners at the Asiad, opposition MPs trooped near her podium and started shouting slogans "We want JPC". The speaker then adjourned the house till 12 noon.
When the house resumed the sitting at noon, the sloganeering continued and deputy speaker Karia Munda ordered the adjournment of the Lok Sabha till Tuesday.
Scenes in the Rajya Sabha were no different as the upper house was also adjourned soon after it met after the weekend. Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the house to meet again at noon and then for the rest of the day when MPs met at 12.
This is the 12th successive day of the Nov 9-Dec 13 winter session that parliament has not transacted any significant business and both houses have witnessed adjournments barely minutes after meeting.
There is no end in sight to the deadlock as the opposition has rebuffed the government's every request to it to give up the demand for a JPC probe into the scandal.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Sunday spoke to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Sushma Swaraj and L.K. Advani and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury to break the logjam.
But the opposition leaders refused to give up their JPC demand even as the government maintained its stance that such a panel was "not possible" to inquire into the allegations.
The two houses had some 125 working hours scheduled in the first 11 days of the session.
According to the PRS Legislative Research, the Lok Sabha has met for only 5.4 hours in 12 days of the session, which is only nine percent of the scheduled time.
The opposition, which has united over the 2G issue, and the government are blaming each other for the wasted parliament time that has also cost the national exchequer over Rs.90 crore.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Parliament-adjourned-without-business-for-12th-day/Article1-632225.aspx
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Parliament-adjourned-without-business-for-12th-day/Article1-632225.aspx
Monday, November 22, 2010
Yeddyurappa bends, says 'ready to obey' BJP
After striking a defiant note for days, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said he would abide by the decision of the BJP high command on him. "Whatever decision our national leaders are going to take about me, I am going to obey their orders," he told reporters here this morning.
"Today, I am going to meet all our national leaders and I am going to explain the situation in Karnataka, We are facing Zila panchayat elections within a month," he said.
Asked if he would step down, the chief minister said, "I have not committed any mistake. I will meet the central leaders. Whatever they say, I will obey. But so far no body has asked my resignation".
The chief minister said he had discussed the "political situation" in Karnataka with senior leader Arun Jaitley and would meet other central leaders today.
Yeddyurappa is likely to meet BJP leader Nitin Gadkari later in the afternoon to discuss the crisis.
He maintained that the central leadership has not asked him to step down, adding that he had ordered an inquiry into the alleged land scams by a retired high court judge Justice B Patmaraj.
Yeddyurappa, who is claiming to have the support of 110-120 MLAs, said all community people were supporting him.
Top party leaders, including LK Advani, MM Joshi and Rajnath Singh are understood to have decided that the Chief Minister's continuance has become untenable and that he should be told to make way.
The Chief Minister has, however, kept the party guessing on his moves.
Yeddyurappa has reportedly told the party leadership that his removal might harm the first-ever BJP government in the South, for whose formation he had played a key part.
Yeddyurappa has earlier deputed a team of his loyalists, including Home Minister R Ashok, a prominent Vokkaliga leader, Higher Education Minister VS Acharya, a probable to replace the Chief Minister in the event of his exit, and some others to Delhi to persuade the party against change in leadership.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Yeddyurappa-bends-says-ready-to-obey-BJP/H1-Article1-629837.aspx
"Today, I am going to meet all our national leaders and I am going to explain the situation in Karnataka, We are facing Zila panchayat elections within a month," he said.
Asked if he would step down, the chief minister said, "I have not committed any mistake. I will meet the central leaders. Whatever they say, I will obey. But so far no body has asked my resignation".
The chief minister said he had discussed the "political situation" in Karnataka with senior leader Arun Jaitley and would meet other central leaders today.
Yeddyurappa is likely to meet BJP leader Nitin Gadkari later in the afternoon to discuss the crisis.
He maintained that the central leadership has not asked him to step down, adding that he had ordered an inquiry into the alleged land scams by a retired high court judge Justice B Patmaraj.
Yeddyurappa, who is claiming to have the support of 110-120 MLAs, said all community people were supporting him.
Top party leaders, including LK Advani, MM Joshi and Rajnath Singh are understood to have decided that the Chief Minister's continuance has become untenable and that he should be told to make way.
The Chief Minister has, however, kept the party guessing on his moves.
Yeddyurappa has reportedly told the party leadership that his removal might harm the first-ever BJP government in the South, for whose formation he had played a key part.
Yeddyurappa has earlier deputed a team of his loyalists, including Home Minister R Ashok, a prominent Vokkaliga leader, Higher Education Minister VS Acharya, a probable to replace the Chief Minister in the event of his exit, and some others to Delhi to persuade the party against change in leadership.
Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Yeddyurappa-bends-says-ready-to-obey-BJP/H1-Article1-629837.aspx
Sunday, November 14, 2010
CBI raids CWG office, registers two cases
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday raided the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee office here in connection with corruption allegations and registered two cases, officials said.
"Teams of CBI are conducting raids at the organising committee office near Jantar Mantar and the houses of several officials of the committee," a CBI official told IANS.
The CBI has also registered cases against T.S. Darbari and Sanjay Mahindroo, who were allegedly involved in the Queen's Baton Relay scam, the official said.
The organising committee is understood to have paid AM Films, an Indian-owned firm, over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen's Baton Relay function in London in October allegedly without following proper tendering procedure and paper work.
The Oct 3-14 CWG held in the capital was mired in controversy due to corruption allegations, glitches and delays.
Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6928683.cms
"Teams of CBI are conducting raids at the organising committee office near Jantar Mantar and the houses of several officials of the committee," a CBI official told IANS.
The CBI has also registered cases against T.S. Darbari and Sanjay Mahindroo, who were allegedly involved in the Queen's Baton Relay scam, the official said.
The organising committee is understood to have paid AM Films, an Indian-owned firm, over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen's Baton Relay function in London in October allegedly without following proper tendering procedure and paper work.
The Oct 3-14 CWG held in the capital was mired in controversy due to corruption allegations, glitches and delays.
Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6928683.cms
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