Month: January 2010

Hyd police to seek Rs 90-cr from Centre for its modernisation

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Hyderabad, January 31: Aiming to deal with terrorism effectively, the Hyderabad City Police would submit a Rs 90- crore plan to the Centre in February for its modernisation under the Mega City Police Project (MCPP), a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Hyderabad is among the six cities, where the Mega City Police Project is being implemented to tackle terror, and a presentation on seeking fund approval for the project will be made at a high-level meeting convened at Delhi in February, Hyderabad City Commissioner of Police A K Khan told reporters.

11 people fear drown in Tandava reservoir in Andhra

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Visakhapatnam, January 31: In yet another boat tragedy, 11 people were feared drowned as a country-made boat capsized in Tandava reservoir in Andhra Pradesh today.

This was the second boat mishap after yesterday’s incident, which claimed 11 lives in West Godavari district in the state.

The mishap occurred when 14 villagers of Ammapeta in Golugonda mandal in Visakhapatnam district were returning in a boat after worshipping a local deity on a hillock, Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Vineet Brijlal, who visited the spot, told PTI over phone.

Chinese threat should not be ignored: RSS

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Guwahati, January 31: Expressing concern over “certain activities of China in recent times,” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat today urged the Centre not to ignore “the Chinese threat” and deal with it firmly.

Maldives,” Bhagwat told a public rally at the Khanapara Veterinary ground here.

“These are dangerous trends and the Indian government should take immediate steps to counter them,” he said.

Bhagwat blamed the Indian government’s “lack of vision” for the present situation and said China has extended its influence upon all the neighbouring countries”.

Headley planned to set up Delhi base in Nov

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New Delhi, January 31: American terror suspect David Headley was scheduled to visit India again in November last year apparently to finalise the next target for Pakistan based Lashker-e-Taiba group and set up a base in Delhi.

Para-military women to counter anti-India propaganda

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New Delhi, January 31: The government has decided to deploy newly inducted para-military women personnel along the international borders, including with Pakistan and China, to give an impetus to civic action programmes and counter anti-India propaganda.

Plans are ready to get these young women to talk to the local population and inspire them to participate in government schemes and contribute to civic works in their respective areas.

“These women recruits of BSF, ITBP and SSB have largely come from areas which are either naxal or insurgency hit.

4 poachers held with unlicensed guns in TN

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Erode (TN), January 31: Four suspected poachers were today arrested and six unlicensed guns seized from them near a forest area at Vellitiruppur in the district, police said.

Following a tip-off, police intercepted the four when they were entering the forest area and during a checking found six unlicensed guns in their possession.

They said an abandoned gun was also found in the forest in Kadathur area.

District Superintendent of Police T Jayachandran has ordered intensified patrolling in the area, police said.

–Agencies

Lalu demands ‘Right to Food’ as fundamental right

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Patna, January 31: After enforcing a successful Bihar bandh protesting price rise, RJD chief Lalu Prasad today demanded “Right to Food” be declared as fundamental right of the people.

Besides, the Centre should place the Right to Food Guarantee and Security Bill in Parliament and enact it into a law for the benefit of the poor, Prasad said after taking over the charge of the party for the seventh term in succession in an open session of RJD here.

Ravishankar asks Maoists to join talks process

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Bhubaneswar, January 31: Hinting the role of a mediator, spiritual guru Sri Ravishankar today asked Maoists to shun violence and join the talks process for peaceful solution of the vexed issue.

“You abjure the path of violence. Come up for dialogue.

We will discuss and find a solution,” the spiritual leader asked the red rebels here.

Virtually offering his role as a mediator over the issue to the left wing ultras, the ‘Art of Living’ guru said, “if not with the government (for a dialogue), talk with me. Let’s keep the society united and not allow to disintegrate”.

Rajkhowa’s wife visits families of those killed by ULFA

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Guwahati, January 31: ULFA ‘Chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa’s wife today faced the wrath of a family, whose member was killed by the banned outfit, when she visited their house in Sibsagar district in Assam.

“What wrong had my husband done that you people killed him? What harm had my two sons done that they had to lose their father?” the wife of Sailadhar Rajkonwar, who was killed by ULFA, asked Kaberi Kachari when she visited her house at Charaideo.

Moily for separate law to tackle cyber crimes

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New Delhi, Jan 31: Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Sunday advocated enactment of separate laws and creation of a specialised agency to deal with the menace of cyber crimes, as amending the existing IT Act will not solve the problem.

“I think instead of amending the IT Act we should have separate laws for each of the classification of the cyber crimes. It is a matter we need to deal with, instead of tinkering with the IT Act from time to time to meet the contingencies,” Moily said here.

Ramesh faces public fury over Bt Brinjal in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, January 31:Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh was on Sunday gheraoed here by people opposing to the introduction of Bt Brinjal in the country.

The protesters from Left-affiliated farmers’ outfits and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) raised slogans like “Bt Go Back” and mobbed the minister on the dais at an event organised at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) here.

I never compared Modi to Gandhi: Gadkari

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Bangalore, January 31: BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Sunday denied making a direct comparison between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Mahatma Gandhi.

“I never compared Modi to Mahatma Gandhi,” Gadkari told reporters here, asserting that there were video clippings of his speech to prove it.

“I said that Modi inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deedayal Upadhyaya, was carrying out all programmes to help the poor and was following in their footsteps,” he said, a day after his controversial remark.

Will not tolerate corruption in Army: Antony

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New Delhi, January 31:The government on Sunday said the army has already taken strong action in the Sukhna land scam case, insisting that it will not tolerate even a single instance of corruption in the armed forces.

“Already, army has taken strong action. I do not want to say anything further… We cannot tolerate even a single instance of corruption,” Defence Minister A K Antony said on the sidelines of a function to present awards to the winning tableaux of the Republic Day parade.

RSS to protect north Indians in Maharashtra

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Jabalpur, January 31: Taking the Shiv Sena and the MNS head-on, RSS on Sunday said that it has asked its volunteers to protect north Indians in Maharashtra and prevent spread of anti-Hindi feelings.

“The Sangh parivar has asked its volunteers in Maharashtra to try and prevent the spread of anti-north Indian and anti-Hindi feelings,” RSS leader Ram Madhav told reporters here.
He said the RSS was opposed to discrimination on the basis of language and demanded steps to check disturbances on the emotive issue.

UK student visa freeze: Govt to try to help students

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New Delhi/London, January 31: The Indian government today said it will try to help UK visa-seeking students hit by Britain’s freeze on their applications at three centres in the northern region.

Along with northern India, student visa applications from Bangladesh and Nepal too will not be accepted temporarily from February one by Britain which feared foul play after it faced an alarming increase in student visa applications, according to British media reports.

Man arrested for raping mother-in-law

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New Delhi, January 31: A man was arrested for allegedly raping his 65-year-old mother-in-law in south Delhi, police said today.

The incident was reported from Mehrauli and it came to light when the wife of the accused Naseeb (30) informed the police about it.

A medical examination of the victim confirmed rape and 30-year-old Naseeb was arrested.

–Agencies

John Mayer is not a ladies man

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London, January 31: Despite his womanising reputation, John Mayer doesn’t see himself as a ladies man.

The 32-year-old singer who has dated a host of Hollywood beauties, including Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson and Cameron Diaz, claims that he finds dating extremely difficult, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I would make dates on Monday for Friday and come Thursday, I would be so wracked with nerves or I would get so sick to my stomach that we would cover the block and then I would come home,” said Mayer.

–Agencies

UK suspends visa applications for north India,Nepal

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London, January 31: Britain has suspended student visa applications from northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal after an alarming jump in number of applicants, even as the authorities fear that unscrplulous agents are preparing to push thousands into bogus colleges in the UK.

The UK Border Agency today said in the last three months of last year, there were 13,500 applications from north India alone, compared with 1,800 in the same period of 2008.

British officials said the system has been overwhelmed and there are concerns that many cases are not genuine.

Danish passenger of cruise liner hospitalised

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Kochi, January 31: A Danish passenger of a cruise liner, which called at the Cochin Port this morning, has been admitted to a private hospital here following breathing problem.

Joern Heide (75) of Denmark, diagnosed to be suffering from pulminory edima as well as some cardiac problem, has been put on ventilator support, hospital sources told PTI.

His condition was “a little serious”, they said, adding Heide’s wife Jorgen Sen was with him.

The liner, “Queen May 2”, coming from Dubai reached Kochi around 6.45 AM with around 2,500 tourists and around 1,250 crew, port sources said.

SBI concerned about excess liquidity with the bank

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Behrampur (WB), January 31: State Bank of India chairman O P Bhatt today said that excess liquidity available with the bank would be a matter of concern for the next two quarters.

“Going forward excess liquidity will be a matter of concern for the next two quarters and this would put pressure on the margins. However, that pressure is declining,” Bhatt told a press conference.

Excess liquidity is a problem because if banks receive more in deposits than they are giving out as credit, their earnings (that they would have earned from loans) come under pressure, affecting overall margins.

2 Afghan nationals stabbed in south-east Delhi

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New Delhi, January 31: Two Afghan nationals were stabbed allegedly by four of their countrymen following an argument over repaying loan, police said today.

The incident was reported from Lajpat Nagar in south-east Delhi last night.The victims have been identified as Naseem and Ahmed Rayeez.

Naseem and Rayeez got into an argument with the four other Afghan nationals.

The accused, who were later arrested have been identified as Pameen, Masood and Azhar. Two accused go by the same name Pameen.

–Agencies

‘Sehwag, Dhoni were not at loggerheads over Mishra’

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Jalandhar, January 31: Star spinner Harbhajan Singh today rubbished reports that India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his deputy Virender Sehwag had a tiff over Amit Mishra’s exclusion from the Mirpur Test against Bangladesh.

“There was cool atmosphere in the dressing room during the Bangladesh tour and it is only after coming back to India that we read reports about alleged rift between Dhoni and Sehwag whereas it was never noticed by any teammate,” Harbhajan told PTI.

Moily hints at changes in RTI Act on judges row

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New Delhi, January 31: Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court favouring amendments in the RTI Act to provide insulation from disclosure of information pertaining to appointment of judges and decisions of the collegium, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily today indicated changes in the Act.

He however, clarified that the proposed changes were “independent” of the Delhi High Court judgement in this regard and the matter would be looked into by the Department of Personnel and Training which deals with the implementation of the Act.

Rakhi Gulzar’s house burgled, valuables stolen

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Mumbai, January 31: Veteran Bollywood actor Rakhi Gulzar’s house here was broke open and cash and gold ornaments worth Rs seven lakh were stolen, police said today.

The actor returned to her house in Alema building in suburban Bandra last night when she found the door broke open and cash Rs 49,000 and gold ornaments worth Rs 6.51 lakh missing from her safe in bed room, Senior Inspector Prakash George said.

The actor had gone to her farmhouse in Panvel on January 20 and returned yesterday.

–Agencies