Month: August 2010

DPSC posts Rs.3.64 crore net profit in Q1

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Kolkata, August 06: Power utility DPSC Limited posted Rs.3.64 crore profit after tax during the first quarter (April-June) of 2010-11.

The company had logged a profit of Rs.11.73 lakh in the corresponding period last year.

“With the vast opportunity made available by the government’s investment plans in the power sector, things definitely look upbeat for DPSC,” Hemant Kanoria, chairman, DPSC, said Friday.

The government has proposed to add 100,000 MW in the 12th Five Year Plan.

–Agencies

Facebook protests lead to vigil against corruption

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New Delhi, August 06: Assamese students in Delhi, expressing their concern over “rampant corruption” in the state on Facebook, have planned a vigil in the capital Sunday to “mourn the death of honesty of our politicians”.

The idea germinated on the Facebook page of an RTI activist, and attracted outpourings against corruption in the north-eastern state.

Cost cutting ideas are welcome: Cameron

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London, August 06: British Prime Minister David Cameron has said his government will use ideas from the public to cut spending in its efforts to rein in the country’s massive deficit.

He said the government had received 67,000 suggestions from state workers on how savings could be made since an engagement initiative was launched last month, the Daily Express reported Friday.

SC asks Centre to take over ailing tea gardens

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New Delhi, August 06: The Supreme Court today directed the government to take over the management of ailing tea gardens across the country and to provide arrears and wages to their workers living in a pitiable condition.

The apex court noted that many tea estates have been abandoned by their owners and workers have not been paid their dues for several years, pushing them on the verge of starvation.

It said though some efforts were made to take corrective measures, the outcome has been “zero”.

Now you can read books by Obama, Clinton in Hindi

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New Delhi, August 06: Want to read ‘Asha Ka Savera’ by US President Barack Obama or ‘Bache Hamara Bhavishya’ by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? Then walk into American Center’s library in the national capital.

Aimed at “reaching out to a larger audience”, a new Hindi section was inaugurated today at the library which has a collection of books in the language written on and by Americans.

‘Asha Ka Savera’ is the translation of Obama’s ‘The Audacity of Hope’ while ‘Bache Hamara Bhavishya’ is Clinton’s ‘It takes a Village’.

BJP welcomes amendments to NDMC Act

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New Delhi, August 06: BJP today welcomed the proposed amendments to the New Delhi Municipal Council Act which seek to give local representatives more say in the civic body.

Initiating the debate on the New Delhi Municipal Council (Amendment) Bill 2010, BJP member Kirti Azad said the proposed amendments would give a Member of Parliament from New Delhi constituency voting rights in the civic body.

Earlier, the MP of the area falling under NDMC limits was just a special invitee to the Council.

Rail projects at Rae Bareli, Chapra in 2 yrs: Mamata

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New Delhi, August 06: The rail coach factory project at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and wheel manufacturing plant at Chapra in Bihar will be completed in the next two years, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee informed Rajya Sabha today.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, she said the Rs 1,417 crore Bihar project was sanctioned in 2005-06 and is likely to start manufacturing wheels from 2011-12.

She said the rail coach factory project at Rae Bareli was approved in 2006-07 at a cost of Rs 1,685 crore and work is going on in full swing.

Vigilance Bureau arrests govt official

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Patna, August 06: A senior official of the Bihar industry department was today arrested by state Vigilance sleuths while allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 at Madhepura town, about 180 km from here, today.

Madhepura district industry extension officer Diwakar Prasad was caught red-handed in a raid after state vigilance received complaints from a person that Prasad had sought bribe for granting loan to set up a factory, vigilance sources said.

The officer would be produced before a judge here tomorrow after interrogation, they added.

–Agencies

Goa blast case: Sanatan Sanstha member in NIA net

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Mumbai, August 06: National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the 2009 Goa blast, has taken custody of Sanatan Sanstha member Prashant Juvekar for allegedly conspiring to carry out the Diwali-eve bombing.

The 24-year-old was arrested by Maharashtra ATS late last month in an illegal arms seizure case. He was granted bail in the case by a Nashik court yesterday.

“NIA, probing the Goa blast, has taken the custody of Juvekar after completing all legal formalities,” a senior ATS official told PTI today.

States want petroleum products out of GST: FM

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New Delhi, August 06: The government today said that states have asked for petroleum products to be kept out of the purview of the proposed Goods and Service Tax (GST).

“States requested that petroleum products, alcoholic beverages and natural gas should be kept outside the purview of the GST,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

His reply came a few days after the state GST panel rejected the Centre’s request to include petroleum products under GST to check volatility in their prices on account of variation in local tax rates in states.

Three children killed in house collapse in Rajouri

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Jammu, August 06: Three children were killed and another was injured today when two houses adjacent to each other collapsed due to heavy rains at a village in Rajouri district.

Two houses collapsed this afternoon due to heavy rains in Makari Village 245-km from here in Noweshra area of the border district. While the elders of the two families escaped to safety, three children were trapped in the debris and killed and another was injured, official sources said here.

Locals along with the police rushed to the spot and pulled out the bodies as well as the injured child, they said.

Pak should adduce evidence of Headley as approver: Nikam

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Mumbai, August 06: Pakistan should adduce evidence of terror convict David Headley by making him an approver in the 26/11 attacks case instead of asking India to send Mumbai magistrate R V Sawant Waghule to testify in a court there, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said today.

“If Pakistan is really interested in punishing the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks, why have they not considered adducing evidence of Headley as an approver through video conference,” asked Nikam, who conducted the 26/11 trial in a special court here.

Maoist problem will be overcome: CRPF chief

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New Delhi, August 06: The CRPF, which faced a spate of deadly Naxal attacks in recent months, today said it had drawn lessons and rectified its procedures and was hopeful that the Maoist problem will be “overcome” in the near future.

“The Maoist problem will be overcome in the time ahead…it will be well contained and well controlled,” Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Vikram Srivastava told reporters here after flagging off a 120-men contingent of the paramilitary force to UN mission in Liberia for rendering civil police duties.

Bomb threat to Chennai-bound flight; security beefed up

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Chennai, August 06: Security at the airport here was beefed up today after an anonymous call warning that explosive substances were placed in a Chennai-bound flight from Kochi.

After the phone call was receieved at the cargo section of the Customs, an alert was issued and Bomb Disposal Squad and other agencies were put on preparedness, officials said adding the caller did not identify the airlines flight.

Visitors’ entry to the airport was banned today following a direction from Union Home Ministry as part of security measures taken in view of the Independence Day.

Centre to extend all possible help to Bihar: Pawar

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Patna, August 06: With 28 of the 38 districts in Bihar declared drought-hit by state government, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today assured the Centre’s assistance in all possible ways to deal the “serious” situation.

“We will be extending all-possible help to the state of Bihar… the situation is quite serious here,” Pawar told reporters at the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport here on arrival from New Delhi.

The Bihar government has decided to seek a special financial package of Rs 15,000 crore from the Centre to tackle the drought.

150 specially trained personnel to man CWG venues

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New Delhi, August 06: A squad of 150 specially trained personnel will be deployed by the National Disaster Management Authority to keep vigil at all Commonwealth Games venues during the mega event to preempt any disaster or emergency situations.

The personnel have been trained by NDMA, India’s highest authority on disaster management, as part of its disaster mitigation plan at the venues during the 12-day mega sporting event to be held here from October 3-14.

Bakhtawar another dupatta-wearing politician in making?

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Islamabad, August 06: The Edinburgh-educated rapper daughter of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari seems set to perpetuate the image of dupatta-wearing, conservative women politicians of Pakistan.

Just like her Hermes scarf wearing mother Benazir, a dupatta is always neatly pinned on 20-year-old Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari’s head to underline her Islamic identity; even as many from her generation see it as a cumbersome relic.

Obama’s special envoy to visit Bihar’s Super 30

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Patna, August 06: US President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference, Rashad Hussain, will Sunday visit Super 30, Bihar’s free coaching centre that helps economically backward students crack the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE).

Anand Kumar, the institute’s director and founder, said the special envoy is coming to see the way Super 30 functions and produce IITians on such a regular basis.

Rs 17 lakh stolen from net banking, 3 held

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Bhopal, August 06: Cracking the mystery behind theft of Rs 17 lakh from a bank account through internet banking, Madhya Pradesh police’s cyber cell has arrested three people, including a private bank’s assistant manager.

”Yes Bank Assistant Manager Ritesh Chokse, insurance agent Rahul Sharma and screen printing worker Shyam Yadav were arrested yesterday,” Director General of Police S K Raut told reporters here today.

Arera colony-resident Poonam Gulati had lodged a police complaint on July 27 that an unidentified person has withdrawn Rs 17 lakh from her account.
–UNI

Hostels for animals in Gujarat

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Ahmedabad, August 06: An innovative concept of ‘animal hostels’ to house cattle in a common facility in villages is being pursued vigorously in Gujarat, according to agriculture and fisheries minister Dilip Sanghani.

Outlining the golden goals set by his department in the golden jubilee year of the state, Sanghani said here Wednesday that this was a novel concept initiated by the chief minister and entailed construction of a common central facility in a village where all the milch cattle could be kept.

Teen sells her virginity for 14 Lk

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London, August 06: A Hungarian teen with dreams of going to university to become a doctor has sold her virginity to a British customer for 200,000 pounds (approximately Rs 14,641,820).

The sale, which had initially been launched on eBay, was pulled after the online auction giant discovered the nature of the transaction, but it continued by email.

The 18-year-old girl, who identified herself only as Miss Spring, has already qualified for a place at a university, but she says she has put it on hold to help her family.

We Have To Win Hearts And Minds Of Kashmiris: HM

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New Delhi, August 06: Observing that it wanted to “win the hearts and minds” of the people of Kashmir, the government on Friday said it would resume dialogue and asked the separatists, including hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, to join it.

Home Minister P Chidambaram told the Rajya Sabha that the Centre was keen on fulfilling its promises, including on the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and reduction of security personnel in the state, depending on the situation there.

80 dead, over 300 injured in Leh flash floods

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Srinagar, August 06: At least 80 people were killed and over 300 injured in flash floods triggered by a massive cloudburst that hit Leh town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region, washing away several government buildings and houses, police said Friday.

A huge cloudburst struck the town around midnight Thursday, triggering flash floods and mud slides, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir zone) Farooq Ahmad told IANS.

AP bypolls, suicides being noted: Krishna Committee

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Hyderabad, August 06: The Sri Krishna committee on Telangana issue today said it has taken note of the results of recent bypolls in Telangana and alleged suicides in support of the statehood demand but they do not put any kind of pressure on it while preparing the final report.

CBI gets two-day custody of Amit Shah

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Ahmedabad, August 06: The Gujarat High Court Friday granted two-day custody of former minister of state Amit Shah to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake shootout case.

Justice Akil Quereshi granted the custody after the CBI Thursday challenged in the high court the denial of remand of Shah, who has been arrested in the case.

Veteran lawyer K.T.S. Tulsi will represent the CBI in the high court.