Month: September 2010

Commuters suffer as private buses go off the roads

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New Delhi, September 27: The Delhi government Monday shunted out around 1,600 private Blueline buses ahead of the Commonwealth Games, causing immense hardship to thousands of commuters, including students and office-goers, who had to wait for hours to get into packed state-run buses or pay exorbitant fares to autorickshaws.

The Bluelines buses are being kept off the roads during the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games, leaving just the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses for the people.

200 volunteers for CWG athletics event await accreditation

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New Delhi, September 27: More than 200 Sports Specific Volunteers (SSV) for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games’ showpiece event athletics are running from pillar to post to get accredited as their police verification is yet to be completed.

The volunteers could not attend a two-day training camp that started Monday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as they had no accreditation.

Indian shooters unhappy with quality of pellets

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New Delhi, September 27: After being stranded at the airport for hours, there was more misery in store for the Indian shooters Monday as they found the quality of pellets supplied to them by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) not up to the mark.

A top rifle shooter told IANS they wanted Eley Tenex pellets but the organisers had supplied them some low quality ones.

CWG tennis venue world class: ITF delegate

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New Delhi, September 27: International Tennis Federation (ITF) delegate Tom Boyle Monday described as ‘world class’ the Commonwealth Games venue R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium.

Boyle said there had been rapid improvement in every area since the test event took place in May.

‘The stadium has some excellent facilities for players, especially the locker rooms and the lounge. It has improved a lot since it held the test event in May when some work was still to be done. The venue is ready and it definitely looks a truly international venue,’ Boyle told IANS.

Ayodhya vedict delay petition untenable: Sunni Central Wakf Board

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New Delhi, September 27: The Sunni Central Wakf Board Monday said the petition by retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi seeking the deferment of the Allahabad High Court’s verdict in the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi title case was ‘untenable, misconceived and frivolous’ and needed to be dismissed.

The board’s affidavit, filed in the apex court registry, also said the petitioner’s ‘assumption of so-called repercussions or apprehensions was totally unfounded’.

N-armed Pak takes over as chair of IAEA board

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Vienna, September 27: Pakistan, which refuses to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and was home to a notorious nuclear smuggling ring, was named head of the UN nuclear watchdog’s governing board here today.

At a special one-day meeting, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member board of governors appointed “by acclamation” the head of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission, Ansar Parvez, as its chairman for the next 12 months, taking over from Malaysia.

SP demands CBI probe into ‘corruption’ in Coop bank

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Lucknow, September 27: Opposition Samajwadi Party today demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged large scale corruption in the Uttar Pradesh cooperative rural development Bank.

“The BSP government on coming to power cut short the tenure of the elected members of the Bank and appointed an MD under whom there had been several cases of massive corruption and irregularities,” Leader of Opposition and senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav told reporters here.

“A CBI inquiry should be ordered into it,” he added.

AIADMK seeks CBI probe into death threats to Jaya

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Chennai, September 27: Stepping up pressure on the Tamil Nadu government over the issue of death threats to party chief Jayalalithaa, AIADMK today sought a CBI probe into the matter, claiming that no action has been taken on its complaints.

“We have already written twice seeking action on the threat letters received by JAYA TV and demanding a CBI probe.

But, no action has been taken so far,” top party functionaries said in a letter to the Chief Secretary.

TDP’s decision to stage sit-in before Sonia a drama: TRS

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Hyderabad, September 27: TRS today said the decision of TDP leaders from Telangana to give a memorandum or hold a sit-in at the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to press her to accede to separate Telangana demand was nothing but a “drama”.

“The TDP leaders from Telangana are enacting a drama. They say they will hold a sit-in in front of Sonia Gandhi. What will happen if they do so? Police will take them into custody and release later,” TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said.

Agra faces flood fury

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Agra, September 27: The water level in Yamuna River in Agra has crossed the medium flood level of 152.09 metres on Sunday evening. Most of the Taj Heritage Corridor and the waterworks have submerged, cutting off supplies to half of this Taj city.

The river level is feared to touch 152.4 metres on Monday morning, according to officials.

More colonies and ghats were under water and the district authorities continued to persuade people to shift to safer areas.

Cops, CPI (M) activists injured in clash

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Midnapore, September 27: Ten policemen and 20 CPI(M) activists were injured in a group clash following an altercation in West Midnapore district on Sunday.

Police lathicharged and used teargas shells on CPI(M) activists after they started throwing stones on them following an altercation over selection of managing committee members of Kuanpure High School in Chandrakona area, they said.

The officer-in-charge of the local police station was also among the injured, police said, adding that at least 20 party cadre were later arrested.

—Agencies

No rains expected in Delhi

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New Delhi, September 27: The national capital on Monday witnessed a bright sunny day with the weather office predicting clear skies and no rains over the next few days.

“It will be a clear sky today (Monday) and no rains are in store for the next few days,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The minimum temperature was 23.1 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season, while the maximum temperature was expected to hover around 33 degrees.

The humidity levels continued to remain high with the maxim um at 91 percent.

Doctors indefinite strike in Kolkata

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Kolkata, September 27: The indefinite strike by junior doctors at the state-run premier SSKM hospital enters third day on Monday.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday warned of action, after strike spread to other hospitals.

“If this continues then the government will have to take action,” Bhattacharjee told doctors on indefinite ceasework demanding security after the assault on a colleague following the death of a patient in the emergency ward of the SSKM Hospital.

The ceasework has spread to the National Medical College and Hospital, another state-run hospital.

Bihar polls: JMM releases candidates’ list

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Jharkhand, September 27: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has released a list of its 15 candidates for the first phase of Bihar assembly elections.

In the first phase due Oct 21, polls will be held in 47 of 243 assembly constituencies.

“We have released a list of 15 candidates for the first phase of assembly elections,” senior JMM leader Mathura Mahto told reporters on Monday.

He said: “We have received applications of probable candidates for 85 assembly seats. The second list will be released later.”

Traders found murdered in Bikaner

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Rajhasthan, September 27: Three businessmen who stayed together at a hotel for two days at Sardarshahar town were founded murdered at different places in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district, police said on Monday.

The deceased included Mukesh Saini and his uncle Suraj Saini from Jaipur and Shailesh from Surat in Gujarat, Inspector General of Police(IGP) Bikaner Range, Dalpat Singh Dinkar said.

Mukesh’s body was found on the Sardarshahar-Churu highway, Suraj’s body on Dungarhgarh-Ratangarh highway, and Shailesh’s on Dungargah-Sardarshahar road, the IGP said.

10% DA hike for Haryana employees

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Haryana, September 27: Haryana government on Monday enhanced the rate of Dearness Allowance (DA) payable to its employees from existing 35 per cent to 45 per cent, a decision that would cost the exchequer Rs 576 crore per year.

The DA would be given in cash with effect from July 1 this year, an official spokesman said on Monday.

He said the 10 per cent increase had been made in DA on the pattern of Government of India employees.

Women throw acid on cop in UP

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Uttar Pradesh, September 27: Opposing the arrest of some people wanted in connection with a case, women in Saharanpur on Monday threw acid at a police team, seriously injuring an inspector.

The police team, which had gone to Noor Basti locality to arrest some accused, were attacked by the women of their families with acid in which inspector incharge of Kotwali police station M.P Singh Ashok suffered injuries on the head and the face, ADG (Law and Order) Brij lal told newspersons here.

Twenty two people, including nine women, have been arrested in this connection, the ADG said.

IAS officers transfers in Bihar

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Bihar, September 27: In a major administrative reshuffle, the Bihar government on Monday notified the transfer of six IAS and 10 IPS officers at the behest of the Election Commission ahead of the state Assembly election.

Among the IAS and IPS officers, five were district magistrates and three were Superintendent of Police, respectively.

Naxals arrested in Chhattisgarh

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Chhattisgarh, September 27: Ten wanted Naxalites carrying awards on their heads were on Monday arrested from Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, police said.

The rebels, each carrying a Rs 4000 award on their head, were arrested from the forest near Sangvel and Koleng villages after police cordoned off the area acting on a tip-off that the Maoists were scheduled to hold a meeting there, Bastar DSP Sundaraj P said.

The arrested are suspected to be involved in the killing of Mutanpal sarpanch. Besides, they are also involved in several other cases of murder and loot, he said.

—Agencies

‘Azaan’ not be part of CWG ceremony: Rajnath

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New Delhi, September 27: Former BJP chief Rajnath Singh today wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him that “azaan” and other such religious representations should not be a part of background score at the Commonwealth Games ceremonies as religion should be left to the private domain.

“I came to know that azaan will be a part of the background score at the opening and closing ceremonies of the CWG. The ceremonies will also have a qawwali soundtrack and props on celebration of Eid. There will be representations of other religions also,” he wrote in a letter.

Aamer confesses match-fixing

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Islamabad, September 27: In the latest twist in match-fixing scandal, Pakistani young pacer Mohammad Aamer confessed that skipper Salman Butt forced him into the spot fixing, sources said.

According to the sources, Aamer told Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that Butt forced him to fix the match.

“Aamer confessed match-fixing before PCB chief Ijaz Butt during interrogation,” PCB sources said.

Aamer’s confession confirmed the no-ball match-fixing during last Test against England at Lord’s.

A British Tabloid News of the World exposed the spot-fixing through a sting operation.

Yash Chopra turns 78 on Monday

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Mumbai, September 27: Bollywood influential director Yash Chopra turns 78 on Monday.

Yash Chopra was born on the 27th September 1932 in Lahore, Pakistan to Vilayati Raj Chopra, who was an accountant in the PWD department of the British Punjab administration. He came from a large family and was one of eight children.

Chopra is married to Pamela and has two sons, Aditya Chopra who is a director and Uday Chopra, an actor.

Bhaghat Singh 103rd birth anniversary

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New Delhi, September 27: India to celebrate 103rd birth anniversary of one of the most adored and respected legendry freedom fighter Shaheed (Martyr) Sardar Bhaghat Singh’s on Monday.

He was hanged to death for shooting a police official. He did so as a reflex action to the killing of another freedom fighter, Lala Lajpat Rai. His urge to get the freedom made him bring an early death for himself. Bhagat Singh was also responsible in increasing socialism in India.

Gold decline, silver on rise

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Mumbai, September 27: Silver continued its uninterrupted record-breaking rally at the bullion market here on Monday hitting yet another peak on hectic speculative buying on the back higher global advices.

Gold, however, declined further owing to reduced stockists as well as lower jewellery demand despite prices ruling at record high in international markets.

Silver ready (.999 fineness) firmed up by Rs 40 per kilo to close at Rs 33,485 from last Saturday’s closing level of Rs 33,445. It touched of Rs 33,510 in early trade.