Month: March 2012

Petrol may get cheaper by Rs 11 a litre in Goa

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In a step that will make petrol in Goa the cheapest in India, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday proposed a reduction in prices of the fuel by Rs 11 per litre in the state.

Petrol for as cheap as Rs 55 per litre was one of the main promises of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in its election manifesto for the March 3 Assembly polls.

Parrikar said that only 0.1 per cent value added tax (VAT) component would be levied by the state government for sake of record.

Former Army Chiefs Ask Why Govt Took No Action On Bribe Issue

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Terming Army Chief Gen V K Singh’s claims of being offered bribe of Rs 14 crore to swing a ‘sub-standard’ defence deal as a “serious matter”, two former Army chiefs on Monday questioned why the government did not take action when it was reported to the Defence Minister.

Gen (retd) Shankar Roychowdhury wondered what steps the government had taken so far, while Gen (retd) VP Malik sought to know why action was not initiated on the spot by either Singh or Defence Minister A K Antony when it was reported to him.

I’m ready for another innings in action: Akshay Kumar

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Akshay Kumar took a well-thought break from kicking and boxing in films, but now is back to the action genre with “Rowdy Rathore”. The ‘Khiladi’ of Bollywood says he is absolutely geared for the new innings.

“It’s been some two to three years that I have stayed away from action movies. It’s because when my son (Aarav) was two years old, I was scared that what if something happened to me…that’s why I was off action,” Akshay said here Monday night.

India Stakes Claim To Membership Of Exclusive Nuclear Clubs

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India today made a strong pitch for membership of four exclusive nuclear clubs contending that it would help strengthen its export control systems and maintain highest international standards of its nuclear programme.

“India has never been a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies and we are determined to further strengthen our export control systems to keep them on par with the highest international standards,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, addressing the second Nuclear Security Summit here.

Osama’s widows, family to be charged for illegal Pak stay

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A Pakistani court will formally charge slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s widows and other family members for illegally entering and living in the country next week, a defence lawyer said today.

The court is expected to frame charges against three widows and two of Laden’s grown up daughters on April 2, lawyer Muhammad Aamir told the media.

The Federal Investigation Agency had filed a case against Laden’s family members earlier this month under the Foreigners Act and Pakistan Penal Code for illegally entering and living in the country.

MLA faults youth to commit suicides for T

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Nakrekal MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah has said that it was not correct to the students and youth to commit suicides for the sake of Telangana.

Speaking at the Assembly media point on Monday, Lingaiah exuded confidence that separate Telangana State would be achieved by united struggle. He said that the Telangana Congress leaders should exert pressure on AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi to declare separate State for Telangana. (NSS)

RBI to issue new Rs 500 currency notes

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With a view to enhancing operational efficiency and cost effectiveness in banknote printing at banknote printing presses, it has been decided to issue to begin with, fresh banknotes of Rs 500 denomination in packets, which may not necessarily all be sequentially numbered. This is consistent with international best practices. Packets of Banknotes in non-sequential number will, as usual, have 100 notes. The bands of the packets containing the banknotes in non-sequential number will clearly be superscribed with the legend.

Cong. MPs reject request to allow LS to function

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Congress MPs from the Telangana region have rejected the requests of Union Minister Sharad Pawar and Pawan Kumar Bhansal to allow Lok Sabha to function normally.

Talking to the media, Congress MPs said that the two Union ministers have requested them to allow the House to function normally, but they had made it clear that they would obstruct the proceedings until a debate on Telangana was taken up. They also demanded that the Union government abide by its announcement on creation of Telangana State made on December 9 of 2009 and concede statehood for the region.

Botcha to talk to all leaders on Telangana

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Appealing to the Telangana students and youth not to commit suicides for the sake of separate Telangana, PCC Chief Botcha Sathyanarayana has said that he would talk to all the political parties on Telangana issue.

Speaking to media persons in the Assembly lobbies on Monday, Botcha said that he was wishing to resolve the Telangana issue at the earliest. He said that he would convene a meeting with the ministers, party MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders from Telangana region to discuss the issue.

KK spits fire in RS on Telangana

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K. Kesava Rao, the retiring Congress member, has lambasted the UPA government over its apathy with regard to granting Telangana in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Dr Kesava Rao confronted the government on the issue and said already over 700 youngsters had laid down their lives for the cause of Telangana. He angrily questioned whether the UPA government would give Telangana, after the number crossed the 1000 mark.

Six newly elected members take oath in Assembly

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The six newly elected members– four belonging to TRS and one BJP and an Independent –in the recently held by-elections were sworn in as members of the State Assembly on Monday.

The Speaker Mr. Nadendla Manohar administered the oath to Jupalli Krishna Rao , Jogu Ramanna, Gampa Goverdhan and Rajaiah (all TRS), Srinivas Reddy (BJP), and Nagam Janardhan Reddy (Indp). Mr. N. Prasanna Kumar Reddy who also got elected as YSR Congress nominee could not take the oath and is expected to be sworn in on March 29.

Army Chief’s Allegation About Bribe Offer Very Serious, Says Advani

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BJP leader L K Advani on Monday said Army chief General V K Singh’s claim that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore for clearing a ‘sub-standard’ procurement order was a “very serious” issue and should be enquired into throughly.

“This is a very serous issue. It is a different thing to have a case of corruption in political sphere, but when an army chief is offered a bribe, it is a very serious issue,” Advani, who had come here for a function, told reporters.

Police prevents BJP’s ‘Chalo Assembly’ rally

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The police today prevented the ‘Chalo Assembly’ rally undertaken by the BJP and some organisations at Indira Park here and arrested BJP leaders Bandaru Dattatreya, Kishan Reddy and Lakshman in this connection. The rally, aimed at demanding the utilization of the SC, ST sub plan funds exclusively for the welfare of the SCs and STs, was nipped in the bud as police personnel in good numbers landed at the Indira Park where leaders of BJP and other peoples’ organizations had been observing fast for the last three days.

Two Charas peddlars arrested

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City police has arrested two Charas (narcotic drug and psychotropic substance) pedlars at Uppder Dhoolpet, here.

Jaypal Singh (36) of Upper Dhoolpet and Dharam Singh (21) of Jiyaguda were arrested yesterday, while they were trying to transport Charas about 150 grams to sell the same to the needy customers, a police release said here today. UNI

AP HC withdraws notices issued to Naidu, Ministers

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The Andhra Pradesh High Court has withdrawn notices issued to the TDP President Nara Chandrababu Naidu and other ministers in the liquor syndicate scam issue following the raids by the ACB on liquor trade. The High Court order came in the back drop of a furore in administrative and political circles for involvement of ministers and Opposition leader without submitting any evidence.

YSR Cong castigates TDP Prez for making uncharitable remarks

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YSR Congress Party today castigated TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu for his uncharitable remarks against Party Chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Talking to reporters here, Party official spokesperson Gattu Ramachandra Rao said Mr Jagan and Mr Naidu were two contrasting personalities while his leader had sacrificed high positions. He said Mr Naidu was only resorting to character assassination and was trying to defame Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy by hurling allegations and abuses.

HC adjourns Red Sanders case

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The Andhra Pradesh High Court today adjourned the hearing on the disposing off rare red sanders case till two weeks and directed former Handloom Minister P Shankar Rao, who filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a CBI inquiry into it, to file a additional affadivit by then. Mr Shankar Rao has named Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy as one of the respondents in the writ petition along with Forest Minister S Vijayarama Raju, Environment and Forests Special Chief Secretary, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Environment and Forests department principal secretary.

Former Minister demands to replace CM

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Former Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy today demanded to replacement of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy of the state.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha here, he said he will quit the party if the party high command did not correct their mistake. The chief Minister should be replaced by the party high command, he demanded. In another political development, PCC President Botcha Satyanarayana met with Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy, who recently sent his resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi UNI

Iraqi mother beaten to death in US

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A 32-year-old Iraqi woman has died in the US after being found beaten and lying in a pool of blood next to a note saying “go back to your country, you terrorist.”

Shaima Alawadi, a mother of five children ranging in age from 8 to 17, was found unconscious by her eldest daughter on the dining room floor of her home in the city of El Cajon in San Diego County, California on Wednesday.

Alawadi was taken to the hospital and put on life support, but she was taken off life support around 3 p.m. Saturday.

Ranbir’s heart goes out to Anushka Sharma

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The Casanova of Bollywood Ranbir Kapoor is back to his flirting days. After so much write-ups, jokes and repeated warning from parents, the Kapoor lad seems not yet got over his habit of wooing ladies. His next target is Anushka Sharma.

First, he dated Deepika then broke up with Deepika Padukone. In between, he dated Katrina Kaif and Nargis Fakhri. Again, he got back to Deepika and re-united for Ayan Mukherjee’s next film, ‘Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani’.

Hrithik to take Suzanne on a road trip across Europe

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Hrithik Roshan has been working non-stops for last one year. After completing, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ , he soon started the shooting for Karan Johar’s ‘Agneepath’. Both the film fared well at the box-office and Hrithik got good return of his hard work. Now, the hunk is planning a road trip to Europe with wife Suzanne Khan which is a long pending plan.

Manmohan Singh Says Hello To Gilani In Seoul

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said hello to his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani when the two leaders saw each other prior to a dinner hosted for dignitaries attending the Nuclear Security Summit here.

“Prime Minister said hello to Mr Gilani,” Indian sources said, describing it as a “meet and greet” encounter.

Earlier, both the Indian and Pakistani sides said that no formal meeting has been scheduled between Singh and Gilani but at the same time they did not rule out a ‘pull aside’ meeting during the summit.

——PTI

Two new polytechnic colleges in RR Dist

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Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha informed the State Legislative Assembly during Question Hour on Monday that the State Government was contemplating to establish new government polytechnic colleges in the State.

In his reply to a question raised by TDP MLA K Harishwar Reddy, the Deputy CM said that two proposals for establishment of Government Polytechnics in Ranga Reddy district were under examination. The new proposal includes setting up of a Government Polytechnic College in Parigi. (INN)