Month: June 2012

Rs 35 lakh toilet renovation routine maintenance: Plan Panel

by

The stink over renovation of two toilets in the Planning Commission at a huge cost raged across the political spectrum on Wednesday but its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia sought to fend criticism saying the expenditure was on blocks of toilets meant for all.

Political parties including the ruling Congress attacked the expenditure of Rs 35 lakh on two toilets but the Planning Commission itself came up with a press release terming it as routine maintenance and upgradation work. To call it a a wasteful expenditure was unfortunate.

Afghan Violence Kills At Least 40 People

by

At least 40 people were killed and more than 22 others injured when a motorcycle-borne Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up Wednesday in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city, officials said.

The blast in Kandahar, the former stronghold of the Taliban, around 450 km south of the capital city Kabul, took place next to a bazaar where hundreds of people shop.

“It was a motorbike suicide attack carried out on the road leading to Kandahar airport this morning, killing 40 people and injuring 22 others, all civilians,” Kandahar police chief Abdul Razeq told Xinhua.

Cabinet meet on pension reforms today

by

Seeking to dispel the impression of policy inaction, the government is likely to give a push to pension sector reform by approving changes in the proposed PFRDA Bill so that it can be taken up by Parliament for the passage in the Monsoon session next month.

The government may incorporate a proposal in the PFRDA Bill to ensure assured returns to pension fund subscribers, sources said, adding that this would be in line with the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance.

SC verdict on Nupur’s plea today

by

The Supreme Court will on Thursday deliver its verdict on dentist Nupur Talwar’s plea for bail and review its order of allowing her criminal prosecution in the twin murder case of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

A bench of Justices AK Patnaik and JS Khehar had on May 16 reserved the order after hearing extensively the contentions of Nupur and the CBI which had strongly opposed her pleas.

Nupur had claimed that she was not asking for a clean chit in the murder case but wanted a direction to the CBI to re-investigate the case.

Centre raises Kerala’s Haj quota

by

The Centre has agreed to raise Kerala’s Haj quota by 1031 this year, enabling a total of 7518 pilgrims from the state to fly to Mecca to perform the pilgrimage.

According to state Industries Minister PK Kunhalikutty, a communication from the central authorities in this regard was received on Wednesday.

Mr Kunhalikutty, in charge of Wakf affairs in the state, had earlier written to External Affairs Minister SM Krishna for enhancing the state’s Haj quota, which stood far below the number of aspirants.

Muslims file lawsuit to stop NYPD spying on mosques

by

A group of eight Muslims has filed a federal lawsuit against the New York City Police Department demanding that it bring an end to its surveillance practice initiated in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks of spying on mosques and businesses managed by the community.

The lawsuit, filed today in federal court in New Jersey near here, is the first major legal challenge to NYPD’s spy operations.

Jagan’s custody ends today‎

by

The five-day custody of YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy will end today. Mr Reddy was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI on May 27 in a disproportionate assets case and has been lodged in the Chanchalguda Jail in Hyderabad where the investigating agency is questioning him. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had last week given his custody to CBI till June 7.

Anomalies in projects costs Delhi govt Rs 11 crore extra: CAG

by

Anomalies in working out project costs and irregular award of work for a road improvement project on the Outer Ring Road resulted in an over expenditure of Rs 11 crore by the Delhi government, a CAG report said today.

The audit of the Public Works Department found that the ‘Corridor Improvement for Outer Ring Road from IIT Gate to NH 8 intersection’ that was awarded to Afcons in 2007 was over budgeted by at least Rs 17 crore.

VS Sampath to be new CEC

by

Election Commissioner V S Sampath was on Wednesday appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner who will preside over the next Lok Sabha general elections in 2014.

62-year-old Sampath will take over as CEC after incumbent SY Quraishi demits office on June 10.

Brushing aside BJP Leader LK Advani’s suggestion for a collegium to decide on appointment of CEC and CAG, the government went ahead and named the 1973-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre.

Iran questions upcoming n-talks ‘with no agenda’

by

Iran has said the EU’s failure to arrange experts’ meeting for drafting an agenda about the nuclear talks has created an atmosphere of doubt and ambiguity.

On Wednesday, Tehran said the failure to draft an agenda for the upcoming nuclear talks in Moscow was not conducive to their success, IRNA news agency reported.

Western nations and Israel want to persuade Iran to give up its uranium enrichment programme, which they suspect is aimed at producing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is merely designed to generate energy.

Kalam: I have dream for Chennai

by

Listing out his dream for the city of Chennai, former President A P J Abdul Kalam today said he would like to see smart water grid, usage of biofuel and solar power and separate lanes for pedestrians and cycles come true between 2020 and 2030.

Girl murdered for gold

by

A girl child was murdered for a small piece of gold in the Saroornagar area of the city on Wednesday.

According to police, Ramya Sri, the four-and-half-year old girl was kidnapped by a woman living next door and murdered for the ear rings the girl was wearing. Lakshmi, the woman was allegedly strangled the little girl and threw her body in Talabkatta in the old city. Police have arrested Lakshmi. (NSS)

Congress complains against TRS MLA Ramesh

by

Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar has complained to the State Assembly speaker Nadendla Manohar that Karimnagr district Vemulawada TRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh was living abroad, and was unavailable to the people of the constituency.

Ramesh is the son of veteran communist leader Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao who later joined the TDP and was elected to the Assembly.

Prabhakar has said in his complaint that the MLA was doing nothing for the development of his constituency.

Tax on almost all services from July 1

by

Funerals, betting and gambling have been exempted while almost all other services will be taxed from July 1.

Under the new Service Tax regime, only 17 services are in the negative list, which means they will not be subjected to tax.

The government has widened the definition of ‘Services’ to bring in more activities under the tax net. At present, 119 services that come under ‘positive list’ are levied.

Free education for handicapped

by

Shekinah Foundation has invited applications from physically handicapped boys and girls from all districts in the Stater in the age group of 6 to 14 years, for admission to classes one to tenth in English and Telugu medium, for academic year 2012-13. Free education, lodging and boarding facilities would be provided for the selected candidates, apart from physiotherapy facilities and calipers etc. for the needy.

Turkey to hold political dialogue with EU

by

Turkey and the European Union (EU) will engage in a political dialogue in Istanbul Thursday. The meet will be part of Turkey’s accession negotiation for the EU membership.

The high-level meeting’s agenda will include Turkey-EU relations, the positive agenda initiative launched between the two sides last month, visa and latest developments in the Middle East, North Africa and Western Balkans, Xinhua quoted a statement from Turkey’s EU ministry as saying.

Sunil Sharma nominated to RGIAL

by

The State Government has nominated Sunil Sharma, IAS, Secretary of Infrastructure and Investment Department, as a Director on the Board of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Limited, in place of Suthirtha Bhattacharya, IAS.

Consequent on the transfer of Suthirtha Bhattacharya, as Chairman & Managing Director, Singareni Collieries Company Limited, and posting of Sunil Sharma, as Secretary of Infrastructure and Investment Department, the Government issued orders nominating Sharma on the Board of RGIAL (NSS)

Parrikar backs regional languages in Goa schools

by

Defending his newly-proposed policy on medium of instruction (MoI), Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday said he would strongly back regional languages like Marathi and Konkani, as compared to English, in Goa’s primary schools.

“I studied in a Marathi school up to the sixth standard and my English is as good as anyone else’s,” Parrikar told reporters following a meeting of his cabinet, which formally approved the new MoI policy.

India, Pakistan top diplomats to meet June 29, visa accord soon

by

Pakistan Wednesday affirmed that the liberalized visa treaty with India will be signed soon as the foreign secretaries of the two countries prepare to meet in New Delhi June 29, setting the stage for the visit of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to Islamabad mid-July.

“I will be coming to New Delhi for the foreign secretary-level talks June 29,” Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani told IANS here.

Pakistan Chief Justice urged not to hear son’s case

by

Leader of Opposition in Pakistan’s National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan has said that Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should keep away from his son’s case, Online news agency reported.

But appreciating the chief justice’s effort, Khan said that it was the first case in the history of Pakistan that a Chief Justice of Pakistan has taken a suo moto notice of a case in which his son is allegedly involved in a corruption case.

He told media that the case had now opened and would go very far.

Clinton seeks Russia, China’s help in Syrian crisis

by

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on China and Russia to use their influence on Damascus to stop the Syrian bloodshed, RIA Novosti reported.

But, she said, that it must include a political transition from the Al-Assad regime.

Clinton arrived in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku Wednesday as part of her South Caucasus visit. She held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and their meet focused on issues related to security, energy and democratic reforms.

French Open: Sania-Bhupathi in final, Paes-Vesnina knocked out

by

India’s Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi reached their maiden French Open mixed doubles final but Leander Paes and his Russian partner Elena Vesnina were knocked out of the event here Wednesday.

Mirza and Bhupathi outplayed Galina Voskoboeva and Danielle Bracciali 6-4, 6-2 to enter the mixed doubles final. They will face the Polish-Mexcian combine of Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Santiago Gonzalez in the title clash at the Roland Garros.

The unseeded pair of Klaudia and Santiago caused a shocking upset beating the fifth seeded pair of Paes and Vesnina 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.