Month: August 2012

Appointment on compassionate grounds can’t be to post higher than one held by deceased employee: HC

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A deceased government employee’s relative, who gets a job under Dying in Harness Rules, cannot be appointed to a post that is higher than the one the dead staffer was holding, the Allahabad High Court said today.

The remark was made by Justice S U Khan while dismissing a writ petition of one Amit Kumar who got a job as a peon in the judgeship of Bijnor on the death of his father who was working there in the same category.

Kumar had moved the court with the plea that his qualifications made him eligible for a Group III post and had

Subbarao for stable taxation and investment regime

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Reserve Bank India Governor D Subbarao has appeared to have joined the debate on the recent controversial retrospective taxation provisions saying there is need to have a stable policy, taxation and investment regime to attract foreign capital.

“India has to run a stable policy regime and have a stable taxation and investment regime,” he said during his lecture at the Asia Society here.

–Agencies

Security tightened for YSR Congress’ Andhra shutdown Friday

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Police have stepped up security in view of the Andhra Pradesh shutdown called by YSR Congress Party Friday to protest the government’s failure in solving the unprecedented power crisis.

The opposition party has appealed to all sections of people to cooperate in making the shutdown a success while police announced precautionary measures to maintain law and order.

Police have intensified patrolling and have also warned of action against the protesters damaging buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) and other public property.

Elaborate security arrangements in twin cities for YSRCP’s bandh

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The Hyderabad and Cyberabad police have made elaborate security arrangements in view of State-wide bandh call given by the YSR Congress party over the power crisis.

City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma has warned of serious action against those who forcibly close any business establishment or educational institutions. “Any forcible closure or coercion, direct or indirect will attract the penal action,” he said. Therefore, elaborate arrangements are being made to ensure that the routine life is not disrupted due to bandh, he said.

VHR dismisses NDTV’s survey

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Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao on Thursday dismissed the survey done by the NDTV projecting that YSR Congress party would win majority of seats in Andhra Pradesh, if elections are held now.

Talking to reporters here, Hanumantha Rao wondered as to how the NDTV could favour Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is facing serious charges of corruption. At one side, when the entire national media has been targeting the UPA Government over coal scam based on the findings of CAG report, the NDTV is openly supporting Jaganmohan Reddy while ignoring the cases of corruption against him.

BJP to hold Telangana Poru Deeksha in Delhi from Sept 3

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The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday reviewed the arrangements for the Telangana Poru Deekhsha proposed to be held in the New Delhi from September 3-5.

Addressing the meeting of office bearers of Telangana districts’ office bearers at the State BJP headquarters at Nampally, BJP State president G Kishan Reddy said that the Telangana Poru Deekhsha was aimed at mounting pressure on the Centre over the formation of Telangana State. He also discussed the strategy to be adopted for the successful conduct of Deeksha in the national capital.

Housing schemes’ beneficiaries to get localised services

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Housing Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday stated that his department was taking all steps to rectify the lapses such as typographical errors and others at the initial stages of admission.

Talking to media persons at the Secretariat, he said that the District Collectors have been given full powers to look into the issue. “There is no need for beneficiaries to come to State headquarters for rectifying mistakes and they can sort out the same at the district level,” he said.

Sachin Tendulkar rules out retirement for now

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Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday indicated that he would not retire for now.

“As long as there is a reason to wake up with a reason in the morning, it makes sense in continuing (playing cricket). The day I don`t enjoy wielding bat in my hands, I will think otherwise. But that moment hasn`t come as yet. When I will get that feeling, I will confirm on that,” he said after receiving the Castrol Test Cricketer of 2011 at an awards function here.

His younger contemporaries like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have hung up their boots from international cricket.

Banks have Rs 2,481 crore of unclaimed deposits

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Banks have about Rs 2,481 crore as unclaimed deposits and the government has proposed to credit unclaimed funds of more than 10 years to a new fund.

“Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed that as of December 31, 2011, total amount of around Rs 2,481.40 crore in 1,12,49,844 accounts is lying as unclaimed deposits with the commercial banks,” Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Govt lifts ban on bulk SMSes, MMSes

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The government Thursday withdrew the ban on bulk SMSes and MMSes which was imposed to check spread of rumours related to the violence in Assam that led to exodus of people hailing from the northeastern states from Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune.

The decision was taken after the social unrest that gripped various parts of the country due to the rumours generated through SMSes, MMSes and web contents reduced in last few days, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

Rural telecom subscribers grow at faster rate than urban users: CAG

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Telecom users in rural areas have grown at a faster pace compared to their urban counterparts in the last five years, a CAG report said on Thursday.

Rural subscribers have grown to 282.23 million as on March 2011, from 45.71 million in 2006-07, while the urban user base increased to 564.08 million from 160.15 in the same period, the CAG report tabled in Parliament said.

“The growth rate of subscribers in rural areas during the last five years was higher at 485 percent compared to 233 percent in urban areas,” CAG said.

Karzai moves to replace Afghan security chiefs

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai moved to replace the country’s intelligence chief and the ministers of defence and interior, the first step in what senior government officials said was a planned wider Cabinet shake-up aimed at solidifying the President’s power before elections and the drawdown of foreign forces.

The President also is trying to shore up his shaken security team as his administration struggles to build an Army and police force in the face of a resurgent Taliban as the US and other foreign forces begin to withdraw.

Hurricane Isaac: Jindal seeks more aid from Obama

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Louisiana’s Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal has shot off a second letter to US President Barack Obama within days, seeking more and urgent federal aid for his state and declaration of emergency in the entire region, from where hundreds of people are being evacuated after being hit by hurricane Isaac.

In his letter to Obama, a copy of which was released to the press, Jindal said the widespread impact of hurricane Isaac has escalated to a point that meets the requirements of an expedited major disaster declaration.

Over 4,600 public grievances pending with I-T dept

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More than 4,600 public grievances are pending with the Income Tax department, the government said on Thursday.

As many as 4,618 public grievances are pending with the IT department under the Central Board of Direct Taxes, 4,158 with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 2,161 with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and 529 in the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Minister of State for Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy told Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.

PM asks NAM to take stand on Syria

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Strongly pitching for coordinated global actions against international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday asked the Non-Aligned Movement to take a lead in this and also take a stand based on “universally accepted principles” on Syria.

Tendulkar not thinking of retirement

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His contemporaries like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman may have hung up their bats but veteran Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar says he continues to enjoy his game and is not even thinking about retirement at the moment.

“As long as there is a reason to wake up with a reason in the morning, it makes sense in continuing. The day I don’t enjoy wielding a bat in my hands, I will think otherwise.

PM’s statement on coal block ‘economical with the truth’: BJP

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The BJP on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been “economical with the truth” in his statement in Parliament on the coal block allocation issue as his allegation that states had objected to auctions is baseless as borne out by letters of chief ministers.

The BJP circulated a reply by then Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao in the Lok Sabha on November 28, 2007, stating that the Centre’s view is that rational bidding is unlikely to increase the cost of coal when compared to notified price of Coal India Limited.

Disciplinary action initiated against 9 IAS officers: Govt

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Necessary disciplinary action was initiated against nine IAS officers for alleged irregularities in the last three years, the Government has said.

“During the last three years and in the current year up to August 23, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against nine IAS officers for alleged irregularities while serving in connection with affairs of the Central Government,” Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy told the Lok Sabha in a written reply yesterday.

Out of nine officers, penalty has been imposed on one officer, he said.

Crackers in TN Exp bogie led to spread of fire

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The presence of fire crackers led to rapid spread of the blaze in the gutted bogie of Tamil Nadu Express, in which over 30 passengers were killed last month, forensic experts have claimed.

A senior forensic scientist, who was part of the team that collected burnt articles from the bogie, said “they had found fire cracker material from the bogie which indicates that burning of crackers rapidly spread the fire in the bogie, however, initiation of fire is still not known.”

The fire crackers or its powder seems to have been stored below at least six seats in the coach, he said.

Congress rejects NCP’s pre-poll alliance in Meghalaya

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Thursday rejected the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) proposal for pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the next assembly elections in the state.

Meghalaya is scheduled to go for assembly polls in February-March next year.

“The Congress has always gone alone and the party is strong enough to contest the polls alone,” Sangma told journalists.

“It is time for the state to have single-party government. People of the state are mature enough for their party, which is in conformity with the aspiration of the people,” he said.

Crackers in TN Exp bogie led to spread of fire

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The presence of fire crackers led to rapid spread of the blaze in the gutted bogie of Tamil Nadu Express, in which over 30 passengers were killed last month, forensic experts have claimed.

A senior forensic scientist, who was part of the team that collected burnt articles from the bogie, said “they had found fire cracker material from the bogie which indicates that burning of crackers rapidly spread the fire in the bogie, however, initiation of fire is still not known.”

The fire crackers or its powder seems to have been stored below at least six seats in the coach, he said.

Santa,Banta,Monty and Jaggi joke

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Once Santa & Banta were travelling along with their friends Monty & Jaggi. On a road surrounded by forests on both sides, their car was attacked by robbers. Santa & his friends were pulled out of the car. The robbers blasted the car and took Santa, Banta and their friends in the middle of the forest where their boss was residing.

Now, this boss was fond of jokes. So, he put the condition that whoever tells a joke that makes every single person laugh should be left unharmed and alive, but if one single person doesn’t laugh then the joke-teller would be shot to death.