Month: February 2015

Modi to brainstorm with economists at Niti Aayog Friday

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With the first full-fledged budget of the Narendra Modi-led government due Feb 28, the prime minister, who is also chairman of the newly-constituted NITI Aayog, has convened a meeting of eminent experts on Friday to discuss the state of the economy and invite suggestions on the upcoming budget.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Planning Minister Rao Indrajit Singh, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha and chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian will also attend the meeting, the Niti Aayog said in a statement here.

Come clean on religious conversions: BJP tells Akhilesh

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday demanded compliance of the recommendations made by the State Minorities Commission with regard to alleged religious conversions in Agra and Aligarh.

Based on a report submitted by panel chief Shakeel Ahmed to the state government, state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said reference to “intelligence failure” in these incidents is an indictment of the chief minister.

Another complaint against Kejriwal for bribery remark

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A court here Tuesday asked Delhi Police to file reply to another complaint against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly asking voters to take bribes from other parties but vote for his party.

Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Gusain Solanki sought a status report from police on a complaint filed by advocate Ikrant Sharma and posted the matter for Feb 21.

Kejriwal will win Delhi elections, says Ram Gopal Yadav

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Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday expressed confidence over the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) prospects in the Delhi assembly polls, saying AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will win the upcoming Delhi elections.

“Arvind Kejriwal will win the Delhi elections. The BJP is worried because of the popularity of Arvind Kejriwal, that is why it is making allegations against him,” said Yadav.

Ghaziabad AAP convenor sues Shazia Ilmi

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The Ghaziabad convenor of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sued ex AAP and presently BJP leader Shazia Ilmi.

In a defamation case filed against Shazia Ilmi, Thakur Davendra Singh alleged that she Jan 21, 2015, in an interview to a private TV channel alleged that he slapped a girl during her election campaign in Ghaziabad.

According to Singh, Shazia claimed in the interview that when she complained about it to Manish Sisodia, he also ignored it and said Singh was his man and had to be kept in good humour.

Professor thrashed inside Bengal college

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A college professor in West Bengal was thrashed inside the premises more than once by students allegedly owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress Tuesday for a Facebook post critical of the party’s students’ wing.

Amit Roy, associate professor and head of the department of economics at Ghatal Rabindra Satabarsiki Mahavidyalaya in West Midnapore district, later filed a police complaint.

Four swine flu cases in Gwalior

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Four cases of swine flu have been reported in Gwalior district so far, said District Collector P. Narhari Tuesday, a day after a woman died due to the disease.

Another woman is under treatment while two other patients have gone out of the city for treatment, he added.

The newborn daughter of a swine flu patient died Tuesday. Her viscera sample has been sent for testing, he said.

(IANS)

Congress promises shelter to Delhi slum dwellers

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After promising cheap power and water in the first part of its poll manifesto, the Congress Tuesday sought to woo the poor by promising right to shelter to each slum dweller in the national capital.

Releasing the second part of its manifesto, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the capital would become free of beggars if the Congress was voted to power in the Feb 7 assembly polls.

The party also talked about making the city disabled-friendly.

Bank unions declare four day strike from Feb 25

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Unions in the banking sector Tuesday decided to strike work for four days (Feb 25-28) as the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has not come out with any attractive proposals, said a union leader.

“IBA has not come out clearly on the wage revision. They are offering 13 percent hike as against their earlier offer of 12.5 percent,” C.H.Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIEBA) told IANS Tuesday over phone from Mumbai.

Wage negotiations between United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and the IBA were held in Mumbai Tuesday.

France ‘no Jews’ job ad sparks outrage

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An advert for a graphic design job in France has been withdrawn after it said the candidate should “if possible not be a Jew”.

Racial discrimination is illegal in France and anti-racism group SOS Racisme says it is taking legal action, BBC reported.

The ad was posted Monday by Paris-based NSL Studio on jobs site Graphic-Jobs.com.

NSL Studio has apologised for the ad but offered various explanations as to why it contained the offending clause.

VHP leader Togadia banned from entering Bengaluru

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Police Tuesday banned right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia from entering the Karnataka capital Feb 5-11, on grounds of apprehension that his provocative and inflammatory speeches would cause breach of peace.

“We have imposed prohibitory orders banning Togadia’s entry into the city to maintain peace and law and order,” Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi said in a statement here.

Togadia is scheduled to participate in a VHP convention (Hindu Viraat Samavesha) in the city Feb 8.

Vodafone Group CEO meets Ravi Shankar Prasad

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Vodafone Group Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Colao Tuesday met Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and expressed the telecom major’s intent to take part in Digital India and National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) programmes of the Indian government, according to sources here.

Colao said the company wants to partner the Indian government in the NOFN project to help in the last-mile connectivity of broadband, the sources said.

Odisha government urged to reopen closed mines

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The Eastern Zone Mining Association (EZMA) Tuesday urged the Odisha government to expedite the process of opening 18 merchant mines having all statutory clearances in the state.

The mining association said it requested the government to expedite the process of examining the mines and recommend to the central government to operationalise the eligible mines having all statutory clearances.

AAP seeks SC-monitored probe into political funding

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Facing allegations of funding by dubious companies, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday wrote to Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu and urged him to set up a special investigation team to probe funding of his party, the BJP and the Congress for the Delhi elections.

In his letter to Justice Dattu, Kejriwal said the party whose funding is found to be “wrong” should be de-recognised and action taken against its office bearers.

BioAsia 2015 hosts insightful sessions on second day

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The second day of BioAsia 2015 on Tuesday, the 12th annual convention brought together the global industry leaders, researchers, policy makers, innovators, and investors together on one platform to discuss the new opportunities in the transition. The 3-day event is currently being held at HICC, Hyderabad under the theme of ‘New Era of Life sciences – Opportunities in Transition’.

KCR lays foundation stone for IIPH building

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao performed the auspicious Bhoomi Puja for the construction of the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Public Health – Hyderabad (IIPH-H), southern regional campus of the Public Health Foundation of India.

GHMC Chief asks officials to expedite works

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GHMC Commissioner and Special Officer Somesh Kumar has directed all the Zonal Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to expedite the works with regard to graveyards, lakes, green curtains, construction of compound walls at open places on priority basis.

Stating that many of the works have already been sanctioned, Somesh Kumar instructed the officials to take up all the works on immediate basis and complete the same in a stipulated time.

Telangana CS advocates joint inspection of Metro Rail works

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Telangana Chief Secretary Dr. Rajiv Sharma conducted Special Task Force (STF) meeting here on Tuesday and reviewed the progress of Hyderabad Metro Rail project.

HMR Managing Director NVS Reddy made a detailed presentation on the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the decisions of the STF meeting held on January 27, 2015.

Asaduddin Owaisi calls on GHMC chief over pending projects

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Hyderabad MP and MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi called on GHMC Commissioner and Special Officer Somesh Kumar at GHMC Headquarters here on Tuesday and urged him to expedite the completion of pending projects in his constituency.

Asaduddin Owaisi told the GHMC Commissioner that several civic related works have been pending for a long time and they need to be completed on priority basis. They also held a review meeting on various developmental activities of the GHMC.

Now, couples can have rain-free weddings with the help of ‘cloud seeding’

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A UK company is providing new service that will provide guaranteed rain-free weather on people’s wedding day with the help of “cloud seeding” technology.

The new service, by Oliver’s Travels, will charge 100,000 pounds to use chemicals to keep rain from falling and ruining weddings, the Independent reported.

The technology uses silver iodide to “seed” the clouds, the compound allows the water vapour in the clouds to condense, and then produces rain in advance of the big day.

Manhandling of officials: MIM leaders attend court

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM floor leader in Telangana Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi and others attended the court of Judicial First Class Magistrate on Tuesday in connection with alleged assault on district officials.

The two senior MIM leaders, accompanied by party MLAs Moazzam Khan, Mumtaz Khan and Ahmed Pasha Quadri, came to the court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class and Special Excise and Prohibition Magistrate. The presiding officer N. Venkatram adjourned the case to February 10.

Advocates’ human chain disrupts HC work

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Normal functioning of the High Court was disrupted on Tuesday as a large number of advocates staged a protest seeking its immediate division in the old city here. Telangana Advocates, who came all the way from districts to Hyderabad, formed a human chain at Madina Center en route High Court and shouted slogans seeking separate High Court for Telangana State. Telangana Advocates boycotted duties and joined the protests in the joint high court and shouted slogans for its division.

Secretariat premises for SC, BC students hostel urged

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Telugu Desam Party demanded that a multipurpose hostel for SC, ST and BC students should be established in the present Secretariat premises if the TRS Government was determined to relocate the Secretariat to Erragadda by shifting the Chest Hospital.

Political Storm over Shifting of Chest Hospital

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Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to shift the Government General and Chest Hospital from Erragadda to Vikarabad is steadily snowballing into the major political storm.

Though the reason behind the Chief Minister’s decision to shift the Chest Hospital was to relocate the State Secretariat to Erragadda as the present premises was not according to “vaastu”, the Opposition parties charge that there was more to it than meets the eye in the move. They even alleged that the decision of the government was mainly intended to bemifit big business houses.