Month: May 2015

PM Modi chairs high-level meeting on infrastructure sectors

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting on infrastructure.

Besides a broad overview of the infrastructure scenario in the country, the meeting focused on the specific sectors of rural infrastructure, power, coal, renewable energy and petroleum and natural gas.

The Prime Minister reviewed the status of stalled projects in the infrastructure sector. He was apprised of the steps being taken to enhance infrastructure creation in accordance with the Prime Minister’s vision for the 75th year of India’s independence.

Two NRIs offer to build 1,200 houses in Nepal earthquake

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Two billionaire NRIs have offered to build 1,200 earthquake-resistant houses in quake-affected villages of Nepal immediately, Nepal`s embassy in London has said.

Mukesh Kumar Sehgal, managing director of Britain-based SISMO Company that is well known for its building technology, met Nepal`s Acting Ambassador to Britain, Tej Bahadur Chettri, on Friday and offered to build 1,000 quake-resistant houses in Nepal, according to the embassy.

Shiv Sena demands Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s arrest

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Shiv Sena on Saturday demanded the arrest of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and asked the state government to send him to Pakistan on exile.

Terming Geelani as an anti-national who would further fuel militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, activists of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena took out a procession in Jammu and burned a Pakistani flag and an effigy of the separatist leader.

Pakistan sends more aid to quake-hit Nepal

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Pakistan sent more relief assistance to the earthquake-hit people in Nepal on Saturday, officials said.

“At the instructions of the prime minister, two plane loads of relief items were dispatched to Kathmandu on Saturday,” Xinhua news quoted the foreign ministry as stating.

Two C130 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force carried over 600 tents and four tonnes of medicines and dry food items. About a dozen Nepalese postgraduate medical students in Pakistan were also airlifted to look after their countrymen.

CSK opt to field against SRH

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and decided to field against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Saturday.

Teams:

SRH: David Warner (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Naman Ojha, Hanuma Vihari, Eoin Morgan, Moises Henriques, Ashish Reddy, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Trent Boult.

CSK: Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Pawan Negi, Mohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Ronit More.

RPI threatens agitation if bull slaughter ban is not revoked

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Ramdas Athawale, Dalit leader and chief of RPI, an ally of the ruling BJP, on Saturday said his party would launch an agitation if the Maharashtra government did not revoke the controversial ban on bull slaughter, calling it a blunder.

“Everybody supports the ban on cow slaughter which is in place for the last many years. But it was during (Shiv Sena leader) Manohar Joshi’s term as the Chief Minister in 1995 that this bill to extend the ban to other animals was sent to the President for approval. It was pending with the President’s office ever since,” Athawale said.

TDP to launch membership drive to attain national party status

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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Saturday decided to expand its reach in neighbouring states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and also in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in order to establish it as a national party.

The decision was taken in a party’s Polit Bureau meeting chaired by TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in which it decided to launch membership drives in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which have a sizable population of people of Telugu origin.

Parrikar reviews anti-terror operations in Assam

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, on a trip to Assam on Saturday, reviewed the security preparedness and status of ongoing anti-terror operations here.

On the second day of his maiden visit to the northeast, the defence minister visited the Red Horns Division at Rangiya along with Indian Army chief Gen. Dalbir Singh and Lt. Gen. M.M.S. Rai, general officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Command, to review the overall security situation prevailing in lower Assam.

Islam preaches unity, love, harmony and brotherhood: Imam-e-Kaaba

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Imam-e-Kaaba Dr. Shaikh Khalid Al Ghamidi addressing a mammoth gathering at Faisal Mosque on Friday said Islam is the world’s best religion which preaches unity, love, harmony and brotherhood.

The Imam-e-kaaba said the Muslims are the followers of one religion and one Allah and they should help each other in times of difficulties.

He said, ”Our success in this world and the hereafter lies in the pursuance of the Holy Quran and Sunnah of Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).”

BJP leaders attack Arun Shourie over Modi criticism

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BJP today came out strongly in defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Arun Shourie’s attack on his government and said he was a “fair weather friend” and could be having a “grouse” over not getting positions.

The party and its leaders said the former Union Minister was well off-the-mark in his criticism of the government on economic policies, social tensions and relations with opposition parties in a television interview, calling it a “bit unkind” to Modi.

Former Delhi top cop denies claim Dawood negotiated surrender

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Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar today denied reports attributed to him that fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim had negotiated surrender with him months after the 1993 Mumbai blasts and that the government of the day scuttled the plans at the last moment.

Kumar, in an interview to a national daily published today, was quoted as saying Dawood, labelled by the US as Specially Designated Global Terrorist, had got in touch with him and wanted to surrender but the plan was shelved by the government.

Toll in Nepal quake soars to 6,841

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The Nepalese police said on Saturday that the toll in last week’s powerful earthquake has climbed to 6,841 as more reports from remote areas came in and rescue workers retrieved more bodies from the rubble.

More than 14,000 people have been reported injured, according to Xinhua news agency.

Rescue missions failed to reach such remote areas as Gorkha due to obstructions to road traffic.

Insufficient food and water as well as poor sanitation have been posing a threat to thousands living in makeshift tents.

Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to royal baby girl

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The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, on Saturday delivered a healthy baby girl , who is fourth in line to the British royal throne.

The princess, who weighed 3.7kg, was safely delivered at 8:34 am BST, reported the BBC.

Prince William was reportedly present for the birth of his daughter.

Both the Duchess and her daughter are doing well. The baby’s name will be announced in due course. (ANI)

‘Seeking Israeli help to reduce farmer suicides ignores core issue’

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A farmers NGO on Saturday criticized Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ recent initiative of seeking help from Israel to help “reduce” farmland suicides in the state as an attempt to “shift focus” from the core issues of agrarian distress.

The Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) said this distress is linked to mounting debts and frozen institutional credits vis-a-vis reducing rates for cotton in the global markets.

Panchayat Justice: Woman sold off to her rapist for Rs 1 lakh and a plot

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The panchayat decision is not the first to raise eyebrows and what has come as a shocker is a woman was sold to the very man accused of raping her repeatedly.

The shy away incident comes from Gangthala village of Bulandshahr in UP, where the panchayat has decided the fate of a woman and her child.

Shivkumar, a local thug and ‘strong man’, had sexual relations with a farmer’s wife against her will.
The farmer, not able to control the situation went to the panchayat for way out. The panchayat on the other hand, gave an appallingly shocking solution.

BJP has long way ahead: Amit Shah

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BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said his party had a long way ahead and urged party workers to be prepared for the challenge.

Addressing Bharatiya Janata Party workers in this Sikh holy city, Shah said the BJP could not stop at its recent achievement of enrolling over 10 crore members to become the biggest political organisation in the world.

“The BJP has a long way to go ahead. Our workers will have to take the party to every corner of the country,” Shah, sporting a saffron turban, said.

RINL, APMDC to explore, mine magnetite in Andhra

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The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) and state-owned Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) have signed an agreement to form a joint venture for exploration and mining of magnetite iron ore.

Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), a 51:49 joint venture will be formed which will undertake exploration and extraction in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

The agreement was inked by Girija Shankar, vice chairman and managing director of APMDC and D. Nageshwara Rao, director, pperations, RINL, a statement by APMDC said here on Saturday.

`Incredible` Tamim, Kayes anchor `resurgent `Bangladesh’s first Test draw against Pak

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The record opening stand between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes propelled Bangladesh to earn a deserving draw against Pakistan and consequently dashed tourists’ hopes of registering their first win on the tour in the first Test in Khulna on Saturday.

Resuming at the overnight position of 273, Bangladesh carried on in a controlled manner as they reached 300 mark in the 69th over.

Protests continue in Punjab over girl’s death, molestation

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The protests over the molestation and death of a teenaged Dalit girl continued on Saturday in Punjab’s Moga town and other places, with the victim’s family refusing her post-mortem until deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was booked in the case.

The girl was molested and pushed out of a speeding bus owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal and his family’s company, resulting in her death on Wednesday evening.

TMC behind death of youth who protested against gambling, alleges BJP

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday blamed Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons for the murder of a youth who had protested against gambling in South 24

Parganas district.

West Bengal BJP chief Rahul Sinha, who met the family members of the victim today, said, “Today, a youth was killed just because he opposed illegal activities. TMC’s goons have done this thing; everyone is

saying this. This incident would not have taken place if the police had reached on time.”

Competition panel to analyse multi-sided high-tech markets

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India’s fair trade watchdog will now undertake intense analysis of multi-sided high-technology markets involving network industry and more complex markets requiring greater understanding of economic theories, anti-trust analysis and theories of harm, a top official said here on Saturday.

“Recent development about net-neutrality and other high-tech issues is an area where the Commission will be stressing..,” said Competition Commission of India (CCI) member S.L. Bunker.

Facebook connecting millions in Nepal

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Over seven million people in Nepal used Facebook to reach out to over 150 million friends and family members across the globe after last week’s devastating earthquake, a company official said in a statement on Friday.

It also said that the social networking site raised over $10 million in just two days for the victims.

Mark Zuckerberg, one of the five co-founders of Facebook, said: “We activated ‘safety check’ and more than 7 million people in the area have been marked as safe.

BJP downplays Rahul Gandhi’s ‘pro-builder’ remark

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Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday criticized Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi over his remark that the ‘pro-builder’ NDA regime was suppressing

the middle class.

“Rahul Gandhi has the right to go anywhere and meet anyone. But governance and helping in nation’s growth are serious matters,” said Prasad.

“You can’t just disappear for 56 days while the Parliament is on. You come one day, say something and then vanish again,” he added.

The telecom minister also questioned whether Rahul Gandhi had paid a visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi.