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PMO seeks feedback from secretaries

        New Delhi: As a follow-up on the Prime Minister's address to Secretaries to the government, all Union Secretaries have been asked to take steps to implement the suggestions made by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and send in their feedback on action taken to the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary by November 22. According to a press release, the Secretaries have been advised to draw up a list of key objectives for their respective Ministries/Departments and identify major performance-related milestones to be achieved during the current financial year as well as next year. They have also been requested to draw up innovative action plans for improving the delivery of services related to their Ministries/Departments; prepare a human resource development plan for systematic staffing and processing of proposals for appointments; review rules and regulations and guidelines to identify and weed out redundant ones; evolve and establish performance related rewards and punishments process and an effective grievance redressal mechanism where necessary in each Ministry/Department. The Secretaries have also been asked to specify measures to improve transparency and accountability in the functioning of their Ministries/Departments and to implement these measures forthwith.

Orissa Govt begins yoga for unruly MLAs (Go To Top)

       Bhubaneswar: Orissa government has begun mediation and yoga training to rein in short-tempered legislators, two days after an opposition leader triggered a free-for-all by throwing slippers at the government benches during a debate over a controversial mining contract. State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was hurt when agitated lawmakers pushed a table on to his leg. The one-hour session by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, hugely popular for his soft demure sermons and specialised yoga, was custom-made to help the politicians deal with anger, stress and other negative emotions. Patnaik condemned the incident saying it lowered the prestige of the house. "The violent and roudy incidents that took place in our assembly... I certainly hope they will not be repeated again. It lowers the presitge of the House. Orissa is known for the peaceful way of life," Patnaik said here. Shankar, whose disciples include top actors and industrialists, was upbeat about his new assignment. "With the help of meditation people feel light. It really helps," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar told reporters after the training session. "We can not control everybody. But the message is that it is for the politicians to control themselves. If such things are not controlled then our image will be tainted," assembly Speaker Maheshwar Mohanty said. The violence in Bhubaneswar Assembly was sparked when members from the Opposition Congress began protesting against the grant of a mining lease to a company that plans to set up an alumina refinery in the impoverished state. They said the government had ignored environmental norms.

VHP activists turn violent during temple protest in Guwahati (Go To Top)

      Guwahati: Hundreds of VHP protesters went on the rampage in Guwahati after police tried to stop them from holding a march to protest the alleged demolition of two ancient Hindu temples by the civic administration. The protesters ran through the streets pelting stones, burning tyres and smashing a bus before they were arrested. Police have tightend security amidst fears of a communal flare up. Civic officials say the temples had been demolished to facilitate a footpath construction, a rarity in the extremely congested city, adding that they had also recieved complaints of the premises being used by drug addicts and bootleggers as a safe haven. Defiant activists of the VHP have alleged that Hindu places of worships were being purposely targeted, and vowed to build a new temple at the site. "We will do the purification and then make the temple at the same place. This is our view," Jyotish Pathak, president of the VHP's Northeast wing, said. The city bore a deserted look for most of the day and life came to a standstill as shops, schools and offices remaind shut due to a 12-hour shutdown caller earlier by the VHP.

RSS meet begins at Haridwar (Go To Top)

      Haridwar: The two-day meeting of the RSS national executive began here today amidst speculation of differences arising between the BJP and the VHP on the issue of Hindutva. The meeting is likely to review the political situation in the country after the BJP's two consecutive defeats in Lok Sabha and Maharashtra elections. According to the sources, BJP president L.K. Advani is scheduled to attend the meeting, while VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia, who are attributing the BJP's defeat to the party abandoning Hindutva ideology, may stay out to register their protest against Advani's presence. Former BJP president M.Venkaiah Naidu and party general secretary Sanjay Joshi are also expected to attend the meeting. The session, presided over by RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan and general secretary Mohan Bhagwat, is expected to discuss pet issues like the Census report, Bangladeshi infiltrations and internal security. Over 300 delegates, including representatives of 40 parivar organisations, will take part in the meeting.

VHP boycotts RSS meeting (Go To Top)

      Hardwar: The Vishwa hindu Parishad (VHP) has boycotted the RSS National Executive meeting in view of the differences with the BJP over the Ayodhya temple issue. The two-day meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini Mandal of the RSS began here without the VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia. VHP is unhappy that the BJP is not doing enough on the Ram Janmabhoomi temple issue and had earlier alleged that the BJP had failed to meet the aspirations of the Hindus.

Indian diplomat's murderer remanded till Nov11 (Go To Top)

     London: A magistrate's court in Birmingham has remanded the alleged murdered of an Indian diplomat to police custody till November 11. According to The Nation, Mohammad Aslam, 49, who reportedly kidanpped and killed 48-year-old Ravindra Mahatre in Birmingham in 1984, appeared before the court to confess to his crime, and was remanded to police custody for a week. Mahatre, India's Deputy High Commissioner in Birmingham, was seized by a group demanding the release of Kashmiri prisoners. He was killed by his captors after two days and his body was found at a Leicestershire farm on February 5 1984. A group calling itself the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Army later claimed responsibility for the kidnap and the murder.

Abducted Nepali released, another killed in Iraq (Go To Top)

      Kathmandu: A Nepali national abducted in Baghdad has been released, a local radio reported today. The HBC FM quoting Foreign Secretary Madhusadhan Acharaya said abducted Nepali Inus Kawaree was released unconditionally yesterday. Kawaree, working in Baghdad, was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents along with five others in Baghdad on Monday. The government of Nepal had formed a high-level committee to secure his safe release and a delegation led by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat had left for United Arab Emirates last evening to seek the help of the Gulf countries in this endeavour. Meanwhile, an ex-Gorkha was killed in an ambush in Iraq, according to Kantipur Television. The Television said that Tikaram Gurung, Ex-Indian Gorkha soldier working in Iraq as security guard, was killed in the ambush set to target US coalition forces.