Congress
releases manifesto for Maharashtra polls
Mumbai:
The Congress party and the NCP released their joint
manifesto for the forthcoming Maharashtra polls today. Both
parties are jointly contesting the 288-member state elections
to be held on October 13. Prabha Rao, the state Congress
chief, said that the Congress-NCP alliance would create
10 million jobs if returned to power. "For farmers we will
give free electricity. We will also provide insurance for
the crops of farmers. We will also be providing jobs to
10 million unemployed youth in the next five months," Rao
told reporters here. The manifesto focuses on development
and employment, free power to farmers and a special Rs.1.5
million special package for the development of Mumbai. The
alliance, keeping in mind the agrarian state's economy,
has promised continuation of the cotton monopoly scheme
for the farmers and waiver of loans for cotton farmers.
The manifesto, however, did not mention the crucial issue
of separate statehood for the Vidharba region. But the issue
of the tribal-dominated mineral rich region's development
has figured in the manifesto with a special package for
the backward areas.
Postal
department turns blue (Go
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New
Delhi: The Department of Posts, which is celebrating
its 150 Years, today changed its uniform from Khaki to blue.
Vijay Bhushan, Secretary, Department of Posts, said that
the new uniform has been introduced to give a corporate
image to the department. "The main reason why we thought
of changing was first of all the celebration of 150 years
of Post office; we must have something to symbolise a change.
Secondly, we wanted an identity, an image building exercise,
an identity of a corporate image," Bhushan said. "Blue is
one of the smarter colours, and I think, when our people
wear the uniform, they must have pride in it," he added.
The staff members of the department also expressed their
happiness over the change in the colour of their uniforms.
"Initially the uniform used to be cotton, then came Khaki
terry cotton. This time they have come out with blue, which
is like Air Force uniform and the colour is very good. The
cloth is very good and I feel very comfortable wearing it
and is much better than the earlier one. The government
should make more improvements like sticking government monograms;
it will look better," said Kartar Singh Puran. Bhushan said
that the blue uniform will be initially used by postmen
in metros and will slowly be implemented in rural areas
too.
Left
meets PM on planning panel row (Go
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New
Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a breakfast
meeting today with Left party members to discuss the Planning
Commission's latest move to dissolve all of its consultative
groups. The crucial meeting was held in the wake Left protests
and demands to remove foreign experts from the commission.
Left parties welcomed the move and said that it was for
the panel now to decide how it would carry out consultations
for the mid- term appraisal of the Tenth plan. CPI(M) politburo
member Sitaram Yechury, who was accompanied by CPI(M) leader
Harkishen Singh Surjeet, D Raja (CPI), Abani Roy (RSP) and
D Biswas (Forward Bloc), said that they were satisfied with
the decision of the Planning Commission to deal individually
with different economists. "The issue was unnecessarily
blown out of proportion as we had, much earlier, left it
to the Prime Minister to take a decision on the matter,"
Yechury told reporters after the nearly hour-long meeting.
"We had raised objections on a matter of principle that
whether we should include experts from international agencies
in official Indian bodies," he added. Asked whether the
Left was against consultations with foreign experts, Yechury
said consultations with all kinds of experts have been carried
out as a practice for the past 54 years and no objection
had been raised so far. "It was only now that such experts
were inducted into the official bodies, which we objected
to. It was turned into a big controversy unnecessarily as
these groups generally meet only twice to carry out the
mid-term appraisal," he said. The Prime Minister also briefed
the Left leaders about his recent visit to the US and his
talks with top world leaders, including Pakistan President
Pervez Musharraf.
Two
ultras killed in Rajouri, 3 hideouts busted in Doda (Go
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Jammu:
Two militants were killed in an encounter at Dosai village
in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir last night, official
forces said here today. Meanwhile, security forces busted
three hideouts at Nawanal, Gagsola and Lagali in Doda district
of Jammu division and recovered one UBGL attachment, two
AK-rifles, eight magazines, 18 rounds of pistol ammunition,
two Chinese grenades and three detonators from their possession.
SC
issues notices to Laloo, Rabri and Centre in fodder scam
(Go
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New
Delhi: The Supreme Court today issued notices to Railway
Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri
Devi, the Centre and the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) on a petition alleging that efforts were made by the
UPA government to scuttle the prosecution of the accused
in the multi-crore fodder scam case. The court also issued
a notice to the Central Board of Direct Taxes on an allegation
that the Patna Income Tax Tribunal had hurriedly quashed
the income tax demand involving huge money against Yadav.
25
people killed in suicide attack in Sialkot (Go
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Sialkot
(Pakistan): A suicide bomber killed at least 25 people
in a mosque packed with worshippers and wounded more than
40 during Friday prayers in Pakistani city of Sialkot, police
said today. More than 1,000 people from Pakistan's Shi'ite
Muslim minority were crowded into the Zainabya mosque when
the blast ripped through the building, police said. Information
Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told reporters that the attack
might be retaliation for the killing last Sunday of the
most wanted Pakistani militant, Amjad Hussain Farooqi. Regarded
as the main link between Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda and
local militant groups, Farooqi was a key suspect in two
assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf last
December. Bodies were blown to pieces by the blast. The
explosion created a crater more than 2 feet deep. No group
has taken responsibility for the blast targeting Shi'ite
Muslims, who account for 20 percent of Pakistan's 150 million
people. Meanwhile in , Pakistan President General Pervez
Musharraf strongly condemned the dastardly act of terrorism
in Sialkot and reaffirmed commitment of the government to
root out terrorism and ensure peace and security to the
citizens. In a statement he said the incident "clearly shows
that terrorists have no religion and are enemies of the
mankind." He expressed shock and grief that the terrorists
hit the worshippers when they were offering their Friday
prayers. General Pervez Musharraf reaffirmed the commitment
of the Government to root out the menace of terrorism and
ensure peace and security of the citizens.
Blair
in hospital (Go
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London:
British Prime Minister Tony Blair was being treated
in hospital for a recurring heart condition today. Blair
was sedated for the two-and-a-half-hour procedure and was
expected to stay in overnight. The Prime Minister looked
relaxed and insisted he was "fine" as he left No 10 for
Hammersmith Hospital, in west London, with wife Cherie just
after 7 am. The 51-year-old premier revealed he was undergoing
treatment for an irregular heartbeat in dramatic TV statements
last night. Deputy John Prescott today said he had known
"for some time" that the Prime Minister was to undergo the
procedure. Downing Street refused to reveal whether Mr Brown
or other Cabinet colleagues had been informed. The Prime
Minister is expected to return to work soon and still plans
to make an official visit to Ethiopia next week. Mr Prescott
said he fully expected Mr Blair would "get on with his job".
Speaking on a British TV channel , he said: "The man's certainly
got a lot of energy, will be committed to the job, and wants
to get on particularly with visiting the world and dealing
with the kind of problems that Bono was congratulating him
on." One of the country's leading cardiologists, Dr Andrew
Grace of Papworth Hospital, said the procedure which Blair
has undergone has a high success rate.
Tendulkar
included for first two tests (Go
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Bangalore:
The BCCI has announced the inclusion of Sachin Tendulkar
in the 15-member squad for the first two Test matches against
Australia. The other included are Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer
Khan and opener Aakash Chopra. The selectors decided to
pick up Tendulkar, following a medical report stating that
he was "progressing well". However, he will have to pass
a fitness test before taking the field. The squad includes
Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar,
Virender Sehwag, Aakash Chopra, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh,
Mohammad Kaif, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Parthiv Patel,
Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik.
Hockey
Test: India squander lead to be held to a 4-4 draw (Go
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Lahore:
India missed out on a great chance to square the series
as they squandered a two-goal advantage to be held 4-4 by
Pakistan in a thrilling encounter in the fourth hockey Test
here today. India, who were leading 4-2 with just 13 minutes
to go for the match, paid the price for being a trifle casual
as their arch rivals bounced back strongly to score two
goals in a span of 10 minutes to maintain their 2-1 lead
in the series. A mid-field blunder saw Akhtar Ali scoring
in the 57th minute before a 67th minute strike by Rehan
Butt helped Pakistan level the score in the final match
of the Pakistan-leg at the National Hockey Stadium. The
teams would now proceed to India tomorrow to play the remaining
four matches of the Friendship series to be held in Delhi
(October 4), Chandigarh (October 6), Amritsar (October 8)
and Hyderabad (October 10). Vikram Pillay (15th), Sandeep
Singh (39th), Arjun Halappa (49th) Ignace Tirkey (51st)
scored for the Indians while Pakistan struck through Sohail
Abbas (14th and 42nd), Akhtar Ali (57th) and Rehan Butt
(67th).(ANI-with other wire inputs)
Zee
moves SC for telecast rights of India-Australia series (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Zee Telefilms today filed an application before
the Supreme Court seeking telecast rights for the India-
Australia Test cricket series starting from October 6. The
court has fixed Tuesday for hearing of the application.
On Thursday, the BCCI had announced that it would give the
rights of production to Ten Sports while Sony Entertainment
Network would be responsible for the series telecast, distribution
and marketing rights. Zee wants the apex court to give directions
to the BCCI not to give television coverage rights to Sony
TV and Ten Sports. The matter is pending before a five-judge
constitution bench.
Ponting
shattered by second Test blow (Go
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Sydney:
A stunned Australian captain Ricky Ponting has expressed
his disappointment over missing the first two Tests of the
four Test series against India in India. As he left the
Sydney office of hand specialist Dr. Ian Hargreaves yesterday,
his thumb heavily bandaged, Ponting who was surrounded by
a horde of Indian fans, clamouring for a handshake or a
photograph, said that he was shattered by the latest developments.
"Missing one Test is disappointing enough. So, I'm obviously
shattered that I won't be part of the series until at least
the halfway mark," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him
as saying in a statement "But it's an outcome I was prepared
for. Because of the delicate nature of the injury, there's
not a lot I can do until the bone is fully repaired," he
added. Ponting will visit Dr. Hargreaves again on October
14, the same day his side begins the second match against
India in Chennai. Ponting's replacement in the Australian
squad, Victorian right- hander Brad Hodge, is vying for
a place in the Test squad along with Michael Clarke. Both
are currently playing against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai
in a tour opener. It is also expected that either Adam Gilchrist
or Simon Katich will assume Ponting's No.3 position.
STT
becomes effective from today (Go
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Mumbai:
The Securities Transaction Tax (STT) regime covering
shares as well as mutual funds will come into effect from
today, with the government already notifying the rules for
levying STT. As part of STT, the tax of 0.075 percent of
transaction value would be levied on the buyer and the seller
for delivery-based trades on stock exchanges, whereas the
tax of 0.015 percent would be levied on seller of securities
for non-delivery based transactions. In the derivatives
segment, STT would be imposed on the sell side at rate of
0.01 per cent for futures and options trade.
