BJP resolves dissidence in Jharkhand; Mayawati denies involvement in Taj corridor scam; Outcome Budget aimed to bring accountability: Montek; Manmohan Singh to visit Babar's tomb in Afghanistan; 30 people hospitalised as gas tanker leaks in Karnal; India lose to Kiwis by 51 runs, Pathan, Yadav put up valiant show; Sandra Bullock has a tragic 'premonition'; Brittany Murphy credits mum for losing virginity; Di's death may have been accident after all; Belian woman puts hubby for hire on e-bay; Superman seen soaring in Serbian skies; Tom Hanks elected Academy Vice President; Victoria Beckham admits she can't act; Prince Harry dumps Chelsy for scuba-diving; Keanu Reeves dating Diane Keaton; Victoria Beckham is addicted to cigars; Madonna may return as 'Evita' at West End; India Travel Times, Indian News, Tourism, Hotels, Airlines, Tour, Travel, Ayurveda, Yoga, Festival, Hindu, Taj Mahal, Kathakali, Dance,

Home Contact Us Dateline New Delhi, Friday, Aug 26, 2005

BJP resolves dissidence in Jharkhand

New Delhi: Dissidence within the Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janta Party blew over on Friday with the state's Chief Minister, Arjun Munda, working out differences with his colleagues. The rebels said they were satisfied with the formation of a coordination committee for a smooth functioning of the government. The legislators were reported to have complained against what they say was Munda's autocratic governance in a coalition. Jharkhand has a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. "A decision has been taken. This decision is for the welfare of the state, how we can take it to new heights. The situation of strife is no longer there and we will all work together for a better future for the state," Sudesh Mehto, one of the key dissidents and an independent deputy, said after the meeting. "When a big family is there then there are at times situation when it becomes necessary for people to sit together and consider the problems carefully and find a solution. I am happy that today we have sat together and worked out a way to resolve our differences and work for the welfare of the state," Munda added.

Mayawati denies involvement in Taj corridor scam (Go To Top)

Patna: BSP leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati today denied any wrongdoing in the Taj Corridor case. Speaking at a public rally in Patna, she accused the opposition BJP and the ruling Congress party of falsely implicating her in the case. "The BJP implicated me in the Taj corridor issue while the Congress wants to complicate the matter," said Mayawati. The Central Vigilance Commission had on August 22 recommended legal action against Mayawati and a key minister for graft in the Taj Corridor case, in which top government officials were accused of illegally allowing construction near the Taj Mahal in Agra. The massive 175 million rupees project envisaged construction of shopping malls, entertainment complexes and amusement parks in the backdrop of the Taj Mahal, among the Seven Wonders of the World. Mayawati also declared that her Bahujan Samaj Party did not intend to enter into any alliance with other party for the ensuing assembly elections in Bihar. "In the ensuing assembly election in Bihar, our party would contest the elections on our own. We will try to secure absolute majority. We hope that we will not have to ask for or lend support to any other party to form the government," Mayawati added. The Taj corridor case, which snowballed into a national controversy, led to the fall of the Mayawati-led state government in 2003, besides the suspension of some top officials. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in its report submitted to the Supreme Court, implicated Mayawati, but its findings were opposed to that of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had favoured closure of the case against her. A blatant flouting of heritage conservation norms of the Centre, the Taj issue was highlighted when newspapers reported land fill work was in full swing for the complex just 300 yards off the other bank of the Yamuna River flowing behind the Taj. The Taj Mahal, among the Seven Wonders of the World, was built by Moghul emperor Shah Jahan as a monument of love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. An army of 20,000 stonemasons, gem cutters, marble fitters and labourers toiled for 22 years to build the white-marble monument.

Outcome Budget for accountability: Montek (Go To Top)
by Gyanendra Kumar Keshri

New Delhi: Outcome Budget is aimed to ensure proper and verifiable use of resources and would bring accountability among various departments and ministeries to deliver in the stipulated time. "It is a huge beginning, if a ministry or department fails to deliver, it might have to suffer in their allocations next fiscal which will force them to deliver," said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission while talking to ANI on the sideline of a book release function "India: Industrialisation in a Reforming Economy." He said that the Outcome Budget is a complex process as it talks not only about budget but also about outcome. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman who was instrumental in bringing out the first-ever Outcome Budget tabled in Parliament on Thursday by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, admitted that it was not a perfect document and a lot of improvement was needed. Lauding the attempt of the government to bring out the Outcome Budget, C Rangarajan, Chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council said that it would translate financial outlays into physical targets. From here it would be easier to measure the achievements of various programmes and schemes, he said. Commenting on the derailment of disinvestment process, Rangarajan said that it would have an impact on the economic reform process. However, he said that there are other crucial issues like labour laws where government need to take proper policy initiative. He said that the present economy growth rate is sustainable as it has been supplemented by almost all sectors. However, he said that there are constraints of physical infrastructure. Dr Rangarajan had earlier released a book entitled ''India: Industrialisation in a Reforming Economy -- Essays for Prof K L Krishna'' edited by four eminent economists -- Suresh D Tendulkar, Arup Mitra, K Narayanan and Deb Kumar Das.

Manmohan Singh to visit Babar's tomb in Afghanistan (Go To Top)
by Smita Prakash

New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will visit the Bagh-e-Babar complex in Kabul which houses the 16th century Mughal ruler, Babars tomb and mosque, on the second day of his two day visit to the Afghan capital over the weekend. The government and the Congress party would not want to attach much significance to the ironical fact that the current Indian Prime Minister was part of Narasimha Raos Congress cabinet when the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 in Ayodhya by right-wing Hindu fundamentalists. The Prime Minister who will be in Kabul on 28th and 29th of August will meet with President Karzai and his cabinet. Several high level meetings are slotted to take place, besides the visit to the tomb and the laying of the foundation stone of the new Parliament building in Kabul to be constructed with Indian assistance in the presence of former Afghan king Zahir Shah, now the Father of the Nation. The Prime Minister will also hand over a fully renovated school to the Afghans. Indias assistance Afghanistan is one of the largest in the region, close to 500 million dollars. Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said that India is one of the most important donor contributors to Afghanistan and the assistance is quantified in a myriad terms such as infrastructure assistance, help in social restructuring, health and education and information technology. India has also trained civil servants and policemen from Afghanistan. Saran also said that assistance could have reached Afghanistan in a quicker and more efficient manner had Pakistan cooperated in allowing transit routes. But the Indian government was working towards this by developing infrastructure, including better roads, between the Bandar Abbas port in Iran (where Indian goods land) and Afghanistan. Saran said that if Pakistan claims that it sees itself as a bridge between Central and South Asia then it should, by the nature of that argument, allow passage of goods between South Asia and Afghanistan and forward to Central Asia. The Indian foreign secretary said that there was a dichotomy of sorts here as Pakistan seems to have no objections to the proposed oil pipeline passing from Iran to India transiting through Pakistan but it has objections to a road transit route. Saran said that this issue is an extension of the peace process that India and Pakistan is discussing currently as peace and progress of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan is in the interest of the subcontinent. He also said that India noted with concern the resurgence in the activities of the Taliban, and its hit and run activities from the border with Pakistan.

30 people hospitalised as gas tanker leaks in Karnal (Go To Top)

Karnal (Haryana): Thirty people, including eleven women, three children and three policemen were hospitalised when they fell unconscious due to leakage of a chemical gas from a tanker near the Liberty crossing in Balri village of Karnal district in Haryana yesterday evening. The tanker was coming from Mumbai, when the chemicals (liquid bromine) started leaking, and very soon, it was covered by red clouds formed by the chemicals. Various cases of eye irritation and falling unconsciousness were soon reported in the surrounding areas, and the sufferers had to be taken to local hospitals. However, no case of death has been reported till now. Earlier, the driver of the tanker fled from the spot when he came to know about the leakage. Fearing an explosion, the local police took charge of the matter and moved the leaking vehicle away from the road. In doing so, three policemen also fell victim to the poisonous chemical. Bromine is a highly corrosive chemical, and generally, it is used to make insecticides. Its vapours are heavier than air and can burn the eyes, nose, mouth, throat and lungs. 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane are known to be carcinogenic meaning they cause cancer. 1,2-dibromoethane is also a reproductive and developmental toxin.

India lose to Kiwis by 51 runs, Pathan, Yadav put up valiant show (Go To Top)

New Delhi: India today lost to New Zealand by 51 runs in their opening match of the Videocon Cup cricket tri series in Bulawayo. India's batting once again collapsed from a fierce Kiwi attack, despite a fabulous spell by the Indian seamers who restricted the Kiwis to 215 all out. Kiwi speedster Shane Bond uprooted Indian stumps one after the other to leave the Boys in Blue tottering at 164. He scalped six wickets for only 19 runs. The Indian batting line up was pathetic from the very start and at one time the score stood at 44 for eight wickets, leaving India well poised to beat its own lowest record in a One day International. A valiant effort by Irfan Pathan (50), and JP Yadav (69) saw the team through to 164. The duo provided a partnership of 118 runs.

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