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Alliance Air craft grounded after fire alert

     Jammu: An aircraft belonging to Alliance Air made an emergency landing on Saturday after one of it's engines caught fire in Jammu. Airport officials said the pilot averted the possible disaster on time after he noticed smoke emanating from one of the engines. Passengers said they heard a loud noise before the flight was turned back. "There was a loud sound and then they turned the flight back. They asked us to come out soon from the aircraft. We did not know what was happening only later we got to know that the engine had caught fire," said Dolkar, a passenger. Sanjiv Mishri, Airport Manager said: "The pilot of the flight Capt. P. Mishra on take off noticed some unusual noise from the engine number two of the aircraft. And he averted take off at the last moment and came back to the bay and on inspection by the engineer there some problem with the engine was found. The flight was cancelled for the day. Passengers have been put in hotels. Rest of the local passengers has gone home. We'll be putting up an extra flight in all probability tomorrow." The flight carrying 115 passengers, bound for Leh has now been scheduled for Sunday.

Heaviest snowfall in 30 years cuts off Kashmir (Go To Top)

     Srinagar: Fresh snowfall blocked Indian Kashmir's main highway on Saturday, cutting off the valley from the rest of the country. The highway was reopened after being closed for six days on Monday and had to be closed again following heavy snowfall. The 300-km (190-mile) highway connects the Himalayan state's summer capital, Srinagar, with winter capital Jammu. Saturday's snowfall was the heaviest in the last 30 years. But locals in Srinagar, expressed joy, saying it would boost tourism in the region. "I think after ten years, there has been unprecedented snowfall. It is going to be beneficial for the tourism industry. People will come to visit Gulmarg and even to Amarnath," said Ashfaq, a resident. Hamid Butt, another resident said: "It is God's grace that there has been such a heavy snowfall. Otherwise, there has been a lot of strife in the last 15 years. It is God's grace." Earlier this month an avalanche had killed six Indian soldiers guarding a tunnel on the highway. The state's upper reaches received a record five feet snow in Banihal, Panthal and Patnitop areas. The Srinagar-Jammu highway passes through some of the most tricky mountain terrain in the Pir Panjal mountain range of Kashmir.

Goa MLAs shifted to different royal location (Go To Top)

     Jaipur: Goa BJP MLAs have been shifted to a private farmhouse on the outskirts of Jaipur after being mobbed by the media persons at the tourist resort where they were enjoying the royal treatment. The MLAs, reportedly twelve, were flown to Jaipur on Thursday night to keep them together and in good humour ahead of the newly-installed Pratapsingh Rane government's trial of strength due on Feb.24. The farmhouse is located on Jaipur-Ajmer road and the MLAs might go to Delhi to meet President A P J Abdul Kalam before going back home for the power struggle. Fearing the uncertainty and cheating in the Goa political air ahead of the February 24 trail of strength, the BJP sent its MLAs from Goa to Jaipur on late Thursday night. The members were being given a luxurious treatment at a secluded but posh health resort in a village near Jaipur. Goa Governor S C Jamir had dismissed Parrikar led government on February 2 and had sworn in a Congress ministry headed by Pratapsinh Rane. The two-and-half year old Goa government led by the BJP was dismissed shortly after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar won a controversial vote of confidence amidst pandemonium in the assembly when the Speaker had Independent MLA Philipe Neri Rodriguez removed from the House. Speaker Vishwas Satarkar declared that the one-line motion moved by the Chief Minister reposing confidence in his council of ministers was carried after BJP members raised their hands in support while the entire Congress-led opposition was in the well protesting the eviction of Rodriguez. Immediately after the House was adjourned, the Congress-led opposition met the Governor demanding Parrikar government's dismissal. In a sudden development, Jamir dismissed the Parrikar government with immediate effect. The 40 member Goa assembly, with an effective voting strength of 36 now, is equally divided between the ruling party and the opposition and it's very hard to predict which side will win the February 24 acid test.

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