Mahajan's condition 'very critical'

      Mumbai: Doctors attending to senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital on Monday said that his condition has become 'very serious' and that he has now developed an acute respiratory problem. "The condition of Mahajan has become 'very critical' and he has also developed an Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) leading to increase in ventilatory support today," Anupam Verma, Director (Administration), PD Hinduja Hospital said. Mahajan was admited to the hospital on April 22 after his younger brother Pravin fired three bullets at him inside his Worli area flat. According to Verma, Mahajan "liver injury appeared contained, requiring no further intervention". Mahajan has undergone three surgeries so far to contain the blodd loss from injuries to his liver, pancreas and small intestine. Three bullets, one in the muscle of the back (Left Para spinal muscle L2), second in the subcutaneous tissue of the back and the third one in the body of T12 vertebra are still present in Mahajan's body.

CJI flags off Labour Day rally (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Y. K. Sabharwal on Monday flagged off a cycle rally to mark International Labour Day. Sabarwal said labourers should also benefit from the development of the country. "Today rally is an event to make all the labourers aware of their rights and to provide free legal aid. It is the duty of NALSA to do whatever possible for the labour community under the Legal Services Act," said Sabharwal. The International Labour Day commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world and is recognized in most countries. The working class displays its strength through demonstrations and rallies on May 1.

Mysterious fever grips Nagpur residents (Go To Top)

       Kodhaki (Nagpur District): A mysterious fever, identified as Chicken Gunia, has afflicted about 450 persons in about 17 villages of Nagpur District. Similar in symptoms to dengue fever, Chicken Gunia leaves individuals complaining of high fever, body ache, joint pains and spells of nausea. Several patients with symptoms of chicken gunia are undergoing treatment at the Primary Health Centre (PHC). "I suffered high fever. My body became stiff suddenly. I had severe pain in the joints and I find difficulty in walking. I took medicines but it is not helping me. I am still under treatment," said Ramdas, a patient. Fahim Akhtar, the medical officer at the Kodhaki Primary Health Centre, said that blood samples of some of the patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune to confirm the presence of the disease. Chicken Gunia is caused by mosquito bites and at present no vaccine exists to counter it.

Factory blast kills 12 in Uttaranchal (Go To Top)

      Dehradun: At least twelve people were killed and two others, including a woman, critically injured when a tank containing chemicals exploded at a paper mill at Kashipur industrial town of Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttaranchal. Police officials said the incident took place when labourers were working inside a godown, which contained the tank. An officer said a tank containing inflammable chemical exploded killing twelve people on the spot and the whole area caught fire after the blast. Two injured persons were taken to a nearby hospital and their condition is reported to be critical. According to some reports about hundred workers are still believed to be trapped inside the building and there is a likelihood that the casualty figures may rise.

Hearing on Narmada rehabilitation (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The Supreme Court will today hear affidavits filed by four states on the status of rehabilitation work done for those displaced by the Sardar Sarovar dam. The four states include Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan which have filed affidavits on the court's orders. A Government of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, in its affidavit declared that relocation work was mostly completed where as Gujarat's affidavit said that all rehabilitation work was completed. The apex court had on April 15 said that it would stop the ongoing construction work at the Sardar Sarovar Dam, if the rehabilitation work was not done in accordance with its earlier judgement and directive of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal. A special Bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabbharwal, however, gave a week time to all the concerned parties to file their replies to the petition filed by the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the application moved by the Centre. It was hearing a petition filed by Narmada Bachao Andolan, seeking suspension of the construction at the dam. The Court, however, clarified that the Centre and the Prime Minister were free to decide whether the work on the controversial dam will continue or not during this period. The Court had also advised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to rise above party politics and take bold steps for the rehabilitation of the displaced people. The Court had said that the construction work on the Sardar Sarovar Project on Narmada River and rehabilitation of the people displaced by it should go on side by side. The Centre said that the displaced people would be rehabilitated before August 2006. On March 8, 2006, the Narmada Control Authority decided to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam from 110.64 metres to 121.92 metres.

MPs head for US to project India (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: A nine-member, multi-party delegation of MPs is leaving tonight for Washington to project India to the US Congress and the US Government. The delegation will visit Washington, New York and Atlanta during the coming week. This was stated in a press release issued by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here today. CII has multiple activities with the US to build understanding, cooperation and partnership. The organization of a delegation of MPs adds a new dimension to CII's US initiatives and strategy. During the visit, the Members of Parliament will meet Dr. Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, Mr. J D Crouch, Deputy National Security Adviser and the Governor of Georgia, Mr. Sonny Perdue. The MPs will also interact with Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans during their visit as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC), US Corporates, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), US India Business Council (USIBC), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the National Endowment for Democracy among others. The members of the delegation include Mr. Baijayant Jay Panda (BJD), Mr. Deepender Singh Hooda (INC), Mr. Madhu Goud Yaskhi (INC), Mr. Manvendra Singh (BJP), Mrs. Prema Cariappa (INC) Mrs. Preneet Kaur (INC), Mr. Sachin Pilot (INC), Mr. Shahid Siddiqui (Samajwadi Party) and Mr. Suresh Prabhu (Shiv Sena). CII hopes and expects that this powerful and influential delegation of MPs will present India's views forcefully and effectively on a wide variety of issues. CII plans to institutionalise this initiative and organize MPs delegations on a regular basis.

SC stays Sankararaman murder trial (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the trial in the high profile Sankararaman murder case in which Kanchi Sankaracharaya Jayendra Saraswati is a prime accused. A bench comprising Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice DK Jain stayed the trial in the case while hearing a petition filed by Sankaracharya. The seer had challenged the Madras High Court order, which had allowed the Tamil Nadu Government to continue with its own prosecutor even though the case was shifted to the Pondicherry Court following a Supreme Court order. Observing that the "Tamil Nadu Government is no longer a prosecuting State," the bench said that the Tamil Nadu Government had "no business" to go to Pondicherry to conduct the case. The apex court posted the case for further hearing in the second week of July. Earlier on April 27, a Sessions Court in Pondicherry had extended the date for production of an absconding accused, Arumugham, in the case till June 7. Sankararaman was found murdered on September 3, 2004

Maoists for role in Nepal's interim Govt (Go To Top)

       Gulmi Hill Area/Manigram-Butwal (Nepal): A day after Nepal's new Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala invited the Maoist rebels for talks to help bring peace to the troubled Himalayan kingdom, the rebels took out an armed march demanding that an interim government to be formed at the earliest. Koirala's offer came as he initiated a debate over holding elections for a special assembly to draw up a new constitution that would decide the future of the monarchy. The guerrillas announced a three-month cease-fire on Thursday in hopes that the reconvened parliament will call elections to a special assembly, which will write a new constitution. The armed rebels marched through the Gulhmi Hill area to campaign for their demands and remind the political parties to concentrate on democratic and political activities. Maoist leaders also gathered at the Manigram-Buthwal area to create awareness amongst the villagers. "Our party representatives...and the seven parties want to form an interim government. The interim government will draft an interim constitution. We will resolve regionalism, castes and gender biasness and elect a constitution committee. The result, whatever it is will be accepted by all," said Pampha Bhupal, a female Maoist leader. Sunday's parliament session began after Nepal monarch King Gyanendra administered Koirala the oath of office at the Narayanhity royal palace. Koirala, suffering from bronchitis, was due to be sworn in on Friday. The 205-member chamber took the decision at the end of a four- hour debate on the proposal, days after King Gyanendra returned power to the political parties, but it did not set a date for the vote. An election schedule was expected to be drawn up only after Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's government has held talks with Maoist insurgents and won their backing for the plan. Nepal's parliament has been dissolved since 2002, and King Gyanendra assumed absolute power last year, declaring a state of emergency and vowing to crush the escalating Maoist rebellion. The Maoists, who have vowed to end the monarchy and establish a Communist Republic have however, refused to suspend their rebellion and have said they will continue the protests until the parties declare elections for an assembly to write a new constitution.

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