|
Railways to convert 1,500 stations into disabled friendly New
Delhi: Indian Railways has plans to introduce special facilities for the physically
challenged at over 1,500 stations in the country. According to senior Railway
Ministry officials, special facilities like access ramps, reserved parking slots,
low height water taps and suitable toilets for differently-abled people will be
developed in phases at important railway stations. "The decision in this regard
has been taken by the Railway Board. We have earmarked 1,560 stations for the
purpose and the work at all these B-Category stations -- most of them in state
capitals and important cities -- will be completed by the end of 2010," a senior
Railway ministry official stated. Besides, non-slippery walk way for the handicapped
and special signage for the blind will also be put up at the stations. The Board
has also decided to have 'May I help you booths' especially to guide and assist
them in case of need. Indian Railways presently have nearly 7,000 stations spread
in 16 zones. Busy junctions and A-1 and A-category stations like Mumbai, Delhi
, Howrah , Chennai, Bangalore , Pune and Hyderabad have these facilities. The
same facilities are also available at some other major stations too. "We have
received a lot of requests from the physically challenged people asking us to
provide these facilities. Soon, we will be coming up with some more steps to suit
their needs," the officer said. Moreover, the Railways have also decided to develop
271 model and 257 modern stations across the country. Nuke
scientist Mahalingam's body handed over to family Top Kaiga
(Karnataka): The recovered body of Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant scientist Lokanath
Mahalingam was handed over to his family on Sunday after due identification by
his wife. Poilce said that Mahalingam's wife identified the body, which was recovered
by Naval divers from the Kali river flowing along the Kaiga Township on Saturday.
e went missing on last Monday. Police said they were investigating whether there
had been any foul play in the incident. A team of doctors conducted post-mortem
of the body. Mahalingam, a scientific officer at the plant, went missing during
a morning walk on last Monday. Intelligence officials were also involved in the
search operations to locate Mahalingam, a scientific officer in the Kaiga generating
station of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) associated with
its training department. NPCIL authorities has already clarified that Mahalingam
did not have any access to sensitive documents. Patil's
CBI custody extended till June 20 Top Panvel
(Maharashtra): A magistrate's court in Panvel, Maharashtra, on Sunday extended
suspended senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Padamsinh Patil's CBI
custody to June 20. Patil has been declared a prime accused in the 2006 murder
of Congress leader Pavan Raje Nimbalkar. Nimbalkar was shot dead by two gunmen
at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai where he was called to discuss a business deal. The
judicial remand of two other co-accused - businessmen Mohan Shukla and Satish
Mandade - was also extended to June 26. The court decision came a day after the
CBI sealed Patil's South Mumbai residence. A CBI team had gone to the house in
Colaba to conduct a search, but since it was locked, the CBI sealed the house
and placed a guard outside. The CBI had arrested Patil on June 6. Patil's arrest
was made on the basis of a statement given by Parasmal Jain, one the arrested
accused, who said Patil ordered him to eliminate Nimbalkar for a contract fee
of Rs.30 lakh. Patil, Jain, Mohan Shukla, Dinesh Tiwari and Satish Mandade have
all been arrested for allegedly murdering Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi
on June 3, 2006. All five accused have been charged under IPC Sections 302 and
120-B, dealing with murder and criminal conspiracy respectively. Before his suspension
from the NCP, Patil was the party's Lok Sabha representative from Maharashtra's
Osmanabad constituency. A defiant Patil has claimed that he is being framed by
his political rivals and forced by the CBI to confess to the crime. He has also
refused to undergo brain-mapping and narco-analysis tests. Five forensic and ballistic
experts have been called in to help the CBI in its investigations.
Chand Muhammad back with Fiza Top Chandigarh:
Former Haryana deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan alias Chand Mohammed on
Sunday added another chapter to his soap opera love story with Fiza or Anuradha
Bali, when he returned to her after secretly marrying and subsequently divorcing
her over telephone. Chander Mohan arrived at her residence in Mohali town, and
apologized to her. "I have apologised to her. I have not divorced her," Chander
Mohan told reporters at her residence. A smiling Fiza said she would consider
his "apology" even though she had not made up her mind so far on forgiving him.
"I will think about living with him again and withdrawing the case against him.
He had been misled by others," Bali said. Mohammad's love story rocked the nation
when he embraced Islam and lost his Deputy CM position to marry his beloved, Anuradha
Bali. The former Haryana CM Bhajan Lal disowned his elder son, Chander Mohan,
for his second marriage, saying it to be a 'shameless act'. Chander Mohan was
removed from the post of Deputy Chief Minister for being absent and neglecting
his work. Later, Fiza tried to commit suicide after Mohan allegedly divorced her
over telephone. Chandar Mohan is a Congress legislator from the Kalka assembly
constituency. Mumbai's
historical David Sassoon Library and Reading Room reopens Top Mumbai:
The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room that was set up in 1870 at Mumbai
is a treasure trove of both knowledge and information. The library was closed
in January for renovation, and reopened on June 9 for the public with almost doubled
seating arrangements. The library has over 500 rare manuscripts and many other
publications of historical relevance. It boasts of more than 5000 members. "Well,
earlier, the reading hall had a sitting capacity of 60-65. We have almost doubled
the seating capacity right now. And we also plan to make the library Wi-Fi also
initiate add Internet facilities...all those procedures are in place," said Vivekanand
Ajgaonkar, President, David Sassoon Library and Reading Room. This library is
open 365 days and is very popular with visitors. However, the authorities are
finding it difficult to preserve the rare books and manuscripts in the library
due to paucity of funds. "We have a collection of about 40,000 books in Indian
languages as well as in English. And there are some of the books that are almost
500 of them almost are quiet rare. Because of paucity of funds we find it difficult
to preserve them," said Ajgaonkar. Incidentally, this library as well as the building
housing it, feature in the list of 145 old buildings that have been declared as
protected monuments and sites by the government. Architects J. Campbell and G.
E. Gosling designed it for the Scott McClelland and Company, The birth of this
library is attributed to a few young mechanics working in the Royal Mint and the
Bombay Dockyard in 1847. They formed a study group to share and promote knowledge.
Their objectives at that time were to set up a library and a museum of mechanical
models and architectural designs, as well as to organise lectures and discussions
on science and technology, thus was born the Sassoon Mechanics Institute. Albert
Sassoon, the son of David Sassoon, the famous Jew philanthropist of Baghdad, helped
realize the dreams of these youngsters. However, with the stoppage of the annual
grant by the imperial government, its activities gradually came to a standstill
until the institute was reduced to its present state, namely a library and a reading
room. Consequently in March 1938 the Sassoon Mechanics Institute was rechristened
as David Sassoon Library and Reading Room. Israeli
PM may accept Obama's Palestine deal Top Jerusalem:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may accept US President Barack Obama's
key demand to publicly accept the idea of a Palestinian state. Despite American
pressure, Netanyahu has not completely endorsed the concept of a two-state solution
to the Israeli Palestinian conflict so far. Sources, however, claimed that the
picture might change soon. Israeli experts say Netanyahu's acceptance of a Palestinian
state is likely to be laden with a lot of conditions. "If we do, we're going to
hear it, with a lot of reservations with a lot of conditions," Sky News quoted
Jerusalem Post's political editor Gil Hoffman, as saying. President Barack Obama
has been demanding progress towards a Palestinian state and also a complete end
to Israeli settlement construction. Netanyahu's aides say his right-wing coalition
partners could desert him and destabilize his government if he moves too much
in Washington's direction. His government has already promised to honour all previously
signed international agreements. The roadmap is one of them, a six-year-old peace
plan that includes the goal of a Palestinian state. By publicly backing the roadmap
for the first time, Netanyahu could give the nod to the two-state solution and
hope not to alienate his colleagues in government too much. If he attaches new
conditions to his acceptance of two states, he may even be seen to have hardened
his position. And he is not expected to give much ground on the issue of settlements
and that question remains at the core of the current rift with Washington. |
