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Kolkata bandh disrupts train services
Kolkata, Aug 5 (ANI): Shops and businesses were shut down and transport was hit on Monday in West Bengal by a 24-hour general strike called in protest against a move to split the country's giant Eastern Railways. Police said thousands of extra security personnel were posted across the state to maintain normalcy. The state's main opposition party, Trinamool Congress, announced the strike to protest against the move to carve up Eastern Railways, headquartered in Kolkata, into two parts. A spokesman for Eastern Railways, which handles all traffic for eastern India, said long-distance and local services were disrupted by protesters who blocked rail tracks. Train services in both Howrah and Sealdah divisions of Eastern Railways were stopped by the protesters, much to the discomfort of the passengers. "Today's shutdown will affect all those people who use the trains to go to work in faraway places. All those people who are coming from Delhi or Bombay are stuck somewhere in the middle and are very troubled," said Ravish Kumar, a resident of Kolkata. Trinamool Congress Party leader Mamata Banerjee says the decision to split the railways with neighbouring Bihar would hurt West Bengal's economy and mean fewer jobs in the state which has high unemployment. A section of the state population supported the cause, but opposed the shutdown call. Banerjee has threatened that her party would withdraw support to BJP-led coalition in protest if the decision is not revoked. But the exit of the Trinamool which has nine members in the 545- seat lower house of parliament would not hurt the coalition government which would still enjoy a comfortable majority. In Kolkata, most shops and offices did not open on Monday and early morning traffic was negligible. Several Indian Airlines flights originating from the city were also cancelled. The ruling Communists have opposed the strike but have asked New Delhi to rescind its decision to split the railways. The Congress has however said they will neither oppose nor support the strike. Government buses and trams besides some private buses and mini buses plied in Kolkata. The state government ordered additional police deployment at railway stations, airports, bus stands and offices to ensure normalcy.(ANI) Opposition demands Ram Naik's ouster
New Delhi, Aug 5 (ANI): The Opposition on Monday demanded the resignation of Petroleum Minister Ram Naik over reports of alleged irregularities in the allotment of petrol pumps. Congress member Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said petrol pump licences had been allotted to relatives of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in violation of rules. "The way petrol pumps and other gas agencies have been allotted by the Union Petroleum Ministry shows that the assurance the Vajpayee government made to the country to fight against corruption and nepotism is all false. The way party workers of the BJP have been allotted agencies in violation of all laws is bad," Dasmunshi said. The BJP and Ram Naik denied any wrong doing. Inside Parliament, the lawmakers stalled Question Hour raising anti-government slogans. They flaunted a copy of the newspaper which reported the alleged irregularities and demanded revocation of those licences and an inquiry. The BJP has said that Naik will make a statement in parliament to make the entire selection process of petrol dealers transparent.(ANI) Stress on short-term plans to overcome power crisis
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to top New Delhi, Aug 5 (ANI): The power ministers of drought-hit states met in the capital on Monday to work out a strategy to tackle the power situation. Ministers from Haryana, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab and various other states were present at the meeting. Suresh Prabhu, Union Power Minister, said that long term plans to solve the power crisis should be worked out but to implement them it will take as long as 5-6 years. So short term plans have to be worked out temporarily. "Today we are meeting specifically to address certain short term measures that can be initiated and taken and commitment can be provided so that short term solutions can be found out," he said. He added that we should try to increase power generation from other sources like thermal or nuclear rather that depending on hydel power. Prabhu declared that states which have surplus power should divert it to the deficient ones to overcome the shortage. The various power ministers speaking to mediapersons after the meeting said that they are hopeful if it rains the crisis may come to an end. Power supply has worsened due to lack of rainfall in the agricultural areas. The western power grid also collapsed on July 30 and darkness engulfed Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Goa.(ANI)
All 32 Rajasthan districts declared drought-hit Go to top Jodhpur, Aug 5 (ANI): With all hopes of monsoons dashed, the Rajasthan Government has declared all its 32 districts drought-hit. The parched and cracked earth has become a cause of worry for the villagers. Most of the crop have perished. The disiater has also led to a large-scale exodus to urban centres. The no-monsoon situation in the state is considered very serious as the rainfall deficiency is estimated at more than 80 per cent in Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Dausa, Sikar and Jodhpur districts. Only 36 per cent of the arable land is sown and 80 per cent of the crops are expected to be lost due to lack of rains. The June-September monsoon rains are vital for agriculture which accounts for 25 percent of country's gross domestic product and provides employment to nearly 70 percent of its population. The worst affected states this year include northern Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, western parts of Rajasthan, southern Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. (ANI)
PM cancels petrol pump allotments made since 2000
Go to top New Delhi, Aug 5 (ANI): Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Monday cancelled all allotments of petrol pumps made since January 2000 after a newspaper reported alleged irregularities. The issue rocked parliament for two days with opposition deputies disrupting business in both Houses. Petroleum minister Ram Naik, who is accused of allotting petrol pumps to family friends and members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has denied any wrongdoing. "He (Prime Minister) had the review and after the discussions it was decided that though the allotments have been made according to the selection process properly, in view of the controversy in a section of media and also in Parliament, a view was taken and then it was decided that the allotments which have been done from January 2000 will be cancelled," Naik later told a press conference. Open tenders will be invited for all the petrol pumps, gas and kerosene agencies affected by the decision. The move takes the steam out of opposition's criticism but Congress spokesman Jaipal Reddy said they would accept nothing short of Naik's resignation and demanded a probe into the scam. Naik, however, denied the allotments were made from his own discretionary quota or at the Ministry's behest and said that procedures were followed by the book. "To have a better understanding, not a single allotment was done from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas or by me as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. None of the cases were recommended and given by us," he said. The BJP has said Naik will make a statement in parliament to make the entire selection process of petrol dealers transparent. Petrol pump agencies are money spinners with little investmment by the allottee. Earlier the Supreme Court had scrapped the Petroleum Minister's discretionary quota when Satish Sharma was the minister in a Congress-led government.(ANI)
I'm willing to share power with Pervez: Benazir
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to top Washington, Aug 5 (ANI): Self-exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said she is prepared to share power with President Pervez Musharraf if elected in the October elections. In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, she said: "Under the Constitution I can contest the election, and I plan to go back and contest it." In the interview, Benazir Bhutto hammered away at a theme that is apparently an effort to win American support for her return. She said democracy was needed in Pakistan for the efforts against terrorism to succeed. Through a series of political gaffes, Gen Musharraf has frittered away the broad public support he once enjoyed for his stated goal of carrying out major reforms, the Times said. Benazir Bhutto's first return from exile, in 1986, was hailed as a victory for Muslim women, courage and democracy. But her two terms in office were marked by accusations of mismanagement and corruption, and she lives in self-imposed exile in London. She fled there in 1999 after a corruption conviction. Her husband has been in prison in Pakistan for six years on corruption charges. Benazir Bhutto said she would fully support the American campaign against terrorism. Her party would soon challenge in court the laws enacted by the Musharraf government that would bar her re- election, she asserted. Asked what she would do if she lost in court, Benazir laughed. "Well, I don't think of losing," she said. "I only think of winning".(ANI) |