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Angry RJD members bring Parliament to a standstill

     New Delhi: Both Houses of the Parliament were adjourned for the day following an uproar by angry RJD members over an alleged attack on Railway Minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav by Sangh Parivar activists in Gujarat today. The party MPs demanded the dismissal of the Narendra Modi Government and termed the attack as "pre-meditated conspiracy". BJP benches retaliated and the scene became chaotic during the post-lunch session. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House for the day, while Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Monday by Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan. Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee's assurance that the government was ascertaining the facts also didn't work and the agitated RJD members continued their protest against the attack, which occurred when Lalu had gone to Samalaya in Gujarat in connection with a train accident.

Second Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus reaches Kaman post (Go To Top)

     Srinagar: The second Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus carrying 22 passengers reached Kamal Post today amid tight security. The Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus carrying 11 passengers has also reached the 'Aman Setu' near the Kaman post. They have crossed the bridge and are on the way to Srinagar now. The 22 passengers who boarded at Srinagar are having tea and coffee at Slamabad guesthouse. Among the 22 passengers who boarded the bus from Srinagar, 11 were residents of PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), who had come to India on the first bus. A powerful blast near the Baramulla bus stand occurred just a few hours before the bus started. All routes had been sealed in the wake of threat from terrorist outfits. Unlike last time, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave green signal to the first trans-border bus on April 7, no media hype and coverage was given to the bus that rolled from Srinagar this time. Following the threats from four militant outfits, namely Al- Nasireen, Al-Arifeen, Save Kashmir movement and Khidam-ul-Millat, high security was provided to the passengers, who were lodged overnight at Nehru Guest House at Cheshmashahi One of the PoK travellers Syed Sana ul Haq said that the bus service had brought hope and a new era in Indo-Pak relationship had started. "There the political situation is alright. The political leadership desires a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue through dialogue. They want both the countries to live in peace. The public want cooperation between the two," Haq said. All the passengers of the first bus went through an emotional reunion after arriving in India. Some passengers saw family members for the first time in their life. The trans LoC bus service has been dubbed to be the mother of all CBMs between two countries.

Illegal arms factory raided in Gaya (Go To Top)

     Gaya: Police in Gaya district have recovered a huge cache of arms, including hand made weapons from an illegal arms factory in Digdi Matuya village, near here. The owner of the factory Mohammed Iftiyak and some of his workers have been arrested. "We received information that Maoists are running an illegal arms factory. Then we raided the place and arrested a person called Mohammed Iftiyak. That place was a mini arms factory," said Janardan Singh, Station House Officer of the Konch Police station in Gaya District. Illegal arms factories are flourishing in Naxalite affected districts of Bihar like Jehanabad, Gaya and Nalanda. Maoists and other Naxalite groups are driving force behind these units. There are over 1,500 illegal arms manufacturing units in Bihar and most of them are located in the Nalanda, Nawada, Gaya and Munger districts. The general breakdown of law and order, the proliferation of criminal gangs, the presence of Naxalites and private armies of landowners including the Ranvir Sena, the criminalisation of politics, an ill-equipped police force and the existence of a collusive network between criminals, extremists, and a section of politicians have all contributed to the rampant use of illegal guns in the state particularly during election time. The arms are smuggled across to different parts of the country, especially to the Naxalite outfits and criminal gangs, mainly in Jehanabad district. The situation is nearly same in some of the neighbouring districts like Jehanabad and Gaya. Many unemployed youth are engaged in the manufacture of illegal arms, made through the use of indigenous materials.

Bihar's burning summer has people running for cover (Go To Top)

     Patna: Bihar's burning summer is having its people running for cover, and searching for cooler alternatives The sizzling summer has left the denizens of Bihar's state capital parched with thirst, and with temperatures crossing the 40-degree Celsius mark for the first time this season, the state also faces the possibility of a looming power crisis and a receding water table. The weather office here is refusing to speculate on how high the mercury will rise this year.The availability of water has already become a problem with ground water levels going down and pump houses becoming non-functional because of the power crisis. "Their is a lot of electricity problem and no signs of relief from the intense heat. When we come out of our workplace we straight away go and fetch some cold drinks. This is our only relief in the harsh summer." said Kamlesh, a local resident. For the rich, there is succour in the form of air conditioners or air coolers, but for the poor, the only solace seems to be the local juice vendor or beverage joint. Walking the streets is no easy task. People are covering their heads as well as their noses and mouths to escape the warm breeze. The sale of earthern pots and jars is at its peak. For the poor these pots are the only means to get cold water. The water in these pots stays cool for a long time and is also considered healthy. For those who cannot afford buying a fridge these pots are the only option. "The rich can afford fridges, but not all. During summers the demand for earthern pots increases because the water remains cold in them. The water in these is cold and also very healthy," claims Ram Bhajan, a manufacturer of earthern pots. It appears that Patnaites are headed for a long, hot summer. "If you compare the temperature with that of last year it is equally hot. In April last year the average temperature of Patana, Gaya and Bharatpur where the departments station is, was 42 degree celcius and this year it is 41 degree celcius, so their is no major difference." said T.N Jha, Director Metrological Department, Patna.

Goa witnesses huge destruction after cyclone (Go To Top)

     Panjim: Goa is witnessing a huge destruction after the cyclone struck the state Wednesday evening. Fishermen, who came to Vasco jetty to unload their catch saw the storm wrecking their fishing trawlers. At least 20 fishing trawlers, reportedly, sank into the Arabian sea and an equal number of trawlers were damaged. Although no loss of life has been reported yet, but fishing activities in the state have been effected badly as the labourers have abandoned the thought of going to the sea for the time being. The storm disturbed the normalcy of life in the state. Along the National Highway 17 that connects Maharashtra and Karnataka, several trees were uprooted. The storm also snapped the electricity lines causing blackout in most parts of the state.

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