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Red Cross joins Maharashtra flood relief work

     Mumbai: The International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies, in association with its Indian wing, the Indian Red Cross Society, has joined flood relief efforts in Maharashtra especially in Mumbai. While Volunteers of the Indian Red Cross Society, Mumbai are handing out food items and other materials till the wee hours of the morning, Mumbai is gradually getting back on its feet. Red Cross has already distributed utensils,stoves, clothes, medicines and bed sheets. They also have donated five Disaster Water Sanitation Responsive Units to Maharashtra Government which will be installed at selected hospitals and other places. "Our first priority is to continue supplying people with kitchen utensils,sheets,clothing,clean drinking water and not to duplicate what other people are doing. And to work in harmony with the Government,Municipality and the other Government organisations," said Bob Mc Kerrow,Head of Regional Delegation,International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies. The Red Cross team had earlier visited some of the flood- affected areas in Mumbai. Mc Kerrow also expressed appreciation for the relief work done by the Government but added that the devastation could have been averted had there been proper drainage and other disaster preparedness. "A lot of these effects can be minimised and I hope that people have learnt that there is need to have a proper drainage,improved disaster preparedness and disaster warning. But I think the government and the communities have responded very well. In the morning, I saw communities coming to life again. But still there is a lot of work to be done,"said Mc Kerrow. The society is providing relief kits worth Rs.seven crores( $ 16.1million) Meanwhile, Mukesh Ambani has announced plans to donate Rs. 5 crore( 11.5 million dollar) on behalf of the Reliance Group of Companies. All relief materials and donations have been handed over to the Maharashtra government for onward distribution.

Murder in Ahmedabad central jail (Go To Top)

     Ahmedabad: An inmate of the Ahmedabad Central Jail was murdered and two others were injured this morning, in a clash allegedly borne out of gang rivalry. The deceased, Chetan Betory was supposedly member of a gang which was active in the jail. The members of the gang had an argument with a rival group which resulted in a clash ultimately killing Betory. According to the authorities about seven weapons were used to stab him several times. The assailants also used some tools used in carpentry in the attack. The investigations are on but the primary reports suggest that it a case of inter gang rivalry.As per the authorities, the accused have been identified but could not be made public at the moment since it was a confidential matter. "We found a dead body of Chetan Betory, son of Shankar Lal lying in the number 5 barrack this morning.He was brutally killed.He had around 7-8 injuries on the chest and one injury on his back along with several small injuries on his body. 3 weapons have been recovered. We have also found a shirt at the site. 2 handmade weapons have also been recovered which were made from carpenter tools. His throat was also slit open.It is a matter of investigation but as per our reports it looks like an internal war between two gangs,"said Gaurang Prajapati,Sub-Divisional magistrate,Ahmedabad. The two injured inmates have been referred to the civil hospital.

BJP in turmoil in Karnataka (Go To Top)

     Bangalore: After Janata Dal (Secular), it is now the turn of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to be in turmoil in Karnataka. Karnataka state unit of the BJP has summoned its legislators today to discucss the current political turmoil in the State. There has been speculation that BJP's leader of the opposition, B S Yediyurappa, is trying to split the party and then bargain with the Congress or the JD (S) for a possible tie-up. BJP is the single largest party in the State with 79-members in the 224-member State Assembly. BJP sources said that the meeting would discuss the ongoing developments and try to avoid a showdown. Yediyurappa has sharp differences with BJP National General Secretary Anant Kumar and has already declared that the BJP would explore the possibility of forming a Government with its allies. He has not specified who the allies could be. Party Secretary Ved Prakash Goel, Incharge of the State party affairs had airdashed to the city to patch up the differences between Mr Yediyurappa and Ananth Kumar. Mr Yediyurappa is still elusive. Meanwhile, JD (S) legislature party leader MP Prakash has replaced sacked Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as Deputy Chief Minister. On Thursday, the JD(S) sacked Siddaramaiah as its legislature party leader and replaced him with Revenue Minister M P Prakash, who was appointed as Deputy Chief Minister.

Home Ministry to intervene in Manipur blockade crisis (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Chief Secretaries and Directors- General of Police of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland will hold meetings with Union Home Secretary V K Duggal in the national capital on Monday to work out a strategy to cope with the situation and to ensure continuous flow of essential commodities in the wake of the economic blockade launched by the All-Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM), from June 20. Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is also likely to visit New Delhi after August 15 to requst the Centre to end the deadlock and hold talks with the Naga student groups under its supervision. The Ministry of Home Affairs has sent a green signal through Joint Secretary (North East) Rajiv Agarwal that it was willing to talk to the agitating students "if required". Home Secretary Duggal is expected to visit Manipur in this regard over the next 10 days. Earlier, the Home Ministry had turned down requests for Central intervention and had said that the issue concerned Nagaland and Manipur and the two States should work out a political solution themselves.

     Meanwhile, several tonnes of foods and essential items are being airlifted to Manipur as the State is completely cut off from the mainland. The price of a cylinder of cooking gas has shot up to Rs 700 while a litre of petrol costs Rs 80. Life saving drugs and medicines are also being flown to Imphal from Guwahati with the help of Assam Rifles and the Indian Air Force. Around 1,000 trucks have ferried essential supplies to Manipur under police protection since the blockade was imposed. Manipur has been cut from the rest of the country since the blockade began. The Imphal-Guwahati NH 39 and Imphal-Silchar NH 53 are completely deserted since the starting of the blockade. Naga student's body ANSAM launched their economic blockade against Manipur government's decision to declare June 18 as a holiday to observe "state integrity day." Meanwhile, the United Committee, Manipur, UCM has announced that it would launch a democratic peoples movement from August 14 onwards if the State Government fails to end the ANSAM-sponsored economic blockade by August 13 next. UCM organisation secretary, Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, charged the Government of not making sincere efforts to bring an end to the blockade.

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