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Tankers supply water instead of diesel to army

    Leh (Ladakh): Police in Ladakh capital Leh have unearthed a major oil pilferage racket, after seizing seven tankers carrying water instead of diesel to army depots located in Kashmir. Alerted by the army authorities to the scam, Leh Police sprung immediately into action and arrested the drivers of the oil tankers. Investigations into the alleged pilferage have been launched after the impounding of the vehicles, the police said, adding that the estimated losses run into tens of thousands of dollars. "A case has been registered. An FIR (first information report) has also been lodged. The drivers of all seven vehicles have been arrested and further investigations are going on. A lot of things are expected to come out of the investigations and whoever the culprits are, will be booked," said Alok Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Leh. Simultaneously, the Army issued a media release that said they laid a trap before the tankers could reach their delivery points at Leh and conducted a massive search along the main arterial route. The tankers that have a capacity of 9,000 liters come to Leh through two road land routes - one through Himachal Pradesh and other via Udhampur and the Kashmir Valley. New Delhi has stationed thousands of its troops in Kashmir in which over 45,000 people have so far been killed in an armed rebellion during the past 15 years.

CPI(M) welcomes CBI inquiry into Centaur sale (Go To Top)

     New Dehi: The Communist Party of India( Marxist ) today welcomed the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) inquiry ordered by the Government into the selling of the state- owned Centaur Hotel in Mumbai by the previous National Democratic Government. The Government's highest audit authority - Comtroller and Audit General of India ( CAG ) - had pointed out several anamolies in the sale of the hotel, which was re-sold by the buyer later for a huge profit. The Left had been demanding an inqiury following the CAG's observations. Senior CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri described the inqiury as a welcome step, adding that the Left has been demanding the same for long. Union Finance Minister P.Chidambaram issued orders for the CBI inquiry last week. Former Union Minister Arun Shourie, who was looking after the disinvestment ministry in the Vajpayee Government today said he is prepared to face any inquiry over the divestment issue. "CBI officials are welcome to my home and I will personally serve them coffee," he said. Reacting to the report Shourie said that he stood by his earlier commitment to cooperate in the matter. "I will cooperate with every inquiry and agency, which the Government chooses." "I will go to any office, at any time the CBI designates", he added. The decision comes in the wake of the Left's firm stand against disinvestment of government's shares of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and just a few days before the start of the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins Monday.

CPM denounces Indo-US nuclear agreement (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI(M)) has come down heavily on the Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreeement reached by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush on Monday. In a strongly worded statement, the Politbureau of CPI(M) termed the manner the United Progressive Alliance( UPA) Government concluded the agreement l with the US as undemocratic and said that the current agreement marks an end of India's nuclear disarmament policy. The party firmly said that it expected the Government not to take unilateral measures, which may compromise national interests. The statement said that it was incumbent on the Government to place their views and proposals for discussion at the coordination committee before deciding anything on such a vital issue. But it was not done. CPI(M) said the NDA regime negotiated many security and foreign policy issues secretly through Strobe Talbott-Jaswant Singh negotiations. It said that the UPA Government should not continue with such undemocratic practices. The party said it opposed the nuclear weaponisation programme of the BJP-led Government as it didn't subscribe to the views that this was right path for India. Left parties have argued consistently that India should have an independent nuclear policy and opposed the discriminatory policies of nuclear have's and have not's.

Heavy rains disrupt life in Mumbai (Go To Top)

    Mumbai: Life in country's financial capital was today thrown out of gear as heavy rains disrupted road and rail traffic. Passengers were seen waiting for local trains, the lifeline of the metropolis, even as the rail tracks were partially submerged in water. "We have been waiting for the trains since the last 20-25 minutes and we are facing problems in commuting due to heavy rains," said Sandeep. However, railway authorities assured that despite water logging on the rail tracks, no train was cancelled. "The trains are about 7-10 minutes late due to water-logging otherwise there is no problem. Inspite of the water logging problem, national railway has endeavoured to run all these services. And we are proud to say that not a single train has been cancelled," said Homraz Mohta, public relation officer, Western Railways. Traffic on the road was also hit as people had to wade through knee-deep water on the water-logged roads. Flooding is common during country's June-September monsoon season but it mostly occurs in northern and eastern parts of the country, where large rivers such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra flow.

Army clears NH-53 in Manipur (Go To Top)

     On route NH-53: The Indian army has cleared the strategic National Highway - 53, connecting Manipur to the rest of the country, ending the economic blockade which is going on since last month. A tribal group had last week burnt several trucks carrying food and fuel to Manipur after an activist was run over by a convoy of trucks escorted by government troops. Naga tribals fighting for a separate homeland have been blocking highways throughout Manipur since June 19, demanding parts of the state be carved out and included in a greater Naga homeland, a move strongly opposed by majority Manipuris. Army said it had repaired several small roads and bridges on the National Highway 53 and it would be completely open for traffic by next week.

     "This deployment will give a lot of confidence to the public traveling on this road and using this road. And it was evident only yesterday and day before, we were having an informal talk with passengers on buses, and they were quite happy and said they were not stopped by anybody. They were thankful also to the Assam Rifles for this action," said Brigadier J.P.Alex, Commander of 27 Assam Rifles. The security forces have also increased patrols and are escorting trucks moving to Manipur carrying essential commodities. Major Mukesh of the Border Roads Organisation, which is involved in the repair of the Highway, said: "This route will be viable in the next 7-10 days. We have one or two bridges that are in a very bad condition. All the landslides have worsened them. Only one or two bridges, I am expecting, we will be able to build them again in the next one or two days." Last Wednesday, Nagas living in Nagaland blocked an the highway through which more than 500 trucks carrying food and other supplies move in and out of landlocked Manipur every day. The villagers say they are cooperating with the security forces. "With the cooperation of the village chairman, in collaboration with the labour union, we had a meeting yesterday and now we have set the work on war footing. We are really happy with the security provided by the government of India," said Thomas Kamai, a villager.

     A third of the three million-strong Nagas live in four districts of Manipur and two other northeastern states. They want all the Naga inhabited areas of the region to be clubbed into a Greater Nagaland state. Last weekend angry Naga tribes people set ablaze more than a dozen government buildings after soldiers shot at a protester. A powerful Naga rebel group, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah) (NSCN-IM), said it would extend a seven- year ceasefire with New Delhi that ends on July 31 to push for a peaceful solution. The Nagas have been fighting for their own homeland since 1947, when India got independence from Britain. More than 20,000 people have been killed in nearly 60 years of Naga insurgency before the ceasefire came into effect in 1997.

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