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Pranab to make statement on Phukan's 'misuse' of plane

     New Delhi: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that he will make a statement in the Lok Sabha tomorrow regarding the alleged misuse of an Air Force plane by Justice SN Phukan, who headed the Commission to investigate the defence deals by former Defence Minister George Fernandes. Mukherjee said this while replying to some ruling party members' vociferous demand for a statement from him or the Prime Minister. Congress MP and party's chief whip in the House had raised the matter during zero hour. Newspaper reports have said that Justice Phukan enjoyed an "excursion" along with his family members on the pretext of visiting several places to have a personal look at defence equipment bought by Fernandes. Reports suggested that he even went to Shirdi, which is a religious place for the Hindus. The report prepared by the Phukan Commission, the term of which has already lapsed, report has been the centre of controversy over the past few weeks. While the Opposition demanded from the Government to make the report public, the Government, on the other hand, has been sitting on it saying that only a first part of the Commission has been submitted yet. The Defence Ministers statement likely to come tomorrow is expected to add salt to the controversy over the Phukan Commission report. The Commission was set up by the erstwhile NDA government.

Six militants killed in Poonch (Go To Top)

       Jammu: Six militants were killed by Army troops when they were trying to sneak into the Indian territory in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir,official sources said here today. Army jawans challenged the militants while they were trying to infiltrate from Naghi-Balnoi in Krishna Ghati sector of the district last night.In the exchange of the fire that followed,jawans shot dead the militants. The militants are yet to be identified.

Bangla war hero Lt Gen JS Aurora dead  (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Bangladesh War hero Lt. General J.S. Aurora passed away early on Tuesday morning. He was 89. Lt.General Aurora died at the Sir Gangaram hospital at 1 a.m. He is survived by a son, a publisher in the United States, and a daughter. Lt.General Aurora's cremation is expected to take place with full military honours on Thursday after his son's arrival, his family and army sources said. An active campaigner for justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Lt. General Aurora was also a member of the Rajya Sabha. During India's 1971 war liberate the then East Pakistan from West Pakistan, Lt.General Jagjit Singh Aurora was the General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Indian Army's Eastern Command. He was the army officer who signed the surrender treaty with his Pakistani counterpart Lt.General A A Niazi on December 16, 1971. After signing the document at about 4.30 p.m., Lt. General Niazi handed over his personal pistol and Lanyard to Lt.General Aurora and removed his badges of rank. With that a cheer went up at the Dacca Race Course, as the city became the capital of the newly created nation of Bangladesh. Lt.General Aurora was also involved in a reconnaissance mission to Bhutan in May 1961. He was then a brigadier.

Nepal border villagers allege misuse of funds (Go To Top)

     Ramnagar: Residents of the village along the India- Nepal border allege that the funds meant to manage the flow of the rivers from Nepal to parts of India, which were sanctioned by the Government of India are being misused. The rivers flowing from Nepal create havoc in India by flooding several parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the rainy season. Indian government under a 1967 agreement with Nepal, had constructed dams and dykes in Nepalese territory. The Union Government allocates an amount of one crore of rupees annually for the maintenance of these dams, dykes and barrages. The fund goes to the Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh state, responsible for carrying out all the activities related to their management. Residents accuse the department of money laundering and doing nothing to repair the dams. "Everything is fake. Nothing has been done here. Boulders, which are being used, are good for nothing, we need nets here. They show that they have used money appropriately but actually money has been siphoned off. It happens every year," says Munna, a villager. However, officials from the irrigation department refuted the charges and said they couldn't complete the repair work on the Gandak barrage due to a number of problems. "You can't really understand whatever you see superficially. You have to see the documents. We were short of time, so the work scheduled to be completed on March 31 couldn't be completed. There were various problems. But we have bought and stored the material," said Krishna Dev Shukla, Executive Engineer in the Irrigation Department, Maharjganj. The flooding of several Indian areas by rivers originating in Nepal has for many years been a contentious subject. Every year the rise in the water levels of major Nepalese river systems like Koshi, Gandak, Danav and Karnali have caused much damage to land and properties in India.

Poachers turn tourist guides in Kerala's Periyar wildlife reserve (Go To Top)

     Thekkady (Kerala): There was a time when poachers played havoc with the wildlife in Kerala's Periyar forest reserve, famed for its Asiatic elephant and tiger population. Today, the authorities claim that tired of running from the law, most of these poachers have rehabilitated themselves and become tourist guides or security guards. Nestled in the mountainous Western Ghats, the Periyar National Park is spread across 777 square km in Thekkady. Raju Francis, the range officer of the reserve, says that these one-time poachers now help in maintaining the reserve and providing information about other poachers operating in the area. "They are accessible to all the senior officials like the superintendent of police, the deputy superintendent of police and they take it as an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves also. Slowly and gradually this programme is working. And now, we in forest department are slowly getting information. With the help of these people, we are able to catch many poachers. This is their social responsibility also," Francis said. The poachers-turned guides said that they were now leading more stable lives and were gainfully employed. "We have been going to forest for the past so many years and we are very conversant with the geography as we used to poach on animals and cut sandalwood trees for a living. We were looked down by the society as poachers or sandalwood smugglers. But now we have a decent living," said Sivaraman. According to the reserve authorities, 22 poachers have been rehabilitated so far. The park was declared as a tiger reserve in 1978. It has a picturesque lake, Periyar, at the heart of it. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir flows around the wooded hills, forming a water source for the wildlife. Other animals to be seen in the sanctuary are Gaur, wild pigs, barking deer, mouse deer and dole or Indian wild dog.

Mumbai's skyline to go dark after billboards are banned (Go To Top)

      Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Electricity Board's (MSEB) decision to ban illuminated hoardings in Mumbai is likely to plunge the city's night skyline into darkness. The MSEB's decision comes after experiencing an acute shortage of electricity. The MSEB has also ruled out supply of electricity to top industrial companies and shopping malls, for four hours a day to save power. This will plunge the city into darkness between 6 and 10 p.m. every day for the next two months. The affected areas include Mumbai's Marine Drive. Mumbai's 3,000 dazzling billboards will also not be illuminated at night for the next two months. The cost of the night billboards range anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 5 lakh a month, depending on the location, traffic flows and visibility. Residents are worried that this electricity shortage will cause a lot of problems for them. There would be no street lights, which can result in an increase in both accidents and crime in the city. "It is going to be a problem, as there is fast-moving traffic in Mumbai. The cutting down of electricity, especially the street- lights can result in accidents. So, it is not a good idea," said Manisha, a local resident. "For earning profits from billboards, they (MSEB officials) will let the people suffer. They will sleep comfortably in their houses, they won't be affected. People who do the cutting are not affected, it is only the common man who will be affected. Public has to sacrifice", said Dr. Chugh, another local. Mumbai is currently facing a shortfall of 3,700 MW of electricity, about one-fourth of the state's total demand, has resulted in people demanding that power generated in neighbouring Vidharbha region should not go to other parts of Maharashtra. "There will be a lot of problem for the traffic at night as there will not be any light. There should not be any power cuts during the night. It will cause a lot of inconvenience to people," claimed Dheeraj Prajapati, another local. Maharashtra's Power Minister Dilip Walse-Patil has claimed that the situation has improved after a power purchase treaty with Andhra Pradesh for 150 MW. Another contract with Gujarat for 200 MW has been extended till May 15, indicating that the state is taking one day at a time. The larger picture indicates a mega-mess. For the past 10 years, power generation has not increased despite the general estimate of a 10 per cent annual rise in demand.

References: Govt employees dowry court, Lalu laloo SC fodder scam, meningitis Delhi, Maharashtra bar dancers protest, militants Pattan municipal chief, baby elephant rescued, Pranab statement Phukan's 'misuse' of plane, militants killed Poonch, Bangla war hero Lt Gen JS Aurora dead, Nepal border villagers, poachers tourist Kerala Periyar wildlife reserve, Mumbai skyline billboards, Bengal farmers burn crops, NDA parliament boycott, Indian newspapers Pak edition Rashid, Anil Ambani Nikhil, IHF polls, India beat UAE Davis Cup, Hitchcock's The Birds remake, Halle Berry secure, Charlotte Church partying, Angelina Jolie no 'marriage wrecker', Shakira video, depression Goldie Hawn smile, Angelina Hollywood, JLo Monster-in-Fur PETA, Roger Moore the saint, India, India News, Newspaper, Indian, News, Travel News, India Travel Times, Travel,Tourism, Tour, Tourist, India, Times, News, Hotels, Airlines, Ayurveda, Yoga, Hindu, Taj Mahal, Cuisine, Festival, Temple, Trekking, Hindu, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Dance, Shimla,Varanasi, Kullu, Manali, Dehra Dun, Mussourie, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Hardwar, Rishikesh, Nainital, Delhi, Goa, Kovalam, Darjeeling, Bodh Gaya, Kancheepuram, Kanchipuram, Thekkady, Badrinath, Amar Nath,Vaishno Devi, Tirupati, Sabarimala, Guruvayoor, Kanyakumari, Kodaikanal, Ooty, Chennai,

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