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World's highest ropeway inaugurated in J and K

     Srinagar: After two postponements, the world's highest and Asia's longest cable car ropeway at the ski resort of Gulmarg was finally inaugurated today by the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The five km long ropeway project Gulmarg Gondola a joint venture of the Jammu and Kashmir government and French firm Poma Glaski, which is the first of its kind, will take skiers to a height of 13,400 feet. The sources said that the project has been completed in record time of about two years at the cost of Rs 110 million. The cable car, which has been extended further by 2.65 km, will connect the bowl-shaped Kongdoori Valley with Afarwat, situated 13 km from the tourist resort of Gulmarg, and at an altitude of 13,400 ft (4,390 mt). The second phase from Kangdoori to Afarwat was completed well ahead of time. Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation (JKSCCC) officials said the project is aimed at promoting Gulmarg, 52 km from here, as a premier skiing destination in the world and give a major boost to the militancy-hit tourism industry in the state. The state government hopes this new venture will attract many more skiers and trekkers to the valley. The Chief Minister said more ropeway projects were in the offing and work would be started soon on a similar ropeway at Shankaracharya temple in Srinagar. Sayeed said he had asked the tourism department to take care of those rendered jobless by the implementation of new technologies and to ensure that they find livelihood in infrastructure development at tourist destinations like Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg. The 36-cabin ropeway is capable of carrying a maximum of 600 passengers to and fro every hour, Shah said, adding the cable car tickets had been priced at Rs 500. It was earlier scheduled to be inaugurated by UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on April 8, a day after she along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were to launch the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad bus service on April 7. However, the inauguration was cancelled after Ms Gandhi cut short her visit and air-dashed to Delhi on April 7 itself immediately after the first cross-border bus service was flagged off.

FIR against Goswami, 27 others in Bihar flood-relief scam (Go To Top)

     Patna: The Vigilance Investigation Bureau of Bihar today filed an FIR against former district magistrate of Patna and senior IAS officer Gautam Goswami and 27 others in the controversial multi-crore flood-relief scam. Some government officials and proprietors of two private firms Santosh Kumar Jha and Sanjiv Kumar directly involved in the scam have been named. Goswami and others have been charged with committing fraud, forgery and siphoning off of government funds manupulatively. The accused are named for entering into criminal conspiracy with the owners of blacklisted fake firms. Meanwhile, vigilance officials today conducted raid at different places across the state capital and arrested five of the accused. Goswami at present is serving Sahara Group at its headquaters in Lucknow in the capacity of Vice President. His resignation from the IAS, however, has not yet been accepted. The vigilance department is probing allegations that Rs 170 million meant for flood relief operations was diverted. A few days ago, Governor Buta Singh had said he would not hesitate to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the vigilance probe was not satisfactory. Time magazine had cited Goswami for his "brilliant work" over the years, notably for coordinating the flood relief and rescue operations last year when hundreds of people were killed and thousands rendered homeless in devastating floods.

Mandi calm, but tense (Go To Top)

     Mandi (HP): The situation in Mandi town is calm this morning, where irate mob tourched two places of worship on Friday following an incident of acid-attack on a girl. The entire town of Mandi has been fortified by additional deployment of police to ward off eruption of communal passions. As a precaution police have sounded 'high alert' in Mandi and adjoining areas. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Anand Pratap Singh, Kullu has convened a meeting of the civil administration to prevent any backlash in the valley. At least 11 people were seriously injured in the acid attack when a jilted man threw a bottle of acid on a girl, travelling on a bus. Police said four of the injured persons with more than 50 per cent burns might lose their eyesight due to the attack. Mandi Deputy Superintendent of Police K.C. Shandil said the police have arrested the culprit, Mohammad Mukhruf from Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. He said eight persons are still in hospital. "Of the 11 people on whom he threw acid, 8 are still in hospital. Three of them have been released after first aid," said Shandil. Makhruf, who admitted the crime, claimed the girl had promised him marriage but retracted from her stand recently. "Something happened to her since the last 2-4 days. She told me to go away, not to come to her. She said she will not marry me," Makhruf said. The police have so far not made any arrests of those involved in setting ablaze the places of worship.

Suspected Maoists kill three in Orissa village (Go To Top)

     Sambalpur: Suspected CPI (Maoist) activists today attacked a village here and killed at least three persons and injured four others, said police sources. The villages falls under Jujumara police station. The sources said that the extremists first provocatively involved sleeping villagers in heated argument and then started firing indiscriminately killing three persons and injuring four others. The name of the killed persons have been confirmed as Aswini Barik (20), Kanhu Sahu (55) and his son Dibakar Sahu (25). The injured persons are recupterating at V S S Medical College Hospital at Burla near here.

BJP activists protest against depiction of Lord Ram on shoes (Go To Top)

     Gwalior: BJP activists today staged a protest against a French company, Minelli, for designing ladies' shoes with inscriptions of Lord Rama on them and demanded withdrawal of the shoes from the market and apology for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus all over the world. The activists described the action of the company as "totally devoid of all understanding" of the Hindu religion. "A French shoe company has put the pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on ladies shoes. It has hurt the sentiments of Hindus not only in the country but worldwide. MNC's do these things very often whether it is on skimpy clothes or on other things. We are protesting against these. They should stop marketing these things. Otherwise we will stop their sale and burn the goods," said Ghanshyam Das, District Head of BJP's schedule tribe wing. Earlier, the incidents of hurting the religious sentiments had come into light when an American online store started selling women's undergarments featuring images of Hindu gods and a web site offended the Sikh community by displaying a range of thongs with the 'Khanda' emblem representing the four pillars of the Sikh faith.

Centre invites ULFA for talks (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: After getting the Bodo militant group, National Democratic Front of Bodoland, around the table for a ceasefire agreement, the Centre has invited the last major insurgent group in Assam, ULFA, for talks. The invitation was sent by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, under instructions from the Prime Minister, through ULFA's emissory and Assamese writer Indira Goswami. Goswami told ANI that she received the letter yesterday and has since e-mailed it to ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. She however, did not divulge the contents, but said it is a "positive move". Goswami said she was waiting this response from the Centre "for a long time and it means a lot for the people of Assam." The Centre's invitation comes after the ULFA chairman wrote a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh expressing his willingness to hold talks, if the government is prepared to discuss its main demand for "sovereignity or independence". ULFA, had as late as on Friday, set off a series of blasts in Upper Assam's Tinsukia district, blowing up two power transformers and a bailey bridge connecting Arunachal Pradesh via the National Highway. Assam government had been in touch with ULFA since last year through Goswami, but its efforts to bring them around did not succeed. Goswami, however, said the group will first discuss the contents amongst its cadres and she "expects a response in a week or ten days".

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