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Pak missile test for domestic consumption: India
New Delhi, Oct 4 (ANI): Pakistan's testing of a new medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile on Friday, is meant to impress its own people ahead of next week's general elections, says India. "This particular test is clearly targeted at the forthcoming general elections in Pakistan," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said in a statement to reporters here. Pakistan is holding parliamentary elections on October 10. Earlier, in the day Pakistan test-fired the "indigenously developed" Hatf-IV (Shaheen-1), which has a range of 700 km and can carry a 1,000 kg warhead. The country claims that it had notified its neighbours and some friendly countries before the test. (ANI) Domestic tourism up by 42 per cent, says Jagmohan
New Delhi, Sept. 5 (ANI): Domestic tourism during the last eight months have gone up by 42 per cent, proving thereby that the government's efforts in this area have indeed yielded results, Union Tourism Minister Jagmohan told reporters here on Thursday. He in fact was talking to the media after the State Tourism Ministers' conference where he dwelt on many aspects of the subject - policy matters, goals and achievements. According to him, 24 states and Union Territories have agreed to support the proposal to put tourism in the Concurrent List while seven states are opposed to the idea, some of whom are unwilling to lose the right to legislate on the subject. The Centre's view is that inclusion of tourism in Concurrent List would help both federal and state governments have comprehensive legislation covering all sides, besides giving more powers to the states to deal with tourism in totality rather than in parts. Tourism, Jagmohan added, is a civilisational issue and hence arrangements have to made to spread among the tourists, both foreign and home, the message of India's variegated culture. Accent therefore falls on organising festivals and seminars at various sites, not to mention annual dance festivals at, for instance, Ajanta or Mahabalipuram, to focus on the classical tradition peculiar to that specific place. He also said that young talents would also be encouraged in this area. The basic thrust will be placed on ancient heritage - art, architecture, sculptures, music and dance - and spotlight the power of Indian mind. Asked about building hotels suitable for the Indian middle class and low-budget tourists from abroad, the minister replied that the government wanted to initiate private enterprise in this field as much as possible. The interested parties will be allotted land after selection. Jagmohan touched upon the features of the National Tourism Policy 2002 and the initiatives taken in the Union Budget. He also pointed out that the outlay for tourism in The Tenth Five year Plan has been raised to Rs. 2900 crores as against Rs. 925 crores in the Ninth. What the country needs, in his opinion, is a synthesis of elements of tourism, culture and clean governance. (ANI) Supply water to TN daily, SC tells Karnataka
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New Delhi, Oct. 4 (ANI): Supreme Court has asked the Karnataka government to immediately start releasing 9,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu according to the September 8 order of the Cauvery River Authority. A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice BN Kirpal, on Friday adjourned the hearing on the contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu to October 24 and said that water must be released forthwith. The CRA had ordered Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water equivalent to 0.8 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) to Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu counsel KK Venugopal submitted that after the September 3 order of the Supreme Court, Karnataka had failed to release 16.1 tmc water, the Bench said: "We are at present concerned with the plight of the farmers, be they of Tamil Nadu or of Karnataka." (ANI) Ways to evaluate police efficacy as Shekhawat sees them
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to top New Delhi, Oct. 4 (ANI): Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said on Friday that since police ensures security, punishment is given by the courts, jails implement criminal reforms and people's sensitisation is needed for restoring the credibility of the police, a holistic approach is needed to evaluate the functioning and effectiveness of the police. Shekhawat, delivering the inaugural address at "Roundtable on Police Reforms," elaborated that there are reforms which pertains to police alone but implementation of these reforms will not solve the ills of the society. Therefore, a large area of the reforms pertains to government, judiciary and people's involvement. If police force is provided with latest weapons commensurate with the those of the criminals/terrorists, if judiciary dispenses the justice without delay and thirdly, if people cooperate with police, then police can definitely prove the effective organisation. It is therefore imperative, he added, that the agenda for improved governance should include action plan for comprehensive economic, judicial, administrative and electoral as well as political reforms. "We cannot think of only police reforms in isolation. In fact, that has been the reason why our efforts towards police reforms have so far not brought expected results," according to Shekhawat. He particularly underlined the role of judiciary in early disposal of cases so that culprits are brought to book without any delay. It will also eliminate the possibility of witnesses going astray or turning hostile. Earlier, delivering the keynote address, Justice J.S. Verma, Chairperson, NHRC, said that right to corruption-free government is a basic human right and so civil society's participation in governance should be enhanced. It is, therefore, necessary that political will is aroused to do what is its primary political duty. (ANI)
Huge cache of explosives seized in Badgam Go to top Radabug (J-K), Oct 4 (ANI): Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir said on Friday they have recovered a huge cache of explosives as the state battles a surge in rebel violence just days before the end of a disputed election. The arms and ammunition were recovered from Radabug village in Badgam district. Officials said the documents found on two militants gunned down in the neighbouring Sunur Kalipura village on Thursday led to the recovery of arms. "During this operation two terrorists have been killed and arms and ammunition recovered from them. Also from the site of the encounter we have recovered certain documents which have some additional information contained in them. Follow-up of these leads led to some additional recoveries which were made yesterday," said M.M.Waravane, commandant of Rashtriya Rifles, an anti-insurgency unit. Along with the ammunition, a rucksack from Pakistan was also recovered. The third and the bloodiest phase of elections ended on Tuesday. The election has triggered anti-poll violence that has killed more than 600 people since early August. India blames Pakistan for training and funding separatist militant groups and then infiltrating them into Kashmir, a charge which Pakistan denies. Doda district, which has been the hotbed of militancy, will go to polls in the last round on Tuesday. India regards the election as a test of Pakistan's pledge to stop separatists entering the disputed territory, the cause of two wars between the now nuclear-armed neighbours which brought them to the brink of another war. New Delhi and the United States say infiltration into Kashmir has risen during the elections, feeding the violence that has killed more than 35,000 people since the revolt began in late 1989. Pakistan says the poll is a farce and says Kashmiris should be allowed a referendum to decide their own future.(ANI) Jogi courts arrest outside Vajpayee's residence Go to top New Delhi, Oct 4 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi was taken into police custody alongwith some Congress workers while he was leading a party delegation to meet the PM to demand support price for the kharif crop in his state. Recently Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh was also arrested outside the prime minster's residence. Singh had come to meet the PM to seek fixation of minimum support price for paddy. "We want the paddy procurement prices to be increased. But even at the existing procurement price (Rs 550 a tonne), we want the centre to procure entire produce from the state," Jogi said. The state had suffered a loss of about Rs 423 crore last year, and it could ill-afford any further burden, he added. Talking to reporters after the arrest, the Chhattisgarh chief minister said, "he (Vajpayee) got us arrested before the meeting. That means he does not want to meet us". Jogi also refused an invitation to take an 11-member delegation for his scheduled 1230 hours meeting with Vajpayee. He said, "either all of us will go, or none." Earlier, after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Jogi started his march from the Chhattisgarh Bhawan at Sardar Patel Road, nearly three km away from the PM's residence, to press for procurement of paddy from the drought-affected state, or as an alternative fix financial assistance as compensation to the farmers. But before he could approach the prime minister along with his two dozen cabinet colleagues, besides party MPs and MLAs, Jogi was taken into police custody. Other Congress leaders arrested included party general secretaries Ambika Soni and Moti Lal Vohra. They were taken to Tughlaq Road police station and later released.(ANI)
US "counter-attack" on Iraqi positions
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top Washington, Oct 4 (ANI): Allied planes launched an air strike in the southern no-fly zone over Iraq on Thursday, targeting an air defence headquarters and operations centre, The News quoted defence officials as saying. "Today's strike came after Iraq air defences fired anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at coalition aircraft," said a statement from the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida. The aircraft came under fire as it dropped leaflets on Iraqi positions that carried a message warning Iraqi air defence gunners not to fire on coalition aircraft, said Lieutenant Dan Hetlage, a Pentagon spokesman. Coalition planes responded, targeting precision-guided weapons at an operations centre and air defence headquarters for the sector near Tallil, some 260 km south-east of Baghdad. Hetlage said the target was a military communications hub for radar surveillance and anti-aircraft missile sites in the southern no-fly zone. There was no assessment immediately available on how much damage was done.(ANI)
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