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Corporate leaders must develop quality people, says Kiran Bedi
New Delhi, Sept. 19 (ANI): Corporate leaders should take on the social responsibility of developing quality people as a part of their corporate governance in order to deliver better quality products. This was stated on Thursday by Ms. Kiran Bedi, Joint Commissioner of Police while addressing the session on "Unusual Leader : Leading Without Suits and Ties" at CII's Leadership Summit, reports an official release. According to her, "Total Quality People" was more important than "Total Quality Product" because if quality people were there, it would be easier to deliver the quality product. This rule does not apply vice versa. Urging the corporate world to adopt villages for spreading developmental educational programmes, she said that business leaders must take on this as a social and ethical responsibility and as a part of their corporate governance. Ms. Bedi also said that it was not the lack of ability but an ideal combination of four Ds --- desire, direction, dedication and discipline --- that were required of any person aspiring to become a successful leader. However, the concept of success should also be redefined, she added. Citing the example from Shiv Khera's book, "You Can Win," she said that education, experience and environment were the three Es that helped in influencing a person's attitude which in turn had a great impact on a person's leadership qualities. Dr Naresh Trehan, Executive Director, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, said in his address that leadership without suits and ties was like eating without forks and knife as one's hands get dirty in the process. However, the satisfaction in such leadership was that one could do things for others and relieve people of misery. (ANI) Distress sale forced on Punjab paddy farmers
Amritsar, Sept 19 (ANI): With the Punjab government in no mood to set a minimum support price for paddy, middlmen and private companies set prices at will, resulting in heavy losses to farmers. Most farmers do not have proper storage facilities. With the monsoon in the offing, they have been left with no choice but to either let the crop rot or sell it to commission agents and private companies at throwaway prices. Farmers are selling their crop at Rs. 400 to Rs. 460 per quintal, as against last year's minimum price of Rs. 530. "We are facing great diffculty, the loss this year has been a lot. The government has set no price for the rice. We have been sitting here for the past 6-7 days, not selling anything. There is no minimum price and we are not able to negotiate with the middlemen, they dictate terms. We cannot do anything, the government has not set any price," said Kartar Singh, a farmer. "Private companies are buying the crop at prices set by them at will. They are not giving us our due. If the government puts a minimum price we will get our due. Right now we are suffering losses to the tune of Rs.100- 120 less per quintal. If the government puts a price then the maximum these middlemen can do is a variation of two to three rupees. We are facing a lot of trouble," added Daljit Singh, another farmer. The loss is even greater for the farmers whose crop got wet in recent rains. They have been forced to sell their crop at prices as low as Rs 330 per quintal. None of the grain markets in the state have proper storage facilities. Farmers say the Amritsar grain market is the worse. "When the rains come there is little we can do. The entire shed leaks. The water keeps on falling and we can do little but cry. We have run from pillar to post trying to get proper storage, but to no avail," said Baldev Singh, a farmer. The prices are at an all-time low and by the time the government sets the minimum price the crop will rot completely, added Singh. Normally the state government buys a sizeable amount of paddy from the farmers. The remaining quota is sold to private companies and middlemen at prices set by the government. However, this year neither has the government purchased the paddy nor has it set a minimum purchase price for the yield. In a rough estimate by commission agents, as much as 10 lakh quintals of paddy has arrived in various grain markets in the Amritsar district.(ANI) Trifurcation demand will help Pakistan, says Sonia
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to top Srinagar, Sept 19 (ANI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir is using the autonomy issue as an election ploy. She favoured holding of unconditional talks with the people in order to bring about peace in the state. Opposing the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh's (RSS) idea of trifurcation of the state, she said her party would oppose it tooth and nail. She said the BJP and RSS were supporting Pakistan's desire by demanding division (trifurcation) of the state. "Pakistan also wants trifurcation of the state and BJP too wants the same. What can one understand from this," she said. This was Sonia's first election rally during the ongoing Assembly polls in the state. Last weekend her visit was cancelled due to "security reasons". Pakistan should understand that it cannot weaken the state through infiltration and by spreading terror, she said. She further said nobody had prevented the NC government from seeking more powers for the state since 1996. "Raising the autonomy issue at the time of elections is just an election stunt indulged in by the ruling party," she remarked. Sonia was accompanied by party general secretary Ambika Soni and PCC chief Ghulam Nabi Azad. (ANI)
Karnataka stops Cauvery water flow to Tamil Nadu Go to top Bangalore, Sep 19 (ANI): The Karnataka government on Thursday decided to discontinue the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. State Information Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, however, could not specify how long the suspension would continue. Earlier in the day, the state cabinet held an emergency meeting and ordered a judicial probe into the death of a farmer in village Beechanahalli. The farmer reportedly jumped into Kabini waters on Wednesday to protest the release of water to the neighbouring state. The state government has announced Rs 1 lakh ex-gratia to the family of the deceased. The state government shut the crest gates of Kabini reservoir and decided to convene an emergency session of the legislature on September 24 to discuss the crisis. The government also called an all-party meet on September 22. At the legislature session, the government would act as per consensus that emerges to decide its future course of action in handling the Cauvery crisis, Thimmappa said. He said Chief Minister S.M. Krishna would hold parleys with Opposition party leaders at an all-party meeting to be convened in New Delhi on September 21 to finalise the stand the state should adopt while filing an affidavit before the Supreme Court on September 23, the day Tamil Nadu's petition comes up for hearing. Tamil Nadu is seeking restoration of 1.25 tmc, ft water release from Karnataka, ordered by the Supreme Court on September 3. (ANI)
Militants attack Udhampur school, kill teacher and student
Jammu, Sept 19 (ANI): In the run-up to the second round of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, militants attacked a school in Udhampur district on Thursday, killing a teacher and a student. Official sources said a group of armed terrorists entered the government high school at Jamalsan village in Mahore around 10:45 am and separated students and teachers belonging to the minority community from the rest. The terrorists then opened fire on students and teachers belonging to the minority community killing a teacher, Deep Chander Badyal, and a 10th standard student, P Singh, the sources said. Other staff and students ran away when the terrorists started firing, they said, adding the militants fled after the incident. Security forces and police have been rushed to the area to nab the terrorists. Udhampur is going to polls in the third phase on October 1.(ANI)
Karachi car bombing "mastermind" held Go to top Karachi, Sept 19 (ANI): Pakistani security officials were Thursday interrogating eight "most wanted terrorists," one of whom is suspected of masterminding a suicide car bombing which killed 11 French engineers, reports The Nation. Some intelligence officials believe the group arrested in Karachi was also planning an assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf during his tightly-guarded visit to the port city this week. The government denied there had been another bid to kill Musharraf, who in April survived two assassination plots on successive days in the city. Police early Thursday arrested another suspected militant identified only as Masood in a raid on a house in the Paposh Nagar district and found a sizeable quantity of arms and ammunition including grenades, sources said. The government earlier said seven people it described as "most wanted terrorists" were arrested during a six-hour operation in different neighbourhoods of Karachi early Wednesday. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including explosives, grenades and rockets was seized, it said in a statement. One detainee is suspected of masterminding an attack on May 8 outside the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi which killed 11 French naval engineers and three Pakistanis, the statement said without giving any names.(ANI) |