Page 2289 - Politics
Tripura to take Rs 200 crore loan from HUDCO, LIC
The BJP-IPFT government would take a loan of Rs 200, either from LIC or HUDCO, to overcome severe financial crunch that the former Left Front government has left behind, a minister said on Friday. The former Left Front government had emptied the state's coffers due to unplanned projects undertaken without arrangement of funds, state Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath alleged. "The state cabinet yesterday decided take a loan of Rs 200 crore from either Housing and Urban Development Corporation or the Life Insurance Corporation of India for now," he told reporters. Nath said, 231 projects are under progress in 21 government departments including school education, higher education, health and family welfare, home, fire, jail, tribal welfare, law, tourism, youth and sports affairs, urban development, science and technology, minority, food and civil supplies, animal resource development, handloom, labour, panchayat and PWD. "These projects, most of which are buildings and other ...
JCCI threatens state-wide shutdown over 'harassment' by tax dept
The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) Friday threatened to call for a state-wide bandh and stopping LoC trade if "harassment" by the Commercial Tax Department (CTD) is not stopped. CTD officials have been conducting raids on business establishments and market places in Jammu for recovery of tax arrears. The tax department says traders are charging tax from the consumers but not depositing it with the government. "We warn the administration including CTD that if our genuine demands are not met and harassment stopped, then JCCI shall be left with no other way but to call for a state-wide bandh including stopping of LoC trade. "Traders would be forced to enter houses of CTD officials in protest," JCCI President Rakesh Gupta told reporters here. He said CTD officials have been raiding houses and offices of traders in the name of the recoveries. "They should not enter premises of traders but should as per legal course penalise them," he said. He further said the state toll tax
BJP attacks Farooq, says NC is harbinger of communal politics in J&K
The BJP hit out at National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, claiming he had no moral authority to accuse it of "divisive politics" as his party was the harbinger of communal and divisive politics in Jammu and Kashmir. State BJP spokesperson Anil Gupta told reporters that people did not take Abdullah seriously anymore, but he continued to issue statements hoping that the sinking boat of his dynastic party might find some sympathisers willing to take it ashore. "The NC has no moral authority to accuse the BJP of divisive politics since the NC, under his father Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, was the harbinger of communal and divisive politics in Jammu and Kashmir which was being pursued by his heirs assiduously," he said. Abdullah had Thursday charged the BJP with divisive politics in the country and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be tolerant. He had also accused the BJP of "mastering communal divide". The BJP leader said from the "Quit Kashmir" movement to the demand for "greater ..
Mehbooba says Governor encroaching on democratic space
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged on Friday that Governor Satya Pal Malik is encroaching on democratic space.
Is Modi above accountability, asks Congress
The Congress on Friday lambasted BJP President Amit Shah for parrying a media query over Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet to hold a press conference, and asked if Modi and Shah consider themselves above accountability.
EVMs have mysterious powers in Modi's India: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged his party workers to be vigilant against "EVM tampering" as voting came to an end in Telangana and Rajasthan, cautioning them that "in Modis India, EVMs have mysterious powers".
There shouldn't be any fiddling with J&K's constitutional status: Mehbooba
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said there should be no meddling with the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir till a popular government takes power. Mehbooba said there seemed to a "hidden agenda" behind the decisions to treat Jammu and Kashmir Bank as a PSU, changing procedures of state subject rules, revoking Roshni scheme and reports of changing Juvenile (Justice) Act. "We respect the governor (S P Malik), (but) why is he encroaching upon the democratic space? There is no emergency on these issues. They can happen after elections when a new government is formed. It seems that there is perhaps someone's hidden agenda, which I hope the governor will not be a part of... There should be no fiddling with the constitutional status of the state," Mehbooba told reporters here. "Unfortunately, the governor's team does not advise him well, otherwise they would not have taken such decisions which have to be revoked later. Such decisions should be left to a popular government," ..
OPEC talks stall as Saudis refuse to exempt Iran from oil cut
VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC talks on oil production cuts reached deadlock on Friday as the group's leader Saudi Arabia refused to grant sanctions-hit Iran exemptions from planned reductions, OPEC sources said.
Panchayat polls in Punjab on Dec 30
The elections to 13,276 panchayats in Punjab will be held on December 30, State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu said Friday. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force immediately, Sandhu said, adding that it will be in force till the completion of the electoral process. He further said that the process of filing the nominations would commence on December 15 and conclude on December 19. The nomination papers would be scrutinized on December 20 and the date for withdrawal of the nominations as well as the allotment of election symbols to the candidates is December 21, he said. The voting would be held on December 30 from 8 am till 4 pm and the votes will be counted on the same day, he added. A total of 86,340 personnel will be deputed on election duty with 40 to 50 observers to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the polls at the 17,268 polling booths, he said. Sandhu said 13,276 Sarpanches and 83,831 Panches will be elected by 1,27,87,395 ...
Over 72 per cent cast their vote in Rajasthan
Over 72 per cent of the 4.74 crore registered voters had cast their vote by 5 pm in Rajasthan where elections were held Friday for 199 of the 200 assembly seats. Polling was set to end at 5 pm but officials said those already in the queue at the booths by then were being allowed to vote. The voting percentage till this time was 72.37, according to the Election Commission website. Polling began at 51,687 booths across the state began at 8 am and was largely peaceful, officials said. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot and other leaders were among those who exercised their franchise. Raje (Jhalrapatan), Pilot (Tonk), former chief minister Ashok Gehlot (Sardarpura) are among the 2,274 candidates in the fray. The election in Ramgarh constituency of Alwar district was put off following the death of Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Laxman Singh. The results will be out on December 11, along with those from the other four states which saw Assembly ...
12 policemen injured in clash with BJP workers
The police and BJP workers fought a pitched battle in a forested area of Jalpaguri district on Friday injuring 12 policemen, including an additional SP. The addtional superintendent of police was seriously injured after a stone hit him in the eye, Jalpaiguri SP Amitabha Maiti said. The incident occurred near Dhupjhora under Dhupguri police station when the BJP activists were going to a public meeting of senior party leaders in neighbouring Cooch Behar district. A bus carrying BJP workers was stopped by the police near Dhupjhora, a village in a forested area, and the activists got down from the bus and started hurling stones towards the policemen, Maiti said. The policemen were outnumbered by the BJP workers and 12 police personnel, including additional SP Thendup Sherpa, were injured by the stone pelting, he said. Sherpa suffered serious injury in the eye and was hospitalised, said the SP who has visited the spot. A large contingent of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and ...
China urges US, N. Korea to address each other's 'concerns'
Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korea's foreign minister Friday that he hoped Pyongyang and Washington will address each other's concerns so peace talks on the Korean peninsula "continue to make positive progress". Xi met with Ri Yong Ho in Beijing as denuclearisation talks have made little progress since a historic June summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Xi "hopes that both North Korea and the United States can come together, and will take care of each other's legitimate concerns so that the process of peace talks on the Korean peninsula continue to make positive progress," according to the official Xinhua news agency. China is a key player in the diplomatic shuffle as it is North Korea's main diplomatic ally and trade partner. "The international and regional situation as well as the situation on the Korean peninsula remains in flux, so timely exchanges and the coordination of positions between China and North Korea are still extremely .
India names demonetisation supporter as chief economic adviser
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's government appointed a new chief economic adviser on Friday, naming a U.S.-trained professor who praised the country's shock decision to remove most of its banknotes from circulation.
Over 56% polling in Telangana by 3 p.m (Sixth Lead)
Heavy polling was recorded in the Telangana Assembly election on Friday, with officials reporting over 56 per cent voter turnout by 3 p.m.
59.63% voting in Rajasthan till 3 p.m (Fourth Lead)
Nearly 60 per cent voting was recorded in Rajasthan till 3 p.m on Friday to elect a new Rajasthan Assembly, an election official said.
BJP has 'anti-Muslim', 'anti-Pakistan' approach: Pak PM Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan has claimed that the approach of the ruling BJP was "anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan" and expressed the hope that the stalled bilateral talks could resume after the general elections in India next year. Prime Minister Khan said his government was keen to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack to book, asserting that it was in the interest of Pakistan. "India has elections coming up. The ruling party [of India] has an anti-Muslim, anti-Pakistan approach. They rebuffed all my overtures....Let's hope that after the election is over, we can again resume talks with India," Khan said in an interview with 'The Washington Post' on Thursday. India has firmly told Pakistan that talks and terrorism cannot go together. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has categorically ruled out the possibility of resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan unless it stops cross-border terror activities against India. The general elections are due to be held in India in ...
Row erupts over 'satvik' food served by Akshaya Patra
A controversy has erupted over the mid-day meal served to school children in Karnataka by the Akshaya Patra foundation with the state government directing it to include garlic and onion in the food. The foundation, a wing of ISKON, a spiritual organisation, has been feeding 1.6 million children (in the country) 'satvik' food that did not include onion and garlic in line with its principles. Opposing the move, foundation trustee amd former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai alleged that some government officials under the "influence of vested interests" were playing mischief to include onion and garlic in the menu. He sought the intervention of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to resolve the issue. "Akshaya Patra Foundation has been feeding midday meals as per union government's standards. Now it is obvious that some officials under the influence of vested interests are playing mischief for reasons all known," Pai told PTI. A senior government official associated with the midday ...
Qatar injects more cash into Gaza for Hamas employees
Employees of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip began collecting their salaries for a second month Friday, after Qatar pumped more cash into the territory with Israel's blessings. It came despite a major flareup between Hamas and Israel that saw Avigdor Lieberman resign as Israel's defence minister after accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being soft on the Islamist group. Hundreds of employees of Hamas government departments waited in long queues outside banks in the Gaza Strip from the early hours, AFP reporters said. The Hamas-run finance ministry announced in a statement to local media that the money would be distributed over the next two days, with employees receiving 50 per cent of their salaries. Doaa, a 36-year-old employee at the women's ministry in Gaza, said she came early in the morning to receive her salary. "This payment helps us to live our life and meet the needs of our children, even if only a little." In Qatar's operation, a total of USD 90 million .
China hopes US, N. Korea keep up denuclearisation talks
China's foreign minister told his North Korean counterpart in Beijing on Friday that he hoped Pyongyang and Washington will maintain dialogue and stick to their denuclearisation summit agreement. Wang Yi met with North Korea's Ri Yong Ho as denuclearisation talks have made little progress since a historic June summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. China is a key player in the diplomatic shuffle as it is North Korea's main diplomatic ally and trade partner. "China and North Korea should continue to push the situation on the peninsula to develop positively towards denuclearisation," said China's ministry of foreign affairs in a statement, citing comments from Wang. "China hopes that the DPRK and the United States will maintain dialogue and balance their concerns and achieve the goals set by the DPRK-US Joint Statement," it said. For his part, Ri said North Korea's "commitment to the denuclearisation of the peninsula and the maintenance of peace and ..
TN govt doctors put off proposed strike over pay issue
Government doctors in Tamil Nadu have put off their proposed strike over pay anomalies following a submission by the state government in the Madras High Court Bench here that it was looking into recommendations by a panel that went into the issue. The government counsel submitted before a bench of Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice P D Audikesavulu that the recommendations of a one-man commission on addressing anomalies were being studied and steps would be taken to ensure pay parity, a key demand of the agitating doctors. The submission was made on a petition by Mohammed Yunis against the proposed strike by the doctors. The strike was scheduled to start on Saturday. Following this, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association informed the court that it would temporarily suspend the proposed strike. The bench then posted the case for hearing to December 17. Doctors affiliated to the association had boycotted outpatient services on December 4, demanding three time-bound promotions in .