Chandigarh: Punjab has been dealing with the worst floods in 20 years but ruling party MLAs are not unduly worried. The Akali Dal MLAs have gone on a study tour to Scotland to study about scotch.
Even as hundreds of acres of agricultural land is under water and thousands displaced, the Akali Dal MLAs are in Scotland visiting distilleries. Heading the delegation is Speaker Nirmaljit Singh Kahlon, who was recently chargesheeted by the CBI in a corruption case. The MLAs are ostensibly on a study tour to find out how breweries abroad treat toxic effluents.
New Delhi: The National Advisory Council has moved one step closer to fulfilling the Congress' promise to the 'aam aadmi' (common man). After the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the Food Security Act close to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's heart is the party's most ambitious pro-poor legislation.
The National Advisory Council (NAC) on Wednesday moved one step closer to the promise made in the party's election manifesto. Significantly the Congress President has asserted herself to make the right moves inclusive in sharp contrast to the pragmatic approach by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food.
Bangalore: Assembly proceedings in Karnataka were disrupted for the third day Wednesday with the Opposition insisting on a CBI probe into illegal mining and the Chief Minister rejecting the demand once again.
"I apologise to the people of Karnataka that I am not able to conduct the business," said Speaker K G Bopaiah while adjourning the Assembly till Thursday, as the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) spent the second straight night in the Assembly to press for their demand of a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe.
New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has criticised the Centre's battle plan against the Maoists, saying a crackdown is turning the rebels into heroes before the people.
“Naxal elements are a part of our society even though they have been misled into following the path of violence. Enforcement action alone leads to wider alienation, making heroes out of the leaders of the extremist organizations,” said Kumar after a meeting of Maoist-affected states chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Government on Wednesday said it would look into demands for changing the official spelling of Kerala to "Keralam", the way it is written and pronounced in Malayalam, Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan informed the state Assembly.
He, however, said a decision would be taken only after evolving a consensus through discussions with experts. Responding to Babu M Palissery (CPI-M), who raised the issue as a submission, he said there had been demands from various quarters to change official spelling of Kerala to "Keralam".
New Delhi: The Centre has proposed additional funds, forces and a unified command for the states affected by the Naxal menace. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram requested the state governments of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal to create a unified command for anti-Naxal operations while addressing the meeting of chief ministers of Naxal-infested states called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday.
"Government will sanction additional SPOs (Special Police Officers) to the states and requests the state governments of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal to create a unified command for anti-Naxal operations. The Government will appoint a retired Major General of the Army as a member of the unified command. We request the four state governments to appoint an Inspector General of Police as IG (Anti-Naxal operations) for that state. The Government will also appoint an Inspector General, Central Reserve Police Force as IG (Operations) for that state to work in close coordination with the IG (anti-Naxal operations) of that state," said Chidambaram.
Hyderabad: The drama in Karnataka Assembly continues as Opposition MLAs spent another night in the house on Tuesday. The Opposition MLAs belonging to the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) are demanding an investigation by the CBI into the alleged incidents of illegal mining in the state in which the Bellary Reddy brother are reportedly involved.
"This is the biggest scam the country has seen. So, we are requesting the Chief Minister. Even the CM is convinced but might be due to his political problems he may not be openly announcing a CBI enquiry. He knows it and has openly committed to the house that he is unable to stop illegal mining," said Congress MLA Shiv Kumar.
New Delhi: Naxalites have killed more than 125 paramilitary jawans in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal since April this year and derailed Gyaneshwari Express train in West Bengal that claimed the lives of nearly 150 people.
With Naxal attacks increasing and Central Reserve Police Force personnel looking more hapless everyday, the Prime Minister will address a specially convened meeting of chief ministers of Naxal-affected states in New Delhi on Wednesday to chalk out a fresh strategy to counter Left-wing extremism.
Bangalore/New Delhi: Karnataka Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj met President Pratibha Patil demanding removal of Reddy brothers, who are facing charges of illegal mining in Bellary, from the state Cabinet in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Governor briefed Patil on the situation in the state while an angry BJP called the Governor an agent of the Centre.
The grand Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power in Karnataka, has become a temporary shelter for over 80 Congress and JDS MLAs and MLCs. In an unprecedented form of protest, Opposition legislators, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged mining mafia run by BJP ministers, the Reddy brothers, have now started living in the Assembly.
Bangalore/New Delhi: Mutton biryani for lunch, singing of folk songs, small talk and siestas on Tuesday marked the second day of the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular legislators' sit-in in the Karnataka Assembly to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into illegal mining in the state.
Most of the 74 Congress and 27 JD-S members stayed overnight in the wood-panelled Assembly, after a dinner according to their tastes and returned the House after freshening up at their houses or at the legislators home to resume the sit-in. Breakfast was a choice between idlis and dosas.
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