NEWS
- Congress expels its six Lok Sabha Members from Andhra Pradesh, for anti-party activities.
- Delhi Government to file criminal cases against Veerappa Moily, Murli Deora and Mukesh Ambani for alleged manipulations in gas pricing; CPI hails the move.
- Home Minister orders a CBI probe into the death of Arunachal Pradesh youth Nido Tania.
- Interim Railway budget for 2014-15 to be presented in Parliament tomorrow.
- Over 100 killed in a military transport plane crash in Algeria.
- Ban on India's Olympic Association lifted, allowing the country to return to the Olympic fold.
- Indian squad for Asia Cup and T20 World Cup Cricket announced.
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The Congress today expelled six Lok Sabha MPs hailing from
the Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh, for anti-party activities. Party
President Sonia Gandhi approved the recommendation of the AICC Disciplinary
Committee for expulsion. The announcement was made by Party General Secretary
Janardhan Dwivedi in New Delhi
this afternoon. The members expelled from the Party are V. Arun Kumar, Sabbam
Hari, G V Harsha Kumar, L Rajgopal, R Sambasiva Rao and Sai Pratap. Our
Correspondent reports that the expelled members have been continuously serving
notices to move a "No Confidence" motion against the government. They
have been stalling the proceedings in the House over the Telangana issue of
late.
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The Telangana issue rocked both the
Houses of Parliament for the fifth day today. Congress, TDP, YSR Congress and
TRS members stalled the proceedings in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
leading to their adjournment. In the Lok Sabha, members from both regions of
Andhra Pradesh rushed to the well continuously on the issue. While members from
Telangana demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill be tabled in
Parliament, Members from Seemandhra protested that the state be kept
united. Ministers from Seemandhra were
also on their feet on the issue. Left Members from Kerala and West
Bengal raised slogans over atrocities against women in their
States. JD(U) members also rushed to the well demanding special status to Bihar. Shiromani Akali Dal members were also seen
protesting on the 1984 riots. Amidst the
din, Speaker Meira Kumar allowed the laying of papers and introduction of a
Bill for land acquisition for constructing Dr Ambedkar Memorial in Mumbai.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed unruly scenes with members
from Andhra Pradesh disrupting the proceedings. Amidst the din, Health Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad introduced the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bill. As the
din continued, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the House till 2 pm and
later for the day.
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The Delhi
government has asked its Anti Corruption Branch, ACB, to file criminal cases
against Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily, former Union
Minister Murli Deora, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and others in
the alleged irregularities in gas pricing. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, Mr
Kejriwal said, the Anti Corruption Branch, has also been directed to register a
case against former Director General of Hydrocarbons V K Sibal. He demanded
that the price hike in natural gas, which is to be effected from 1st April this
year, should be kept in abeyance. He said that he will write to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Moily in this regard.
"I will write to the Prime Minister and Mr.
Moily and request them that till the enquiry is on, this order should be kept
in abeyance. Secondly, I would request them that all Ministries should co-operate
in this probe. Thirdly, I would recommend that if Reliance Industries is not
producing gas or creating artificial scarcity, the oil well should be handed
over to the ONGC or any other state owned entity."
Kejriwal alleged that the set target for Reliance
Industries was to produce 80 million units but it produced even less than 18
per cent.
The price of gas from April, under the revised formula, is
estimated to be 8.2 to 8.4 dollars per million British Thermal Unit as against
the current 4.2 dollars.
Our correspondent reports, the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs last year approved the Rangarajan formula for pricing domestic
gas at an average of international gas hub price and actual cost of importing
gas into India.
Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Petroleum and
Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily rejected Kejriwal's allegations. Talking to
reporters outside Parliament today, Mr Moily said price fixing of petroleum
products is not done arbitrarily but on the basis of expert advice. The Minister
also said he took special interest to ensure that the CNG and PNG prices are
reduced.
"I took the special interest to ensure that CNG
and PNG prices are reduced. He should know that there should be a certain
system for fixing the prices and nothing is done without expert advice".
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta welcomed Arvind Kejriwal
government's move to file criminal cases. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Dasgupta said
the government's decision to hike gas
prices will seriously affect the power and fertiliser sectors.
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The Congress today said it is not against any probe into
the gas pricing issue, but it should not be politically motivated. Reacting to
the Delhi government’s decision of filing FIR
against Oil Minister Veerappa Moily, Former Union Minister Murli Deora and
others, Party General Secretary Ajay Maken told reporters in New Delhi that the enquiry must be under the
ambit of constitution. He said whosoever is found guilty should be punished.
However, Maken said Moily should not resign and let the law take its own
course.
Maken also alleged that opposition BJP is attacking
journalists and others who are
raising their voice against it on
the social networking sites.
Meanwhile, Reliance Industries Limited has said that Delhi
government's order to register FIR on
gas price revision is shocking. In a
statement it said that complaints on
which government took the decision are
completely baseless and devoid of any merit or substance.
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The government has
ordered a CBI probe into the death of Arunachal Pradesh youth Nido Tania
in the national capital. Talking to reporters after meeting with Nido's family
in New Delhi
today, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the family want that the investigation should be
conducted by the CBI and the government has decided to do so. Mr. Shinde said
he has assured that justice will be given to the family and guilty will be
punished.
The victim's father and Congress MLA Nido Pavitra said
that he also requested the minister to
do the needful to ensure security of people from northeast living different
parts of the country.
19-year-old Nido, had an altercation with some shopkeepers
at Lajpat Nagar in the city on the 29th of last month after they made fun of his hairstyle,
following which they allegedly thrashed him. He was found dead the next day.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police today told a court that murder
charges have been slapped against four persons, one of whom was arrested this
morning, in connection with the youth's death.
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The interim Railway budget for 2014-15 will be presented
in Parliament tomorrow. Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge will present the
budget in the Lok Sabha at noon. The Railway Minister is likely to announce
more trains, better amenities and safety measures for passengers. Sources in
the Ministry said, it will be a growth-oriented budget. Our Correspondent
reports that in his maiden budget presentation, Kharge is likely to come out
with specific measures to curb fire incidents in trains.
The News Services Division of All India Radio will bring
you a bilingual pre-rail budget live discussion from 11.45 am. The discussion
will be followed by live relay of the Railway Minister’s speech from 1155 hours
onwards. After the speech a live bilingual discussion will continue for fifteen
minutes. This can be heard on
Rajdhani, Indraprastha, all four FM Gold channels and additional frequencies
from 11.45 a.m.
Due to the presentation of interim railway budget
tomorrow, there will be changes in the timings of national regional news
bulletins.
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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today held an open
interaction with railway porters at New Delhi Railway Station and listened to
their grievances. Mr Gandhi assured them that he will take up the problems
faced by them with the Railway Minister. The interaction came a day before the
government presents interim railway budget.
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US Embassy sources
today said that the U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell will meet Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in Gandhinagar. The move is seen as a
significant shift in the US
stance towards Mr Modi.
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President Pranab Mukherjee today called on the
international community to take steps to make the world free from the scourge
of polio in a time-bound manner. He said, India's victory over polio has
demonstrated that the disease can be eradicated, if there is a strong
commitment and political will. Addressing a function in New
Delhi this evening, to mark the zero incidence of Polio cases in
the country in the last three years, the President said, India cannot retain its polio free
status for long until the virus is eliminated from its neighbourhood.
The organisation and successful delivery of the
immunisation through 2.5 million vaccination to 117 million children would not
have been possible without a high level of enthusiasm, total commitment and the
tremendous ability to mobilise all sections of the society.
The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that the
Government is committed to protecting newborn children from the disease until
it is eradicated across the world.
India's victory
over polio is no ordinary achievement. It says something about our strong
committment and our determination thus reaching a goal that we have set for
ourselves about a decade and half ago.
Describing the
occasion as historic, Dr Singh said the
Centre is firm in its resolve to achieve Universal Health Care, which is
only possible with a strong public health system. The Prime Minister said that life-saving
vaccines should be delivered to every child across the country. He said, the
Government is also making significant and strategic investments to reduce
maternal and child mortality.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said, the government
leveraged information and communication
technology to stimulate community participation to rid the country of the
crippling disease. Mrs Gandhi said that the massive programme could not have
become a success without close coordination among Centre, State Governments and
International Organisations.
The programme has been an extraordinary success. It
has reached every child across the length and breadth of our land and finally
rid our country of this ancient and crippling scurge.
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj who also graced the occasion,
hailed the contribution of all stakeholders in realising the dream of
Polio-free India.
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22-year-old youth
from North East, was allegedly stabbed and robbed by some unidentified
assailants in Mehrauli area in the national capital in the wee hours today.
Delhi Police maintained that it was a case of robbery and the attack was not
racially motivated.
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The toll in the Hirakud boat tragedy in Odisha's Sambalpur
district today has gone up to 31 with recovery of the bodies of the three
remaining missing persons. The tragedy took place on Sunday. Meanwhile, the
Puri district administration has stopped vessel services in Chilika lake.
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An Algerian military transport plane has crashed in the north-east of
the country, killing 103 passengers and crew. The plane - believed to be a
Hercules C-130 crashed in a mountainous area of Oum al-Bouaghi province. The
plane was carrying 99 passengers - soldiers and their families - as well as
four crew members. It was en route to Constantine
from Ouargla. Military sources said, the cause of the crash could have been bad
weather conditions. The source also added there were no survivors.
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In Sports
News, the ban on India's
Olympic Association has been lifted, allowing the country to return to the
Olympic fold. The International Olympic Committee had suspended India for
electing officials accused of corruption in 2012, in breach of the Olympic
charter.
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Indian Cricket teams for the Asia Cup and T 20 World Cup
were announced in Bangalore
today. Selectors dropped speedster Ishant Sharma following his under performance in New Zealand. Cheteshwar Pujara has
replaced left-handed batsman Suresh Raina for Asia Cup. Raina managed to be
part of T20 team. All-rounder Stuart Binny is selected both for one-day squad
for Asia Cup and T-20 World Cup. All-rounder Yuvraj Singh got the selectors'
nod only for the Twenty20 World championships. The Asia Cup will be held in Bangladesh from
February 25 to March 8.
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