The Travancore royal family today came out against an audit report by former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai over alleged theft of gold valuables from the Sree Padmanabha Swamy shrine here, saying it was never consulted in its preparation.
Adithya Varma, a member of the the erstwhile royal family which had earlier managed the centuries-old shrine, said, “Such huge difference in the figures (regarding the gold valuables) in the report is unbelievable.”
“It has pained us,” he said, adding they had not been consulted before the compilation of the report submitted in the Supreme Court.
“We have not been consulted before the report was prepared. If we were consulted, it would not have happened,” Varma told a regional channel here.
The royal family member also said old Malayalam numerals were used in the temple records and the “mistakes” in the figures might have happened while translating it.
His reaction came in the wake of reports that the Supreme Court-appointed committee, headed by Rai, had found ‘abnormal’ increase in the expenditure at the temple and gold pots valued at Rs 186 crore had gone missing and that it had recommended constitution of a panel to probe the “irregularities”.
The royals had said in a statement last week that Rai committee had submitted the report without seeking any type of explanation from temple Executive Officer, Treasurer or those in responsible positions during the period from April 2002 to April 2014 or from anyone from the royal family.
CPI(M) veteran and former chief minister V S Achuthanandan recently sought a CBI probe into the alleged theft.
One of the richest temples in south India, the shrine is now under the administration of a committee appointed by the apex court as a case is pending over issues related to its management. The Administrative Committee is headed by a district and sessions judge.
The temple, dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, shot to fame after treasures worth crores of rupees were found in the secret vaults of the temple basement four years ago.
India should shed its concerns over pollution and allow Chinese industries to shift their excess capacity to it which would be benificial to both countries, state media here said today.
“India may need to carefully think about whether it wants to resist or embrace the migration of China’s production capacity, which allegedly involves some investment in heavy polluting industries,” an article in the state-run Global Times said.
Referring to reports of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) starting operations at its joint venture plant in Haryana to manufacture and repair locomotives, it said, “the partnership is hardly surprising seeing as India has one of the world’s largest railway network, creating a huge demand for engines and other railway equipment”.
“China’s train makers have an advanced production capacity and have been actively looking for cooperation ties in the world. What is odd is that the cooperation between the two countries has only just now come about,” it said.
State-run Xinhua news agency reported that the plant was set up with an investment USD 63.4 million and the Chinese side holds 51 percent of the share. The India plant will repair and manufacture railway locomotive engines.
The Global Times article said, “there have been some obstacles restricting Chinese enterprises’ access into India, where some people worry that boosting India-China production capacity ties may also bring heavy polluting production into the country”.
“But these concerns are unfounded. The venture plant in India will transform CRRC from a company that exports equipment to one that exports advanced production technology that includes more clean and green methods. Further, this move will boost India’s rail system and drive tax revenue for the local economy,” it said.
“In fact, a considerable part of China’s excess production capacity could be conductive in boosting the local economy if they can be transported to India. A large number of Chinese manufacturers have acquired far more advanced technology than some local Indian firms despite those Chinese enterprises suffered problems of overcapacity domestically,” the article said.
“India may want to consider offering more opportunities for Chinese manufacturers to invest in the country as both countries could enjoy great potential in production capacity cooperation,” it said.PTI
Three people were killed when two vehicles fell into a river after a bridge collapsed in east China’s Jiangxi Province.
The bridge in Xiushui County collapsed last night when an electric motorcycle and a minibus were passing over it.
Two people on the motorcycle were rushed to the county’s hospital by rescuers, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The three passengers trapped in the minibus died.PTI
Terming RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments on declining Hindu population as “outdated”, Shiv Sena today said the progressive Hindu community would not accept his thoughts and asked the Centre to implement uniform civil code to maintain “social and cultural balance”.
Instead of focusing on increasing the population of Hindus to counter the rising Muslim population, the Narendra Modi government needs to implement the uniform civil code at the earliest, Sena, a long-time ally of BJP, said.
“Mohan Bhagwat has tried to present outdated thoughts in a modern way. His remarks will not be accepted by progressive Hindu community. Also, PM Modi would not agree that increasing Hindu population is the right way to counter growing Muslim population,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said.
“The government is spending a lot of money on family planning. A rise in Muslim population will undoubtedly affect the social and cultural balance of the country, but asking Hindus to have more children is no solution to the problem.
“The only solution is to implement the uniform civil code to cap the population of all communities. If Hindus give birth to more children, problems like hunger, unemployment and inflation will only increase,” the Sena said.
Sena also sought to know if Bhagwat was discreetly trying to back the idea of Hindus having more than one spouse to boost the population of the community.
“In reality, Bhagwat’s thoughts are like a web stuck on the ideals of Hindutva. Instead of this, why does he not back the uniform civil code and strict norms of family planning?”, it asked.
Responding to a question at an event in Agra recently, Bhagwat had said, “Which law says that the population of Hindus should not rise? There is nothing like that. What is stopping them when population of others is rising? The issue is not related to the system. It is because the social environment is like this.PTI
Railways will collaborate with Google for digitizing and showcasing its heritage on digital platforms.
Google has agreed to partner with Railways to digitise its heritage assets and help create a digital repository for universal online access free of cost, said a senior Railway Ministry official.
Indian Railway has a huge list of heritage assets including bridges, steam locos, buildings, artefacts and museums which can be showcased for global audience.
An agreement in this regard will be signed soon between National Rail Museum and Google Cultural Institute (GCI).
GCI is a non-profit organisation that partners with cultural organisations to bring world’s cultural heritage online. GCI builds online tools and offers them to institutions for showcasing and sharing cultural assets.
The official said collaboration will not only make NRM accessible online and offer virtual tours but also help digitise the national transporter’s entire heritage inventory which includes more than 20 museums, hundreds of steam locos, coaches, station buildings, bridges among others.
“Once these are placed online, it will act as a great tourist attraction,” he said.
GCI generally works with government organisations and not for profit groups to provide digital collection management systems and storeytelling tools free of cost.
Various ministries and institutes of the government have already collaborated with GCI for displaying and preserving India’s cultural heritage digitally.
Currently Google is working with the railways in providing free Wi-Fi service at 100 stations.
Indian Railway is preparing a comprehensive conservation management plan to preserve and promote its heritage assets.
Besides, a dedicated rail heritage website under Railway Board’s website is operational for dissemination of information.
Kareena Kapoor Khan is not starring in the fourth instalment of hit comedy franchise “Golmaal” but the actress, who was seen in its previous two parts, might do a special song in “Golmaal 4”, director Rohit Shetty has confirmed.
The filmmaker says he didn’t feel it was right to approach Kareena for the lead role in the upcoming film as she is expecting her first child but he would like to rope her for a small appearance.
“It would have been easy to call her and tell her to do the film. She would have said, ‘Let’s do it’. But I can’t do that (referring to her pregnancy). I will miss her for sure,” Rohit told PTI.
“I can’t talk to her (as she is pregnant) to do it (‘Golmaal 4’). It’s odd. But let’s see we will do a song or something with her (for the movie).”
The fourth movie will go on floors next January and hit theatres during Diwali.
Kareena featured in the second film “Golmaal Returns” and the third part “Golmaal 3” of the Ajay Devgn-starrer franchise.
It was in July this year, when Kareena’s actor husband Saif Alif Khan confirmed that his 35-year-old wife is pregnant.
The baby is due in December.
The AAP government is planning to set up mohalla clinics in the city’s commercial hubs including Nehru Place, Bhikaji Cama Place, and Subhash Place in order to provide medical facility to working class there.
The Kejriwal government has an aim of setting up 1,000 mohalla clinics by the end of this year and out of them, 105 such health facilities have come up in different areas of the national capital so far.
Government has identified 300 schools where such clinics will be set up for giving medical service to students near their study places.
A senior official said that government wants to provide health services to professionals working in commercial areas as many of them are not able to spare time for their health check up.
“We are contemplating setting up mohalla clinics in commercial hubs including Subhash Place, Bhikaji Cama Place and Nehru Place to provide medical services to working class.
Government is looking for land in these areas to open such clinics,” the official also said.
In his Independence Day speech, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had lauded his government’s works in health sector, saying that in the last one-and-a-half years, his government has “prepared” the people of Delhi by educating them besides making them healthy and giving skills.
Curfew in the entire Srinagar district as well as in two south Kashmir towns and restrictions in the rest of the Valley continued today even as normal life remained paralysed for the 44th day due to unrest.
Curfew is in force in the entire Srinagar district as well as in Anantnag and Pampore towns as a precautionary measure, a police official said.
He said restrictions on the movement of the people were also in force in rest of the Valley.
The separatist camp has called upon people to assemble and occupy local chowks and centers from 3 PM to 5 PM today.
The separatists have also asked the people to paste letters, asking all ministers, MLAs and MLCs from all parties to resign from government and party positions, on walls around their residence and in the locality.
The separatist camp is spearheading the protests in the Valley over the civilian killings during the protests against the killing of Hizhul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
As many as 64 persons, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the clashes that began on July 9.
Meanwhile, normal life remained paralysed for the 44th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike.
Shops, private offices and petrol pumps remained closed while public transport continued to be off roads.
Mobile Internet also continued to remain suspended in the entire Valley, while postpaid mobile services and incoming facility on prepaid mobiles were resumed yesterday.
However, outgoing facility on prepaid services remained barred.
The separatist camp, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, has extended the agitation till August 25.PTI.
Pakistan is investigating another Mumbai attack suspect, who has recently been arrested, for allegedly providing financial assistance to the LeT men to carry out the deadly assault in 2008.
“The FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) has arrested Sufyan Zafar recently and is interrogating him for his role in providing financial assistance to the accused of the Mumbai attack – who are lodged in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi,” FIA special prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar told PTI today.
He said Zafar was absconding after being declared proclaimed offender in the Mumbai case.
A resident of Gujrawala district of Punjab, some 80km from Lahore, Zafar is among 21 other absconding suspects wanted in this high-profile case.
“Zafar will be indicted in the Mumbai case after completion of the investigation,” the FIA official said.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has charged seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) activists – its operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum – with abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack.
The case has been underway in the country for more than six years.
Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack, is living at an undisclosed location after getting released from jail on bail over a year ago.
The other six suspects are in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The trial proceedings have come to a halt as India is yet to send 24 witnesses to Pakistan for recording of their statements in the trial court.
Pakistan says the trial cannot be concluded unless India sends its nationals for recording their statements in the case.
As many as 166 people were killed and over 250 injured in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men.
Nine assailants were killed while the lone survivor, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and later executed.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today sought to scotch “rumours” on Navjot Singh Sidhu’s possible induction in Aam Aadmi Party, saying the cricketer- turned-politician has not put any pre-condition and just needs “time to think”.
Kejriwal said his respect for Sidhu, who met him last Friday at his residence, will continue irrespective of whether “he joins (AAP) or not”.
Earlier, the AAP chief had said that talks of Sidhu becoming the party’s face in Punjab were “premature”.
“Wud Navjot Sidhu ji join AAP- lot of rumours? Its my duty to put forward our side. We have greatest greatest regard for this ckt legend. He met me last week.
“Didn’t put any pre-condition. He needs time to think.
Lets respect that. He is a v gud human being n a ckt legend.
My respect for him wud continue whether he joins or not,” Kejriwal said in a series of tweets.
Kejriwal’s remarks, however, are in stark contrast to the buzz of Sidhu’s imminent induction into the AAP after the 52-year-old resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership last month and lashed out at the BJP leadership alleging it wanted him to stay away from Punjab.
AAP had, at that time, made it clear that his joining the party will not be on any terms or conditions. Also, the AAP’s constitution does not permit giving tickets to two members of a family.PTI
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