NEW DELHI: Days before the Budget, the government on Wednesday hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs four and Rs 2 per litre, respectively, with effect from midnight tonight.
It, however, decided against decontrol of petrol and diesel prices, while leaving LPG and kerosene prices unchanged.
Provisions would be made in the budget, to be presented on July 6, to cover the loss on account of LPG and kerosene, Petroleum minister Murli Deora said.
The decision to increase the price was taken after Deora met prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Congress MP slaps bank manager
HYDERABAD: Congress MP from Nagarkurnool in Andhra Pradesh M Jagannath on Tuesday found himself in a spot after he allegedly slapped a bank manager in Mahabubnagar district, following which the bank union threatened to step up its protests.
Jagannath allegedly slapped Ravinder Reddy, manager of a local branch of Andhra Pradesh Grameen Vikas Bank, for not releasing the loan amount to SC/ST beneficiaries for the last six months at Uppununtala in the district, official sources said.
The MP alleged that the manager gave an improper reply when he called him up during a meeting of the mandal officials and public representatives to find out the reasons for not distributing the loans to the SC/ST beneficiaries.
Dissatisfied over the manager's reply, Jagannath headed to the bank from the mandal committee meeting and in the argument that followed, Jagannath allegedly slapped Reddy.
Footage aired by a news channel showed the ruling party lawmaker slapping the bank manager more than once.
"Can he speak to me in the language which he did? He was drunk heavily. If he was taken to the hospital, it would have been proved," the MP claimed.
However, the bank manager said Jagannath's behaviour is not befitting to the position held by him.
"He could have complained to my bosses if I am negligent in discharging my duties. This is not the way," Reddy said. The manager complained to the police against the Lok Sabha MP.
The police filed a case against the MP under IPC Sections 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (insulting), a police official said.
A counter case was filed against the bank manager under the Prevention of Atrocities Against SC/STs by one Vijay and one Bakkaiah, he said.
Meanwhile, the AP Regional Rural Banks Employees Association (APRRBEA) demanded that the MP express regret for his action and also assure that such "scenes in future" won't recur from his end.
As a mark of protest, all the staff in the rural branches were wearing black badges and staged demonstrations before offices of District Collectors, a release issued by the association said.
The association said it would take up the matter with Prime Minister
, Lok Sabha Speaker and the chief minister.
The bank union threatened to stop disbursal of loans as a mark of protest till action was initiated against the MP.
Kasab laughs when shown his photographs during trial
Mumbai, July 01: Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, lone captured accused in Mumbai terror attack case, laughed in a special court today when he was shown his photos taken on November 26 by a photojournalist.
During the deposition of photojournalist Shriram Vernekar, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam showed Kasab his photos clicked by the photographer, prompting the gunman to laugh.
Vernekar, the second photojournalist to have photographed Kasab during the November 26 terror strikes, said he had heard firing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and rushed there from his office at the nearby Times of India (TOI) building.
According to Vernekar, on reaching the rear gate of the terminus he saw two persons firing indiscriminately inside the station and saw the two gunmen taking the pedestrian bridge towards the TOI building from CST.
The photojournalist told the court that frightened by the shooting he decided not to go on the bridge and instead rushed to the second floor of his office building from where he had a clear view of the bridge.
Vernekar said he saw the terrorists throwing hand grenades and firing from the bridge and he took a photo of Kasab coming down the stairs of the bridge.
Due to the dim light he used a flash and on seeing the light Kasab had turned in that direction and fired six shots at the building, the witness said.
Dalit icon statues to be projected as tourist spots: Maya
LUCKNOW: Unfazed by the outcry over the alleged misuse of funds for construction of statues and parks in Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Mayawati on Wednesday said the state government would project these places as tourist spots.
"To create awareness among the people across the country regarding these memorials, parks and statues developed in the memory of Dalit icons, the state government has decided to launch a major publicity campaign. The tourism department had already incorporated these places in its map," Mayawati told reporters here.
The chief minister said that to popularise these places, the state government has decided that tickets will not be issued at the places for the next six months.
"It has been decided that later on, income generated from the sale of tickets would be utilised for the welfare of the people living in slums and villages," she said.
This comes in the backdrop of the Allahabad High Court asking the state government to file by July 10 its reply on a PIL challenging installation of statues of Dalit leaders.
The Supreme Court has already sought an explanation from the UP government for allegedly spending crores of rupees from the state exchequer on these memorials.
Rubbishing the opposition's claim of misuse of public money, Mayawati said that no unauthorised expenditure was done on construction of these memorials.
Intelligence input indicates terror threat to west coast: PC
Hyderabad/Chennai:Launching the NSG hubs, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said intelligence agencies have indicated a terror threat to the country's west coast but it did not meant that there will be an imminent attack.
"There is an intelligence input (and) as is the practice established recently, we share all inputs immediately with the state governments concerned.
"There is an input that there could be a threat to the west coast. We have, therefore, shared it with (the governments of) Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. But that does not mean that there is an imminent attack," he said inaugurating a regional hub of NSG in Hyderabad.
Earlier, opening a regional hub of NSG in Chennai, the Home Minister said special forces of the army will be used to set up anti-terror hubs in Bangalore and Jodhpur.
He said setting up of NSG units did not mean there was an increase in terror threat to the country.
"We are also using special forces of the army. Bangalore hub is by the special forces of the army. I am trying to set up a special forces of the army in Jodhpur and one in Guwahati using the Border security force", he said.
"Establishing NSG hubs will increase its flexibility and reach and it does not mean that terrorist threat has gone up in the country", he told reporters.
Referring to the November Mumbai terror attacks during which it took more than 12 hours for NSG to arrive from Gurgaon, Chidamabarm said NSG hubs would decrease the response time and would enable it to reach any part of the country quickly in case of any terror threat.
What to look for in Budget 2009
New Delhi:The new UPA government will present the FY10 federal budget on July 6 and is expected to expand both the budget deficit and its market borrowing requirement to support growth.
Following are some scenarios on what Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee may announce and its impact on financial markets. The current fiscal year of 2009/10 runs until the end of next March.
BUDGET DEFICIT
The government is almost certain to expand the 2009/10 budget deficit beyond the 5.5 per cent set in an interim and pre-election budget in February.
Bonds have priced in expectations that the deficit will swell to between 6.25 per cent and 6.5 per cent of GDP. So it is unlikely to be rattled so long as the deficit is around these levels.
But any sign that the government is bowing to pressure for populist spending measures to make good on promises made in the April and May general election would spark a bond sell off.
If it also fails to present a plan to bring the deficit back under control in subsequent years, the country's credit rating could come under pressure.
GOVERNMENT BORROWING TARGET
The government will raise its borrowing target for 2009/10 to help pay for its increased budget deficit.
Bond yields have jumped to factor in a massive increase in government borrowing. Ten-year bond yields, for example, are up 170 basis points since the start of the year.
The forecast borrowing would be 29 per cent above 2008/09 borrowing of 3.06 trillion rupees.
Kaka ushers in latest Real Madrid galactico era
Madrid:Kaka ushered in Real Madrid's latest "galactico" era as the Spanish club gave the Brazil player a rock star welcome with an unveiling in front of at least 50,000 fans. After president Florentino Perez introduced Kaka for the first time since his euro65 million ($92 million) acquisition from AC Milan, the 27-year-old playmaker shook his head in delight as fans chanted his name at the Santiago Bernabeu. "Today is a very special day for me. I'm very happy about this new step in my career at Real Madrid," said Kaka, who will wear the No. 8 shirt. "Viva Madrid!"
Kaka, who passed his medical earlier on Tuesday, and Cristiano Ronaldo are Perez's major summer signings as he bids to make up for a season without silverware. "There are no words for today, it's an unforgettable day," Kaka said through a translator. "All of this is a great honor and responsibility, and not a negative responsibility but a positive one. I hope we can win titles and many victories."
Kaka took the stage in front of a backdrop featuring photos of iconic Madrid players Alfredo di Stefano, Raul Gonzalez, Juanito and Zinedine Zidane. Accompanied by a young fan donning the first Kaka jersey, he subsequently did a tour of one half of the 80,000-capcity stadium to sign autographs and salute to the pumped-up masses. "He's very good," said 10-year-old Tony Castano, clad in a Madrid jersey. "I hope he can help the club win the league and Champions League this season." Hopes are high at Madrid, which failed to get past the first knockout stage of Europe's top-tier competition for the fifth straight season and lost the league to bitter rival Barcelona, which became the first Spanish club to win the treble last season.
Windies will repeat their good show against India: Morton
Gros Islet, (St Lucia):In-form West Indies opener Runako Morton said the hosts will look to replicate their series-levelling show of Sabina Park when they take on India in the third ODI at the Beausejour Stadium here on Friday. Aware that whoever wins the third ODI would be spared the ignominy of a series defeat, Morton said he personally would settle for nothing less than a win. "The series is level 1-1. As always I will be looking to win," he said. For that, Morton said, his teammates would hope to display the same zeal that helped them crush the visitors by eight wickets in the second ODI last week. "We will be looking to put in another good team effort as we showed in Jamaica. Players are putting their hands up and putting in good performances and we are confident," said the right-hander. Morton himself has been in great form since returning to the side for the four-match ODI series against India.
In the opening match, Morton hit 42 from 51 balls and did even better in the second, hammering unbeaten 85 from 102 balls at Sabina Park. Morton credited his recent good show with the bat to his positive outlook. "I always like to think positive and since I came back into the team I have been looking to put my best foot forward for the team," he said. "I don't want to get too much ahead of myself. I am taking the positives from those two knocks. From the start of the year I have been feeling quite relaxed at the crease and I am getting the results," he said.
Safina says she’ll beat Williams this time
London:Ahead of their semi-final clash, world No. 1 Dinara Safina has warned five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams that she is set to repeat her Rome victory.
Safina, 23, is looking to reach her first Wimbledon final and has lost twice to Williams but won their last meeting in Rome, The Sun reports.
Safina, who saw off Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 6-7 6-4 6-1 in the quarters yesterday, said: “Venus loves playing at Wimbledon but I have nothing to lose. I played her in Rome in May and beat her. “I know her weapons but I have my own. I just want to go out and play my best. So let’s see.”
Despite her spot at the top of the women’s game, Safina, sister of retiring men’s singles player Marat Safin, has not won a Grand Slam title. She was thrashed in the final of the Australian Open by Venus’ younger sister Serena and then lost the French Open final to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
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