AMBROSIA

Bought drugs with Vijender Singh, boxer allegedly says

2013-03-09T06:45:00.001-08:00

Chandigarh:
The drug dealer Anup Singh who was arrested in Punjab with drugs worth over Rs.130 crores found in his home tried to slash his wrists in jail last evening.

Sources who have interrogated him say that he met at least four times with boxer Vijender Singh, who won India its first boxing Olympic medal in 2008.

Vijender's close friend and national-level boxer Ram Singh has told the police that the pair bought drugs from Anup Singh, say police sources. Ram Singh allegedly said that neither Vijender nor he were habitual users.

Vijender's wife's car was parked at the alleged drug dealer's home when he was arrested.

He told NDTV yesterday that a friend had borrowed the car while he was traveling.

Vijender denied ever using drugs.

"After the initial probe it appears there is no link of the boxer with the person from whose house the heroin was seized. If needed we may call Vijender for questioning. But at present there is nothing in connection with Vijender," Fathegarh Sahib SSP Hardyal Singh Mann has told reporters yesterday.

Virender Sehwag rules out retirement after BCCI selectors exclude him for last 2 Tests against Australia

2013-03-09T06:40:00.002-08:00

Indian opener Virender Sehwag was on Thursday dropped from the Indian Test squad for the remaining two matches against the visiting Australians.

Sehwag has been out of form for quite sometime and has not scored enough runs in any of his recent innings. However, another struggling player, spinner Harbhajan Singh, escaped the axe as he was retained for the remaining two Tests.

However, reacting to the news the swashbuckling opener made his intentions clear. The Delhi batsman told Headlines Today that he was not considering retiring from cricket.

Earlier, the BCCI's All-India Senior Selection Committee announced the Indian team for the third and fourth Tests of the Airtel Test series with the rest of the players unchanged.

The team: M.S. Dhoni (captain), Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, R. Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Dinda, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma.

The third Test would be played in Mohali from March 14 and the final Test would be held in Delhi from March 22. India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series with emphatic victories in Chennai and Hyderabad.

Virender Sehwag's career

2013-03-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

Virender Sehwag has done nothing much to write home ever since the hundred in the first Test against England in Ahmedabad in November.

For a man who started off as a middle-order batsman in 2001 in Bloemfontein, it was all about hand-eye co-ordination and keeping it simple that has earned him over 8,000 runs in Test cricket, of which close to 4,000 have come in foreign conditions.

Here is a timeline of his career.

2001: Sehwag made his Test debut in the first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein as a middle-order batsman. He hit 105 on debut.

2002: Promoted to a makeshift-opener on the tour to England. He scored 84 in the new role at Lord's and then a century in the second Test at Trent Bridge.

2002-03: He scored his maiden century at home. He hit 147 against the West Indies in Mumbai.

2003: He scored 195 against Australia on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

2004: He became the only Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket, with 309 against Pakistan in the first Test in Multan.

2005: Became the fastest Indian to score 3000 runs in Test cricket after scoring 173, 81 and 201 in Bangalore against Pakistan. He passed the mark during the B'lore Test.

2006: Sehwag scored his first century in a year when he compiled 254 against Pakistan in the first Test in Lahore in January, the highest ever Test score at a strike rate of over 100 and the second fastest double century ever.

2007: Poor form saw Sehwag being dropped from the Test team.

2008: He scored a match-saving 151 in the second innings of the fourth Test against Australia in Adelaide after returning to the Test team.

2008: Sehwag scored 319 in the first Test against South Africa in Chennai, having reached 300 off just 278 balls, the fastest triple century in Test history.

2009: In the last Test match in Sri Lanka, he made 293. In this innings he established many records: - Scored the second fastest 200.

L&T sees no significant impact of six-month sanction by World Bank

2013-03-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

Infrastructure giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday said the World Bank's six-month sanction against it would not have any significant impact on its business and the group has taken necessary measures to prevent recurrence of any such incident.

The statement comes after the World Bank barred L&T from doing any business with it or any projects that it has funded for 6 months. The bank alleged that an L&T executive had indulged in a fraud by committing forgery.

"A junior employee in our medical equipment's business falsified some customer testimonials and submitted them in support of an offer. On discovery of misrepresentation the employee was confronted with the facts and he resigned from the company. L&T has since divested the medical equipment's business," the Indian conglomerate said in a statement to NDTV, adding that "control has been tightened across the L&T group to prevent recurrence of such incidents".

The employee has now resigned from the company, a spokesperson told PTI. "L&T has since divested the medical equipment business," he said.

The World Bank said in its sanction order that L&T's ineligibility would continue across the entire World Bank group and has been imposed on L&T "for fraudulent practices" as per the bank's procurement guidelines against fraud and corruption.

The debarment will continue till September 6, making L&T ineligible for being awarded contracts for any World Bank- funded projects, from receiving any loan proceeds made by the bank or participating in any bank-financed project.

During the debarment period, L&T as well as any of the entities controlled directly or indirectly by it can't be nominated even subcontractor, consultant, manufacturer, supplier or even service provider to an otherwise eligible firm being awarded a World Bank-financed project.

The matter pertains to a bid submitted by L&T through Regional Business Head of its Medical Equipment and Systems unit to a World Bank-financed project in Tamil Nadu.

In January 2005, the World Bank Group had entered into a Development Credit Agreement with the Indian government to provide $110.83 million of International Development Association credit for the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project.

It was set up to improve the effectiveness of health systems in the state by increasing access to critical health services for poor, disadvantaged and tribal groups.

In July 2008, bidding documents were issued by Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation for a contract to supply 130 ultrasound scanners under the Project, following which L&T submitted a bid on September 3, 2008 through the said Regional Business Head.

Upon technical and financial evaluation, L&T's bid was found to be the lowest-priced, but a complaint was received later that some of the certificates submitted with the bid might have been forged.

The bid contained a total 115 performance certificates purportedly issued by medical facilities stating that the ultrasound scanners supplied by L&T were working well.

After the company was asked to explain, the Regional Business Head said that some medical facilities may have mistakenly denied issuing the certificates and requested that L&T "not be viewed as (having) indulged in fraudulent practice".

In December 2008, L&T was informed that the tender has been cancelled and the contract was awarded to another firm through a new bidding process.

After looking into the matter, the World Bank's Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) had alleged that L&T "engaged in fraudulent practices by submitting forged performance certificates with its bid".

No web censorship, Facebook and Google cooperating with us: Govt

2012-08-24T10:11:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday sought to downplay its action in the cyber world in the wake of problems in the northeast, saying it was not targetting individual accounts and websites but wanted to block objectionable content.

"We have provided URL numbers under which objectionable material is being shown. Now, the government does not know who is behind these URL numbers, only Twitter and other sites are aware about it," said minister of communications and IT Kapil Sibal.

"Actually we don't have the identities. We have no way to find out the identities. The accusations that we are aggressively targeting someone's (twitter) account or websites are incorrect," he added.

Sibal said the government was ready to hold discussions with stakeholders to find a "permanent solution" to the issue.

"The difficulty is that Twitter is a site, which operates from outside India and the server of all such sites are outside the jurisdiction of India... they have said that they are ready for talks with us. But the solution to this problem should be a permanent one. That will only happen when we talk to all the stakeholders and form such a mechanism under which any objectionable content is removed " said the minister.

He added, "Facebook and Google are cooperating with us".

Ministry of home affairs (MHA), which has reportedly prepared the list of over 310 URLs that internet service providers have been told to block in the country, too justified its action.

"We are only taking strict action against those accounts which are causing damage or spreading rumours. We are not taking action against other accounts, be it on Facebook, Twitter or even SMSes. There is no censorship at all. We decided on taking action because there were pictures of Myanmar etc. online, which were disturbing the atmosphere here in India," noted the MHA statement.

The government has faced lots of criticism in the last few days over its plan to block several URLs in the country. According to a list that The Economic Times leaked on Thursday, the list contains several Twitter accounts, including two maintained by senior journalists.

After the accounts were blocked by ISPs, many Twitter users claimed that it was censorship and the government was trying to silence people critical of its policies. They also started #GOIBlocks and #Emergency2012 hashtags, which trended as part of India list on the micro-blogging website on Thursday.

Shooting near Empire State Building in New York; 2 killed, 8 wounded

2012-08-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK: Two people were killed and at least eight wounded in a shooting outside the Empire State Building on Friday, a New Yorkpolice source said, creating chaos and shocking tourists and commuters who witnessed the bloody scene outside the landmark tourist attraction.

One of the dead was the shooter, the source said, adding there was no apparent link to terrorism.

A white tarp covered what was believed to be a body in front of the entrance to the office building but police declined to confirm if it was the shooter.

A police source said the assailant, who worked nearby, was believed to be a disgruntled employee who fired at a person against whom he had a grievance. The nature of the grievance was not known.

"I heard the gunshots. It was like pop, pop, pop. It was definitely in a bunch," said Dahlia Anister, 33, who works at an office near the 102-story Empire State Building.

The shooting started shortly after 9 a.m. (1300 GMT) on the busy sidewalk on Fifth Avenue outside the Midtown Manhattan building.

It came at the height of the tourist season outside one of New York City's most popular attractions. Police cordoned off the area around the building, one of the most recognizable in the world.

The Empire State Building is two blocks from Pennsylvania Station and eight blocks from Grand Central Terminal, two of New York City's main transportation hubs.

Mail courier James Bolden, 31, said he saw a "guy laying on the (sidewalk), bleeding from the neck and barely breathing."

"Everybody was crowded around him taking pictures and video, and security guys were yelling everybody to get back, and give him space. He was barely breathing," Bolden said.

One witness said she saw a woman who was shot in the foot and another woman being taken away in an ambulance.

"I was walking down 33rd (Street) and there's a dead guy. I just saw pools of blood. He was laying down and the was blood pooling (around him)," Justin Kellis, 35, who works nearby.

The United States has had two other mass shooting cases this summer. On July 20, a gunman opened fire at a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 58.

On August 5, a gunman killed six people and critically wounded three at a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee before police shot him dead in an attack authorities treated as an act of domestic terrorism.

This was the second high-profile shooting incident in two weeks in New York's tourist-heavy midtown Manhattan. On August 12 New York City police shot and killed a knife-wielding suspect as he sought to evade them through Saturday afternoon traffic and pedestrians in Times Square.

The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building for 40 years from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, it was again the tallest building in the city, though was recently surpassed by a new tower under construction at the World Trade Center.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly planned a news conference for 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) near the scene.

Shooting near Empire State Building in New York; 2 killed, 8 wounded

2012-08-24T10:09:00.001-07:00

Model names Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf in sex scandal

2012-08-16T08:57:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Top International Cricket Council ( ICC) umpire Asad Rauf has been accused by a Mumbai-based model, Leena Kapoor, of sexually exploiting her for several months after promising marriage. Rauf, who is a Pakistani, has been coming to India for several cricket tournaments, including the Indian Premier League, during which Leena alleges they had a relationship.

The 21-year-old model has filed a written complaint with deputy commissioner of police (Zone 6) Pratap Dighavkar, in which she claims she had a six-month affair with the 56-year-old umpire, which was prolonged only because he promised that they would soon get married. However, Rauf has now backed off, she says. "When I tried calling him a few days ago, there was no response," she says, adding that last week, Rauf called her to say that he did not know who she was and refused to have any more interaction.

Pakistani website thenews.com.pk quoted Rauf as denying the allegations and saying Kapoor was seeking to gain publicity by linking her name to his.

Model Leena Kapoor, who stays at Oshiwara, claims she met Rauf for the first time in Sri Lanka six months ago through a mutual friend. "We exchanged numbers and stayed together in the island nation for three days," she says. "He also came to Mumbai to meet me when I was ill and we became closer." It was then, she adds, that the umpire --already married and a father of two-- said he would marry her. "He convinced me that because his religion allowed more than one marriage, he could marry me. He kept saying his family wouldn't have a problem with his second marriage," she says.

"He also offered to buy me a flat in Mumbai. But I never wanted his money. I have enough for myself and am busy with my work," she adds.

DCP Dighavkar confirmed receiving a complaint from Leena. "It has been forwarded to a senior inspector (at Versova Police Station)," he said. "He has been asked to conduct an inquiry, based on which further action will be taken."

Rauf has stood in 44 Tests, 95 ODIs and 17 T20 matches and is considered among the best in the world. Prior to umpiring, Rauf was also a first-class cricketer in Pakistan.

Ramdev calls PM 'Moni Baba' charges him of reading a scripted speech

2012-08-16T08:43:00.002-07:00

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Wednesday reiterated his description of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh as being a ''Moni Baba'' after the latter failed to speak on the black money issue during his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the 17th century-built Red Fort.

He further added that Dr. Singh''s views reflected the views of the ruling Congress Party.

Baba Ramdev alleged that the Prime Minister's speech looked like a report of the Planning Commission, and written by the Congress Headquarters.

"The speech given by the Prime Minister appears to be like a report of the Planning Commission. It appears as if it was a speech written by the Congress Headquarters and a written speech. He did not speak a single word on the black money issue," said Baba Ramdev.

"It is said about him that he is a 'Moni Baba'. So, on 15th August, he accepted that he is a 'Moni Baba'," he added.

Baba Ramdev said Dr. Singh did not speak on the nation''s economic freedom.

"The country has got political freedom for sure, but he did not speak on economic freedom," he said.

Baba Ramdev further accused the ruling Congress Party of spreading chaos and turbulence in the country.

"The Congress has weakened the democratic society. Congress is the one, which has spread chaos and turbulence. Congress has given Poverty, hunger, malnutrition, inflation and unemployment," he said.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, Dr. Singh said that his government believed that the difficult problems, which India faces, can be resolved only with the cooperation of the common man.

Geetika suicide: Court issues non-bailable warrant against absconding Gopal Kanda

2012-08-16T08:40:00.001-07:00

A Delhi court today issued non-bailable warrant (NBW) against ex-Haryana Minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, an accused in the Geetika Sharma suicide case.

Metropolitan Magistrate D K Jangala directed that the NBW be issued against Kanda for August 24.

The court gave the direction after the Delhi police told it that Kanda is yet to be arrested.

The police said despite their best of efforts, they have been unable to arrest Kanda, the order on whose anticipatory bail plea has been reserved by the Delhi High Court.

Kanda's aide and co-accused Aruna Chaddha, meanwhile, was sent today by the court to judicial custody for 14 days. She was arrested on August 8 after she was called by the police questioning.

The trial court had rejected Kanda's plea for anticipatory bail on August 9. Both Kanda and Chaddha have been accused of abetting Geetika's suicide.

Earlier, the police took into custody from Sirsa a relative of Kanda.

Sources said that Bunty Bansal, son-in-law of Kanda's brother-in-law, was taken away after being questioned by the police team that was headed by a DCP rank officer, in connection with a call he had made to Nepal yesterday.

A nearly 25-member Delhi Police team swooped on the Sirsa residence of the suspect in the wee hours and after brief questioning took him into custody.

Amid reports that Kanda may have slipped into Nepal, the sources said that police questioned Bansal, who is a contractor, about the nearly 40-minute call to somewhere in Nepal.

Initially, the Delhi Police had reached the house of Bansal's associate in whose name the SIM card was said to be registered.

Unhealthy at 65: India has 76% shortfall in government doctors

2012-08-16T08:35:00.001-07:00

After spending around 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) on health in the past five years, the government is proposing an increase in public spending by half a percentage point to make it 1.58% for the coming five years (2012-17) under the 12th Plan.

This is what the draft chapter on health in the Plan document says. Health experts and activists are up in arms at this meagre increase because even the Planning Commission's high-level expert group and the steering committee on drafting the Plan had suggested at least 2.5% of GDP as the public health spend.

But, what happens with low spending? The Planning Commission's own analysis of the state of the country's healthcare system reveals the rot within.

The latest available rural health statistics for 2011 show a shocking shortfall of human resources, be it doctors, nurses or other healthcare personnel . According to the Planning Commission's draft, the country's government-run healthcare system is hamstrung because the number of doctors is short of the target by a jaw-dropping 76%, there are 53% fewer nurses , specialist doctors are short by 88%, radiographers are short by 85% and laboratory technicians are short by 80%.

What the shortage of personnel means is that in many states where infrastructure is largely present, the absence of doctors and nurses renders the whole facility meaningless. Thus, Gujarat has only a 5% shortfall of community health centres but only 76 out of 1,220 specialists required are available. In Odisha, there are 377 CHCs although only 327 are required as per norms. But of 1,570 specialists required , only 438 are at work.

Health infrastructure poor in states

The shortfall of medical personnel in several states tells a sorry state of affairs of the health machinery. This is the situation after the Centre spent Rs 33,390 crore, that is 52% of its total NRHM budget, on human resources.

The picture is grim on physical infrastructure too, consisting of the gigantic network of health sub-centres (SC), primary health centres (PHC), community health centres (CHC) and district hospitals (DH). There are supposed to be 1,78,267 SCs in the country on the basis of about one per 1,000 population. In reality, there are only 1,48,124 — about 17% short. Even among the functional ones, more than 40,000 are working out of rented buildings ; buildings for 13,000 sub-centres are still being made. A quarter of them don't have water and a similar proportion has no electricity.

The situation is no different as one goes up the ladder. There is an 18% shortfall in PHCs, and an alarming 34% shortfall in CHCs. District hospitals are only 4% short of the target but since all lower centres are short and ill-equipped , the rush to district hospitals causes massive crowding. This is the result after the government spent Rs 17,380 crore or about 27% of its total NRHM budget on setting up infrastructure in the last five years.

Even the physical infrastructure available is unevenly spread across the country. In states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and many states in the northeast, there is no shortfall of CHCs. But in states like Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra , UP and Bengal, the shortfall ranges between 33% and 91%. This clearly shows that as much as finances , political will at the state government level is also a key determining factor in the fate of public healthcare.

So, by under-investing in key areas like infrastructure and deployment of qualified personnel, the government appears to have constrained the spread of health facilities for all — and apathy at the state governments' level has further worsened the situation.

India slump to second successive defeat against New Zealand

2012-08-01T12:06:00.002-07:00

London: India`s semi final hopes in Olympic Games men`s hockey competition were dealt a severe blow when the side slumped to a humiliating 1-3 defeat against New Zealand on Wednesday.

Defensive lapses led to the Bharat Chetri-led side`s second successive loss in Group B, having opened their campaign on Monday with a 2-3 defeat against formidable the Netherlands.

The second straight loss in the tough six-team pool has put their campaign off the track and the team will now have a tough task to make the last four stage.

Conceding soft penalty corners and allowing the rival strikers plenty of leeway inside the circle, India`s defence allowed New Zealand to call the shots even after taking an early lead.

Sandeep Singh`s second minute penalty corner conversion kept India ahead for 10 minutes before the `Black Sticks` hit back to score three goals in the first session through Andrew Hayward (12th minute), Phillip Burrows (24th) and Nicholas Wilson (29th) to leave the Indians shattered.

India`s efforts to bounce back in the second session saw them frequently break into the rival circle, but were unable to change the scoreline.

New Zealand, winners of the Azlan Shah Cup two months ago, had lost their opening match 0-2 to South Korea, while India suffered a 2-3 reversal against The Netherlands, who now lead the Group B table with six points from two matches after posting a 3-1 victory over Belgium today.

New Zealand had beaten India 5-1 in their last meeting in the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (Malaysia).

India opened scoring in second minute through a penalty corner conversion by Sandeep, making the most out of the first Indian raid on the New Zealand citadel.

New Zealand responded by forcing their first penalty corner in the third minute, but the Indian goal had a close shave as Simon Child`s deflection from Andrew Hayward`s shot rebounded off the horizontal.

New Zealand pressed hard to dominate the first session and drew level in the 12th minute when a poor defence conceded a soft penalty corner that was converted by Hayward, who sent a shoulder high drag-flick past goalkeeper Bharat Chetri.

Soon after S V Sunil`s deflection on a cross from S K Uthappa went wide of the post, but poor defence continued to be India`s bane.

New Zealand striker Stephen Jenness was allowed to have a swing at a stray ball inside the cricle in the 16th minute, but India survived as he did not connect when the defenders were in disarray.

The Indian goal again came under pressure in the 22nd minute when Sardar Singh found himself defending against three New Zealand strikers, but managed to hold his ground.

New Zealand went ahead 2-1 in the 24th minute on a penalty stroke, which resulted from a penalty corner shot by Hayward struck Ignace Tirkey`s body as he tried a goalline save.

The penalty stroke was converted by Phillip Burrows, who placed it to the right of goalkeeper Chetri. India then mounted two raids that saw Tushar Khandekar`s shot from the left sail across the goalmouth as Dharamvir Singh failed to connect in the 27th minute.

Just as India were trying to push ahead, another defensive lapse saw New Zealand score their third goal in the 29th minute.

A faulty clearance presented the ball to Shea McAleese and his back-pass allowed Nicholas Wilson to flick past goalkeeper Chetri, who was replaced by P R Sreejesh at half-time.

India played a better game in the second session and had a period of sustained pressure, but failed to pose much threat to the New Zealand goal. The Indian strikers repeated broke into the circle, and then gave the ball away, not even managing to earn a penalty corner.

Pune blasts: Four minor explosions hit the city, cops say 'no need to panic'

2012-08-01T12:04:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Four coordinated low-intensity explosions struck the busy arterial J M road in the heart of Pune tonight raising the spectre of terror. Pune Police Commissioner Gulab Rao Pol described the explosions as an act of mischief but Union Home Secretary R K Singh said terror angle cannot be ruled out since it seems to be a planned attack. A man allegedly carrying one of the bombs was injured in the explosions and has been taken into custody and is being interrogated, Singh said.

He has been admitted to a local hospital. Pol said the explosives carried by the injured man was kept in a cake box with sticky material, two detonators and a pencil cell. One detonator went off in the explosion while the second was defused by a bomb disposal squad team.Sushilkumar Shinde, who took over as Union Home Minister today, was due to have visited the city this evening but the trip was cancelled.

Ironically, his last two days in the Power ministry was marked by a major power outage due to collapse of three grids. He parried questions in Delhi on whether it was a terror attack, saying they were minor explosions and a probe was on into the blast that occurred between 7.27 pm and 8.15 pm. Pune was rocked by a bomb blast at German Bakery in February 2010 in which 15 people were killed.

The explosions occurred at Jangli Maharaj(JM) road at spots near Balgandharva Theatre, Dena Bank branch, a McDonald food outlet and Garware bridge. The first explosion went off at Balgandharva Theatre where the suspected bomber was injured. The explosion outside McDonald went off in a dustbin while the blasts near Garware bridge and Dena bank were reported from a cycle which had a bucket with explosives strapped on, police said.

The entire J M Road area has been cordoned off. Pol said explosives at one of the sites was kept in a polythene bag.

"The bombs went off between 7.27 pm and 8.15 pm. One "The bombs went off between 7.27 pm and 8.15 pm. One person has been injured. He is admitted at Sassoon hospital. Police is recording his statement. These blasts were of low intensity," Shinde said.

Shinde said teams of National Investigation Agency(NIA) and a bomb disposal squad of National Security Guards(NSG) have been rushed to Pune. "I was planned to go to Pune at 6 pm today to attend a function of 'Lokmanya Tilak Prize' at Tilak theatre there. I have no information of being a terror attack," he added. "There were four low intensity bombs in which one person was injured. Terror angle cannot be ruled out as it appears that it was a planned attack," Union Home Secretary R K Singh said.

"One person who allegedly carrying one of the bombs in a bag was injured and he has been taken into custody. His interrogation is going on," he added. Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil tonight reviewed the security situation in the state with senior officials. Patil discussed the situation with top Home Department officials, sources said. An alert has been issued following the explosions, which come a day ahead of the Raksha Bandhan festivities. A strict vigil will be maintained at crowded places like railway and bus stations, malls, markets and lodges, a Home Department official said.
Maharashtra ATS and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads were at the spot, police said.

Asked if it was a terror attack, Maharashtra DGP Sanjeev Dayal told PTI, "It is not appropriate to comment at this moment. Police teams have reached the spot and are looking into the matter." Maharashtra Additional DG (Law & Order) Satyapal Singh said, "the first explosion near Balgandharva Theatre occurred at 19.27 hours and the rest followed afterwards though the exact timings are not yet clear, while one cyclist was injured".

Singh said he had no information about any fifth explosive device being found and defused. Pol said, "All are minor explosions. The public need not panic. Police are alert and they are doing their job."

Why Mayawati says history will never forgive Akhilesh Yadav

2012-07-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Why Mayawati says history will never forgive Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: What Mayawati can, Akhilesh Yadav can do better. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister today changed the names of eight districts in the state, which had been earlier named by his predecessor, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati.

And on expected lines, the former chief minister is crying foul. The BSP chief immediately accused the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government of changing the names "with an ill will." She claims the districts were named after saints, gurus and Dalit icons during her regime.

"New districts were created during BSP regime and named after Dalit and Other Backward Classes (OBC) icons so that they always remain a source of inspiration for the society," Mayawati in a statement.

"But the present SP government has unnecessarily changed names of the districts with new ones that do not have any serious meaning. It is an insult to icons and to the society, and history will never forgive it," she said.

Mayawati said though reports of change in the names of districts were appearing in the media, she did not believe that the Samajwadi Party government would work "with an ill will" and go to the extent of insulting Dalit and OBC icons.

"The decision of the SP government is very painful and condemnable. I think that (by doing so) SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Chief Minister son Akhilesh have got their names written in black letters in the pages of history," she said.

"My government never changed the name of any district, instead it created a new district and gave it an inspirational name," she added.

According to sources, while Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar, formerly known as Amethi, will now be known as Gauriganj, Rambai Nagar will be called Kanpur dehat. The names of Bheem Nagar, Prabuddha Nagar and Pancheel Nagar have been changed to Bahjoi, Shamli and Hapur respectively.

Similarly, names of Kanshiram Nagar, Mahamaya Nagar and JP Nagar have been changed to Kasganj, Hathras and Amroha respectively.

The cabinet, chaired by the chief minister, also restored the name of King George's Medical University (KGMU), which was changed to Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime.

38-year-old Akhilesh Yadav's role was instrumental in Samajwadi Party's massive victory during the state elections earlier this year. The Samajwadi Party win forced Mayawati into an embarrassing retreat. She left the UP Assembly to serve as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Lakshmi Mittal and son will carry Olympic Torch

2012-07-23T12:01:00.001-07:00

London: Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who is the main sponsor of the giant ArcelorMittal Orbit near the Olympics Stadium, will be among the individuals who will carry the Olympics Torch a day before the Games begin.

Olympics 2012 | Schedule | Medals Tally

The Torch will be carried by various individuals from Camden to Westminster on Thursday. Mittal's son, Aditya, 36, will also carry the Torch during the day.

The Mittal Champions Trust has been supporting Indian athletes.

Mittal, 62, said: "When I think about parallels between myself and an Olympian, I believe that success in the world of business is underpinned by very similar principles of perseverance and hard work.

"The torch relay is an excellent embodiment of all that the Olympic Games have come to symbolise - a celebration of the human spirit".

He added: "Personally to me, it represents striving to be the best in whatever we do, never giving up despite the odds and a commitment to health and fitness.

"I hope that by carrying the torch I will be representing many other people who share these ideals with me". Created by Turner Prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the tallest structure in Britain.

The company, which is one of the sponsors of the Olympics, has contributed 20 million pounds towards the structure.

Located in Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, the ArcelorMittal Orbit has two observation floors, a 455-step spiral staircase, lift and restaurant.

Visitors go up in the lift and walk down the staircase and take in the views and artistic tricks designed by Kapoor.

It is made from 60 per cent scrap metal. The Mittal Champions Trust has organised a reception for Indian athletes on Tuesday.

Maruti unrest: Mahapanchayat of 200 villages calls for peaceful resolution

2012-07-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

Manesar: Representatives of nearly 200 villages gathered at Manesar on Monday for a mahapanchayat in support of Maruti.

The village elders condemned the Manesar factory workers for the violence that took place last week in which one general manager was burnt to death.

The villagers also called for a peaceful resolution to the stand-off between the company and its workers.

The villages depend heavily on Maruti for their livelihood as 3000 residents are employed there.

They are now worried that they may lose their source of livelihood if Maruti decides to shut shop because of a series of labour unrest.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is likely to meet the Panchayat leaders and Maruti officials on Monday.

Will release proof of corruption against Pranab: Team Anna

2012-07-23T00:15:00.002-07:00

New Delhi: Even as the UPA celebrates its nominee Pranab Mukherjee's victory in the Presidential race, anti-corruption Team Anna has claimed they have "proof" of corruption against him and would make it public on July 25 when they would launch an indefinite fast coinciding with his swearing-in as the President.

"The Prime Minister is corrupt, now we have a corrupt President as well. We will release proof of corruption against Pranab Mukherjee on July 25 during our fast," Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal was speaking at a rally in New Delhi to drum up support for Team Anna's indefinite fast in the national capital from Wednesday, saying they are ready for a "fight to finish" and will not be satisfied with mere assurances.

Led by Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, the car and bike rally began from Rajghat and reached Jantar Mantar where they spoke against the UPA Government for its alleged inaction in tackling corruption.

"We are ready for fight to finish. This time around we are not going to give up our fast on mere assurances. We will end our agitation only after we get solutions to our demand.

"We don't trust the government anymore. Either we'll get solutions or our bodies will be lifted from here," Kejriwal told the protesters.

Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai will sit on an indefinite fast in the presence of Anna Hazare from Wednesday demanding setting up of a special panel to probe corruption allegations against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Cabinet colleagues.

Kejriwal said he has been issued a notice from a district and sessions court in Bulandshahr to appear before it on July 26 for his remarks against MPs.

"The fast will start on the 25th, but I will go to Bulandshahr on July 26. I am going to tell the court that whatever we have said is the truth and nothing else. We are not going to apologise. We haven't said anything wrong. If tainted people are sitting in Parliament we'll definitely say that these people should be removed," he said.

Prabhu Deva to launch Virat Kohli in movies?

2012-07-23T00:13:00.002-07:00

Mumbai, July 23 (IANS) Superstars in their respective fields, cricketer Virat Kohli and actor-director Prabhu Deva got along like a house on fire in Bangkok while they were shooting for an ad together. Chances are they might even join hands for a movie.

Kohli, who was initially reluctant to dance, was coaxed by Prabhu Deva to try out some intricate steps for an ad for a shoe brand. The results were so impressive that somewhere down the fun zone the duo established during their two-day shoot, the idea of a movie launch for the star-cricketer came up.

And if a source is to be believed, Kohli is not averse to the idea.

Once Prabhu Deva, who according to Ram Gopal Varma is one of the three most successful Bollywood directors today after Rohit Shetty and Sajid Khan, wraps ups his current commitments, he may plan a launch for Kohli.

Prabhu Deva is currently busy with the launch of Kumar Taurani's son Girish. He is working with him for a remake of his 2005 Telugu hit "Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana". The original film featured Siddharth and Trisha Krishnan.

NASA builds menu for planned Mars mission in 2030s

2012-07-18T11:12:00.001-07:00

HOUSTON (AP) — Through a labyrinth of hallways deep inside a 1960s-era building that has housed research that dates back to the early years of U.S. space travel, a group of scientists in white coats is stirring, mixing, measuring, brushing and, most important, tasting the end result of their cooking.

Their mission: Build a menu for a planned journey to Mars in the 2030s.

The menu must sustain a group of six to eight astronauts, keep them healthy and happy and also offer a broad array of food. That's no simple feat considering it will likely take six months to get to the Red Planet, astronauts will have to stay there 18 months and then it will take another six months to return to Earth. Imagine having to shop for a family's three-year supply of groceries all at once and having enough meals planned in advance for that length of time.

"Mars is different just because it's so far away," said Maya Cooper, senior research scientist with Lockheed Martin who is leading the efforts to build the menu. "We don't have the option to send a vehicle every six months and send more food as we do forInternational Space Station."

Astronauts who travel to the space station have a wide variety of food available to them, some 100 or so different options, in fact. But it is all pre-prepared and freeze-dried with a shelf life of at least two years. And while astronauts make up a panel that tastes the food and gives it a final OK on Earth before it blasts off, the lack of gravity means smell — and taste — is impaired. So the food is bland.

On Mars though, there is a little gravity, allowing NASA to consider significant changes to the current space menu. That's where Cooper's team comes in. Travel to Mars opens the possibility that astronauts can do things like chop vegetables and do a little cooking of their own. Even though pressure levels are different than on Earth, scientists think it will be possible to boil water with a pressure cooker, too.

One option Cooper and her staff in the Johnson Space Center in Houston are considering is having the astronauts care for a "Martian greenhouse." They would have a variety of fruits and vegetables — from carrots to bell peppers — in a hydroponic solution, meaning they would be planted in mineral-laced water instead of soil. The astronauts would care for their garden and then use those ingredients, combined with others, such as nuts and spices brought from Earth, to prepare their meals.

"That menu is favorable because it allows the astronauts to actually have live plants that are growing, you have optimum nutrient delivery with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it actually allows them to have freedom of choice when they're actually cooking the menus because the food isn't already pre-prepared into a particular recipe," Cooper said.

The top priority is to ensure that the astronauts get the proper amount of nutrients, calories and minerals to maintain their physical health and performance for the life of the mission, Cooper said.

The menu must also ensure the psychological health of the astronauts, Cooper explained, noting studies have shown that eating certain foods — such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes or turkey on Thanksgiving — improve people's mood and give them satisfaction. That "link to home" will be key for astronauts on the Mars mission, and there are currently two academic studies looking further into the connection between mood and food. Lacking certain vitamins or minerals can also harm the brain, she said.

Jerry Linenger, a retired astronaut who spent 132 days on the Russian Mir space station in 1997, said food is important for morale and the monotony of eating the same thing day after day is difficult.

"You just wanted something different. I didn't care if it was something I wouldn't eat in a million years on Earth. If it was different, I would eat it," Linenger said, recalling with a laugh how he would even drink up a Russian sour milk-like concoction for breakfast or drink up some borscht because it offered variety.

Already, Cooper's team of three has come up with about 100 recipes, all vegetarian because the astronauts will not have dairy or meat products available. It isn't possible to preserve those products long enough to take to Mars — and bringing a cow on the mission is not an option, Cooper jokes.

To ensure the vegetarian diet packs the right amount of protein, the researchers are designing a variety of dishes that include tofu and nuts, including a Thai pizza that has no cheese but is covered with carrots, red peppers, mushrooms, scallions, peanuts and a homemade sauce that has a spicy kick.

To keep this menu going, and get the most out of any research about food sustainability on Mars, Cooper says it's possible NASA will choose to have one astronaut solely dedicated to preparing the food — the Emeril of the Mars mission.

Still, since it remains unclear how much time mission planners will want to spend on food preparation, Cooper is also building an alternate pre-packaged menu, similar to how things are done for crews that do six-month stints on the International Space Station. For this option, though, the food will need to have a five-year shelf life compared with the two years available now. NASA, the Department of Defense and a variety of other agencies are researching ways to make that possible, Cooper said.

The ideal, though, would be to combine the two options.

"So they would have some fresh crop and some food that we would send from Earth," Cooper said.

One of the biggest obstacles, at the moment, may be the budgetary constraints. President Barack Obama's budget proposal in February canceled a joint US-European robotic mission to Mars in 2016, and the rest of NASA's budget has also been chopped.

At the moment, Michele Perchonok, advanced food technology project scientist at NASA, said about $1 million on average is spent annually on researching and building the Mars menu. NASA's overall budget in 2012 is more than $17 billion. She is hopeful that as the mission gets closer — about 10 to 15 years before launch — that the budget will grow, allowing for more in-depth, conclusive research.

The mission is important: It will give scientists the chance for unique research on everything from looking for other life forms and for the origin of life on Earth to the effects of partial gravity on bone loss. It also will let food scientists examine the question of sustainability. "How do we sustain the crew, 100 percent recycling of everything for that two and a half years?" Perchonok said.

But first things first: None of this will happen without food.

Clinton broaches Syria, Iran during Israel visit

2012-07-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Israel's president spoke Monday about the need to halt Syria's violence and Iran's potential production of nuclear weapons, underscoring American support for an ally in a difficult neighborhood.

Clinton met President Shimon Peres for about an hour as part of what is perhaps her final visit to Israel as secretary of state, bringing a message of solidarity to the Jewish state after three-and-a-half years of only stunted progress toward a Palestinian peace deal.

After their visit, they each issued a statement to reporters without taking questions. Peres spoke about the importance of maintaining Israel's three-decade peace with Egypt, and decried the violence in neighboring Syria.

He also voiced support for the Obama administration's pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear activities — which has sometimes been a point of contention between a cautious U.S. keen to give negotiations and sanctions time to work and an Israeli government that has threatened military action.

Clinton said she spoke with Peres about "Egypt and Syria, peace efforts, Iran and other regional and global issues." She said she'd speak in greater detail later Monday, after meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

She returns to Washington early Tuesday, ending a 12-day, nine-country trip that included stops in Europe and Asia.

Her visit to Israel follows a weekend visit by President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser Tom Donilon. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to visit Israel soon.

Although Monday's agenda is designed to cover the breadth of U.S.-Israeli relations, the lack of action on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians will be in the spotlight.

Negotiations have almost been nonexistent for the duration of Obama's term in office. They resumed briefly two years ago before stumbling over the same set of problems, namely Palestinian demands for a freeze on Jewish settlements in lands they seek for their future state and an Israeli insistence on no preconditions for talks.

Asked in an interview Sunday with WJLA-TV, a Washington D.C. station, what he believed he failed at, Obama cited Arab-Israeli peace efforts.

"I have not been able to move the peace process forward in the Middle East the way I wanted," he said. "It's something we focused on very early. But the truth of the matter is that the parties, they've got to want it as well."

Clinton hasn't visited Israel since September 2010. With little to show for U.S. efforts on a two-state peace agreement and a hectic schedule before she steps down as secretary of state next year, it is unlikely she'll return. Clinton has said she would leave the post, even if Obama wins a second term.

The flurry of visits by top U.S. officials to Israel could reflect an administration attempt to shore up Obama's support among Jewish voters as the election nears. The president has pushed back forcefully against Republican claims that he is weak in defending Israel's security, and GOP candidate Mitt Romney is planning to visit Israel later this month.

Americans kidnapped in Egypt's Sinai released

2012-07-16T12:09:00.002-07:00

The head of Egyptian security in North Sinai and the kidnapper say two Americans and their Egyptian tour guide, abducted four days ago, have been released.

Gen. Ahmed Bakr, head of security in North Sinai, says the three were now in the protection of Egyptian security officials in Sinai.

The kidnapper, Jirmy Abu-Masuh, says he freed them Monday after officials promised they would work on releasing his uncle from prison.

He told The Associated Press by telephone after releasing the Americans that he wanted to grant them mercy, because they had nothing to do with his dispute with police.

The Boston-area residents and their Egyptian tour guide were abducted along a Sinai road to a Christian monastery on Friday.

Rev. Michel Louis, a 61-year-old pastor from Boston, a 39-year-old American woman and their Egyptian guide were taken off a bus on a road between Cairo and Mount Sinai on Friday while on a church trip.

Rev. Michel Louis, who is diabetic, left his medicine on the bus and security officials will have to help with getting it, Abu-Masuh said. He said Michel was tired and was sleeping a lot. He would not allow the AP to talk with the Americans.

Abu-Masuh also said that his imprisoned uncle is diabetic and claimed his relative was not getting the medical assistance he needs.

The Rev. Jean Louis, Michel's son, said his father was on a church trip with 23 other members of the clergy and worshippers when he was abducted.

A senior U.S. official said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton brought up the case of the two kidnapped Americans when she met with her Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Saturday.

Need to evolve world opinion against n-weapons: A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

2012-07-15T03:47:00.003-07:00

Shimla,
July 14:
Former Indian president and world renowned scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today said world opinion was needed to be created against nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

"Nuclear energy is a clean source of energy but world opinion should be formed against nuclear weapons," he said at an interface with students of Shimla's schools and colleges.

Kalam said there were more than 10,000 nuclear weapons in the world. "Russia and America have signed nuclear arms reduction treaty. Attempts should be made not only to put curbs on addition of new weapons but also on their use. We are also a nuclear state. There is a need for universal pressure to free the world from nuclear weapons."

Kalam's comments came as school children asked him, "With technological advancement, how can we check the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction."

"This is really a difficult question," Kalam, who was the principal scientific advisor to the government before serving as the president from 2002 to 2007, remarked on being asked by another student about his experience with the political parties (during his presidentship).

"In politics, there are some good people. But the focus now shifted from development to politics. Normally, the development polity should be 70 percent and the politics of parties to get elected should be 30 percent. But now, the phenomenon has reversed. Development polity has reduced to 30 percent and the focus of political parties (to get elected) is 70 percent."

The missile man, who was the key player in India's 1998 nuclear test, asked students to read 'Biology of Beliefs' by Bruce Lipton to develop scientific temper.

"One should have four qualities -- great aim, upgradation of knowledge, hard work and perseverance," he told a class 4 student on being asked, "How one can become a president?"

He advised students to follow the footsteps of great personalities and get inspirations from them.

"When I was a 10-year-old boy studying in Class 5 in a small school, my teacher taught me about the bird's flight by drawing pictures on the blackboard. This developed my inclination towards science. I chose physics as one of my subjects. Thereafter, I learnt aeronautics and rocket engineering."

He said he had met 12 million youths in a decade and he could say there "is a marked change in their thinking process".

He told the students that India was going through difficult times. Despite corruption and scams, with the inner strength of the country and its strong economic base, India has the potential to become the leader of the world. "The 60 crore youth below the age of 25 give a lot of hope."

The former president was in town to deliver the keynote address at a public colloquium on fundamental duty.

His address to the select gathering of students, judiciary and government functionaries at the historic Gaiety Theatre was interactive.

Before taking questions from the children, Kalam asked the children to recite poem "I Will Fly" with him.

"I am born with potential. I am born with goodness and trust. I am born with ideas and dreams. I am born with greatness. I am born with confidence. I am born with wings. So, I am not meant for crawling, I have wings, I will fly I will fly and fly."(IANS)

India limits FDI in too many sectors: Barack Obama

2012-07-15T03:46:00.002-07:00

WASHINGTON: Noting that India prohibited foreign investment in too many sectors such as retail, US President Barack Obama on Sunday cited concerns over deteriorating investment climate there to endorse another "wave" of economic reforms.

Still sounding positive about Indian economy, "which continues to grow at an impressiverate," he said that to some extent, India's slower growth is a reflection of the larger slow down in the global economy.

The US President made these observations in an interview to PTI here.

Obama was careful not to be directly critical of the negative investment climate in India but cited the concerns of the American business community to make his points.

Many in the American business community, "one of the great champions of the US-India partnership", have expressed concerns that the investment climate in India is deteriorating, he said.

"They tell us it is still too hard to invest in India. In too many sectors, such as retail, India limits or prohibits the foreign investment that is necessary to create jobs in both our countries, and which is necessary for India to continue to grow," Obama said.

Refraining from prescribing any solutions for India's economic difficulties, the president said, "it is not the place of the United States to tell other nations, including India, how to chart its economic future. That is for Indians to decide."

Obama noted that "there appears to be a growing consensus in India that the time may be right for another wave of economic reforms to make India more competitive in the global economy."

Obama then went on to add, "and as India makes the difficult reforms that are necessary, it will continue to have a partner in the United States."

"It is important, though, to put this in the context of India's incredible growth and development in recent decades," he said.

The president pointed out that India had lifted tens of millions of people out of poverty to create one of the world's largest middle classes.

"Indian innovation is an engine of the global economy. And even with the recent challenges, the Indian economy continues to grow at an impressive rate. The Indian people have displayed aremarkable capacity to meet India's challenges," he said.

Describing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as "my friend and partner with whom I have worked closely", Obama said he valued the insights of the Indian leader at various international fora including the recent G20 meeting in Mexico.

He said at the G20 they agreed that one of the best things they could do to get the global economy growing faster was to renew the focus on growth and job creation in their own countries.

"That's my priority in the US. Of course, one of the most effective ways we can create jobs is to continue expanding trade and investment, including between the US and India."

The president said they need to keep strengthening the pillars of the long-term economic vitality and competitiveness, including the education of the people of the two countries, science and technology, and the modern infrastructure that allows them to move goods and services faster.

"We need to keep up the fight against corruption, which stifles innovation and is one of the biggest barriers to job creation and economic growth around the world. These are some of the things we can do together as global partners," he said

74 Amarnath pilgrims die in 19 days

2012-07-15T03:44:00.001-07:00

Jammu, July 14: Seventy-four Amarnath pilgrims have died in the first 19 days of the pilgrimage. This was acknowledged officially today by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the "yatra" to the 13,500-foot altitude cave shrine devoted to Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir's Pir Panjal range.

"Between June 25-July 13, a total of 74 lives have been lost, of which six were due to accidents, including the case of drowning of a non-Yatri, and 68 due to different medical reasons. It was noted that two Yatris had died in hotels, 12 in hospitals and two on the way to hospitals outside the Yatra area. As reported by the health department, as many as 1,85,259 pilgrims received treatment at various Medical Aid Centres and hospitals," said Navin K. Choudhary, chief executive officer of the SASB.

Of the 74 who lost their lives, 53 were in the 20-60 years age group, 16 in the 61-70 years group, three were above 70 years, and in two cases ages could not be ascertained.

A release issued by the spokesperson of the shrine board, which is headed by Governor N.N. Vohra, said that these facts came to light during a review meeting of the board. It was also acknowledged that some of the pilgrims were carrying "fake health certificates", thus dodging the authorities at the entry gates.

Choudhary said that the pilgrims died as they did not adhere to the advisory of the shrine board.

The board CEO also disclosed that till date more than 4.50 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at Amarnath.(IANS)

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to make use of satellite imaging to determine green cover

2012-07-15T03:42:00.000-07:00

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), which will soon be conducting its tree census, is planning to use global positioning technology (GPS) andsatellite imaging to determine the tree cover in the city.

Prakash Kadam, additional commissioner, PCMC, said, "We are finalising the conditions of the bid for inviting agencies to conduct the census. We will invite the bids soon. By the year-end, once the census is over, we will know about the exact percentage of the tree cover."

He said, "We want to use the GPS technology for the tree census. There are some companies in Bangalore who have the expertise in the field and are able to identify trees through satellite imaging."

According to the last tree census, which was conducted in 2006, there were 18 lakh trees in the city and there was 28 percentage of tree cover.

Kadam said the civic body has planted around eight lakh trees after 2006 and there are an estimated 22 lakh trees in the city now.

Meanwhile, the PCMC will be undertaking a tree plantation programme this year, wherein around 1.5 lakh saplings will be planted in the defence areas, bordering the municipal limits, at the Aundh military camp and the College of Military Engineering, Kadam said.

"We have held discussions with the defence authorities and told them to specify the area where the saplings can be planted," he said

Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor Mohini Lande told mediapersons that another tree plantation drive, which will start on July 22, will be held the year through for conservation of environment and trees as part of the birth centenary celebrations of the state's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan.

Municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi has said that the local elected representatives, citizens, reputed people, organisations, schools and housing societies be consulted in deciding the spots where the saplings will be planted and also the species that are to be grown.

While appealing that citizens participate in the tree plantation drive, Lande said the civic body will felicitate people and organisations that successfully participate in the drive.

The civic body will provide free saplings to the social and voluntary organisations, government and semi-government offices, schools and colleges that will participate in the tree plantation drive.