http://www.mathrubhumi.org Mathrubhumi English News Feed en-us http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124363 Kochi: Gold prices declined by Rs 200 for a sovereign at Rs 21,600 on Friday . Rs 25 down for a gram at Rs 2700. On Thursday, gold prices surged by Rs 280 for a sovereign. The fall in prices was attributed to the fall in international prices. The price of troy ounce in international markets is at 1559.62 dollar, down 2.98 dollar. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124363 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124357 Kasargod: Threatening posters were pasted on the compound wall of the house of novelist C V Balakrishnan in Kasargod. 'Leading a peaceful life in the red village is due to the courtesy of the Marxist and should not be forgotton,' the poster says. C V Balakrishnan had taken part in the condolence meet of T P Chandrashekaran and had flayed the CPM. This might have prompted pasting of posters. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124357 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124355 National carrier Air India will shift to an 'interim plan' to salvage its international operations that have been crippled by a 24-day-old pilots' strike. 'We have finished work on our interim plan and it will be implemented from June 1. Under the new plan, several destinations where the load factors are quite low might be dropped for the time being,' an Air India official said. The airline is expected to fully shift to the truncated interim schedule from June 1, dropping seven international destinations including Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul and Toronto. The airline will operate only 38 services instead of the regular 45. According to the airline official, bookings for international destinations have been tweaked. The interim plan will come into effect on the day when civil aviation minister Ajit Singh is expected to unveil some of the major suggestions of the Justice CS Dharmadhikari Committee. The committee was constituted to recommend measures that will amend the integration barrier between Air India and the erstwhile Indian Airlines cadre, including that of pay scale and promotion. Currently, the carrier is operating through a contingency plan under which a bare minimum number of flights are maintained by clubbing operations to various destinations in Europe and the US. The interim plan comes a day after the strike by pilots of national carrier continued for the 24th day Thursday, pushing up its losses to more than Rs. 330 crore. 'We have lost nearly Rs. 330 crore on account of ticket cancellation, unused labour and bulk of Boeing 777 fleet being grounded. 'We expect to stabilise our operations and cut the losses to less than Rs. 5 crore a day from June 2,' he said. Air India has maintained that it has enough executive pilots to operate services to long-haul destinations in the US and Europe on some of the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline is said to be examining several proposals to restore the international operations which includes wet leasing aircraft from other airlines. The proposal, according to officials, will include renting of aircraft with pilots and cabin crew. 'There is a proposal to wet lease at least five aircraft with pilots and crew. We require pilots and crews to maintain operations to key destinations in Europe, the US and Southeast Asia,' said an official. The airline's performance was also reviewed by the civil aviation secretary Nazim Zaidi, who met key Air India officials. Trouble.... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124355 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124353 New Delhi: The Indian government Thursday unveiled a new, consumer-friendly telecom policy, paving the way for free roaming and nation-wide mobile number portability. 'Affordability of the consumers is the core of our policy,' Communications Minister Kapil Sibal said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012. 'Target is one nation full mobile number portability and work towards one nation free roaming.' The minister said the new policy will replace the older regulation which has been in effect for more than 12 years now and provide a predictable and stable policy regime for a period of nearly 10 years. The policy envisions providing a 'secure, reliable, affordable and high quality converged telecommunication services anytime, anywhere for an accelerated inclusive socio-economic development'. The policy will be operationalised by bringing out detailed guidelines, as may be considered appropriate, from time to time. It envisages increasing penetration of telecom services in rural area from current level of around 39 to 70 percent by 2017 and 100 per cent by the year 2020. Broadband speed has also been increased to minimum of 2 megabit per second (mbps). This change will come into force with immediate effect. Also, under the new policy, licences will be delinked from spectrum which have been bundled with the licences so far. The NTP 2012 will also allow operators to provide services based on any technology by using airwaves and will not restrict them to use it for particular service using any specific frequency band. At present, there are frequencies which are specifically used for providing GSM or CDMA services as per the permit given to the companies. There are five changes in the policy compared to the draft policy that was released last year. These changes are related to revenue generation objective, Spectrum Act and TRAI Act. The policy favours encouraging domestic manufacturing of telecom equipment. 'Till the time we will not set up industry here... India will not be able to become global. It is very important because along with this prices of device will also come down,' Sibal said. 'Spectrum Act has been deleted as a policy matter we don't intend to have a spectrum act any more,' he said. On giving more power to TRAI, the cabinet decided that policy making function would remain with government and the regulator will not make policy. The.... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124353 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124349 New Delhi: The union sports ministry has announced a Rs. 10 lakh cash award for Viswanathan Anand, crowned the World Chess Champion for the fifth time. 'We have a cash award for any sportsperson who wins in Asian Championships, Worlds, Olympics or any other major event. So, on the basis of that we have decided to give Rs. 10 lakh as a cash award to Anand. It is a standard policy followed by the ministry,' Sports Minister Ajay Maken said here Thursday. Anand beat Israel's Boris Gelfand in Moscow on Wednesday. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124349 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124348 New Delhi: National carrier Air India will shift to an 'interim plan' to salvage its international operations that have been crippled by a 24-day-old pilots' strike. 'We have finished work on our interim plan and it will be implemented from June 1. Under the new plan, several destinations where the load factors are quite low might be dropped for the time being,' an Air India official told IANS. The airline is expected to fully shift to the truncated interim schedule from June 1, dropping seven international destinations including Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul and Toronto. The airline will operate only 38 services instead of the regular 45. According to the airline official, bookings for international destinations have been tweaked. The interim plan will come into effect on the day when Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh is expected to unveil some of the major suggestions of the Justice C.S. Dharmadhikari Committee. The committee was constituted to recommend measures that will amend the integration barrier between Air India and the erstwhile Indian Airlines cadre, including that of pay scale and promotion. Currently, the carrier is operating through a contingency plan under which a bare minimum number of flights are maintained by clubbing operations to various destinations in Europe and the US. The interim plan comes a day after the strike by pilots of national carrier continued for the 24th day Thursday, pushing up its losses to more than Rs.330 crore. 'We have lost nearly Rs.330 crore on account of ticket cancellation, unused labour and bulk of Boeing 777 fleet being grounded. 'We expect to stabilise our operations and cut the losses to less than Rs.5 crore a day from June 2,' he said. Air India has maintained that it has enough executive pilots to operate services to long-haul destinations in the US and Europe on some of the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline is said to be examining several proposals to restore the international operations which includes wet leasing aircraft from other airlines. The proposal, according to officials, will include renting of aircraft with pilots and cabin crew. 'There is a proposal to wet lease at least five aircraft with pilots and crew. We require pilots and crews to maintain operations to key destinations in Europe, the US and Southeast Asia,' said an official. The airline's performance was also reviewed by the Civil Aviation Secretary Nazim Zaidi, who met key Air India officials..... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124348 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124347 Thiruvananthapuram : A project for the rehabilitation of migrant workers will be initiated by developing adequate housing facilities this year, State Labour Minister Shibu Baby John said here today. The implementation of the project will be monitored by the Building and Other Construction Welfare Board. The project is designed to implement on a BOT model in Trivandrum District, he said. In an effort to enhance the housing facilities for the workers in plantation sector, a Housing Project is proposed to be started this year, he said. Towards that purpose, steps have been taken to prepare a detailed project report and identify suitable land in Idukki District. (UNI) http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124347 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124346 Thrissur : A 54-year-old man was killed and three injured when their car collided with a lorry at Kecheri, near Kunnamkulam in the district in Kerala, today. The dead was identified as Mohammad, native of Koonammoochi, near here, police said. The car was proceeding to Koonammoochi after the victims see off their relatives at the Nedumbassery Airport, when the lorry coming from the opposite direction rammed into it. The injured were admitted to the nearby hospitals, police added. (UNI http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124346 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124345 Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Thursday accused the previous Mayawati government of corruption and alleged that it had 'cheated' people. 'The previous government cheated the people of the state in the name of law and order, and grave injustice was been done to the people,' Yadav said in the House, replying to the governor's address. Referring to the allegations of the opposition parties on the law and order in the state, Yadav said that course correction had been initiated and in the future it would further improve. The last government had poor development record, he alleged. Underlining the rampant corruption during the former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime, Yadav alleged that the state had become a laboratory of corruption and the state coffers were plundered of several thousand crores of rupees in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. Accusing the Mayawati government of looting people, victimising farmers and misusing funds meant for the welfare of the poor, he said the money meant for development was routed for raising statues and building monuments. The chief minister asked how could a living being herself declare that she was a great personality? Alleging that opposition party leaders, including that of his Samajwadi Party, were victimised during the previous regime, Yadav said he expected all parties to work for the all-round growth and development of the state. On the power scenario, the chief minister said the previous government had not taken any serious initiative to improve the grim power scene and it was because of its faulty policies that his government had inherited a loss of over Rs.25,000 crore. The previous government, purchased electricity at the rate of Rs.13 per unit, he alleged. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124345 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124344 New Delhi : Petrol prices may be revised tomorrow with companies talking about a scope of cutting rates by Rs 1.50-1.60 a litre. On a day when BJP-led NDA and the Left parties called a Bharat Bandh or a nationwide street protests against petrol price hike, the government appeared in no mood to announce a cut. 'To my mind, there will be no revision in rates tonight,' a senior official at one of the three state-run fuel retailers said. Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum had over the past one week indicated of a scope of reducing rates from June 1. The three firms, as per practice, were to revise rates of petrol today based on average international oil price and rupee-US dollar exchange rate in the previous fortnight. With international gasoline rates, against which petrol is benchmarked, falling to USD 114-115 from USD 124 (that was taken into account for the steep Rs 7.54 a litre hike effected from May 24), there existed a scope for reducing prices by Rs 1.50-1.60 a litre. 'If they (oil companies) would have reduced rates today, the Opposition would have gone to town claiming that their Bharat Bhandh was successful which forced the government to cut prices,' an industry official said. Sources said the oil companies may take a call tomorrow on the quantum of reduction considering that rupee has depreciated further against the US dollar - from Rs 53.17 to a dollar to Rs 55.30. Rupee depreciation raises cost of imports. Every dollar fall in oil price should translates into a cut in product price by 33 paisa. But every time rupee depreciates against US dollar by Re one, it translates into a requirement to raise prices by 77 paisa. PTI http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124344 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124343 New Delhi: India's growth rate fell to its slowest pace in almost a decade last year, according to government estimates published Thursday, putting further pressure on a fractured coalition government in New Delhi that has been widely criticized for its management of the economy. India's economy grew 6.5 per cent in the fiscal year that ended in March, down from 8.4 per cent the year before, as sectors like manufacturing, mining and agriculture did poorly. In a worrying sign for the rest of this year, the report showed a sharp drop-off in economic activity in the first three months of 2012, with growth falling to 5.3 per cent, from 9.2 per cent a year earlier. Analysts were expecting India's growth rate to slow because of a contraction in new investments by the private sector and the financial effects of the crisis in Europe, but the numbers were worse than predicted. Moreover, more sectors exhibited slower growth, raising new concerns about the economy. 'The latest growth numbers signal India's deteriorating economic prospects and presage much worse to come as industrial output has stalled and investment is falling,' said Eswar Prasad, an economist at the Brookings Institution and Cornell University. 'These numbers reflect not just a loss of economic momentum but, far worse, a loss of confidence in the government's ability to tackle the enormous short-term and long-term challenges to sustaining growth.' The full-year growth number was below the country's growth rate during the financial crisis in 2008-09, when India grew at 6.7 per cent. The last time India grew at a slower pace was in the 2002-03 fiscal year, when it registered a 4 per cent pace. Analysts say it will be harder for Indian policy makers to respond to a slowing economy now than during the financial crisis more than three years ago. At that time, the government's finances were relatively healthier and it was able to spend money to stimulate the economy. Now, however, New Delhi is desperately trying to cut its fiscal deficit from 5.9 per cent of its gross domestic product to 5.1 per cent. Also, the Reserve Bank of India has less room to cut short-term interest rates to stimulate lending because inflation remains high, at about 7 per cent. Many analysts have been arguing that the best way for policy makers to respond to slowing growth is further liberalization of India's economy, large parts of which are still heavily regulated. The government could, for instance, make it.... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124343 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124342 Kottayam : The Special Investigation Team probing the statements made by senior CPI-M functionary M M Mani on political murders allegedly by Marxist party activists today filed its preliminary report with Ernakulam range IGP K Padmakumar. The IG held a meeting here with members of SIT. 'The investigation is progressing,' Padmakumar told reporters later but did not elaborate. The government had directed SIT to conduct a comprehensive probe, considering the serious nature of Mani's remarks. Police have booked Mani under various charges, including murder, conspiracy and abetment to conspiracy. Mani, the CPI-M Idukki district secretary, had told a public meeting in that town on May 25 that there had been instances of the party eliminating its foes in the past. CPI-M distanced itself from Mani's speech with its state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan censuring him for his remarks, saying Mani had committed a 'grave mistake' and deviated from the party line. Mani later clarified he was only narrating the sequence of events that had happened in Idukki and killing enemies was not the party's policy. PTI http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124342 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124341 New Delhi: The simmering feud in the BJP between Nitin Gadkari and L.K. Advani erupted in the open Thursday when Advani launched an implicit attack on the party president, saying 'the mood within the party is not upbeat'. In remarks that stunned party leaders, Advani said on his blog that while people were angry with the Congress-led government, they were upset with the Bharatiya Janata Party too. The biting comment came just days after the BJP's national executive met in Mumbai, where Advani conspicuously stayed away from a post-meeting rally after Gadkari was given an extension as president. BJP spokesman Pakash Javadkar declined to take questions on Advani's blog post. Other party colleagues either refused to cooment or claimed they were unaware of Advani's comments. Later in the evening, BJP leaders met at Gadkari's residence apparently to discuss Thursday's Bharat Bandh against the fuel price hike. Advani did not attend Advani, in his blog post, said: 'The mood within the party these days is not upbeat. The results in Uttar Pradesh, the manner in which the party welcomed BSP ministers who were removed by Mayawati on charges of corruption, the party's handling of Jharkhand and Karnataka - all these have undermined the party's campaign against corruption.' He was referring to three events in which Gadkari is believed to have played a key role. The first was on letting BSP's tainted Baburam Kushwaha of Uttar Pradesh into the BJP, causing anger in BJP ranks. In Jharkhand, Gadkari backed businessman Anshuman Mishra's candidature for a Rajya Sabha seat before protests within forced Mishra to back off. In Karnataka, Gadkari is said to be supporting former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, whose equations with Advani are poor. Reiterating that the BJP needs to introspect, Advani said journalists voiced 'public opinion correctly' when they said the BJP-led alliance was not rising to the national situation. 'I, as a former pressman, feel they are reflecting public opinion correctly.' 'I had said at the core group meeting that if people are today angry with the UPA government, they are also disappointed with us,' Advani said. 'The situation, I said, calls for introspection.' The comments come soon after he kept away from a public rally after the BJP national executive meet in Mumbai. According to party sources, Advani is upset that Gadkari takes decisions unilaterally. The BJP had then refuted speculation that Advani was.... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124341 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124338 Mumbai:Bad times continued for the Kingfisher Airlines as it reported its worst-ever quarterly loss of Rs 1,151.53 crore in the March quarter of 2011-12 today. This also brought down its stocks to an all-time low on the bourses during the day. The troubled air carrier attributed the widening of loss to steep hike in fuel prices and sharp depreciation of the rupee. The Q4 losses have trebled from Rs 355.55 crore in the January-March quarter of 2010-11, The airline, which never made a profit since inception in May 2005, posted a net loss of Rs 2,328 crore in 2011-12 against losses of Rs 1,027.39 crore in 2010-11. 'Operational cost savings were offset by a steep hike in fuel prices and sharp depreciation of the Indian rupee, which negatively impacted over 70 per cent of the cost base,' Kingfisher said in a statement. During the quarter, income from operations stood at Rs 741.28 crore as against Rs 1,626.65 crore during the same period of last year. Shares of Kingfisher Airlines tanked as much as 8 per cent to touch a new low in the morning trade after the results were announced. The Kingfisher stock opened on a weak note a Rs 10.85, then fell further to an early low of Rs 10.20, down 7.96 per cent from its previous closing price. It shares have plummeted over 73 per cent from its all time high of Rs 44.30 on June 8, 2011.The Vijay-Mallya led airline has beenfacing turbulent weather for about a year now, tangled in a debt of about Rs 7,057.08 crore. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124338 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124337 Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Thursday refuted media reports that mega development projects in the state are getting delayed, saying these are progressing as per schedule. 'I specially invite the journalist who gave the report on the Smart City project being delayed on June 9 when the state-of-the-art sales pavilion will be opened. On the same day, the foundation stone of a three million square feet building will be laid and would cost Rs.600 crore, which would be completed in 18 months,' said Chandy, reacting to a television report that projects like Smart City are getting delayed. 'It is unfortunate that such a report was given and I am very much available to all and if this reporter had any doubt he could have asked me. I wish to ask, why none said anything on the five-year delay by the previous Left government with regards to the Smart City project,' asked Chandy. Smart City Kochi is being built by Smart City Dubai and the ground-breaking ceremony was held in October last year. Informatively, it was Chandy in 2004 who had first announced the Rs.5,000 crore IT project that is expected to provide jobs to 90,000 professionals. On the proposed Rs.5,181 crore Kochi Metro rail project, Chandy said he was certain that the first train would run in three years' time. 'We have got the clearance for this project from the Planning Commission and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and all what remains is the clearance from the cabinet, which is expected to come in a few days. Already you would have seen the pace of work that's going on at Kochi connected to this mega project.' About the Rs.4,010 crore Vizhinjam International port near Kovalam, he said the infrastructure work was going on and we have to abide by the directions of the Central Vigilance Commission because there has been only one tender that was cleared. 'Right now the environment impact study is going on and last year when it started it was said that it would take 18 months for the report to come out. Even if we have to invite a fresh tender, we are still on course according to our schedule,' said Chandy. The other major projects that have been cleared include the Kannur Airport and the monorail project in state capital and Kozhikode. 'Please do understand that when we go ahead with major projects, certain hitches will come up, but we are quite capable of coming out of such issues. And we have done that, if you look back,' said Chandy. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124337 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124336 Jaunpur (UP): Five persons were today killed and 50 others injured when several bogies of the Howrah-Dehradun Doon Express derailed near Mahrawa Station here. The incident took place this afternoon, Superintendent of Police, Jaunpur, Akash Kulhari told PTI. 'Five persons have been killed and 50 injured in the accident', he said. Relief and rescue teams have been rushed to the spot from Varanasi and Lucknow. PTI http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124336 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124335 New Delhi: The strike by pilots of national carrier Air India continued for the 24th day Thursday, pushing up the airline's losses to more than Rs.330 crore. 'We have lost nearly Rs.330 crore on account of ticket cancellation, unused labour and bulk of Boeing 777 fleet being grounded,' an Air India official told IANS. 'We expect to stabilise our operations and cut the losses to less than Rs.5 crore a day from June 2,' he added. 'We have finished work on our interim plan which will be implemented from June 1. Under the new plan, several destinations where the load factors are quite low might be dropped for the time being.' The airline is expected to fully shift to the truncated interim schedule from June 1, dropping seven international destinations including Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul and Toronto. The airline will operate only 38 services instead of the regular 45. According to the airline official, bookings for international destinations will also be tweaked. Currently, the carrier is operating through a contingency plan under which a bare minimum number of flights are maintained by clubbing operations to various destinations in Europe and the US. Air India has maintained that it has enough executive pilots to operate services to long-haul destinations in the US and Europe on some of the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline is said to be examining several proposals to restore the international operations which includes wet leasing aircraft from other airlines. The proposal, according to officials, will include renting of aircraft with pilots and cabin crew. 'There is a proposal to wet lease at least five aircraft with pilots and crew. We require pilots and crews to maintain operations to key destinations in Europe, the US and Southeast Asia,' said an official. Trouble started for the airline May 8 when pilot-members of the Indian Pilots Guild took mass sick leave, protesting the move to provide Boeing-787 Dreamliner training to pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124335 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124334 Thrissur : A 54-year-old man was killed and three injured when their car collided with a lorry at Kecheri, near Kunnamkulam in the district in Kerala, today. The dead was identified as Mohammad, native of Koonammoochi, near here, police said. The car was proceeding to Koonammoochi after the victims see off their relatives at the Nedumbassery Airport, when the lorry coming from the opposite direction rammed into it. The injured were admitted to the nearby hospitals, police added. (UNI) http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124334 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124333 New Delhi:The cabinet Thursday approved a new telecom policy that seeks to do away with roaming charges throughout the country and simplifies the licencing policy, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said Thursday. 'Affordability of the consumers is the core of our policy,' Sibal told reporters after a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sibal said the new policy aims at free roaming facility throughout the country. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124333 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124332 New Delhi:BJP leader L K Advani todayadmitted that people were 'disappointed' with the party and appeared to be hitting out at party chief Nitin Gadkari as he said the campaign against corruption had been hurt due to induction of an ousted BSP leader facing graft charges. He said the BJP had not risen to the occasion at a time when there was anger against the UPA government over various scams. 'If people are today angry with the UPA government, they are also disappointed with us. The situation ...calls for introspection,' the BJP veteran wrote in his blog, the first on organisational affairs after the party's National Executive where the differences between leaders was in focus. '... when these days media-persons attack the UPA government for its string of scams, but at the same timeregret that the BJP led NDA is not rising to the occasion, I as a former pressman myself, feel they are reflecting public opinion correctly,' he said. Observing that the mood within the party 'these days isnot upbeat', he said, 'The results in Uttar Pradesh (assembly polls), the manner in which the party welcomed BSP Ministers who were removed by Mayawati ji on charges of corruption, the party's handling of Jharkhand and Karnataka – all these events have undermined the party's campaign against corruption.' The criticism with regard to welcoming of BSP Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, an accused in NRHM scam, appears to be a reference to Gadkari who was instrumental in the induction before the controversy forced Kushwaha to distance himself from the party. He noted that the BJP has a sizable contingent of MPs in Parliament as against the niggardly two seats in 1984, that the party's performance in the two Houses of Parliament under Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley has been 'excellent' and the party is in power in as many as nine states today. But, he quickened to add that this 'is no compensation for the lapses committed'. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124332 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124331 Mumbai: A benchmark index for Indian equities markets was trading 190.89 points down around 12.30 p.m. Thursday, led by selling pressure in auto, bank and capital goods stocks. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the negative at 16,224.86 points, was ruling at 16,121.26 points -- 190.89 points or 1.17 percent down from its previous close at 16,312.15 points. The Sensex touched a high of 16,224.86 points and low of 16,086.06 points in the intra-day trade. This was the second consecutive day that Sensex was down. The wide-based 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also was ruling 55.25 points or 1.12 percent lower at 4,895.50 points. There was a heavy buying pressure on auto, bank and capital goods stocks. Auto index was down 170.83 points, followed by bank index down 150.21 points, and capital goods fell by 137.55 points. Major Sensex losers included ICICI Bank, down 31.75 points at Rs.785.25; Maruti Suzuki, down 39.90 points at Rs.1,111; Tata Motors, down 7.85 points at Rs.235.50; Reliance Industries (RIL), down 20.45 points at Rs.685.75; and Sterlite Inds, down 2.15 points at Rs.93.10. Only eight of the 30 Sensex scrips were in positive. These included Hindalco, up 1.75 points at Rs.116.10; NTPC, up 2 points at Rs.147.05; Cipla, up 3.35 points at Rs.309.70; Coal India, up 2.20 points at Rs.321.65; and Tata Power, up 0.50 points at Rs.94.85. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124331 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124330 Rome: There was no reason for 'triumphalism' as India was still violating Italian law, Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said after an Indian court granted bail to two Italian marines charged with murdering two fishermen. 'There are no reasons for triumphalism because Indians are still infringing the Italian law,' Terzi was quoted as saying Wednesday by ANSA news agency. 'The Indian behaviour not only is against the principles of international law...', the minister said. India was also compromising 'the anti-piracy initiatives on the international level', the minister stated. 'Thus we will evaluate along with Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola the concrete meaning and conditions of India's decision,' he added. The marines, Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone, were granted bail by court in India's Kerala state Wednesday on the condition that each of them would deposit Rs.1 crore as personal bond and provide two Indian sureties. The court asked the two marines to surrender their passports and asked them not to leave the area falling under the jurisdiction of Kochi police commissioner. They were told to report to the police commissioner everyday between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Two Indian fishermen -- Ajesh Binki, 25, and Gelastine, 45 -- were allegedly mistaken as pirates and shot dead off Alappuzha in Kerala by the marines, who were serving as the security crew aboard Italian cargo vessel Enrica Lexie. The two accused have been in judicial custody since Feb 20. The incident has sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries, as Italy insisted that the marines should be tried in Rome because the incident occurred on international waters while India claimed it took place in its territorial waters, reported Xinhua. Relatives of the two marines have welcomed the Indian court's decision. 'This is great news. They are serene, and sounded positive for the first time since their 100-day imprisonment. We hope they can come home soon,' said one of Latorre's nephews, Christian D'Addario. One of the marines' lawyers, Rajendran Nair, reportedly said the pair could be released as early as on Thursday, after precautionary conditions set by the court are met. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti last week called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and reportedly asked him to ensure the release of the marines. Under Indian Penal Code, the marines could be jailed for life or get capital punishment if convicted of murder charges.... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124330 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124329 New Delhi:Gen Bikram Singh, an infantry officer, Thursday took over as the 27th Indian Army chief from Gen V.K. Singh, who retired from service after a controversial 26 month tenure. Bikram Singh, only the second Sikh to be elevated to the coveted top job, had to surmount many a hurdle, including a legal battle to deny him the opportunity to helm the world's second largest army. He was till now the Kolkata-based Eastern Army Commander and will serve a 27 month tenure as army chief. Commissioned in 1972 in the Sikh Light Infantry, Bikram Singh, 59, marks a generation shift in the army, being the first chief who has not seen action in a conventional war. The last conventional war India fought was in 1971 against Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124329 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124328 New Delhi: India's economic growth slumped to 5.3 percent in January-March quarter, the slowest in nine years, due to poor performance of manufacturing and farm sectors, official data showed Thursday. For the whole of 2011-12 financial year, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth slumped to 6.5 percent. This is the slowest pace of expansion in the country's economy since 2002-03, when it had registered a growth of just 4 percent. 'This is the lowest in the contemporary period. It has been substantially down because of the very poor performance of manufacturing sector,' Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters while reacting on the data. During January-March 2012 quarter, manufacturing sector contracted by 0.3 percent as against a growth of 7.3 percent registered during the corresponding period of previous year. 'Because of the manufacturing sector, the overall growth of the GDP has come down substantially,' the finance minister said. The GDP growth data is down from the government's estimate of 6.9 percent announced earlier this year, and sharply down from the previous year's growth of 8.4 percent. The GDP at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices in the year 2011-12 is now estimated at Rs.52,02,514 crore as against Rs.52,22,027 crore estimated earlier on Feb 7, 2012, showing a growth rate of 6.5 per cent, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said. In the quick estimate of GDP released in February, the CSO had projected 6.9 percent growth for 2011-12. 'The downward revision in the GDP growth rate is mainly on account of lower performance in 'manufacturing' and 'trade, hotels, transport and communication' than anticipated,' the CSO said. Economic policy makers as well as industry bodies have termed the data disappointing and shocking. 'This is obviously disappointing. Decline in industrial production has not been offset by growth in agricultural production,' said C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. Rangarajan said farm sector was likely to do better this year on the back of good monsoon. 'This is the fourth straight quarter of decline and quarterly growth dipped to the same level during Q3 of 2008-09 (5.6%). Nevertheless, this decline in growth is not surprising as FICCI had forewarned in April that the Q3 growth did not represent the bottoming out of the economy,' said Rajiv Kumar, secretary general, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)..... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124328 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124327 New Delhi:The nationwide bandh called by the NDA and Left parties to protest the petrol price hike today evoked a mixed response amid incidents of stone pelting, arson and road blockades in Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal. In the national capital, the bandh did not evoke much response though party supporters blocked traffic in some places. Small shops were seen open in many areas in the morning while commuters complained that there were less autos on roads as a number of auto and taxi unions have joined the protest. In the financial capital, Mumbai, bandh supporters pelted stones at buses in two suburban areas of the city. Elsewhere in Maharashtra, activists pelted stones at 13 buses in Pune, 10 in Nagpur and Thane districts and stopped some buses by blocking roads in Satara district Local trains and buses were plying as usual in most parts of Mumbai.he bandh disrupted normal life in parts of BJP-ruled Karnataka where bandh supporters set on fire three buses and stoned about a dozen others forcing authorities to withdraw bus services in the city. Public transport was hit and shops and business establishments remained shut in several parts of Karnataka. There was no impact of the bandh in Kerala and a lukewarm response to the stir in Tamil Nadu. n Bihar, NDA Convener and JD-U national president Sharad Yadav and BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain were among 800 activists taken into custody while enforcing the bandh. Yadav, who along with 700 odd supporters took out processions in Saharsa town to enforce the call, was taken into custody. Hussain, the BJP National Spokesman, and others were detained in Bhagalpur town while trying to enforce the bandh.Yadav demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resign immediately for the 'failure' of his government to control t he piralling prices of petroleum products and essential commodities. In West Bengal, bandh supporters blocked some roads in some areas and squatted on railway tracks. Bandh supporters blocked the Howrah Bridge, which connects the metropolis to the Howrah district. They also blocked roads at Chapadali more in Barasat, in Bankura district, Budge Budge and some other places, police said. However, buses, cars, taxis, trams were running in the metropolis though in less number. Normal life was affected in Punjab due to the strike. Commercial establishments in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Batala, Kapurthala, Pathankot and Amritsar remained closed, though factories and other.... http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124327 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124326 Maavelikara: In the Mavelikkara Smita murder case, Viswarajan, the accused was awarded death sentence by the Alappuzha district additional sessions Court here on Thursday. The Court also slapped him with a fine of Rs one lakh. The Mavellikara Additional Sessions Court judge A Badrudhin found Vishwarajan guilty of the crime on Wednesday and awarded the sentence. Ramakrishnan's daughter Smita (35), working as a sales agent in a fancy shop, was murdered brutally last October 24 when she was returning back home from work in the night. She was forcibly taken away to a field and brutally raped and killed by Vishwarajan.. The probe relating to the case began on April 9. http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124326 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124325 Thiruvananthapuram : A project for the rehabilitation of migrant workers will be initiated by developing adequate housing facilities this year, State Labour Minister Shibu Baby John said here today. The implementation of the project will be monitored by the Building and Other Construction Welfare Board. The project is designed to implement on a BOT model in Trivandrum District, he said. In an effort to enhance the housing facilities for the workers in plantation sector, a Housing Project is proposed to be started this year, he said. Towards that purpose, steps have been taken to prepare a detailed project report and identify suitable land in Idukki District. (UNI) http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124325 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124324 Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala Cabinet today approved five-year plans for fund utilisation in local bodies in the state. Briefing mediapersons on cabinet decisions here, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Government has approved a recommendation to implement five-year plans for Three-Tire Panchayths from 12th plan onwards. A Technical Advisory Group will be dissolved to ease the work flow and also to avoid the delay in implementing the projects. Technical officers should submit the project report for approval from senior officers. An appellate authority comprising District Collector, District Panchayath President, District Planning Officer, LSG Deputy Director and Urban Affairs Officer will be formed to take care of complaints and shortcomings and to ensure that the projects are completed in a time bound manner. The DPC should approve the projects submitted by LSGs within 20 days based on the detailed project report and the project will be implemented by local bodies itself. A liberal attitude will be adopted for utilization of funds and there will be no sectoral division for the same. An amount not less than 45 per cent, 50 per cent and 55 per cent of the total plan fund will be utilized by Block Panchayaths, District Panchayaths and Corporations, respectively for infrastructure development. The rest of the fund can be utilized for the purposes. However, an amount not less than 10 per cent of the total fund should be utilized for the physically challenged and senior citizens. Statuesque will be maintained for the fund utilisation for SC/STs. (UNI) http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124324 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124323 Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Secretary K Jayakumar handed over a study report on proposed Malayalam University to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, here today. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the Cabinet will hold a detailed discussion on the proposal after getting a report from Education Minister Abdul Rabb. Stating that steps would be taken to start the University on November one this year, he said 100 acres of land has been identified at Vettom Village in Tirur Taluk. (UNI) http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124323 http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124322 Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala Cabinet today sanctioned Rs 10 crore for constructing 300 houses for fishermen which has already been enmarked in the budget. Briefing on Cabinet decisions here, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said sanction has been accorded to form an empowered committee consisting of a team leader and six sectoral officers to monitor the utilization of funds given to the state by the Centre for the uplift of primitive tribes. The amount of Rs 148 crore should be utilized within three years. Steps have been initiated to extend the ban on plastics to panchayaths too. Necessary amendments would be made to SEC 219 of the Panchayath Act in this regard. Administrative sanction has been given to construct a building of Rs 75 lakh for starting Civil Service Academy at Palakkad Victoria College. A sum of Rs 10 lakh has been sanctioned for the Sandesha Yatra organised by Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi as part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations highlighting the places that Mahatma Gandhi visited in Kerala. It has also been decided to hand over the Agro Processing Company at Nadukavu in Moovatupuzha to Vegetable and Food Promotion Council. A sum of Rs 10 lakh has been sanctioned for the year long birthday centenary celebration of Sree Chithira Thirunal. (UNI) http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=124322