IRCTC books over 5 lakh e-tickets in one day
New Delhi: IRCTC website booked 5.72 lakh e-tickets on Monday, the highest ever booking on a single day. The previous highest booking was on August 12 when 5.04 lakh e-tickets were booked on a single day. This is the third time IRCTC booked more than 5 lakh tickets this year, the first was on 1st March 2013. IRCTC has booked a total of 135 lakh e-tickets with an average of 4.34 lakh daily in the month of August this year against a total of 123 lakh e-tickets with an average of 3.99 lakh daily in the corresponding month of August 2012 registering an increase of nearly 10% in the total number of tickets booked between August 2012 and 2013.
JPC on 2G scam to get fresh extension
New Delhi: The JPC on 2G scam is set to get a fresh extension beyond September 6 with the lok Sabha on Wednesday unanimously adopting a resolution to this effect. The term of the Joint Parliamentary Committee will be extended till the end of the Winter Session as the Rajya Sabha was informed this evening about the resolution adopted by the lower house. This will be the sixth extension to the JPC set up in March, 2011. The term of the committee was scheduled to end on September 6. The resolution, moved by panel chief P C Chacko, was adopted unanimously.
MPs demand rollback in fuel price hike
New Delhi: Several MPs on Wednesday demanded in the lok Sabha a rollback in the recent hike in fuel prices. Several members had moved adjournment motions to raise the issue, but Speaker Meira Kumar rejected them. Ananth Kumar (BJP), Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M), Prabhunath Singh (RJD) and Saugata Roy (TMC) spoke on the issue later.
Cauvery waters issue strikes clash in lS
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu and Karnataka MPs on Wednesday clashed in the lok Sabha on the disputed Cauvery waters issued. M Thambidurai (AIADMK) raised the issue of reported construction of projects on Cauvery River by Karnataka. T R Baalu (DMK) also wanted to raise the issue, but Speaker Meira Kumar reminded him that he had given notice on Katchatheevu. Raising the Cauvery issue, members from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu raised slogans against each other.
Centre to fight for AIIMS reservations
New Delhi: Government on Wednesday assured the lok Sabha that it would issue orders in relation to reservation policy in AIIMS if the Supreme Court gave unfavourable verdict on a review petition filed by it. Certain MPs had demanded from the Government that the reservation policy with continued. "I assure the House that our current policy is valid today and it will remain valid in future too. If the apex court gives an unfavourable verdict, we will consult the Attorney General and issue a GO (Government order) to ensure that the policy remains in place in the coming days," law Minister Kapil Sibal said after Opposition members raised the issue.
CPI leader calls US spying ‘infringement'
New Delhi: CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta on Wednesday claimed that the United States was carrying out surveillance over India which amounted to "serious infringement" of its political sovereignty and intrusion of privacy. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Dasgupta said the US action was an "onslaught" on India's sovereignty and posed a serious hazard to its national security. He claimed that US agencies, including NASA, were monitoring phone calls, internet and taking images of all activities in the country.
CPM suggests early Winter Session
New Delhi: The proposal for extending the Monsoon Session of Parliament was not approved by the CPI (M), with the party suggesting that the Government should call for an early Winter Session. "The session has already been extended once because of which a lot of members had to cancel their programmes. So, extending it again is not done. What the Government can do is to call an early Winter Session," party leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters outside Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had earlier indicated that the Monsoon Session of Parliament may be further extended as crucial Bills are pending.
Jaswant slams US for global policing
New Delhi: Amid possibility of a US military strike on Syria, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Wednesday accused the West of becoming police of global peace and slammed the Government for not protesting against such moves which have no UN sanction. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the lok Sabha, he said while civil wars are "brutally uncivil", no country should be allowed to don the role of global policeman without the sanction of the United Nations.
India gives $1 mN for Myanmar development
New Delhi: India on Wednesday handed over a cheque of USD one million to Myanmar for development projects in Rakhine State, which was hit by communal clashes last year. Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Gautam Mukhopadhaya symbolically handed over a cheque of USD 1 million for construction of 10 schools in four townships in Rakhine State as India's contribution towards the reconciliation process between the two communities there, an official release said here.
Home Ministry re-deploys CISF troops
New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has reversed its decision and re-deployed CISF troops for guarding the Central Government Offices (CGO) complex, which is high on terror radar. "CISF are back for CGO security duties," a senior official said, confirming the move of re-induction of the central paramilitary, four days after it was asked to withdraw. The Union Home Ministry had ordered withdrawal of CISF personnel from the midnight of August 31 and sources privy to the development had claimed some of the officials in the Ministry were trying to rope in a private security agency for such duties. The Delhi Police, in the meanwhile, were tasked to guard the complex.
gIJ trIJIJ xIJIJ Fabius, told France Info radio.
Syria’s parliament speaker, in a letter to French lawmakers, today urged them not to support military action.
“We ask you not to hasten to commit a heinous, senseless crime, as you must steer the French republic away from the war path and towards diplomacy,” Jihad lahham said in a statement published by the SANA official news agency.