‘Chinese Incursion due to difference in perception’
New Delhi: In the wake of reported incursion attempts by China, India on Thursday said such incidents take place due to difference of perception about boundary and leaders of both the countries are in talks to resolve the issue. “Incursions along the border take place due to the difference of perception about boundary,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters here. He was reacting to reports that Chinese troops had made two incursion attempts in the past few days in Demchok and Chumar areas of ladakh sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Singh said heads of both the countries are in talks on border issues and how to resolve it. “Sometimes they enter and our forces push them back,” he said.
WHO report on Delhi ‘improper’: JAVADEKAR
New Delhi: The Government on Thursday said the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recent report describing Delhi as the most polluted city of the world by considering estimated data for fine dust in a select manner was “improper”. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said, the ambient air quality, which is regularly monitored in NCR, show that although the levels of Sulphur Dioxide (annual average) are within norms in the region, levels of PM10 exceed the limits in NCR while the levels of nitrogen dioxide are exeeding the norms in Delhi.
1,537 KIllED IN FlOODS ACROSS INDIA lAST YEAR
New Delhi: As many as 1,537 people lost their lives during floods in different parts of the country last year, Government informed the lok Sabha on Thursday. Replying to a question, Minister of State for Water Resources Santosh Kumar Gangwar said, nearly 1,10,399 cattle were lost and crops worth of Rs2,165 crore were damaged in floods in 2013. Moreover, a total of 2,81,275 houses were damaged during the floods and public utilities worth Rs2,350 crore were also affected throughout the country, he added.
SC refuses bail to Former min kushwaha
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant bail to former UP cabinet minister Babu Singh Kushwaha in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. A bench of justices Ranjana Prakash Desai and N V Ramana refused to entertain his plea, saying the allegations against him are very grave and he cannot be granted bail at this stage. “You wait for a while. You can always renew your plea for bail,” the bench told senior advocate Sushil Kumar who appeared for the politician.
Antrix has earned Rs 4,408 cr since 1992
New Delhi: Antrix, ISRO's commercial arm, has generated Rs4,408 crore since 1992 by rendering different services, Government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Department of Space Jitendra Singh said Antrix provides various services, including marketing and direct reception of data from Indian Remote Sensing Satellites to national and international clientele and leasing of satellite transponders on-board INSAT/GSAT satellites.
6,580 died in suburb train mishaps in 2013
New Delhi: A total of 6,850 people were killed in suburban train accidents in the country with maximum number of casualties of 2,937 in Mumbai in 2013, the lok Sabha was told today. While 1,214 people were killed in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai witnessed 1,773 and 926 deaths respectively in suburban rail accidents in 2013. Minister of State for Railway Manoj Sinha said in a written reply that 1,384 people were killed in Mumbai, 929 in Kolkata while Delhi and Chennai witnessed 580 and 446 casualties respectively upto June 2014.
Rs12,000-cr MGNREGA payments delayed
New Delhi: Payments of over Rs12,000 crore were delayed beyond the stipulated period of 15 days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in 2013-14, Minister of State for Rural Development Upendra Kushwaha said in the lok Sabha on Thursday. He said the Government has introduced penal provision of monetary compensation for delay in wages under the MNREGA.