Cold wave grips higher reaches and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: Cold wave conditions gripped higher hills and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh as mercury dropped by few notches following fresh snowfall in high altitude tribal areas and other higher hills and mid and lower hills were lashed by sharp showers.

Shimla and surrounding areas were lashed by high velocity winds accompanied by sharp showers causing sharp fall in day temperature.

The sky remained heavily overcast, reducing visibility to few meters.

Seobagh in mid hills was wettest in the region with 18mm of rains while Bajaura received 12mm of rains, followed by Kalpa and Bhuntar 11mm each, Jogindernagar 10mm, Mandi 8mm, Manali and Dalhousie 6mm each and Saloni 4mm.

The high altitude tribal areas and high mountain ranges of Dhauladhar and Churdhar and Rohtang, Kunzam, Saach and Chansel passes had another spell of moderate snowfall creating fresh cold wave conditions in adjoining valleys.

Una recorded maximum temperature at 35.2°C while it dropped by two degrees to saty at 29.2°C at Nahan, followed by Solan 26.5°C, Sundernagar 25.4°C, Dharamsala 23.4°C, Shimla and Bhuntar 19.6°C and Kalpa 15.6°C.

The minimum temperatures also dropped by one to two degrees with Una hottest during the night with minimum temperature at 17.6°C while it dropped to 16.1 deg at Nahan.

Keylong and Kalpa in tribal Lahaul and Spiti districts recorded minimum temperature at 1.3°C and 2°C while the key tourist resort of Manali recorded a low of 4.2°C, followed by Bhuntar 9°C, Sundernagar 11°C, Shimla and Solan 12.2°C and Dharamsala 14.4°C, one to two degrees Celsius below normal.

The local MeT office has predicted more rains, thunderstorms and snow in various parts of the state during next 72 hours due to a fresh Western Disturbance (WD) over north Pakistan and neighbourhood with its induced cyclone circulation over West Rajasthan and neighbourhood.

The stormy conditions are keeping the farmers on the tenterhooks as rains, storm and snow during his season was considered very harmful for apple, stone crop and standing wheat crops.

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SAD mulling options of filing review petition in apex court in Bhullar case

SANGRUR: A day after Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal termed the Supreme Court verdict of upholding death sentence to former militant Devinderpal Singh Bhullar as unfortunate, the SAD core committee decided to appeal to the President, Prime Minister for not carrying out the sentence.

Party Secretary General Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said that the party is mulling the options of filing a review petition in the Supreme Court to commute his death sentence. The Supreme Court on April 12 had rejected the petition filed by Bhullar, by his wife Navneet Kaur and an NGO. Earlier the mercy petition too was rejected by the President.

Dhindsa talking to Times of India said "the party has asked the senior lawyers at national capital to discuss the possibility of filing review petition against the Apex court verdict". Dhindsa said apart from exploring the legal course, the chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal would soon call on President, PM and Home Minister with a request not to carry out the sentence in the larger national interests of keeping the peaceful fabric intact.

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Army team to visit China to finalise military exercise schedule

NEW DELHI: Ahead of defence minister A K Antony's visit to China next month, an Army delegation would be there this month-end to finalise the dates of bilateral military exercises expected to be held later this year after a gap of over four years.

An Army delegation under a Brigadier from the Military Operations Branch will visit China in the last week of April to finalise the date for the third edition of the Hand-to-Hand exercise between the two sides, sources told PTI here.

The exercise is expected to be held in September-October time frame this year, they said.

India and China had last held the last edition of the exercise in December 2008 in Belgaum in Karnataka while the first edition was held in 2007 in Kunming province of China.

The two sides had decided to resume their military exercises during the visit of former Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie to India last September.

During the talks, Antony had also accepted the invitation to visit China. The visit is likely to see the two sides further discuss the proposal for a Border Defence Cooperation Agreement mooted by the Chinese side during the visit its Deputy Chief of General Staff last month.

The border defence cooperation agreement proposes to avoid any misunderstanding or flare up along the boundary.

After the visit to China, Antony is also scheduled to visit Australia.

The scheduled visit to Australia was postponed in February this year.

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Netaji's family seek Modi's help in solving the 'mystery'

KOLKATA: Family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose have sought the help of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for declassification of all secret files concerning the iconic leader.

"Netaji belonged to the entire nation, so we extend our appeal to you for your kind support in demanding from the Prime Minister that the central government must release in public domain all records to help unravel the mystery about his fate and bring a closure to the issue," read the letter written to Narendra Modi.

Demanding declassification of secret files concerning Netaji's death, Netaji's grand-nephew and family spokesperson Chandra Bose had met Modi during his visit to Kolkata last week.

The letter handed over to him is signed by Netaji's nephew D N Bose on behalf of 24 members of the family.

"We are constrained to bring it to your notice because the central government's approach has been rather hostile. The report of the Mukherjee Commission, for instance, was dismissed by the UPA government without assigning any reason in the Action Taken Report tabled in Parliament," the letter said.

It claimed that the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry, set up in 2006, had concluded that Netaji did not die in a plane crash in 1945.

"Modi was very receptive while receiving the letter, and he promised to help," the family said in a statement today, adding, they were constrained to approach the BJP leader after chief minister Mamata Banerjee "completely ignored" their similar appeal made in December, last year.

"The family felt hurt when the Honourable chief minister did not even show the basic minimum courtesy to acknowledge the receipt of the letter," said their media statement.

In a disclosure under the RTI appeal made by 'Mission Netaji', a Delhi-based research trust, the Prime Minister's Office had earlier said that it was holding 33 secret files concerning Netaji.

PMO had declined to divulge their contents, saying it could affect India's sovereignty and relation with foreign nations.

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India to sign 'repatriation of prisoners' agreement with four more countries

NEW DELHI: India will sign 'repatriation of prisoners' agreement with four more countries including Canada, Brazil, Qatar and Russia. The pact allows foreign nationals imprisoned in Indian jails and vice-versa to serve the remainder of their sentences in their native countries.

India has so far singed the agreement with 18 countries under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003. United Kingdom (UK) was the first country with which India had signed this pact in 2004.

"Negotiations have already been concluded with the governments of Canada, Brazil, Qatar and Russia to sign the agreement. Modalities are being worked out to formally ink the pact with each of them at mutually convenient dates", said a senior home ministry official.

Italy was the last country with which India had inked this agreement which will, incidentally, have direct bearing on the case of two Italian marines who are accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala cost. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been probing the incident that took place in February last year.

Though the negotiation to sign this pact with Italy was concluded much before the Italian marines - Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone - had allegedly killed the Indian fishermen, the agreement had come into force only late last year. If the marines are convicted for their crime here, they may opt for serving their sentence in Italian jail.

The 10-year-old Act has, however, not seen repatriation in big numbers. Only 19 prisoners have, so far, availed the facility of serving their sentence in their native countries under this agreement.

The maximum 12 Indian prisoners had come from Mauritius to serve their jail term in India. While six British prisoners from India had been repatriated to UK, one prisoner had come to India from that country.

The other countries with which India has this agreement at present include: Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Maldives, Israel, Thailand, Turkey and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

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UPA vulnerable after DMK pullout, we have to prepare for elections: Sharad Pawar

THANE: Key UPA ally NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the Centre's ruling coalition had become "vulnerable" after DMK's pullout and that elections were round the corner.

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar also said since Congress was the majority party in the UPA, his party would respect its view on the alliance's prime ministerial candidate.

"UPA's position has become vulnerable after DMK's pullout. We have to prepare and plan for elections. I have suggested to the UPA chairperson to convene a meeting to discuss this and she is also of the same view," Pawar told reporters.

Amid conflicting voices on who should be UPA's candidate for Prime Minister's post, Pawar said the coalition's spearhead Congress would have to take a call.

"Compared to the last time, UPA has shrunk. It is only the Congress, NCP and National Conference.....Majority party has to take the call. We will respect the majority party's view," he said.

Pawar's statement follows similar hints by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had last month asked his partymen to gear up for a mid-term poll, citing a "confidential" report.

"I have come to know about a confidential report which says that elections will be held in November. You people start preparing for them," he had said addressing party workers in Lucknow.

The Samajwadi Party with 22 MPs and BSP with 21 are providing crucial outside support to the government and bailing it out in times of crises.

To a question on former BJP President Nitin Gadkari's claim that a UPA leader approached him for help to topple the Central government, Pawar said, "NCP has only nine MPs and Central government cannot be toppled with nine MPs pulling out."

Some media reports had pointed a finger at Pawar as the one whom Gadkari had referred to. The two leaders are said to enjoy a good rapport despite being ideologically on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Pawar rejected the charge that he was against the UPA's ambitious food security bill. "I am of the view that the poor should benefit from food security act. If Planning Commission says 34 per cent of the total population is below poverty line, how can there be 70 per cent beneficiaries. This is the only doubt I have raised," he said.

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UPA vulnerable after DMK pullout, we should start preparing for polls: Sharad Pawar

THANE: Key UPA ally NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the Centre's ruling coalition had become "vulnerable" after DMK's pullout and that elections were round the corner.

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar also said since Congress was the majority party in the UPA, his party would respect its view on the alliance's prime ministerial candidate.

"UPA's position has become vulnerable after DMK's pullout. We have to prepare and plan for elections. I have suggested to the UPA chairperson to convene a meeting to discuss this and she is also of the same view," Pawar told reporters.

Amid conflicting voices on who should be UPA's candidate for Prime Minister's post, Pawar said the coalition's spearhead Congress would have to take a call.

"Compared to the last time, UPA has shrunk. It is only the Congress, NCP and National Conference.....Majority party has to take the call. We will respect the majority party's view," he said.

Pawar's statement follows similar hints by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had last month asked his partymen to gear up for a mid-term poll, citing a "confidential" report.

"I have come to know about a confidential report which says that elections will be held in November. You people start preparing for them," he had said addressing party workers in Lucknow.

The Samajwadi Party with 22 MPs and BSP with 21 are providing crucial outside support to the government and bailing it out in times of crises.

To a question on former BJP President Nitin Gadkari's claim that a UPA leader approached him for help to topple the Central government, Pawar said, "NCP has only nine MPs and Central government cannot be toppled with nine MPs pulling out."

Some media reports had pointed a finger at Pawar as the one whom Gadkari had referred to. The two leaders are said to enjoy a good rapport despite being ideologically on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Pawar rejected the charge that he was against the UPA's ambitious food security bill. "I am of the view that the poor should benefit from food security act. If Planning Commission says 34 per cent of the total population is below poverty line, how can there be 70 per cent beneficiaries. This is the only doubt I have raised," he said.

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Mercury drops in higher and hills of Himachal

SHIMLA: Mercury dropped by a few notches in mid and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh as the sky remained overcast and sharp showers lashed the state today.

The maximum day temperature dropped to 35.2 degree at Una from 37.4 degree yesterday while the minimum temperature slipped marginally to 15.0 degree.

Shimla and surrounding areas were lashed by high velocity winds accompanied by intermittent showers, causing a fall in temperature.

The strong winds and stormy conditions were not conducive to apple, stone fruits and standing wheat crops and farmers are keeping their fingers crosssed in view of prediction of rains and thunderstorm in various parts of the state from April 15 onwards.

Nahan recorded a high of 30.5 degree, followed by Sundernagar 29.9 degree, Bhuntar 29.4 degree, Solan 26.8 degree, Dharamsala 25.2 degree, Shimla 21.5 degreee and Kalpa 17.8 degreee, a drop of one to two degrees.

The minimum temperature remained moderate at 1.4 degree at Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti while Manali and Kalpa recorded a low of 5.4 degree. Nahan was the hottest durting the night with minimum temperature at 17.7 degree Shimla, Solan and Bhuntar recorded a low of 12.0 degree followed by Sundernagar 13.3 degree and Dharamsala 14.2 degree.

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JD(U) opposes Modi as PM, rules out tie-up with Congress

NEW DELHI: Citing his failure to check the post-Godhra riots, NDA constituent JD(U) on Saturday made clear its opposition to Narendra Modi's projection as prime ministerial candidate but ruled out the possibility of aligning with "enemy" Congress at the cost of "friend" BJP.

Taking stock of the political scenario in the country against the growing clamour in the BJP for pitting Modi as the prime ministerial candidate, the JD(U) executive, which met here, criticised the chief minister saying that he "failed in discharging his duties as the head of the state to check communal riots in Gujarat in 2002".

While JD(U) leaders have made public statements expressing their antipathy to Modi, this is the first time the party has made its position formally clear through a conclave - the national executive meeting.

Amid speculation over Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also being in the prime ministerial race, party spokesperson K C Tyagi said emphatically said thrice "Nitish Kumar is not a PM candidate."

While making it clear that it was opposed to Modi's projection as the prime ministerial candidate, JD(U), however, said it will not set any deadline for the BJP to decide on who would be its prime ministerial face.

Responding to a volley of questions on whether JD(U) will oppose Modi's projection in the BJP for the top job, Tyagi, "as long as the Parliamentary Board of the BJP does not categorically say who is its prime ministerial candidate, why should we talk about it."

But in an apparent scaling down of its rhetoric, the party dismissed contentions of fixing any timeline for BJP to declare its prime ministerial candidate before next Lok Sabha elections but felt "it will be good" if the major ally in the NDA chose to do it as "they had done it earlier also".

To a question whether any leader said in the meeting that JD(U) should snap ties with the BJP if Modi is projected, Tyagi said, "No, nobody said any such thing."

At the same time, he said there was no dilution of its views on the issue and the party maintains the same stand.

He also gave enough indications that JD(U) does not have reservations against any other BJP leader including L K Advani. "We have earlier also fought elections under the leadership of L K Advani. So how can we say now that it was wrong," was his refrain.

On the possibility of any tie-up with the Congress in future, Tyagi said, "Congress is an enemy party. There is no such possibility (of joining hands with Congress). Neither did this possibility exist earlier nor does it now, not even remotely."

Responding to questions about JD(U) either joining hands with Congress before Lok Sabha election or forming a government with its support, Tyagi said, "Our experience of forming government with the help of Congress has been bad. God save us from them".

Alluding to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots after assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Tyagi said that the Congress has no right to raise the issue of 'Rajdharma' of Modi vis a vis Gujarat riots because "the same mass killings happened in Delhi at that time."

"Why will we ally with Congress. Ours is an alliance with BJP for a long time. Congress is not a friendly party to us," he said.

Tyagi also had a dig at Congress' "dynastic" politics saying "it is a decided fact in Congress for last 50 years that only a member of the (Gandhi) family will become the Prime Minister".

Congress was apparently hopeful of JD(U) switching sides after the recent overtures of Nitish Kumar praising the central government's steps to facilitate special status to Bihar. Tyagi, however, made it clear that this was the "right" of the state.

Affirming JD(U)'s "commitment to secularism" at the same time, he reminded that it was a government of erstwhile Janta Dal in Bihar, which had arrested L K Advani, when the latter had carried out a Rath Yatra and as a result lost the government headed by V P Singh at the Centre in 1990.

He also dismissed reports that JD(U) has given a timeline of six months to the BJP to make up its mind on its prime ministerial candidate, asking "Have you you ever given such a six-month deadline to your friend, which you want us to do our friend".

Proclaiming "love" for "friend" BJP, Tyagi recalled the old association between the two parties saying when the first NDA government was formed in 1998, signatories to its Common Minimum Programme included Atal Behari Vajpayee, Sharad Yadav, George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar.

Fernandes and Kumar were then in the Samta Party.

The government had been formed then only when BJP decided to drop its three contentious issues of Ram Temple, abrogation of Article 370 and its demand for Uniform Civil Code, Tyagi said, stressing that "JD(U) is a secular party. It will not do any such work, which affects its secular image."

He also rejected suggestions that JD-U has forgotten its earlier anti-Modi stance, saying "the agenda of the meeting today is not Modi."

Tyagi also downplayed BJP's remarks holding Modi as "secular" and said, "He (Modi) is their party's Chief Minister. They should be saying it."

He, however, significantly added, "being popular is a different thing and becoming Prime Minister is another," when pointed out that the BJP chief Rajnath Singh's remarks that Modi is the most of popular leader in the party.

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Government to strengthen transmission facilities in border areas: Information and broadcasting secretary

AMRITSAR: Centre government has decided to strengthen transmission facilities in borders areas besided launching a 24 hours News Channel on All India Radio (AIR) . This was stated by Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Secretary Uday Kumar Varma here on Saturday. He said government had evolved a programme wherein transmission facilities in border areas would be adequately strengthened. He said that his Ministry was considering launching a 24-hour News Channel on AIR on the pattern of DD News. He also held a meeting with Punjab based heads of various media units of I&B . He said that government was exploring various aspects and the technicalities involved in launching a 24-hour News Channel on AIR.

The I&B Secretary reviewed the existing status of AIR & DD Kendra (DDK) transmission in the border areas, and discussed the progress of digitalization of AIR & DDK. Varma observed that digitalization was taking place successfully and rapidly in India as compared to USA, UK, and China etc which took them 10 to 15 years to accomplish this task. Varma expressed confidence that digitalization of transmission signals would completely change the broadcasting scenario in the country within the next couple of years.

Stressing the officers to improve the quality and content of their programes. Varma underlined the need for evolving a system of getting feedback from the masses to ascertain and assess people's reception and response to such progs. He directed the DD authorities to explore the possibility of introducing a Toll Free number on which viewers, cutting across national borders, could directly voice their opinion. He also instructed the AIR officers to explore the feasibility of relaying Vividh Bharati Programme on FM Rainbow during its non-broadcast slots.
Reacting to certain reports on monopoly by certain private cable TV operators, the I&B Secretary said the matter stands already referred to TRAI for rendering its legal opinion on the issue. Officers from All India Radio, Doordarshan Kendra, Press Information Bureau and Department of Field Publicity took part and apprised the Secretary of their functioning in their respective fields in the state.

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