New Delhi, August 29:

Meeting of the Consulta-tive Committee of Par-liament attached to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Ma-ternal Health was held in New Delhi today. Gh-ulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare presided over the meeting. The meeting discussed vari-ous issues on Maternal Health. In his opening remarks, Azad said Government of India is implement-ing a number of strate-gies and interventions for improved maternal health outcomes. These

interventions have con-tributed in the reduction of Maternal Mortality in the country. Mater-nal Mortality Rate has declined from 301 per

100,000 live births in 2001-03 to 254 in 2004-05 and further declined to 212 in 2007-09. The pace of decline has shown an increasing trend from 4.1% annual rate of de-cline during 2001-03 to

5.55 IN 2004-06 and fur-ther to 5.8% in 2007-09.Members who attended today’s Consultative Committee Meeting in-cluded Shri M.I. Shana-vas (LS), Shailendra Kumar (LS), Dr. P. Venu-gopal (LS), Shri Motilal Vohra (RS), Dr. C.P. Thakur (RS) and Shri Baishnab Parida (RS). Smt. Santosh Chowd-hary, Minister of State for Health & Family Wel-fare was also present in the meeting.Smt. Anuradha Gupta, Addl. Secretary and Mis-sion Director, NRHM made power point pre-sentation on the

See Azad on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 29:

State Congress president Professor Saif-u-Din Soz Thursday said that Con-gress party is hopeful to grab chairmanship of Kar-gil Autonomous Hill Devel-opment Council (KAHDC). “We have bagged 12 out of 26 seats and the three independent candidates are showing inclination to-

wards our party,” Soz told Srinagar based news gath-ering agency CNS adding that Congress would sweep Assembly polls as well.Soz said that Congress party is in touch with three inde-pendent candidates in Kar-gil and they are showing deep interest in Congress party. “Let us see what hap-pens but one thing I could

See Soz on Pg. 11

New Delhi, August 29:

Top Indian Mujahideen leader Yasin Bhatkal was nabbed from the Indo-Ne-pal border on Wednesday night, apparently giving India a bigger catch than Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb maker Abdul Karim Tun-da this month.Bhatkal, wanted in around 40 blast cases and carrying a reward of Rs. 35 lakh, is the biggest IM leader ever arrested and security agen-

cies are hopeful of gaining crucial information on the outfit that was designated a militant group in 2010.On the run for over five years in several countries including Nepal, Bangla-desh and Pakistan, Bhat-kal (30) was held along with his associate Asadul-lah Akhtar aka Haddi (26) while crossing into India at Raxaul Nahar Chowk (around 100 km from Pat-na) opposite Birgunj town

See Arrested on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 29:

After causing quite a flutter on the ramp and Indian television, Kulgam boy Danish Bhat is all set to make his Bollywood debut in the “Dunno Y 2” - a Bollywood-Hollywood collaboration film.Dan-ish, hailing from South Kashmir’s Shurat area of Kulgam district went to Mumbai in 2008 to perceive his career in modeling and acting at national level.His ambi-tion set in motion when

he was assigned in a na-tional advertisement of

Nokia mobiles in which Bollywood star Shah-rukh Khan was perform-

ing lead role. Later on, other national brands like Mahindra, Reliance, City Bank, Samsung mo-bile followed the suit and assigned him in their advertisements which added to his footmark in modeling. Television show, Amrit Manthan, in which he acted as king got famous all over India and showcased his looks. Many believe his performance in the soap attracted film producers to assign him for Dunno Y 2.Shantunu Goel,

See Debut on Pg. 11

Kulgam boy all set to make Bollywood debut

Srinagar, August 29:

The government ac-corded sanction to the temporary place-ment of two Deputy Directors as Director in their own pay and grade. Consequent upon their placement, Dr. Baldev Raj Sharma, I/C Dy. Director (HQ) Jammu has been transferred and posted as I/c Di-rector Family Welfare & MCH J&K relieving Commissioner Secre-tary, Health & Medi-cal Education Depart-

ment of the additional Charge and Dr. Baljit Pathania, has been transferred and posted as I/c Director Health Services, Jammu against available va-cancy.Dr. A.D. Singh, I/C Dy. Director J&K State AIDS Prevention & Control Society has been transferred and deputed to Labour De-partment for his post-ing as ADMO (ESI), while as Dr. Maqbool Ahmad Zargar, Sr. Consultant (ENT)

See Promotions on Pg. 11

Srinagar, August 29:

The National Hydro Power Project (NHPC) is “illegal-ly and unconstitutionally” generating electricity from the power projects under its execution in Kashmir, an RTI filed by a Kashmiri social activist has revealed. The applicant, Tufail Kha-lid had in 2009 filed an RTI seeking information on the following points: (1) Agreement executed by J&K Government with NHPC in respect of vari-ous power projects with

water capacity in each dam of these projects. (2) How much share the state government is get-ting from the agreement

entered with GoI. (3) How many agreements entered with NHPC have lapsed? As stipulated, the J&K State Information Com-mission asked the J&K State Power Development

Department to furnish the complete details of the agreements to the in-formation seeker—Tufail Khalid. What was shocking to know in the light of in-formation sought, Tufail said was that J&K govern-ment has signed MoU on 7 projects—out of the total 14 handed over to NHPC during the regime of then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in 2000— and has not entered into any agree-ment on the projects ex-ecuted by NHPC currently

See NHPC on Pg. 11

Promotions, transfers in Health

Department

Jammu, August 29:

Demanding proper re-habilitation of the vio-lence affected families of Kishtwar and adjoining areas, Peoples Democrat-ic Party (PDP) Thursday termed that the judicial probe announced by the state government to the investigate the unfortu-nate incident of August 9 an eyewash to hide the truth. In a statement to KNS the party observed that earlier similar investi-gations were announced by the present coalition government but noth-ing concrete emerge from such inquiries. In

meeting of senior party activists of Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seg-ment, which was held under the chairmanship of PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the leaders recounted that since formation of this coalition government in January 2009, a numbers of inquiries have been announced from time to time ‘but all such in-vestigations ultimately proved as deceit tactics on the part of the state government to shield the real culprits.’The party strongly de-manded that instead of indulged to customary exercises on announc-

ing inquiry, the state government should take strict action against the real culprits respon-sible for violence to re-store confidence among people. Expressing their anguish over loss of pre-cious human lives and properties in Kishtwar violence, PDP demanded that all the affected fami-lies should be rehabili-tated completely. The party leaders exhort-ed workers to strengthen communal harmony and brotherhood in the re-gion. PDP leaders said that failure of the State Government to protect lives of innocent people has badly shattered faith

of the common masses. They alleged that state government was de-liberately allowing the situation to be deterio-rated because anarchy, chaos and mayhem suit National Conference. They regretted that the process of peace and reconciliation which was started during the regime of Mufti has been

See PDP on Pg. 11

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

FRIDAY August 30 | 2013 | 22 Shawal 1434 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 214 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

PDP demands proper rehabilitation of Kishtwar violence affected families

Azad chairs Consultative Committee of Parliament meeting

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(FRIDAY)SUNRISE ON (SATURDAY)

07:01 pm06:05 am

17.1 0C27.5 0C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Light Rain/Thundershowers may occur at isolated places over the state.

Possibility of Light Rain/Thundershowers. Maxi-mum & Minimum temperatures will be around 29°C & 17°C respectively.

Domestic factors too responsible for difficult

economic situationEducation sector top most priority of Govt

7 8 10

Exposure to pesticide behind childhood

cough

NHPC illegally, unconstitutionally generating electricity

IM Co-Founder Yasin Bhatkal Arrested

Congress to grab Chairmanship of

KAHDC: Soz

Srinagar, August 29:

Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the Sec-retary Public Service Com-mission to produce records or to remain present in per-son before the Court while adjudicating upon a CMP filed in a petition bearing SWP No 1283 of 2013 filed by Dr Indu Koul, Professor, Government Medical Col-lege (GMC) Jammu against the State and others.The Jammu Wing of High

See HC on Pg. 11

Produce records or

remain present in person: HC

to Secy PSC

Says maternal mortality rate has declined considerably

Terms judicial probe as eyewash to hide truth

2 die, 18 injured in road mishaps Srinagar, August 29: Two persons died and 18 others were injured in different road ac-cidents across the valley.A Tata mobile bearing registra-tion number JK05A/8997 hit Shamas-ud-din son of Moham-mad Shafi resident of Badugam at Shat Tulail, Bandipora, resulting in his on spot death. Bandipora Police has registered a case in this regard.In another accident, a Tata Sumo bearing registration number Jk03C/9212 hit and injured a 22 years old Sajad Ahmad Khan son of Gull Mohammad Khan resident of Khud Gujjar nard, in the jurisdiction of Police Station Devsar. The injured was shifted to PHC Devsar where doctors declared him brought dead. Police Devsar has registered a case in this regard. Meanwhile, a Scorpio bearing registration number JK05D/1848 hit and in-jured a pedestrian Akhtar Ah-mad Mughal son of Mohammad Hussain resident of Dachna Salamabad, Baramulla, in the jurisdiction of police station Boniyar near Court complex Boniyar, Baramulla. The in-jured was shifted to Hospital for treatment. Boniyar Police has registered a case n this regard. In another accident, a Tata

See Mishaps on Pg. 11

Mysterious death of 2 persons Srinagar, August 29: Two persons including a non-local labourer were found dead in suspicious circumstances in Pattan and Leh. The body of Shamshad Alam son of Bukhari Miyan resident of Champaran, Bihar was brought to the district Hospital Pattan by his other colleagues. The deceased was working in ITI Pattan as labourer. Baramulla Police Pattan has initiated an inquest proceedings und section 174 CrPC to ascertain the cause of the death. Meanwhile, Yountan Nurboo son of Tsering Nurboo resident of Choglamsar, Leh was found hanging at the forest Bagh near Choglamsar bridge. Leh police has initiated inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC in this regard.

Assailant of street vendor arrestedSrinagar, August 29: Police ar-rested the assailant of a vendor who was seriously injured in an attack on Tuesday.A vendor Latief Ahmad Khan son of Ghulam Mohammad Khan resident of Bagiyas, Chatabal allegedly received se-rious injuries in his head when he was attacked with a pipe wrench by one Himayun Khan a resident of Nowgam, Bypass on Tuesday. In this regard, Batamaloo police registered a case vide FIR number 77/2013 under section 307, 341,323/RPC. The injured was shifted to the hospital for treatment and a manhunt to arrest the assail-ant was launched by the police. Batamaloo police on Thursday arrested the accused Himayun Khan son of Ashraf Khan resi-dent of Nowgam who has been remanded to police custody.

KANGAN, AUGUST 29

Asking the youth to actively involve themselves in promo-tion and participation of sports as well as extracurricular ac-tivities, the Minister for Agri-culture , Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir said that the it will help to inculcate a spirit of broth-erhood and team spirit among the youth which would go a long way in nation building.

The Minister said this while Kick starting the Sayed Rehman Cricket Tournament at Mar Gund Kangan this morning. 64 teams of the area are participating in the tourna-ment.

The Minister said that the youth of the state possess enormous potential in every field adding that government is taking every step to channel-

ize it in better way for which numerous initiatives have already been taken. He called upon youth to take the benefit of these initiatives and assured that government is at their back. Mir said that Sports De-partment has already been di-rected to issue yearly based fix-ture of all the sports activities so that every youth would get chance to channelize its ability for future prospects. He said that the coalition government has provide focused attention towards sports activities in the state during last four years and so many national tournaments have been organized in which local players participated. Mir said that Sports Department has already been directed to issue yearly based fixture of all the sports activities so that every youth would get chance

to channelize its ability for fu-ture prospects. He said that the coalition government has provide focused attention to-wards sports activities in the state during last four years and so many national tournaments have been organized in which local players participated. The local players who showed ex-cellent performance in these competitions were given chance at national and inter-national level.

Referring to the damage caused by yesterday’s cloud-burst in the area, the Minister said that directions in this re-gard have already been passed to Deputy Commissioner Gan-derbal to constitute a commit-tee to assess the damage and submit the report at the earli-est so that necessary steps are taken.

KUPWARA, AUGUST 29:

Minister for Social Welfare, Ms. Sakina Itoo alongwith Minister for Law, Justice and Parlia-mentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah on Thursday in-augurated Government girls hostel for Pahari students at Kupwara.

Vice-Chairman of State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People, Kafeel–ur-Rehman and MLC, Kupwara, Sayeed Rafiq Ahmad Shah were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Sakina said that since Omar Abdullah took the reins of the present dispensation, a lot of new welfare schemes have been launched for weaker, down-trodden, SC, ST, Gujjar, Bakerwals and the peo-ple of Pahari community living in the far flung and remote areas. She said that presently five lakh people are being benefited by many wel-fare schemes including Old age pension, Widow Pension, scholarships and said that by opening of Second Pahari Hostel in Kupwara, the number of its have gone to nine and added that the Gov-ernment is considering establishment of more such hostel in other district headquarters also, so that the children of this community may be equally share holders of the progress made in

the education sector and hoped that by nurtur-ing these children belonging to far flung and

neglected areas would once bring happiness on their faces as till date they have not been any kind of chance to come out from backward ar-eas.The Minister said that this Hostel is provid-ing accommodation facilities to one hundred

children from Class 6th to Class 12th, however, presently only 50 Pahari girls of the 6th class

have been registered in the Hostel and they are being provided all facilities including board-ing, lodging, uniform, books and other station-ary articles free of cost. She said that monthly expenditure on diet and other items would be

Rs.1.50 lacks and the Government kept funds to the tune of Rs.11 lakh each for establishment of Pahari Hostels. She said that Government Boys Pahari Hostel is already functional in its own building and add that it is a welcome step for nurturing the children of this remote com-munity on modern lines and hoped this would yield tangible results on the ground in near future. She that after 2008, the Pahari Commu-nity may be able to get its recognition and came forward for equally sharing the developmental benefits of various schemes launched by the Government.On the occasion, She asked Pahari Community leaders, including DDC, Kupwara to identify State land for construction of its own building. She said that the present dispensation have fulfilled near about its 80 percent prom-ises made in his manifesto.

The Minister stressed upon the manage-ment including warden of the Hostel to prop-erly maintain the hostel and give proper atten-tion on the children.Ms Sakina also asked the MD, WDC and Mission Director, Rehabilitation Council to pay special attention to the women folk of this community by extending a helping hand so that they may be also able to establish their self-help groups.

Lok Adalat settles 175 cases at Srinagar

Actively involve in promo-tion, participation of sports

activities: Mir asks youth

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 29:

The vaccination of Hajj pilgrims 2013 of the district Baramulla shall be con-ducted from August 31 to September 06, 2013.

In this connection, the Hajj pilgrims belonging to Tehsil Sopore shall be ad-ministered the vaccination from August 31 to September 01, 2013 at MCH Sopore and Hajj pilgrims belonging to Baramulla Tehsil shall be vaccinated at Sub-District Hospital, Baramulla on September 02, 2013 while as Hajj pilgrims belonging to Tangmarg Tehsil shall be vaccinated on September 03, 2013 at Sub-District Hospital, Tangmarg. The Hajj pilgrims of Tehsil Pattan shall be vaccinated at Sub-District Hospital, Pattan on September 04, 2013.

The Hajj pilgrims from Rohama and Uri Tehsils shall be vaccinated at PHC, Dangwacha and at Sub-District Hospital, Uri on September 05 and September 06, 2013 respectively.Meanwhile, the vac-cination programme for Hajj pilgrims of the district Ganderbal shall be conducted on September 02 & 03, 2013.

In this connection, the Hajj pil-

grims of Ganderbal, Kangan and Lar Teh-sils are accordingly informed to attend Sub-District Hospital, Ganderbal (Duder-hama) for vaccination on September 02 & 03, 2013.

The vaccination of Hajj pilgrims of Budgam district shall be conducted from August 31 to September 06, 2013.

Accordingly, the vaccination pro-gramme for Hajj pilgrims of Tehsil Bud-gam shall be conducted at CMO office, Budgam on August 31, 2013 While as the Hajj pilgrims of Khansahib Tehsil shall be vaccinated at Sub District Hospital, Khan-sahib on September 02, 2013. Similarly, the Hajj pilgrims of Beerwah and Khag Tehsil shall be vaccinated at Sub District Hospital, Beerwah on September 03, 2013. In addition, the vaccination for Hajj pilgrims of Chadoora Tehsil shall be con-ducted on September 05, 2013 at Sub Dis-trict Hospital Chadoora and Hajj pilgrims of Chrar-i-Sharief shall be vaccinated from September 09, 2013 at Sub District Hospital, Chrar-i-Sharief at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.The vaccination of Hajj pilgrims of Pulwama district shall be conducted from August 31, 2013.

Accordingly, the Hajj pilgrims of Teh-

sil Pulwama shall be vaccinated at Old Hospital Pulwama while the pilgrims of Tehsil Pampore shall be vaccinated at Sub District Hospital, Pampore besides the Hajj pilgrims of Tehsil Tral shall be vaccinated at Sub District Hospital, Tral and pilgrims of Tehsil Awantipora shall be vaccinated at Primary Health Centre, Awantipora on August 31, 2013.

The vaccination of Hajj pilgrims of Kulgam district shall be conducted from September 03, 2013.

As per the vaccination programme, the intending Hajj pilgrims of Devsar and its adjacent villages shall be immunized at PHC Devsar on September 03, while those belonging to Qaimoh town and its adjacent villages shall be immunized on August 31 at PHC Qaimoh.

The intending Hajj pilgrims of Yaripo-ra Niabat shall be immunized onSeptem-ber 02 at SDH Yaripora.

The intending pilgrims of D.H.Pora Tehsil shall be administered compulsory immunization at SDH D.H.Pora on August 30, 2013, and those belonging to Kulgam town and its surrounding villages shall be immunized on September 04 and 05, 2013 at old hospital complex Kulgam.

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 29: A Lok Adalat was organized under the supervision of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, who is also Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Srinagar, Mohammad Shafi Khan at Sadder Court Complex, Srinagar here Thursday.

As many as 225 cases of different nature were taken up dur-ing the said Lok Adalat, out of which 175 cases were settled ami-cably.An amount of Rs. 82,55,000 was awarded as compensation in various Motor Accident Claims while Rs. 54,350 was recovered as fine in various petty criminal offences.Advocates, large number of litigants and senior citizens of the area were also present on the occasion.Meanwhile, according to Chairman, District Legal Ser-vices Authority, who is also Principal District and Sessions Judge, Baramulla, Rashid Ali Dar, a mega Lok Adalats shall be held from September 16 to 23, 2013 in collaboration with Tehsil Legal Servic-es Committee, Baramulla throughout the district where different nature of cases would be settled amicably.Interested persons desir-ous to settle their cases amicably through the said mega Lok Ada-lat are informed to approach Court authorities Baramulla.Mean-while, according to the Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Kupwara mega Lok Adalat at Tangdhar, Handwara, Kupwara and Sogam Court Complexes shall be organized from September 06 to 13, 2013.Accordingly the mega Lok Adalat would be conducted at Munsiff Court Tangdhar on September 06 & 07, 2013 in the Court complex, Tangdhar and at Tehsil Handwara, the Lok Adalat shall also be held onSeptember 08 & 09, 2013 at Chief Judicial Magis-trate, Handwara while as at Tehsil Kupwara, the mega Lok Adalat shall be held on September 10 to September 13, 2013 at Sub Judge and Munsiff Court, Kupwara. Besides mega Lok Adalat for Sogam would be held on September 13, 2013 at Court Complex, Sogam.

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar | friday 30 .8 .2013

Vaccination programme for Hajj pilgrims 2013 notified

Money matters are likely to be advanced today through your intuition and inner power, Libra. You may get a hunch that your idea for bringing in some extra money just might work. At least look into it. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it until you know the facts. You might also rediscover a ne-glected talent that you could find quite useful at this time.

A surge of inner power could have you feeling like you can move mountains, Scorpio. If you’ve been contemplating a course of action that others believe impossible, this is the time to get it going. Career matters, romance, and creative projects could all be advanced considerably by careful effort on your part. Give it some thought, write down your ideas, consider all contingencies, and move ahead!

Memories from your past could resurface, Sagittarius. You might wonder why you’re suddenly thinking about them, but they probably represent a release of old emotional hang-ups that have been holding you back. By midafternoon you should feel more focused, determined, and ready to take on just about anything. This is definitely a great day to start new projects or complete old ones.

Today represents a beginning in many ways. A friend from the past could reappear in your life, Capricorn, and bring up memories both pleasant and disconcerting. Don’t worry too much about it. This probably represents a much-needed release. You might also become involved with a group that embodies goals about which you’re passionate. New friends could also come your way.

Emotions could be running high today, Aquarius. Some-one in your entourage may have a problem with an authority figure, and political issues could come up. You may feel pow-erful right now and tempted to throw your hat into the ring. However, it’s best to stay out of anything political and chan-nel that power and passion into your own project. That’s far more likely to bring positive results.

Heightened mental powers might have you spending a lot of time reading or doing research of some kind, Pisces. Your curiosity is especially high right now. You might even consider advancing your education in some way, especial-ly since new interests have been stimulating you for some time. New friends in fascinating fields might have started you thinking. This is a good time to look into this.

Information received from far away could excite your passion to learn more about a subject, Virgo. You might be inspired to use your new knowledge in a project that in-cludes a partner. Your mind is extremely insightful at this time, so if you face decisions, this is the day to follow your heart. Don’t be surprised if you find your telepathic abilities expanded as well!

Aries, your intuition is increased today to the point where you feel like a mind reader, like you could deduce the thoughts and motives of people you’ve never met before. Reading about news events might bring sudden insights as to how they’re going to turn out. You could decide to put this ability to work advancing your financial condition. Do this if you can, within reason. Your insights are probably correct!

You should be feeling especially passionate at this time, Taurus, especially regarding partnerships. Romantic partner-ships definitely call for an evening together! Professional and creative partnerships call for a new project that you believe in strongly. Look to events in other states or foreign countries for inspiration. Something begun in places far away could capture your imagination.

If you’ve been feeling less like yourself lately, Gemini, a surge of inner power could push you over the top and make you feel strong and healthy again. You could decide to finish the unfinished tasks around you today. You might get most of them done by day’s end. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself, however. You will want to make the most of your newfound energy.

A surge of passion could dominate your day unless you find an outlet for it, Cancer. An intimate evening with a lover would be a good idea. Creative passion is also strong, and you could be hit with sudden inspiration, perhaps influenced by distant places. Don’t be afraid to take time out from your mundane chores to pursue this inspiration. Creativity is as important as anything else.

A romantic evening at home with your partner could bring the two of you closer, Leo. Your emotions are intense right now, so you need to use your intuition to judge exactly how much of your feelings you should reveal. An intellec-tual passion could also come your way. You might discover a new field of interest and you’ll want to bury yourself at home studying it for hours.

Asks officers to provide better

delivery systemBANDIPORA, AUGUST 29:

Minister for Higher Education, Mo-hammad Akbar Lone Thursday urged upon the officers to work with compas-sion, sincerity,dedication while imple-menting developmental projects and welfare schemes launched by the gov-ernment, so that deserving and needy people are benefited to the maximum. He said Socio-economic development and dignified life of the people all across the State is the prime concern of the gov-ernment.

The Minister was addressing in a Awami-Darbar convened to assess the pace and progress of the developmental works being executed in the Chandergiri, Safapora and Hakbura areas of Sonawari Constituency at Chandergiri village here Thursday.

Additional District Development Commissioner Bandipora, officers of PDD, PHE, R&B, Irrigation, health and other concerned departments besides,

large number of people and public rep-resentatives were present on the oc-casion. Lone enjoined upon officers to provide better delivery system and monitor the execution of all works on

ground practically. He directed the offi-cers of PHE to speed up the pace of on-going works and complete the process of interior distribution of water supply,

so that people of the area do not suffer for the want of drinking water, besides, directed them to expedite Hakbura-Chandergiri water supply scheme at an earliest.

Sakina, Saifullah inaugurate girls hostel for Pahari students at Kupwara

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 29: Seven days Shooting Coaching Camp 1st ever in Kashmir Division organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Rifle Association in association with J & K State Sports Council and J&K Police concluded at S.P. Higher Secondary School here Thursday.

About one hundred students drawn from different educa-tional institutions of Kashmir Division which includes Tyndale Bisco, Green Valley Educational Institute, Kashmir Harvard HSS Education-al Institute, Sri Pratap Higher Secondary School, Government Boys Higher Secondary School Soura, AIPS Pantha Chowk, Saddiquia Pub-lic School, Zewan, Government Women College M.A.Road, Zewan Police Colony and District Baramulla participated in the camp.

Earlier the camp was declared open by Managing Director, Police Housing Corporation, Dilbag Singh on 23rd of August, 2013 in which the students were imparted training in Air Weapons.

Speaking on the concluding function the Director General of Police, Ashok Prasad who was the Chief Guest appreciated the organizers for holding such a mega coaching camp at Srinagar and requested the concerned to organize such more camps in the Valley in future. He also assured full cooperation and support to the Asso-ciation.The other dignitaries who were present on the occasion were MD Police Housing Corporation, Dilbag Singh, Gen. Secy. (JKRA), Sudhir Kumar, Sharat Chander Singh (treasurer), Omer Neodu, (Vice President Kashmir Division), Dr. Narinder Bhatia, Vice-President, S. Jaipal Singh (Jt. Secy. Kashmir Division), Neelofar Amin, Jt. Dir.YS&S, Jameel Mir, Sports Officer, J&K Police and Gulzar Ah. Ahanger, PEM. The Principal, S.P. HSS, Srinagar, gave full cooperation besides other facilities during conduct of the said coaching camp.The camp was organized under the supervision of well versed and National Rifle Association of India’s qualified coach Rajesh Virdhy besides Kulbir Singh and Vijay Kumar (National Shooters of J&K Police).

Seven days Shooting Coaching Camp concludes:Prasad appreciates for

holding coaching camp, stresses for organizing more

Socio-Economic development of people prime concern of Govt: Lone

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 29:

Maintaining that the Edu-cation Sector forms one of the top most sectors, the Minister for Rural Development and

Panchayati Raj, Ali Moham-mad has said that the neces-sary steps have been taken to augment its infrastructure and streamline its working.

Minister was interacting with the students and teach-ing faculty members of the Government Middle School Daribal, Khanyar during his

visit to the old city Srinagar. He was accompanied by se-nior officers of Education De-partment and district admin-istration.

The Minister said that the

Government has identified several sector as a priority sec-tor in which Education is far most. He said that the neces-sary steps have been taken to augment the education sector in the State by launching vari-ous programmes besides tak-ing the necessary measures to streamline the working.

While responding to the demands of the students and faculty of the school, the Min-ister directed the officers to settle all the issues within the shortest possible time so that

the infrastructural problems if any are solved.

Sagar also conducted an extensive tour of the old city Srinagar and directed the of-ficers to address all the issues with regard to the PHE, PDD and R&B etc so that the people do not face any inconvenience in their daily life.

Education sector top most priority of Govt: Sagar

Awami-Darbar held at Chandergiri, Block Hajin

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

FRIDAY | 30 AUG 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

Replace ghee with canola or olive oilWhen a recipe calls for ghee or butter, substitute it with canola or olive oil for better health.Both these oils can help you to shed weight and reduce liver fat, lipids and triglycerides, says a study. The study conducted by the Diabetes Foundation (India) (DFI) and the Na-tional Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Founda-tion (N-DOC) has found that consuming olive or canola oil can help in de-creasing weight, waist circumference and reduce liver fat, lipids and tri-glycerides. A group of 90 people were part of the study for three years from June 2007 to 2010. They were divided into three groups and asked to use one type of cooking oil — olive, canola or any other oil. "After a period of six months itself, we found that those who used olive or canola significantly re-duced there weight, liver fat and triglycerides," said Seema Gulati, head of nu-trition research group at N-DOC.

The group which used olive oil significant-ly reduced the body weight, waist circum-ference and liver fat. As for the 30 people who used canola oil, they reported a decrease in waist circumference and a significantly improved insulin and blood glu-cose. The group which

used other oils, except the soybean or sun-flower oil — which have a high content of mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) — as cooking medium had not showed any significant changes. "If the different tradi-tional Indian oils used across the country are replaced by olive or

canola oil, it can lead to multiple health ben-efits," said Anoop Misra, director and head of de-partment of diabetes and metabolic diseases at a leading hospital. he said that the study has important implications for Indians who are at heightened risk for dia-betes and heart disease

Books are tonic for the brainReading is not just another leisurely activity or a way of brushing up your litera-cy skills and factual knowl-edge - it acts as a tonic for the brain too.Neuroscientist Susan Greenfield suggests that reading helps to expand attention spans in kids. "Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end - a structure that encourages our brains to think in se-quence, to link cause, ef-fect and significance," she says."It is essential to learn this skill as a small child, while the brain has more plastic-ity, which is why it's so im-portant for parents to read to their children. The more we do it, the better we get at it," Greenfield added.Reading can enrich our relationships by increas-ing our understanding of other cultures and helping us learn to empathise, the Daily Mail reports."In a computer game, you might have to rescue a princess, but you don't care about her, you just want to win," explains

Greenfield. "But a princess in a book has a past, pres-ent and future, she has connections and motiva-tions. We can relate to her. We see the world through her eyes."John Stein, emeritus pro-fessor of neuroscience at Magdalen College, Oxford, says reading is far from a passive activity. "Read-ing exercises the whole

brain," he explains. Read-ing stories to children will help their brains develop the ability to analyse the cause, effect and signifi-cance of eventsIn 2009, a brain-imaging study in the US showed that reading about landscapes, sounds, smells and tastes, activates brain areas tied to these experiences in real life, creating new neural path-

ways. Simply stated, our brains simulate real expe-riences, which doesn't hap-pen when you're watching TV or playing computer games.In 2009, Univer-sity of Sussex researchers showed how six minutes of reading can slash stress levels by more than two-thirds, more than listening to music or going out for a walk.

Best purple foods for good healthThere has been so much talk on hav-ing a rainbow of foods on your plate - a group of 'colours' of certain fruit signifying certain benefits.Of these purple foods are perhaps most significant as it is a fact that darker the food, the higher the anti-oxidant level. Antioxidants can pre-vent cell damage, and keep one look-ing younger. Here are more reasons to stock up on purple-hued foods today.

Benefits galore:As per data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES), in a survey on eating and health, it was seen that adults who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables are less likely to be overweight. They have a reduced risk for both high blood pres-sure and low HDL cholesterol. It was be-lieved that anthocyanins, or compounds that give purple foods their colour, were responsible for this. Purple foods have a pigment called anthocyanin. This is a strong and antioxidant, which is said to reduce the risk of cancer.

What they are:Eggplant, Purple grapes, figs, plums, dark cherries, raisins, purple cabbage are all candidates.

Get cooking!Here are some quick-fix recipes...Plums: Take fresh plums, and put them in a grill with the skin on. Grill and sprinkle a little cinnamon powder on them. You

can also stick a clove in each of them and rest them awhile, then remove cloves and eat.

Purple cabbage: Take purple cabbage, slice it up. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar or light sweet onion dressing over them.

Enjoy!Figs: To make a healthy salad, just chop fresh figs along with shredded rocket leaves, feta cheese and add toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts on them. Serve.Plums: This fruit is best had on its own. However, it can also be enjoyed in des-serts and savouries. To make poached plums, place plums in a baking dish, add a little sugar and lemon juice and toss them gently so they get coated. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and have with cream or just like that.

The use of "smoky coal" for household cooking and heating was found to be as-sociated with a substantial increase in the lifetime risk of developing lung cancer, according to a study from China. This represents one of the strongest effects of environmental pollution reported for cancer risk in any population, the re-searchers said. It also un-derlines the importance of taking action to minimise exposure to the most haz-ardous types of fuel. About half the world's popula-tion uses coal and other solid fuels for cooking and heating, often in simple stoves that are unvented. Exposure to certain types of solid fuel smoke is as-sociated with several dis-eases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory infections, and lung can-cer. However, the relation-ship between smoky coal use and lung cancer is not

fully understood. So an international team of researchers compared deaths from lung cancer between lifelong users of "smoky coal" and "smoke-less coal" for household cooking and heating in Xuanwei County, Yun-nan Provine, China, where lung cancer rates are par-ticularly elevated. In total, over 37,000 individuals were followed over a 20-year period (1976-96) dur-ing which time more than 2,000 deaths from lung cancer were recorded. Af-ter taking account of other possible risk factors includ-ing tobacco use, lung can-cer cases and deaths were substantially higher among users of smoky (i.e. bitumi-nous) coal for home cook-ing and heating than users of smokeless (i.e. anthracit-ic) coal. In absolute terms, the risk of lung cancer death before 70 years of age for men and women using smoky coal was 18 percent

and 20 percent respectively, compared with less than 0.5 percent among smoke-less coal users of both sexes. These risks are almost as high as those reported for heavy smokers in Western countries, ranging between 20 percent and 26 percent. Lung cancer deaths were also associated with the av-erage number of hours that a smoky coal user spent at home and the age at which participants started cook-ing. The researchers say that their findings have important implications for public health in this region of China and suggest that the use of less carcinogenic types of coal or other fuels can translate into a sub-stantial reduction of lung cancer risk. As this chemi-cal and physical composi-tion of coal differs widely in different geographical locations, additional re-search is needed on the carcinogenicity of various types of coal, they added.

Scientists now have an ex-planation for why green tea is good for the brain -- it lies in the chemical properties that affect the production of brain cells, improving memory and spatial learning."Green tea is a popu-lar beverage across the world," said Yun Bai, pro-fessor from the Third Mili-tary Medical University, Chongqing, China."There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cel-lular mechanisms in the brain."Yun's team focused on the organic chemical EGCG, (epigallocatechin-3 gallate) a key property of green tea. While EGCG is a known antioxidant, the team believed it can also have a beneficial ef-fect against age-related degenerative diseases, the journal Molecular Nutri-tion and Food Research reports."We proposed that

EGCG can improve cogni-tive function by impacting the generation of neuron cells, a process known as neurogenesis," said Yun."We focused our research on the hippocampus, the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory."The team found that ECGC boosts the produc-tion of neural progenitor cells, which like stem cells can adapt, or differenti-ate, into various types of cells. The team then used lab mice to discover if this increased cell produc-tion gave an advantage to memory or spatial learn-ing, according to a Medical University statement."We ran tests on two groups of mice, one which had im-bibed ECGC and a control group (without ECGC)," said Yun."First the mice were trained for three days to find a visible platform in their maze. Then they were trained for seven days to find a hidden plat-form."

Researchers have found that children exposed to diethyl phthalate (DEP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP)—phthalate chemi-cals commonly found in personal care and plastic products—have elevated risk of asthma-related air-way inflammation.Of the 244 children aged 5 to 9 in the study, all had detectable levels of phthal-ates in their urine although these varied over a wide range.Higher levels of both phthalates were associated with higher levels of nitric oxide in exhaled breath, a biological marker of air-way inflammation.The association between BBzP exposure and air-way inflammation was especially strong among children who had recently reported wheeze, a com-mon symptom of asthma, according to the research-ers at Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health."While many factors contribute to childhood asthma, our study shows that exposure to phthal-ates may play a significant role," said Allan Just, PhD, first author on the new CCCEH study and current

postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health.Dr. Just and co-investi-gators looked at children enrolled in the CCCEH Mothers and Newborns study. All live in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx where asthma prev-alence is high. Exposure to phthalates was measured through a urine test, and the level of nitric oxide in the child's exhaled breath was quantified as a marker of airway inflammation.The study is the first to use exhaled nitric oxide in a

study of phthalate expo-sure in children. By using the biomarker in exhaled breath, the researchers overcame a significant hurdle."Many asthma patients only have asthma exac-erbations a few times a year, making it difficult to discern short-term asso-ciations between environ-mental exposures and the disease," explained Mat-thew Perzanowski, PhD, senior author and Associ-ate Professor of Environ-mental Health Sciences at the Mailman School.

"To solve this problem, we used nitric oxide, which has been shown to be a reliable marker of airway inflammation in response to known asthma triggers like vehicle emissions," he said.Phthalates are used widely in consumer prod-ucts, including plastics, vi-nyl flooring, and personal care products, making ex-posure ubiquitous in the United States and other developed nations.Phthalates enter the body through ingestion, inha-lation, and absorption through the skin.

Exposure to pesticide behind childhood coughChildren exposed to the widely used pesticide ad-ditive piperonyl butoxide (PBO) in the womb have heightened risk of non-infectious cough at ages 5 and 6, a new study has found.The findings support the premise that the children's respiratory system is sus-ceptible to damage from toxic exposures during the prenatal period. A com-mon symptom, childhood cough can disrupt normal daytime activities and in-terrupt sleep for both child and parent. Researchers at the Colum-bia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health and of Columbia Univer-sity Medical Center con-ducted the study. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is an organic compound used to bolster the effects of pyrethroid pesticides. Pyrethroids are the most commonly used pesticides for both professional pest control and non-profes-sional residential use, ac-cording to a 2011 study by Mailman School research-ers. Exposure to one pyre-throid, a variation of per-methrin, was linked with increased risk for cough by

age 5 in a 2009 study by Rachel Miller, MD. In the current study, Dr. Miller and colleagues sought to build on these findings by exploring the effects of subsequent ex-posure during childhood, looking specifically at the effects of PBO exposure. Researchers looked at 224 mother-child pairs enrolled in the CCCEH birth cohort study of en-vironmental exposures, examining measures of PBO and pyrethroid in personal air monitors worn by the mothers dur-ing pregnancy.

Air samples also were col-lected from the home over the course of two weeks when children were be-tween 5 and 6 years old. Questionnaires were used to evaluate respiratory outcomes. Researchers found that children exposed to PBO during pregnancy had in-creased odds of reporting cough unrelated to cold or flu. Exposures to PBO during childhood were not a factor. There was no observed association between prenatal or child-hood permethrin exposure and cough, something

the researchers say may be explained by the fact that PBO is much easier to measure in air samples than permethrin. There was also no association with PBO or permethrin exposure and other re-spiratory outcomes like wheeze or asthma. While it is unclear whether the ef-fect is due mainly to PBO itself or residential pyre-throids of which PBO is an indicator, it is impor-tant to remember, said Dr. Miller, that "these exposures may be a factor in a very common problem for children—cough.

Personal care items cause asthma in kids

NATION DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

7 SRINAGARFriday, 30 August,2013

Congress, BJP politicising Gorkhaland issue: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Ma-mata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of creating unrest in Dar-jeeling for electoral gains.

“This is a deliberate strategy to cre-ate unrest in the hills through politics. It has become a trend for the Congress and BJP to politicise the Gorkhaland issue before the general elections,” Banerjee said here.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) intensified their separatist movement after the Congress Working Committee and the United Progressive Alliance endorsed creation of a sepa-rate Telangana state on July 30.

Congress, BJP politicising Gork-haland issue: Mamata Banerjee

The GJM joined hands with several pro-Gorkhaland parties and formed the Gorkhaland Joint Action Commit-tee, now spearheading the stir which began on August 3.

Banerjee accused GJM of holding the region to ransom for their inter-

ests, despite been granted autonomy through the Gork-haland Territo-rial Administration (GTA).

“Through the GTA, they (GJM) have got autonomy. All the depart-ments, barring one or two have been given to them. What else do they want? We want Darjeeling to progress and de-velop. I don’t know for what political purpose the ongoing development in Darjeeling is being thwarted.

“They have the money, even the name Gorkhaland has been given to them. Only statehood has not been given and that is not possible because it is part of West Bengal,” said Baner-jee.

The GJM-run GTA was created

July 18, 2011 via a tripartite agreement signed between the Gorkha outfit and the central and state governments.

Reiterating that the state would never be divided, Banerjee urged the people of the region to maintain peace and allow normal life to resume.

The chief minister is scheduled to visit the strife-torn hills Sep 2 to par-ticipate in a programme of the Lepcha community in Kalimpong.

Moody’s says India’s food subsidy bill ‘credit negative’

Giving a thumbs down to the food secu-rity bill, rating agency Moody’s on Thursday said the measure is credit negative as it will weaken government finances and deteriorate macroeconomic situation.

“The measure (food bill) is credit nega-tive for the Indian government because it will raise government spending on food subsidies to about 1.2 % of GDP per year from an esti-mated 0.8 % currently, exacerbating the gov-ernment’s weak finances,” Moody’s said in a statement.

Moody’s currently assigns ‘Baa3’ rating on India, with a stable outlook. ‘Baa3’ means me-dium grade with moderate credit risk.

The food security bill was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this week. The Bill seeks to provide cheap foodgrains to 82 crore people in the country, ushering in the biggest pro-gramme in the world to fight hunger.

The annual financial burden after its imple-mentation is estimated to be about Rs. 1.30 lakh crore at current cost.

As the bill is likely to be implemented in the remaining months of the current fiscal, its impact on government finances will be less in 2013-14, but much more in the years to come, Moody’s said.

The total food subsidy budgeted in the cur-

rent fiscal is Rs. 90,000 crore, of which Rs. 10,000 crore is towards the implementation of the programme.

“It will raise future subsidy expenditure commitments, hindering the government’s ability to consolidate its finances,” Moody’s said, adding, the government subsidies will contribute to the already high food inflation.

The agency further said India’s fiscal defi-cits are already higher than those of its emerg-ing market peers.

It said the high fiscal deficit contributes to the Current Account Deficit (CAD) by keep-ing domestic demand high and increasing im-ports.

A high CAD, the difference between in-flow and outflow of foreign currency, puts pressure on the domestic currency and fuels prices.

The rupee has depreciated about 25 % this year and touched a record low of 68.80 to a dollar yesterday.

The food bill seeks to provide highly sub-sidised food grains to 75 % of the rural and 50 % of the urban population through the public distribution system (PDS).

It will guarantee 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at a fixed price of Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Rs. 1 respectively.

Domestic factors too responsible for difficult economic situation: PM

IIT Roorkee professor found murdered with his

throat slit

A senior professor at IIT Roorkee, was found dead at his flat on the campus with his throat slit, a senior police official said on Thursday.

The maid servant found the 60-year-old Arun Kumar, a senior professor in the Electrical Computer Science Depart-ment of the Institution, lying in a pool of blood at his flat with his throat slit, Haridwar SSP Rajiv Swaroop said.

Though the cause of his death is being probed, the pos-sibility of a suicide or murder cannot be ruled out, he said. Kumar lived alone in the flat since the death of his wife a few years ago, he said.

Two of his daughters stay abroad while one stays in Gur-gaon, he said. The elderly professor is said to have been suf-fering from depression since the death of his wife, he said, adding that the case is being investigated from all angles.

Asaram Bapu to face arrest if he fails to turn up for questioning

JODHPUR, AUG 29: Controversial self-styled god-

man Asaram Bapu, who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor, will face arrest if he fails to appear be-fore the Jodhpur Police tomorrow, a top police officer has said.

“We will wait until August 30 as per the deadline of the summons served on him and if he fails to turn up by August 30, we will send a team to arrest him on August 31,” Jodhpur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph told reporters here late last night.

72-year-old Asaram had sought extension in the date of appearance before the investigation officer of the case at Jodpur cit-ing he had various pre-decided religious fix-tures lined up till September 19.

Yesterday, DCP Ajay Pal Lamba had said that police will wait till August 30 and if the self-styled godman fails to appear before them for questioning, further course of action would be decided on that day.

Meanwhile, three other accused, including Shilpi (the warden of the hostel at Gurukul), Keshav (attendant of Gurukul) and Shiva (caretaker of Asaram, who was with him at

Manai ashram on the day of incident) will ap-pear before the investigating officer today for interrogation.

According to the DCP, Shilpi and Keshav had sent the 16-year-old girl to Jodhpur for a ritual to ward off evil spirits for which Asaram had wanted to be alone in the room with the minor on the night of August 15, and Shiva had threatened the girl against disclosing the incident to anyone.

Asaram’s son Narayan Sai, in comments which could stroke a controversy, had claimed that the minor girl who levelled the allegations is “mentally unstable”.

Novelist Chetan Bhagat draws flak for ‘rupee-rape’ tweet

Novelist Chetan Bhagat came in for flak from netizens today after he used the im-agery of rape to describe the rupee’s free fall.

“The rupee is asking, is there no pun-ishment for my rapists,” Bhagat tweet-ed after rupee touched a new low, inviting barrage of angry reactions from many Twitter users who accused him trivial-ising the gravity of rape crimes.Rupee: what’s the real value?

“When the Mumbai rape survivor is still recovering in a hospital, using the ‘rape joke’

was ‘insensitive, crass and stu-pid’,” a user wrote. Many users argued that the word “rape” should never be used casually.

“Let’s get it straight. Curren-cies do not get raped,” one said. Bhagat, who has one of the largest follow-ings on Twitter, deleted his tweet but defended it

strongly. “People are flipping out on using word rape as meta-phor.Murder is Ok... Oh wait, chance to attack someone, Why miss?” he asked.

“Have people lost per-spective totally? Can a word officially have several mean-

ings and contexts? Or is twit-ter about looking for fight?” another of his tweets read. However, the heat and controversy generated by the comments was enough to propel Bhagat into one of the top “trends” on the micro-blogging site.And he was not without supporters who defended the rape met-aphor in the context of poor state of economy. Another well known author Shobhaa De used a similar imagery in her tweet. “Dumb questions: If the UPA government is forced to quit, does the Oppo-sition possess a magic wand to fix the rupee-rape crisis overnight,” she wrote.

Issue notices to coal mines allocatees under CBI scanner: IMGNEW DELHI: The inter-ministerial group on

coal blocks has recommended issuing show cause notices to allocatee of mines including the one joint-ly given to ArcelorMittal, Sterlite Energy, Lanco and Reliance Energy, which are named in FIR reg-istered by CBI.

“In cases of coal blocks, where an FIR has been registered by CBI against the allocatee or one of the allocatees of the coal block, IMG has recommended to issue show cause notices for delaying the produc-tion,” a source close to the development said.

Rampia Rampia & Dip Side of Rampia mine jointly alloted to Sterlite Energy, GMRBSE -1.56 % Energy, ArcelorMittal, Lanco Group, Navbharat Power and Reliance Energy, is among the coal blocks that have been recommended to be slapped with a show cause notice, the source added.

However, the coal ministry is yet to take a de-cision on the recommendations of the panel, the source said.

The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) had earlier asked the Coal Ministry to seek an opinion of the Law Ministry with regard to six mines named in

FIR registered by CBI. The six blocks, include Ram-

pia & Dip Side of Rampia, Thes-gora-B/Rudrapuri mine alloted to Kamal Sponge Steel & Power and Revati Cement and Bander mine alloted to AMR Iron & Steels, Century Textiles & Industries and J K Cement.

The Central Bureau of Inves-tigation is probing alleged irregu-larities in the allocation of 192 coal blocks between 1993 and 2011.

The agency has registered three preliminary enquiries, which are related to allocations between 2006 and 2009, blocks awarded between 1993 and 2004, and allot-ments to joint ventures.

The government had formed the IMG last year to review the progress of coal blocks allocated to firms for captive use and recommend action, includ-ing deallocation.

Earlier, the IMG had recommended issuing show cause notices to allocatees of 27 coal blocks and seeking explanation for slow progress in devel-opment of 21 mines.

Anna ready to endorse Modi if he leaves BJP: US media report

WASHINGTON: In-dia’s anti-corruption cru-sader Anna Hazare has said that he would be “happy to endorse” Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi if he left the BJP, an Ameri-can media outlet has re-ported.

Hazare, who left for India from New York on Wednesday after a nearly two-week US trip, made the remarks during an interaction with the Indian-American community, academi-cians and think-tanks at an event organised by the Hindu Temple in Delaware on August 20, the Huffington Post reported.

“Anna Hazare did not endorse Narendra Modi. He said he did not believe in political parties and since Modi was a member of BJP, a political party, he could not endorse him.

“When pressed to endorse Modi as an in-dividual, he responded by saying that if Modi left the BJP, he would be happy to endorse him,” Muqtedar Khan, Associate Professor at the University of Delaware and a Fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, wrote in the Huffington Post.

Anna was not available for comments when ap-proached by the PTI over phone through his US person of contact.

Khan, who moderated the question and answer session at the Delaware event, wrote that for an ethical activist, it was a very political answer.

“Anna was trying to get out of endorsing Modi without offending Mo-di’s supporters. But I suspect he offended the Hindu secularists by not condemning Modi and disappointed Hindu nationalists by not clearly endorsing him,” said Khan.

According to Khan, Anna’s is activism and his stature have put corruption on the national agenda. “I am not sure if his solutions will work, but the awareness and urgency that he is generating could inspire others to come up with more realistic solutions,” he wrote.

The reported remarks made by Anna is quite distinct from the other statements of Anna on Modi. At an event held in the suburb of Washington on August 22, Anna had said neither Narendra Modi nor Rahul Gandhi is fit to become the Prime Minister of India.

With falling rupee and rising oil prices casting a shadow over the Indian economy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the country is faced with a difficult eco-nomic situation for which some domestic factors too were responsible.

“It cannot be denied that the country is faced with a difficult economic situation,” Singh said after leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley sought his response on the rupee hitting a life-time low.

“There are several causes (for the economic woes). I do not deny some domestic factors too are re-sponsible,” he said.

Listing some of the external factors that have impacted rupee and Indian economy, Singh said US monetary stance and prob-lems created by tensions in Syria and its “inevitable consequences on oil prices” have played their role.

“We have to reckon with these uncertainties,”

he said, adding he needed “some time to reflect” on these.

“I would be happy to make a statement tomor-row,” the prime minister said.

Earlier, when the House met for the day, Jaitley raised the issue of depleting value of the rupee, which has fallen 20% against the US dollar this year and al-ready breached 68 mark.

He said there was “pan-ic” in the country as people don’t know where the de-valuation of the rupee will stop.

Inflationary pressure will be twice as rising food prices will be coupled with imported inflation in form of rising oil prices in the in-ternational market, he said.

Manufacturing growth has been low while ser-vices sector has seen expansion drop to 7% from 10% earlier. “In situation like this, what is that government is going to do,” he asked.

Jaitley said finance minister P Chidambaram’s 10-point plan is economic theory as everyone knows that fiscal deficit and current account deficit have to be cut and exports have to be increased.

With economic growth rate falling and inflation ruling high, the country was headed towards stag-flation.

Stagflation, a portmanteau of stagnation and inflation, is a term used in economics to describe a situation where an inflation rate is high, the eco-nomic growth rate slows down, and unemployment remains steadily high.

The present situation, he said, had arisen be-cause economic prudence has been made subservi-ent to populism.

While crude oil and edible oil are essential im-ports, $20 billion was spent on importing coal de-spite the country having coal reserves in excess of demand.

“It is a panic situation... we want to know from the prime minister what he has in his mind for re-viving the situation. In a democracy, the buck stops at the prime minister and not disappear,” he said.

“He must take the House and the country into con-fidence.” Sitaram Yechury (CPM) wanted to know if after 22 years of reforms under Manmohan Singh, the country has come back to square one.”

Could contest Lok Sabha polls if Congress wants: Digvijay Singh

Stating that he had no plans to contest the state Assembly elections, Singh told reporters here that, “How-ever, if the party allows me I will con-test next year’s Lok Sabha elections.”

Congress general secretary Digvi-jay Singh on Thursday made it clear that he would not contest Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections slated later this year, but could enter the general elections fray if the party permits him.

Stating that he had no plans to contest the state Assembly elec-tions, Singh told reporters here that, “However, if the party allows me I will contest next year’s Lok Sabha elections.”

The Congress leader said though he had always been receiving a lot of flak for criticising RSS, but was al-ways proved correct. “Whenever I say anything about the RSS I face a lot of criticism, but subsequently I have al-ways been proved right,” he asserted.

Singh charged the state BJP gov-

ernment with not fulfilling most of the promises made since the 2003 Assem-bly elections.

The BJP promised to waive loans up to Rs 50,000 of farmers but it has done nothing of that kind. The party had also made tall promises about im-

proving the conditions of roads, electricity and water in the state, he said.

“It is really sad to see that the BJP has miserably failed on all these fronts and yet it makes claims about developing Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

Farmers are not getting elec-tricity in Madhya Pradesh even under the much hyped Atal Jyoti Yojana, he said.

Commenting on the frequent disruptions of Parliamentary proceedings, Singh said the Op-position in Lok Sabha was not interested in running it and was resorting to frequent interruptions.

The Congress leader also al-leged that many students had

got admission in MBBS courses in MP through fraudulent means. He demanded that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chou-han should order an inquiry into the mat-ter, failing which he would seek a CBI probe in it.