Pakistani national arrested from Firozabad in UP,Expert group calls for monitoring China

National news online 2013 watch National news online

National

Pakistani national arrested from Firozabad in UP

The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a Pakistani national, who according to them was living illegally in Firozabad district of the state for last one year.

The Superintendent of Police (SP), Rakesh Singh, said on Tuesday that the arrested Pakistani national was being interrogated. He further said, "The government of Uttar Pradesh had asked him to leave one year back. He had been absconding since then and gone into hiding. Our intelligence team captured him and he is being interrogated. He will soon be deported to Pakistan."

The individual was living in Firozabad's area of Katra under the name of Najamuddin, while he is known in Pakistan as Salim Akhtar. Police received information that a Pakistani national was living in Firozabad and immediately investigated the matter, which led to his arrest.

Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy appears before Sebi in refund case

Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy and top executives reached Sebi's office to appear before the market regulator in connection with the high-profile refund case involving an estimated Rs 24,000 crore payment to over three crore investors. Sebi had said that if they failed to appear, it would issue orders for the attachment and sale of its assets.

The Supreme Court had ordered Sebi to get Sahara repay its investors Rs 24,000 crore. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Economic Offences Wing has launched a preliminary investigation against the Sahara Group. The probe will focus on whether Sahara is intimidating investors. The Mumbai EOW chief has told CNN-IBN that they have been asked by the Government of India to probe Sahara.

Sebi had summoned Roy and three other directors of two Sahara firms for personal appearance in an order dated March 26. Sebi wants to ascertain details of their personal assets, as also the investments and assets of the companies, to move ahead with sale of immovable assets for realisation of money to be refunded to the investors.

Deadline for states on rights of disabled people

Concerned over the delay in response from some states to the draft bill on the rights of people with disabilities, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Selja has shot off a letter setting a deadline for feedback on the legislation, which seeks to remove gaps in existing law.

In her letter to seven chief ministers and a governor late last month, Selja said that lack of comments from states had led to a delay in giving final shape to the "important" Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Bill.

She urged the concerned states to send their views by April 12 and noted that in the absence of comments, it will be presumed that the state has no comments to offer.

Sources said letters has been written to the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh (Akhilesh Yadav), Punjab (Parkash Singh Badal), Bihar (Nitish Kumar), Andhra Pradesh (N. Kiran Kumar Reddy), Tamil Nadu (J. Jayalalithaa), Assam (Tarun Gogoi) and Tripura (Manik Sarkar). The letter has also been sent to Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed as the state is under president's rule.

Expert group calls for monitoring China’s run-of-the-river projects

The Inter-Ministerial Expert Group (IMEG) on the Brahmaputra has said China is carrying out a series of cascading Run-of-the-River (ROR) projects in the middle reaches of the river and the same may be replicated in the Great Bend Area as a viable alternative to a single mega project, and called for further monitoring.

The IMEG is of the opinion that Jiacha could be the next power project on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra. It may be followed by projects at Lengda, Zhongda, Langzhen, where dam-related peripheral infrastructural activity, including four new bridges, has gathered speed.

Indian agencies have identified and reported a total of 39 projects/sites on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries for construction of reservoirs/power projects, showing an increase of three sites over 36 sites reported in the previous IMEG report. However, these projects are mainly ROR projects, catering to electricity or irrigational requirement.

Now smaller cities can also pitch in for a Metro

The Union Urban Development Ministry, which has been urging cities with two million plus population to pitch in for a Metro system, is now considering extending the efficient mass transit system to cities with lesser populace.

The proposal stems from the need to decongest cities, enhance the ease of commuting on public transport and to improve the link between the suburbs and the main city centres. If the proposal gets approved, more than 50 cities with a million plus population in States like Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir among many others will benefit.

Cities with under two million population will have to prepare a detailed project report and show adequate means of funding and prove that the passenger traffic of at least 4,000 persons per hour per direction will be met.