Hyderabad, The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday evening issued government orders allowing the CBI to prohibit sale, pledge and transfer of ownership of properties belonging to Jagan and his associates. These include Jagati Publications (Sakshi newspaper), Indira TV (Sakshi TV), Janani Infrastructure, belonging to YSR Congress president Jaganmohan Reddy, properties owned by N Sunil Reddy and Koneru Rajendra Prasad, accused in the Emaar scam. The government orders, numbering 87, 88 and 89, were not made public but were issued after chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy gave clearance. The orders were in response to CBI seeking permission to attach properties in the Jagan assets case of which it has conclusive evidence of being part of a quid pro quo arrangement. CBI estimates about Rs 1,172 crore quid pro quo investment in Jagati Publications. CBI valued the publication's office and machinery at Rs 243.64 crore. CBI can now file petitions in district courts seeking permission to attach the properties. The court will then call the investigating agency and the accused and after hearing them, will decide the matter. If the court rules in favour of the attachment, it can ...
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Lucknow, Keeping with its promise of giving fresh impetus to infrastructure in the state, the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh government has expedited work on the ambitious Agra- Lucknow Greenfield Expressway project and has selected a consultant for the project. The consultant has been entrusted with the task of preparing a concept report on the project that will cut the travelling time between Lucknow and Agra from six hours to three-and-a-half hours. Officials told IANS that the eight-lane eco-friendly expressway is proposed to be constructed on a "minimum distance formula" through Public Private Partnership mode and is envisaged to provide a smooth link from Greater Noida to Lucknow via Agra. The consultant appointed for the expressway, covering a distance of 365 km, has been asked to prepare the "preliminary feasibility reports on economic, geographical, physical and social parameters" of the project. The expressway will also help motorists cover a distance of about 530 km from Greater Noida to Lucknow in five hours instead of current time of nine hours. Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) Anil Kumar Gupta said the government's move ...
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Lucknow, In a significant development, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is not in favour of bringing the post of CM under the anti-corruption ombudsman -- the Lokayukta. "The Samajwadi Party had made its stand clear on the issue of Lokayukta in its manifesto before the assembly elections. We had promised, if voted to power, the Lokayukta institution will be strengthened to fight corruption. However, we are not in favour of bringing chief minister under Lokayukta," said Yadav, in reply to the media query that a committee headed by UP Lokayukta has recommended bringing the chief minister under the jurisdiction of the ombudsman. However, he added, that he had not gone through the recommendation submitted by the committee. The committee headed by UP Lokayukta Justice (rtd) NK Mehrotra in its report has proposed a complete revamp of the power structure of the institution, setting up a special investigation wing and authority to initiate suo moto action against corrupt public representatives, NGOs and educational institutions among others. The proposals also want every elected public representative from gram pradhan, municipal corporators, MLAs, ministers to the ...
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Bhopal, Irked by constantly being linked to terror outfits, Madhya Pradesh speaker Ishwardas Rohani referred to AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh as a "terrorist". The comment has sparked outrage among the Congress. Addressing a public gathering in Jabalpur on Sunday, Rohani took a salvo at Singh by accusing him of supporting suspected terrorists killed in the Batla House encounter. "Digvijay Singh visits families of suspected terrorists in Azamgarh. He eats biryani with them and then accuses me of having connections with banned radical outfits. If there is anyone who is a terrorist here, it is him," said Rohani. The Congress has accused Rohani of having links with banned terror outfits such as SIMI. Singh, at a press meet during the state assembly's Budget session, had alleged that Rohani was shielding Abdul Razzak, the Jabalpur-based member Jamait-Ahl-e-Hadees. Digvijay had also asked for an NIA investigation to probe the terror ...
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Shimla, Battle of supremacy within Congress is raging in Himachal with two Union ministers of Congress planning a show of strength in the state on April 10. While Virbhadra Singh would hold a get-together for party leaders at his residence in Shimla to celebrate his 50 years in politics, Anand Sharma would meet party leaders at Palampur. Virbhadra, 78, who has remained chief minister of Himachal Pradesh five times, is once again eyeing the chair, much to the dislike of state Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur, 67, who has remained cabinet minister in the past but is lobbying hard for the chief ministerial berth with the help of Sharma whose political rivalry with Virbhadra Singh is a known fact in the state. Earlier, on March 25, Virbhadra Singh and Kaul Singh had held different public rallies in Jawali and Gagret towns. Virbhadra and Kaul Singh camps had drawn the battle line after election of Vikramaditya Singh, son of Virbhadra, as state president of Youth Congress, which was declared invalid on the complaint of Raghubir Bali, son of Nagrota MLA G S Bali, who is close to Kaul Singh. Virbhadra, who has constantly attacked the state leadership for failure to play the ...
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New Delhi, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday will meet the party leaders from Uttar Pradesh to analyse the disappointing result of the party in the Assembly polls in the crucial north Indian state. Gandhi will meet the leaders in New Delhi in an attempt to "fix things" before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, media reports said. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Digvijay Singh, who is currently out of the country, will not be attending the meeting. Newly elected Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly will attend the meeting on Thursday. Gandhi, who lead the campaign for Congress in Uttar Pradesh, failed to produce a winning result for the party in the politically critical state in the recent Assembly elections. Gandhi had taken the 'responsibility' behind the dismal show of the party in Uttar Pradesh on himself. Akhilesh Yadav, the 38-year-old Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, scripted a stunning victory of the outfit in Uttar Pradesh elections. ...
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New Delhi, Team Anna locked horns with Himachal Pradesh government calling its draft Lokayukta bill "very weak and ineffective", prompting the BJP-ruled state to cancel a meeting today with the group's key member Arvind Kejriwal. The decision by a miffed state government came as Kejriwal questioned its commitment to fight corruption, saying it appeared BJP and Congress were on the same page on the legislation. Kejriwal described Himachal's Lokayukta bill as "very weak and ineffective" and also asked whether BJP was disowning the "strong" law passed by a BJP-led government in Uttarakhand earlier this year by bringing such a bill in the state. "The Bill is very weak, ineffective and seeks to provide illegitimate protection to corrupt people rather than punish them. Rather than adopt the strong model of Uttarakhand, Himachal government has adopted many of the controversial provisions of central government. This is unfortunate. "Does it mean that BJP disowns its own Uttarakhand Bill? Does it also mean BJP and Congress are on same page on some of the controversial provisions of central bill?" Kejriwal said. His reaction came as Himachal Pradesh government cancelled a ...
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Hyderabad, For the second day in a row, the Telangana statehood issue rocked the Andhra Pradesh Assembly leading to two adjournments this morning. When the House began at 9am, TDP and TRS legislators from the region stormed the Speaker's podium holding placards and raising slogans demanding that the House pass a resolution seeking creation of Telangana state. Speaker Nadendla Manohar rejected an adjournment motion moved by TRS, TDP, BJP and CPI in this regard. Amidst the sloganeering, the Speaker initially adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes. The Congress MLAs from Telangana too joined the protest, standing at their respective seats, when the House re-assembled after more than an hour. As the din continued, the Speaker asked the ministers concerned to move the demands for grants of their respective departments and adjourned the House for 30 minutes the second ...
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Lucknow, In yet another reshuffle, the Uttar Pradesh government has transferred more than 100 IPS officers including DGs and police chiefs of several districts. Director General, PAC, Dev Raj Nagar has been given additional charge of chairman, police recruitment and promotion board, whereas DG Human Rights B M Saraswat has been shifted to training headquarters, an official spokesman said here today. The transfers were issued late last night. DG, Anti Corruption Organisation. Arun Kumar Gupta has been given additional charge of managing director, police housing corporation. Surbart Tripathi, who was attached to DGP headquarters, has been posted as DG technical services. ADG, training headquarters, A L Banerjee, who was having additional charge of SIT, has been transferred to economic offences wing with additional charge of ACO. ADG police headquarters, Allahabad, Sulkhan Singh has been shifted to PAC Unnao in the same capacity. ADG, vigilance establishment, Vipin Kumar has been transferred to Power Corporation Limited. ADG prison V K Gupta has been shifted to human rights commission. ADG traffic Surya Kumar has been transferred to police headquarters Allahabad, ...
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New Delhi, Javed Usmani could be the next chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, giving the state its first Muslim chief secretary in a long time. Sources said the senior IAS officer, who was joint secretary in Manmohan Singh's PMO, is likely to be picked to head the huge babudom of UP. Usmani is on a sabbatical in the US after his stint in World Bank ended in late 2010. He has also worked in the PMO under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and I K Gujral. While newly-appointed chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has continued with Anoop Misra who was appointed chief secretary by predecessor Mayawati, he is likely to be shifted out soon. Usmani's joining the top post would mark a seminal moment in the state's history as the only Muslim to adorn the chair after independence was Mahmood Butt, who was chief secretary in 1975-76. While the senior officer qualifies for the post by sheer dint of his record, being the batch topper with a rich experience in administration, his candidature ties with SP's stress on Muslim constituency. The Samajwadis benefitted from the community's return to its fold after deserting it in two consecutive elections. SP too went out of the way to woo the community. Its ...
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New Delhi, Fifteen people were killed and two others seriously injured when the Mathura-Kasganj Express rammed into a jeep at an unmanned railway crossing on Tuesday morning. The accident took place at the unmanned railway crossing near Madu Railway Station at 7:19 am in the district. The jeep was carrying 17 passengers, superintendent of police Chandra Prakash said. While 15 people were killed on the spot, two of the injured have been admitted to a hospital, he said. . Railway sources in Delhi said the mishap took place when the jeep tried to cross the track even as the train was ...
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New Delhi, Congress has decided to nominate mega star Chiranjeevi to Rajya Sabha, consolidating PRP's merger with the party in Andhra Pradesh. The party has also fielded Uttarakhand dissident Harish Rawat loyalist and former minister Mahendra Singh Mehra to the upper house from the state. The decision seems forced by the standoff over Congress decision to make Vijay Bahuguna the chief minister. It was felt that fielding an "outsider" would have risked cross-voting from protesting MLAs and they have settled for a local. While the choice of Mehra satisfies the local equation, he being close to Rawat and being a Thakur makes the decision a balance between the various factors that are at the core of party protest in the hill state. Instead, Congress has nominated Satyavrat Chaturvedi, the present retiring MP from the state, from Madhya Pradesh. Congress has interestingly decided to field its candidate Abdul Mannan from West Bengal, a clear decision to put TMC chief Mamata Banerjee under pressure. The TMC has been insistent that Congress stay out of RS race and instead transfer its vote to its fourth candidate. Congress is ahead of TMC in terms of votes at its disposal for ...
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Lucknow, In a major bureaucratic reshuffle by the new Uttar Pradesh government of Akhilesh Yadav, 30 officials, mostly IAS, were transferred late Sunday. This included district magistrates of 12 districts. The district magistrates of Lucknow, Kanpur, Rampur, Jaunpur, Muzaffarnagar, Noida have been shifted to unimportant postings and replaced by new officials. Mayawati loyalist and chairman of the Noida Authority, Yamuna Expressway and Investment Commissioner Mohinder Singh has been shunted out of his present postings and put in waiting list. The Lucknow DM has been shunted out and made special secretary Handicap Welfare. Kanpur DM has also been shifted out. V.N. Garg, the Industrial Development Commissioner (IDC) has also been shifted out and made Principal Secretary Handicap ...
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Lucknow, Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati Tuesday filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha. BSP leader Munqad Ali also filed the nomination along with her. With 80 seats in the 403-member assembly, BSP members can be elected on two seats in the upper house. Elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from the state will be held on March 30. ...
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New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to six Andhra Pradesh ministers and eight IAS officers on a plea alleging that the CBI was not proceeding against them despite having sufficient evidence that they helped former Congress leader Y Jaganmohan Reddy accumulate massive illegal assets. A bench headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari issued the notices to the ministers and the IAS officers and sought their stands on the petition filed by an advocate, Sudhakar Reddy. The petitioner alleged that these six ministers and eight IAS officers were also holding ministerial and other key positions under the then chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, during whose tenure his son Jagan Mohan accumulated huge wealth, disproportionate to his legal income. Reddy, in his petition, said even though the CBI had registered a number of cases against several others in the disproportionate assets case against Jagan Mohan Reddy, but it failed to register any case against these 14 persons. The notice was issued to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), six Andhra Pradesh ministers and eleven IAS officers serving in the state at the time. An apex court bench headed by Justice ...
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New Delhi, Stating that illegal coal mining is rampant across Madhya Pradesh where natural resources are found in abundance, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav on Sunday said the mining mafia responsible for the killing of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Narendra Kumar should be booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "I am very upset over the death of senior police official in Madhya Pradesh. He was a young man and since mining mafia in the state is in a very powerful position as well as fearless. The driver is not only responsible for the murder, since he is not in a powerful position and cannot have the audacity to kill the most senior police officer in the district," said Yadav. "So, the mining mafia should be booked under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code," he added. 2009-batch IPS officer Narendra Kumar Singh was mowed down by a tractor-trolley in Madhya Pradesh''s Morena District on Thursday. Singh, who was posted at Banmore as Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), had taken on the mining mafia by seizing number of trucks and tractors engaged in illegal quarrying. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a ...
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Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister designate Akhilesh Yadav Saturday said all promises made by the Samajwadi Party (SP) will be taken up on priority by his government. Addressing his first press conference after being elected leader of the SP legislature party, Akhilesh Yadav said he was duty bound to fulfill the promises to the people. "The first priority of the government would be to meet the promises made by us in the manifesto," he said, while thanking the people for the overwhelming majority given to his party. Pointing out that his party would not indulge in any vendetta politics, he warned officials not to be partisan and focus on the law and order situation. "I urge officials to work fairly, officials who are honest, dedicated and hard working would be rewarded and encouraged while the non-performers would be eased out," he added. Thanking his uncles Ram Gopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav for supporting his candidature for the chief minister's post, Akhilesh Yadav said his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav would continue to be in state politics and also play a national role. "Netaji would be here to guide us and it is with his blessings that we ...
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New Delhi, Three-time MP from Kanauj Akhilesh Yadav is the new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav has also been elected as the leader of the Legislative Assembly Senior SP member Azam Khan proposed Akhilesh yadav's name as UP chief minister. Akhilesh Yadav's name has been endorsed by majority of the party MLAs. Earlier, the 38-year-old Akhilesh Yadav has reportedly been proposed for UP's chief minister at the legislative board meeting in Lucknow. The suspense over who head the new government in Uttar Pradesh is now. The swearing-in- ceremony is likely to be held on ...
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New Delhi, Addressing the media for the first time after her defeat in the UP polls, BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said that her government did bring about significant changes in the state. "The Uttar Pradesh was in bad shape when I took over as the CM of the state," Mayawati said. The Congress-led UPA government did not help the UP government, Mayawati said Analyising her defeat in the state polls, Mayawati said that fearing the return of the BJP, Muslims voted in overwhelming numbers for Samajwadi party. Mayawati also blamed Congress party for playing Muslim quota politics in the state. The BSP chief also expressed hope that her party would return to power in next assembly elections. "The people of the state would get fed up with the bad governance of the upcoming SP government and they would vote her back to power," she said. Earlier, Mayawati on Wednesday tendered her resignation to governor B L Joshi after facing a rout in the assembly elections. Mayawati's BSP faced a rout in the assembly elections managing to win only 80 seats. Her party had won 206 seats in the 2007 assembly elections. ...
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Lucknow, The Samajwadi Party, which got an absolute majority in Uttar Pradesh, would choose its next chief minister after Holi, amid demands from the party's parliamentary party members that Akhilesh Yadav be handed over the reins of the state. "The meeting of legislators will be held after Holi to decide the future chief minister's name," party sources said here. The legislators meeting, which was earlier scheduled for this evening was postponed keeping in mind the convenience of newly-elected MLAs due to the festival of Holi. Earlier this morning, a meeting of the SP parliamentary board was held in which majority of members pitched for state president Akhilesh Yadav as the next chief minister. However, the final decision will be taken by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. "Majority of MLAs are in favour of making Akhilesh the next CM. At the meeting of legislators, they will put in their views on the issue", party national general secretary Naresh Agarwal told PTI. A number of MLAs, who reached here at the party headquarters met Mulayam Singh Yadav and congratulated him for the victory of the party. "Now, the SP leaders will meet the governor for forming the ...
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