SC verdict banning instant triple talaq hailed across country

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) Leaders across the political spectrum, social activists and top jurists on Tuesday hailed as a victory of "gender equality" and a "giant step" for women the landmark Supreme Court verdict banning the practice of instant divorce among Muslims.

As reactions from across the country poured in welcoming the judgement declaring triple talaq, a form of divorce under Islam which allows men to dissolve marriages instantly, unconstitutional, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah called it "historic". The judgement grants equality to Muslim women and is a "powerful measure" for women empowerment, Modi said

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for its part said it will chalk out its future course of action at its working committee meeting in Bhopal on September 10 while Maulana Mohammed Shafique Qasmi, the Imam of Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata, said the AIMPLB and experts of Sharia law should be consulted before formulating a new law

"Muslim Law is our own personal law and it has nothing to do with any other community. It should be left to us to decide on it," Zafaryab Jilani, a member of the working committee of the board, told PTI in Lucknow.

BJP chief Amit Shah said the verdict marked the beginning of a new epoch of equality and self-respect for Muslim women in the country.

Muslim women, who had knocked the doors of the Supreme Court opposing triple talaq, were elated at the verdict, saying they have emerged "victorious" and now feel protected

However, some women petitioners opined that the victory in its true sense would be achieved once a law comes into force, making the practice punishable

Farah Faiz, Zakia Suman, Noorjehan Niaz and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) variedly described the verdict as a "moment of big victory," "big relief" and "half the battle won."

"The court has given a direction to the government to frame a law. We have won half the battle. We will be victorious in the true sense only once the law is framed so as to make this practice punishable. There is no remedy for women against the practice till a law is framed," Faiz, also the President of Rashtrawadi Muslim Mahila Sangh, said

But the government virtually ruled out the need for a new law on triple talaq, indicating that existing laws, including the one dealing with domestic violence, were sufficient

"The government will consider the issue in a structured manner. A prima facie reading of the judgement makes it clear that the majority (of the five member bench) has held it (the practice of instant triple talaq) as unconstitutional and illegal," Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Finance and Defence minister Arun Jaitley said the verdict is the law of the land now and a great victory for those who believe that personal laws must be progressive.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi while welcoming the verdict congratulated the women who fought for justice

Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the verdict was an "affirmation of women's rights" and would give them relief from discrimination.

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi hailed the judgement as a "giant step" for women, adding that it's about time that women were given the right to equality.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted that it was a "huge step forward" for women's rights.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "We should not adopt a rigid attitude, but choose a reformist approach towards social evil.

Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid in Delhi, blamed the AIMPLB over the triple talaq issue, saying it should have acted in a way to avoid the matter reaching the Supreme Court and find a solution to the contentious issue.

Eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee said the verdict was progressive, protecting the rights of the women, and that now no Muslim man can divorce his wife through the controversial divorce practice.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said nobody should see the verdict through the "prism of religion".

In Mumbai, social activists from the Muslim community described the verdict as "one of the best reforms" in the country after independence

"I am elated to hear about this historical judgement which is not only for the Muslim women, but is one of the best reforms in India after independence," said Zakia Soman, the co-founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, which is also one of the petitioners in the triple talaq case

The All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board and All India Shia Personal Law Board described the verdict as a victory of Islam and Muslim women in the country.

SC to tomorrow pronounce judgement on 'triple talaq'

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court would tomorrow pronounce a historic judgement on the controversial issue of whether the practice of 'triple talaq' among Muslims is fundamental to the religion.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar had reserved its verdict on May 18 after a six-day marathon hearing during the summer vacation.

During the hearing, the apex court had clarified that it may not deliberate upon the issue of polygamy and said it would only examine whether triple talaq was part of an "enforceable" fundamental right to practice religion by the Muslims.

Besides CJI Khehar, the bench also included Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, U U Lalit and S Abdul Nazeer.

The bench, made up of judges from different religious communities -- Sikh, Christian, Parsi, Hindu and Muslim, had heard seven pleas, including five separate petitions filed by Muslim women challenging the prevalent practice of 'triple talaq' in the community.

The petitioners had claimed that the practice of 'triple talaq' was unconstitutional.

The Muslim women, who had filed the petitions, have challenged the practice of 'triple talaq' in which the husband pronounces 'talaq' thrice in one go, sometimes even by phone or a text message, to get a divorce.

During the hearing, the apex court had observed that the practice of 'triple talaq' was the "worst" and "not a desirable" form of dissolution of marriage among Muslims, even though there were schools of thought which called it "legal".

Several lawyers including noted jurist Ram Jethmalani had attacked the practice on various constitutional grounds including the right to equality and termed it "abhorrent".

It was argued that triple talaq was a discrimination on the ground of sex and this practice was abhorrent to the tenets of holy Quran and no amount of advocacy can save this "sinful" practice which is contrary to constitutional tenets.

The Centre had told the bench that it will come out with a law to regulate marriage and divorce among Muslims if 'triple talaq' is held invalid and unconstitutional by the apex court.

The government had termed all the three forms of divorce among the Muslim community - talaq-e-biddat, talaq hasan and talaq ahsan, as "unilateral" and "extra-judicial".

It has said that all personal laws must be in confirmity with the Constitution and rights of marriage, divorce, property and succession has to be treated in the same class and has to be in conformity with the Constitution.

The Centre had said 'triple talaq' is neither integral to Islam, nor a "majority versus minority" issue but rather an "intra-community tussle" between Muslim men and deprived women.

The apex court had said it was keeping open for adjudication in the future the issues of polygamy and 'nikah halala' among Muslims as the Centre had insisted deliberations on these aspects as well.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), had equated the issue of 'triple talaq' with the belief that Lord Rama was born in Ayodhya and these were matters of faith which cannot be tested on grounds of constitutional morality.

He had argued that triple talaq has been there since 637 AD and cannot be termed as un-Islamic as Muslims have been practising it for last 1,400 years.

Sibal had said that either Parliament can enact a law or it should be left to the community itself to deal and the court should not interfere on the issue.

The apex court during the hearing had asked the AIMPLB whether a woman can be given an option of saying 'no' to triple talaq at the time of execution of 'nikahnama' (marriage contract).

It had asked Muslim bodies how a practice like triple talaq could be a matter of "faith" when they have been asserting that it is "patriarchal", "bad in theology" and "sinful".

The batch of pleas had also challenged the constitutional validity of other practices like 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims.

The bench had taken up the main matter on its own as a petition titled "Muslim Women's quest for equality".

The apex court had on its own taken cognizance of the question whether Muslim women faced gender discrimination in the event of divorce or due to other marriages of their husbands.

Train derailment: Negligence appears to be the cause

Muzaffarnagar/New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Negligence at the local level appeared to have caused the derailment of Utkal Express here, one of the deadliest train accidents in the recent times in which 22 people were killed and over 150 injured, 26 of them grievously, officials indicated today.

A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of last evening's derailment, with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today directing Railway Board Chairman to fix responsibility on "prima facie evidence by the end of day".

The train, which was on its way from Puri in Odisha to Haridwar in Uttarakhand, had 23 coaches, of which 13 derailed, said Divisional Railway Manager, Delhi Division, R N Singh.

Six coaches of the train, which was running at a speed of over 100 kmph, were severely damaged,

he added. One coach crashed into a house.

The railways have deployed high-tech cranes and scores of workers to clear the tracks near Khatauli.

Two 140-tonne cranes were being used since early this morning to clear the derailed coaches, from which survivors had been rescued and bodies pulled out till late last night.

Rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force got over at around 3 AM.

The death toll in the accident today went up to 22, with one more person identified as Sushil Kumar succumbing to his injuries in a hospital in Ghaziabad, according to District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar G S Priydarshi. Of them, 15 bodies have been identified.

Principal Secretary (Information) to the UP government Awanish Kumar Awasthi said 156 people were injured in the derailment and many among them remain critical.

A preliminary probe has found that maintenance work was being carried out on the tracks which might have caused the derailment, said Mohd Jamshed, Member Traffic, Railway Board, at a news briefing in New Delhi today.

The senior official, who rushed to the spot in Khatauli in Uttar Pradesh where the accident occurred, said he had seen maintenance tools on the tracks.

"Prime facie, it seems maintenance work was being carried out on the tracks.... Some maintenance work was going on, which might have caused the derailment of Utkal Express," Jamshed said.

He said a probe would reveal if any maintenance work was being done on the tracks without permission.

"Prima facie, the information is that there is divisional responsibility involved if work was being done without seeking permission. By this evening we will know if any of our staff was responsible for this," he said.

It was not "clear" what kind of work was going on at the site, the official said.

"However, any work on tracks has to follow a manual. We have maintenance manuals which lay down guidelines for work on any kind of railway infrastructure," Jamshed said, adding the probe will reveal if the procedures were followed.

The probe, which will begin tomorrow, will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Shailesh Kumar Pathak, who will look into "every angle, be it sabotage, technical lapse or manual fault".

"There is some audio clip of some conversation that we will probe. Also, when we did the site inspection, we saw some equipment the railways use for track repair present there," he said.

"Whenever this kind of a big accident happens, coaches get smashed, toppled, capsized and derailed. In this case, a 200-metre track has been damaged completely. It has to be investigated in detail. All measurements are being taken and every lapse is being taken into account," Jamshed said.

The senior officer also said the Railway Police had lodged an FIR in the case at Khatauli under sections that included mischief causing destruction of railway property, causing death by negligence, causing grievous hurt, endangering life and personal safety.

Explaining the procedure for maintenance followed by the railways, Jamshed wondered if it was followed in this case.

"Fixed infrastructure on which the rail network runs like tracks, overhead equipment and signals are regularly maintained as per schedule. Maintenance of tracks is done during operations by blocking them as per requirement, according to fixed time and schedule. Written permission needs to be taken for this work," he said.

He also said sometimes repair needs to be done on an emergency basis, but even then, if the next station is informed, the consequent trains are stopped.

"Then we get our supervisors on the track which is inspected and repaired after which the trains are allowed to run with a speed restriction. Red flags are also shown to trains in case there is a problem on the tracks," he said.

He said it would be investigated if these protocols were followed this time.

JD(U) under Nitish decides to become part of NDA, denies split in party

Patna, Aug 19 (PTI) The JD(U) headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today passed a resolution at its national executive meeting to become part of the NDA.

Making the announcement, party leader K C Tyagi categorically denied that there was any split in the party following differences with senior leader Sharad Yadav.

"The JD(U) national executive meeting chaired by party president Nitish Kumar approved a resolution to become part of the NDA," the principal general secretary told reporters.

The national executive also put its seal of approval on the Bihar JD(U)'s unit decision to walk out of the Grand Alliance with the RJD and Congress and join hands with the BJP to form a government in Bihar, Tyagi said.

"BJP president Amit Shah during a meeting with our (JD-U) president Nitish Kumar recently had urged him to bring the JD(U) into the NDA. The national executive committee approved it and now we have become part of NDA," Tyagi said.

Flanked by the party's senior leaders R C P Singh, Harbansh and Pawan Varma among others, he denied that there was any split in the party.

Sixteen out of 20 state unit presidents, all its 71 MLAs and 30 MLCs in Bihar and all office bearers of the party committees appointed by Nitish Kumar with the consent of Sharad Yadav were present in the national executive and became part of the decision, he said.

"So how can there be split in JD(U)?" 

The party, he said, would wait till August 27, the day of RJD's rally here, before initiating any action against Sharad Yadav.

JD(U) will hold an open session during the day in which chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar would be present.

Sharad Yadav skipped the national executive committee meeting and attended a parallel programme, Jan Adalat, of those loyal to him, including suspended JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari.

The programme promised to continue with the Grand Alliance.

Sharad Yadav fell out with Nitish Kumar over his decision to walk out the Grand Alliance.

Will continue to engage with China for Dokalam solution: India

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) India today said it will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Dokalam standoff, asserting that peace and tranquility on the border is an important pre-requisite for smooth bilateral relationship.

"We will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said replying to a volley of questions on the issue.

He said said peace and tranquility in the border areas is an important pre-requisite for smooth development of bilateral relationship.

Asked about incident between Chinese troops and Indian border guards in Ladakh on August 15, the MEA spokesperson said, "Such incidents are not in the interest of either side." 

He said two border personnel meetings (BPMs) had taken place between Indian border guards and Chinese troops recently.

He said one BPM had taken place at Chushul on August 16 and another one at Nathu La a week before.

When asked whether China had shared hydrological data with India as floods have severely hit Assam and Bihar, Kumar said no such data was received from Beijing on Brahmaputra this year.

India and China have an existing mechanism under which both countries share hydrological data.

Kumar said non sharing of hydrological data by China cannot be linked to the current standoff as there can be technical reasons for it.

TRIFED celebrates World Honey Bee Day

 

To create awareness about Beekeeping and uses of its products including Honey, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) is celebrating World Honey Bee Day (WHBD) on 19.08.2017 in the Country and on 18.08.2017 at all its Regional Offices and 43 Retails Outlets spread in the country. In Delhi, this would be celebrated in TRIBES India Showrooms at Dilli Haat, Mahadev Road and Baba Karak Singh Marg on 18.08.2017. The main theme of celebrating WHBD is to save Indian honey bee.
Beekeeping has been useful in pollination of crops, thereby, increasing income of the farmers/beekeepers by way of increasing crop yield and providing honey and other beehive products, viz. royal jelly, bee pollen, propolis, bees wax, etc. that serves a source of livelihood for rural poor. Therefore, honeybees/ beekeeping has been recognised as one of the important inputs for sustainable development of agriculture/ horticulture.
TRIFED is an apex organisation at National Level and functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. TRIFED is serving the interests of Tribals, who are engaged in collection of NTFP and making of Tribal Art & Handicraft Products for their livelihood so as to ensure better remunerative price for their products as well as for the socio-economic betterment through Self Help Groups, Empanelled NGOs, State level Tribal Development Corporations, Forest Development Corporations for undertaking marketing development of the tribal products.
Honey, being an important Minor Forest Produce, TRIFED is playing and lead role in protecting, promoting and multiplication of Honey Bees by Scientific, Non-destructive collection practices, thereby increasing the livelihood of tribal people living in various forest areas of the country, contributing to the growth of Honey Bees population and reducing the mortality rate of Honey Bees drastically. About 90% of the Scheduled Tribes of the country live in and around forest areas and the forests provide 60% of the food & medicinal needs of tribals and 40% of their income from Minor Forest Produce (MFP) mostly of which come from Honey.

Less pressure in doing multi-starrers: Parineeti

Hyderabad, Aug 17 (PTI) Parineeti Chopra enjoyed working in a multi-starrer like "Golmaal Again" as the actor felt she could go ahead and act without facing any performance anxiety.

The 28-year-old actor, who will next be seen opposite actor Ajay Devgn in the fourth installment of the comedy franchise, said she could concentrate on doing her job as the responsibility of carrying the film was ably shouldered by the huge and supportive cast.

"Sometimes you feel less pressure as you know there are so many stars in the film. It's not you who is carrying the weight of the film on your shoulders. You can just concentrate on what you have to do and have fun with it," Parineeti told the reporters here.

"Golmaal 4" is the actor's first multi-starrer and she said working in a "massy entertainer" like Rohit Shetty's directorial was an education for her.

"It is my first multi-starrer. I got to know you can be in the frame with six-seven characters. The number can also go up to 10-15 till the climax.

"It was very different as I have mostly worked with one- two co-stars in one go. Also, a film like 'Golmaal' requires different acting and dialogue delivery. I learnt a lot." 

Parineeti said she felt like a crazy fan when she first saw the cast of the film together.

"It was a fangirl moment for me when I saw this group together. When the first 'Golmaal' came out, I wasn't even planning to be an actor. Let alone thinking that one day I'll be a part of this franchise.

"But it soon went away as the moment I joined, they treated me like an equal co-star. I was a part of the gang. It became an equal relationship quickly." 

The actor said she could feed off this energy to deliver a better performance.

"All of these people are mad - right from the director to the last crew member. The reason we are able to show all the fun onscreen is only because we have so much fun off-screen. I never thought I'll have so much fun on the set of a movie.

Day after skirmishes, Army officers of India,China meet in Leh

New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI)

Army officers of India and China met today in Leh's Chusul sector, a day after border guards foiled an attempt by Chinese soldiers to enter Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake in Ladakh.

Official sources said yesterday's incident at Pangong and ways to maintain peace and tranquility along the Sino-India border in Ladakh were discussed at length at the border personnel meeting (BPM).

Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to enter the Indian side in two areas-- Finger Four and Finger Five-- twice between 6 am and 9 am yesterday. But on both the occasions their attempts were thwarted by alert Indian troops.

After Chinese troopers found their path blocked by ITBP personnel who formed a human chain, they began hurling stones, prompting a swift retaliation by Indian border guards.

Personnel from both sides received minor injuries and the situation was brought under control after the customary banner drill under which both sides hold banners before stepping back to their respective positions.

The Chinese troops had managed to enter up to Finger Four area in the region from where they were sent back. This area has been a bone of contention between India and China as both claim it to be a part of their territory.

When asked about yesterday's incident in Ladakh, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters, "This is not a subject on which the government makes a comment on."

The sources said today's BPM was pre-scheduled and the issues discussed included strengthening of existing mechanism for maintaining peace and tranquility along the border.

Brigadier ranked officers of both sides attended the meeting.

Two thirds of the Pangong Lake are controlled by China while one third of it is controlled by India.

The incidents in Ladakh took place amid a face off between Indian and Chinese armies in Dokalam in India-Bhutan- China trijunction which has entered the third month.

Official sources said notwithstanding the standoff, sweets were exchanged between the Indian Army and PLA troops in multiple border locations including in Dokalam.

Exchange of sweets on Independence Day and Republic Day has been a tradition for last several years.

PM’s Independence Day Speech 2017- Highlights in English

New Delhi -August 15 : The Prime Minster, Shri Narendra Modi today addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 71th Independence Day. Following are the highlights from his speech: 

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the Nation on the occasion of 71st Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, in Delhi on August 15, 2017.

1. Greetings to my fellow Indians on Independence Day.

2. For the freedom and glory of the country, those who have contributed, those who suffered and sacrificed their lives, I salute all those noble souls, mothers and sisters on behalf of 125 crore people of the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

3. We remember the great women and men who worked hard for India's freedom.

4. People of India stand shoulder to shoulder with those affected in the wake of natural disasters in parts of the country & the death of children in the hospital.

5. This is a special year- 75th anniversary of Quit India, 100th anniversary of Champaran Satyagraha, 125th anniversary of Ganesh Utsav.

6. The Quit India Movement was “Bharat Chhodo,” but the call today is “Bharat Jodo.”

7. We have to take the country ahead with the determination of creating a 'New India'.

8. From 1942 to 1947, the country had demonstrated collective strength, in the coming 5 years, we have to take the country forward with the same collective strength, commitment and hard work.

9. In our nation, there is no one big or small...everybody is equal. Together we can bring a positive change in the nation.

10. We have to move forward for making a New India with the collective strength of 125 crore people without any discrimination of small and big people.

11. 1st January 2018 will not be an ordinary day- those born in this century will start turning 18. They are Bhagya Vidhatas of our nation.

12. We have to leave this 'Chalta Hai' attitude. We have to think of 'Badal Sakta Hai'- this attitude will help us as a nation.

13. The country has changed, is changing and can change. We have to move forward with this belief and commitment.

14. Security of the country is our priority. Internal security is our priority. Whether it is our oceans or borders, cyber world or space for all kind of security India is capable to defeat all such inimical forces.

15. Our uniformed forces have achieved the pinnacle of sacrifice in fighting left-wing extremism, terrorism, infiltration and elements disturbing peace. The world had to recognise the strength of India and it clout in the surgical strike.

16. One rank, One Pension policy has boosted the morale of our security forces.

17. Those who have looted the nation and looted the poor are not able to sleep peacefully today.

18. No law was passed for those having Benami property for years. However after the recent passage of the Benami Act, within a short span of time, government has confiscated Benami property worth Rs. 800 crores when these things happen, common men feel that this country is for the honest people.

19. Today, we are celebrating the “festival of honesty”.

20. GST has shown the spirit of cooperative federalism. The nation has come together to support GST & the role of technology has also helped.

21. Today, the poor of the country is joining the main stream and the country is moving torwards the path of progress.

22. Good governance is about speed and simplification of processes.

23. India's stature in the world is rising. The world is with us in fighting the menace of terror. I thank all nations helping us doing so.

24. We have to work for the progress of Jammu and Kashmir.

25. There is no question of being soft of terrorism or terrorists.

26. Neither by bullet: nor by abuses but by hugging we can solve the problem of Kashmir.

27. Our fight against black money and corruption will continue. We are trying to bring transparency through technology.

28. There is no question of being soft on terrorism or terrorists.

29. People would be the driving force behind the establishment, rather than the other way around – Tantra se Lok nahin, Lok se tantra chalega.

30. New India will be the biggest strength of democracy.

31. Nature of job is changing with changing demand and changing technology.

32. We are nurturing our youngsters to be job creators and not job seekers.

33. I want to mention those women who have to suffer due to 'Triple Talaq'- I admire their courage. We are with them in their struggles.

34. India is about Shanti, Ekta and Sadbhavana. Casteism and communalism will not help us.

35. Violence in the name of 'Astha' is not something to be happy about, it will not be accepted in India.

36. The country is being run by peace, unity and harmony. It is our civilisation and culture to take everybody along.

37. We are taking the nation on a new track (of development) and are moving ahead with speed.

38. We are devoting significant attention to eastern India- Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Northeast. These parts have to grow further.

39. Our farmers have worked hard to ensure a Record foodgrain production.

40. Over 5.75 crore farmers have been covererd under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojaana.

41. Under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, 30 projects have been completed while work is on for 50 more projects.

42. Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samapada Yojana we are providing handholding to the farmers from availing seeds to accessing the markets for their produce.

43. More than 14000 un-electrified villages have been electrified.

44. 29 crore JanDhan accounts opened.

45. More than 8 crore youth have received loans without any guarantee.

46. We are fighting corruption - for the bright future of India and the wellbeing of our people.

47. Our fight against black money and corruption will continue and move forward and the loot in the country will not be allowed.

48. Our strive for a Corruption Free India has yielded results.

49. Black money worth Rs. 1.25 lakh cror has been unearthed.

50. Over 1.75 lakh fake companies have been shut down.

51. Post GST savings and efficiency in transportation sector has increased. Efficiency has gone up by 30 percent.

52. More money has come to the banks due to demonetization which will give impetus to the economy.

53. Our country has the world’s largest youth population. Today is the era of IT and let’s move ahead on the path of digital transaction.

54. Let us lead from front, promote digital economy and adopt the Bhim App.

55. We have moved from Co-operative Federalism to Competitive Co-operative federalism.

56. It had been said in the old scriptures that if a work is not completed on time, one does not get the desired results.

57. For the Team India it is the right time to commit for a New India.

58. We shall build together an India, where the poor will have concrete houses with water and electricity connection.

59. We will build such an India, where the farmers will have a peaceful sleep without any worry. He will earn double than what he is earning today.

60. Our resolve is to build an India, which provides all the opportunities to the youth and women to fulfil their dreams.

61. Our resolve is to build such an India, free from terrorism, communalism and casteism.

62. We will build together an India, where there will be no place for nepotism and corruption.

63. We will build together such an India, which will be clean, healthy and fulfil the dream of self-rule (Swaraj).

64. We aspire to build a Divya and Bhavya Bharat.


The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi interacting with the children dressed as Krishna after addressing the Nation, on the occasion of 71st Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, in Delhi on August 15, 2017.

Infant deaths: Minister flags corruption in Gorakhpur hospital

Allahabad, Aug 14 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh today claimed that corruption had been detected in the administration of BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, where 30 children lost their lives within a span of 48 hours last week.

"As against the demand of Rs 68 lakh for the purchase of oxygen cylinders at the hospital, the Yogi Adityanath government had released Rs two crore on August 5.

"But the hospital administration made payments not before August 11 and even then it spent only Rs 11 lakh. Why? Because of 'commissionkhori' (the practice of seeking commission)," Singh said at a function here.

The minister said he had rushed to Gorakhpur on the instruction of the chief minister soon after the tragedy and had looked into documents relating to the supply of oxygen cylinders at the state-run BRD Medical College.

"The hospital's name is stated as that of the consumer while the supplier happens to be a company based in Nagpur, called Inox. Yet, there is also a dealer by the name of Pushpa Sales. This irregularity is also being investigated," he said.

He said 48 districts in the state had reported incidence of Japanese Encephalitis. At BRD alone, 3,000-4,000 patients complaining of JE symptoms visit daily.

The government is working towards equipping paediatric ICUs at primary health centres and community health centres so that patients "are not forced to rush to cities for treatment", he said.

"For a huge population of 22 crore, health services in UP are in dire straits. Please give me eight to ten months, I promise to bring health services back on track," the minister added.

Singh, who has drawn flak over his statement yesterday that "August sees a high number of deaths", was also shown black flags by student leaders associated with the Samajwadi Party when his vehicle entered the city this afternoon.

The minister, who represents an assembly constituency in the city, was travelling from Lucknow by road.

Inter-Linking of Rivers

The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation, now Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports. The pre-feasibility report of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA. After survey and investigations, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and Feasibility Reports of 2 links and draft Feasibility Reports of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed.
Four priority links under Peninsular Rivers Component have been identified for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) viz; Ken-Betwa Link, Phase –I & II, Damanganga-Pinjal Link, Par-Tapi-Narmada link and Mahanadi-Godavari link. The preparation of DPR of a project is taken up only after consent of concerned State Governments. Based on the concurrence of the concerned States, DPRs of Ken-Betwa link project Phase-I & Phase-II, Damanganga-Pinjal link and Par-Tapi-Narmada link have been completed. The techno-economic clearance and various statutory clearances of the Ken-Betwa link project Phase-I have been accorded. The techno-economic clearance of the Damanganga-Pinjal link project has also been accorded subject to statutory clearances. The DPR of Par-Tapi-Narmada link is under technical appraisal in the Central Water Commission.
The implementation of Inter linking of Rivers (ILR) projects involves various steps such as preparation of Pre-feasibility Reports(PFRs) /Feasibility Reports (FRs) of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, agreement with neighboring countries if link involves area lying in those countries, preparation of DPRs of the projects, clearance from appraisal agencies which includes clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), techno-economic clearance by Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control & Multipurpose Projects of MoWR, RD & GR, investment clearance and the construction time required for the completion of the project as per the DPR.
The stage of implementation of a project would be reached after its DPR is prepared with the consensus of concerned States and the requisite statutory clearances are obtained. Thus the implementation of the projects will take varying periods of time.
No State except Kerala is opposing the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) Programme. Further Kerala Government is opposing only Pamba-Achankovil-Vaippar link which concerns the State.
Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is pursuing the ILR program in a consultative manner.
As directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 27.02.2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 512 of 2002 on ‘Networking of Rivers’ alongwith Writ Petition No. 668 of 2002 a committee called “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” vide Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, 2014 has been constituted.
The Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers chaired by Hon’ble Union Minister (WR, RD & GR) as per the direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court is expediting the progress and effective implementation in the ILR projects. Thirteen meetings of the Special Committee for ILR have been held so far and the last meeting was held on July 27, 2017 at New Delhi. Views and observations on the ILR programme have been received from various State Govts, experts and other stakeholders in the meetings of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR). The Special Committee would consider all such observations appropriately while planning and formulating the ILR projects.
The Committee, after considering the views of all the stakeholders, is proceeding ahead to expedite the objectives of the interlinking of rivers as per terms of reference. Vigorous efforts have been taken up for generating consensus with development of alternative plans and also setting out road maps for implementation of mature projects.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Mehbooba Mufti meets Guv, discusses Art 35A, other issues

Srinagar, Aug 10 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today called on Governor N N Vohra here and discussed legal challenges to Article 35A of the Constitution and several other issues, an official said.

She met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and briefed him about her party s views and the discussions she had had with leaders of various political parties regarding the challenge to Article 35A, an official spokesman said.

Article 35A gives special status to the state and has been challenged in the Supreme Court. It empowers the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the state's "permanent residents" and their special rights and privileges.

The spokesperson said Mehbooba and Vohra also discussed other issues including the ongoing anti-militancy operations, maintenance of law and order, establishing capacity and outreach for effective implementation of the GST, the pace of tourist arrivals in the Valley, implementation of important development schemes and projects and functioning of the universities.

The governor also discussed with Mehbooba the rapidly declining visual aspect of the Dal Lake and timely elections to panchayats and urban local bodies, the spokesman said.

He said the governor, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, thanked the chief minister for the state administration s support in the "successful" conduct of this year s yatra

English rendering of the text of PM’s address in Lok Sabha during Special Discussion on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi with the Freedom Fighters, during the ‘At Home’ function, hosted by the President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on the occasion of 75th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 09, 2017

The Hon’ble Speaker mam, my gratitude to you and all the respected members of the House on this occasion. We all feel proud to be a part of this august gathering in Parliament to commemorate the august kranti. Many of us remember the events unfolding of august 9 i.e. the august kranti. However even after years, such major events the memory of such major events are source of inspiration for the people. Remembering such important events gives a new boost to the life and strength to the nation. In the same way it is our duty to ensure that this message reaches out to our new generations. Every generation is responsible for bequeathing the legacy and the glorious history of their times generations, the atmospherics at that time, the sacrifices of our great men, the duty, the power, to the future generations. 

When the August Kranti was commemorated in its 25th year and 50th year, it was celebrated by the people across the country. As we commemorate the 75th year of this event today, it indeed a matter of pride for us. There for I am grateful to the speaker mam for having provided this opportunity.

In the history of our freedom movement, the 9th August movement has been such an important, extensive and intense movement which even the Britishers could not imagine.

Mahatma Gandhi and all senior leaders were put behind the bars. This was the time when many new leaders came to the forefront - Lal Bahadur Shastri, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jaiprakash Narayan while many youngsters joined the movement to give it the desired momentum. Such movement in the history of our nation should be seen as a new inspiration, new energy, new resolve and the spirit of innovation among the people.

India became a free country in 1947. The period between 1857 to 1957 was a witness to different stages in our freedom movement as many people laid down their lives for the nation and there were several ups and downs. However, the movement in 1942 was in a way the final mass struggle that the fellow citizens were waiting for. The 1942 movement prepared the ground work for our independence. We may recall the freedom struggle movement in 1857 when every corner of the country was reverberating with the call for freedom. Mahatma Gandhi return from abroad, Lok Manya Tilak call for Poorna Swarajya (Total Self Governance) and “Swarajya is my birth right” represent the sentiments at that time. It was followed by Mahatma Gandhi Dandi march in 1930. Netaji Subhash Bose creating INA inspired the people while many youngsters like Veer Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad, Chapekar Bandhu, laid down their lives for the motherland. All these events provided the momentum for the freedom and it was a situation of ‘now or never’. If it’s not for today, it will never happen again; such was the mood of the people of the country. Thus, every person of this country was involved in this movement. It seemed that Rajaji's movement was being carried out through the elite class. However in 1942, the movement had spread to every region and every social class in the country. The guiding forces were the words of Gandhi ji. This was the movements where the slogan of ‘Quit India’ was on everyone’s lips. One of the most striking features of this movement was that the sentiments which appeared in the minds of the people were altogether different from Gandhi ji’s thoughts, contemplation and ethics. The key words of this great man were, ‘We shall do or die’. These words from Gandhi ji were unique for the nation. Gandhi had said, "From today onwards, everyone should consider himself as an independent woman or a man and should act accordingly. I'm not going to be content with anything less than complete independence. We will do or die".These were Bapu's words and Bapu also clarified that he had not left the path of non-violence. However the situation and the pressure was such that even Bapu, had to adapt to the people's emotions while assuming the leadership.

All sections of the society; the villages, the farmers, the labourers, the teachers, the students joined this movement with the slogan ‘Do or die’. Bapu even used to say that – ‘whosoever becomes martyr because of the violence perpetrated by the British, one should write this slogan on his body that he was a martyr of this freedom movement’. Bapu tried to take this movement to such a height and the result of that was that India was liberated from the slavery of the British. The country was desperate for that freedom, be it a leader or an ordinary Indian, there was no difference in the intensity of this feeling. I believe that when the country stands united and when there is a power of unity, when the goal is set, the target is set then the people can walk towards that direction. Within five-years i.e. between 1942 and 1947 Mother India became free. At that time Rambriksh Benipuri had written a book titled “Zanjire Aur Diware” and inthat book he wrote, "There is a wonderful atmosphere throughout the country. Every person became a leader and every crossroad became the office of ‘the Do or Die’ movement. The country put itself inside the oven of revolution. The flame of revolution was engulfing the country. Bombay showed the way. All means of transport were stopped. The Court proceedings were stalled. The news of the bravery of the people of India and the brutality of British government was reaching every corner. The public had well placed the Gandhian mantra of ‘Do or Die’.

This book provides the description of that time and shows the kind of atmosphere at that time. It is true that British colonialism began in India and also ended in India. It was not only the freedom of India; after 1942 the way this flame erupted against the colonial rule across the world, India’s freedom became a source of inspiration for colonies in Africa and Asia. The way this inspiration had spread to various parts of the world had become a cause of tribute to the masses of India. Any Indian can be proud of this and after that we saw that once India got its independence, gradually all these countries became free. This tells us that this was a good evidence of the determination of India. The lesson for us is that when we are determined to do something we gradually move towards the desired goal. Then it becomes the strength of the country and we take the country out of the crisis and the country can be prepared for the new goals. The history is the evidence of this fact. At that time, the poetry of the national poet, Sohan Lal Dwivedi, vividly described the power of Bapu and the time and movement . In his poem he had said-

चल पड़े जिधर दो डग, मग में

चल पड़े कोटि पग उसी ओर

गड़ गई जिधर भी एक दृष्टि

गड़ गए कोटि दृग उसी ओर

This means that the path walked by Mahatma Gandhi was followed by millions of people and where Gandhiji's eyes were fixed, the eyes of millions were set upon the same thing. But today when we are in 2017 we cannot deny the fact that we do not have a Gandhi today. Today, the level of leadership that we had at that time does not exist but we have the strength of 1.25 Crore Indians. If we all try together it will not be a difficult task to fulfil the dreams of Gandhi and dreams of those freedom fighters. Today we have the opportunity in 2017 an enabling situation like that of 1942. The world is undergoing a crisis today. Just like in the year 1942 we became the source of inspiration for the world, similarly we can set an example for the world today as well and can be the source of inspiration. Today we are standing at this juncture, where we can avail the opportunity and how we should take upon this responsibility? I believe that we should take inspiration from these episodes of history. We should place the country above the party. Politics should be separated from this. If there are 1.25 crore people in the country, then we can easily progress by bringing the solutions to these problems successfully. How can anyone deny the fact that corruption can destroy the country like a termite - be it a political corruption, social corruption, or personal corruption. Let us not get into the controversy on who were involved and when. But today is a holy occasion and we should celebrate it with honesty and lead the country with honesty. This is the demand of the common man of the country. Poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy are the challenges in front of us. These challenges are not considered as challenges of the government but that of the country. There are grave questions in front of the poor and therefore we all have the responsibility of fulfilling this commitment for the country and to die for the country. For some of the issues we also had different sections of people in 1942. The people who believed in the violence were different. The ideals of Subhas Babu were different, but in 1942 everyone had said in a single voice: Quit India! This is our path under Gandhi's leadership.

Our upbringing and ideologies might be different. But today’s time demands that we take the opportunity to free the country from some issues, whether it is poverty, hunger or illiteracy. Why is that Mahatma Gandhi's dream of village Swaraj has been left behind? What is the reason that the people have left the villages and are staying in the cities? What was the issue concerning Gandhi ji regarding the village? Can we revive that dream? Can we do anything for the poor farmers, dalits, and the deprived class? These questions concern not a single individual or a group but all of us and the 1.25 crore people of the country. This is the time when the inspiration gives us the power to do something for the people and this inspiration should be utilised. We know that sometimes duties are neglected, authority is misused. This happens in both the political and social life. Unfortunately, some of these vices have entered into some of our lives and has turned it into a ‘way of life’. We don’t feel guilty if we jump the red light; this feeling of ‘I am breaking the law’ is never realised. If I spit somewhere, I do not feel that I am doing something wrong. Breaking rules has become our way of life. Even the smallest incidents are taking us towards violence. Whether it’s the mistake of the doctor or not, of the hospital or not, the relatives go and set the hospital on fire. They beat the doctor. If an accident takes place, we burn the car and kill the driver. As a law abiding citizen, we must be dutiful. Some vices have entered in our way of life, and we do not think that we are breaking the law and that is why it is the responsibility of the leadership and of the society to get rid of these faults that have crept into the society. Wake up to the duty of the society!

Toilets and cleanliness are not a matter of mockery. Those mother and sisters have to spend so much time waiting for the darkness to relieve. Thus, the mind-set of the society needs to be changed. It is necessary to educate the public to use the toilets. We have to be alive to this matter and these values can be instilled not by the law. We have to understand our duty. We should think of the mothers and sisters of our country who are under this burden.

The country should bear the burden of at least a class of people which includes women and sisters of this country. Their strengths can give us strength. In the freedom movements of Mahatma Gandhi many of these mothers and sisters used to lead and had made equal contribution during the freedom struggle. Even today, they have as much contribution to the nation. In order to take them forward, we should move forward with this duty.

It is true that from 1857 to 1942, we saw that the freedom movement had passed through different stages; there were ups and downs; different turning points, new leadership; sometimes it was violent, then non-violence. Sometimes there was an atmosphere of confrontation between the two streams, sometimes both the streams complemented each other. But we have witnessed this whole period from 1857 to 1942 which was incremental in a way. Gradually growing, slowly spreading, people were slowly connecting. But from Nineteen Forty Two to Nineteen Forty Seven, it was not an incremental change. There was an environment of disruption which forced the British to finish all the equations and give us freedom; to force them to go. From 1857 to 1942, everything was proceeding slowly, but between 1942 and 1947 this was not so.

If we look at the history of the society of the last 100, 200 years, the journey of development was incremental. Slowly the world was moving; gradually the world was changing itself. But in the last 30-40 years, there was a sudden change in the world. There was a sudden change in life. And technology played a greater role. No one can imagine what has changed in the world in these 30-40 years; 30-40 years ago we did not even notice this. We can feel a positive change with this disruption.

Just as we saw a quantum jump, I think 2017 and 2022, 75 years of Quit India and 75 years of independence respectively; within these five years, the same mood that existed between 1942 and 1947 shall prevail. In 2022, we will celebrate 75 years of independence, by that time we should fulfil the dreams of the heroes of the freedom struggle. We will carry forward our resolve and move forward. I believe that not only will our country progress, but due to the success of Forty two to Forty seven, many countries of the world have benefited, the ardour of freedom arose, the strength was re-gained. If in the span of 5 years from two thousand Seventeen to Two thousand Twenty Two we take this responsibility to carry India to that height in front of the world then this only is the quest for leadership. It will be a great service to the nation if the country comes together in this endeavour. I am confident that we can do a lot of work with consensus on certain issues.

We just saw the GST, and I repeatedly say that this is not my political statement, but my conviction. The success of GST is not the success of any government; the success of GST is not the success of any party. The success of GST is the result of the willpower of the people sitting in this House. Whether sitting here or anywhere, it goes to all the states; goes to the general merchant of the country; And because of that, it was possible. The country's political leadership has done such a great job because of its commitment. It is something unique to the world. GST is a big wonder for the world, if this was possible then more decisions can be easily taken in the future by sitting here. And as a representative of the 1.25 Crore people, with the resolution of 2022, I believe that we shall continue to bring those results.

Mahatma Gandhi had given the slogan of ‘do or die’; that was the formula of that time. Today, in 2017, if we take this resolution that how will India become in 2022, then we will get rid of corruption from the country. We will all get together the poor and give them their rights. Together we will give young people more opportunities of self-employment. Together we will end the problem of malnutrition from the country. We will all end and eliminate the hindrances that stop women from moving ahead. Together we will eradicate illiteracy from the country and will continue to do it. And there may be many issues, but we should keep the mantra ‘do or die’ in our minds. These resolutions are not of any party or of any government but of 1.25 crore people of the country. In these five years, from 2017 to 2022, on 75 th year of independence, we should fulfil the dreams of the freedom fighters. Today, on August Revolution Day, remembering those great men, remembering their sacrifices, penance, and seeking their blessings, let us all get together lead the country by agreeing on a few things – making the country free from all the problems for fulfilment of dreams, power, strength and goal. With this expectation, I once again express my gratitude to you Madam and pay my obeisant to the freedom fighters. 

Sensex sinks 260 pts as Sebi order spooks markets

Mumbai, Aug 8 (PTI) Benchmark Sensex slumped 260 points while the Nifty cracked below the crucial 10,000-mark today as Sebi clamped down on 331 suspected shell companies listed on exchanges.

Investors were spooked after the markets watchdog last night directed bourses to initiate action against the suspected shell companies. These scrips will not be available for trading this month. Brokers said the order raised concerns of more such regulatory action.

A majority of these companies are apparently facing probe for alleged tax evasion and corporate frauds and have been referred by the Income Tax Department and SFIO to the corporate affairs ministry and Sebi for further action.

A number of these firms are from West Bengal.

The 30-share Sensex, which lost nearly 52 points in the previous session, resumed higher at 32,341.05 and advanced to 32,354.77 in early trade.

But selling pressure emerged as participants digested the Sebi order, which dragged the gauge below the 32,000-mark briefly to a low of 31,915.20. The index finally settled at 32,014.19, a loss of 259.48 points, or 0.80 per cent.

The NSE Nifty dipped below the key 10,000-mark to close 78.55 points, or 0.78 per cent down at 9,978.55 after shuttling between 10,083.80 and 9,947.

"The Sebi order has taken industry and investors by surprise. This has led to erosion of serious wealth and if some of the companies are found to be not shell companies, this order shall still be a death knell for their perception and valuation," said Rajesh Narain Gupta, Managing Partner, SNG & Partners.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 199.21 crore, while DIIs bought to the tune of Rs 308.15 crore yesterday, as per provisional data by the exchanges.

Dr Reddy's was the worst performer in the Sensex pack, losing 4.91 per cent.

Other laggards included SBI, ITC, ICICI Bank, NTPC, Power Grid, Axis Bank, ONGC, Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Lupin, Reliance Industries, L&T, HDFC Bank, Infosys, Asian Paints, Wipro, TCS and HDFC, falling up to 2.33 per cent.

Tata Steel emerged as the top gainer by climbing 2.63 per cent after the company returned to profit in the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

In the metal space, Hindustan Aluminium, Nalco, Vedanta, SAIL and NMDC too showed some strength.

Among the sectoral indices, realty was the hardest hit, down 4.53 per cent, followed by oil & gas (2.16 per cent), PSU (2.08 per cent), power (1.88 per cent), FMCG (1.50 per cent), bank (1.34 per cent), healthcare (1.32 per cent), capital goods (0.93 per cent), teck (0.65 per cent), IT (0.60 per cent) and auto (0.39 per cent).

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.30 per cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.59 per cent and Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.07 per cent.

European shares showed signs of weakness as Paris CAC dropped 0.20 per cent and Frankfurt's DAX shed 0.03 per cent in their early session. London's too FTSE fell 0.13 per cent.

India and Iran reiterate their commitment for early operationalization of Chabahar Port

Shri Nitin Gadkari returns from a two day visit to Teheran 

Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Shipping and Road Transport & Highways returned to India yesterday after a two day visit to Tehran. He was there to represent the Indian Government at the inauguration and oath taking ceremony of HE Dr. Hassan Rouhani as the President of Iran for a second term, on 5th August, 2017. 

In an interaction with Dr. Rouhani, Shri Gadkari conveyed the Indian Prime Minister’s greetings and best wishes for a successful tenure to him. He also handed over the letter of felicitations from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extending an invitation to the President of Iran to visit India. 

Shri Gadkari later held wide ranging discussions on many issues including India’s cooperation in the development of Chabahar Port and proposed rail link between Chabahar & Zahedan. In the meetings, both sides positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Iran last year, including the progress of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalize the Port at the earliest. 

Shri Gadkari called on the first Vice President Dr. E. Jahangiri and highlighted the issue of activation of contract of Chabahar Port development and conveyed to him that India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) has finalized procurement of critical equipments such as Rail Mounted Gantry Crane (RMGC), and is close to finalizing orders relating to Rubber Tyre Mobile Crane (RTMC), MT Container Handlers(MTCH), Truck and Tractor Trailers Containers and related equipments. He also conveyed India’s readiness to aid Iran in taking up operations in Chabahar Port during the interim period between the actual activation of contract. He requested the Iranian side for an early submission of loan application for Chabahar Port Development to EXIM Bank of India so that the contract agreement between the two countries can be activated. It may be recalled that the Iranian side had requested India to provide upto 150 million dollar credit and had made it a condition for activation of the Chabahar Port contract. The application for loan to EXIM Bank of India is still awaited. 

Later Shri Gadkari met Dr. Abbas Akhoundi, the Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, and conveyed to him the latest update on procurement of equipment for the two terminals - multipurpose and container - that are covered under Chabahar Port Agreement. He also requested Dr Akhoundi that in the interest of supporting operations of Chabahar Port, the Iranian side should consider waiving off the condition of submission of loan application as it was taking time. The Iranian side assured that the application shall be presented to EXIM Bank of India early. 

The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) application was also presented by the MD, IPGL to the Iranian authorities in the presence of Shri Gadkari and Dr Akhoundi . India has opened an office of IPGL in Teheran. 

In his meeting with Dr Abbas Akhoundi Shri Gadkari stressed upon the need for marketing of the Chabahar Port to attract cargo. He said, Iran and India should jointly organize a workshop at Chabahar for this purpose at an early date. Shri Gadkari also emphasized the need to develop rail connectivity from Chabahar to Zahedan, and said that the MoU with India in this regard may be extended. The issue of ratification of the trilateral Transit Agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan was also discussed. While India and Afghanistan have the agreement, Iran is yet to do the same. 

Besides the Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari , the Indian delegation comprised of Dr. Alok Srivastava, Special Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Shri Saurabh Kumar, Indian Ambassador to Iran, Shri Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary(PAI), MEA and Shri Raj Gopal Sharma, OSD to Shri Gadkari. 

Three arrested in Amarnath pilgrim attack case: Police

Anantnag, Aug 6 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Police today said three people, alleged conspirators in the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims, have been arrested by its Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The men provided logistical help to four Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) militants who carried out the attack that left eight people dead, IGP Munir Khan told the media here.

The men, who had allegedly helped the four terrorists by providing them with vehicles and shelter, were arrested recently and taken into remand for further questioning, the police said.

The police said the four LeT militants, led by Abu Ismail, a Pakistani national, had attempted an attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 9, but were frustrated by heavy security arrangements.

Another militant in the group of four had been identified as Yawar, a local recruiter for the LeT, the police said.

Efforts are on to identify the other two, believed to be Pakistanis.

The police also released pictures of Abu Ismail and Yawar.

The the three "co-conspirators"-- Bilal Ahmed Reshi, Aizaj Wagey and Zahoor Ahmed --had carried out reconnaissance exercises and chosen Botengo near Khanbal as the spot where the attack could be carried out, the police added.

The trio had also provided shelter to the four militants in Khudwani and Sriguffwara of South Kashmir, Khan said.

Bilal's elder brother Adil, an alleged Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist, was killed by security forces earlier this year.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had constituted an SIT led by Deputy Inspector General (South Kashmir) Swayam Prakash Pani to probe the attack on the pilgrims.

Eight people were killed when the militants fired at a bus carrying the pilgrims, returning from their Amarnath yatra.