UP official shifted over Ram temple letter
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh principal secretary (Home) R.M. Srivastava has been shunted out over a controversial official communique that spoke about building a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya. Srivastava’s transfer late Tuesday came days after two other officials of the home department were suspended over the the issue. Srivastava has been replaced by Anil Kumar Gupta, a member of the Revenue Board. A source said the government wanted to send out a stern message to the bureaucracy that officials embarrassing the state government would not be spared. Srivastava had earlier publicly apologized over the letter which spoke of a meeting to be held in Lucknow with police and other officials to discuss the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya a la the Somnath temple. As the letter found its way to the media, the opposition accused the Samajwadi Party government of conniving with those who have favoured building a grand Ram temple at the site of the razed Babri mosque. (IANS)
Girl alleges rape by Zila Parishad member
Jaipur: A 19-year-old girl has alleged that she was raped several times by a Zila Parishad member on the pretext of getting her a job with the police. On the direction of the court, the victim’s complaint was yesterday forwarded to the Vaishali Nagar police station for filing of an FIR, ACP Mohesh Choudhary said said on Wednesday. According to the FIR, the 35-year-old accused, who is reportedly a member in the Churu Zila Parishad, promised to get the victim a job with the Rajastan Police and raped her in a hotel on this pretext on January 18, 2013, he said. Also from August 15 to 31, the accused called the victim to Churu and allegedly raped her again. He didn’t even give her the job which he had promised, the ACP said. The victim was not available for her statement, said Vaishali Nagar SHO Surendra Singh. When the Churu Zila Parishad was today contacted about information on the accused, no one was available to comment due to holiday for the Eid festival. (PTI)
Scribe dies after consuming poison
Bhopal: A local journalist, who had alleged that he was threatened by officials against whom he had filed PIL in the High Court and who consumed poison, died on Wednesday, police said. Rajendra Kumar, 39, had sent a message to a senior police official and his journalist friends saying that he was being threatened by officials against whom he had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court. The journalist, who used to run a weekly newspaper here, sought action against officials allegedly indulging in corruption. Police said after he took poison, he was rushed to Hamidia hospital where he died. The journalist is reported to have used the RTI to find documents about officials who did not belong to the SC category but had used fake certificates to get jobs. Rajendra had also claimed that though no action was being taken against guilty officials, he was being pressurized to withdraw his complaint. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly, Ajay Singh today charged the state government with being insensitive towards such issues. In a statement, Ajay said the manner in which Kumar died exposed the BJP government in the state and demanded action against those found guilty. He also wanted that one member of his family must be given a government job. (PTI)
Poll officials to be awarded for high voter turnout
Jaipur: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Rajasthan has announced cash awards for poll officials who improve voter turnout in the December assembly elections. According to a circular issued by the Rajasthan’s CEO, those Returning Officers and other officers who increase voter turnout by 10 per cent as against the 2008-Assembly election figures will receive a cash award of Rs 11,000. Those ROs (district collectors) who manage to get more than 10 per cent increase in voter turnout in their districts will be awarded Rs 51,000, the circular said. Deputy district election officer, chief executive officer of municipal council and president of Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation Program committee will be awarded Rs 31,000 each for increasing the voter turn-out. Selection of the districts with highest voter turnout would be done after the polls, the circular said. Elections for the state assembly are scheduled to be held on December 1. On being asked whether this award was a move by CEC at all-India level, an official spokesman of the state poll panel said so far it was the state CEO’s decision. In the last assembly elections, Hanumangarh was leading with 78.95 per cent voter turnout followed by Srigangangar with 75.85 per cent and Jaisalmer with 74.06 per cent. (PTI)