Kejriwal says people are ‘happy’ in one month report card
New Delhi: As his government completed one month in power, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said controversies surrounding the AAP dispensation never affected its functioning and asserted that his team did a good job in addressing various challenges facing the city. In a press conference which was disrupted by a Congress MLA, the Chief Minister claimed his government has done far more work for the people in the first month than its predecessors and said rooting out corruption, ensuring security to women and enhancing water distribution network were among his top priorities. “Your surveys have shown… it is clear people are happy with the performance,” he said, adding a number of key decisions have been taken to help the common man like providing 20 kilo litres of free water per month to each household besides providing power subsidy to a large section of consumers. On his government’s decision for an investigation by a Special Investigation Team into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he said a thorough probe was required as demanded by the Sikh community. On corruption, Kejriwal said his government will come down hard on corrupt officials but at the same time will protect the honest officers. “We are considering ways to protect the honest officers,” he said without elaborating. Kejriwal said the Delhi Janlokpal bill will most probably come before his Cabinet tomorrow and the Assembly is likely to meet in a fortnight for its passage. The Chief minister noted that AAP government had taken the initiative to end the VIP culture in city. (PTI)
CPI(M) workers attacked by Popular Front activists
Malappuram (Ker): Three CPI(M) workers were injured when they were attacked in broad daylight allegedly by activists of radical outfit Popular Front at Mangalam near Tirur town near here on Thursday, police said. According to police, the incident was sequel to a by-poll in a panchayat ward which the LDF had won. Four persons had been taken into custody in connection with the incident, they said. The LDF candidate defeated an independent backed by the Popular Front’s political arm SDPI. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said police had been asked to tracked down the culprits without delay. “We cannot allow these kind of incidents to repeat. We should not allow anybody to take law into their hands,” Chandy told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile,CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that Indian Union Muslim League workers were also involved in the incident. Talking to reporters in Palakkad, he said SDPI candidate had the backing of the IUML also. The SDPI and IUML leaders, however, distanced themselves from the incident. The incident sparked widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum as Malayalam TV channels beamed visuals of the attack. (PTI)
Woman skydiver dies after chute fails to open
Salem (TN): A 24-year-old woman skydiver from Bangalore died when her parachute failed to open properly after she dived from an airplane during a skydiving sessions at an unused airport at nearby Kamalapuram on Thursday, a senior official said here. The incident happened when Ramya, along with two others, jumped off an aircraft during a skydiving practise but her chute did not open when she pulled the chord at 10,000 feet. She then tried her reserve parachute but that too did not open, Mettur Assistant Collector Anush said. Her husband was at the airport and watched in horror as his wife plunged to her death. She was rushed to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. The couple were part of Bangalore-based Indian Skydiving and Parachute Association (ISPA), which was reportedly holding such skydiving sessions at the airport for the last three days. Police said Ramya’s husband had filed a complaint, following which a case was registered against the Association under Section 304 of IPC (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder). (PTI)
Poor should get free LPG cylinders, says Mulayam
Lucknow: Reacting to the Centre’s decision of raising the quota of subsidised LPG to 12 cylinders per year, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday said the limit should be raised to 24 and poor should get it free. “That is not a big deal…The number should be 24 and not 12 and poor should get it free,” Yadav said when asked to react on Union cabinet’s decision. After Rahul Gandhi’s assertion at AICC session on January 17 that the cap should be hiked, the government on THursday raised the quota of subsidised LPG to 12 cylinders per household in a year from nine at present and also put on hold paying users the subsidy into bank accounts using Aadhaar platform. (PTI)