Former UP minister booked for power theft
Sultanpur (UP): Separate cases have been lodged against former Minister of State and three others for power theft after it was detected following checking by a team of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) in Dostpur area here, police said on Thursday. An FIR was lodged Wednesday against former Minister of State for Irrigation Mueed Ahmad after power theft was detected at his Hameed Memorial Girls Inter College at Firozpur Kalan during checking by UPPCL engineers, SHO Nirbhay Singh said. The FIR was registered following a complaint by junior engineer Sarvadeen on the directives of Sub Divisional Magistrate Kadipur Ram Abhilash, he said. In addition to this, FIR’s have also been registered against three persons – Ashraf, Ram Gopal and Makkhan Lal, the SHO said. When contacted Ahmad said that he has got his permanent power connection cut and has applied for a new connection. (PTI)
World Bank to give aid for building toilets in C’garh
Raipur: World Bank will extend financial aid to build toilets in tribal-dominated villages of Chhattisgarh under Centre’s flagship ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. World bank will give an aid of Rs 240 crore in next five years to the Centre for constructing toilets in households in the tribal areas and also for running proposed awareness campaigns, an official release said here Thursday. Under the programme, campaigns will be run to encourage villagers to build toilets in their houses and use them instead of going for open defecation. It shall be ensured that by 2019 not a single household in tribal areas is left which without a toilet. Chhattisgarh is among five states in the country which will be given aid by the World Bank, it said. (PTI)
International conference on education from Jan 17
Jaipur: Educationists from 22 states, including Vice Chancellors of 13 universities, will discuss a new policy framework for education during a two-day international conference titled “Samarth Shiksha, Samarth Bharat” beginning January 17. Union Minister for Environment and Forest Prakash Javadekar would inaugurate the conference, Mukul Kanetkar, Organising Secretary of host Bhartiya Shikshak Mandal said Thursday. Educationists from 22 states, including Vice Chancellors of 13 universities, would participate in the deliberations, he said, adding another 300 scholars from across the country and abroad would also deliver their research papers. According to him, in the present system of education, the aims, objectives, system and aspects have been changed and lost their originality due to various reasons. Hence it was required to make new education policy with structural changes to represent the nation, he said. (PTI)
Two held for vandalising Vikaspuri church
New Delhi: Delhi Police on Thursday arrested two persons for allegedly vandalising a church Wednesday in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri area. “We have arrested two persons in the case,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (South-West), Tejinder Luthra. In the incident which took place yesterday at around 4:19 A.M., two unidentified persons vandalised ‘Our Lady of Graces Church’ with their act having been caught on CCTV camera installed on the premises. Vikaspuri police registered a case in the matter against two unidentified men for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings. The attack, the fourth such one in the recent past, came more than a month after a mysterious early morning fire damaged St Sebastian’s Church in Dilshad Garden. The attacks have prompted allegations of foul play by Christian groups with church authorities describing these as “targeted arson”. (PTI)
Three militants killed in encounter with security forces
Srinagar: At least three militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Shopian district of south Kashmir, police said. “Bodies of three militants can be seen from some distance at the encounter site in Shopian district. We can say for sure if they are dead only when we retrieve the bodies,” a police official said. The exchange of fire between the remaining militants, believed to be at least two, was going on till reports last came in, he said. A gun battle broke out between the security forces and militants in Kadder forest area falling under Keller police station in Shopian Thursday morning after the counter-insurgency forces launched a search operation. There were no reports of any casualties among security forces so far, the official said. (PTI)