India’s aid to Nepal named ‘Operation Maitri’
New Delhi: The Indian Army has named the aid to Nepal ‘Operation Maitri’ or friendship, a day after it started extending help to the neighbouring country that was hit by a massive earthquake just before noon on Saturday, leaving a trail of death and destruction.In addition to the specialist teams of its National Disaster Response Force, India has already moved large amounts of relief material to the Himalayan kingdom, besides its Air Force moving essential supplies to Nepal and flying back over 500 of its stranded citizens from its capital Kathmandu since late Saturday.”India is moving in massive amount of rescue and relief material, equipment and specialists the second day (Sunday),” said Sitanshu Kar, the spokesperson for the defence ministry.”Ten flights are planned for Kathmandu today (Sunday). These would be airlifting army’s forward hospitals, engineering task forces, water, food, National Disaster Response Force teams, medical personnel and equipment, blankets and tents.” (IANS)
Sikh community to send 25,000 food packets daily to Nepal
Chandigarh: Religious bodies of Sikh community – Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC)- will send 25,000 food packets to Kathmandu each day Monday. A direction to this effect was given to the two bodies by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal, a party spokesman said here today. Besides, they will be making arrangements to prepare and distribute “langar” (community kitchen) in Nepal to provide succour to earthquake victims, he said. DSGMC held an emergency meeting under the presidentship of Manjit Singh GK, he said, adding, langar preparations have already started at Gurdwara Bangla Sahab in Delhi and the first consignment of 25,000 packets of “langar” will be air lifted to Kathmandu by the IAF tomorrow. Sukhbir asked the DSGMC and the SGPC to pool resources to prepare langar for 10,000 people at Kathmandu till such time it is required. Meanwhile, Manjit GK said the IAF would be requested to make arrangements to airlift 10 tonnes of raw material to Kathmandu for preparation of fresh langar, the spokesman said. He said 20 volunteers and about the same number of cooks would also be airlifted to Kathmandu to operationalise the langar. (PTI)
Two drown in Srinagar
Srinagar: Two persons, including a woman, drowned on Sunday in two separate incidents in the Valley, police said. “A 20-year old youth, Umer Najar drowned in Dachigam Nallah in Harwan area of the city while crossing the stream,” a police spokesman said. The body was retrieved from the stream and was handed over to his legal heirs for last rites, he said. In another incident, police found the body of a woman from the banks of Kishanganga river in Bandipora district of the state. “The body was identified as Fatima Begum wife of Mohammad Shafi Sheikh resident of Saradab, Bandipora,” the spokesman added. Police have started an investigation under the section 174 of CrPC to ascertain the cause of her death. “Initial investigations have revealed that the lady had gone in the forests for collection of fire wood and had slipped into river Kishanganga,” he added. (PTI)
Farmer kills self in front of collectorate office in UP
Barabanki (UP): A farmer on Sunday allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in front of collectorate office even as the family members claimed that he took the extreme step due to crop loss. Ashram (35), a native of Datauli village in Haidergarh, hanged himself from a tree in front of the collectorate office this morning, District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra said. By the time Ashram was taken off the tree he was already dead, he said. DM said that a financial assistance of seven lakh Rupees would be given to the next of kin of the victim. The body has been sent for post mortem, he added. (PTI)
Saibaba temple trust should be handed over to TTD: MNS
Shirdi: MNS Chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST), which runs the famous Shirdi Saibaba temple, should be handed over to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for its smooth working. Talking to reporters here during his tour to the temple town, Thackeray said the SSST of late has been in news for corruption and mismanagement caused to devotees. “For past so many years, we are hearing about issues surroundings the Shirdi shrine. The trust (SSST) has been also facing corruption charges. Functioning of the Saibaba temple trust should be handed over to TTD trust as I have seen their way of functioning for so many years now and it is way much better and organised,” the MNS leader said. The TTD manages famous Venkateswara temple at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district. He said there is still a dearth of proper basic amenities around the Saibaba temple and devotees have to suffer who come from all across the country and abroad. Backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to launch a scheme that would encourage temples to deposit their gold with banks in return for interest payments, he said the move will facilitate (temple) trusts to render better services. To a query on performance of the new BJP-led government in Maharashtra, Thackeray said the government has done some good works but has also made mistakes. “The new government is doing some good work but they have not done something very remarkable. People had pinned lot of expectations on them but are yet to experience ‘acche din’,” he added. On Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), which is run by MNS, Thackeray said the development works undertaken by the civic body will bring a sea change in the city in the span of next three years. (PTI)
Chopper crashes in Rajasthan
Suratgarh: An IAF helicopter on a routine exercise crashed with a three member crew bailing out safely in Suratgarh in Sriganganagar district, a Defence spokesman said on Sunday. IAF helicopter MI 35 met with the crash around 2030 hrs last night and three members of the crew escaped and bailed out safely, the Defence PRO said. A Court of Inquiry was ordered by the IAF but the reason behind the crash were not disclosed. An army exercise on the ground was underway in the western sector when the mishap took place, he said. (PTI)
