Ola Shuttle to offer free rides in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi, Apr 20, 2016 (PTI)

Facing severe criticism from Delhi government, taxi aggregator Ola today said it will offer free rides for its 'Shuttle' bus service on April 22 and 29, under the second phase of odd-even scheme.

This comes days after the company temporarily suspended surge pricing after the state government threatened to cancel permits for charging higher than prescribed fares.

"While tens of thousands of people are using Ola Shuttle on a daily basis, we would like to extend this service free of cost on select days for citizens, in our support of vehicle rationing scheme and contribute to the shared vision of a greener and cleaner Delhi," Ola Vice President New Initiatives Sundeep Sahni said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that diesel cars, drivers without licenses or badges and blackmailing by taxi aggregators won't be allowed.

Moreover, to a suggestion on Twitter that suspension of surge pricing should continue even after odd-even system Kejriwal said: "Yes. We will do it." Ola runs over 500 shuttles in Delhi-NCR covering 120 routes and ferries over 20,000 people on a daily basis.

Ola Shuttle customers need to use the coupon code ODDEVEN to get 100 per cent cash-back on their rides on April 22 and 29, Sahni added.

Delhi government is running the second phase of odd-even scheme from April 15. Under the 15-day scheme, odd and even number cars are allowed to ply on the roads on alternative days. There are no restrictions on Sundays.

Ola has also rolled out an on-ground campaign to encourage citizens across Delhi to adopt ride-sharing. Ola volunteers are stationed at key traffic junctions, around metro stations and other high footfall areas across the city to engage and guide users towards the most suitable ride-sharing option.

Earlier this week, taxi aggregators Ola and Uber suspended surge pricing after Delhi government threatened to cancel permits for charging higher than prescribed fares.

The companies had already contended that surge pricing kicks in when demand outstrips supply and that higher prices are required to get cars on the road during the busiest times.

Following the suspension, many passengers complained of difficulties in booking cabs as lesser number of cars were available on the road. 

Bullet train to travel under the sea near Thane creek

New Delhi, Apr 20, 2016, (PTI):

Passengers will get the thrill of riding under the sea while travelling between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the first bullet train of the country.

The 508 km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor will have a 21 km long tunnel under the sea, said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the public transporter's ambitious bullet train project.

While most part of the corridor is proposed to be on the elevated track, there will be a stretch after Thane creek towards Virar which will go under the sea as per the detailed project report by JICA.

Estimated to cost about Rs 97,636 crore, 81 per cent of the funding for the project will come by way of a loan from Japan. The project cost includes possible cost escalation, interest during construction and import duties.

It is a soft loan for 50 years at 0.1 per cent annual interest with 15 years’ moratorium, said the official.

Rolling stock and other equipment like signalling and power system will be imported from Japan as per the loan agreement.

The official said the loan agreement with Japan is slated to be signed by the end of the year and construction work is likely to begin by the end of 2018.

According top priority to the first of its kind project, railways has formed National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV), with a paid-up capital of Rs 500 crore.

A search committee comprising senior government officials including Cabinet Secretary, Chairman Railway Board and Secretary DOPT among others is on the job currently to select the Managing Director and five directors for the NHSRCL.

Railways has already allotted Rs 200 crore for the SPV. Maharashtra and Gujarat will have equity of 25 per cent each, while the Railways will have 50 per cent in the SPV.

The bullet train is expected to cover 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in about two hours, running at a maximum speed of 350 kmph and operating speed of 320 kmph.

At present, Duronto Express takes about seven hours to cover the distance between the two financial centres.

For timely completion of the project, a joint committee has been formed under the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog with the secretaries of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Departments of Economic Affairs and Foreign Ministry as its members along with the Railway Board Chairman.  

Women activists manhandled at Trimbakeshwar temple; 200 booked

Nashik, Apr 20, 2016, (PTI)

A batch of women activists were allegedly manhandled by a group of locals while they were trying to enter into the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Trimbakeshwar temple today, following which the police booked 200 persons.
Former president of Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council Anagha Phadke is also among those booked, police said.

Talking to reporters ,Vanita Gutte, president of Pune-based 'Swarajya Sanghatana' said, "I was standing along with our women activists in the queue since 5 am to gain entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. We also followed the dress code - wearing wet cotton clothes - for the purpose."

"The entry into the sanctum sanctorum is restricted between 6 am and 7 am, the time that has been fixed by the temple trust. However, some local priests and women deliberately stood in the queue before us and obstructed us from entering the sanctum. 

They also manhandled us," Gutte added.

Thereafter, the activists lodged a complaint with Trimbakeshwar police against the priests and women.

"200 persons, including the former municipal president of Trimbakeshwar, have been booked under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention)," Inspector of Trimbakeshwar police station H P kolhe said.

Police will go through the CCTV footage and will take action in this regard, he said.
The Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust recently decided to allow women into the famous Lord Shiva temple's 'garbha griha' (sanctum sanctorum) for an hour everyday, but with a rider that they must wear wet cotton or silk clothes while offering prayers in the core area.

On April 14, based on a complaint by Gutte that they were being obstructed from entering the temple, police had registered offences against nearly 250 people, including members of the temple trust, some local priests, and temple workers, under relevant sections. 

Pak court issues notice to JuD for running 'Sharia Court'

Lahore, Apr 20, 2016, (PTI)

A Pakistani court has issued a notice to the Jamat-ud-Dawah, led by the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, for running a Taliban-style parallel judicial system here.
Lahore High Court's Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan yesterday issued notices to JuD's Qazi Hafiz Idrees, secretary interior, federal law minister, Punjab chief secretary, Inspector General Police Punjab and the Lahore police chief directing them to file a reply on April 26.

On the lines of the Taliban, JuD has recently set up a 'Sharia Court' here to hand out "easy and swift justice", the first such parallel judicial system in Pakistan's Punjab Province.

The court named as "Darul Qaza Sharia" is a parallel private judicial system established primarily to provide 'easy and swift justice' to the people.

Petitioner Khalid Saeed told the court that he had received summons written on letter pad of 'Darul Qaza Al-Sharia' with a direction to appear before its "arbitration court of Sharia".

Khalid said he also received telephone calls from Qazi, who acts as a judge in the JuD court, asking him to appear before him.

The petitioner said he had submitted applications to the government functionaries-respondents and Chief Justice of Pakistan against the illegal summons but he got "no response" from them.

He pleaded to the court to order the respondent authorities to look into the matter and take action against the organisation for committing illegal acts and for subverting the Constitution by establishing a parallel judicial system.  

Banks need to ensure no defaulter manages to get away, says FM

New York, Apr 20, 2016, (PTI)

Amid a raging row over recovery of soured debt from tycoon Vijay Mallya, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said it was responsibility of banks to ensure no defaulter manages to get away.

A special court in Mumbai on Monday ordered the arrest of Mallya, days after government suspended his passport in a bid to force his return from abroad and make him repay dues.

Jaitley said he would not comment on court proceedings.

"You have investigative agencies looking into criminal law matters (and) you have banks looking into settlement matters. I think both are extremely competent institutions who can act strictly within the parameters of law," he told ET Now.

As banks moved to recover Rs 9,000 crore that his collapsed Kingfisher Airlines owed them, Mallya left India presumably for London.

"As far as the banks are concerned, its their responsibility based on commercial considerations to make sure that no defaulter manages to get away," Jaitley said. 

"Merely by escaping the geographical boundaries of India you don't run away from the liabilities that you owe to the public system."

The Supreme Court has asked Mallya to declare all his assets by April 21 after a group of lenders turned down his proposal to repay as much as USD 900 million.

Banks want entire amount due, including interest to be paid back.

Mallya has previously termed shutting down of Kingfisher Airlines as an "unfortunate commercial failure" due to macroeconomic factors and government policies. He said he did not flee the country and was not an "absconder."

"They (investigating agencies and banks) are sending a very strong signal that public debts owed to commercial banks, you cant just run away from liability if you have responsibility to pay and banks will ensure that banks are reimbursed," Jaitley added.  

Handwara row: Protesters demands release of girl

Srinagar, Apr 20, 2016 (PTI)

Scores of students today staged a demonstration here demanding release of the girl who is at the centre of the Handwara molestation row in which five civilians were killed during violent protests last week.

Carrying placards, the students staged the protest at Press Enclave in the heart of the city this afternoon alleging that the girl had been "illegally" detained along with her family members.

The protest was organised by All India Students' Association (AISA). "We demand the immediate release of the girl and her family members from police custody and their unhindered access to legal help," Essar Batool, a girl student, told reporters.

The girl was taken into preventive custody after alleged molestation by a soldier triggered violent protests at Handwara town, 80 kms from here, leading to firing by security forces which left three persons including a woman dead in Kupwara district last week.

Two more persons were killed over the week in similar protests against the incident. The girl had in her statement later denied that she was molested by a soldier.

Some of the placards read "the minor girl needs our support not our criticism", "end denial of legal assistance to her", "end surveillance and control over the movement of the girl and her family" and "end character assassination of the girl". They also demanded action against those responsible for the killing of five persons. 

Girl chops off her tongue, offers it to Lord Shiva

Raigarh, Apr 20, 2016, (PTI)

An 11-year-old girl cut off her tongue and offered it to Lord Shiva in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, officials said today.

"The incident took place yesterday afternoon at the ancient Shiva temple in Sangeetarai village, located around three kms away from Raigarh district headquarters," Raigarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prakash Sarve said.

Chameli Sidar, daughter of a farmer, Budheshwar Sidar, chopped off her tongue with a knife in front of a Shiva linga, following which she fell unconscious, he said, adding, she started offering prayers even after she regained consciousness.

"When police and the district officials reached the spot, villagers prevented them from taking the child to the hospital citing that she will recover without any medical aid with the blessings of the God," the SDM said.

The girl is still at the temple and as a precautionary measure, a doctor has been deputed for ensuring medical aid to her, he added.

Chameli was keenly interested in performing religious rituals since her childhood and has not been much interested in studies.

"Therefore, she quit the school after Class V. Since Saturday, she had been sitting in the temple and was not ready to go home," he said.

The Sarpanch of the village, Gopal told police that the girl was now fine.

Sarve said that people have been coming to the temple to catch a glimpse of the girl and the reason behind her move was yet to be ascertained.

In the past as well, three incidents had taken place at the temple, where girls had sacrificed their tongues to Lord Shiva, the villagers said and claimed that all the girls recovered without any medical treatment.