Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Baby elephant runs amok at Andhra Pradesh''s Tirupathi Balaji Temple

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irupathi (Andhra Pradesh), Sep.29 (ANI): An elephant went berserk at the Tirupathi Balaji temple in Andhra Pradesh during a ceremonial procession on Monday night.

Six devotees received minor injures in the incident that took place during the Dusshera Brahmotsav at the temple. The injured are Vimala (48), Kartik (50), Sangam (17) and Venkatesha (40).

According to news reports, the young calf was one of four elephants in the procession. Temple authorities claimed that it ran amok after getting scared when some bells rang loudly and the crowds started shouting.

The elephant calf ran into the crowd. People ran helter skelter and toppled over wooden fencing to avoid getting in its way.

The other three elephants in the procession were fully grown adults and were not disturbed by the crowd.

It took a while for the situation to be brought under control. (ANI)

Prime Minister Office takes stock of Air India crisis

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ew Delhi/Mumbai, Sept 29 (ANI): The Prime Minister Office (PMO) on Tuesday took stock of the ongoing stalemate between Air India''s executive pilots and the management.

The PMO directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Air India to find early resolution to stalemate. Besides, the PMO told the Civil Aviation Ministry that a lockout is not an option to resolve the issue.

Civil Aviation Secretary M Nambiar briefed top PMO officials here at a meeting, which was also attended by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar.

"The Air India management has not taken any decision on the cut of Productivity-Linked Incentives (PLI) or any allowance for the unionized section of employees. Decision regarding the executive employees will be taken only after the committee setup to look into this matter has examined all aspects in consultation with employees," Nambiar said in his statement.

"The disruption of the flights is causing immense problem to the traveling public and bringing disrepute to the airline. In these circumstances, the pilots and all employees must cooperate with the management for the turnaround of the airline," he added.

Nambiar further said that though the Government support is coming, it must be linked to a problem turnaround plan including cost cutting and revenue enhancement.

"We will advise the management to enter into a comprehensive dialogue with all sections of employees. This strike must end immediately in the interest of the public and this will also stand the airline in good state for future Government support," he later added.

Meanwhile, Jet Airways pilots held a meeting with the striking Air India pilots in Mumbai.

Jet Pilots Union has expressed solidarity with Air India pilots.

Jet Pilots Union President Girish Kaushik said that all the pilots should form a federation to protect their interests.

All pilots across airlines need to come together and resolve the crisis together, Kaushik added.

Talks between the management and the striking pilots collapsed yesterday after both sides refused to budge on their stated positions.

Striking pilots have refused to get back to work until the controversial pay-cut order is completely withdrawn.

The Air India management on Sunday also agreed to set up a committee to look into the PLI modalities.

Striking pilots in Chennai and Kolkata have also approved the setting up of a committee set up by the management. (ANI)

Nuclear energy can help India to generate 470,000 MW power by 2050, says PM

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ew Delhi, Sep 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today asserted that India can generate 470,000 MW of power by 2050 if the country manage three stages of the nuclear programme".

Addressing a international conference on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, Dr Singh said, "If we can manage our programme well, our three stage strategy could yield potentially 470,000 MW of power by the year 2050. This will sharply reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and will be a major contribution to global efforts to combat climate change."

Dr. Singh also said that as a nuclear weapon state and a responsible member of the international community, India would participate constructively in the negotiations of an Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty or FMCT in the Conference on Disarmament.

"India is proud of its non-proliferation record and is committed to global efforts for preventing the proliferation of all weapons of mass destruction. We are committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing," he added.

He further said that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy security as just about power. There are promising applications in the areas of agriculture, food production and preservation, medicine and water desalination.

"In India, we have successfully developed 37 mutant varieties of seeds for commercial cultivation using nuclear techniques. Use of radiation technology for food preservation is growing. We have built a nuclear desalination plant at Kalpakkam and are working on the use of isotope hydrology techniques for rejuvenation of springs, which is an important source of drinking water," he added.

Dr Singh said that global non-proliferation, to be successful, should be universal, comprehensive and non-discriminatory and linked to the goal of complete nuclear disarmament. We believe that there is growing international acceptance for this viewpoint.

"We feel encouraged by some recent positive signs. US President Barack Obama indicated in a significant speech at Prague in April this year the willingness of the United States to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its national security strategy and work towards a vision of a world free of nuclear weapons," he said.

"The United States and Russia are also negotiating further cuts in their nuclear arsenals. States with substantial nuclear arsenals should take meaningful steps on nuclear disarmament," he added. (ANI)