More mid day meal horror: Dead lizard in food at a Palwal school

In another shocking case of mid day meal horror, a dead lizard was found in the meal served to students at a school in Palwal in Haryana. The lizard was found in the rice.

This comes days after 23 children died after eating the mid day meal at a school in Chhapra in Bihar. The police, after the forensic tests, found that the food had a pesticide mixed in it.

Hyderabad building collapses due to heavy rains, four dead

Four people of a family have died on Tuesday after a wall collapsed in Hyderabad due to heavy rains. A child has been rescued and three more people are feared to be trapped.

Rescue operation is on to evacuate those who are trapped.

Narendra Modi is not a national leader, says Rita Bahuguna Joshi

 
Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi agrees with Nobel Laurate Amartya Sen remarks on Gujarat Chief Minister Modi and said whatever Amartya Sen has said is correct. She added Narendra Modi's ideology is communal. His words are anti-national. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, Amartya said he doesn't want Modi as his PM as Modi has not done enough to make minorities feel safe.

Freelance filmmaker electrocuted to death in South Delhi

Naked wires from the compressor of a split AC outside a shop in a South Delhi market caused the death of a 32-year-old freelance filmmaker. 48 hours after his death, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has finally acted.

Attarintiki Daredi Audio Launch Function: Pawan Kalyan, Samantha, Trivikram Srinivas

Attarintiki Daredi Audio Launch Function: Pawan Kalyan, Samantha, Trivikram Srinivas

Chit Chat with OM 3D Hero Kalyan ram - ABN

Chit Chat with OM 3D Hero Kalyan ram

Mumbai: BMC has misplaced 9,000 important files, reveals RTI query

Mumbai: Major lapses have surfaced in the working of Mumbai's civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. An RTI query has revealed that the department has misplaced over 9,000 files.

The RTI query has revealed that BMC's building proposal department has lost the essential construction plans of three landmark buildings, all located in high security zones. The shocker doesn't end here.

Over 8,000 files are missing from western suburbs and eastern suburbs and close to 200 files have been lost from the island city. The Taj Hotel file was lost before the 26/11 attack, while the file of the controversial Patliputra Co-operative Housing Society, which is under scrutiny, is missing too.


"The files of prime location are lost. The civic officials are squarely responsible for this lapse. According to the Maharashtra Public Records Act, they need to strictly maintain the files," said RTI activist Sharad Yadav.
At a time when scams like Adarsh are making headlines, losing constructions plans of important buildings may gravely cost the civic body, especially in the events of disputes and emergencies. Despite this massive lapse, the civic body hasn't taken any punitive action so far.

Surprisingly, civic officials say that some files may have got mixed up. But many say that the role of the builder lobby cannot be ruled out and this certainly calls for a thorough investigation. 

Monsoon fury: 1,000 houses damaged in Maharashtra, flood alert in AP

New Delhi: The monsoon mayhem continues as rain wreaks havoc across the country. As heavy rains continue to lash Maharashtra, the state has come to a standstill. The rail service has been hit as 10 trains have been cancelled across the state while 71 more trains have been diverted so far. A 30-meter block of railway track was swept away near Nagpur and work is on to restore it.

Chandrapur in Vidharbha region has been the worst hit where about 1000 houses have partially damaged. Around 250 villages in Gadchiroli district have had no power since yesterday. Power generation at the Chandrapur Thermal Power Station has also been badly hit. The Met department has predicted more rainfall in the coming week.

Andhra Pradesh has received 30 per cent more rainfall than normal. The state has issued a flood alert, as the state tries to cope with incessant rain. The Godavari has flooded numerous villages in Warangal and in east and west Godavari districts. About 100 Relief camps have been set up across the state with the state government air-dropping food to the worst affected areas. Around 1,300 people in coastal Andhra have been evacuated to relief camps. The Met department has predicted heavy rain for another 48 hours.

Mumbai on high alert amidst terror threats, police issue advisory

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has sounded a high alert in the face of recent terror attacks in other parts of the country. The police have given strict instructions to malls, hospitals, schools and other public places to increase surveillance.

The decision was taken after major terror threats were made to the city. The police department has also been stressing on installation of CCTVs and better communication with the police.

Two initiatives have already been taken by the police under the name of Operation Bravo and Mumbai Kavacch are being formed.


Each police station across the city will have anti-terror cells too in the wake of recent threats.
The police have issued strict guidelines for malls and multiplexes and said there should be armed private security guards in malls. There should be ID cards with biometric features for all employees of malls and their background should be checked in every three years and the police should be informed about it.

The police have also asked hospitals to deploy security at every floor. There should be a record of everyone staying within the hospital premises.

Due to security reasons, they have asked hotels to install road blockers/steel bollards/boom barriers to prevent the entry of suspected vehicles. The CCTV footage should be preserved for 30 days and a patrolling staff should also be constituted.

For schools, a centralized address system should be installed and parents/visitors should be frisked. The security check of the school premises should be done from time-to-time. 

WB panchayat polls: 4th phase begins with more violence, 4 killed

Birbhum: The fourth phase of West Bengal panchayat polls began on Monday amidst more violence. Four people have been killed in Birbhum. Three bodies have been recovered and all are believed to CPI activists. They had been missing since Sunday night.

The fourth person was killed in Mauryeswar. Clashes between CPI(M) and TMC activists have also been reported in Suri where 20 people have been injured. Some of them are believed to be critical. According to sources the death toll is expected to rise.

The five-phased panchayat polls that began on July 11 has seen a lot of upheaval, bloodshed and violence throughout. Three Congress workers were also killed on Sunday in four districts of West Bengal and at least 100 houses vandalised and looted in South 24-Parganas district on Sunday. While the fourth phase is on Monday, the final phase will be on July 25.
 
Police said two Congress workers, Nurmohhamad Sheikh and Ahad Ali, were killed after being hit by crude bombs late on Sunday night hurled by rival party workers at Kapasdanga in Murshidabad district, one of the four districts that has gone to polls on Monday, the other three being Nadia, Birbhum and Malda.

Another Congress worker Repon Sheikh met a similar fate at Bharatpur in the same district during a clash between rival party supporters, police said. The district also witnessed sporadic incidents of clash, including hurling of bombs and stone pelting, leaving several injured including two policemen in the Kapasdanga area.
Three persons were killed in the second phase of the poll and four were killed in the third phase. A body was found at Diamond Harbour in South 24-Parganas district on Sunday, but it was not confirmed if the death was caused due to poll violence.

At least 100 houses belonging to RSP workers were vandalised and looted and 40 of them were set on fire allegedly by TMC workers at Basanti in South 24-Parganas district on Sunday, police said. Violence at Nirdeshkhali village in the same district also left a child injured. A large posse of policemen was deployed in the area.

17 TMC workers and supporters and four policemen were injured in a clash with RSP at Jharkhali on Sunday. The injured were shifted to Kolkata, Basanti and Canning hospitals.

A Trinamool legislator on Sunday publicly threatened to decapitate a Congress leader. The threat was directed at Bapi Dutta, a Congress leader of Birbhum district. "Bapi Dutta, it would not take me even a minute to behead you," said Monirul Islam, Trinamool's member of assembly from Labhpur in Birbhum district, at an election rally.

(With Additional Information From PTI and IANS)

Rajnath Singh says US should lift the visa ban on Narendra Modi

New York: Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh has demanded that the United States should lift its visa ban on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Calling Modi the only leader with 'national appeal' at a meeting in New Jersey, Rajnath said he would raise the issue of denial of US visa to the Gujarat CM during his meetings with lawmakers in the United States.

Speaking in the US he said, "Modi is one single leader with national appeal. I will appeal to the US government to clear US visa to the Gujarat CM."

The United States first denied Modi a visa in 2005 over allegations that his government did nothing to stop the 2002 Gujarat riots. Modi has not applied for a US visa since the denial.
 
He also claimed that the party will get more allies to fight the polls. The developmental issues rather than the Ram Janam Bhoomi dispute would dominate BJP's poll campaign.

"It's not necessary that party president should also be a crowd puller and a prime ministerial candidate. I have an assignment to do for my party. I have a job to deliver - that is victory of the party in the 2014 elections."

"Seven months before the elections, I have nominated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as Chairman of the party's Election Campaign Committee. What is unusual in that? We have nominated Modi like other parties do and why read between lines. I have named him as campaign head in view of his image, popularity and commitment to the party," he said.

Giving all indications that it could be Modi who is the prime ministerial candidate, Singh said the Chief Minister is certainly the most popular and tallest leader of India now. "He is a crowd puller not only in Gujarat but also in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from North to South, East to West. He is one single leader with a national appeal. His popularity will help the party in the elections," he said. On the question of party president not being projected as Prime Ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, he said it is necessarily not the one and the same.

Rajnath Singh is on a five-day tour of the United States. He is scheduled to speak on India and Afghanistan at an event in Washington and has several private and public meetings lined up too.

India Positive: Stories of exceptional individuals

The stories in today's show are about exceptional individual who have risen from different circumstances and touched success, and their aim to make life easier for others like themselves.

Chinese troops had crossed LAC in Ladakh: Army sources

New Delhi: Army sources have confirmed an intrusion by Chinese troops on July 16-17 in the Daulat Beg Oldi Sector in eastern Ladakh last week. The intrusion took place at roughly the same place where the 20-day face off with Chinese troops took place in April.

"Intrusion did occur by less than 50 Chinese troops in that area," said Army sources. It was another incident of ceasefire violation by the Chinese army at the Line of Actual Control.


Army sources said both the sides unfolded banners claiming the territory as theirs and requesting the other side to turn back. The two sides then disengaged and went back to their respective areas, sources added.
 
Army sources said, "Differing perceptions about where the LAC lies in the area results in intrusion."
The PMO, Defence Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs have taken a note of the incident and India is reported to have sought a meeting with the Chinese at the Chushul border personnel point to discuss the issue.

Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said there is no question of a weakness when it comes to security. "There are always problems on the borders. This is not new. But I can assure you that India is a strong country. There is no question of a weakness when it comes to security."

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the government and said it is a failure on the part of the government given the way it has been dealing with this matter. "China doesn't seem to take note of what our government has been saying on this matter," party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

On April 15, a platoon-strength contingent of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) had come 10 km inside the Indian territory in Burthe in the DBO sector and established a tented post there.

Odisha mid day meal: Naveen Patnaik calls an emergency meeting

Bhubaneswar: A day after CNN-IBN highlighted the shortcomings of mid day meal scheme in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday called an emergency meeting.

It was decided at the meeting that three persons including the cook and helper will eat the mid day meal first before it is served to the children.

Patnaik has also directed for construction of kitchen shed in all the schools. A squad would be formed to check quality of all the mid-day meals in block and district level monthly.


A third party would check the quality of food being served 300 schools every year. The meeting resolved to build kitchens in all schools. Of the 63,531 schools, 36,000 have special kitchens, Nanda said. 

Britain waits for the royal baby

It's being called the 'Great Kate Wait' by the media and the public in Britain who continue to wait for the royal baby. The anticipation for the royal baby's arrival has grown as sources say that the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's due date has come and gone.

Rajnath's remark on English: Congress says BJP chief trying to divide the country

BJP President Rajnath Singh has sparked a controversy by criticising the widespread use of the English language in India. eacting to Rajnath's statement, the Congress said the BJP chief was trying to divide the country.

Bihar mid day meal tragedy: BJP attacks Nitish for returning central funds; no arrests yet

Chappra: Even as the forensic report on Saturday revealed that the cooking oil laced with pesticide was used to prepare the mid day meal which claimed 23 lives in a school in Chhapra, the principal of school and her grocer husband are still absconding. Report points to principal's negligence because it was her duty to ensure that the food was tasted by her and the cook before serving to the children.

Bihar Police spokesperson Ravindra Kumar shared details of the report at a press conference on Saturday. He said the concentration of pesticide monocrotophos that was found in the cooking oil used to prepare the meal for the school children was five times more than what was found in a sample of the same oil collected from the market.

Kumar said the forensic evidence collected from the school was analysed at Forensic Science Laboratory in Patna. He said it was a matter of investigation that how and from where this poisonous substance got mixed in the oil. "I will not go into the details as FSL report will help the ongoing investigation into the mid day meal tragedy," Kumar said.


The principal and her husband, from whose shop she had purchased the cooking oil suspected to be laced with insecticide, have fled after the incident. Their house in Dharmasati Gandaman village in Mashrakh block, about 50 km from Chhapra, is also locked.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Saturday hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his government's alleged failure to use Rs 463 crore of central funds meant for mid day meal scheme and asked him to clarify why this money was not used to provide better and clean food to students.

BJP, whose 17-year partnership with JD(U) broke last month, also charged Kumar has not been seen in public since the death of 22 children after consuming mid-day meals in Chappra district of Bihar. The party said he had not bothered to visit the families of the kids who died.

"This report that Bihar government had returned Rs 463 crore is not surprising. While strict action should be taken against those guilty of serving poisonous food to kids, it should also be probed why these funds were not used. Who will take the blame for failure to use the funds?" BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
He maintained that while responsibility has to be fixed on those guilty of callousness, somebody has to take the political responsibility for the incident.

"Nitish Kumar has not visited those kids who are recovering in hospital. There are reports that the chief minister is unwell. We are concerned about the Chief Minister's health. After all, he is only a political rival and not an enemy," Hussain said.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said the mid-day meal scheme in Bihar was in dire straits and the funds which were returned to the Centre could have been used for improving the quality and delivery of the food.

"Instead of improving the scheme, the Nitish Kumar government returned the funds," she added. 

Heavy rains lash north India; AP put on alert as rainfall continues

New Delhi Heavy rains lashed the nation capital on Saturday and brought it to a standstill. It is the heaviest rainfall that New Delhi has witnessed in the last 10 years. The downpour which went on for around five-hours, sparked traffic snarls across the city, with heavy water-logging reported in several places.

Authorities were caught off guard once again as Delhiites witnessed blocked drains and malfunctioning traffic lights. There was heavy traffic on Mathura road and Akbar road as well as water-logging near the Indira Gandhi International Airport. A road also caved in near the Saket metro station.

The only silver lining was that the temperatures have come down after two days of very humid weather. The MET department has predicted more rains for the next few days. "Yesterday, we received 15 per cent more than normal rainfall. The situation with rains has been good so far. You can expect more rains for North India in the next week," said Charan Singh, Scientist at Meteorological Department


A month after floods ravaged Uttarakhand, certain regions of the state experienced sudden cloudbursts on Saturday. The Met department has predicted heavy rainfall in the state for the next 24 hours. "We are predicting rain in certain areas for the next 24 hours. Heavy rains are likely in Uttarkashi, Kumaon, Nainital and nearby areas. The weather is expected to improve gradually," said Anand Sharma, Director of Meteorological Observatory in Dehradun.


Uttar Pradesh also witnessed heavy rains on Saturday. One person was killed after a sudden cloudburst in Rampur and there was an extensive destruction to property and roads. Moderate to heavy rainfall and thundershowers also took place in several areas of western and eastern UP. The Ganga continues to flow close to the danger mark at Fatehgarh and Kanpur.

Andhra Pradesh continues to witness heavy rains with the state receiving 30 per cent more rainfall than normal. The Godavari has flooded numerous villages in Warangal and in east and west Godavari districts. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the situation and has put all district administration on alert.
Relief camps have been set up for people in low-lying areas around the Godavari river. More than 1,500 houses have been damaged. Several districts in Telangana region continue to receive heavy rainfall too. The state government has requested the Air Force to put IAF choppers on standby for rescue and relief. The Met department predicts heavy rainfall to continue in the region for another 24 hours.

The situation remained same in Mumbai as heavy rains lashed the city for the second consecutive day on Saturday. The Met department has predicted more rainfall across the state. In some parts of Maharashtra, rail services were also disrupted. A 30-meter block of railway track was swept away near Nagpur and over 80 trains were diverted in the Vidarbha region. 

Congress will not allow Modi's claims to go unchallenged: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: Minister of State for Human Resources Shashi Tharoor refuted the allegation that the Congress is deliberately playing along with the political agenda being set by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to save itself the embarrassment of responding to critical areas of concern like the state of the economy. Tharoor claimed that the party will not allow the claims made by Modi go unchallenged. He was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate.


Karan Thapar: Every time Narendra Modi held out bait the Congress party snapped at it. People say actually you do it deliberately. They say at all costs you want to ensure that the public focus of debate does not come on to issues like inflation, terror, the economy or corruption because on all those subjects you are weak and you don't have an argument.


Shashi Tharoor: Look we are willing to stand up on every one of the issues you have just summarised, because we believed nine years of UPA rule have actually made the country better off that actually it was nine years back. As far as us allowing Modi to set the agenda we are simply deciding he will not go unchallenged.

Karnataka: CM seeks report of malnutrition death case

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sought the report of malnutrition death case in Bangalore and called it a serious matter. A five-year-old girl has allegedly died in Bangalore due to severe malnutrition. Her anganwadi records show that the girl, Meghala, was severely malnourished for months.

According to reports, Meghala's weight was just 12 kilos, far below the normal weight for a child her age. Meghala, daughter of a blind beggar, succumbed to pneumonia after her immunity levels dropped.