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Govt considering loan insurance scheme for farmers: PM
New Delhi, Sept 12 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said his government would do everything to help debt- ridden farmers, for whom it is considering a loan insurance scheme.
"The government is considering a loan insurance scheme to mitigate risk for indebted farmers," Singh told a delegation of the Bharatiya Kisan Union and Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement led by Mahendra Singh Tikait.
Besides, the government is committed to increased investment in agricultural research so that productivity of indigenous seeds and land as well as water utilisation could be increased, the Prime Minister's Media Adviser Sanjaya Baru quoted Singh as saying.
Noting that the UPA government attached top priority to the welfare of farmers, Singh said his government was committed to ensuring the livelihood security of the farming community and food security for the people.
In the past three years, the Centre has ensured remunerative prices for farm produce and effected a significant increase in the minimum support price, reversing the neglect of the farming community and the policy of minimal increase in MSP under the previous NDA government, he said.
The government will safeguard the interests of Indian farmers in WTO negotiations and not accept any obligations that will hurt the interests of farmers, he said.
Singh assured the delegation that he would draw Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's attention to the demands of farmers.
In his Independence address this year, Singh had said that the government will soon launch a special programme to invest Rs 25,000 crore in agriculture to enhance the livelihood of farmers and increase food production. PTI
Centre denies existence of Rama or Ramayana
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) In the midst of a political controversy over the Sethusamudram project, the Centre today told the Supreme Court that there was no historical evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or the other characters in Ramayana.
In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) rejected the claim of the existence of the "Ramasetu bridge" in the area where the project was under construction.
The multi-crore rupee project proposes to provide a shorter sea route from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka.
Referring to the Ramayana, the affidavit said there is no "historical record" to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the character, or the occurrences of the events, depicted therein. PTI
I&B ministry issues notice to channel in sting operation case
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) Taking cognizance of mounting evidence that sting operation conducted on a local woman school teacher may be fake, the Information and Broadcasting ministry has issued a showcause notice to Live India channel, which telecast it.
"The channel has been issued showcause notice for violation of programme and advertising code prescribed under the Cable Television Network Act," a senior I & B ministry official told PTI.
Live India has also been asked to submit its reply by Friday, the official said.
The "expose" by the channel had depicted a Daryaganj school teacher Uma Khurana in a sex racket involving students that led to a mob fury and rioting in streets.
But the "expose" fell apart with evidence that the teacher was framed by reporter Prakash Singh, his accomplice Rashmi Singh and her friend Virender Arora.
The Programme Code in the Act is binding on the channel broadcasters as per uplinking and downlinking guidelines.
The punishment of violation may lead to suspension of licence for a limited period and can go up to revocation of licence, along with the fine.
The channel may come in the preview of the Code which says that no programme will be aired which "offends against good taste or decency... Contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths." PTI
Cyber crime should get priority attention: Shivraj Patil
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) With cyber crime posing greater threat to national security, the Government today favoured "priority attention" of lawmakers and law enforcement agencies to create a cyber culture security awareness and evolve an "effective" preventive measure.
"Notwithstanding its late entrance to the arena of serious crimes, cyber crime today represents a wide array of offenses. Hacking, spoofing and botnet attacks are capable of causing serious security breaches in the information system of vital installations," Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said in his inaugural speech at the seventh International Cyber Crime Conference.
"The potential damage on account of such attacks to the national security is immense. Globally, instances of money laundering through e-channels for terrorist funding have assumed menacing proportions," Patil said and also added that Internet had become a secure channel of communication among terrorists and also for hate campaigns through social networking sites.
Growing instances of such crimes constantly remind us the need to create a culture of cyber security awareness and need to evolve effective preventive measures, he said.
Though India has developed a full fledged indigenous cyber forensic software package, "we have a long way to go and are in the process of evolving systems and methodologies to stem the menace," he said.
Terming the cyber crime as "serious", he said it should "capture the priority attention of lawmakers and members of the law enforcement agencies." PTI
Imran Khan sent back from Karachi
Karachi, Sep 12 (PTI) Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was today turned back from this southern port city of Pakistan by the provincial authorities, citing a 30-day ban on his entry, after he arrived here to address party rallies.
Khan, the chief of 'Tehreek-e-Insaf' (Justice Party), who came here defying the ban, was sent back to Islamabad from the Karachi International Airport.
"There is a ban on him", Waseem Akhtar, the Home Affairs advisor of Sindh government, said adding, the former Pakistan cricket captain was told about the ban before he was boarding a Karachi-bound PIA flight and he should have upheld the law of the land instead of trying to defy it.
The restriction on Khan's entry was originally ordered by the provincial government following the May 12 violence in the city and was regularly re-imposed over the past months.
The authorities said they feared a threat to law and order situation after Khan filed a case in a British court for deportation of Mutahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, currently living in exile in the UK.
He accused Hussain of being responsible for the death of over 40 people in the May 12 clashes, which broke out between supporters of MQM, a rulling ally, and rival party workers.
Police arrested the Sindh chief of the party, Zubair Khan and detained dozens of Tehreek-e-Insaf workers who were trying to reach the airport to welcome Khan.
Scores of activists managed to reach there and chanted slogans against the federal and provincial government. Party workers said police used force to clear them from the airport. PTI
Abe played "constructive role" in Sino-Russian ties: China
Beijing, Sept 12 (PTI) China today thanked the outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his "constructive" role in the development of Sino-Japanese ties, saying further progress is in the fundamental interests of the two nations and its peoples.
The further development of Sino-Japanese ties is in the fundamental interests of the two nations and two peoples and the development momentum of bilateral ties will see continuous growth, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said when commenting on the resignation of Abe.
Abe played an active and constructive role in developing China-Japan relations, which have scored tangible improvement thanks to the efforts made by both the governments and peoples from all walks of life, she said.
Abe offered his resignation today, less than a month after he reshuffled the cabinet following a crushing defeat of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in parliamentary election.
His resignation came hours after Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, left here for Japan on a week-long official goodwill visit.
Jia, ranked No.2 in the ruling Communist Party hierarchy, is invited by the Japanese government.
The year 2007 marks the 35th anniversary of the normalisation of China-Japan relations and it is also designated as the China-Japan culture and sports exchange year. PTI
Lanka verifying about arrest of top LTTE leader
Colombo, Sep 12 (PTI) Sri Lankan authorities are verifying with police in Thailand reports about the arrest of top LTTE leader Kumaran Padmanathan, who allegedly financed the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Defence officials said they were awaiting details from Bangkok about the arrest of Padmanathan, better known as KP, somewhere in Thailand on charges of gun-running.
Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry reproduced a Thai media report which said the man had been arrested as part of the execution of an Interpol arrest warrant, but had no information on their own.
Local media here quoted the Thai branch of Interpol as saying that they had no information about any such arrest and they checked their records going back two years but found nothing on KP. PTI
WHO confirms outbreak of Ebola virus in Congo republic
New York, Sept 12 (PTI) Deadly haemorrhagic Ebola virus has resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the recent outbreak killing at least 160 people, the United Nations health agency said today.
Laboratory analysis conducted in Gabon and the United States on samples taken from cases in the outbreak have confirmed the presence of the Ebola virus, which causes death in 50 to 90 per cent of the cases, World Health Organisation (WHO) reported.
The agency has already rushed medical supplies to the region in an effort to contain the disease.
WHO said some of the samples also show the presence of a type of dysentery, which is complicating the treatment of victims, who are concentrated in the Mweka and Lwebo areas of DRC's Kasai Occidental province.
So far there have been 372 confirmed cases and 166 deaths, according to WHO.
However, Radio Okapi, which is part-operated by the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC) today reported that there have been 168 deaths.
DRC health ministry officials are leading the response to the outbreak, but WHO said it was providing staff, supplies and equipment to the areas affected besides mobilising a team of national and international experts to implement strategies to limit the size of the outbreak.
The Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons or animals and it has an incubation period of two to 21 days. PTI
Al-Qaeda in Pakistan a major challenge to US: Crocker
Washington, Sep 12 (PTI) The United States has said that fighting the al-Qaeda in Pakistan is as critically important to America as coming to terms with the terror network in Iraq.
"I could say a few things based on my two-and-a-half years in Pakistan, and that is the presence of al-Qaeda in the Pakistan and Afghanistan border areas is a major challenge to us," former American Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan Crocker said.
Crocker, the Bush administration's top diplomat in Baghdad, said this while addressing lawmakers in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the course of an intensive and extensive session on the current course in Iraq.
Crocker was asked for his views on whether the United States is providing sufficient resources to address the threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb.
Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin asked Crocker, "How concerned are you about al-Qaeda's safe haven in Pakistan?" To this, the administration's top diplomat in Iraq replied "... We're all quite concerned".
"Which is more important to defeating al-Qaeda, the situation in Afghanistan or that (the) situation in Iraq, Ambassador?" asked a persistent Senator Feingold.
"The challenges in confronting al-Qaeda in the Pak-Afghan border area are immense, and they're complicated. I did not feel, from my perspective as ambassador to Pakistan, that the focus, the resources, the people needed to deal with that situation, weren't available or weren't there because of Iraq," Crocker responded.
"...In my view, fighting al-Qaeda is what's important; whatever front they're on. Fighting al-Qaeda in Pakistan is critically important to us, fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq is critically important to us," Ambassador Crocker added. PTI
ArcelorMittal to acquire 51% stake in Turkish Steel Company
Jerusalem, Sept 12 (PTI) Steel giant ArcelorMittal has agreed to buy 51 percent of Turkish steel company Rozak, which had sales of USD 358 million last year.
The transaction is subject to government's antitrust authorities' approval and is expected to be completed by year-end 2007.
"This acquisition is an important step for ArcelorMittal to meet the strong Turkish demand in all products", 'Turkish Daily News' quoted a press release from ArcelorMittal as saying.
"Turkey is one of the fastest growing steel markets. The construction sector is very dynamic, with a growth rate above 10 percent," Gonzalo Urquijo, member of the Group Management Board of ArcelorMittal, was quoted as saying.
"The acquisition of this stake in Rozak will allow our steel distribution business in this country to reach its capacity target in 2010," he added.
Rozak, which employees a hundred people, was established in 1983 and has five production sites in Gebze, Ikitelli, Eregli, Iskenderum and Izmit.
ArcelorMittal is already the major supplier of Rozak, which specializes in H-profiles, sheet and plates. PTI
Apollo, Deccan Aviation sign MoU on air ambulance service
Bangalore, Sep 12 (PTI) Apollo Hospitals Enterprises today entered into an agreement with Deccan Aviation to launch air ambulance service from Bangalore.
The service would be provided to link the New Apollo Hospitals, on Bannerghatta Road, a 250-bed multi-specialty tertiary care unit, a joint statement said.
The services are being provided by helicopters and Deccan Aviation is providing the entire logistical support.
"As air evacuations can be expensive, we are in talks with insurance companies to include air evacuation in medical insurance policies so we can extend this to everyone who may need the service" said Dr Umapathy Panyala, COO, New Apollo Hospitals, Bennerghatta Road, Bangalore, in the statement.
"While Deccan Aviation will provide the helicopter and take care of aviation logistics, Apollo emergency specialists will take care of the medical aspects by providing trained personnel, equipment and medical care during the flight", he added.
Air ambulance services are used in cases where transport by ground ambulance could endanger the life of a patient or in remote areas where there is no ground accessibility.
Apollo air ambulance provides state-of-the-art advanced life support equipment on board its aircraft. PTI
GDP growth for the year to be about 9 pc: Rangarajan
Mumbai, Sep 12 (PTI) The country's GDP growth rate for the year would be about nine per cent, a top government official said today.
"For the year as a whole, the growth rate would be maintained...There could be some special features...I have not yet analysed it. But overall the growth rate of the economy during the year will be about nine per cent," C Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister said here.
On interest rate cut by Reserve Bank in the light of softening inflation, Rangarajan said the monetary policy had played a role in keeping price level well anchored but price trends have to be well established before reducing interest rates.
"It is good that the year-on-year inflation is below four per cent but we also need to watch how the prices behave during the year and therefore monetary policy changes have to come after a clear trend has been well established," he said. PTI
CPI(M) leader seeks separate pharmaceutical ministry
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) The government should create a separate ministry or department for pharmaceuticals to help the sector sustain its growth, a CPI(M) parliamentarian said.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, CPI(M) MP Sujan Chakraborty said the creation of a separate department or ministry for pharmaceuticals would pave the way for healthy growth of the sector.
"Pharmaceutical sector is going to be one of the biggest sectors in India in the near future but issues related to it are intertwined with various other departments and it needs a focused approach if it has to grow. The focus on the sector can only be maintained if a different Department/Ministry is created for its," Chakraborty told PTI.
The Left leader, who met Singh today to raise the issue, said there were multiple authorities dealing with various issues, which is impeding growth.
"Unfortunately, Indian pharmaceutical sector is suffering considerably owing to the peculiar problem of dealing with multiple authorities like regulation related issues are handled by Ministry of Health, price regulation falls under chemicals and fertiliser ministry among others.
"It is felt that the pharmaceutical sector has to be clear about the nodal Ministry/Department with clear out responsibility for identifying the constraints of the sector and also for providing necessary help or guidance for overcoming the same," Chakraborty wrote in the letter.
The government should treat pharmaceutical sector in a similar manner with which it treated IT sector, and recognise its importance in the economy. He also urged the PM to take a decision at the earliest so that the progress of this sector may be included in the 11th five-year plan. PTI
Sustainability of growth concerns: SBI Chairman
Mumbai, Sep 12 (PTI) The risk of non-performing assets, challenges of the knowledge economy and need for scale in the banking sector are issues needing immediate attention as India moves to a higher growth trajectory, a top banker said today.
"With an average GDP of 7.5 per cent for the last five years, India is moving to a higher growth trajectory... The question nagging my mind is... Is the growth sustainable?" State Bank of India Chairman O P Bhatt said presenting the theme for FICCI Conference on 'Global Banking' here.
"With credit growth galloping at 30 per cent, the NPAs, both gross and net, are coming down, but are they coming down in absolute terms? Or are they at the same levels? Or in some banks and in some instances are they rising?," he asked.
Underscoring his observation in the light of the US sub-prime mortgage crisis, Bhatt observed if there was a slowdown in asset growth, as at present, and no treasury income to make up for it, the problem would get compounded.
"The best financial experts could not predict the impact of the US sup-prime crisis...How many sub-prime were dwelling in India? The proactive treatment of risk is supremely important," he said.
On sustainability of growth, Bhatt also listed absence of a roadmap for investments into India, the weak corporate debt market and the dilemma of the public sector banks to raise capital without the government owners losing control or direction. (MORE)
Sania still unsure about Sunfeast Open participation
Mumbai, Sep 12 (PTI) Although hopeful of recovering from her wrist injury before the Sunfeast Open, Sania Mirza said she might have to wait until the day of her first match to decide whether to play the tournament or not.
"At this point I am hoping to play in the tournament. We will make the decision on Sunday or Monday. I would want to wait until the last moment before taking the decision, maybe even until the day of the first match," Sania said.
"I haven't hit a ball since I came back (from the US Open) and will just have to see how it goes," Sania, who was here to attend a promotional event for the tournament starting September 17, added.
The 20-year-old, along with actor Shah Rukh Khan, the brand ambassador of Sunfeast, unveiled a painting that is to be presented to the winner of the tournament.
The USD 1,75,000 tier III WTA event will also feature top players like Daniela Hantuchova, Marion Bartoli and others.
Sania, who partnered Bethanie Mattek at the US Open also said she is currently without a doubles partner and would need to look for one in the coming days.
Sania said she was also working on improving her fitness.
"Everyone says I have a strong forehand but I think there is scope for improvement. Even with fitness, I have a long way to go." PTI
BCCI to unveil ambitious Twenty20 plans tomorrow
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) The BCCI is all set to unveil its own ambitious international Twenty20 league plans here tomorrow, a move which is widely seen as a retaliation to an unofficial venture floated by the Essel Group.
Cricket Board top brass from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Australia and India will go into a huddle in a city hotel tomorrow to dicuss the finer points before the plans are made public in a press conference in the afternoon.
BCCI Working Committee, which also meets tomorrow at the same venue, would deliberate on the project and ratify it.
Apart from the Twenty20 league, the Board's working committee will also discuss some other important projects which have been in the pipeline for some time.
Though BCCI officials were reluctant to give details on the league, it is widely speculated that the administrators have borrowed the idea from football and this would be cricket's version of the UEFA Champions League.
Board officials from some countries, however, still don't have a clear idea about the proposed league and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Jayantha Dharmadasa said though he had been invited for the meeting, he did not know what was there in the agenda.
BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi, the mastermind behind the project, has been working on it for quite a while but the project was under wraps. But after the emergence of ICL, and its aftermath that saw Ranji teams like Hyderabad, Punjab and Bengal severely depleted, the Board expedited the process. PTI
India to launch T20 campaign against Scotland tomorrow
A V Nayudu
Durban, Sept 12 (PTI) India will launch their campaign in the Twenty20 cricket World Cup with a group-D match against lowly Scotland here tomorrow, hoping to fine-tune their skills and strategies for the tougher games ahead.
The Indians have virtually no experience in this slam-bang version of the game having played just one match before and it remains to be seen how quickly the team adapts to the requirements.
With the long tour of Ireland and England ending just a few days back, the Indian team, under a new captain in dashing Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hardly had time to settle down and get to know the nitty-gritty of the game or acclimatise to the conditions.
But they will be bolstered by some fresh legs in Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, who would use this opportunity to prove their worth and make a return to the national side.
The first task for the Indians will be to get their playing combination right snd get used to the bouncy track and the strong wind. It is important for them to hit form early as they square up against traditional rivals Pakistan the following day at the same venue.
So, while Scotland may be no more than a sparring partner, there is every reason for the Indians to get a head start as they eye the big game against Pakistan. PTI
Anand top seed in chess World championship
By Our Chess Correspondent
Mexico, Sept 12 (PTI) Viswanathan Anand will start as the top seed but a tough contest is on cards in the Chess World championship that starts here from tomorrow.
After his recent elevation as the top ranked player in the world in ELO ratings, this will be Anand's first major event in Classical chess and the Indian will have to give his best if he has to regain the title he won in 2001.
For the chess buffs across the world the extravaganza, arguably the strongest ever tournament in the history of the game, promises exciting chess spread well over a fortnight when the eight top players of the planet will take on each other twice to determine the new World champion.
The onus will be on Russian Vladimir Kramnik who was crowned the new world champion in 2006 after his victory over Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the reunification match, famous as toiletgate, at Elista in Russia.
Kramnik is the second seed in the event on ELO scales but is amongst the favourites for the crown here.
For the records, the eight-players double round robin tournament will be played under classical chess rules and all games can last up to seven hours. There will be 14 games in all and the new world champion will be decided based on the number of points scored from these games.
Amongst other participants Armenian Levon Aronian is also expected to be among the contenders for the world title. A former World Junior champion, Aronian has been quite impressive in the recent past and is amongst the few players who have beaten Anand in classical chess recently. PTI
Polls not far, but slugfest between Modi, rivals at peak
Parag Dave
Ahmedabad, Sep 12 (PTI) Political parties are going full blast to use all the conventional modes and also the new media for campaign like internet, television, short message services (sms) etc to woo the voters ahead of the polls likely to be held by December-end.
Internet is widely being used by pro and hate Modi campaigners. Modi's supporters have put up blogs and messages and even his detractors too are into the same technology.
Ahmedabad BJP Corporator Mayur Dave in his blog has praised Modi as a visionary leader, who according to him was a boon to the state.
The BJP maintains that it is yet to officially start its E-campaign and would do it when the election draws near.
Television is being widely used by both the main political parties--the BJP and opposition Congress-- to reach out to the electorate in the state.
The state government has in the meanwhile distributed some compact discs to almost all the cable operators and told them to air the CDs during prime time.
Through the CDs an attempt has been made to how Modi has put Gujarat on the path of progress in the last five years.
Flaying the BJP for using the government machinery for the propaganda, the Congress too set off a splurge of advertisements with anti-Modi slants, both in some national and local television channels. PTI
Hotels hiring foreign chefs to attract discerning clientele
Anurag Sharma
New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) How Chinese is the 'Chinese' cuisine? Many may have often wondered over the genuineness of 'foreign food' dishes that are on offer in restaurants.
To bring about a sense of culinary veracity to their menus, restaurateurs are hiring chefs from the country of origin of the food to titillate taste buds.
"Foreign chefs are finding India a hot destination for their profession as Indian hotel industry is at boom. Occupancy levels at most hotels today average at around 80-85 per cent through the year, thanks to the host of conferences and trade shows beings hosted in the country. And the future only looks brighter," says Rajesh Mishra, Chairman, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
"Indian chefs are incomparable but hiring a foreign chef adds glamour to the restaurant in attracting guests. In fact, many of Indian chefs are doing a great job in US and Europe and are in great demand overseas. Still, hiring authentic chefs, usually from the land from where the food originates, helps in the certification of food," he adds.
Shobha Mishra, Deputy director, FICCI, says the globalosation and easy visa rules have helped the Indian hospitality industry to add diversity in the chef profession.
She adds that it is worth noticing the demand of the Indian chefs is increasing by the day and the number of foreign chef in the country is still very small.
"They are more skillfull and efficient professionally and add more authenticity to the dish. In spite of the language and cultural barrier they understand the psyche of the customer better and if you are a connoisseur of good food and want to eat Chinese or Italian food the way Chinese or Italian do, a authentic chef is a must," says Ajit Sharma, Senior General Manger, Jaypee Siddharth. PTI
Indian handlooms, making inroads in world markets
New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) Indian handlooms are going global in a big way and have found support in the designer community, with ace labels like Manish Arora, Rohit Bal and Rajesh Pratap Singh figuring among 14 designers from the country, who are set to showcase their clothes and accessories, at the upcoming London Fashion Week beginning September 15.
The initiative is spearheaded by the UK based Conran Shop, which has picked up the 14 designers, including five who specialize in textiles, to travel to Conran Shops in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo.
"Handlooms represent not just an industry but the cultural heritage of India. It needs to chart out a road map for itself. Designers can play a major role in promoting handlooms. However, so far we have not been able to utilize our own resources to cope up with the changing lifestyles and aspirations. The handloom industry and the fashion designers should work in coordination to initiate yet another 'swadeshi' movement," Rathi Vinay Jha said at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week held in the capital recently.
Sunil Sethi, CEO Alliance Merchandising company says, "I see a lot of new designers following the trend of handlooms. Major international stores like UK -based Crate and Barrel, the Habitat all brand leaders abroad -are selling stuff by our designers.
"I have done atleast Rs 1,000 crore export in handlooms. This only goes on to prove that if we design our product right then the handloom industry has tremendous scope," he says. PTI
Rumours of my affair with Raj Kapoor were his creation: Vyjantimala
New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Gossip about her alleged romance with Raj Kapoor made her quite unhappy as, while the showman enjoyed the subsequent publicity, the media never sought her opinion, says the yesteryears actress Vyjantimala Bali.
"...During and after the release of Sangam, the fact of the matter was that RK was far too enamoured of getting publicity and grab the headlines. And the included the rumours that I was romantically involved with him.
"It was all the manipulative doing of RK banner's PR Drive and unnecessarily this nonsense spread like a wild fire...," she shares in her autobiography, 'Bonding...A Memoir'.
"No body from the media bothered to seek my point of view. This was absolutely baseless and made me angry," she writes.
"It hurt him and me in equal measures as like others even his family thought it to be true. But as far as my clean image and reputation was concerned, it remained untouched." Recalling another such instance she says, as far as publicity of a film was concerned RK was "very self centred". "He would go out of the way to hype it to the hilt, which was good for the film but not for me. The RK bandwagon even went to the extent of saying that I was somehow related to the Maharaja of Mysore. What nonsense!" Talking of RK's reputation of being a lady's man was an outcome his publicity stunt only. "I had observed during those four years of the making Sangam that RK was not obsessed about women, like he was made out to be. PTI
Orissa will pave way for industrial revolution: Minister
Bhubneswar, Sep 9 (PTI) Orissa will soon come out with a SEZ policy keeping the social and business interests in mind.
"SEZ is a very complex word involving lot of issues. Nevertheless one just cannot ignore the benefits of having SEZs in the state. At the same time, there are some issues to be sorted out. The earlier SEZ policy of the centre had many shortcomings and hence we would come out with a policy which would be acceptable to all," Biswabhusan Harichandan, Minister, Industries told a group of visiting journalists.
With incidents of Singur and Nadigram in West Bengal along with Kalingnagar in Orissa where there were large scale of protests by landowners whose lands were being taken for various industrial projects bringing the government's rehabilitation policy into question, the minister added that steps are being taken so that no such incidents take place in future.
"The incidents had reached such a grave stage because of the handiwork of certain political parties. Taking genuine grievances into account, we have also brought out a special rehabilitation package," the minister added.
Senior officials looking after the rehabilitation process added that dialogues were undertaken with local people and hence every major son within a family would be treated as a separate family and unmarried women above the age of 30 would also be regarded so. They added one member from each family would be given jobs at the factory for which their land have been taken after giving appropriate monetary compensation for land. PTI
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