THE HEADLINES:
- Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh appears before Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case.
- ED questions Congress leader Motilal Vora and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for alleged irregularities in land allotment to Associated Journals Limited.
- In Uttar Pradesh, Anti-Terrorist Squad arrests three persons and detains six others for allegedly planning terror attacks.
- Home Minister Rajnath Singh asks civil servants to use technology for improved service delivery.
- Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu seeks cooperation of states for ensuring houses to all in urban areas.
- Finance Ministry approves 8.65 per cent interest rate on EPF for 2016-17, says Labour Minister.
- And, in IPL, Kings Eleven Punjab to meet Mumbai Indians at Indore this evening.
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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today appeared before the Enforcement Directorate, ED, in New Delhi in connection with a money laundering case registered against him and others. The agency had summoned Mr Singh to record his statement in the case.
Last week, the Chief Minister had sent a communication to the agency stating his reasons for not being able to appear before it. He had sought a new date, after which the new summons were issued for today.
The ED summons have come close on the heels of filing of a charge sheet by CBI against Mr Singh, his wife and others. They have allegedly amassed assets worth around 10 crore rupees disproportionate to their known sources of income.
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The Enforcement Directorate has questioned senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with its money laundering probe. The investigation is into alleged irregularities in the allotment of a plot to Associated Journals Limited, AJL, in Panchkula in 2005. Officials said, Mr Vora, the national treasurer of the All India Congress Committee, was questioned two days back at his residence in New Delhi. Mr Hooda was also questioned during the same time in Chandigarh.
The ED recorded their statements under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Officials said, they were also confronted with some documents seized and recovered in the case. Mr Vora was questioned in his capacity as the Chairman and Managing Director of AJL which is the publisher of National Herald newspaper.
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In Uttar Pradesh, the Anti-Terrorist Squad of police today arrested three persons for allegedly planning terror attacks. Inspector General of ATS Asim Arun said it conducted search operations and raids at different places in five states after getting inputs about their terrorist activities. More from our correspondent:
ATS conducted search operations and raids this morning simultaneously in Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab with the help of police forces of five states. Three persons have been arrested from Mumbai, Jalandhar and Bijnore. Six others have been detained and interrogation is underway. They have been detained during raids at Mumbai, Narkatiyaganj in Bihar, Jalandhar and Bijnore and Muzaffarnagar. Police has said that arrested persons were active in recruiting new persons for their gang in different parts of Uttar Pradesh and other states. Sunil Shukla, AIR news, Lucknow.
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Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked civil servants to interpret and implement rules and regulations with an open and progressive mindset. Addressing the 11th Civil Services Day function in New Delhi today, Mr Singh said, decisions should be taken in the interest of the people. He said, while making the rules, it should be kept in mind that people are helped by these regulations.
Mr Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision is focused on development and good governance. He further said with the help of technology, civil servants can improve service delivery mechanism. Mr Singh said, the Government through Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile, JAM, convergence, is transforming good governance into smart governance. He said, the government is committed for the upliftment of the most downtrodden. He said civil servants have to play more active and effective role towards this goal.
The Minister said, civil servants should always remember that civil services have power. But, with power, comes responsibility, accompanied by accountability.
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Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today said National Urban Rental Housing Policy has been formulated and it will be taken for Cabinet approval soon. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mr Naidu said, ensuring a house for all in urban areas is a challenge and states should cooperate with the Centre in this connection.
Owning a decent house is a fundamental aspiration of all citizens of the country, more so for those at the bottom and the middle of the pyramid. Under PMAY (Urban), launched less then two years back, as on date construction of seventeen lakh seventy-three thousand five hundred and thirty three houses for the benefit of urban poor in 2008 cities and towns have been approved. The government has put in place enabling ecosystem to promote affordable housing.
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The Supreme Court today allowed e-auction of five-star hotel Taj Mansingh in Delhi. The hotel is presently being run by a Tata Group firm. The court allowed the plea of New Delhi Municipal Council, NDMC, that the Tata Group firm cannot have the right to refusal in the auctioning of the hotel. The bench, however, asked NDMC to grant six months breathing time to the company in vacating the hotel in case they lose out in the e-auction.
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National Green Tribunal today slammed the Art of Living over its founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar statement blaming the Centre and the green panel for damage to the Yamuna floodplains. Describing the statement as shocking, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said, Art of Living founder has no sense of responsibility. The observations came after petitioner informed the bench about Ravi Shankar's recent statement blaming the government and the NGT for permitting the NGO to hold the World Culture Festival on the floodplains of river Yamuna.
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Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today said that the Finance Ministry has approved 8.65 per cent interest rate on EPF for 2016-17. He said, the government will immediately issue a notification in this regard. The ratification will enable the retirement fund body EPFO to credit this rate of return into the accounts of over four crore subscribers. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation trustees had approved 8.65 per cent rate on EPF in December last year.
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Election Commission will get 30,000 new paper trail machines in July. This will augment its present stock to a level where it can deploy these units in all polling stations during the assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh later this year. A Commission official said, it has 53,500 VVPAT machines. The official said, nearly 84,000 units are sufficient for use in all polling stations in these two States.
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In Tripura, incessant rain accompanied by heavy wind and thunder storm has disrupted normal life. Many areas of Agartala are water-logged since last evening, as drainage and sewerage systems of the city have collapsed due to multiple blockades. With heavy rainfall lashing various parts of state since morning, water level in major rivers - Gomati, Manu and Howrah - continues to rise. Weather office has predicted moderate to heavy rain during the next 24 hours.
In Meghalaya, three persons, including a woman were injured after lightning struck them during a thunderstorm at two different locations in West Garo Hills district.
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In Himachal Pradesh, water level in Beas and other major rivers is rapidly rising. This is due to melting of snow triggered by soaring temperature in the state. A report:
The water level in Beas and other major rivers continues to rise after melting of glaciers and snow on higher reaches. The Kullu and Mandi district authorities have issued advisory for people residing near the banks of Beas. The district authorities would also display warning boards in Hindi and English at selective places besides deployment of police personnel. The Bhakra Beas Management Board authorities have opened two gates of Pandoh Dam near Mandi last night to release extra water from the Dam. With report of Shishu Sharma Shantal from Shimla, Swati Rakheja for AIR News.
Meanwhile, the Met office has predicted rain and thunderstorm at several places and snow in higher reaches during the next few days.
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In Maharashtra, there seems to be no respite from soaring heat. The Met department has predicted that there will be no significant change in the maximum temperatures across state for the next two days. More from our Mumbai Correspondent:
Heat wave continues to trouble many parts of Maharashtra. Chandrapur in Vidarbha remained the hottest city in the country at 46.2°C, while Nagpur and Wardha crossed 45°C mark. Though Mumbai recorded 32.8°C temperature in last 24 hours, humidity is a major concern with the above normal day temperatures. As per the predictions of Indian Meteorological Department, heat wave conditions are very likely at isolated places in Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra. Madhuri Pange, AIR News, Mumbai.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, at least 25 shops and eight houses were gutted in a devastating fire in remote area of hilly Doda district today. According to police sources, the fire broke out during midnight in a residential area of a village in Gandoh tehsil. The blaze was triggered by a short circuit. No loss of life or injury has been reported.
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IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS;
Pakistan's Supreme Court will deliver its verdict today on the Panama Papers case, involving Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif and his children. The court had, in February, reserved its verdict in the case, after both the defence and prosecution completed their arguments.
PML-N leadership held meetings yesterday to chalk out a strategy in the wake of the verdict. A party leader said, the option of early election is being discussed by the leadership in case of adverse verdict affecting Prime Minister Sharif.
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In Turkey, the Supreme Election Board has rejected opposition petitions to annul referendum on expanding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers to turn the country into an executive presidency. According to reports, after complaints of vote-rigging, ten members of Turkey's top election authority decided against annulling the vote while only one member voted in favour. The narrow 51- 49 percent referendum victory has led to protests in Istanbul and other cities over allegations of voting fraud.
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In Colombia, at least 17 people were killed and more than two dozen injured after heavy rains caused landslides in the city of Manizales. The Mayor of the city, said thirty homes collapsed in different sectors yesterday. Dozens of hillsides gave way after the city received the equivalent of a full month's rain in a span of five hours.
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At the stock markets, after a modestly positive opening, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange trimmed it early gains, and had climbed 36 points, or 0.1 percent, to 29,372 a short while ago. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange had added 17 points, to 9,120.
And at the forex market, the rupee had weakened 3 paise, to 64.61 against the dollar in afternoon deals.
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In IPL Cricket, Kings Eleven Punjab will play Mumbai Indians at Indore this evening. The match will begin at 8 PM. Last night, Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs.
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Four rare stamps featuring the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi have been sold for a record 5 lakh pounds at an auction in the UK. The seller, Stanley Gibbons, said they were sold to an Australian collector for the highest ever price for Indian stamps. The stamps were particularly rare owing to the fact they were in a set of four.
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