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Goa’s Heartbeat: Kangana asked Pg 4 to regain weight
Mild tremors felt in Sanguem; Met rules out quake HERALD CORRESPONDENT SANGUEM, JAN 6
Mild tremors were felt in some parts of Sanguem taluka on Thursday morning, causing panic among residents. The tremors were felt at about 6.40 am and again at about 11.05 am at Uguem, Valkini and Bhati in Sanguem taluka. According to the residents, the noise and the effect of tremor was particularly high in Uguem and its surroundings, as some people rushed out from their houses. Bhati Sarpanch Uday Naik also claimed the mild tremor and the loud noise to have been felt in Bhati. Naik claimed there to have been complaints of some empty bottles to have fallen on the floor at the time of the tremor. The school children, who were on their way to school too claimed to have felt tremors and the loud noise.
When contacted, officials at Sangeum Mamlatdar’s office stated that there was no confirmation till 5.30 pm of any tremors in the taluka from the Department of Meteorology. Even Quepem Deputy Collector’s office was in the dark of the tremor, which otherwise had shocked most of the people in Sanguem town, Uguem, Valkini and Bhati. Meanwhile, fears are expressed by people in Sanguem over safety of the Selaulim Dam. There were rumours in the town of some cracks being developed to the side walls of the Selaulim Dam, but the same could not be ascertained from the officials as the office looking after the maintenance of the dam was closed for the day. When contacted, Quepem Deputy Collector Agnelo Fernandes feigned ignorance of any tremors being felt within the jurisdiction of his office and that (Continued on page 10)
Drunken driving fine measured in pegs! HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN 6
The Motor Vehicles Act is being made more stringent for drunken driving. Those driving after consuming liquor will be checked and fined as per the quantity of alcohol in the blood. The present law provided for just a fine of Rs 2,000 or simple imprisonment up to six months if the alcohol in the blood is above the permissible limit of 30 mg in 100 ml. An expert committee appointed by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry has recommended a graded punishment based on how much alcohol is found in the blood, including cancellation of the driving licence in case of the repeat drunken driving. As a matter of fact, the c o m m i t t e e h a s re c o m mended heavy fine to the tune of Rs 2,000 for various traffic offences like overspeeding, jumping red lights and using mobile while driving that presently attracts find of Rs 100-500.
Goa: Gudlar shown threatening Dudu’s landlord in 3rd tape Pg 3
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Sports: Gambhir ruled out of ODIs Pg 13
Srikrishna panel for united Andhra option PTI NEW DELHI, JAN 6
Justice Srikrishna Committee has recommended keeping Andhra Pradesh united with Constitutional and Statutory measures for empowerment of the Telangana region “is the best way forward” while creating a separate state can be the “second best” option to tackle the statehood demand. These are the two options among the six given by the fivemember committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge B N Srikrishna which submitted its report to the Centre last week after holding wide-ranging cons u l t a t i o n s a c ro s s A n d h r a Pradesh since February last year. The Committee itself found that the other four options – maintaining status quo, bifurcating the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with Hyderabad as Union Territory and the states having their own
Pak bans onion exports, prices go up by Rs 10 a kg PTI NEW DELHI/LAHORE, JAN 6
Onion prices in major Indian cities went up by Rs 5-10 per kg on Thursday as government’s efforts to boost supply suffered a setback with Pakistan banning exports of the commodity via Wagah border. Even as secretaries in the key economic ministries reviewed the situation with Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, watchdog body Competition Commission of India ordered a probe into possible cartels among traders. As 300 India-bound trucks carrying 3,000 tonnes of onion had reached the Wagah border near Amritsar, Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry imposed a ban on movement through land route, giving a shock to India. Onion prices increased to Rs 60-65 a kg in major metros such as Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. “Retailers have jacked up prices on reports of ban by Pakistan,” General Secretary of Tomato and Onion Merchants’ Association in Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi said. New Delhi dubbed the Pakistan’s decision as “shocking”, with Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma stating the issue has been taken up with the concerned authorities in Islamabad.
WAR OVER TELANGANA
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TRS wants nothing but a Telangana state that existed prior to November 1, 1956.
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TDP demands the Centre table a Bill in the Budget session of Parliament for creation of Telangana state.
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BJP says delay in formation of the Telangana state would harm the interests of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana region.
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Congress MLAs from Telangana too want Telangana state and nothing else.
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Muslims in Hyderabad, who constitute 41 per cent of the population in the metropolis, do not want a separate state of Telangana to be created.
capitals, bifurcation into RayalaTelangana and coastal Andhra regions with Hyderabad as part of Rayala-Telangana and bifurcation into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a separate Union Territory – made by it are
not practicable. It was also conscious of the possible opposition that may come from different quarters even to its two best options. The committee recognised that the Telangana statehood (Continued on page 10)
Temples join hands to tackle thefts HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 6
Around 300 hundred temple committees in Goa have joined hands forcing government to curb increasing instances of temple robberies and idol desecration. ‘Gomantak Mandir and Dharmik Sanstha Mahasangh’ (GMDSM) a joint organisation has been formed by trustees of various temples of the State, which will be formally inaugurated on January 8, at Porvorim. The office bearers said the Mahasangh has been formed to have a coordination amongst temples and religious organisations and provide free of cost legal assistance to temple committee, resolve legal matters and to impart religious education among youth. Jayesh Thali, coordinator of GMDSM told reporters that the continuing thefts and idol desecration throughout the State and the failure of the State government to take adequate action forced the temple managements to cobble together the alliance. “Temples in Goa are being at-
tacked continually. In the past six years, more than 50 idols of temples have been desecrated and more than 250 temples are robbed. But the State government has shown apathy towards this grave issue,” Thali said. On the contrary, he added that government is trying to label these temples and small shrines as unauthorised religious structures. Mahasangh President Chandrakant Pandit said that the State government was purposely turning a blind eye towards these incidents hurting Hindu religious sentiments. “The State government has failed to achieve any breakthrough in these incidents although property worth crores of rupees was robbed away or destroyed,” he said. Mahasangh’s office bearer Ramesh Shinde criticised State government’s appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has failed completely to give even a single breakthrough in the matter over last two years. (Continued on page 10)