Railways to launch non-stop trains
Indian Railways will add one more feather to its cap when it launches its new class of passenger carrying ’Duronto’ trains on the next Friday.
’Duronto’ will be the first ever non-stop superfast passenger carrying train in the history of the Railways promising better speed, comfort and security for passengers.
’Duronto’ trains will be non-stop and take passenger from end to end. It means that passengers will not be allowed to embark or disembark at the intermediate stations.
’Duronto’ will be of two types, one is fully air-conditioned reserved train and other is air-conditioned and non air –conditioned combo reserved train. Outer colour scheme and design of ’Duronto’ coaches is distinct from the entire population of coaches of Indian Railways. The fare of the ’Duronto’ trains will include the cost of meals.
The introduction of this class of trains was announced for the first time in the Railway Budget 2009-10 speech delivered in the Parliament by the Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee in July this year.
Mamata Banerjee will flag off the first train in this series at Sealdah station in West Bengal on Sept 18. The train will reach New Delhi next day.
The second ’Duronto’ train will be flagged-off by the Minister of Home Affairs P.Chidambram from Chennai on same day and it will reach Nizamuddin Railway Station, the next day .
Cong to wait for ’emotions to cool’ before deciding Jagan issue
New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Congress leadership would wait for emotions to cool down before deciding on the issue of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, senior Congress leader and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today hinted and said the party would take an ’appropriate decision at appropriate time.’
’’It is not a big issue. Sometimes such things happen,’’ Mr Mukherjee said while reacting to the vociferous demand made by most Andhra Pradesh MLAs that former Chief Minister Y S R Reddy’s son Jagan Mohan Reddy be appointed as his successor.
Stating that no decision has been taken yet about the next Chief Minister, Mr Mukherjee, however, hoped that the matter be resolved and a way out would be found.
’’It is very unfortunate that Andhra Pradesh lost a tall leader and Chief Minister who was at his Zenith. Emotional upset is there.
I do hope that it will be possible for the leadership to find a way out, for the Congress legislature Party to choose and select the next leader. It may take sometime but it will resolve. Nothing has been decided as yet,’’ he said while interacting to members of Indian Women’s Press Corps here.
Regarding the demand that Jagan Mohan Reddy be made the Chief Minister, he said, emotionally upset by Mr Y S R Reddy’s untimely death, some people have suggested it on the basis of popular acceptability, but ’’sense has to be brought’’. The Congress will take appropriate decision to this at appropriate time, he added.
Asked about the possibility of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy being made the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mukherjee jokingly quipped ’’you people are giving ideas.’’ Asked whether Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy be made the Chief Minister or not, he said, ’’I am neither ruling out anything, nor ruling in.’’
--UNI
Will Chiru join Congress?
While Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu showed his utter disregard for late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy at the condolence meeting held at Ravindra Bharati on Friday, Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi presented a completely contrasting picture.
Chiranjeevi’s speech was more like that of a Congress leader and a die-hard YSR loyalist, rather than that of an opposition leader. He lavished praises on YSR and his leadership abilities, saying he had never seen such a mass leader in the past or would see in future. The PRP president recalled every moment of his association with YSR including his smile, his friendly appearance and his daring nature. He even recalled how he travelled along with YSR from Kadapa to Hyderabad, bypassing Nallamala forests.
One wondered whether Chiranjeevi has any plans to join the Congress, as he was asking everybody to carry forward the programmes and policies of YSR and follow his leadership. “I feel fortunate to be associated with him in assembly. It was an education to listen to his speeches, observe his style of answering debates and tackling the leaders. I never felt an opposition party member,” he said. What do you say?
US hopes Pak will bring 26/11 perpetrators to justice
United States on Friday expressed hope that Pakistan will bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack to justice.
“We would hope that the Pakistani authorities will continue their investigation and bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice,” Assistant secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said.
The visiting Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, during his four-day trip to Washington and New York, had expressed his concern to the top US leadership about Pakistan’s lackluster approach against terrorists responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Mr. Chidambaram, among others met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Adviser General (Rtd) James Jones.
“Among the topics discussed were ongoing cooperation on terrorism, following up on the Mumbai attacks and deepening our cooperation between the two countries,” Crowley said when asked about the meeting between Clinton and Mr. Chidambaram.
Mr. Chidambaram left for India on Friday, following his four-day trip to the US during which he appraised the US leadership about the ground realities about terrorism in South Asia, had a first-hand experience of the steps being taken by the US with regard to counter-terrorism, and discussed various issues of mutual interest.
Keywords: Mumbai terror, Pakistan, India, perpetrators, United States, Chidambaram, Hillary Clinton,
source : The Hindu
Pak forces fire rockets at India, BSF retaliates
Pakistani forces on Friday night fired two rockets towards Indian territory which fell in agriculture fields in two adjacent villages, drawing retaliation from BSF using machine guns.
There was, however, no casualty on the Indian side in the Pakistani action, BSF Inspector General Himmat Singh said.
Mr. Singh said Pakistan fired rockets which landed in an open area at villages Modhey and Dhoneya Khurd at around 10 pm IST after which the BSF troops hit back by opening fire from machine guns.
He said BSF authorities got in touch with their Pakistani counterparts for a flag meeting where India would lodge a strong protest against the action.
The attack happened on a day when the BSF deployed its first batch of women constables at the border to facilitate frisking of women going for work in fields.
Sixteen of a batch of 178 women constables of the force were deployed at Rorawari village near Attari border in Punjab on Friday.
Keywords: Pakistan forces, rockets, Indian territory, BSF, retaliation, machine guns, Inspector General, Himmat Singh, villages, Modhey, Dhoneya Khurd
source :The Hindu
