New Delhi, March 20-Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today called on the Union Rural Development Minister Mr Jairam Ramesh and demanded that the Union government must include atleast one road of the state to each village, constructed with the state fund under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) for up gradation.
In a meeting with the Union Minister at his office at Shastri Bhawan, the Chief Minister said that the decision was need of the hour as it would give necessary impetus required for uplifting rural road network in the state. Mr Badal also urged the Union Minister that owing to the problem of the land in the state and the policy of the State government to not even acquire an inch of land without the express consent of the farmers the state was being deprived of funds for constructing the roads under the PMGSY as the minimum

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Non-passing of the budget of SGPC by march 31st would create financial chaos and adversely affect the working of more then Gurudwaras falling under its jurisdiction- CM

NCTC was designed by the UPA government to usurp the powers of the state governments which could not be tolerated- Badal

New Delhi, March 20-Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called on the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Mr P Chidambram separately to impress them for immediately calling the session of Shiromani Gurdara Prabandak Committee (SGPC) to avoid any sort of financial crisis in the ‘Mini Parliament’ of the Sikhs.

The Chief Minister during his meeting with Dr Manmohan Singh at his official residence in 7 Race Course Road and Home Minister Mr P Chindambram at his office in North Block apprised both the leaders that the maiden session of the SGPC was significant as election of the Office bearers of this highly revered organization is to be done in it. He said that if the office bearers of SGPC were

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ਗੁਹਾਟੀ, 10 ਅਕਤੂਬਰ (ਅ.ਬ.)-ਪੁਲਸ ਦੀ ਗੋਲੀ ਨਾਲ  4 ਕਿਸਾਨ ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਮਾਰੇ ਗਏ ਜਦ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੀ ਫਸਲ ਪਟਸਨ  ਦੀ ਐਲਾਨੀ ਗਈ ਘੱਟ ਕੀਮਤ ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਪਰੋਟੈਸਟ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ।  ਪੁਲਸ ਨੇ ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੌਮੀ ਰਾਜ ਮਾਰਗ ਉਪਰ ਪਰੋਟੈਸਟ ਕਰਨ ਤੋਂ ਰੋਕਣ ਲਈ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਲਾਠੀਚਾਰਜ ਕੀਤਾ ਪਰ ਜਦ ਅੰਦੋਲਨਕਾਰੀ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਸੜਕ ਤੋਂ ਨਾ ਹਟੇ ਤਾਂ ਪੁਲਸ ਨੂੰ ਗੋਲੀ ਚਲਾਉਣੀ ਪਈ।

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Former Telecom Min A Raja on Monday defended himself against corruption charges in the 2G scam, saying he had not done anything wrong and was merely following the policies pursued by his predecessors and the NDA govt.
The 47-year-old DMK MP pleaded before Special CBI Judge O P Saini that there was nothing wrong in his decision of not auctioning 2G spectrum as he had "implemented only what I have inherited."
Senior Advocate Sushil Kumar, appearing for Raja, said if Raja is being prosecuted for following a certain policy then all Telecom ministers since 1993 are liable to be prosecuted as they too followed the same policy.
"If policy pursued by me was wrong, then all former Telecom ministers since 1993 should also be in jail with me (Raja)," the counsel said while opposing framing

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The government draft on Lokpal Bill, which is expected to be considered by the Cabinet this week, does not include the Prime Minister in the purview of the Ombudsman but the final call on the ticklish issue will be taken by Parliament and its Standing Committee.
Disclosing this, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the bill will be introduced in Parliament in the Monsoon session starting on August one.
The government's draft has been prepared by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the nodal ministry, and the issue is likely come up before Cabinet this week or early next week.
"Once the Cabinet approves the draft, with or without changes, that is the government's draft that will be introduced in Parliament. So we will introduce the

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Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday lauded Bangladesh's efforts to root out terrorism in the region and vowed to work with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to thwart the scourge.
Sonia Gandhi praised Bangladesh initiatives to combat terrorism and uproot militancy but said the countries in South Asia need to join their hands to thwart its threats" as she held a meeting with Hasina, Bangladesh premier's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told a news agency.
"It's (militancy) not problem of India or Bangladesh alone," Azad quoted the visiting UPA chairperson as saying. During a one-to-one meeting, both the leaders agreed that "due to its gravity and manifestation" it was not possible by a single country to work against terrorism and militancy.
Azad said Hasina called terrorism a major threat to the sustainable development of the regional nations as the two leaders met on the sidelines of an international

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Home Minister P Chidambaram has said that the only issue examined by him as Finance Minister in 2007 and by the Prime Minister was if the two new telecom licencees Swan and Unitech were divesting i.e. selling their stake or diluting shares through issue of fresh equity.
He also said that the telecom ministry consistently wanted the entry fee to remain at 2001-levels but the Finance Ministry always wanted it to be rediscovered through an auction.
The Minister was speaking to PTI journalists in New Delhi on Monday, shortly after former Telecom Minister A Raja had told a Delhi court hearing the 2G case that Chidambaram, then Finance Minister, had told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that dilution of shares by 2G licencees to

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