An Army jawan was killed in an avalanche in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here on Tuesday. Rifleman Bhupinder Singh of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was killed when he was swept away by an avalanche at Badi Baer in Tangdhar sector on Monday evening, the sources said. With this, the death toll in avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir this winter has reached 41, including 12 Army jawans.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Rajasthan Council has welcomed the emphasis laid by the 2008-09 State Budget, presented on Monday, on development of infrastructure, saying it would ensure delivery of goods and services of a high standard and meet public aspirations. CII Rajasthan chairman R.K. Poddar said here on Tuesday that the State Government had agreed to some of the recommendations made by CII in its pre-Budget memorandum and taken steps to reduce the time involved in the value added tax (VAT) refunds and provided for annual self-assessment and exemption to employers using e-filing from submitting audit reports. Mr. Poddar said the Budget had taken care of social sectors such as health, nutrition, drinking water and education and would speed up economic growth of the State. Other important announcements included those on skill development projects, electrification of all villages by the year 2009 and reduction of VAT on marble and finished Kota stone from 12.5 per cent to four per cent. CII Panel on Economic Affairs convenor Kishore Khaitan pointed out that the reduction in tax on aviation spirit from 28 per cent to 4 per cent and entertainment tax from 35 per cent to 30 per cent would lead to high revenue earnings for the State Exchequer.

Data shows noise due to traffic during the day is much higher than what is good for general public

A delegation of slum dwellers of Kusumpur Pahari village here led by Vasant Kunj Municipal Councillor Rakesh Rajora called on Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday urging her to allow the residents to continue living in the village after construction of rehabilitation flats for them. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajora observed: "The villagers have been living here for the past 35 years with their families. The Government has a policy of providing a two-room flat to each family on payment of Rs.2 lakh. While Rs.1 lakh will be paid by the residents, the remaining Rs.1 lakh will be granted as a loan that will be recovered in instalments spread over 25 years.' According to Mr. Rajora, besides rehabilitating the residents, the Chief Minister should also ensure provision of basic civic amenities like electricity, drinking water, dispensary and a community centre in the area. Addressing the gathering, Ms. Dikshit encouraged the residents to make sure of educating their girl children and said the Government would deposit Rs.10,000 in the name of the girl children born in the families residing in Kusum Pahari village. "When the girl reaches 18 years of age, this amount would increase to Rs.1 lakh which could be utilised in furthering the education of the child.' The Chief Minister advised the gathering to not only educate their girl child but also train them in vocational skills such as computers, embroidery and tailoring so that they would have no problem in seeking employment when they grow up.

Power Minister A.K. Walia on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the new power plants coming up in Delhi and those entirely dedicated to supply power for Delhi. Addressing the high-level meeting, the Minister said efforts were being made to make available adequate power supply during Commonwealth Games-2010. He said the foundation stone laying ceremony of the 1,500 MW gas-based Pragati Power Project at Bawana would be held soon and this would pave the way for implementation of the power plant. The first 250 MW turbine of this plant would be commissioned on February 25, 2010, whereas the entire project would be operationalised in October 2010. Dr. Walia also exhorted the concerned agencies to initiate actual work on the 750 MW gas-based Bamnauli Power Plant for which possession of land has been finalised. This plant is scheduled to be commissioned in October 2011 and its first turbine would become functional in May 2011. More power Delhi would also gain from the dedicated coal-based plant at Dadri in U.P. which is expected to provide 760 MW power to the Capital city from October 2010. Also, the Aravali 1,500 MW coal-based power plant at Jhajjar in Haryana is expected to become functional in October 2010. This, Dr. Walia said, would supply 750 MW power to Delhi.

WORLD-CLASS: (from left) M.Takedagawa, President and CEO, Honda Siel Car India; T. Oyama, President and CEO, Asian Honda Motors Co.; and H. Iwata, Operating Officer, Honda Motor Company and GM, Suzuka Factory, at the inauguration of a new production facility at Greater Noida near New Delhi on Monday. NEW DELHI: Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) on Monday inaugurated its new production facility at Greater Noida and announced an initial investment of Rs. 1,000 crore at its upcoming plant in Rajasthan that will start operation next year, producing 60,000 units a year. HSCI, which has now doubled its production capacity to to one-lakh vehicles annually, has so far invested Rs. 1,620 crore at the Noida plant since its establishment in 1997. The plant now produces Honda City, Honda Civic and Honda Accord models. World-class facilities The new facility, with a host of world-class manufacturing techniques and technological advancements, was inaugurated by Asian Honda Motors Company President and CEO T. Oyama in the presence of HSCI President and CEO M. Takedagawa. Speaking to media persons here, Mr. Takedagawa said the new plant in Rajasthan would be spread over 600 acres. The investment would be in the region of Rs. 3,000 crore by the time it reached its full capacity of over two-lakh units annually. The company intended to produce 60,000 units in 2009 from the new plant. Honda planned to enter the Indian compact car market, besides launching hatchback

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on Monday. Haryana's Annual Plan for 2008-09 was pegged at Rs.6,650 crore at a meeting here on Monday between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The Plan outlay includes a one-time additional Central assistance component of Rs.100 crore for the priority projects of the State. Commenting on Haryana's performance, Dr. Ahluwalia noted that the State had been recording an excellent growth rate with its overall performance much above expectations. During the Tenth Plan period it achieved a growth of 9 per cent against the target of 7.9 per cent. Accordingly, the Commission has fixed an ambitious target of 11 per cent growth during the Eleventh Plan. The State's per capita income, he said, was also much above the national average. While appreciating the efforts being made in improving the State's human development index, the Commission drew the Government's attention to the need to bridge the gaps. On fiscal performance, Dr. Ahluwalia commended the Hooda Government for reducing the fiscal deficit within the FRBM targets and transforming it in to a revenue-surplus State. Briefing the Commission on the State Government's development strategy, the Chief Minister pointed out that apart from additional resource mobilisation measures, efforts were on to further improve the social sector performance. A number of initiatives, he said, had been taken to benefit those who had not fully realised the fruits of development. He said a luxury tax was being levied on premium hotel and banquet halls and stamp duty rates for registration of sale of properties had been rationalised. To improve the quality of education, compulsory computer training is being introduced in secondary schools and

A two-day workshop for "Prevention and Control of Vector and Water-Borne Diseases' organised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi opened at India Habitat Centre here on Monday. Inaugurating the workshop, Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra emphasised the need to sensitise children to take preventive measures for control of vector and water-borne diseases. "A separate action plan formulated for children will be implemented in municipal schools, public schools and aided schools. This plan will create awareness and will also target residents' welfare associations, slum dwellers and municipal employees,' she added. Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri congratulated the civic body for taking the initiative of organising the workshop and said, "It is only through vigorous efforts of the MCD that dengue cases in the Capital are on the decline. Local bodies such as the Delhi Cantonment Board, the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Railway Board should come together in a joint endeavour to control diseases.' Addressing the gathering, MCD Standing Committee Chairman Vijender Gupta said the action plan proposed during the workshop would be implemented from April 1. Health Committee Chairman V. K. Monga and Municipal Commissioner K. S. Mehra were among those present on the occasion.

UPA's thrust on education is massive, says M.A.A. Fatmi The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has laid thrust on education, M.A.A. Fatmi, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development has said. Inaugurating the library block of H.M.S. Institute of Technology (HMSIT), near here on Saturday, Mr. Fatmi said the UPA Government would increase allocation to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan by Rs.10,000 crore and to the mid-day meal programme by Rs. 5,000 crore. He said while the percentage of school dropouts was brought down considerably at the primary level, it remained as high as 63 per cent at the secondary level. Mr. Fatmi regretted that only 9 per cent of those who finished secondary education, entered colleges. Less than 2 per cent got admission into professional courses. "We still need to set up lakhs of polytechnics and thousands of technological institutes,' he said. "We have permitted existing polytechnics to run courses day and night to cater to more aspirants.' Three new Indian Institutes of Technology in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar, and three new Indian Institutes of Science in Maharastra (Pune), Punjab, and West Bengal (Kolkata) were being set up, he said. Sixteen new universities were being formed. There would be at least one Central University in each State, he added. He promised to process the sanction of a new IIT for Karnataka and said: "I will see that it is located in Tumkur.' Mr. Fatmi asked students to give equal priority to sports and academics and said: "If you play well, you will be much inclined to read books.' "Acquisition of sportive spirit when you are young will enable you to become a good leader,' he said, inviting engineering graduates to enter the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.

Factories reportedly going slow on production Steep increase in fertilizer prices in international market Karnataka and Kerala are stated to be heading for a major shortage of chemical fertilizers during the ensuing kharif season with the Union Government yet to finalise the fertilizer prices and consequently the factories going slow on production. Sources in the State Secretariat told The Hindu that the authorities here are in touch with their counterparts in Kerala to finalise a joint move to impress on the Union Government to act with speed failing which it could have serious repercussions in the rural areas arising out of fertilizer shortage. The kharif sowing season normally starts around the same time in Karnataka and Kerala with the southwest monsoon setting in the region more or less around the same time. Fixing fertilizer prices and the quantum of fertilizer subsidy go hand-in-hand and a committee of Secretaries of the Union Government is stated to be pondering over this matter at length following the steep increase in fertilizer prices in the international market .The escalating prices of key inputs in the manufacture of phosphatic fertilizers is stated as one of the factors for the delay. Governor Rameshwar Thakur, during a recent visit to New Delhi, is stated to have impressed upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need to ensure adequate fertilizer supplies to Karnataka in time. A similar request has also been made to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan. The State faced a fertilizer shortage during the last rabi season. When compared with a projected demand of 15.39 lakh tonnes the supply was only 7.18 lakh tonnes. Kharif accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the agricultural production with the rest coming from the rabi crop. Normally, the exercise of building up fertilizer stocks by the authorities commences in the last week of February and the despatch to the dealers commences in the last week of March well ahead of the kharif season, which commences in April. The State has to also ensure the availability of railway wagons to transport fertilizer from the factories to all parts of the State. Unlike Kerala which has a major fertilizer factory (FACT), the only fertilizer plant in Karnataka (Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers-MCF) manufactures only urea. Sources told The Hindu that "the situation is alarming because the fertilizer industry as a whole has not taken any concrete step to produce and stock. We are anxiously waiting with our fingers crossed.'