Disconnect in India's rural telecom fund; $4.65 bn idling

rural-telecomNew Delhi, July 28 : A fund created 10 years ago to help link each of India's 638,596 villages with telecom and broadband connectivity with mandatory contributions by private service providers seems to be idling, with a whopping $4.65 billion in balance.

Thus far, around $8.4 billion (Rs. 50,682.95 crore) has been collected towards what is called Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) since 2002-03 when parliament approved the scheme. Official data shows $4.65 billion (Rs. 27,949.91 crore) remains unused.

617 Indian sanctuaries get just Rs.1 lakh each per month

Snow-LeopardNew Delhi, July 28 : How's this for skewered priorities: Over 617 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that are home to several critically endangered species like the Great Indian Bustard and the Snow Leopard get a mere Rs. 75 crore or Rs. 1 lakh each per month, on an average, while the 43 reserves for the big cat get a whopping Rs. 165 crore.

Going by the financial allocation for management of protected areas, each of the 102 national parks and 515 wildlife sanctuaries get only around Rs. 12 lakh annually - around Rs. 1 lakh per month.

Nigerians in India not allowed to start small businesses: Envoy

NigeriansNew Delhi, July 28 : Despite their bilateral relations being at the level of a strategic partnership, problems related to the Nigerian community in India are a dampener to India's relations with its largest trading partner in Africa. Nigerians are not allowed to start businesses in India even though Indians runs restaurants and shops all over Nigeria, says the country's high commissioner.

"Indian immigration is not being too helpful in terms of arrivals of Nigerians in India. We facilitate Indians going to Nigeria," Amaku complained.

Morsi could be sent to where Mubarak is: Egyptian minister

Mohammed-MorsiCairo, July 28 : Egypt's ousted president Mohammed Morsi maybe transferred to Torah prison, where former president Hosni Mubarak has been held, said Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Saturday.

On Friday, a top Egyptian court ordered 15-day detention of Morsi for investigations regarding charges of spying and jailbreak during the 2011 unrest that toppled Mubarak.

The investigating chief is the one who decides the place for detaining Morsi, Xinhua reported the interior minister as adding.

Stunt biker shot dead by Delhi Police

biker-shot-dead-Delhi-PoliceNew Delhi, July 28  A stunt biker was shot dead by police in the wee hours Sunday in central Delhi, police said. Another biker was injured.

Karan Pandey, resident of south Delhi Malviya, was shot dead at around 2.30 a.m. near Le Meridien hotel in Parliament Street.

He was riding pillion on Punit Sharma's motorcycle. Sharma was injured.

Ex-royal's daughters get Rs.20,000-crore relief from court

Harinder-Singh-BrarChandigarh, July 28 (IANS) It is a royal bonanza for two daughters of a former maharaja, one they had to wait for over two decades.

A court here has declared a 32-year-old will "forged" and illegal" and granted inheritance of properties and assets worth a whopping Rs 20,000 crore ($4.4 billion) to the two daughters of the erstwhile Maharaja of Faridkot, Harinder Singh Brar.

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