Srinagar, Jul 8 (PTI) Pilgrims to the high-altitude Amarnath cave shrine can hope to enjoy uninterrupted telecommunication services this season as state-run BSNL has provided optical fibre connectivity and satellite phones en route the mountainous trek.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has already made available pre-paid SIM cards for the pilgrims at the twin base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal district and Chandanwari in Anantnag district.

General Manager, Telecom, D K Aggarwal told reporters here that “Optical fibre connectivity, V-Sat as alternate media and other satellite phones have been installed for providing uninterrupted telecom services during the yatra period.”

Aggarwal said while 2G services are being provided at all stations en route the shrine, 3G services have also been introduced at various stations for the benefit of the pilgrims.

As part of the Digital India Week celebrations, BSNL has also been holding different programmes at district levels in the Valley.

On Monday, state-of-the-art technology equipment (4K) ? Next Generation Network (NGN), a body of key architectural changes in telecommunication core and access networks, was installed, tested and accepted for commissioning at the Bemina Telephone Exchange here.

Bhopal, Jul 8 (PTI) A stenographer working at the Police Headquarters here was booked for allegedly raping a policewoman on the pretext of marriage.

The accused, identified as Kashiram Pachole, was known to the woman for almost three years and never told her that he was married, an official of Jehangirabad police station said.

He raped the 31-year-old policewoman at a hotel in Ujjain on the pretext of marrying her, following which she filed a complaint with the police, he said.

City Superintendent of Police Saleem Khan confirmed that a case of rape was yesterday registered against the accused in the Jehangirabad police station and said after investigation, further action will be taken in this regard.

Meanwhile, people who had taken shelter in the three relief camps in Tingling and Lamagaon villages following the landslides are gradually returning home, the officials said.

Another landslip occurred in Darjeeling district even as people are returning home from relief camps where they had taken shelter following landslides since July 1 which claimed lives of 40 people.

Disaster management department officials today said the landslip occurred near Kalijhora last evening but there was no house in that spot and no casualty or injury was reported.

Meanwhile, people who had taken shelter in the three relief camps in Tingling and Lamagaon villages following the landslides are gradually returning home, the officials said.
Around 200-250 families have been sheltered in those camps and now only those whose houses have been completely destroyed are staying in the camps, they said.

The Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) has informed the central government about the damages in the three hill subdivisions of the district – Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong – caused by the landslides, said Kalimpong MLA and GTA member Harkha Bahadur Chhetri.

Around 400 houses have either been damaged or destroyed in the disaster, Chhetri said.

GTA chief Bimal Gurung yesterday called up West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had visited the landslide affected areas, to provide an update on the disaster.

The state government is also conducting an assessment of the landslide-battered districts and the report would be sent to the Centre.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, also visited Darjeeling after the landslides.

Los Angeles: Actress Amanda Peterson, best known for her 1987 film ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, is dead. She was 43.

he actress died at her home in Greeley, Colorado, reports tmz.com.

Peterson’s father said that the family hadn’t heard from 43-year-old since July 3 and became concerned. Her body was finally discovered at her home on July 5.

As for cause of death, Peterson’s father said that they don’t know the official cause of death, but shared: “She had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed.”

Peterson had been dealing with several medical issues over the past two years including pneumonia, sinusitis and sleep apnea. Peterson’s father also said that she had been living in a home with mold issues, but moved out about a year ago.

Peterson started her Hollywood career in early 1980s and landed small roles in musical film ‘Annie’ and several TV shows including ‘Silver Spoons’ and ‘Boone’. She got famous after playing Cindy Mancini opposite Patrick Dempsey in 1987’s romantic comedy movie ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’.

In 1994, Peterson reportedly left her movie career and moved to Colorado. She was said back to school several years ago but dropped out around 2010. Before her death, it’s said that Amanda had been trying to make it as a writer.

IANS

The Army has handed over an 11-year-old boy from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) who had inadvertently crossed into this side of the Line of Control (LoC), to the Pakistani Army.
Sameer Kayani, a resident of Laswa area of Athmuqam in PoK was intercepted by troops deployed in the forward areas after he inadvertently crossed into this side on Thursday, army officials said here Sunday night. The Army sent an urgent hot line message to the Pakistan side, after the boy was intercepted, they said.
The officials said that the message was initiated to inform the Pakistan Army of the safety and well being of Kayani along with a request for a flag meeting so that the boy could be repatriated and united with his family at the earliest.

“The flag meeting was held at the Teetwal Crossing Point and the boy was handed over to representatives of Pakistan Army by the unit based at Tanghdar frontier area,” the officials said.
The Army also gave Kayani a pair of new clothes and sweets for his family across the borders.

A US-based media watchdog has demanded a credible and thorough investigation into the mysterious death of TV journalist Akshay Singh while covering the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.
“The Indian government should do its utmost to investigate the death of journalist Akshay Singh in a credible and thorough manner,” demanded Committee to Protect Journalist Asia Research Associate Sumit Galhotra.
“Given the recent spike in the number of journalist deaths in the country, authorities should dedicate their efforts to solving these cases and delivering justice where due,” he said in a statement.

Singh, 38, an investigative journalist with India Today Group’s Aaj Tak channel, died a mysterious death on Saturday soon after he had interviewed the parents of a girl who was found dead after her name figured in the massive admission and recruitment scandal.

Post-mortem report inconclusive
The post-mortem report of deceased Aaj Tak special correspondent Akshay Singh has been handed over to the Dahod Police. The report will be handed to the Madhya Pradesh government for further investigation.
As per the initial reports, no internal and external injuries have been found on Akshay Singh’s body. Dr Ashok Devidas Bachani and Dr Harish Waghela performed Akshay’s post-mortem at the General Hospital Dahod. The post-mortem report submitted to the police station in Dahod says that there are no internal or external injuries anywhere on the body.
The doctors say that the final cause of death will be known only after the viscera report. Akshay’s viscera samples have been handed over to the police who, in turn, have handed them over to the authorized forensic lab. The doctors say that prima facie the death appears to be from natural causes but they want to withhold a final answer till the time the forensics report comes out.

A key witness in Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder case has retracted from his earlier statement during cross examination before the Anti-Terrorism Court, media reported on Tuesday.
Prosecution witness, retired SSP Imtiaz, a key security official of Bhutto, on Monday withdrew his earlier statement before Judge Rai Mohammad Ayub Marth who is hearing the case.
Imtiaz told the ATC that a foolproof security cover was provided to Bhutto outside Liaqat Bagh where she was assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack on December 27, 2007, Dawn reported.

He added all police officers were present on the scene to provide security to Bhutto.
Earlier, Imtiaz had claimed that Bhutto was killed due to inadequate security arrangements at Liaqat Bagh where the former chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had delivered her last speech.
He had then said: “Had Benazir not appeared from sunroof of the vehicle, she might not have been killed.”

Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has lashed out at Modi government accusing it of very large interference to control academic institutions. Sen, in a 4000 word essay to be published in August issue of New York Review of books has particularly given candid opinion about his ‘ouster’ from Nalanda University and how according to him, the government is trying to control various institutes of repute.

Amartya Sen in an interview to an English daily has spoken out on multiple issues. He has rued at the poor health of the economy and also expressed concern at cuts in health and education budget.

Regarding his removal from Nalanda, Sen said that some members of the board wanted him to carry on, but he stepped aside fearing government may cut funds and he didn’t want to be an ineffective leader. But according to Sen, it is not an isolated incident and government has tried to impose its will in several educational institutes. In the interview, Sen cited instances of educational institutes like TIFR, NBT, ICHR- where the government allegedly put academicians perceived closer to them, replacing more worthy individuals.

Sen also mentioned about the fiasco in both IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay. In IIT Delhi, Director Raghunath Shevgaonkar resigned whereas in IIT Bombay board chairman Anil Kakodkar refused to help government in the future. Sen was also critical of the draft IIM bill, which he says gives direct control to the government instead of effective power.

Sen also was pointed in his criticism saying merely HRD Ministry shouldn’t be blamed for the entire ‘interference’ in academic institutions and the whole government is to be blamed.

The noted economist was also scathing in his opinion about the state of economy under Narendra Modi. Taking a critical view of cut of budget in healthcare, he said that financing public services is a key component to growth, a trick India is missing. Comparing India to China, Sen said that only trying to emulate high growth rate of China is problematic. He said that market economy needs successful public services.

Sen slammed the Land Acquisition bill proposed by the government branding it ‘completely wrong’. This fresh salvo from Sen is likely to provide fresh ammunition to opposition parties and critic of Modi government who are already targeting the ruling dispensation on multiple fronts.

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) The rupee trimmed its initial sharp gains against the American currency but was still up by 2 paise at 63.38 in late morning deals on bouts of dollar selling from exporters.

Earlier, the rupee resumed higher at 63.30 per dollar as against the last closing level of 63.40 at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market.

The local currency moved in a range of 63.30 and 63.38 per dollar.

The US dollar index was up by 0.18 per cent at 96.42.

Oils rebounded in Asia early today on bargain-hunting after prices plunged a day yesterday as Greek defiance against austerity measures imposed by its creditors sparked turbulence in global markets.

In the New York market, the euro fell against its main rivals yesterday, but trimmed initial losses scored after Greek voters rejected conditions for a new bailout.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex was trading up by 54 points or 0.19 per cent to 8,262.62 at 1045 hrs.