By Shukoor Ahmed / Gandhinagar
Amid lots of hue and cry over the rehabilitation of the Gujarat riot victims, very little attention has been paid on how the money donated for the victims is being utilised. Despite donations from across the world, why many of them are still staying in rented houses. Contradictory to condition of the riot victims, bank balances of those NGOs, which are collecting funds in the name of providing financial help to them, are swelling.
Just four months back, the victims of the Gulbarg Society raised question over credentials of social activist Teesta Setalvad and her NGOs. According to them, she had collected huge amount using their names but they have not received anything.
By Fauzia Arshi / Jeddah
Saudis are now working in other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries particularly Kuwait. In contrast, very few GCC citizens work in the Kingdom. In 2012, a total of 4,854 Saudis worked in GCC countries, 2,825 if them in Kuwait, according to a report from the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI).
The report said that 3,191 Saudis worked in the public sector in GCC countries, with 1,663 in the private sector. Kuwait had 1,169 Saudis working in their private sector. According to the report, there were 210 Saudis working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 12 in Qatar, 23 in Bahrain and 10 in Oman.
By Arhaan Faraaz / Hyderabad
Hyderabad's Hussainsagar presents a mesmerizing site with fountains sprinkling jets of water around the solitary statue. However, motorists and those who prefer the scenic Tank Bund road for a jog have a different tale to tell. The water falling on unsuspecting motorists and passers-by has been the cause for complain since the installation of the fountains in September 2011. A recent meeting between officials of Buddha Purnima Project Authority and AP Tourism Department will likely shift the fountains away from the shore, acting on the complaints received.
By Thanga Pillai / Coimbatore
The primary school in the Kallarkudi tribal settlement in Valparai in Coimbatore, is a one-of-a-kind institution in many ways. It’s probably the only school that employs one teacher and has an attendance of one student. Though it may sound preposterous, the only teacher, Kalaiselvi, treks through the treacherous jungle, braving everything from elephant attacks to leech bites to reach the school and tutor her class II student.
By Dr. Satya Menon / Mumbai
Heart disease is no longer restricted to the middle-aged and the old. Long working hours at the desk, little physical exercise and unhealthy eating habits are also taking a toll on working professionals in their late twenties and early thirties, experts say.
According to the India Today-Saffolalife Study conducted on 46,000 urban Indians, 78 percent of those aged between 30 and 34 run the risk of a heart attack, Kanchan Naikawadi, Director, Indus Health Plus (P) Ltd. said.
In last few months, 30-year-old TV actor Abir Goswami and 20-plus Kannada actor Hemanth died of a heart attack.
There is no specific profession that leads to a higher number of heart diseases, but professionals who tend to sit for most of the time are more likely to suffer from such diseases, informs Naikawadi.
By Ravi Reddy / Hyderabad
With the Congress party hinting at an early decision on the Telangana issue, protests began in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions of Andhra Pradesh, also called Seemandhra, opposing any move to divide the state. Samaikhya Andhra or the United Andhra Joint Action Committee (JAC) staged protests in Kadapa and Anantapur districts of the Rayalaseema region, demanding that the state be kept united.
Students took out a rally in Kadapa. They tried to lay siege to the district collector’s office. The protestors raised slogans against political leaders for keeping silent over the centre’s proposed move to divide the state.
By Ravichander Akula / Hyderabad
None of the city Congress leaders participating in the Telangana Sadhana Sabha organized by the Congress leaders on a very large scale, under the auspices of the deputy Chief Minister Damodara Raja Narasimha shocked many Telangana leaders.
Labour minister Danam Nagender claimed that the city leaders were directed by the party president Sonia Gandhi not to attend, though there is no scope of establishing the veracity of the minister’s claim. But the fact remains that no senior leader of the Congress from Hyderabad had shown interest in attending the meeting.
By Ramesh Reddy / Hyderabad
Congress core committee may meet here on July 12 to discuss the contentious Telangana issue. Since Panchayat elections were announced on Wednesday, doubts are now being expressed if a policy decision could be taken on the Telangana issue at the meeting at all.
In a way, has Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy blocked the political process on whether or not to create a Telangana State? At least, this is the observation of senior politicos. Congress senior leader and state affairs in-charge Digvijya Singh recently said that only two alternatives were there before the Congress leadership.
