41 societies bogus, 26 captured by mafia: CBI

NEW DELHI, Aug 31 (UNI): CBI today told the Delhi High Court that out of 135 societies 41 are bogus and 26 have been hijacked by builder mafia.

Filing the interim status report before Jutice Bijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma, CBI counsel Harish Gaur said 13 of the societies have been operated by a single family.

Seeking some more time for a thorough investigation, CBI said 36 societies are under probe.

The court granted the CBI four week's time and asked the agency to file the report by the next hearing on October 3.

The court also asked Ministry of Urban Development to file its reply on the government policy on allotment of land to cooperative societies.

Nisar denies to have offered Zahira's murder plan to Madhu VADODARA, Aug 31 (UNI): Controversial NCP councillor Nisar Bapu today dismissed BJP MLA Madhu Srivastava's charges that he had ever offered him a plan to eliminate Best Bakery key witness Zahira Sheikh.

"The allegation levelled against me is totally baseless andabsurd.

I never uttered these words during my conversation with Madhu in the presence of the Tehelka reporter doing the sting operation," Bapu said.

Srivastava, who allegedly intimidated and bribed Zahira to turn hostile during the trial of the case in a Vadodara Fast-track court in 2003, had recently charged Bapu with having offered him a plan to murder the prime witness.

But that portion was deliberately omitted from the Tehelka tape produced before the Supreme Court-appointed B M Gupta committee that investigated into Zahira's flip flops and her allegation of abduction against social acitivist Teesta Setalvad, Srivastava had alleged.

During the committee's hearing last month, Srivastava had demanded that the committee show him the full video tape of their conversations in which he was shown admitting that Zahira was paid Rs 18 lakh to turn hostile before the Vadodara court.

Refuting the allegation that he had framed the MLA and his cousin and Congress corporator Chandrakant Srivastava, in association with the Tehelka reporter, Bapu, who was also grilled by the committee alongwith his murder-convict son Abid Hussain, said he was prepared to face any inquiry to prove his innocence.

HP registering Nepalese visitors, keeping vigil on Nepalese workers NEW DELHI, Aug 31 (UNI): Himachal Pradesh Government is registering all the Napalese citizens visiting the state and keeping a strict vigil on those working there in view of Maoist activities in Nepal.

Addressing in the National Integration Council meeting here Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh thanked the Centre for sanctioning one IRB Battalion to the state and strengthening the police force.

He pleaded for more funds and manpower to meet the increasing threat of insurgency and terrorism.

He said that a special cell under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police Headquarters has been constituted in each district to especially deal with the First Information Reports relating to communal probleand such FIRs are treated urgently, he added.

A separate Department for Redressal of Public Grievance has also been set up under his direct control and complaints and Grievances of Minorities and Weaker Section are being redressed on priority basis.

He pleaded the Centre to include moral education as compulsory subject at schools and college level throughout the country.

It will strengthen the unity and integrity of the country besides inculcating moral values among the students, he said adding that environment education has also been introduced in schools in the state.

Besides self employment generation courses have been started in the educational institutions to lay special emphasis on development of cultural values.

Himachal Pradesh has achieved the target of compulsory primary education and is poised to achieve the target of universalisation of elementary education.

The State is providing free and compulsory elementary education upto 14 years and girls are provided free education from primary to university level including professional courses such as MBBS and BE/BTech.

Himachal Pradesh has given utmost priority for this vital sector and has emerged the best state in the field of education with 77 per cent literacy rate which is higher than the national average.

Pointing out that more than 35 per cent populatino in the state is still deprived of media facilities, he thanked the Prime Minister for sanctioning DTH, TV Antennas for tribal areas of the state during his visit to Himachal Pradesh.