Diesel price may be hiked by Rs 3-5 a litre, LPG by Rs 50

NEW DELHI: Diesel prices may be hiked by Rs 3-5 per litre, kerosene by Rs 2 and LPG by Rs 50 per cylinder as Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps to tackle a record Rs 180,000 crore of losses arising from dipping rupee and surging oil rates. Moily, who had on Thursday met Finance Minister P Chidambaram on the issue, on August 30 wrote to Singh saying without a price increase the government will have to shell out a record Rs 97,500 crore to subsidise diesel and cooking fuel. "If the present position persists, the total under- recovery (revenue loss) would reach to a level of Rs 180,000 crore in the current financial year as compared to Rs 161,000 crore during 2012-13," he wrote to the Prime Minister.

A 25 per cent drop in rupee value has resulted in losses on diesel sales widening to Rs 10.22 per litre despite prices being raised by 50 paise a litre every month since January. This coupled with Rs 33.54 a litre loss on kerosene and Rs 412 on sale of ever 14.2-kg cooking gas (LPG) cylinder, the total revenue loss this fiscal comes to Rs 180,000 crore, he said adding even after upstream firms like ONGC chip in Rs 70,500 crore, a gap of Rs 97,500 crore would be left. An increase in rates is possible after monsoon session of Parliament ends on September 6. Moily, who sent an almost identical note to Chidambaram, said a one rupee increase in diesel price will cut loss by Rs 4,522 crore in remainder of current fiscal while a Rs 3 per litre increase would trim losses by Rs 13,565 crore. If rates are raised by a one-time Rs 5 per litre, the losses would be cut to Rs 29,390 crore. The hikes proposed are one-time and are outside monthly revision in rates of 50 paisa happening since January. Similarly, a Rs 50 per cylinder increase in LPG rates would trim cooking gas losses by Rs 2,604 crore. Besides, a possible Rs 2 per litre hike in kerosene price would cut losses by Rs 1,014 crore. The three price increases together would bring down government's subsidy outgo to Rs 50,928 crore, he argued.

Diesel price may be hiked by Rs 3-5 a litre, LPG by Rs 50

NEW DELHI: Diesel prices may be hiked by Rs 3-5 per litre, kerosene by Rs 2 and LPG by Rs 50 per cylinder as Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps to tackle a record Rs 180,000 crore of losses arising from dipping rupee and surging oil rates. Moily, who had on Thursday met Finance Minister P Chidambaram on the issue, on August 30 wrote to Singh saying without a price increase the government will have to shell out a record Rs 97,500 crore to subsidise diesel and cooking fuel. "If the present position persists, the total under- recovery (revenue loss) would reach to a level of Rs 180,000 crore in the current financial year as compared to Rs 161,000 crore during 2012-13," he wrote to the Prime Minister.

A 25 per cent drop in rupee value has resulted in losses on diesel sales widening to Rs 10.22 per litre despite prices being raised by 50 paise a litre every month since January. This coupled with Rs 33.54 a litre loss on kerosene and Rs 412 on sale of ever 14.2-kg cooking gas (LPG) cylinder, the total revenue loss this fiscal comes to Rs 180,000 crore, he said adding even after upstream firms like ONGC chip in Rs 70,500 crore, a gap of Rs 97,500 crore would be left. An increase in rates is possible after monsoon session of Parliament ends on September 6. Moily, who sent an almost identical note to Chidambaram, said a one rupee increase in diesel price will cut loss by Rs 4,522 crore in remainder of current fiscal while a Rs 3 per litre increase would trim losses by Rs 13,565 crore. If rates are raised by a one-time Rs 5 per litre, the losses would be cut to Rs 29,390 crore. The hikes proposed are one-time and are outside monthly revision in rates of 50 paisa happening since January. Similarly, a Rs 50 per cylinder increase in LPG rates would trim cooking gas losses by Rs 2,604 crore. Besides, a possible Rs 2 per litre hike in kerosene price would cut losses by Rs 1,014 crore. The three price increases together would bring down government's subsidy outgo to Rs 50,928 crore, he argued.

Delhi gangrape: Juvenile sentenced to three years

NEW DELHI: A lawyer said a juvenile court has convicted one person of rape and murder in the December 16 gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in New Delhi. The conviction on Saturday was the first handed down in the case. Defence lawyer Rajesh Tewari says the juvenile faces a maximum sentence of three years at a reform centre. The defendant was 17 at the time of the attack and was tried as a minor.

Delhi gangrape: Juvenile sentenced to three years

NEW DELHI: A lawyer said a juvenile court has convicted one person of rape and murder in the December 16 gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in New Delhi. The conviction on Saturday was the first handed down in the case. Defence lawyer Rajesh Tewari says the juvenile faces a maximum sentence of three years at a reform centre. The defendant was 17 at the time of the attack and was tried as a minor.

Girl harassed by relative commits suicide

  KANPUR: A 16-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by setting herself on fire after being harassed by a relative, in Kalyanpur district, police said today. The victim, a Class IX student, was allegedly being harassed by Guddu, a resident of the same area and a distant relative of the girl. On Friday, the youth harassed the girl while she was on her way back home from college. After she reached home, she reportedly locked herself in one of the rooms of her house, poured kerosene and set herself ablaze, police said. The girl's parents were not at home when the incident occurred, but on coming back they found burning smell emanating from the girl's room and when the door was broken the girl was found severely injured. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment where she succumbed to her injuries. Station officer Kalyanpur Anand Mishra said, "A case against the accused has been registered by the victim's father and raids are being conducted to arrest him while the body has been sent for postmortem.

Girl harassed by relative commits suicide

  KANPUR: A 16-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by setting herself on fire after being harassed by a relative, in Kalyanpur district, police said today. The victim, a Class IX student, was allegedly being harassed by Guddu, a resident of the same area and a distant relative of the girl. On Friday, the youth harassed the girl while she was on her way back home from college. After she reached home, she reportedly locked herself in one of the rooms of her house, poured kerosene and set herself ablaze, police said. The girl's parents were not at home when the incident occurred, but on coming back they found burning smell emanating from the girl's room and when the door was broken the girl was found severely injured. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment where she succumbed to her injuries. Station officer Kalyanpur Anand Mishra said, "A case against the accused has been registered by the victim's father and raids are being conducted to arrest him while the body has been sent for postmortem.

Need to end all acts of violence against women: Sonia

NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of rising crimes against women, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said making laws for their empowerment is not enough as they will have to be implemented properly on ground. “We realise that by just making laws and announcing policies would not be enough to empower women. Along with it, policies and laws will have to be implemented properly on ground,” she said while addressing a gathering at the launch of the Ahimsa Messenger scheme, under which volunteers will be created to spread awareness on women’s issues. “We should end all acts of violence against women and initiate all steps so that women feel safe and become fearless, empowered and they are given the respect,” Ms. Gandhi said. The Congress president’s statement on the issue comes at a time when the number of incidents of crime against women is witnessing a rising trend. Urging the people to launch a “social revolution” for empowering women, the Congress president said, “The most fundamental issue that the mindset and old thoughts of our society have to be changed. Giving women equal status as men is a very big challenge and the wall of discrimination amongst women has to be demolished.” Ms. Gandhi said it is the collective responsibility of all women to initiate this process of giving equal status to women right from their homes. “We all know that the social outlook of our children is formed inside the four walls of our homes. The girl in the family should be given the same status as that of her brother in a family. Girls too have a right to get education, development and employment as that of the boy in the family,” she said.

   

Need to end all acts of violence against women: Sonia

NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of rising crimes against women, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said making laws for their empowerment is not enough as they will have to be implemented properly on ground. “We realise that by just making laws and announcing policies would not be enough to empower women. Along with it, policies and laws will have to be implemented properly on ground,” she said while addressing a gathering at the launch of the Ahimsa Messenger scheme, under which volunteers will be created to spread awareness on women’s issues. “We should end all acts of violence against women and initiate all steps so that women feel safe and become fearless, empowered and they are given the respect,” Ms. Gandhi said. The Congress president’s statement on the issue comes at a time when the number of incidents of crime against women is witnessing a rising trend. Urging the people to launch a “social revolution” for empowering women, the Congress president said, “The most fundamental issue that the mindset and old thoughts of our society have to be changed. Giving women equal status as men is a very big challenge and the wall of discrimination amongst women has to be demolished.” Ms. Gandhi said it is the collective responsibility of all women to initiate this process of giving equal status to women right from their homes. “We all know that the social outlook of our children is formed inside the four walls of our homes. The girl in the family should be given the same status as that of her brother in a family. Girls too have a right to get education, development and employment as that of the boy in the family,” she said.

   

5.9 magnitute earthquake jolts southwest China, three killed

BEIJING: An earthquake hit a mountainous area in southwestern China on Saturday morning, killing at least three people injuring several more, according to state media and the China Earthquake Administration.The quake, which measures 5.9 on the Richter scale by the administration and 5.8 by the US Geological Survey, shook several counties in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, including the scenic Shangri-La county. A Chinese report said the epicenter was in a village in Shangri-La, but the USGS put it in Benzilan, a small town in a neighboring county.The China Earthquake Administration said two people were killed in Benzilan, where homes for 22 families collapsed, and that a driver died on a highway in Shangri-La, where falling rocks hit a tour bus and stranded three more buses. It said a total of 17 tourists were trapped.The party-run People's Daily also reported three fatalities and said six others were seriously injured.The administration said another major quake hit Shangri-La three days ago, and the US Geological Survey recorded three major aftershocks on Saturday.China's mountainous areas in its southwest are prone to earthquakes. In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing. In April this year, another quake in Sichuan killed 193 people.

5.9 magnitute earthquake jolts southwest China, three killed

BEIJING: An earthquake hit a mountainous area in southwestern China on Saturday morning, killing at least three people injuring several more, according to state media and the China Earthquake Administration.The quake, which measures 5.9 on the Richter scale by the administration and 5.8 by the US Geological Survey, shook several counties in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, including the scenic Shangri-La county. A Chinese report said the epicenter was in a village in Shangri-La, but the USGS put it in Benzilan, a small town in a neighboring county.The China Earthquake Administration said two people were killed in Benzilan, where homes for 22 families collapsed, and that a driver died on a highway in Shangri-La, where falling rocks hit a tour bus and stranded three more buses. It said a total of 17 tourists were trapped.The party-run People's Daily also reported three fatalities and said six others were seriously injured.The administration said another major quake hit Shangri-La three days ago, and the US Geological Survey recorded three major aftershocks on Saturday.China's mountainous areas in its southwest are prone to earthquakes. In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing. In April this year, another quake in Sichuan killed 193 people.