BHEL gears up to produce nuclear power plant equipment

New Delhi, Jul 30 : Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with another PSU Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to form a joint venture company to carry out Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) activities on the secondary side of the nuclear power plants, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said during Question Hour that these activities include production of turbines of 700 Mega Watts energy (MWe) and above rating within India and abroad.

He said BHEL is in discussions with probable/likely international technology providers for 700 MWe and above nuclear turbines.

BHEL has already manufactured and supplied some Nuclear reactor components like steam generators, Reactor Headers and Nuclear Turbine Generator sets to NPCL for their 220 MWe reactors.

He said earlier in March this year BHEL was awarded a contract for manufacture of steam generator for 700 MWe reactor.

Gas row: SC rejects RNRL plea for final hearing on Sept 1

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to take up a gas dispute between RelianceIndustries and RNRL for final hearing on September 1, rejecting the prayer of Anil Ambani Group company for expeditious proceedings.

A bench headed Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said it will decide on the date of final hearing on September 1 when it will consider various petitions related to the dispute.

The RNRL prayer came up for mentioning and the company's counsel Mukul Rohtagi requested that final hearing be taken up on September 1 as the entire Bombay High Court record was before the apex court and nothing was left to be filed.

"All parties are here," he said, referring to Mukesh Ambani-led RIL, the government and gas users. RIL counsel Harish Salve, however, questioned the need for early final hearing, saying "what public interest would this serve?"

The court enquired whether the petitioner wanted interim arrangement on the September 1 or the final order, Rohtagi said that RNRL was not looking for interim arrangement.

At this point Salve requested the court that there should be complete silence from all parties as people are going to the media.

Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran said the government also wanted early resolution of the dispute.

The court said it will try to give an early date but the first week of September is not possible.

Seeking early resolution to the gas supply dispute involving Mukesh Ambani led RIL and Oil Ministry, Anil Ambani yesterday said that his group firm RNRL would approach the Supreme Court for final hearing on September one.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on September 1 cross-appeals by both Ambani group firms, as also a petition by the Petroleum Ministry against a Bombay High Court order that asked RIL to supply gas to RNRL at $2.34 per mmBtu against the officially prescribed $4.2 per mmBtu

Delhi rains: Mostly woes, a few thrills

NEW Delhi:Delhi had been praying for a `good' downpour rain ever since monsoon arrived. But when it finally happened, it rained woes on

Delhi comes to a halt due to heavy rains. Traffic jam at ITO crossing on Monday night. (PTI Photo) More Pictures

Delhiites.

The city ground to a halt with huge jams being reported well on almost all major roads, water entered homes in many localities and, at one place, the road itself caved in due to the heavy rain.

There were however some who made the most of the rainfall, and enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

We bring you pictures from Delhi during the rain- mostly of the woes, but also a few thrills.

Chand is a born-again Bishnoi, leaves Fiza

The Chand-Fiza love story has finally come to an end. Fiza's husband and Haryana's former deputy chief minister, Chand Mohammad, on Tuesday reconverted to Hinduism. He said he regretted having married Anuradha Bali aka Fiza.

Chander Mohan visited a Bishnoi temple in Hisar, performed a yajna and became a Hindu once again, in the presence of several religious leaders.

The religious leaders 'acquitted' him after imposing a fine of 100 quintal grains for birds and an equal quantity of green fodder for cattle.

After reconverting, he apologised to the Bishnoi community to which he originally belongs, and said marrying Fiza was the biggest mistake of his life.

The latest U-turn in the Chand-Fiza story comes a month after he visited Fiza, apologised for deserting her and publicly professed his love for her.

Fiza had then said it would take time for her to trust him again. So on Tuesday, she was silent about Chand's reconversion.

On Monday, Chander said he had approached the Bishnoi leaders for considering his return to the community.

"I love my mother. She was with me when I was in trouble," Chander said. He also declared he would be contesting elections from Haryana's Panchkula assembly constituency.

Chander said he was upset because Fiza had not contacted him when he was admitted in Apollo hospital in Delhi after he fractured his hip bone.

Back then, Fiza was busy with Sony TV''s Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao in Malaysia. She was recently ousted from the show.

She had said she doubted Chander's claims of a hip injury. She had said he was an opportunist since he hailed from a political family.

DMRC report of no consequence to police

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)' s report on the Zamrudpur mishap may not be considered as evidence in an independent investigation being carried out by the Delhi Police, a senior officer said.

Six workers had died earlier this month when a pillar being constructed for a Metro rail link in South Delhi collapsed.

A case of causing death due to negligence was registered, but no official was named as accused then because the cause of the accident was not clear.

According to the law, anyone found guilty of causing death due to negligence can be put behind bars for up to a year and may be asked to pay compensation to the victim's family.

The DMRC on Tuesday fixed responsibility for the mishap and named three engineers, who reportedly overlooked crucial design and construction details that led to the mishap. Design and structural consultants hired by the DMRC were also banned for varying periods for reportedly failing to ensure the strength of the pillar that collapsed.

But a senior Delhi Police officer said at this stage the report was inconsequential to the criminal investigation they were conducting into the mishap.

"For us, several officials, including those from the DMRC, are suspects. How can a report prepared by an agency that is under the scanner be used as proof in our investigation?" asked a senior police officer.

The Metro report on the mishap is effectively just a company probe and its findings cannot be made a premise for carrying out a criminal investigation, said the officer.

"The DMRC knew of the crack in the pillar at Zamrudpur long ago. It even claimed to have corrected the fault. For all you know, more officials could be responsible for the accident. We can't say if the Metro's probe is foolproof," said the officer.

The Delhi Police have now asked a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, to find out what led to the mishap and who was responsible.

"The team was requested to do the job a few weeks ago. They are expected to lift samples from the construction site soon. We will take further action once they conduct the required tests and submit a final report," said the officer.

The south district police were handling the case initially but the investigation was transferred to the Crime Branch recently. Former police commissioner Ajay Raj Sharma said the Metro's report could be used as evidence if its conclusions match those of the police probe.

"Then the Metro report will come handy in proving the charges in court. It will strengthen the police case and help in convicting the guilty officials," said Sharma.

Cong's bid to regain lost ground over Egypt statement

AFP image

The top leadership of the Congress is now all set to counter the Opposition onslaught against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's diplomatic initiative on Pakistan. It has decided to fully back him on the Egypt statement. In a late night meeting that lasted more than two hours, the controversial Indo-Pak statement was discussed threadbare by the top leaders of the Congress. However, there was no official word on what happened at the meeting. NDTV has learnt that the Congress top leaders have thrashed out a strategy to retrieve lost political ground. Sources have said that the Prime Minister will assure Parliament next week that there is no question of the government going soft on terror. The Prime Minister will also assure Parliament that India's national interest will not be compromised. As per the sources, the Prime Minister will tell Parliament that the joint statement does not go soft on Pakistan acting against the perpetrators of 26/11, and that Pakistan will have to show concrete results and just words will no longer do. On the thorny issue of Balochistan, sources say the Congress top leaders have decided to stick to the stand that its mention in the joint statement does not in any way signal India's guilt in supporting terror in Balochistan, and that Pakistan has merely reflected its concern in the statement.

Cops quiz Prof Sabharwal's son after aide found dead

New Delhi: Professor Sabharwal's son, Himanshu Sabharwal and his friend were attacked by unidentified

CRIME AT LARGE: The police have registered a case and questioned Himanshu regarding the murder.

CRIME AT LARGE: The police have registered a case and questioned Himanshu regarding the murder.

assailants in the North Campus of Delhi University on Thursday night, resulting in the death of the friend, police said on Friday.

Parminder's body was found with five stab marks. He was a native of Indore.

Police on Friday morning registered a case and questioned Himanshu in Maurice Nagar Police Station regarding the murder of Parminder.

Himanshu Sabharwal is the son of Professor H S Sabharwal who was allegedly beaten to death by ABVP activists in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh three years ago.

The attack happened when Himanshu and his friend Parminder, who was very close to the Sabharwals and acted as their accountant, were putting up posters in North Campus regarding a candlelight march they planned to take out at India Gate on Sunday evening for Professor Sabharwal.

They were planning to take out the march in protest against the acquittal of the six ABVP activists - by a Nagpur court on July 13 - in the Professor Sabharwal murder case.

Himanshu, after the acquittal had also said he would challenge the judgement in a higher court.