New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has appointed special observers for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal on February 7, a statement said. “The duties of the special observers will be to keep a watch on electoral malpractices including role of money power. In case specific complaints are received, the same will promptly be looked into,” the Commission said. “The observers will also keep constant watch on the news and media reports related to biennial election. In case of any electoral malpractices, the same will be brought to the notice of the Commission,” it added. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat has been appointed the special observer for Andhra Pradesh and the Tripura CEO will look after Assam. Karnataka’s CEO will be the observer in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh’s CEO is West Bengal’s observer.
Govt sets up 7th pay commission
New Delhi: The government yesterday announced setting up of the Seventh Central Pay Commission under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Ashok Kumar Mathur to review the salaries of over 5 million employees. The panel will submit its report in two years and the recommendations would be implemented from January 1, 2016, a finance ministry statement said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the composition of the Commission that has one full-time and one part-time member, besides the chairman, the statement added. Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Vivek Rae has been appointed a full-time member, while National Institute of Public Finance and Policy director Rathin Roy is a part- time member. Meena Agarwal, an officer on special duty in the finance ministry’s expenditure department, has been appointed the Commission’s secretary.
Another man held in Delhi heist case
New Delhi: With the arrest of another man for his involvement in the Rs7.69-crore heist here, six people have been held so far while three suspects are absconding, police said. The latest to be arrested is Joginder alias Johny, who is around 25 years, and was arrested late on Monday from Burari area of north Delhi. “He is the one who was driving the Wagon R that intercepted the Honda City (in which the money was being carried). Of the Rs28 lakh that he got as his share of the loot, we’ve recovered Rs26 lakh,” a police officer said.
Spurt in HIV cases in Kerala
Thiruvanantha-puram: Kerala has seen an increase in the number of HIV positive cases, a minister said yesterday. Health Minister V S Sivakumar informed the Kerala assembly that in the past decade, the last fiscal saw the highest increase of fresh HIV positive cases in the state. “If one looks into the figures of new HIV cases starting from the fiscal 2004-05, 440 cases was registered then and the last fiscal saw 1,766 cases. During the 2011-12 fiscal, 1,680 new cases was there. This fiscal till the end of December last year 1,177 new cases was registered,” said the minister. He also said at present there are 17,593 HIV positive patients in the state and those who are undergoing the treatment stands at 8,525. Palakkad leads with 1,381 patients and the capital district accounts for 898 patients who are under treatment.
IANS
