Kolkata: Increasing the bus fares, the West Bengal government yesterday announced setting up of a task force to revise the fares in accordance with the increase and decrease in diesel prices. The announcement was made by Minister of Legislative Affairs Partha Chatterjee following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with six bus owners’ associations who have been clamouring for fare revision amid steep hike in diesel prices. The minimum fare of buses and mini buses would now be Rs6 and Rs7 respectively with an increase by Re1 in each stage. The revised fares will come into effect after a gazette notification is made in this regard.
30 shops gutted
in Delhi fire
New Delhi: Over 30 shops and an NIIT centre were gutted in two separate fire incidents yesterday. Three fire service officials suffered minor injuries. The first incident was reported from A-block in Connaught Place where a fire broke out around 7.50am inside an NIIT (National Institute of Information Technology) computer training centre situated on the first floor of a commercial building. Around 15 fire tenders rushed to the spot and it took around three hours to douse the fire which was caused by a short-circuit. In the second incident, a fire broke out in Kinari Bazaar in old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area — a wholesale retail market specialising in wedding attire and accessories — around 2.30pm. Over 30 shops were gutted in the fire.
UP rape accused not to be charged
NEW DELHI: Investigators said yesterday that they would not charge five men detained earlier this year on suspicion of raping and murdering two teenage girls in a case that sparked global outrage. The cousins, aged 14 and 15, were found hanging from a tree in an impoverished village in northern Uttar Pradesh state in May. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it would not “as yet” file charges against the men, citing a lack of evidence, but did not rule out future charges. The men are expected to be released on Friday after 90 days in detention. Media reports say the CBI’s decision was based on forensic tests that had ruled out sexual assault in the case.
Agencies
