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Bollywood, Cricket ramp up 'India Ka Tyohaar' at IPL-8 opening

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IPL-opening_ceremony

Kolkata: Reflecting the grandeur and exuberance of Indian festivities, the glitzy and technologically stunning opening gala of the eighth Indian Premier League (IPL) saw blockbuster Bollywood match steps with international cricket camaraderie amid a replay of magical moments of the previous editions of the tournament.

However, there were also hiccups aplenty.

A lacklustre emcee in Saif Ali Khan, a few non-functional LED lights, Shahid Kapoor almost taking a tumble and Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma stepping on a light were the low points.

But Shahid’s overall performance and Hrithik Roshan’s emotional but fiery closing act spared the blushes during the two-hour ceremony held before a sparse 15,000 crowd at the Salt Lake stadium.

The first dampener came early in the evening in the form of heavy thundershowers that pushed back the ceremony by one and a half hours, but the crowd stuck to their seats waiting for the star acts.

As the audience waited for the star performers — Hrithik, Anushka Sharma and Shahid — to fire up the show, captains of the seven of the eight teams took the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Spirit of Cricket pledge by signing a bat.

In the cool night air, Hrithik’s fiery act against the backdrop of dazzling strobing lights and psychedelic floor projections stole the show.

The actor, who had his maiden live act after his stellar debut in “Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai” at the very same venue, made sure the Kolkata crowd got to see his best moves in his second show here.

His emotional but electrifying performance mirrored the euphoria that the masses have with regards to the IPL.

Earlier, the show got going amid a pitch black set, as dancers attired in traditional Bengali white and red sarees and holding clay lamps tore through the darkness.

An aura of serenity prevailed as composer Pritam led a choral tribute to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in an operatic rendition of his famed song “Anandaloke Mangalaloke”.

The graceful choreography was suitably balanced with an interlude of Swahili which whetted spectators appetite for more action.

They whistled, cheered and clapped thunderously as the suave Saif Ali Khan introduced the captains of the eight teams to the sounds of their team’s anthems.

The loudest cheers went up for Chennai Super Kings skipper M.S. Dhoni.

When defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ leading man Gautam Gambhir came in holding aloft the champions’ trophy, they went wild.

Gambhir put the trophy back in play, in a symbolic gesture that set the ball rolling for the one-and-a-half-month competition on the 22-yard strip.

A synergy of peppy modern sounds, rhythms of traditional Bengali instruments including the dhaak (drum) and strong acoustics gave a feel of world music and calm.

Shahid’s grand arrival on the grounds in a bright orange sleeveless shirt and shiny golden dhoti with a trendy pair of shades, atop a bike jolted the audience back into the promised “unforgettable” jamboree.

His shout to the crowd in Bengali “Kemon acho Kolkata” (how are you Kolkata?) was followed by his ride around the turf as the speakers sounded Bappi Lahiri’s cult disco-pop number “I am a Disco Dancer” kickstarting the ‘India ka Tyohaar’ (festival of India.

Shahid’s near-tumble as he blazed off into his dance act was aptly camouflaged with his killer Bollywood jhatkas and matkas peppered with hip-hop’s pops and locks to the heady beats of “Gandi Baat”, “Saree Ka Fall” and “Dhating Naach”.

In between the live acts, compere Saif made the audience participate in polls on their favourite IPL stars while the floor projections changed and the multi-hued light beams roved on the crowd.

The team captains then signed a bat affirming their pledge to the MCC’s spirit of cricket campaign.

As Virat Kohli looked on eagerly, his beau and “NH 10” actress Anushka Sharma put up a captivating display of elegance with typical Bollywood moves on “PK” tracks, “Jiya Re”, “Mundiya Nu” and “Jasba”.

Clad in a black-white jumpsuit, her flawless steps had a classic appeal though she looked a bit nervous.

Bollywood melted into rock as the multi-talented Farhan Akhtar took to the stage with his band and pumped up the arena.

Starting off with a poem from “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” to the accompaniment of cricket visuals, Farhan and his band, dressed in casuals, took the stage for eight minutes in a neat rock ensemble, strumming up some of his hits including “Rock On”, “Sindbad the Sailor” and “Senorita”.

In contrast, Saif’s hosting was rather lacklustre and flat.

After what seemed to be an agonising wait, a visibly happy Hrithik got the show back on track with some of his signature steps from his the superhit “Ek Pal Ka Jeena” from his debut film “Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai”.

Sealing his Kolkata connect, the star, who met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the day, danced draped in a golden uttarya (stole) gifted by Banerjee. His greetings to the audience in Bengali elicited loud cheers and shouts.

The show concluded with fireworks as the stars united on stage and officially signalled the start of the series.

(IANS)

Iran and Turkey back political solution to Yemen crisis

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Iranian president tells his visiting Turkish counterpart ceasefire in Yemen “must be established” and strikes halted.

iran-turkey

by Al Jazeera

Turkey and Iran agree on the need for a political solution to end Yemen’s war, which has raised tensions between them, Iran’s president has said after talks with his visiting Turkish counterpart.

“We talked about Iraq, Syria, Palestine … We had a long discussion about Yemen. We both think war and bloodshed must stop in this area immediately and a complete ceasefire must be established and the strikes must stop” in Yemen, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said during a joint news conference broadcast by state television.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made no remarks about Yemen, where Houthi rebels and their allies – widely believed to be supported by Tehran – are battling forces loyal to embattled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, while a Saudi-led coalition is bombing the rebels’ positions.

Erdogan, however, talked at length about bilateral relations with Iran, which has condemned the strikes. Turkey supports the aerial bombardment, which began on March 26.

Rouhani said he hoped the two countries, “with the help of other countries in the region” would contribute to “peace, stability, a broader government and dialogue” between Yemenis.

“We agree on the fact that instability, insecurity and war must cease throughout the region,” he said.

Erdogan denounced at the end of March what he called Iran’s will for “domination” in Yemen, calling on Tehran to “withdraw all its forces from Yemen, Syria and Iraq”.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, reacted by accusing Turkey of causing instability in the Middle East.

Erdogan, a former close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, supported the uprising in Syria and backed rebels fighting Assad’s government. Iran supports the Syrian government.

Several ministers accompanied Erdogan, who also met Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during his one-day visit.

‘Expensive gas’

Despite the tensions, the neighbouring countries want to strengthen trade to $30bn in 2015.

Erdogan pointed out that the balance of trade was unfavourable to Turkey, since “Iran exports $10bn and imports only $4bn in Turkish products”.

“The gas we buy from Iran is the most expensive. If the price drops we can buy more,” Erdogan said. “That’s what a friendly country is.”

During the visit, eight documents – particularly in the areas of transport, customs, industry and health – were signed.

Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Istanbul, said that Erdogan focused on trade relations during his visit and asked Iran to bring the natural gas price for Turkey down.

Smith said: “Before Erdogan arrived in Tehran, he had a meeting with the Saudi interior minister. Turkey has suggested it might offer logistical support to Saudis in their campaign in Yemen. But in Tehran, he made no concrete reference to the conflict in Yemen publicly.”

With Scores of Children Among Civilian Dead in Yemen, US Sending More Weapons

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Red Cross describes situation in war-torn nation as ‘catastrophic’ with violence on ‘every street and every corner’

International aid groups estimate that more than 75 Yemeni children have been killed since the start of Operation Decisive Storm on March 26. (Photo: UNICEF)

International aid groups estimate that more than 75 Yemeni children have been killed since the start of Operation Decisive Storm on March 26. (Photo: UNICEF)

by Lauren McCauley, Common Dreams

Amid warnings that the Saudi-led attack on Yemen is taking a devastating toll on civilians, including more than 75 children killed since fighting began, the United States announced on Tuesday that it will be expediting the shipment of more weapons to fuel the conflict.

Speaking to reporters in Riyadh after meeting with Gulf Arab allies and Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the United States is increasing its support, through more arms and intelligence-sharing, of Operation Decisive Storm.

International aid groups warn that the operation, which is being led by the Saudi Arabia military with backing from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as the U.S. Pentagon, has had a devastating impact on the nation’s infrastructure and civilian population.

In a statement on Monday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that at least 74 children have been killed and 44 maimed since fighting began on March 26, while countless others have been injured, displaced and put at risk from disease.

“Children are paying an intolerable price for this conflict,” said UNICEF Yemen Representative Julien Harneis speaking from the Jordanian capital Amman. “They are being killed, maimed and forced to flee their homes, their health threatened and their education interrupted. These children should be immediately afforded special respect and protection by all parties to the conflict, in line with international humanitarian law.”

UNICEF added that the estimated number of child deaths is “conservative” and is likely higher due to the intensifying conflict.

On Tuesday, a Saudi-led airstrike targeting a Houthi-controlled military base in the central Yemen province of Ibb crippled a nearby school, killing a 10- and 12-year-old while injuring dozens of other students, local residents told Xinhua News.

Meanwhile, fierce fighting between the coalition and rebels has spilled into the streets of the Aden peninsula in the south, a situation the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described as “catastrophic.”

Marie Claire Feghali, spokesperson for ICRC Yemen, said that the humanitarian situation in all of Yemen is “very difficult…(with) naval, air and ground routes cut off.” Feghali described the situation in Aden as “catastrophic to say the least.”

“The war in Aden is on every street, in every corner… Many are unable to escape,” she said.

And Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Yemen representative Marie-Elisabeth Ingres said that hospitals in Aden in recent days have received fewer casualties, “not because there are no wounded people, but due to the difficulties faced in trying to reach a hospital.”

US cop arrested for murder after video shows him shoot unarmed black man in back

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Video of the incident shows 50-year-old victim running away from South Carolina officer when he was shot.

Screenshot from the by-stander's video footage which shows Officer Michael Slager in the process of shooting a fleeing Walter Scott in the back.

Screenshot from the by-stander’s video footage which shows Officer Michael Slager in the process of shooting a fleeing Walter Scott in the back.

by Al Jazeera

A white police officer from the US state of South Carolina has been charged with murder after a video showed him shooting eight times at the back of a 50-year-old black man who was running away.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said on Tuesday that state investigators decided to charge officer Michael Slager, 33, with the murder of Walter Scott after they viewed the video of the incident, which followed a traffic stop on Saturday morning.

The FBI and US Justice Department have begun a separate investigation.

“When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” Summey told reporters. “If you make a bad decision, I don’t care if you’re behind the shield or just a citizen on the street, you have to live by that decision.”

The incident began after Scott was pulled over for a broken brake light, police said.

A video of the encounter published by the New York Times appears to show a brief scuffle between Slager and Scott before the latter begins running away.

Eight shots fired

The video, apparently recorded by a bystander, shows the officer firing eight shots at Scott as he runs away. Scott then slumps face down onto the grass.

A police incident report says that Slager, who joined the department in 2009, told other officers Scott had taken his stun gun. In the video, Scott does not appear to be armed while fleeing from Slager.

With the victim lying face down on the ground, Slager approaches him and puts him in handcuffs, the video shows. The officer then walks several paces back to where he opened fire, before returning to Scott and appearing to drop an object next to him on the ground, it shows.

Chris Stewart, an attorney for Scott’s family, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tension over the deadly use of force by US police, particularly by white police officers against black men – including 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a white police officer last year in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking nationwide protests.

Centre extends AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh

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Photo: V. Sudershan, The Hindu

Photo: V. Sudershan, The Hindu

New Delhi: India has granted the Army shoot-to-kill powers to fight militants in a wide swathe of the far-flung state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Army was already exercising “special powers” in other northeastern states, where various separatist, leftist and tribal rebels are waging insurgencies, but Arunachal Pradesh has been relatively peaceful until recently.

Last month, three soldiers were killed in an ambush in the state that the Army blamed on militants from the Naga tribe.

Rebel groups have set up camps across the state, the Home Ministry said in its “special powers” order, and use it as a base to launch attacks in the neighboring state of Assam, which has been hardest hit by an upsurge in militancy in the region.

The order, obtained by Reuters and dated March 27, extended the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to all districts of Arunchal Pradesh that border Assam – a measure that will affect most of the state`s 1.3 million people.

“We were compelled to expand the jurisdiction of AFSPA due to a drastic rise in violence in the north-east region. The separatist groups have been targeting the police and security officials,” said a senior home ministry official in New Delhi.

The northeastern states, are connected to the rest of the country by a thin sliver of land, and contain diverse ethnic groups, some with links to neighbouring Myanmar.

Militant activity surged in the states, known as “the Seven Sisters”, last year with 465 deaths reported, up from 252 a year earlier, according to the South Asian Terrorism Portal, a think-tank that tracks militancy.

In Assam, the death toll tripled to 305, making 2014 the state`s worst year since 2009. Only nine people were killed last year in Arunchal Pradesh.

The special powers for “disturbed areas” was first used in 1958 to control Naga separatists, and was subsequently extended to most of the north-east. It has been in force in the disputed region of Kashmir since 1990.

Human rights groups blame AFSPA for a host of extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detentions by security forces. On Wednesday, lawmakers in Kashmir called for it to be repealed.

Citizens from the rest of India require a permit to visit Arunchal Pradesh, which is the size of Austria, and heavily militarised along parts of border with China.

China has not responded to the new measure, but Beijing has become increasingly vocal in recent years about India`s control of the region it calls South Tibet.

(Reuters)

VHP, RSS force Muslim to sell off his bungalow in Hindu neighbourhood

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Praveen Togadia

Bhavnagar: The atrocities of the VHP and RSS groups have grabbed the headlines again after the Hindu right-wing activists forced a Muslim scrap dealer to sell off his bungalow in a Hindu neighbourhood.

As per a report published in a national daily, a Muslim scrap dealer Ali Asgar Zaveri had bought a bungalow worth Rs 49 lakhs in Bhavnagar, a Hindu locality.

However, Zaveri was not welcomed by the Hindus living in that area and they protested against him.

Gatherings were held outside Zaveri’s bungalow and VHP leader PraveenTogadia was invited to address the gathering.

A senior RSS leader, who had participated in this protest, told The Indian Express that the Muslim scrap dealer tried everything possible to sort out things, but all in vain. They pressurized him to sell of his bungalow to Bhumiti Associates, a real-state firm owned by Jains.

Confirming the same, president of VHP’s Bhavnagar city unit, S D Jani, as quoted in The Indian Express, said, “Due to our agitation, the vidharmi (one from another faith, Zaveri) realized he would not be able to settle in and eventually gave in.”

(Agencies)

Chittoor encounter 'survivor' surfaces, cops come under fire

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Chittoor_encounter

Chittoor: A rights group said on Wednesday it has traced a “survivor” from a group of loggers shot dead by Andhra Pradesh police in an incident dubbed as a “massacre” of wood-cutters from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

On Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh police had claimed to have shot dead 20 illegal red sandalwood smugglers in a forest close to the temple town of Tirupati, sparking violent protests in the neighbouring state which continued on Wednesday.

Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee member Kranthi Chaitanya, in the forefront of a demand for a judicial enquiry into the encounter, said the organisation has “managed to establish contact with the survivor through relatives of the deceased who have come here (Chittoor) from Tamil Nadu.

“He is being kept at a safe place. We will produce him before the National Human Rights Commission,” he added.

The NHRC has already taken suo moto cognizance of the incident and asked for reports from the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary and police chief.

Family-members of a few of the slain “smugglers” arrived at the government mortuary in Chittoor also said the “survivor” was among of 8 wood-cutters hired by red sanders smugglers in Andhra.

The identity of the “survivor”, said to be from Arjuna Puram village in Thiruvanamalai district of Tamil Nadu, was not given.

They quoted him as saying that seven of his group were pulled out of a bus on Monday by police during a search at Nagari on the inter-state border.

“They were traveling in a bus from Thiruvanamalai to Chitoor on Monday afternoon. The bus was stopped by police and seven of the eight men were arrested. He was sitting separately and managed to slip away quietly,” said Raja Babu (38), a relative of one of those killed in the encounter.

The survivor is said to have returned to village on Tuesday morning, around the time news of the encounter broke on TV.

Media reports said that right group Amnesty International has also called for a fair probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, protests continued in Tamil Nadu with incidents of stone-pelting on buses originating in Andhra.

Police said four persons have been arrested over the attacks on buses. Several outfits organised protests in some parts of Tamil Nadu condemning the incident.

Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam had written to the Andhra government, demanding a probe into what he called a massacre of innocent Tamils.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh also called up Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu over the incident.

(Agencies)

Modi's 'Make in India' dream sours as defence firms spurn tenders worth $15 bn

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MakeInIndia

New Delhi: Indian firms have spurned some $15 billion worth of government tenders to make a range of weapons since 2013, Defence Ministry officials say, in a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his drive to wean the country off imported arms.

Executives cited unrealistic quality demands from a military short of planes, tanks and guns as a key reason for their reluctance to bid for projects. Complicating things further, the military doesn’t want weapons from Indian firms with no track record in defence manufacturing, experts said.

Irked by India’s status as the world’s biggest arms importer, Modi wants to build an advanced defence industry but almost a year into his “Make in India” campaign, which aims to turn the country into a manufacturing powerhouse, not one large domestic weapons project has been awarded.

Tenders for anything from air defence guns to surface-to-air missiles to transport planes have lapsed, Defence Ministry officials told Reuters. The tenders total around $15 billion according to a Reuters compilation of offers since early 2013.

“‘Make in India’ is a laudable aim, but it’s moving rather slowly. It’s not a switch you can press and everything will fall into place,” said Vivek Rae, head of procurement at the Defence Ministry from 2010-2012.

Anil Ambani, the billionaire chairman of the Reliance Group, recounted at a recent conference how Modi asked him if he knew India didn’t make tear gas shells.

“Even the tears we shed are foreign,” Ambani quoted the nationalist leader, who took office last May, as saying.

Modi wants to build a strong military after years of neglect that military planners say has left India vulnerable should rivals China and Pakistan ever launch a combined attack, although experts say this is highly unlikely. India is being challenged, however, in its Indian Ocean backyard, where China’s more modernised navy is starting to assert itself.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said new defence production policies will be unveiled this month to address the concerns of private firms: opaque procedures, unrealistic quality requirements and slow decision-making.

“We’re trying to simplify procedures, create a level-playing field but still there are many cases of zero participation in tenders,” said G. Mohan Kumar, the defence production secretary leading the localisation drive.

The military declined to comment, referring queries to the Defence Ministry, which controls procurement.

Ringfencing Projects

India gets 70 percent of its arms from abroad. For decades, it has bought off-the-shelf equipment mainly from Russia, which offered to assemble some weaponry locally but little in the way of technology transfers.

Modi has vowed to change that by ringfencing $100 billion worth of defence deals for domestic companies over the next decade under which they can build on their own or with foreign partners.

Last year the government asked several Indian companies to show interest in an estimated $1.7 billion deal to replace 1960s-era Swedish air defence guns, but only one said it could meet the requirements, said one of the Defence Ministry officials. He declined to identify the company.

The head of one firm which told the government it was not interested in the project said the military laid down “impossible” requirements by insisting on technology that only foreign manufacturers had. He declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of defence issues.

In November, the government put an estimated $2 billion proposal to replace its ageing fleet of Avro cargo planes on ice after the tender attracted only one bidder, a partnership between Europe’s Airbus Group and India’s Tata Sons .

“Even if there is an alternative better solution, as per current practice the requirements cannot be changed, or if they are changed it is questioned,” said M.V. Kotwal, head of defence business at infrastructure group Larsen and Toubro. “The flexibility is not there.”

Over the past 18 months, 41 requests for expressions of interest for naval projects alone fell through because of problems relating to manufacturing requirements, the Defence Ministry official added.

Jumpstart

Trying to move projects along, Modi’s government in February approved an $8 billion proposal to build warships in India that had been awaiting cabinet signoff since 2012.

It has also ordered an accelerated local programme to build six diesel-electric submarines, in addition to six similar vessels that French firm DCNS is assembling in Mumbai port to replace India’s ageing underwater fleet.

A Defence Ministry committee submitted a report last month identifying five private and state-run shipyards where the submarines could be built with a foreign partner. It will now invite expressions of interest for the $8.5 billion project.

Experts said one problem is that some military officers eye technology only available in the west, without understanding what Indian firms can produce.

“The armed forces are reluctant to accept hardware that doesn’t have a record in operational conditions. Indian companies have no track record,” said Bharat Karnad at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi.

Retired vice admiral Premvir Das added that to expect Indian companies to manufacture major defence platforms in the forseeable future is to “live in a dreamland”.

(Reuters)

Probe ordered into 'police encounter' killing of 20 sanders

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Red Sanders

Hyderabad: A magisterial inquiry has been ordered by the Chittoor District Collector into the “police encounter” in which 20 alleged red sanders smugglers were shot dead in Seshachalam hill ranges in Andhra Pradesh.

“The Additional District Magistrate, who is also the District Revenue Officer (DRO), has been asked to inquire into the entire events and submit a report to me. It will be subsequentally submitted to the government,” Chittoor District Collector Siddharth Jain said.

“The report will go into details and reasons for the police opening fire and whether the situation warranted it,” Jain said, adding the DRO has been asked to inquire into the matter and submit the report at the earliest.

Twenty alleged red sanders smugglers were killed in a heavy exchange of fire after they allegedly attacked the police early morning today in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district.

Six police personnel were injured in the attack by the smugglers.

Meanwhile, after protests and reported stonepelting on Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses APSRTC buses in Tamil Nadu, senior APSTRC officials said today that the matter came up for discussion.

“They are yet to take a call on cancelling APSRTC bus services to Tamil Nadu,” they said.

“We have not yet decided about cancelling any services as of now but may consider it tomorrow morning depending on the situation. The Hyderabad-Chennai bus has already left and once it reaches Nellore (in AP), we may take a call,” an APSRTC spokesperson said.

APSRTC operates around 35 buses to Chennai and other destinations in Tamil Nadu.

(PTI)

Kejriwal relaunches Delhi anti-corruption helpline, gets over 12,000 calls in 24 hours

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Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: AAP government’s anti-corruption helpline, re-launched on Sunday in Delhi, has received 12,731 calls in 24 hours, with most of them wanting to know about the process of registering a graft case.

“Most of the calls received at helpline were made to inquire about how to register corruption case with the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB). The calls received so far are being analyzed to segregate between frivolous and real calls,” a senior official said on Monday.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had launched the 24×7 helpline, which can answer over 10,000 calls a day. The made-over re-launch comes after the service, during AAP’s previous stint, could respond to only 1,000 calls a day due to shortage of lines, the official said.

He also said genuine calls, after segregation, would be forwarded to Anti-Corruption Branch for further investigation.

“Some of the calls which have been segregated have already been sent to the ACB for further probe. Cases being forwarded to the ACB include complaints against Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation, Education Department, Transport Department, Jal Board, Delhi Fire etc,” he said.

The data of calls received will be made public on a regular basis for the convenience and information of the public, official said.

In order to strengthen the Anti Corruption Branch, government has increased its strength from 30 to 40 inspectors who work with 40 teams to investigate cases of corruption at any point of time.

Besides increasing its staff strength, Delhi Government has directed to increase the budget allocation to the anti-graft wing to Rs 15 crore from Rs 8 crore.

The official also said the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), an advisory body of the AAP government, will study global practices and define a vision for ACB.

The anti-corruption helpline was first launched during Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) 49-day stint in power after the 2013 Assembly elections, but was later discontinued. Reviving the helpline was one of the poll promises made by the party in 2015.

Last time around 1.2 lakh calls were made on the helpline, during 49 days of AAP’s rule.

(IANS)

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