Term limit off for pension to MPs

New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Thursday relaxed the eligibility criterion for MPs of both Houses to get a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000, reports our special correspondent.

Cabinet to review Haj tax notice

New Delhi (PTI): The cabinet will take up a proposal by the Haj committee to defer by a year the requirement of providing affidavits by Haj pilgrims that they were not income-tax payees to avail of subsidies, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

“The government is aware of their problem,” civil aviation minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said when Ramjilal Suman, of the Samajwadi Party, raised the issue during zero hour.

Several members had complained about difficulties in getting such an affidavit at such a short notice. They also spoke about the logistical problems if either the husband or the wife was tax payer.

Suman said the new provision was “impractical”.

American in jail for smuggling

New Delhi:(PTI): A court has remanded US national Charles Raymond Garder, arrested with antique weapons from Indira Gandhi International Airport, in judicial custody till January 1, 2004.

arder, a former employee of the US state department, was arrested on Thursday after four antique muskets and four antique pistols were recovered from his checked-in baggage. He was on his way from Kabul to the US. A US embassy statement said: “... The arms were about 150 years old and the US embassy is working with him and Indian authorities to resolve the matter.”

Idols stolen

DehraDun (PTI): At least five ancient idols and sculptures were stolen from an archaeological museum at Lakhamanadal, which finds references in the Mahabharata. Miscreants allegedly broke several locks at the museum earlier this week and stole the items.

Afghan snatch

Kabul: Afghan officials are negotiating for the release of two Indian road workers kidnapped nearly two weeks ago. “We know where they are, we know who are responsible for this, and we are negotiating with several people in order to win their release,” interior minister Ali Ahmad Jalali said.

Thakre critically ill

New Delhi (PTI):Former BJP president Kushabhau Thakre is critically ill and is on life support at the party headquarters here. Thakre, who was admitted to AIIMS about 10 days ago, returned to the party headquarters as he wanted to be close to his colleagues, a party release said.

Relief for Rizvi

Mumbai (PTI): Bombay High Court has granted bail to producer Nasim Rizvi in a case of alleged nexus between Bollywood and the underworld. Rizvi was granted liberty as co-accused Abdul Rehman Allah Baksh was already on bail.

Kashmir attack

Jammu (PTI): Militants dressed in police uniform stormed the heavily guarded office of Rajouri’s deputy inspector general of police on Thursday, triggering a fierce gunbattle that left two policemen and one militant dead.

The International Labour Organisation has sanctioned $40 million for the elimination of child labour in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, a senior official in the central labour department said on Thursday.