Food inflation inches up to 8.76 %

Food inflation inched up a tad to 8.76 per cent for the week ended April 16 from 8.74 per cent in the previous week which, analysts feel, has sealed the prospects of yet another hike in key short-term lending and borrowing rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its annual credit and monetary policy review next week on May 3.

With rising inflationary pressures persisting, the customary consultations that the RBI Governor has with the Finance Ministry to review the economic scenario prior to announcing the credit policy assumes greater significance this time round in view of a discernible slowdown in growth in the wake of high headline and food inflation.

Commenting on the wholesale price index (WPI) inflation data on primary articles which call for a delicate calibration of monetary policy measures, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee maintained that the latest figures on food inflation were in line with the upward trend witnessed earlier.

“We will talk with the Governor of RBI [D. Subbarao] before he announces the monetary policy. We will have a discussion. I think he is coming tomorrow [Friday]... as far as April 16 [WPI data] is concerned, it has been on the same lines. There has been some marginal variation. More or less, the trend that was noticed on April 9... the same trend is being maintained,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

Economic analysts, however, point out that apart from food prices which are expected to decline in the coming weeks, it is the rising commodity prices, including crude oil, which is exerting additional pressure on headline inflation.

Hinting at the need for some strong measures to get a hold on the price situation, KASSA Director Siddharth Shankar said: “Inflation numbers released today are indicative that the inflation is not getting under control and somehow simple policy initiatives will be of no help”.

Even as a hike in short-term lending (repo) and borrowing (reverse repo) rates by at least 25 basis points is on the cards, the industry has warned that any harsh measure to suck out liquidity and render funds unduly expensive would further impact industrial and overall growth which has already shown a decelerating trend in recent months. However, this is despite the fact that the RBI has already raised its key policy rates eight times since March last year in its bid to suck out excess liquidity and thereby rein in inflation but the steps have not yielded results at the level desired.

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Kate Spends Night In London Hotel With Sister, Mother

London  : After a final rehearsal at Westminster Abbey, Kate Middleton arrived on Thursday  evening at the Goring Hotel, where her family are staying ahead of her marriage to Prince William on Friday, reports Daily Mail, London.

Wearing a polka-dot dress, the bride-to-be, accompanied by her sister Pippa and mother Carole, waved to the huge crowd which has gathered outside the hotel in Belgravia.

A beaming Kate showed no sign of nerves as she prepares to spend her final night as a single woman - and a commoner. And royal fans had an extra treat  as her husband-to-be greeted well-wishers along The Mall.

Prince William, accompanied by his brother Harry, shook hands and chatted with the crowd near Clarence House. Earlier today, Kate was greeted by cheers at the abbey as she was joined by best man Prince Harry - as well as the bridesmaids and pageboys and members of her family - for one last run-through of the big day which will be watched by 2billion people round the globe.

The practice took place as it was revealed Miss Middleton will not promise to 'obey' Prince William in her vows.

Thousands of royal fans had set up tents outside the Abbey where there was a carnival atmosphere.

As Kate arrived, a huge cheer went up from the royal fans who have been arriving from round the globe.

Waving their Union flags, the crowds greeted the passing Household Cavalry this morning before the bride-to-be arrived for a last run-through. It is the last time Miss Middleton or a member of the Royal Family will be at the abbey before the service gets under way tomorrow, St James's Palace said.

Later on, the Duchess of Cornwall went out onto the Mall to meet well-wishers and those camping out ahead of tomorrow’s event during an impromptu walkabout.

When asked how she was feeling ahead of the big day, the duchess said: 'We’re all ready for tomorrow - it’s wonderful and all very exciting!

'There’s a great atmosphere out here and it’s so nice to meet people and see how the celebrations are getting underway.'

Today the journalist who carried out the couple's engagement interview said they were attempting to 'block out the terror of having two billion people' watching them tomorrow. In a personal message to well-wishers, the couple said they were 'incredibly moved' by the affection shown to them since their engagement in the official wedding programme.  On Friday  modern-thinking Miss Middleton will pledge to 'love, comfort, honour and keep' William.

The soon-to-be royal is following in the footsteps of the Prince's mother Diana who also opted not to 'obey' the Prince of Wales during their wedding ceremony in 1981. The Queen, Princess Margaret and the Princess Royal all said they would obey their husbands.

William and his fiancee have selected the Series One Book of Common Prayer ceremony, from 1966, which allows the bride to drop 'obey him' and 'serve him' from the religious proceedings. With William choosing not to wear a wedding ring, only the prince will say 'With this ring I thee wed' as he places the golden band on Kate's finger.

The task of writing a message at the start of the official programme usually falls to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The wrote that they were deeply touched by people's reactions as they prepare for 'one of the happiest days of our lives', they said.

A St James's Palace spokesman said: 'The couple felt that they wanted to put in a message from themselves.'

The signatures 'William' and 'Catherine' can be seen underneath the heartfelt message.

The programme also contains a hand-drawn colour map of the carriage procession route, as well as the history of the abbey and details of William and Kate's coats of arms.

It includes a brief history of past Royal Weddings at the abbey, where William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066.

It declares: 'More than a millennium after the first William made his solemn oath, the abbey hosts another William and his bride for a further moment of great solemnity, but one of great joy as well.'

Some 150,000 copies of the A5 booklet, costing £2 each, will be made available along the processional route on the wedding day by a team of military cadets and Explorer Scouts.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen would hear a number of speeches at the lunchtime canapes reception for 650 guests, including family, friends, foreign royals, dignitaries and charity workers. She will see the bride and groom cutting their lavish multi-tiered wedding cake. A message from the royal couple in the souvenir programme says: 'We are both so delighted that you are able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be one of the happiest days of our lives.

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Royal Wedding : Ceremonial Timings

London, Apr 29: Following are the ceremonial timings for the Royal Wedding  today:

Start Time: -  0600 GMT (1130 IST)


0715-0845 GMT (1245 to 1415 IST) :  The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.

(Starting time 0850 GMT (1420 IST)  - Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries, the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.


0910 GMT - The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0915g (IST 02.40 PM TO 02.45 PM)

0920GMT (1450 IST) - Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.

0920 GMT - Mrs. Michael (Carole) Middleton and Mr. James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0927g.

0925 GMT - Members of the Royal Family (except those listed below) leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0930g.

0935 GMT - The following Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0940g.


The Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie or York
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence.

0938GMT - Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0942g.



0940 GMT - The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0945g.


0948 GMT - The Bridesmaids and Pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey. They arrive at the Abbey at 0955g.


0951 GMT - The Bride, accompanied by Mr. Michael Middleton, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

1000 GMT (1530 IST)- The Marriage Service begins. The Marriage Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route.

1115 GMT - The Carriage Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom with a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen’s Procession with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.

1130 GMT - The Bride’s Carriage Procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.

1140 GMT - Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Buckingham Palace.

From 1140 GMT - Other guests for the Reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.

1225 GMT - The Queen and the Bride and Bridegroom, together with their Families, appear on the Balcony.

 1230 GMT - Fly Past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

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14 Killed In Blast In Morocco Cafe

Marrakesh, Morocco :  An explosion killed 14 people, including foreigners, on Thursday in a busy cafe in the Moroccan tourist destination of Marrakesh, and authorities said the initial signs were that it was a criminal act.

The blast ripped through the second storey of a cafe overlooking Marrakesh's Jamaa el-Fnaa square, a spot that is usually bustling with foreign tourists and local vendors.

Officials did not say if they suspected the involvement of Islamist militants. The militants' last big attack was a series of suicide bombings in Morocco's commercial capital, Casablanca, in 2003 in which more than 45 people were killed.

Two people in Marrakesh said the explosion was the work of a suicide bomber, but there was no immediate confirmation of this.

"I heard a massive blast. The first and second floors of the building were destroyed," said one local woman, who did not want to be identified. "Some witnesses said they have seen a man carrying a bag entering the cafe before the blast occurred."

"People are panicking. This is a terrorist act and it will affect the economy and tarnish the country's image. Local investors are selling," said a trader on the stock exchange.

A  photographer at the scene of the blast said he saw rescue workers pulling dismembered bodies from the wreckage of the Argana cafe.

The roof over the restaurant's upstairs terrace had been ripped off by the force of the explosion and pieces of plaster and electrical wires hung from the ceiling.

"I heard a very loud blast in the square. It occurred inside Argana cafe. When I approached the scene, I saw shredded bodies being pulled out of the cafe," the photographer said.

"The first floor bore the brunt of the damage while the ground floor was almost intact ... There are a lot of police who, with forensics, are sifting through the debris."

The Interior Ministry issued a statement saying the explosion killed 14 people, including an undisclosed number of foreigners, and injured another 20 people.

"Early evidence collected at the site (of the explosion) indicates that it was a criminal act," the ministry said in the statement carried by the official MAP news agency.

An official source had earlier told Reuters it appeared the blast was caused by gas canisters in the cafe catching fire.

The official news agency said an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the explosion.

The blast is likely to hurt Morocco's tourism trade -- a major source of revenue -- which is already struggling to recover from the effects of the global downturn.

"Marrakesh is the main tourist destination in Morocco and Argana Cafe has been one of the most popular cafes in the square," said a Frenchman who owns a restaurant in the city.

"You can't find a more emblematic target than Jamaa el-Fna square ... With this attack and amid the worrying unrest in the region, tourism will hit the doldrums for some time," said the businessman, who did not want his name published.

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BJP Backs Joshi, Accuses Govt Of Stalling Probe Into 2G Scam

New Delhi : Standing firmly behind PAC Chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi against the onslaught by Congress and DMK members, the BJP today alleged that these were “calculated, deliberate and sponsored” attacks by the ruling coalition to stall the investigation into 2G scam.

“The BJP strongly condemns the attacks on the PAC chairperson. These are calculated, deliberate, concerted and sponsored attacks,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Joshi had faced stiff opposition from Congress and DMK members in the PAC meeting today, when they alleged that he was trying to destabilise the government. They opposed the draft report and said it had been outsourced.

Supporting its senior leader and former president against these barbs, the BJP alleged that when the probe reached the top levels of power like PMO and Finance Minister this “sponsored campaign” started.

“There is a design behind this attack,” Prasad said, adding that the attempt was to forestall the report.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier said Joshi is a seasoned politician and a senior parliamentarian. He had also offered to appear before the PAC. The Congress members had also praised the PAC earlier,” Prasad said.

He recalled that during the April 4 meeting of the PAC, the panel had unanimously decided that it should submit its report on 2G spectrum issue by April 30.

The BJP objected to the manner in which some Congress members of PAC commented in the press against Joshi.

“We want to ask the Congress a question that when the Prime Minister had praised Joshi how has he now been painted as a villian?” Prasad said.

The main opposition also charged the UPA government with attacking government institutions one by one.

“First Kapil Sibal attacked the CAG, then the others also attacked him. Then came the appointment of a person (with a tainted record) as CVC. Now a Parliamentary committee is being attacked,” Prasad said.

The Rajya Sabha MP alleged that Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal had visited some PAC members from other parties to influence them.

“The government does not want the PAC report. It had no objection when industrialists or editors were called. The whole hungama started when officials from the PMO and the Attorney General were called,” Prasad alleged.

“Regardless of repeated rebuffs from the media and the judiciary, the government has shown dogged determination to stall a fair investigation (into 2G scam),” Prasad said. PTI

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10 Workers Charred To Death In Delhi Factory Fire

New Delhi : Ten workers were charred to death in a massive fire at a shoe factory in west Delhi’s Peeragarhi industrial area, officials said Thursday.

Around 80 people were working in the three-storey building at the time of fire and many more casualties are feared.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has ordered a probe into the incident and a case has been registered by the police.

The factory is in Udyog Nagar in Peeragarhi area in west Delhi. The fire broke out at 7.10 p.m. Wednesday.

‘Ten bodies have been pulled out of the debris so far. We fear there will be many more people buried under the debris,’ a fire brigade official said.

‘It took almost 12 hours for firefighters to douse the flames. Twenty-five fire tenders were rushed to douse the flames. The fire was brought under control this morning, at around 7.50 a.m.,’ said the official.

However, fire brigade officials had to wait for the blazing hot debris to cool before they could begin rescue operations. They began rescue work at 2 p.m. Thursday.

‘We have registered a case and are investigating whose negligence it was. We have a list of ten missing persons and ten bodies have been recovered so far which have been sent to the hospital. However, it is still not clear whether they are the same people as on the list,’ Additional Commissioner of Police V. Renganathan said late Thursday evening.

‘We will interrogate all concerned and take the statement of the workers. Investigation is on. The fire brigade team is still there,’ he added.

Most of the workers were migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Peeragarhi is a residential-cum-indutrial area, with several factories and also some residential houses.

The list of missing persons are Rajkumar, Bittoo, Manoj, Ajay, Ravi, Mohammad Faizad, Mohammad Sattar, Sunil, Chandrashekhar and Anil, officials said.

According to officials, the fire began on the third floor of the building, which was an open space, before it spread. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

There were 60-80 people working in the factory, of whom 22 were on the rolls while the rest were employed through contractors on daily wage basis. The factory owner has been identified as Narender Singla, said police.

According to fire officials, the factory had not obtained a No-objection Certificate (NOC).

‘Prima facie it appears that the building stored too many cartons and all the exits and escape routes were blocked as a result. There is a wire mesh on the walls that did not allow those trapped inside to jump. The windows were also blocked. The cause of fire can only be ascertained after the rescue operation is over,’ Director of Delhi Fire Service A.K. Sharma said.

‘There should have been a few more openings of the factory. The fire fighting equipment seems to have been in place but were dysfunctional,’ a senior fire department official working on the spot said.

The chief minister has meanwhile directed Deputy Commissioner G.S. Meena to conduct an enquiry into the incident and submit his report within 15 days.

A grieving relative of one of the victims blamed the authorities for delay in the rescue operation. ‘The rescue work began very late. We had suggested that they should break the wall to rescue those trapped but the authorities took a long to take a decision and by that time it was too late,’ she cried.

‘Five of my friends were working there, all are missing. The police are not letting us in, I don’t know what to do,’ 42-year old Rravikant Rajput said.

Rajput, who worked in the factory a few years back said the building had small gates. He also said that fire incidents had occurred in the factory several times earlier, but no one died.

Ram Nath, another witness, said he saw only one boy escaping.

‘I was here till 1.30 a.m. and saw only one boy escaping, I don’t know what happened to the others,’ he said.

This is the fourth incident of fire in Peeragarhi in three months. On Feb 15, 2011, a polyvinyl chloride factory caught fire but no one died in the incident. Just ten days later on Feb 26 another fire broke out in a shoe factory, killing four including a child. On March 13, a fire was reported yet again from another shoe factory but no loss of life was reported.

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PAC Ruckus A 'Black Day' In Indian Democracy: Gadkari

New Delhi : BJP President Nitin Gadkari tonight said the ruckus at the meeting of the PAC on the 2G spectrum scam represented a “black day” for the country’s democracy and alleged that whatever happened there was done at the “direction” of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Addressing a hurriedly convened news conference, Gadkari also said that four Union Ministers were “controlling” and “monitoring” all activities relating to the stormy meeting presided by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

Gadkari, who did not identify the ministers, accused the Congress leadership of “masterminding” the happenings at the PAC meet in Parliament House.

“Whatever happened today was done at the direction of the Prime Minister,” Gadkari said.

The BJP chief said, “four union ministers were sitting in Parliament controlling all activities, monitoring it.” Gadkari claimed whenever UPA faces allegations of corruption, it resorts to such things.

“Whatever happened today was childish behaviour on part of the UPA...after the meeting was adjourned by Joshi ji, a Rajya Sabha member was elected as the chairman by UPA members,” the BJP president said.

Joshi, who was targeted at the PAC meet, was appreciated by the Prime Minister himself for his good work. “And the Prime Minister himself had offered to appear before the PAC,” he said.

Gadkari claimed till the time PAC was quizzing corporate honchos and journalists, the work of the panel was going on smoothly.

“But when they realised that the PM, the Congress party and top officials would be questioned (in the 2G spectrum scam probe), they started creating problems...they did this when they realised that they could face tough questions,” he said.He slammed the UPA for trying to cover up cases of corruption at a time when people were demanding greater transparency and legislations like Lokpal.

The BJP leader also slammed BSP and SP for supporting Congress whenever it faces crisis.“During the 2008 trust vote, they helped bail out the UPA,” he said. PTI

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