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NEW DELHI: Is Wednesday becoming the next preferred day for terrorists after ’Black Friday’?

Today’s blast outside the Delhi high court, which caused heavy casualties, comes three months after a low intensity blast that took place at the same place on May 25, also a Wednesday.

Even the serial blasts in Mumbai on July 13, which killed 18 people and injured 141, also occurred on Wednesday.

The 26/11 terror strikes, which is considered one of the biggest attacks in the country, in 2008 had also taken place on a Wednesday.

Though there is no proof that there is a connection between all these blasts which are taking place on Wednesdays, a growing feeling is that it might be next preferred day for terrorists after Friday.

Several major terror attacks had taken place in the country on Fridays including the Mumbai serial blasts in 1993, blasts at Jama Masjid in Delhi in 2006 and the explosion in Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad in 2007.

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MUMBAI: In the backdrop of Wednesday’s Delhi blast, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has made an appeal to the devotees not to carry bags or packages while going for ’darshan’ of the Lord during the ongoing Ganesh festival.

"I appeal to devotees that in the light of Delhi incident, we all should take precaution and cooperate with authorities and not carry any bags while going to darshan," Chavan told reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet, which was followed by another meeting to review security.

"If any suspicious object is found, please notify security agencies," Chavan appealed to devotees.

At all sensitive places, specially courts, there will be special security arrangements in view of Delhi blasts, the chief minister said. Instructions have also been issued to install maximum CCTVs, he said.

In all cities, where a large number of devotees congregate during the festive season, bags should not be allowed and people should be checked before being allowed entry, he said.

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***** Delhi blast: There was blood all over, says eyewit ...***** Bomb was planted in a briefcase

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MUMBAI: In what could potentially bring a smile on the faces of millions of borrowers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that floating rate home loans will be spared penal charges in case of prepayments. As part of a 10-point agenda to improve customer service, banks have also been asked to look at introducing a new category of fixed rate home loans on which prepayment charges would be allowed.

RBI’s decision on home loans was taken at a Banking Ombudsman Conference, on Monday, where the banking regulator had asked bank chiefs and the ombudsmen present to identify ten action points to further improve their customer service. Besides the decision on home loans, the action points include measures to protect customer interest in unauthorized ATM transactions, and a policy for compensation to customers for mental harassment.

The regulator for housing finance companies like HDFC and LIC Housing Finance - the National Housing Bank -- has already directed lenders not to impose prepayment charges where the borrower uses his own funds to reduce his loan liability. However, housing finance companies are allowed to impose a penalty where the borrower refinances the loan.

In the banking sector some lenders do not charge for part-prepayment. Market leader State Bank of India’s chairman Pratip Chaudhuri upon taking charge had said that the bank would not charge for any form of prepayment. However, there has not been any regulatory directive save for one condition that stipulates that terms of the contract cannot be unilaterally changed by the bank after the loan agreement is signed.

The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, which was introduced in 1995, provides an additional grievance redressal platform for consumers. Banks are bound to adhere to the awards granted by the ombudsman. Customers, however, have the freedom to approach the courts if they are unhappy with the order.

"Banks may also offer long-term fixed rate housing loans to their customers and address their asset liability mismatch (ALM) issues by recourse to the Interest Rate Swaps (IRS) market. Floating rate loans pass on the interest rate risk from banks which are much better placed to manage it to borrowers and, thus, banks only substitute interest rate risk with potential credit risk," RBI said in a statement highlighting the 10 action points. The statement added that banks would be free to recover/ charge appropriate prepayment penalties in the case of fixed rate loans.

Inaugurating the conference on Monday, RBI governor D Subbarao said that in customer service area rendering good customer service was like ’prevention’ and was better than the ’cure’ which was the various grievances redressal mechanisms.