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Chidambaram for moderate and
Focus now on nuclear suppliers group
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Congress finalising RS nominees, indicates Sonia
Advani’s proposed yatra creates flutter in LS
Opposition files complaints against CM
Naxalites capture train in Jharkhand Terrorist held in Goa linked to LeT
Punjab farmers use farm loans for other purposes
New IAF firing range awaits ministry’s nod
Tarlochan seeks probe into TV programme
Uma invites Khurana for
Janadesh Rally
Judicial custody for Zaheera till March 16
More plant species face threat
MP ministers not to celebrate Holi
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Chidambaram for moderate and stable tax rates
New Delhi, March 13 Winding up the discussion on the General Budget in the Rajya Sabha, he said the economy was on a “virtuous growth path” and the 20 per cent revenue growth since 2004 would ensure availability of resources for social and infrastructure sectors. The two Appropriation Bills, authorising the government to appropriate certain sums from the Consolidated Fund of India for 2005-06 and the fiscal year ending March 31, were passed by the House by a voice vote. The Bills had been passed earlier by the Lok Sabha. “The fiscal deficit touched a high of 6.2 per cent of the GDP in 2001-02. The correction started in 2002-03 and has been brought down to 4.1 per cent.” He said the states were sitting on cash balance due to increased devolution of funds and urged them to start spending from the start of the new fiscal year to maintain the investment tempo. In the first year of UPA government, Rs 74,000 crore were devolved to states which went up to Rs 94,400 crore in 2005-06 and Rs 1,13,448 crore in 2006-07, he said, adding that spending by central ministries and departments had been better. The minister said the government was moving towards wiping out the revenue deficit by 2008-09 to garner 3 per cent of the GDP for increased public investment in areas like agriculture, health and education. Mr Chidambaram said the government had done a “commendable job” in increasing tax revenue at the rate of 20 per cent since 2004. In 2005-06, the additional tax revenue was about Rs 50,000 crore and it was expected to be around Rs 55,000 crore in 2006-07, he said. Advocating moderate and stable tax rate, he said manufacturing and industrial sector contributed bulk of the tax collection projected at Rs 4,03,376 crore in 2006-07. Addressing concern of Left party members, he said the government had been able to garner an additional 20 per cent increase in revenue and any more taxes could kill the incentive for investment in industrial and manufacturing sector. He said the government was committed to bring more area under irrigation to boost growth in agriculture to four per cent. More services had been brought under the tax net but the farm income had not been taxed, he said, adding that no state government was willing to tax farm income. Referring to the allegations of two per cent interest relief to farmers being an eyewash, the minister said the government had allocated Rs 1,700 crore for giving interest relief of two percentage points in loans availed for kharif and rabi crops last year. The minister further said he would convene a meeting of bank chairmen on March 23 and discuss the need to increase lending to the agricultural sector. He said next year rate of farm credit for short-term loans was expected to be 7 per cent. He defended five lakh tonnes of wheat import for southern states as a “pre-emptive and precautionary measure”. |
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Focus now on nuclear suppliers group
New Delhi, March 13 Leaders of two important NSG member countries --- Finland and Russia --- are already being spoken to by New Delhi. Finland Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, who is already in India since March 10, held talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here tonight. India is understood to have sought Finland’s support in the NSG. Mr Mikhail Fredkov , Prime Minister of Russia, another NSG member country, is also scheduled to come here later this month. During his talks with the Indian leadership the issue of Russian support for India at the NSG would inevitably come up. (Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai are also scheduled to come here on state visits later this month. However, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are not NSG member countries.) The NSG Guidelines require that importing states should give assurances to NSG members that the proposed deals will not contribute to the creation of nuclear weapons. Potential recipients are also expected to have physical security measures in place to prevent theft or unauthorised use of their imports and to promise that nuclear materials and information will not be transferred to a third party without the explicit permission of the original exporter. In addition, final destinations for any transfer must have International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards in place. The IAEA is charged with verifying that non-nuclear-weapon states are not illicitly pursuing nuclear weapons. IAEA safeguards to prevent nuclear material or technology from being stolen or misappropriated for weapons include inspections, remote monitoring, seals, and other measures. |
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Congress finalising RS nominees, indicates Sonia New Delhi, March 13 “How can I say now”, she told reporters when asked whether there would be surprises in the list of party nominees for the Upper House. In a brief interaction with reporters, Ms Gandhi replied in a similar vein when asked whether a senior minister, who was retiring, would be again among the nominees. Hard lobbying had been going on for seats in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections, to be held later this month. Heavyweights likes Mr Arjun Singh, Mr H.R. Bhardwaj, Mr Dasari Narayan Rao and Mr Rehman Khan were among the members who would retire next month. While Mr Arjun Singh was likely to seek renomination from Madhya Pradesh, Mr Bhardwaj might be fielded by the party from Haryana. Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was expected to be fielded from Maharashtra.
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New Delhi, March 13 Sources said the leaders, who met Ms Gandhi separately, urged her to prefer a person from the state for the seat. They said the choice should be such that the Congress in the state was benefited. The sources said Ms Thakur urged the Congress President to give due consideration to aspirants from Kangra as there was a feeling that the region was not adequately represented in the Cabinet. — TNS
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Advani’s proposed yatra creates flutter in LS
New Delhi, March 13 Raising the issue during zero hour, CPM leader Basudeb Acharia said the country had not forgotten the 1990 "rath yatra" undertaken by Mr Advani and the proposed "diabolical" yatra by the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha could disturb peace. Backed by the Congress and SP benches, Mr Acharia along with party colleagues, including Mohammad Salim, said both Parliament and major political parties had condemned the bomb attacks on the Sankatmochan temple and the railway station in Varanasi and declared that the country would never surrender to the intentions of terrorists and maintain communal harmony. The remarks by CPM, Congress and SP members provoked BJP members, led by their Deputy Leader V. K. Malhotra, who countered the attack, saying they had no business to interfere in the party's programme. Taking exception to the trading of charges, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee warned members going against rules and regulations and said derogatory remarks would not form part of the House records. The issue hardly subsided when Suresh Kurup CPM raised the issue of "hate campaign'',
allegedly unleashed by the BJP in the Kota area of Rajasthan against the Emmannuel Mission International, which was running hundreds of educational and charity institutions in
the area. Kurup was supported by other Left members, who said their delegation had visited the area and had found that a sustained and systematic campaign had been launched against the missionaries. This again provoked the BJP members to get up and rebut the charges. BJP member Shrichand Kripalani, who had earlier raised the issue of a controversial book ''Hakikat'' authored by some Christian missionaries, again alleged that the book maligned Hindu gods and hurt the sentiments of the worshippers. However, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee did not allow him to exhibit the copy of the book in the House. Despite objection by the Speaker, Kripalini and some of his party MPs resorted to slogan shouting for a while. Both the Left and BJP members continued to trade charges against each other. Seeing the adamant attitude of both sides on the issue, the Speaker adjourned the House for half an hour. |
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Opposition files complaints against CM
Kolkata, March 13 Trinamool Congress leader Ms Mamata Banerjee earlier sent an allegation to the President, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, stating the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, and some half a dozen CPI(M) MPs had been enjoying the privileges of the office of benefit as office-bearers of some government organisations. Hence, their membership in Parliament be cancelled forthwith, she demanded, citing the example of the cancellation of the Rajya Sabha seat of the Samajwadi Party leader,Mrs Jaya Bacchan, Bollywood actress. The Lok Sabha speaker, Mr Chatterjee, who is also a CPI(M) MP, has been the Chairman of the Santiniketan-Sriniketan Development Authority, MPs like Mr Mohammad Salim, Mr Amitava Nandi, Mr Lakshman Seth, Mr Mohammad Hannan Mollah, Mr Swadesh Chakraborty and Mr Sudhangshu Sil also have been holding key posts in some other offices of benefit like the Minority Development Financial Corporation, the State Fisheries Corporation, the Haldia Development Board, theWaqf Board, the HRBC and the Howrah-Mallickghat Fulbazar Samiti, respectively. Ms Banerjee alleged in her letter sent to the President on March 8 that these CPI(M) MPs had been not only allotted whole-time official cars but they were also regularly drawing special allowances and other monetary benefits for attending board meetings, not permissible to them as Lok Sabha members. Today, the leaders of the Congress(l),the TMC and the BJP separately told the Deputy Chief Election Commissioner, Mr R.Balachandra, now in city, that the Chief Minister, Mr Bhattacharjee, while addressing a CITU rally at Salt Lake yesterday had declared that the government would now allow numerous hawkers to run their trade on foothpaths and streets, contrary to the earlier decision of evicting them, which the leaders felt was a deliberate attempt to woo a section of voters, violating the election rules. They also sent letters to the CEC, Mr B.B.Tandon. At the CITU rally, Mr Bhattacharjee also assured trade union leaders and workers that the police would not be deployed to evict hawkers and other trespassers from railway stations and premises till an alternative was given to them, the leaders alleged. Interestingly, only a few months back, the Chief Minister had declared that the government was firm on evicting all hawkers from the streets and banning hand-pulled rickshaws from the city within six months , that is by May. The state CEO, Mr Debasish Sen said he had received some complaints from the
Opposition parties against some ministers and leaders on violation of election rules and he was looking into these allegations.
Accordingly, he would send these allegations to the Election Commission in due course for necessary action. |
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Naxalites capture train in Jharkhand Ranchi, March 13 The Naxalites of the CPI (Maoist) beat up the passengers of the train, which was travelling from Barkakhana to Mughalsarai, and snatched the walkie talkie of the guard, the sources said. Inspector General of Police G.C. Verma said the train was taken over by the Naxalites at around 7.30 p.m. in retaliation against the killing of one of their comrades in a police encounter on March 3. Police sources said all passengers of the train were safe. — PTI
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Terrorist held in Goa linked to LeT Mumbai, March 13 The terrorist, Tariq Jalal Anwar, told Central Intelligence agencies that he was sent by LeT’s splinter outfit Tehreek-ul-Mujahidin to carry out blasts in Goa’s tourist spots that are frequented by foreigners. The LeT and other jihadi outfits affiliated to it were targeting the beach belt of Calangute, Baga and Candolim where tourists from Israel congregate in large numbers; Anwar is believed to have told investigators. According to sources, intelligence agencies from Israel, including Mossad, have expressed interest in Anwar’s plot to carry out terrorist activities in Goa. Anwar’s questioning has unveiled a hawala network spread across western India, which was used by the LeT, according to sources.
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Punjab farmers use farm loans for other purposes
New Delhi, March 13 The issue is sensitive enough to find voice in Parliament. However, while there have been surveys that indicate the "purpose-wise pattern" of distribution of outstanding loans, including farm loans, taken by farmers, the government is unable to indicate concrete reasons that are leading to the increase in their indebtedness. The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), released last year on "Indebtedness of farmer household", says 65.4 per cent of farmer households in Punjab are indebted. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told the Rajya Sabha last week that 26.4 per cent farmers in Punjab have taken loans for capital expenditure in farm business; 36 per cent for current expenditure in farm business; 4.4 per cent for non-farm business; 8.5 per cent for consumption expenditure; 10.2 per cent for marriages and ceremonies; 2.5 per cent for medical treatment; and 12 per cent for other expenses. As per an NSSO survey, close to 49 per cent of the 90 to 100 million farmer households in the country were living in debt. While an Indian farmer household has an average debt of Rs 12,585, the Punjab farmer tops the list with Rs 41,576 per household, followed by Kerala with Rs 33,907, Haryana Rs 26,007, Andhra Rs 23,965 and Tamil Nadu Rs 23,963. Meaning, the highest farmer debts are in the most productive states, 82 per cent households in Andhra Pradesh, 74.5 per cent in Tamil Nadu, 65.4 per cent in Punjab, 61.1 per cent in Karnataka, 54.8 per cent in Maharashtra. The most common fallout has been that the number of farmers committing suicide has increased, with economic hardships, indebtedness, addiction and crop failure being the major reasons. Experts say rapid cyclic changes in weather, cropping patterns and stress on resources since mid-60s, when the Green Revolution began, has changed it all. Over the years, prosperity has given way to impoverished economy and poverty. |
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New IAF firing range awaits ministry’s nod
Bangalore/Bidar, March 13 The proposal aimed to cut financial expenditure and consumption of flying hours on the trainer and transport aircraft, said Air Marshal B.N. Gokhale, AOC-in-C, Air Force Technical College, Bangalore, explaining the need for having a firing range at Nirna. All flying training establishments (FTEs) of the IAF are located around Hyderabad and Bidar. An important skill for fighter pilots during learning to fly an aircraft in the combat role is proficiency in air-to-ground firing. “In the absence of an ‘air-to-ground’ firing range in either Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka, the trainees are taken to ranges located in Jamnagar in Gujarat and Kalaikunda in West Bengal. “This involves moving 12-14 trainer aircraft with supporting transport aircraft, manpower and ground equipment thus leading to huge expenditure,” said Air Commodore Jatinder Singh Dhillon, Bidar Air Force Station. Keeping in mind these hassles, the IAF authorities conducted surveys in 1999 and found a site close to Nirna village ideal for setting up and an ‘air-to-ground’ range. Subsequently, a no-objection certificate was obtained for acquisition of 1199 acres of private land from DC, Badar, Mr Dhillon said. However, no objection certificate for 736 acre of forestland could not be obtained, as the state government was not authorised to issue it as per the Forest Conservation Act, 1984. So, the Deputy Conservator of Forests at Bidar forwarded the details of the proposal to the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment for in-principle approval for acquisition of forestland. “We are waiting for the approval,” Mr Dhillon added. |
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Tarlochan seeks probe into TV programme
New Delhi, March 13 Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr Tarlochan Singh said there was no support among the Sikhs for divisive demands and those talking of "Khalistan" had no base. Taking strong objection to the programme, Mr Tarlochan Singh wondered why intelligence agencies had not come to know of it before its telecast. He said the Home Ministry should find out “who were behind” the
programme. The member said there should be a code of conduct for the media. |
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Uma invites Khurana for
Janadesh Rally
New Delhi, March 13 Equating the stature of Mr Khurana with that of BJP’s top two leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, the mercurial Sanyasin said “The presence of a senior leader like you (at the rally) and blessings will not only encourage us but also give us the right direction.” Hailing him for the immense contribution made by him for the development of Delhi and for the poor and the needy in the national Capital, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said “For us you are not only the leader of Delhi, but the entire country.” Interestingly, Ms Bharti has extended invitation to Mr Khurana at a time when the latter has not been given any reponsibility in the BJP, despite being one of the senior-most party leaders. Mr Khurana could not be contacted for his reaction.
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Judicial custody for Zaheera till March 16
Mumbai, March 13 Judge Abhay Thipsay who heard an in-camera statement made by Zaheera subsequently sought clarifications on the Supreme Court order sentencing her to a year’s imprisonment for perjury. Zaheera had pleaded before the court that she not be sent to a Gujarat jail and that she be allowed to serve her sentence in a Maharahstra jail. “Since Zaheera specifically stated that she should not be handed over to the Gujarat police and instead be lodged in a prison in Maharashtra, it would not be proper on part of this court to hand her over to the Gujarat police,” the judge observed. “Under the circumstances, it would be fit and appropriate for this court to seek directions from the Supreme Court as to the manner in which Zaheera should undergo her sentence,” he added. |
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More plant species face threat
New Delhi, March 13 As per the “Red Databook on Mammalia”, the number of threatened species has risen from 77 in 1994 to 144 in January 2006. Regarding floral species, 1250 species are categorised as threatened in various volumes of the “Red Databook of Indian Plants”. Giving this information in the Lok Sabha today, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narain Meena said various regulatory and promotional steps were being taken to safeguard the biodiversity of the country.
— TNS |
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MP ministers not to celebrate Holi
Bhopal, March 13 This was stated by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan here before leaving for the rain-affected districts of Shivpuri, Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur today. |
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