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No kickback in submarine deal, says Pranab
NCM to monitor Advani’s
rath yatra
Parliament approves Budget
200 criminals surrender in Bihar
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Guidelines soon on ‘sting operations’
Wife can seek divorce for non-consummation of marriage: SC
Delhi, Dhaka sign pact to boost trade
Centre keen to revive units
in Punjab border districts
PM to look into demand for
journalists’ wage boards
Farmers from Punjab at a rally organised by the India Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement at Jantar Manter in New Delhi on Tuesday. The rally was organised to protest against the government's decision to import 5 lakh tonnes of wheat.
— Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal
Financial package sought for Punjab farmers
SP member expelled from RS
Judicial custody for Kasliwal till April 3
CEC reviews Bengal poll arrangements
Probe ordered into stripping of Dalit woman
SBI employees threaten strike
Ramanis questioned by police
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No kickback in submarine deal, says Pranab
New Delhi, March 21 Dismissing charges by Opposition leaders and former Defence Minister George Fernandes that middlemen were involved in the deal and an extra amount of Rs 4,500 crore was paid to French firms than was earlier negotiated, the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, said: “The facts of the case are contrary to these allegations.” Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha, the minister contended that the French company accused of committing to pay commission to the alleged middleman had denied all allegations and termed as “fake and fabricated” all e-mails published in a journal. He said the French Embassy here also in a press communique termed the media reports as slanderous. The French company had filed a case in the Delhi High Court last month against the journal. Mr Mukherjee made it clear that “no contract or contracts were signed with the French firms for Rs 16,000 crore for the Scorpene project” as alleged by the Opposition and also a section of the media. Mr Mukherjee said the total cost of the two contracts signed with the two French firms — M/s Armaris and MBDA — for the project was Rs 7,197 crore. “The government did not pay an extra amount of Rs 4,500 crore that what was negotiated earlier. On the contrary, after the present government came to power, it re-examined the project even though all negotiations had been completed in 2002 and the Ministry of Finance had accorded approval to the project in 2003,” he said. The UPA government held negotiations and “was able to achieve a reduction of Rs 313 crore from the negotiated position in 2002,” he said. He said for the first time signing of integrity pacts were made mandatory. Besides ensuring transparency, they provided for severe penalties in the case of breach of any of its provisions. On media reports seeking to establish a link between the Scorpene project and breach of security in the Directorate of Naval Operations, he said a Court of Inquiry against a former Indian Navy officer, Lieut (retd) Kulbhushan Parashar, had found leakage of information but it did not pertain to the submarine deal. He said the board indicted three Naval officers. The inquiry had established that there had been leakage of information, primarily of commercial value, to unauthorised persons. |
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NCM to monitor Advani’s
rath yatra
New Delhi, March 21 The newly appointed NCM Chairman, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, told The Tribune here: “The commission cannot prejudge an event. We, like the whole country, would be watching the rath yatra and would take appropriate action as the situation demands.” There are apprehensions in the minds of the people, as the 1990 rath yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya embarked upon by Mr Advani had resulted in communal clashes in several places. Mr Ansari said the reaction of the people at large after the Varanasi bomb blast clearly indicated that the situation had considerably changed since 1990. Clearly avoiding to be drawn into any political controversy, he said the commission would take steps at an appropriate time as required. Further, causing concern in the minds of the people are reports indicated that the government has specific intelligence about threats to Mr Advani during his rath yatra in Uttar Pradesh. On the recent controversy of attacks on a Christian organisation in Rajasthan, the NCM Chairman said the commission had sought a report from the Rajasthan Government on the attacks on the Emmanuel Mission International and the arrest of its chairperson Samuel Thomas. Mr Thomas was arrested on Thursday in the outskirts of the Capital after the Rajasthan police registered cases against the Emmanuel Mission for selling “controversial” book “Haqeeqat”, which leaders of the Sangh claimed denigrates Hindu deities and Indian culture. |
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Parliament approves Budget
New Delhi, March 21 With the Upper House returning the Finance Bill, the three-stage budgetary exercise has been completed. Mr Chidambaram said the government would take steps to make income tax returns more simpler. He said removal of certain tax exemptions and providing tax incentives was intended to make India a major hub for manufacturing in the areas such as small cars, food processing and man-made fibres. With most states implementing VAT, Mr Chidambaram said the government would soon talk to state finance ministers to phase out Central Sales Tax. On the demand for bringing service of lawyers and doctors under the tax net, Mr Chidambaram said gradually all services barring a small negative list would be brought under the service tax net. He said the Finance Ministry was working on further simplification of Saral forms for filing income tax returns for the salaried class. He said the government was working on a scheme to appoint “income tax preparors’ to give provide earning opportunities for unemployed graduates. Mr Chidambaram said profit-making cooperative banks would also have to file returns and pay income tax virtually like any other bank. |
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200 criminals surrender in Bihar
Patna, March 21 The criminals surrendered in presence of Mr Kumar ,who was
accompanied by Chief Secretary G.S.Kang, DGP Ashish Ranjan Sinha and other Cabinet colleagues. Earlier, in late sixties Jai Prakash Narayan persuaded dacoits of Chambal to surrender before the administration to join the mainstream. Mr Kumar offered an impressive
rehabilitation package for the surrendered criminals, including lucrative buy-back scheme of their firearms. The surrendered criminals on-spot were paid Rs 10,000 and offered house or land under the Indira Awas Yojana. One of their children would also be given education free of
cost till Class X .The total rehabilitation package worked out by the Nitish
Kumar government was approximately Rs 2 Lakh per surrendered criminal. Later speaking on the
occasion Mr Kumar reiterated his promise to establish rule of law to bring back the state on the path of development. Mr Kumar said the ongoing
rehabilitation package for the criminals was an opportunity for them to join the mainstream by earning their livelihood through respectable
means. |
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Guidelines soon on ‘sting operations’
New Delhi, March 21 Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi said “government will decide on issuing a show cause notice to the channel soon,” while replying to a matter raised by a member on the sting operation shown by a private TV channel yesterday on MPs allegedly sub-letting their quarters on rent to earn money. TV channels, in race for increasing their TRP, go for such sensational news, which have implications not only for political parties but for the entire nation and this prestigious House, the minister said. “We shall see what steps can be taken to stop this,” he said. |
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Wife can seek divorce for non-consummation of marriage: SC
New Delhi, March 21 Holding that “sexual act and procreation of children” was the essence of the institution of marriage, specially under the Hindu “sanskar” marriage, a Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal and Mr Justice A.R. Lakshmanan allowed divorce to Vinita Saxena, an IIT graduate and now pursuing her doctorate degree in the USA, in a 13-year wedlock with Pankaj Pandit, who once was her classmate in college. The marriage of Vinita with Pankaj, solemnised on February 7, 1993, had lasted only for five months till she was “kicked out” of the house in Delhi by the in-laws after she discovered that her husband was a chronic patient of schizophrenia, a disease most damaging among all mental disorders, according to international study reports, recorded by the court in the judgement. Since the husband was under treatment for schizophrenia, due to which a person starts imagining things which were far from realities, a senior sexologist in the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had opined that he “cannot perform the marital obligations.” The doctor who examined him for his sexual incapacity had said that he was a “psychopathic case and has no power of concentration,” the court in the judgement recorded and accepted the argument of Vinita’s counsel Kamini Jaiswal that “non-consummation of marriage itself constituted mental cruelty to a married woman” and be a reasonable ground for divorce under Sections 13(1),(1-a) and (iii) of the Hindu Marriage Act, which allows divorce to any of the spouse on the ground of cruelty. “Where the parties are young and the mental disorder is of such a type that sexual act and procreation of children is not possible, it may furnish a good ground for nullifying the marriage because to beget children from a Hindu wedlock is one of the principal aim of Hindu marriage where ‘sanskar’ of marriage is advised for progeny and offspring,” Mr Justice Lakshmanan said, writing the judgement for the Bench. The court, while recording several instances of constant ill-treatment of Vinita at the hands of her in-laws during her five-month stay in their house, said a young and well-educated woman like her was not expected to endure the harassment in domestic life, whether mental, physical, intentional or unintentional and her sentiments had to be respected. |
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Delhi, Dhaka sign pact to boost trade
New Delhi, March 21 The two agreements, signed in the presence of Bangladesh’s visiting Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are: (i) a Revised trade agreement and agreement for mutual cooperation for preventing illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related matters The Revised trade agreement was signed between India and Bangladesh upon expiry of the Trade Agreement originally signed in 1980. The agreement recognises that expansion of trade is important for the development of the two countries and also takes into account the asymmetries that exist between the two countries. The agreement also calls for cooperation between the two governments to prevent infringement and circumvention of rules and regulations of either country in matters related to foreign exchange and foreign trade. Under the agreement, both countries would make mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of their waterways, roadways and railways for commerce between the two countries for passage of goods between places in one country through the territory of the other. According to the agreement, both countries would also facilitate holding of trade fairs and exhibitions and visits of business and trade delegations. The agreement on joint fight against drug abuse/trafficking, envisages quick exchange of information regarding operational intelligence and to help each other build up records in respect of smugglers, suspects, financiers and organisers. Under the agreement, the Narcotics Control Bureau would be the nodal agency for India and the Department of Narcotics Control would be the nodal agency for Bangladesh, which would meet periodically with the aim of promoting field-level contact and cooperation between the two countries. |
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Centre keen to revive units
in Punjab border districts
New Delhi, March 21 Mr Kumar, who today met representatives of leading industry associations from border districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar, assured them that he would initiate the requisite measures to ensure that pre-requisites for a faster pace of industrial development in the region such as strong infrastructure, better connectivity, adequate credit and financial support, new market linkages and capacity building were provided at the earliest. Emphasising the pro-active role of the state government, the Minister assured full support and cooperation from the Centre in any initiative by the state government. Mr Kumar said today's interaction was the first in a series planned throughout the country to understand specific issues and problems being faced by industrial units. The minister said efforts would be made to raise the amount under Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme to Rs 1150 crore under the model of public private partnership. He said the demands made by industry representatives included abolition of octroi, rationalisation of freight rates and release of subsidy. Mr Ashwani Sekhri, Punjab Parliamentary Secretary (Local Govt), who also attended the meeting, said that demand was made by the participants that Punjab Finance Corporation should follow RBI guidelines for border districts on one-time settlement. |
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PM to look into demand for
journalists’ wage boards
New Delhi, March 21 The PM said he would study the issue and hold discussions with the Labour and Information and Broadcasting Ministers. He also promised to look into the long-pending demand of over a lakh employees working in the sector, Confederation General Secretary M.S. Yadav said.
— TNS |
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Farmers protest against wheat import
New Delhi, March 21 Supported by former Prime Minister V.P. Singh and former union minister Ajit Singh, farmers staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, and demanded that the government should withdraw its decision to import five lakh tonnes of wheat which they said would pave the way for the import of cheaper farm produce, thus hitting at the livelihood of lakhs of farmers in the country. Addressing the gathering, Mr Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, president, BKU’s Punjab unit, said: “There is no shortage of wheat in the country as 47 lakh tonnes of wheat stocks were there by February-end as per
government figures. So, the government should reconsider its decision.” Condemning as irrational and unnecessary the government decision for the import of wheat when the same could have easily been procured in the country, the national president of the BKU Mahendra Singh Takait said the farmers would lay seige on of the ports to prevent the imported wheat from reaching the government godowns till the decision was reversed. He asked the government to order a probe against FCI officials who were misleading by giving wrong figures. They alleged that even after reducing the import duty, the import of wheat would cost the country Rs 9500 per tonne whereas the government procured the same from farmers at the rate of Rs 6500 per tonne. Lending support to the cause of the farmers at the rally, Mr V.P. Singh said “why is the government importing wheat when new harvest has already started hitting the markets.” |
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Financial package sought for Punjab farmers
New Delhi, March 21 "The monsoon rains have become erratic and the ongoing intensive agriculture operations in the state have come to a naught leading to indebtedness of farmers with some of them being driven to extreme step of suicide," he said in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour. He said in such a situation, the only option was to sink deep tubewells for drawing water from a
deeper level. "But such an operation is a costly affair beyond the capacity of small and marginal farmers," Mr Khanna said, adding that now the government should come to the rescue of farmers by installing deep
tubewells for covering a large cultivable areas. "The Centre should release a special package for this purpose," he said. Besides, he demanded a 'special girdawari' for assessing loss of the crop due to erratic rains this year in Hoshiarpur and Ropar districts particularly. He said the Central Government should compensate the farmers for the loss they had incurred this year. |
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SP member expelled from RS
New Delhi, March 21 It, however, exonerated BSP MP Isam Singh of the charge of "ethical misconduct". The House accepted a report of the Committee on Ethics, headed by senior member Karan Singh, which had recommended expulsion of Ms Maharaj and exoneration of Mr Isam Singh.
— PTI |
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Judicial custody for Kasliwal till April 3
Mumbai, March 21 Kasliwal was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate S.S. Suroshe on the expiry of his police custody. Kasliwal, 26, was taken to Bangalore where he was subjected to lie-detector tests. Police officials said here that the tests indicated that Kasliwal had earlier lied about the woman willingly having sex with him. Kasliwal had allegedly picked up the woman, aged 52, from Colaba in South Mumbai and took her to his Sree Ram Mills in Central Mumbai where the assault allegedly took
place. |
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CEC reviews Bengal poll arrangements
Kolkata, March 21 But there will be no need for applying the same method in holding elections in the four other states, namely Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Pondichery, where polling will be held simultaneously in one day. Accompanied by the two Election Commissioners, Mr R. Balakrishnan and Mr G. Gopalswami, the CEC arrived in the city this morning from Delhi to review the arrangements. |
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Probe ordered into stripping of Dalit woman
Patna, March 21 The police said that the victim, Manju Devi, had filed a complaint against the Congress MLA and his associates at Kishanganj CJM court. The case was registered under Section 307 of IPC and Section 3/4 of Harijan Act. The CJM Krishnandan Kumar has already ordered the police to register an FIR against all 60 persons named in the case, including the Congress MLA. According to the police, the husband of victim Anu Lal Harijan was in jail for the past few months on the charge of raping a Muslim woman. Manju Devi approached the village body chief for justice for her jailed husband and in turn the villagers led by the Congress MLA allegedly abused and stripped her. The police said that Manju Devi reportedly charged some influential members of the village body with falsely implicating her husband in the rape case. |
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SBI employees threaten strike
New Delhi, March 21 Over two lakh employees, including officers, will strike work for an indefinite period till their demand for pension revision is met, said All India State Bank Officers Federation and the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation.
— TNS |
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Ramanis questioned by police
New Delhi, March 21 Officials of the Special Investigation Team, probing the destruction, tampering and fabrication of evidence in the aftermath of the ramp model’s murder, interrogated the Ramanis at their south Delhi residence. Getting tough against its own officials, the Delhi Police said a few of its personnel figured among a dozen people interrogated in connection with the case so far. Ramanis, key
witnesses in the case, had allegedly cleaned up the blood stains at the venue after the murder of the model.
— PTI |
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