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Left wants Parliament to set yardsticks on specifics on N-deal
Quota issue: PM faces tightrope walk
“Cong to go any distance for Muslim quota”
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Delhi ‘major transit point’ of narcotics
SC moved to save Dawood’s property
India to seek bird flu-free status
India calls for ceasefire in Lebanon
India in touch with Bahrain mission
Pak Air Force rapped for buying costly wood during Kargil war
Cuba supports Tharoor’s candidature
Buddhadeb, Lalu divided on Metro security
2 university trekkers found dead, one missing
e-commerce fraud in police net
Security of Amitabh, Sachin beefed up
Rape accused convicted in 2 days
Six of family hacked to death
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Left wants Parliament to set
New Delhi, July 30 Mere statement or an assurance that the country would not compromise in a manner which is not consistent with the July 18 joint statement is not acceptable to us, the CPM general secretary told The Tribune. We have to discuss the (nuclear) deal point by point and Parliament should be set for the government to act,” he said. There are several clauses in the US and the India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006 passed by the US House of Representatives’, which are not acceptable to us and they go beyond what was accepted between Washington and New Delhi in the joint statement and the assurance given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament. He said there were nine major areas of differences where the government had to come out explicitly and could not shy away by stating that they were non-obligatory clauses, as there had been instances in the past where the US Congress had forced their President to comply those and such clauses had been used to arms twist in negotiation in other areas. Earlier talking to newspersons, Karat defended that the Left parties had never insisted on “resolution” but have been demanding that the “sense of the House” should be expressed. Asked how the “sense of House” would be expressed on the deal, he said “We are in touch with government representatives in Parliament and working on how this can be done….we are talking to the government as well as the Congress. We want a statement agreed upon by all sides in Parliament,’’ Left leader said. On consulting the issue with the BJP, he said it had to be done by the government which should agree on a procedure to consult all parties, including the main Opposition, as “this is not a matter of a single party, but of vital national importance.” Karat pointed out that “though we were totally opposed to the BJP’s pro-US policies when they were in office, we had then spoken to the BJP leadership on having resolution in parliament against sending troops to Iraq.” Countering the argument that the Senate is yet to pass the Bill and the final Act would be passed sometime in September, Karat said “it would be no use discussing the matter after the US Congress adopts the relevant law.” “Parliament has the sovereign right to discuss the agreement if the US Congress can do so clause by clause,” he added. Left’s stand on Parliament setting parameters found support in former Prime Minister V P Singh, and former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, who was the key figure to workout the joint statement between US President George Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July last. With BJP continuing to insist on bringing in a resolution on the issue, it would be interesting to see how the UPA floor managers play their game and what position the Left parties, which has upped its stake so much on the Nuclear issue, would take.
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Quota issue: PM faces tightrope walk
New Delhi, July 30 This is because the Prime Minister has to decide fast on the interim report of the Oversight Committee whose recommendations are likely to be taken into consideration while framing a Bill on quota. The government has already made it clear that the Bill would be introduced during the current session of Parliament and a draft legislation is under preparation. Backed by strong supports from Left parties and key allies like DMK and PMK, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh was keen on implementing the process in one go from the next academic year. However, the Oversight Committee in its interim report, presented to the Prime Minister, is understood to have given strong indications suggesting that it could be possible in phases in view of certain issues and constraints expressed by institutions through the five sub-groups. The timeframe for implementation of quotas and the possibility of sudden expansion "leading to loss of merit and excellence," was some of the issues raised by institutions. IIM, Bangalore has recently said that the OBC quota increase will require at least three years for implementation as well as Central assistance through increased funding. The Oversight Committee proposed to address the practical constraints institution-wise on receipt of group's final reports, sources said. When contacted, Moily declined to comment on the interim report except saying that he wanted the Prime Minister and the HRD Minister to go through the report first before making it public. The new reservation process which will cover all Central and elite institutions like IITs and IIMs are to be accompanied with a 54 per cent expansion in order to ensure 27 per cent quota for OBCs. Besides recommending a liberal financial package for the expansion plan, the committee is also understood to have suggested liberalising the retirement age of faculty, re-employment of retired faculty, flexibility to decide upon the compensation package of faculty , more shifts to hold classes and more scholarships to the needy and poor students, sources said. The interim report says that the issue of 'creamy layer' would be dealt with in its final report which is expected by August 31.
— PTI
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“Cong to go any distance for Muslim quota”
Hyderabad, July 30 Reddy, participating in a function of the State Congress Minority Cell, said the striking down of reservations for minorities by the High Court was unfortunate, and added that the government was hopeful of winning the case in the Supreme Court. A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court had passed status quo order against the implementation of the Muslim Community Act 2005, which provides for 5 per cent reservation to Muslims in education and employment. A five-judge constitution Bench is now hearing the appeal of the AP government in the apex court. He said the state government would fight the legal battle tooth and nail in the Supreme Court, and added the Central government would bring in an enactment in the Parliament if needed. Referring to the Union government’s stand on reservation for Muslims, the Chief Minister clarified that quota was provided to Muslim minorities, based not on religion, but on their social and economic backwardness. He said that the government had appointed a commission to conduct a survey on the backwardness of the Muslims and decided to provide five per cent reservation to them. His government had also taken other measures such as increased allocation for muslim welfare and enhanced scholarship amounts to minority students.
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Delhi ‘major transit point’ of narcotics
New Delhi, July 30 This has caused considerable concern as it is a well-established fact that transit cities and countries consequently end up by being user destinations. According to Home Ministry figures, while a total of 1,140 cases relating to narcotics under the NDPS Act were registered by the Delhi Police in 2005, as many as 790 cases have been registered till mid-July this year. In all 1,808 persons were arrested last year while the figure for this year is 1,013 so far. The main recoveries included ganja - 2,907 kg in 2005 and 1,204 kg so far this year, charas - 227 kg last year and 125 kg this year and smack and heroin - 117 kg in 2005 and 69 kg till mid-July. According to these figures, 108 kg of opium was seized in 2005 but the figure is quite low so far this year at 8.5 kg. Poppy seeds seized in 2005 were 1,205 kg while this year's seizure is 538 kg. The seizures included psychotropic tablets like Alprex and Ecstasy also. Senior officials said intelligence reports and the seizures indicated that much of the traffic of heroin was through the Indo-Pakistan border. Also seizure of heroin of South-West Asian origin by various drug enforcement agencies during the last three years indicated that there was substantial increase in trafficking of heroin from across the Indo-Pak border. It was also indicated that many West-African nationals, mainly Nigerians, were found involved in drug trafficking. Officials said a number of steps had been taken to check smuggling and trafficking of narcotics and drugs within the country as well as from across the borders. These included maintaining a strict surveillance and enforcement at import and export points, land borders, airports and foreign post offices. Improved coordination among various drug enforcement agencies, intelligence sharing through coordination meetings of multi-disciplinary enforcement agencies and strengthening of international liaison to improve the collection, analysis and dissemination of operational intelligence were some of the other measures being taken.. The government was also conducting refresher courses for law-enforcement officials for upgrading their skills to combat drug-trafficking.
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SC moved to save Dawood’s property
New Delhi, July 30 A petition against the Mumbai special court’s order for demolition of Dawood’s illegally built Sara-Sahara shopping mall has been moved in the apex court by Abdul Rehman Abdul Gafoor Sheikh, who is facing trial among several accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act
(MCOCA). The special court on July 26 ordered to demolish of the mall and seven other illegal buildings of Dawood. Earlier, the authorities had failed to carry out demolition due to inadequate police protection. The MCOCA court judge had passed the orders after he visited the spot personally to assess the ground situation. A special leave petition
(SLP) was moved by Gafoor Sheikh on Friday when his counsel made a special mention of it before a Bench of Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan And Mr Justice D.K. Jain, which said it would be taken up for hearing on July 31. Though his counsel had pressed for urgent hearing of the matter on July 28 on the ground that if the building was demolished during the interim period, the petition would become
infructous. Gafoor’s contention was that the MCOCA special court had passed the order without giving him proper hearing. He had sought stay on demolition till the trial in the cases was over. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has been continuing with the demolition operation under tight security being provided by the state police. Meanwhile, the civic authorities continued with the demolition of seven unauthorised structures near the controversial Sara-Sahara complex in south Mumbai on Sunday. The BMC had started pulling down seven structures in Munim Compound yesterday. However, the BMC does not have any orders as yet to demolish the Sara-Sahara complex.
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India to seek bird flu-free status
New Delhi, July 30 Speaking to mediapersons at the end of a day-long conference of ministers of Health and Agriculture/Livestock on Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness in India, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said bird flu had not reappeared anywhere in the country till date following several rounds of surveillance. “It cannot be predicted if the avian influenza will strike at all but we have a window of opportunity and we must capitalise it fully. India has also developed a prototype vaccine for bird flu. “We are willing to share our experience for control and containment if it is of use to others,” Mr Pawar said. Ministers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand signed a Delhi Declaration after the conference. The ministers have committed to develop and strengthen animal and human disease surveillance and response systems for early detection and prompt containment of avian influenza and other emerging zoonotic diseases. Participants at the conference stressed the need for high bio-safety standards, better laboratories, stocks of essential drugs, vaccines and equipment. Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture, P.M.A. Hakeem told mediapersons that the Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal had developed a vacccine for bird flu. He said several kinds of trials were going on but it would take a while before commercial use of the vaccine started. Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture, Upma Chawdhry said the government was in the process of making a formal application seeking disease-free status on avian influenza and was hoping that all samples tested negative. She said the OIE would simply circulate the disease-free report on India to other countries and put the information on its website. Ms Chawdhry told the TNS that according to OIE guidelines, a country could apply for disease-free status on avian influenza within three months of completion of culling, clean-up and disinfection and no recurrence of Avian Influenza during this period. “We completed culling, disinfection and clean up in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on May 8. We will apply for disease-free status in the first half of August,” she said.
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India calls for ceasefire in Lebanon
New Delhi, July 30 In a statement issued here on Sunday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Navtej Sarna said that India was deeply concerned over the escalation of conflict. While reiterating its call for a ceasefire, India has suggested that the ceasefire be followed by negotations leading to a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the problems of the region. India has expressed outrage over the bombing of a building in Qana in south Lebanon today that resulted in the deaths of dozens of innocent civilians who had taken shelter there. It has also expressed its condolences to the government and people of Lebanon over this tragic incident. “We also condemn the strikes on UN peacekeeping troops deployed on the Israel-Lebanon border, which has resulted in two Indian soldiers getting wounded yesterday. It will be recalled that earlier an Indian soldier has also been hurt, and four UN peacekeeping observers had been killed as a result of Israeli bombing. We demand that such targeting of UN peacekeepers in stopped forthwith,” the statement reads.
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India in touch with Bahrain mission
New Delhi, July 30 Sixteen Indian nationals are feared to have been charred to death and seven others injured in the fire reportedly caused by an electrical short circuit in Bahrain’s Gudabiya area. Most of the Indians residing in the area hailed from Tamil Nadu. Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahmad was quoted by PTI as saying that India was in constant touch with its mission in Bahrain and has asked for a detailed report from its Ambassador Balakrishan Shetty. The fire engulfed a house inhabited by bachelors working with the Royal Towers Construction Company. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that people can dial its helpline numbers 011-24674150 and 24197972 for information about their relatives in Bahrain. MEA spokesperson Navetej Sarna told TNS that people can call up 0973-1771-2683, the number of the Indian Mission in Bahrain to check about the well-being of their relatives. They can also call up the Second Secretary, Mr Bhatnagar, in the Indian Mission at 0973-1772-9880 or the Labour Attache on his mobile number at 00973-39745640. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has expressed shock and grief over the death of Indian nationals in Bahrain. He has conveyed condolences to members of the bereaved families and wished quick recovery to the injured.
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Pak Air Force rapped for buying
New Delhi, July 30 The Auditor General of Pakistan, in a recent report, has also recommended an inquiry into the matter and measures to check such practices in future, according to a report in the Daily Times. It said that PAF authorities at the Chaklala airbase had bought expensive firewood, notwithstanding the availability of cheaper wood in the market. Private vehicles were also hired by PAF to transport the wood required to make boxes for packing drop tanks for fuel, which were planned to be stored at forward operation bases till their wartime use, the report said. The
PAF, however, maintained that Kargil operations were a “national emergency” and since the drop tanks were huge, expensive and fragile equipment, they required packing in expensive wood. The Auditor General rejected the PAF stance and said the wood quality was “neither extraordinary, nor had there been a shortage of wood in the market that could have increased the wood price”, the report said, adding that manufacture of packing boxes out of this wood was supervised by PAF itself.
— PTI
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Cuba supports Tharoor’s candidature
New Delhi, July 30 This was conveyed by Cuban officials to Ms Shashi U. Tripathi, Secretary (West) in Ministry of External Affairs, who led the Indian delegation at Foreign Office Consultations with Cuba held at Havana on July 20-21, the MEA said in a press note. The Indian delegation had meetings with Acting Foreign Minister of Cuba, Mr Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Deputy Foreign Ministers Mr Marcos Rodriguez Costa and Mr Abelardo Moreno, responsible for bilateral and multilateral affairs respectively, and senior officials. Besides an extensive exchange of views on issues related to the Non-Aligned Movement, preparatory to the 14th NAM Summit which will take place in Havana in September, 2006, the two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation and also discussed UN issues.
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Buddhadeb, Lalu divided on Metro security
Kolkata, July 30 While the Chief Minister claimed he could persuade the Home Minister Sivraj Patil to deploy CISF personnel in the city’s underground railway as a security step against terrorists attacks, Mr Yadav said the metro railway had adequate protective measures with the deployment of the RPF ( Railway Protection Force). The RPF has been an equally well-equipped para-military force like CISF and hence, there is no need for engaging the CISF in the railways, he said. Mr Yadav was in the city yesterday to inaugurate Kolkata’s direct railway linking with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose international airport by extending the circular railway from Dum Dum Cantonment to the airport— a 3.8 km stretch, of which 2.8 km elevated — the construction of which cost Rs 87 crore. This is the first time in the country that a rail link could be established directly with an important airport, which Trinamool Congress leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee, had envisaged during her brief tenure as Railway Minister in the Vajpayee government. The state home secretary, Mr P.K.Roy, alleged that security measures in the metro railways were very inadequate and there was an urgent need for strengthening security. He felt the deployment of the CISF in the metro rail would serve the purpose. Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration function, Mr Yadav said the ministry would consider a direct rail link with all other major airports of the country for facilitating air passengers with easy access to airports. Later, Mr Yadav opened a cyber cafe at Eastern Railways’ Asansol station and flagged off the new Asansol-Adra-Bokaro passenger train.
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2 university trekkers found dead, one missing
Kolkata, July 30 The police feels that the incident could be a result of a triangular
love-tragedy. Kousik and Bappaditya who returned safe told the police that while trekking they all fell down from the hills into the turbulent Sova river. But the two of them managed to swim to safety. On Saturday, Shuvankar’s body with severe wounds was found on the embankment of the river and later in the day, Swati’s body was found near a jungle in Majhibera village. They did not have any clothes on their bodies. The police has detained Kousik and Bappaditya for interrogation. The Registrar of the university, Prof Rajat
Banerjee, said they had not sponsored the trek but admitted that the students were members of the university’s trekking team.
Swati’s relatives told the police that they did not know she was going to Ayodhya hills with four others.
Kousik’s parents also said they were under the impression that he went to Digha with a friend.
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e-commerce fraud in police net
Lucknow, July 30 Amit Kumar Singh Chauhan, a lanky young man, barely out of his teens, is now in police custody for having made deals for mobiles and other electronic items to e-clients, collecting the money and not dispatching the goods. Over the past seven months Chauhan was regularly taking e-clients for a ride over the reputed e-commerce web site eBay India Pvt Ltd, the Indian chapter of the international IT giant eBay, which is based in California. The SSP of the force, Mr S.K. Bhagat, said they had received a complaint from the eBay’s Trust and Safety team regarding merchant fraud being committed by someone in Lucknow. Following investigations Chauhan was arrested today. He confessed to have sold mostly mobiles to unsuspecting buyers earning enough to buy himself a Hyundai Accent. He, however, told mediapersons that he thought of this idea after someone had similarly defrauded him and nothing happened despite his several complaints. According to the police, as it is very difficult to commit a fraud from the same computer twice, Chauhan, a computer mechanic, reformatted his computer before entering his next deal. Suspecting the active connivance of employees of four private banks, Mr Bhagat said Chauhan was repeatedly opening and closing accounts in which he used to receive the deal money. Check books of various accounts in the HDFC, ICCI, IDBI and UTI banks had been recovered from him.
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Security of Amitabh, Sachin beefed up
Mumbai, July 30 When contacted by UNI on reports that the security had been beefed up for prominent personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Mukesh Ambani following intelligence reports that there was a specific plot to target icons, Joint CP (Law and Order) Arup Patnaik said, “We are taking a fresh review of the situation like the bomb blasts, intelligence reports and the coming Ganpati festival and are asking people to be more alert.” DG Maharashtra, P.S. Pasricha said,”In the wake of the recent developments, we do not want to take a chance.”
— UNI
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Rape accused convicted in 2 days
Sasaram, July 30 Mr Srivastva recorded the statement of the victim, doctors who examined her and the investigating officers concerned within two days. Sources said a minor girl was raped by a married man on December 23. An FIR was lodged against the accused, Gajendra Chaudhary with Dawath police station the same day. During medical test conducted at Bikramganj, the medical board confirmed the crime. The police arrested the accused on March 21 and submitted the charge sheet on April 13. After framing charges in the case on July 19, the case was referred to the District and Sessions Judge Rohtas.
— UNI
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Six of family hacked to death
Hazaribag, July 30 The police has arrested the head of the family, Nityanand Karmali, at Kujju, 45 km from Hazaribag town, in connection with the crime. The bodies of Karmali’s grandmother, mother, his three children and a nephew at his residence at the Colliery Colony in Dhaura. They were killed with a sharp weapon while they were asleep.
— PTI
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