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The Patriarch wants to quit Politburo
‘IT scrutiny not covered under RTI’
’84 Riots |
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SC: We can’t expedite Afzal’s execution
‘Jodhaa Akbar’ banned in MP
IGP’s suspension recommended
Rajasthan to regularise services of ad hoc teachers
Ghising arrives in Kolkata
Maoists a threat in Bhutan: Rajnath
Lull prevails on poll eve in Tripura
Congress Spokespersons’ Programme
Contract for Panipat-Jalandhar project okayed
New Bangalore airport races against time for take-off
PM reviews tiger conservation status
Tiger succumbs to bullet injuries
Jallikattu
Stray tiger caged
Arrested techie grilled over terror links
4 Maoists, cop killed
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The Patriarch wants to quit Politburo
Kolkata, February 22 Asked whether he would continue to be a Politburo member, 94-year-old Basu told reporters at the CPM state headquarters: “I don't wish to continue and verbally communicated this to the party leadership”. He hoped that the party leadership would accept his request and it would be formally endorsed in the forthcoming party congress at Coimbatore in Tamilnadu on March 29. The Politburo, which will be meeting in Delhi on February 25 and 26, will also discuss Basu’s desire of quitting and take steps accordingly. The CPM patriarch had earlier expressed similar desire, but the party did not allow him to take political ‘sanyas’ considering his invaluable contribution to the party's policy making decisions, especially in times of crisis.
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‘IT scrutiny not covered under RTI’
New Delhi, February 22 “The finance ministry at the highest level has analysed the whole issue and has given its considered opinion about the possible effect of disclosure on economic interest of the state,” a CIC bench headed by Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said. The order came on an RTI application of Kamal Anand, who sought details from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) about its instructions issued to I-T assessment officers on the scrutiny policy for financial year 2006-07, while also claiming a copy of the policy guidelines for individual tax payers. The matter, that was taken with the commission following the CBDT’s refusal to provide the details, was thereafter referred to the Department of Revenue within the finance ministry for its views. In its submissions before the CIC, the finance ministry had said divulging details about the scrutiny guidelines would affect India’s economic interests by making it easy for unscrupulous tax payers to evade taxes. It was said the guidelines were meant for use by I-T assessment officers to enforce compliance of tax-payers’ liability, and hence there was no public interest attached to such disclosures.
— PTI
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’84 Riots
New Delhi, February 22 Since cases against some powerful Congress leaders were still pending or were under investigation, several key witnesses or victims, who were named as witnesses, shifted to Punjab needed protection so that they could depose fearlessly and freely, senior advocate H.S. Phoolka in his letter to Badal said. It has been pointed out in the letter that several victims had migrated to Punjab only due to fear for their lives as “the protection provided by the Delhi Police is of no use because the victims do not repose confidence in the force”. “They (victims) had witnessed the same Delhi police openly conniving with the political leaders and the mob in killing the Sikhs… they have also witnessed the same Delhi police shielding and protecting these political leaders for the past 23 years, “ the letter said. He said since there was no witness protection programme in the country, Phoolka urged the SAD-led alliance government in Punjab to provide security to witnesses at least in the important cases. Such witnesses also needed “relocation” because they did not feel safe in Delhi, he said. “If the victims are provided security by the Punjab police, it will inspire confidence in them and they would come forward to depose freely,” the letter sent to the Chief Minister today said. The senior advocate in this regard made special reference to the families of two crucial witnesses, Giani Surinder Singh and Jasbir Singh against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, living in Delhi. While Giani Surinder Singh had recently shifted to Punjab after he alleged that he was under threat, Jasbir Singh had “fled” to the US soon after Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission had indicted Tytler for his alleged “role” in the riots on his testimony. Presently living in Calfornia, Jasbir Singh had expressed his willingness to record his statement to the CBI against Tytler before some US court. “There are some witnesses, who are to depose against Sajjan Kumar and Kamal Nath. They too need to be provided with the security,” the letter said.
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SC: We can’t expedite Afzal’s execution
New Delhi, February 22 The court said since the matter, as per reports, has been pending before the President, who is seized of his clemency petition, it could not issue any direction as there was no such provision under the law to issue direction to the President. The petition seeking Afzal’s execution was filed by an outfit named as Lashkar-e-Hind. It said since there was no procedure for approaching the President for taking timely decision in such cases, the outfit was left with no alternative but to approach the apex court. The Supreme Court in its verdict of August 4, 2005, had upheld the death sentence to Afzal, acquitted his cousin Shaukat Hussain of serious charges of terrorism and conspiracy to attack Parliament and confirmed the Delhi High Court’s order of acquittal against city college lecturer S.A.R. Gilani. While Shaukat was only awarded 10 years imprisonment by the apex court for hiding the conspiracy of which he had the knowledge, his wife Afsan was acquitted of the same charge by the Delhi High Court. After exhausting all legal remedies of filing review and curative petitions, which were also rejected by the apex court, Afzal had filed a mercy petition to the President during the tenure of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. But it is learnt that the Union Home Ministry, which processes the case for placing it before the President with the government’s opinion, has not yet forwarded the same to the President. There are at least over 50 death row convicts in the country confined to the solitary cells in various jails, awaiting decision on their mercy petitions submitted to the President through the Union Home Ministry since the days of Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma when he occupied the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
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‘Jodhaa Akbar’ banned in MP
Bhopal, February 22 “The government has suspended the screening of the movie in the state with immediate effect as protests at cinema halls have posed a threat to maintenance of peace,” commercial tax department addition secretary D.P.S. Parihar said. In his order banning the screening of the film produced by UTV Software Communications Ltd, Parihar said the decision was taken in accordance to provisions under the Madhya Pradesh Cinema (Regulation) Act, 1952. A Rajput organisation has threatened to set fire to cinema halls in the state if the screening of the controversial film was not stopped immediately. Describing the depiction of Jodhaa Bai as Akbar’s wife in the Bollywood movie as an “insult” to the community, Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha has threatened to burn the movie reels and cinema halls screening the film, which has been directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar. “Till now our protests have been peaceful. We will resort to violence if our forefathers are continued to be insulted,” the Mahasabha general secretary Surendra Singh Tomar told reporters earlier this week.
— PTI
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Ranchi, February 22 Official sources said the recommendation comes days after Choudhary was served a show-cause notice asking him to explain as to how his letter, seeking action against chief secretary P P Sharma, reached the media. Additional director-general of police (CID) G S Rath had received Choudhary’s letter the very day it appeared in the media, stating that he had sought permission to prosecute chief secretary P P Sharma on fraud and corruption charges. The leaking of the letter to the media snowballed into a controversy with even political parties convening press conferences on the matter. The recommendation on Wednesday for Choudhary’s suspension was made on the ground that the matter reached the media even before the letter reached its original destination, “which is clearly violative of the All India Service Conduct Rules 1968, Rule 9.” Choudhary, in his letter to his superior officer, had asked permission to initiate criminal proceedings against Sharma for allegedly misusing his authority and sought action under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act while taking note of a Patna resident, Jitendra Tiwari’s complaint, in two cases. —PTI
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Rajasthan to regularise services of ad hoc teachers
Jaipur, February 22 Education minister of the state Kalcharan Saraf told reporters here yesterday that after receiving a report from the advocate-general on the matter, the state cabinet had given its nod to this effect. Saraf said he has presented a bill to this effect in the state assembly currently in session for approval of the house. With passing of the bill a long-pending demand of the temporary teachers would be fulfilled, Saraf said. He rubbished allegation of corruption prevailing in the education department. About 70 per cent of the total fund allocated to the department were disbursed towards salaries and the balance was used for miscellaneous purchases and development under the supervision of a three-member committee, he said. — PTI
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Kolkata, February 22 Ghising, who had been staying at a cottage at Pintal village on the outskirts of Siliguri after his arrival from Delhi on February 19, as the rival Gorkha Janamukti Morcha barred his entry, arrived here onboard a private airlines flight in the afternoon. GJM supporters had gone on fast yesterday outside Pintal village on the party’s three demands that Ghising be sacked immediately as caretaker administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a halt to the process for conferring Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills and a separate state of Gorkhaland. After alighting at the NSC Bose International airport, Ghising left without speaking to waiting newsmen. In Siliguri, GJM president, Bimal Gurung said it was a ‘moral victory’ for the party and the people of Darjeeling hills that “traitor Ghising has fled. We hope it is forever.” Gurung also declared that West Bengal minister and CPM MLA from Siliguri, Asok Bhattacharjee who had termed GJM supporters as ‘trouble makers from outside’, would not be allowed entry in Darjeeling hills. — PTI
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Maoists a threat in Bhutan: Rajnath
Guwahati, February 22 BJP president Rajnath Singh, while talking to media here this evening, expressed grave concern over reports about Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) dismantling Maoist rebels camps inside Bhutan and termed it an ominous development across the border. “The government should immediately raise surveillance along the Bhutan border to prevent infiltration of Maoist rebels from Bhutan to India given that the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) has launched a crackdown on Maoist rebels in that country ahead of first general election in Bhutan in March next,” the BJP chief said. He said the government earlier ignored the Maoists upsurge in Nepal and that led to Maoists gaining strong ground in that country and the same mistake should not be repeated in case of Bhutan. “There are 170 districts in India that are affected by Maoists and Naxals. These elements are now trying to set up bases across the country’s border,” he added. The BJP president, who was on a tour to the Northeast to hit campaign trail for the party candidates in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, accused the Congress-led UPA government of failing in tackling the internal security situation effectively and keeping the spiraling prices of essentials in check. The BJP leader commented: “The policy of appeasement that is being followed by the UPA government has shattered the social fabric in the country.” He pointed out that the latest hike in petrol and diesel prices in the country was eighth such hike in just three years and that was unprecedented. “The government could have avoided the fuel price hike by reducing taxes as the revenue receipt of the government today has increased to the level of Rs 1,40,000 crore compared to Rs 70,000 in the year 2004,” Rajnath Singh said.
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Lull prevails on poll eve in Tripura
Agartala, February 22 However, major political parties -- the ruling CPM and the Opposition Congress -- had expressed satisfaction over the measures, taken by the election commission of India. There was no major pre-poll violence except one at Ampura under Ramchandraghat constituency in West Tripura, in which 45 Left Front supporters were injured critically when a group of the INPT activists attacked them last night, said police spokesperson Nepal Das. Chief electoral officer (CEO) G.S.G. Ayyanger told UNI that all 16,000 polling staff had been covered by life insurance of Rs two lakh. Of the 43,000 security personnel deployed for polling, about 5,000 central paramilitary forces (CPMF), would be maintaining 108 very vulnerable and 550 vulnerable polling stations, he added. Dr Ayyanger said the non-statutory election materials had been distributed among 2,370 polling staff. The election commission had deployed special electronic voting machines (EVMs) in all the polling booths, Dr Ayyanger said, adding seven polling officials were appointed for 121 critical stations, while the remaining 2271 booths would be managed by six officials.
— UNI
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Congress
Spokespersons’ Programme
New Delhi, February 22 Soni’s exclusion is particularly glaring as she was a high-profile chairperson of the AICC’s media department before she was inducted into the government. On the other hand, most former spokespersons and media heads have been invited for this
programme. Soni was known for her proximity to Congress president Sonia Gandhi but is apparently no longer a member of her inner coterie. What has added insult to injury is that her bete noire science and technology minister Kapil Sibal has been invited to give the party’s perspective on the controversial Sethusamudram project although it is Soni’s ministry which is handling the issue. In fact, Soni and Sibal had locked horns at the last meeting of the Group of Ministers (GOM), which was called to prepare the Centre’s affidavit on Ram Setu to be filed in the Supreme Court. Soni had stormed out of the meeting when Sibal backed DMK’s shipping minister T.R. Baalu in rejecting her argument that more time be sought for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a survey to determine if Ram Setu is a man-made structure or a natural formation. Veerappa Moily, AICC media department chairman, clarified that Soni’s exclusion was not deliberate. “The idea is not to exclude anybody...but not everybody can be involved,” Moily said, adding that he had invited Sibal to talk on Ram Setu since he has been working closely
with the minister on various party panels. In any case, he added, the programme had been approved by party president Sonia Gandhi. Explaining the rationale for holding this intensive two-day programme for spokespersons, Moily said he felt the need for such a training as there was “poor connectivity between the people and the party and the government and the party.” “The Congress has a strong brand name but it needs to be marketed properly. We need to communicate our programmes and policies to the people and for this, it was important to train our spokespersons,” he added. Party seniors like Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil and Digvijay Singh, former and present party spokespersons Jaipal Reddy, Anand Sharma, Abhishek Singhvi and Shakeel Ahmed as well as management gurus — Prakash Shesh and Ujjawal K. Chowdhury — have been drafted for the programme. The participants will be given the party’s perspective on crucial issues like the Indo-US nuclear deal, Ram Setu and the Sachar Committee report and also told how to put across their viewpoint to the press effectively. There
will be sessions on facing the visual media, preparing customised press releases and management of time, stress and anger and the art of listening and studying body language.
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Contract for Panipat-Jalandhar project okayed
New Delhi, February 22 The stretches are between Panipat and Jalandhar on National Highway 1; Gurgaon and Jaipur; and Surat and Dahisar, both on National Highway 8; and Chennai and Tada; Chilkaluripet and Vijaywada, both on National Highway 5. The projects have been granted under the guidelines of the model concession agreement, wherein projects are given on revenue share model. Brahm Dutt, secretary, road transport and highways, said the response to the new concept was good and some good offers were received. None of the successful bidders asked for any grant from the National Highway Authority of India. Dutt said the new model would also reduce the risk in management of toll plazas.
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New Bangalore airport races against time for take-off
Devanhalli, February 22 Though the imposing airport terminal, the 4-km runaway and other facilities for launching commercial operations are almost ready, road connectivity from the city, especially the access road to the airport, continues to haunt promoters, as civil works are at various stages of completion. The airport presently has the capacity to take on 10 million passengers per annum. For this, the terminal has 54 check-in counters for both domestic and international flights, eight check-in machines for domestic flights and five check-in machines for international flights. While things are in order on the ground, the same is not the case otherwise. BIAL is presently fighting tooth and nail to ensure it is the only franchisee allowed to operate flights in Bangalore after March 28. This is because of a clamour by corporates to allow the running of the present HAL airport for short haul flights. BIAL CEO Albert Brunner says he is against this and there is no way his board will agree to this demand. He maintains that short haul flights are being used to serve as connections for long hauls and it is necessary for both domestic and international flights to operate from one place only. Brunner made it clear that in case the Karnataka government allows the HAL airport to operate after March 28, BIAL would be forced to take legal recourse as its contract clearly states no other franchisee would be allowed to operate in a 150-km radius of the BIAL airport. He said Bangalore itself would lose an opportunity to become an aviation hub for south India in case domestic and international flights are bifurcated and that Chennai and Hyderabad would steal a march over it. The other issue is of user development fee. BIAL has recommended a UDF of Rs 695 for domestic travel and Rs 955 for international travel. Brunner said this fee had been submitted to the civil aviation ministry in 2004 and BIAL had decided not to increase it despite the cost of the airport project rising from Rs 1,401 crore on inception to the present cost of Rs 2,530 crore. Meanwhile BIAL sources disclosed that commercial airline, including Kingfisher, Jet and Simplify Deccan, would conduct dry runs on the airport to test its systems in the first week of March.
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PM reviews tiger conservation status
New Delhi, February 22 At a meeting called to review tiger conservation status and functioning of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, he expressed concern over declining tiger population but added that recent estimates of tiger population could not be compared with earlier estimates. The Prime Minister said the government was fully committed to tiger conservation and that the Centre would further enhance financial and organisational support for efforts in this direction. Besides, he would also call a conference of chief ministers of states with tiger reserves to put in place a coordinated response to the challenge of tiger conservation. Based on a new methodology, the Centre recently released a report on the status of tigers titled “Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India”. The report pegged the tiger numbers at an all-time low of 1411, confirming the worst fears of tiger conservationists about the state of big cats in India. The report was prepared by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority after two years of extensive data collection. However, some stakeholder states like Orissa rejected the new count, saying that the camera-trap methodology adopted to count the numbers was faulty. Ever since the release of the report, tiger conservationists demand that Centre should take emergency steps to save the national animal and that the Prime Minister should call a meeting of chief ministers of states with tiger reserves. Assuring that the government was fully committed to tiger conservation and the Central government would further enhance financial and organisational support for efforts in this direction, the Prime Minister today said the Centre would fund modernisation of tiger reserves management, including recruitment of staff from local population and providing them adequate equipment. He also sought a state-specific strategy for such central assistance. The government had recently approved an enhanced relocation package of up to Rs 10 lakh per family for families living in tiger reserves. Schemes for rehabilitation of traditional hunters, for supporting new tiger reserves; for supporting eco-tourism benefiting local communities; for deployment of anti-poaching staff and, for improving service conditions of forest officers had also been taken up. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of concerned state governments paying focused attention. He said the chief ministers had been asked to take personal charge of tiger conservation and forest management.
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Tiger succumbs to bullet injuries
Bhopal, February 22 Madhya Pradesh forests minister Vijay Shah ordered an inquiry. A case has been registered in Satna. City-based Van Vihar National Park sources said the bullet, lodged near the backbone, was removed during surgery but the wound proved lethal. Another bullet injury was observed in the front leg. The carnivore was found injured on February 16. Panna Tiger Reserve officials brought it here on February 18. Surgery was carried out at the park in a temporary operation theatre. Experts were called in from Jabalpur and other places.
— UNI
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Jallikattu
Pudukkottai, February 22 The police said Duraiappan of Thethanpatti village, who witnessed Jallikattu at Mangalapuram village in this district, was gored to death while ten others injured. They were rushed to the government headquarters hospital here, where Duraiappan succumbed to his injuries. In Thirumanur village at Ariyalur district, 123 were injured, ten in serious condition. The injured were treated at the health camp in the venue, while the seriously injured were admitted to Medical College Hospital in Thanjavur, the police added.
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Stray tiger caged
Canning (WB), February 22 Forest officials said the big cat, which entered Tridib Nagar village, created considerable panic among villagers yesterday, was trapped with a goat as its bait. Later the animal, likely to have swam across the Herobhanga river before landing at the village, was taken away by the forest officials. Last Sunday a pregnant tigress travelled 30 km from the deep forest in the Sunderbans to enter Deulbari village in Kultali in the same district. She was severely tortured by the villagers before being rescued.
— PTI
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Arrested techie grilled over terror links
Bangalore, February 22 The software engineer, who is in his thirties, has been identified as Mohammad Yahya Kammakutty, a resident of Kozhikode in Kerala. Yahya was today subjected to intense interrogation to ascertain whether he had other associates who were part of the recently busted terror network in the city. He was residing in Guruappanapalya area which is adjacent to leading IT companies who have set up shop on the Bannerghatta road. "We are still interrogating him and are trying to elicit all information about his links and plans," the police said while refusing to divulge details. Alok Kumar said Yahya, who holds a B.Tech degree from the National Institute of Technology in Kozhikode, was an important person in the SIMI structure and figured in the case relating to a terror network that was recently busted in Hubli. In the wake of certain 'disclosures' made by Kutty, a CoD team would shortly be visiting Kerala to gather further information, the sources said. Corps of Detectives (CoD) DIG Alok Kumar disclosed that the police yesterday raided the house he was staying in following a tip off from Mohammad Asif, a final year medical student arrested from Hubli last month.
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4 Maoists, cop killed
Mumbai, February 22 The Maoists had established a camp in the Deggur Jungle area, the police said.
The police had launched a combing operation in the area to flush out the outlaws when the Maoists opened fire on it, killing one
policeman. The police retaliated and four Maoists were gunned down, the police
said. — UNI
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Kolkata, February 22
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