New Delhi, September 16
Even as the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre is dithering on new laws to curb terror, M. Verrappa Moily of the Congress who heads the second Administrative Reforms Commission, today said the existing laws were not enough to deal with terrorism and recommended a comprehensive anti-terrorist legislation.

The commission in its report titled “ combating terrorism” said a comprehensive and effective legal framework to deal with all aspects of terrorism needed to be enacted.The report comes four days after serial blasts rocked the national Capital.

Addressing a press conference, Moily said the present laws were not enough to tackle the menace. All this while, the UPA government has been insisting that the existing laws are adequate to deal with both terrorism and inter-state crime.

Moily, who released the 185-page report, said a legal provision to deal with terrorism could be incorporated as a separate chapter in the National Security Act, 1980.

The commission has suggested that no person accused of an offence under NSA should be released on bail.

Moily, who is also in charge of the media cell of the Congress, refuted the Opposition charge that the government was soft on terror.

Separate terror laws for Rajasthan and Gujarat on the pattern of Maharashtra was not the answer. Even a law like POTA could be misused, he maintained.

Moily’s stance on the federal investigating agency was also at variance with that of the government. Even as the ministry of home affairs is trying to create a central agency to investigate terrorist offences, the commission’s report said a specialised division should be created within the CBI to deal with terror cases.

Security experts believe that the CBI is overworked and the federal agency with police officers drawn from state cadres is the answer.

The commission has recommended special fast-track courts for terrorism-related cases. Another issue was how to block funds’ flow for terrorist activities. It wanted the scope of the prevention of money laundering Act to be expanded.

The commission, that has submitted its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also home minister Shivraj Patil, says there is a need to define more clearly criminal acts which can be construed as terrorist in nature.

It suggests that a definition should be accorded to deal with use of firearms and explosives to cause damage to life and property, assassination of public functionaries and providing finances for such activities.

New Delhi, September 16
He valiantly fought for life for almost 48 hours but in vain. Vikas Anand (22), who suffered serious injuries in Saturday’s serial bomb blasts here, succumbed to injuries at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMLH) on Monday.

Vikas was operated upon at the hospital after his condition deteriorated on Sunday night. “He had serious chest and abdomen injuries due to which he went into a shock. The splinters had entered into some vital organs causing septic around liver, spleen, stomach and large intestine,” said Dr S.K. Sharma, chief medical officer, RMLH.

A resident of Lucknow, Vikas was an employee of IDBI bank in the city. On Saturday, Vikas was sitting with his friend Sudhanshu in the Connaught Place Central Park, unaware of what was in store for him.

“We were sitting in the park waiting for one of our friends to join us. Everything seemed fine when we heard a loud blast. We all tried to run away from the spot,” recollected Sudhanshu, an M.Phil student from Jawaharlal Nehru University. However, Vikas suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the RMLH in a critical state.

His shattered father, who came from Lucknow, could not gather the courage to inform his wife about their son’s death. She waited outside his ward even hours after he died.

“His father doesn’t want the body to be sent for post-mortem. It has already been operated upon and there is no point in carrying out the post-mortem,” said Kunal, Vikas’s friend.

The doctors, however, said it was legally advisable to conduct the post-mortem. “It would be in their favour to conduct a post-mortem if they want to claim some compensation,” said Dr Sharma. “Besides they would have to get the body embalmed if it has to be transported to Lucknow by air.”

Meanwhile, out of 23 blast victims still undergoing treatment at the RMLH, six are critical and struggling for lives in the ICU.

Jaipur, September 16
An integrated web of different terrorist modules that help each other in arranging explosives, planting bombs and executing the operation is tipped to be behind the series of blasts occurring in various parts of the country this year.

While different terrorist organisations like SIMI, Sikh militant outfits, J and K militant organisations, all having different faiths and ideologies, have come together to spread terror, the police departments of different states are yet to form a co-coordinated group to tackle them.

Investigations reveal that the police of different states seem to be indulging more in the credit game than in a concerted effort to check terrorist activities.

Informed sources reveal in order to get credit, cops are not sharing complete information with their counterparts. National agencies like the Intelligence Bureau also do not seem to be taking any special initiative to initiate a joint exercise, investigating officers of Punjab and Rajasthan rued.

Led by the Pakistan-based ISI, the terrorist outfits have come together and are striking at will in any part of the country.

What to talk of preventing such blasts by sharing information, the police of different states have not even been able to cut the supply of gelatine sticks, used in the Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi blasts.

Intense vigil on the border had cut down supply of RDX from our neighbourhood. Since last year, terrorist organisations began using gelatine sticks, used for mine blasts, and available in plenty in the country. Yet there has not been a single known joint operation to catch the peddlers or quiz the contractors from whose licenced quota the explosives were, most likely, stolen.

The Jagraon police had seized over 60 kg of gelatine sticks from five different terrorists in May this year. The sticks carried stamps of Andhra Pradesh factories and Nagpur- based dealers. The police had said investigation was on to find out how the explosive, used in mine blasts, reached the terrorists. The police had identified the manufacturer as well as the contractor but no one was nabbed. The only thing that happened thereafter was Delhi blasts.

There is more evidence that different terrorist organisations have come together. In May this year, Jagraon cops had nabbed Ranjit Kaur, a Khalistan Liberation Force member. Her links with an arms smuggling group in Jammu and Kashmir were established but most shocking was her revelation that bombs would be planted in flower pots in some city. It happened a month later when bombs planted in flower pots wreaked havoc in Bangalore.

It has also been seen that at times if police shares information with its counterparts, it is not utilised. Jagraon SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar stated he had shared the information about the possible use of flower pots with central agencies much before the blasts took place in Bangalore.

Also, clocks used in Delhi blasts were the same brand of clocks used in Ahmedabad and Jaipur blasts. The similarity in bomb-making, right down to the use of cello tape as well as shape and alignment of explosives, speaks of a shared signature, the police reportedly said.

A senior Punjab police officer sums up the frustration, "RDX was last used in Shingaar cinema bomb blast in Ludhiana. After that gelatine sticks or a cocktail of ammonium nitrate, gunpowder, nails and ball bearings and same electronic devices were used. All state police know these are used in mine blasts but there has been no focused action to check the supply line. Unless the Centre takes initiative, state police won’t find it easy to carry out operations in other states."

New Delhi, September 16
The Supreme Court today referred to a larger Bench the issue of framing guidelines for the registration of first information reports (FIRs) by the police in cases relating to cognisable offences.

A Bench comprising justices B.N. Agrawal and G.S. Singhvi, while hearing a petition of one Lalita Kumari of Ghaziabad, said the matter would be looked into by a three-member Bench to be constituted by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.

The Bench said there was a need for taking the view of a larger Bench on the issue as conflicting opinions had been expressed by the Supreme Court in various judgements, mostly by two-member benches or in some cases by three Judges.

According to some apex court orders, a preliminary inquiry was necessary before the registration of an FIR, while in a few other judgements the court had expressed the view that the police could not refuse to register cases involving cognisable offences.

The Bench was of the view that the latest judgement could not be taken as the guideline in the matter unless this ruling specifically referred to the earlier orders, which ran contrary to one another.

Lalita Kumari had approached the court as the Ghaziabad police allegedly refused to register an FIR over the kidnapping of her minor girl reportedly by some influential people of her area last year.

While the Uttar Pradesh government would prefer the registration of FIRs only after a preliminary inquiry to prevent the filing of false cases, another view is that giving the police such a discretion would result in proving that “might is right”.

GPF SCAM: The apex court has, meanwhile, asked solicitor general G.E. Vahanvati to find out from the Centre if it was ready for a CBI probe into the Rs 7 crore GPF scam, allegedly involving 36 judges, including 11 from high courts and 24 from district and sessions courts.

The Ghaziabad District Bar Association, Transparency International and former Union law minister and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan have filed separate petitions seeking a CBI inquiry into the scam relating to the siphoning off of funds from the GPF during 2002-07. The main accused in the scam, suspended treasurer Ashutosh Asthana, has, in his statement recorded by Special Judge Rama Jain, named 36 Judges as beneficiaries.

Chandigarh, September 16
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued contempt notice to the defence secretary over the government’s failure to release pensionary benefits to an 80-year-old veteran as directed by the court earlier.

In its verdict delivered on March 11 this year, a division bench comprising Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Mohinder Pal had allowed a petition filed by ex-reservist Harjinder Singh, seeking sanction of reservist pension.

The court had directed that his pension, along with arrears of three years and two months preceding the date of filing the petition, be released within two months from the date of the court’s order. Any delay in the matter would be “inexcusable”, the court had observed.

Residing in an old age home here, the 80-year old veteran has been battling for his pension since he retired in 1967. He had taken up the matter on numerous occasions, but the controller of defence accounts had turned down his pleas on the ground that he had been discharged upon his own request.

Harjinder had put in over 17 years colour service, including reserve service. Service rules stipulate that 15 years service is required for grant of reservist pension. He had moved the High Court in 2006. The HC, in its order had also observed that voluntary retirement cannot be a ground for refusing pension.

Guwahati, September 16
The Assam Wildlife and Forest Department has proposed Amendments to penal provisions in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to facilitate stringent punishment against rising wildlife crimes, including rhino poaching in the state.

State forest minister Rockybul Hussain today informed that the amendments would be sent for the seal of approval from the President after the same had been approved by the state Assembly in its next session.

“The forest department had initiated the process for amending and modifying the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in the state to make the punishment for poachers exemplary,” Hussain said.

The existing jail term of three to seven years against certain wildlife crimes has been proposed to be increased to seven to 10 years and life imprisonment in case of second offence.

The existing rate of fines at Rs 10,000 against certain crimes has been proposed to be raised to Rs 50,000 in case of first offence and Rs 75,000 in case of second offence. Urgent need to have stringent penal provisions under the Act has been advocated by the government as well as wildlife activists given that persons accused of committing crimes usually get away with light punishment under the existing law provisions.

New Delhi September 16
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will be sending its team to investigate the ongoing violence in Orissa’s Kandhamal area. In a fresh incident of violence in the tribal district, radicals today torched a police station in Gochapoda village of Siringia block, killing one constable on duty.

The NHRC meanwhile decided to send its team to Orissa on a petition filed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). The CBCI has sought protection from violence at the hands of the fundamentalists. “The attacks on Christians started with the murder of VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati on August 23 in Kandhamal. Some organisations pointed a finger at the Christian community for the murder and thereafter targeted the community,” the petition stated.

It further alleged that despite the assurance of protection from the government, the fundamentalists were moving about with lethal weapons threatening Christians. The petitioners said the destructive activities of the fundamentalists, even in the presence of police was forcing the Christians to flee their homes and take refuge in the forest or even leave the state.

Taking cognizance of the CBCI petition, the NHRC has sought a report on the matter from state chief secretary and he DGP. The report is to be submitted in two weeks.

Bangalore, September 16
The streets of Mangalore wore a deserted look today, following a bandh call given by a pro-Hindu group Sri Ram Sene in protest against the attack on one of the activists by miscreants, yesterday.

Educational institutions did not function even on Monday and continued to remain closed today. Commercial establishments as well offices also remained closed today in response to the bandh call.

No fresh incident of violence, however, was reported from anywhere in the state. “I am told there is no fresh incident today,” Karnataka DGP R. Srikumar said.

A.M. Prasad, IGP, Western Range, who is based in Mangalore and under whose jurisdiction the areas fall, said no fresh incident of violence was reported today. He said while 100 people had been arrested for rioting and arson on Monday, 56 others had been rounded up for the attacks on the churches on Sunday.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who reviewed the law and order situation in the state with the chief secretary and the DGP today, said the attacks on Christian prayer halls in the state had taken place in areas where there was conversion activity.

“The attacks have taken place in areas where there was conversion activity by missionaries,” Yeddyurappa said.

He said the constitution did not allow forcible conversion. The CM added that those who had broken the law would be dealt with sternly. On the demand made by the opposition parties regarding the resignation of home minister V.S. Acharya for failing to give protection to minorities, Yeddyurappa said the opposition parties wanted to destabilise the government.

Yeddyurappa said the UPA government at the Centre also did not quit the office despite repeated strikes by terrorists. He appealed to the opposition parties to refrain from politicising the violent incidents and help the government in maintaining law and order.

Home minister Acharya attributed the outbreak of violence to the publication of a book “New Life” by a Christian group, who were allegedly involved in conversion activities. Acharya, however, assured stringent action against the attackers and said no one had the right to take law into his hand.

The CM and the home minister as well as the opposition, Congress and Janata Dal (S), leaders visited Mangalore today.

New Delhi, September 16
India will implement pictorial warnings on tobacco products from December 1 this year. The health ministry’s proposal that goes back two and a half years has finally come through although in a diluted form. The chosen warnings, experts say, are not as potent to act as deterrents as the ones that have been left out.

Admitting this today, health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the ministry would within 12 months review the effectiveness of warnings and change them if found ineffective. He also hinted at higher taxes for tobacco products, adding that the ministry would take up with the Prime Minister the issue of allowing the use of surcharge on tobacco products for tobacco control activities. The corpus is a whopping about Rs 500 crore a year.

More important in this context is India’s commitment of contribution to the fight against illicit tobacco trade. Approximately, 5,767 billion cigarettes were sold globally in 2006; estimates suggest that the global illicit cigarette trade was 10.7 per cent of the total sales or 600 billion cigarettes in the said year. Another form of illicit trade in tobacco is large-scale tax evasion on products. In India, 40 per cent of bidi manufacturers are evading taxes.

Ramadoss, while inaugurating the South East Asian Regional (SEAR) Workshop on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products organised by the health ministry, WHO and the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), said SEAR was home to one fourth of the world’s population and a target for tobacco industries, and its role in tobacco prevention was special.

“The workshop has identified the key areas for negotiations ahead of the October discussions to be held in Geneva on the protocol for combating the illicit tobacco trade. We are looking at a possibility of prohibiting duty-free sale of tobacco products; licensing of the supply chain and intelligence gathering and sharing,” the health ministry officials said.

There is evidence in India that suggests the involvement of the underworld in the illicit tobacco trade. “The health authorities have issued a notice in a case involving the smuggling of gutka manufacturing machine. There is evidence of the involvement of D-company in this case. The link between tobacco, underworld and organised crime is evident and needs to be broken,” said experts.

The illicit tobacco trade, it is estimated, represents a loss to government revenue to the tune of $ 40 to 50 billion annually. “Eleven per cent of cigarettes are contraband,” experts said, citing examples of countries like Spain that have succeeded in increasing revenue from tobacco by breaking the supply chain.

Spain has brought down illicit trade of cigarettes from 16 per cent in 1995 to 2 per cent in 2002. This has resulted in subsequent increase in tax revenue from cigarettes from three billion dollars in 1995 to seven billion dollars in 2002.

New Delhi, September 16
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been actively phased out since August, 17 months ahead of schedule to protect the ozone layer. Addressing a gathering celebrating the 14th International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, minister of state for environment and forests Namo Narain Meena termed this as a creditable achievement considering the challenges of meeting the residual requirements of the CFCs within the country.

The 85 per cent reduction target of CTC production and consumption has also been achieved while halons have already been phased out in 2003.

Meena said the government had taken adequate steps to ensure that all sectors that were still consuming CFCs had been provided with alternative ways to cope up with the prevailing situation.

The 19th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Montreal Protocol took a historic decision to advance the phase-out of hydro-chlorofluorocarbons from 2040 to 2030, India welcomed this decision as this would faster not only the recovery of the ozone layer but also reduce global warming.

Talking about success of the Montreal Protocol, the minister said explicit financial arrangements set out for meeting the incremental costs of change in technology, transfer of technology to developing countries with voluntary contributions from developed countries, generally in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities was the main reason behind the success.

Besides this, availability of alternative taxes at resentment cost and fairly accurate knowledge about the extent of resources needed to address the problem were also reasons behind the success. 

Chandigarh, September 16
Ch. Kiron, managing director of Ushodaya Enterprises Private Limited, publishers of “Eenadu” (Telugu daily), has been unanimously elected as the chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for the year 2008-2009. He has been a member of the Council of Management since January 2000 and was the deputy chairman of the ABC for the year 2007-2008.

Kiron is involved with both the print media as well as television. His involvement in various business interests together with his rich experience of almost two decades in the print media would be an asset in providing leadership to the Bureau’s Council of Management.

Subroto Chattopadhyay, President and CEO, Entertainment Sector, RPG Enterprises, an advertiser member on the Council, has been unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairman of the bureau.

Amit Mathew, representing “Bhashaposhini”, Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd. Kottayam, has been elected unopposed as the publishers’ representative on the bureau’s Council of Management.

Members of the ABC’s Council of Management for the year 2008-2009 are--Publishers’ representatives: Ch. Kiron (Ushodaya Enterprises), Vijay Darda (Lokmat Newspapers), Ravi Dhariwal, (Bennett, Coleman) T. Venkattram Reddy (Deccan Chronicle), Shailesh Gupta (Jagran Prakashan), Amitabha Datta (ABP), Venkatesh (HT Media), and Amit Mathew (Malayala Manorama).

Advertising agencies’ representatives: Anil Kapoor (DRAFTFCB+ULKA Advertising), Shashidhar Singh (Universal McCann Erickson), Sam Balsara (Madison Communications), Madhukar Kamath (Mudra Communmications).

Advertisers’ representatives: Subroto Chattopadhyay (RPG Enterprises), Romit Chaterji (Tata Services), Paulomi Dhawan (Raymond), S.M. Ahmad (I.T.C).

New Delhi, September 16
Agitated over the delay in announcement of interim relief, journalists and non-journalists will hold a massive rally before the residence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on September 24.

All national federations, trade unions and local unions affiliated to the newspaper industry will take part in the “Maha Rally” to be held under the aegis of the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees’ Organisations.

“Concerned over the delay in announcement of interim relief, Confederation leaders at an emergency meeting today decided to stage a demonstration before the residence of the Congress President,” Confederation Secretary General M S Yadav said.

He said the Confederation leaders had met several cabinet ministers, including labour minister Oscar Fernandes, for early issuance of the notification.

They had also raised the matter with some Opposition leaders but all their efforts did not yield any result, Yadav said.

“The UPA government is delaying the notification under pressure from newspaper owners despite the fact that not a single penny is to be paid from the government side to journalists and non-journalists,” Yadav said.

He said soaring prices of essential commodities had hit the commonman hard, including employees of the newspaper industry.

The Centre had recently implemented the report of the Sixth Pay Commission for its employees but was doing nothing for the journalistic community, Yadav said. He demanded 40 per cent interim relief for employees of the newspaper industry.

Wage Boards for journalists and non-journalists have recommended 30 per cent interim relief.

Yadav lamented though the Wage Boards had recommended interim relief on June 28, the Centre was sitting over the matter. He said thousands of journalists and non-journalists from various parts of the country would take part in the rally. “We will directly go to Sonia Gandhi with our grievances as she had responded to our demands earlier. With the government not listening to us now, we are left with no other option but to meet her,” Yadav, also President of the PTI Employees Federation, said. He warned if the government did not listen to our demands, “we will be forced to go on a nationwide strike”.

Besides Yadav, the Confederation meeting was attended by IJU president Suresh Akhouri, NUJ (I) chief Nand Kishore Trikha, K L Kapoor from AINEF, and M L Joshi and Rajesh Verma from UNI Worker's Union. — PTI

Guwahati, September 16
The Government of India is focused on promoting research and development activities in the pharmaceutical sector to make life saving drugs available at affordable prices to the common people.

Inaugurating a National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), one of the six branches being set up in the country, here today union minister for chemicals, fertilisers and steel Ram Vilas Paswan said, “The ministry has proposed to bring the life saving drugs under the control of the government to keep a check on the prices. We have decided to set up six branches in the country to promote R&D activities to discover medicines that can be made available at affordable prices.”

He said the country desperately needed a large pool of trained human resources in the pharmaceutical sectors, especially in the rural areas, and the NIPER was expected to contribute towards this cause. The six branches were being set up in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Hajipur (Bihar), Kolkata, Guwahati and one at Uttar Pradesh.

Paswan said there was plan to distribute health card to 1.2 lakh poor families in the country this year as part of the health insurance policy for rural people in the country. The government was keen to facilitate setting up of more pharmaceutical companies in the country to keep the market competitive for the benefits of consumers.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi suggested that the NIPER that was being set up in Guwahati to focus on R&D activities on traditional medicines in the region and for making medicines from medicinal plants available in the region.

The NIPER here is being set up at Rs 250 crore as an initial cost. The institute is coming up at a site provided within Guwahati by the Assam government and it will take at least five years for its completion till then the institute will function from a premises in the Guwahati Medical College campus here and students have already enrolled in it.

BRIEFLY

Country’s first tribal varsity starts functioning
NEW DELHI: The first tribal university of the country, which aims at promoting higher education among the Scheduled Tribes, has started functioning from this session in Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh but sans teachers and a campus of its own. Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), the first of its kind dedicated for education and research on tribals, has given admission to 150 students this year. — PTI

Raj govt’s plea dismissed
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has upheld the verdict of its Single Bench, which had earlier set aside the state government’s order for the dismissal of 48 ayurvedic nurses and compounders.Dismissing the appeal moved by the government challenging the Single Bench’s verdict against its order,a Division Bench comprising Justice R.C. Gandhi and Justice R.S. Chauhan on Monday held that the Single Bench’s verdict in the case was in order. — UNI

Dacoit killed in encounter
MORENA (MP): A dacoit, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was killed by the police in an encounter in this district’s Deogarh police station on Tuesday. SP Santosh Kumar Singh said Rajasthan-based Vakeela Gurjar, who was wanted in about 25 cases, had crossed the Chambal and arrived at the border of MP with the intention of committing some crime when the encounter took place. — UNI

Goods worth Rs 1.5 lakh seized
RAMANATHAPURAM: The police on Tuesday arrested two persons, including a Sri Lankan refugee, and seized DVD players, dish antenna, junction box kit, receiver, wire and Rs 50,000 cash from them at the Keezhakarai Coastal Othapoo area.The police said goods worth Rs 1.5 lakh had been seized from them. — PTI

Militants kill 3 in Manipur
IMPHAL: Three persons, including a non-Manipuri, have been shot dead by suspected militants in separate incidents in Manipur, official sources said on Tuesday. Earlier, a major insurgent organisation had warned non-Manipuris not to move around in Manipuri villages. — PTI