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‘Pirates tortured us mentally
Maya’s security has 350 cops, 34 vehicles
BSP emerging third force in Delhi
Karnataka Bypoll |
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Price-rise, water scarcity
EC mulls mobile polling booths
Jago offers fresh alternative
BSP on strong foothold
2 held for giving cash to voters
CPM raises pitch for electoral
Anti-terror task force: Advani targets PM
Sidelights
Malegaon Blasts
Dishonoured Cheque Cases
Other states aping Bihar now, says Nitish
Welfare schemes launched for minorities
Incentive bonus for Bihar farmers
US, UK tried to block B’desh’s birth: Book
IAF asks officers to be more vigilant
Left, TDP, JDS for fuel price reduction
Indo-Nepal Border
Panel for Amritsar airport set up
Scribe’s murderer identified
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‘Pirates tortured us mentally and physically’
Mumbai, November 24
Five members of the 18 Indian crew arrived at the city’s International Airport from Muscat at about 0500 hours, where they were greeted by relatives and friends. Prabhat Goyal, the captain of MV Stolt Valor said that the pirates tortured the crew members mentally and physically. The ship was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 15 and the crew of 22 was kept hostage at the port of Eyl in Somalia for nearly two months until an undisclosed ransom was paid by the owners of the vessel. The five sailors who arrived on Monday in the city are Naveed Burondkar, Isidore Fernandes, Alistair Fernandes, Omprakash Shukla and Santosh Patil. The others are expected to fly to their respective destinations from Muscat in the coming days, officials said. “It was a tense time on board the ship and we had to manage somehow. I managed to speak to my family about four times during the captivity,” said Isidore, who was the head cook aboard the ship. “I have sailed on five ships and even in the Gulf of Aden many times in the past, but this was the first time I had such a bad experience,” he said. “All we had to do was to sit on the bridge of the ship the whole day. After we were hijacked I had to cook for the pirates for nine days but after that there was some food arranged,” Isidore said. The crew survived on a diet of lentils and meat while being held hostage and there was just enough for all the crew, he said. Alistair said they spent 24 hours of the day at gunpoint on the bridge of the ship and could not do anything without the permission of the captors. “Even if we had to take a shower, only two of us at a time would be allowed to go for it and that also under their supervision. We had to take permission for everything,” said Alistair, who worked in the engine room of the ship. Another sailor, Burondkar, said the pirates seemed desperate people who could do anything to ensure they received the ransom. “Their only purpose was to get money and they seemed like they would do anything for it,” he said. “There was no physical torture only mental torture of having to sit at gunpoint all the time,” Burondkar said. The captain had warned them prior to sailing through the Gulf of Aden that there was a risk of piracy, but despite keeping watches on the deck they failed to prevent the ship from being captured, he said. Burondkar, a resident of Murud in Maharashtra, said the Somali pirates, numbering about 30, were carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades (RPG). Describing the incident, he said, “on the day of the hijack, the pirate ship fired an RPG at the ship but it fell 10 to 15 metres short and while continuously firing at us they boarded the ship.” The pirates had a single negotiator who would talk to the ship’s owners and then inform the ship’s captain about the progress. The captain would then inform the crew about it, the sailors said. The crew were sometimes allowed to make brief phone calls to their families which were often emotional, Alistair said. “I used to cry sometimes when I spoke to my family. They would tell me that they were praying for me and I should do the same,” he said. Burondkar said the pirates were constantly in touch with each other regarding other hijacked ships and there also seemed to be rivalries between the different pirate groups. — Agencies
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Maya’s security has 350 cops, 34 vehicles
Lucknow, November 24 A security cover by the country’s elite Special Protection Group (SPG) having been denied to her last year, Mayawati has ensured she has a heavier cover for herself. The SPG security is available only to the prime minister and former prime ministers. But Behenji, as she is called back home in Uttar Pradesh, had demanded it. She had claimed there was a conspiracy to eliminate her and when she was denied the special security, even alleged that the Congress was part of it. In her quest for security, she even asked her officials to study the stringent Israeli security apparatus. With a huge force moving with her, a curfew-like situation prevails wherever she goes. Shopkeepers are told to down shutters till the chief minister whizzes past, the traffic is halted, and onlookers are told to look the other way. Her official residence as well as the entire Kalidas Marg on which the house is located were turned into a heavily barricaded fortress long ago, while her office has witnessed drastic alterations with the enhanced security in recent days. These include an exclusive entry and exit gates and a dedicated elevator that lands directly into the chief minister’s chamber. Her room has been renovated with expensive vitrified tiles and granite, like top business tycoons, and the wash room could beat one in any seven-star hotel. To add to the opulence is some of the best imported furniture personally approved by her. The chief minister’s occasional visits to her office at Lucknow’s Shastri Bhavan, her frequent trips to the airport from where she is currently busy shuttling on her election campaign in various states, and the passage of her convoy present an ordeal for all and sundry. The situation was no different even before she raised the demand for an SPG cover. But the passion of the state police bigwigs to keep enhancing her security appears to be growing. The citizens have to face the brunt of the traffic snarls each time she steps out of her impregnable mansion, whose surroundings resemble those of 7, Race Course Road, the official residence of the prime minister in New Delhi. Mayawati now proposes to have a helipad built right across the CM’s house on a piece of land for which negotiations are on with the 164-year-old La Martiniere College, owners of the property. — IANS
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BSP emerging third force in Delhi
New Delhi, November 24 Earlier, the contest was widely seen as a straight fight between the Congress and the BJP. However, BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s rallies at Trilokpuri and Ali Gaon in south district seem to have brought about a change in the election scenario. Participants at the rallies were enthusiastic and they declared that they would vote the BSP to power in the Capital. Having seen the crowd in rallies and enthusiasm of the BSP workers, political experts say that in this Assembly election the BSP may mark its presence in Delhi for the first time. It had no representative in the last Assembly. The BSP has fielded party candidates in all 70 constituencies. It may emerge victorious on five to eight seats. The constituencies in which its candidates are emerging strong are in east Delhi - Kondli, Babarpur, Gokulpuri and Ghonda; Okhla in south Delhi and Chhatarpur in outer Delhi. The experts say that the Congress and the BSP have a common vote bank that constitutes Muslims, backwards and slum dwellers. The BSP may damage the Congress vote bank in the elections. The BJP appears to be safe at this stage. The BSP may damage the Congress prospects in more than 20 constituencies like Adarsh Nagar, Tri Nagar, Wazirpur, Model Town, Sadar Bazar, Burari, Timarpur, Seemapuri, Rohtas Nagar, Mustafabad, Trilokpuri,Vishwas Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Narela, Badli, Bawana, Kirari, Nangloi, Mangolpuri, Madipur, Mehrauli and Deoli. In these constituencies Scheduled Castes constitute 13 per cent to 30 per cent votes. If Muslim voters are included in the list of Scheduled Castes, the BSP will emerge stronger. In Okhla, Scheduled Caste votes constitute only 7 per cent but BSP candidate Brahm Singh, who belongs to Gujjar community, is emerging stronger as Muslim voters, who constitute 43 per cent of the total number of votes, are also showing their interest toward the BSP due to a neutral role of the sitting Congress MLA, Parvez Hashmi, in the Batla House encounter of suspected terrorists. Another reason for the BSP’s strong position is that the Gujjar voters are also in a mood to support Brahm. The BSP had only one councillor during the Congress rule in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. But now it has 17.
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Karnataka Bypoll
Bangalore, November 24 In the state assembly elections held earlier this year, the BJP had turned the heat on the Janata Dal (Secular) on the issue of “betrayal” by the regional party headed by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda. Dumping of the BJP by the JD(S) in the previous assembly did not go down well with the public. The saffron party had latched on the opportunity and did his best to portray the JD(S) act as a matter of grave impropriety. The strategy had earned the BJP rich dividends. It emerged as the single largest party and the JD(S) lost heavily in the state elections held subsequently. Now, it is the turn of the opposition JD(S) and Congress to take the moral high ground over the ruling party for poaching on the opposition MLAs. Nicknamed “operation lotus” in the media, the poaching of JD(S) MLAs by the BJP has resulted in the coming byelections on December 27. The party roped in seven MLAs - four from the JD (S) and three from the Congress - to its fold after forming the government in the state with the help of six Independent MLAs. The seven MLAs, who came to the BJP from other parties, resigned from their respective assembly seats to avoid action under the anti-defection law. The party hoppers were all given plum positions in the government by the ruling party with four of them being inducted as cabinet ministers. All new entrants are expected to contest the byelections from their respective constituencies on BJP tickets this time round. Byelections are being held in six out of the seven constituencies thus falling vacant. Byelection in Madhugiri constituency in Tumkur has been kept in abeyance as an election petition is pending before the high court. The seventh assembly segment where byelection is being held is Maddur Assembly seat in Mandya district which has fallen vacant following the death of M.S. Siddaraju of the JD (S).
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Price-rise, water scarcity high on agenda
Water scarcity for irrigation seems to be the biggest factor apart from anti-incumbency, price rise and anti-incumbency set to hog the campaigning in 11 assembly constituencies of Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts, where age-old caste considerations have also played a vital role in deciding the fate of the political parties and individual candidates. As the electioneering has picked up momentum for the December 4 polls, the candidates are coming out with their promises. A cross-section of the people said scarcity of canal water for irrigation purposes is the biggest issue before the farming community dominating this region. The major canals feeding the irrigation purposes are the Gang canal in Ganganagar district, Bhakra canal in Hanumangarh district and Indira Gandhi canal, which passes through this region to Bikaner district. The residents say that there is always scarcity of water in these canals during the peak season, which affects their farming practices. “The state government has failed to negotiate with the union and Punjab governments to get the allocated amount of water for us”, alleged Rajinder Singh a farmer of Karanpur in Ganganagar district. Another factor influencing the voters is the caste considerations where the Jat Sikhs, Jats and the Dalits constitute more than 80 per cent of the total votes. The Rajputs and Brahmins have little say in these districts. All major political parties have undertaken intricate caste-based permutations and combinations, while allotting the party tickets so as to enhance their winning chances. The presence of Sikhs could be realised from the fact that as many as 21 Sikh candidates are fighting the elections in these two districts. The BJP has fielded Gurjant Singh in Sadul Shahar, Harnek Singh Kaler in Anupgarh, Surinder Pal Singh in Karanpur assembly constituencies. Similarly, the Congress has fielded Jagtar Singh from Karanpur and Dr Param Navdeep Kaur from Sangriya constituencies. Likewise, the BSP and the CPM have also fielded Sikh candidates, besides, many independents trying their luck owing to the dominance of their community. Banking on the Jat factor, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is trying its luck in Bhadra and Nauhar constituencies of Hanumangarh district. The party has a great influence in few other constituencies also and is contesting the elections in alliance with the BJP party. As far as the Dalits are concerned, they comprise more than 30 per cent of the total electorate in the area and the biggest bet for them is the BSP, which is trying its luck in all 11 constituencies. However, the Congress is hopeful of securing the support of a majority of the Dalits, which is their traditional vote bank. The other factors in the minds of electorate include high prices, internal security and development, which are common in the entire state. Each of these factors will have the power to sway votes one way or the other and the strategy of all political parties seem to be trying to woo the electorate on these issues in their favour. The BJP is banking upon the development works and employment given to the youth during their government while the Congress and other opposition parties, including the CPI, CPM and the BSP are levelling allegations on the ruling party of promoting corruption and ignoring real issues concerning the common masses. The ruling BJP is looking forward to regain power is lashing out at the Congress on the national issues such as terror and price-rise, which according to their party leaders have pressed hard the common people. Amid all these issues, the anti-incumbency factor also seems to prevail in the rural as well as urban areas and one could not forget that Rajasthani people have not elected the same party for any successive term since 1970. This time also, anti-incumbency is likely to have an impact on this election outcome.
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EC mulls mobile polling booths
Jaipur, November 24 The Jaisalmer electoral officer has reportedly asked for setting up of the polling booths atop camel back to facilitate voting. The EC owing to its commitment to provide easy voting facility to all was considering the proposal positively. A final decision would be taken tomorrow. The two desert districts of the state have thin density. Families live in small clusters situated far and between. The polling booth atop a camel would roam from one cluster (dhanni) to another collecting votes in the EVMs. Sources said the commission would have to otherwise set large number of extra polling booths just for 10 or 20 voters. Though similar booths with as less as six voters were reportedly set up in Ladakh, the mobile polling booths could not be set there owing to difficult terrain unsuitable for fast travelling.
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Jago offers fresh alternative
Jodhpur, November 24 The Jago party, aiming to contest elections all over the country, has chosen Rajasthan as its first arena. Claiming to have made lakhs of members through Internet membership, the party has fielded 33 candidates in the state elections, all of who were chosen through recommendations made by the members. The party has offered a new alternative. Apart from the BJP and the Congress, third forces like the BSP, the Janshakti party and a large number of rebels are figting the elections. The Jago has fielded candidates in Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur and the surrounding areas. The party aims to end reservation claiming it can cause civil war in the country any time, charge just 10 kinds of taxes instead of the present 50 kinds and a greater role of private companies in road and rail infrastructure. The recommended candidates, all well educated, underwent a series of interviews, IQ and GK tests to finally represent the party. “We want to bring ‘jagriti’ of all ills caused by the political parties since independence in the country. Just see the assets of politicians of all parties and you will find all of them, irrespective of them being in or out of power, have become rich. Butthe common man continues to suffer,” explained Gajendra Prased Diwakar, the party candidate from Sursagar constituency in Jodhpur. While the major parties like the Congress and the BJP have not released poll manifesto, the Jago did it long ago. “We want to build a new India, which would be free from crime, terrorism, injustice, corruption and reservations,” said Deepak Mittal, founder of the party, who was born in Haryana and is now a businessman based in Hyderabad. The party got itself registered with the Election Commission in January 2008. “Reservation is against the principle of equality and is a punishment to the merit. Hence, the Jago will abolish all reservations.” stated the manifesto. It promises free education for all till 12th standard. To fight terrorism, the Jago aims to set up one all-India anti-terrorist police force with full powers and autonomy; and take strong preventive measures to provide security in all public places. It also promises 24-hour electricity and comfortable train journeys through privatisation; less government activities and more private enterprises. If voted to power, the Jago would enforce no tax upto Rs 4 lakh per annum income, party manifesto said.
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BSP on strong foothold
For the BSP a state as sharply divided on caste lines, as Rajasthan is just perfect to spread its hold beyond Uttar Pradesh. Its’ no surprise that the party known for its social engineering politics has fielded candidates on all 200 seats of the Rajasthan Assembly. Though the BSP’s share of power in the state remains negligible compared to the traditional players, even senior Congress and the BJP leaders are forced to admit that the BSP is increasing its base in the state at their cost. In the previous elections, the BSP got just two MLA’s and only 4 per cent of the vote share. But this time the party strength in Rajasthan has gone up manifolds. The trend, however, was clear even in the last elections. On nine seats the BSP candidate came second and on 23 seats they were third. This time the BSP is expected to grab at least four seats in the districts of Rajasthan, which border Uttar Pradesh. In Dholpur, for example on the Bhadi constituency BSP candidate Giriraj is giving a tough competition to BJP candidate Shivram Khushwaha and Congress candidate Daljit Singh. Similarly in the Rajakhera constituency of this border district the BSP candidate lost only by 200 votes in the last elections and is again in the fray. In Rajasthan the BSP is seen to dent the Congress’ vote base among the Dalits, but this time the BSP strategy of having chosen and declared its candidates even before the elections were announced has set the ruling BJP thinking. The BSP candidates are local persons who have the BJP or the Congress strong backgrounds, but have been ignored by their own parties. In Bharatpur city the BSP has fielded Aditya Raj Sharma whose father R.P Sharma was a senior Congress leader, who lost to BJP candidate Vijay Bansal in the last elections. When R.P Sharma died his son was ignored. The BSP grabbed the opportunity and handed Sharma the ticket. In the Nadbai constituency of Bharatpur also BSP candidate Yashwant Ramu is proving to be a tough match for BJP candidate Krishender Kaur Deepa. Deepa is from the Bharatpur royal family and has never lost an election.
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2 held for giving cash to voters
Agartala, November 24 The police identified the accused as Lalkhai Changa and Mumki and recovered Rs 5 lakh from their possession. The duo were sent to jail today. Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted search in the camp and found them motivating the voters by distributing cash in favour of Vonga Mizo, an Independent candidates from the Damparangpui reserve forest area. The duo have admitted their crime, the police said, adding that there were reports that different political parties had been trying to motivate the voters by various illegal means. Meanwhile, addressing a rally in the refugee camps yesterday, senior Congress leader B K Handik assured 35,000 Reang refugees would be sent to Mizoram if the Congress came to power. He lashed out at the Zoramthanga-led MNF government for rampant corruption and underdevelopment and said the ruling government in the state had done injustice with Reang refugees. — UNI
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CPM raises pitch for electoral rolls in Hindi
New Delhi, November 24 In a statement, the Delhi unit of the CPM said the vast majority of the electorate as well as those contesting were not conversant with English and the "failure" to provide the electoral roll in Hindi was "outrageous" as it amounted to subversion of the democratic process. "Only English rolls have been provided.... Commission officials have repeatedly given us dates on which the rolls in Hindi would be available. "But even today with barely few days to go for the polls, there is no sign of them. We demand that the state Election Commission immediately provide electoral rolls in Hindi to the political parties and the candidates," the statement said. Bagri community to boycott poll
Seoni (MP): Irked over the delay in the distribution of Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates, the Bagri community in Seoni has threatened to boycott the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. Bagri Mahasabha district unit president Major Pairsingh said the decision was taken at a meeting held here yesterday. He said the Bagri community was included in the SC category and a committee constituted by the state government directed the district administration to distribute the caste certificates. The decision was still not implemented and certificates were not distributed among the 40,000 members of the community, he added.
— Agencies
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Anti-terror task force: Advani targets PM
Indore, November 24 The saffron party's prime ministerial candidate also demanded re-enactment of the stringent POTA to deal with terrorism claiming that “now the people in government too have realised that a tough law was needed to firmly deal with terrorists”. “The UPA government is soft on terrorism,” Advani said, claiming the country’s internal security was at stake. Advani claimed that the UPA government not only lacked the will power to fight out terrorism “but also does not have clear vision to deal with it”. — PTI
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Sidelights
Mhow: A 'magic road show' is going on here nowadays to gather support for the ruling BJP's PWD minister, Kailash Vijayvargiya. To defeat Congress' sitting MLA Amar Singh Darbar, he has hired a famous magician from Vidarbha, S. Lal.
Lal starts his show by taking out a piece of paper, burning it, and then closing his fist containing the ashes. After a few seconds, he opens his fist and a Rs-100 note comes out. "This note is very important for everyone but do not sell your vote for it --- please vote for development," says Lal. After entertaining the audience with some other tricks, Lal concludes by displaying a wooden replica of an electronic voting machine (EVM) and educating people about how to use it. The magician then opens the lid of this 'EVM' and pops out a colourful election pamphlet of Vijayvargiya, who, as if on a cue, suddenly arrives on the scene with his men and women supporters, waving the party flags, amidst
drum beating. Lal then quietly disappears from there to appear at the next
destination. Dead man on poll duty
Indore: Even the dead are not being allowed to rest in peace in heaven by the state election authorities. Recently, orders were issued to appoint an official of the Central Excise and Customs department, Shekhar S. Sen, for the November 27 assembly poll duty. Despite being informed by his department that Sen died on October 21, he was asked to come for briefing and training for supervising a poll booth. The election department finally understood the matter and withdrew its orders. "Imagine, what would have happened on the polling day - by not finding Mr Sen on duty on the polling day, the election department would have suspended him!" said a family member commenting that in the previous elections the authorities had issued an order to a blind teacher to man a polling booth. And, this time, it is the turn of the zoo's elephant 'mahawat' Iftiyaq Amir Mohammad to get summons from the election authorities to be on duty at a polling booth. Amir, who has never done anything else in his life except for handling elephants, will now be putting 'poll ink' on voters' index finger. "Who knows, the BJP or the Congress may raise objections against Amir, alleging that he is pro-Bahujan Samaj Party as the BSP's poll symbol is an elephant," another 'mahawat' joked. Kamal hai kamal
Bhopal: The occasion was the launch of BJP-ruled state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's personal website. Addressing print and TV media, the BJP's national general secretary and the party's observer for MP, Ananth Kumar, in strong words condemned Union Minister for Commerce Kamal
Nath. "By claiming that the Congress would win the assembly polls at any cost," Ananth Kumar said, "Kamal Nath shows his and his party's arrogance… what does he mean by 'at any cost' - we fear some mischief from the 'panja'." A journalist stood up to tell Ananth Kumar, "Arey bhai, kuch to izzat do…woh bhi to 'kamal' hai (respect him, after all he is also a 'Kamal'). Everyone began laughing except Ananth Kumar. 'Kamal' (lotus flower) is the BJP's election symbol.
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Malegaon Blasts
Ahmedabad, November 24 In a statement, his advocate Dipak Shukla said, “My client firmly denies any funding or involvement related to Abhinav Bharat (AB) or any of their affiliated or non-affiliated person in any of their activities.” A section of media reports said Togadia had funded Abhinav Bharat, the radical Hindu group which is suspected to be behind the September 29 Malegaon blasts. The media reports had said arrested Army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit, one of the accused in the blasts, had reportedly told the CBI that Togadia was involved in the formation and funding of the organisation. Shukla has also threatened to take legal action against those who are trying to drag name of Togadia in the Malegaon blasts. “Any attempt by any electronic media, print media, public or private communicators, government or private agency or anyone whosoever to spread the above or any such malafide, false, derogatory and criminally defamatory lies about my client will attract civil and criminal legal action as deemed fit,” he said in a statement. — PTI
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Dishonoured Cheque Cases
New Delhi, November 24 This was necessary to save the honest citizens and businessmen from getting harassed and restore the credibility of banking instruments, said the 213th Report of the Commission, titled “Fast-Track Magisterial Courts for Dishonoured Cheque Cases. Commission chairman Dr Justice A.R. Lakshmanan forwarded the report to Union law minister Dr Hans Raj Bhardwaj today. “Due to a large number of pendency of dishonoured cheques cases (over 38 lakh), the entire credibility of the business within and outside the country is suffering a serious setback,” the ministry said. Further, the dishonour of cheque by a bank caused incalculable loss, injury and inconvenience to the payee, besides eroding the credibility of cheque facility to a large extent. The growing number of such cases had defeated the very purpose of the amendments made to the relevant Act for ensuring speedy justice, it was pointed out. The commission said it had undertaken the subject “suo motu” in view all these reasons and in pursuance of one of its terms of reference “to suggest suitable measures for quick redress of citizens’ grievances in the field of law”. A total of 26 million civil and criminal cases were pending with subordinate courts as on June 30 this year. Of this, 3.8 million related to dishonoured cheques, constituting 15 per cent.
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Other states aping Bihar now, says Nitish
Patna, November 24 Extortion demands and kidnapping for ransom have almost disappeared. Law and order is under control. 25,000 criminals have been convicted by different Courts as a result of “speedy trial”. The people can be seen shopping and enjoying late night strolls in the market not only in the cities but also small towns. Schools and colleges have regained their proper academic atmosphere. The number of people migrating outside the state in search of work has come down significantly due to the changing scenario in the state, claiming all these developments as the success story of his government since coming to power three years ago, the Chief Minister said here today that the people in Bihar now did not talk about caste equations,they discussed only development. The occasion was a state function organised to release the “report card” of the NDA government on the completion of three years in office. The Chief Minister was addressing a press conference in presence of all his cabinet collegues and bureaucratic heads of all departments. Taking a dig at the opposition parties, Nitish said he had set the agenda of development even for his political opponents. “Since the issue of Bihar’s development is now being linked to votes, my opponents are also forced to speak my language”, he added. Without naming RJD chief Lalu Yadav, Nitish said the people who never gave a damn to the development schemes and ruled the state for 15 years by manipulating caste and community had also started speaking about development of Bihar. The Chief Minister inaugurated 115 new road bridges constructed by the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation on different rivers and rivulets across the state. “This corporation was on the verge of closure when we came to power. But we decided to revive it and today it is a profit-making corporation and its achievements are for everyone to see”, said Nitish. Sharing the achievements of his government with the media, a visibly upbeat Chief Minister said many states were now following the innovative initiatives taken by his government for empowerment of women and the deprived class like providing 50 per cent reservation to women in the three-tier panchayati raj institutions and urban civic bodies. He also claimed that the focused schemes of his government for extremely backward classes and the most deprived within the scheduled castes (called the ‘Maha Dalit’ in Bihar) was being appreciated by everyone. He further said that people across the country were talking about “Jaankari” wherein interactive telephone service was being used for the “Right to Information Act”. According to Nitish, when his government came to power on November 24, 2005, only Centre-sponsored schemes were operational in the state but now there were about 20 new development schemes started exclusively on the funds of the state government. Claiming that Bihar was now capable to formulate and implement its own schemes, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the size of state plan had been substantially increased to Rs 13,500 crore this year, which was much higher than the planned expenditure of West Bengal and Orissa. Modi, who also happens to be the finance minister said three years ago when the NDA government assumed power in Bihar, the state plan expenditure was just Rs 3,000 crore.
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Welfare schemes launched for minorities
Patna, November 24 He said henceforth the state government would provide a grant of Rs10, 000 to each student belonging to these three categories, who secured first division in the Bihar School Board Examination. The state government had announced this scheme for the students belonging to minority community last year. The Chief Minister also announced Rs 2,500 each as grant to about 12,000 Muslim girls, who were getting vocational training to buy equipments and kits to start their own business. A few months ago the government had launched 'Hunar' (skill), an innovative scheme for providing vocational training to the Muslim girls in Bihar.
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Incentive bonus for Bihar farmers
Patna, November 24 The Centre had fixed the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 850 per quintal for common variety of paddy this year. On the insistence of farmers from across the country and also different state governments for increasing the MSP for paddy, the Centre announced a bonus of Rs 50 per quintal as incentive on the procurement of paddy thus taking the MSP to Rs 900 per quintal. But the Nitish Kumar government has decided to pay an additional bonus of Rs 50 per quintal from the state coffers making the MSP for paddy in Bihar to Rs 950 per quintal. No other state government had taken this kind of initiative so far. Earlier, the Government of Bihar had also paid an incentive bonus of Rs 25 per quintal to the farmers of the state for procurement of wheat in addition to the MSP of Rs 1,000 per quintal fixed by the Centre during the transaction year 2008-09. As a result, Bihar made a record procurement of 4.7 lakh metric tonne of wheat. Recognising agriculture as a part of the infrastructure sector, the Nitish Kumar government has declared 2008 as “Agriculture Year”. An “Agri road map” had also been prepared for the development of this sector, which had to be implemented in four years. Explaining the road map to mediapersons, Nitish said it was an ambitious plan and work on this project had already begun by integrating agriculture, dairy development, animal husbandry, fisheries and cooperatives. For execution of the road map, a total expenditure of Rs 6,377 crore had been planned and approved, he informed. The execution of the Agri road map had started this year with distribution of paddy seeds to the farmers.
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US, UK tried to block B’desh’s birth: Book
New Delhi, November 24 But Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury, who was based in London, not only rejected the Western interventions but personally conveyed the secret American move to then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to Sashanka S. Banerjee, author of “A Long Journey Together: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh”, Choudhury told Gandhi in London that US assistant secretary of state Joseph Sisco hurriedly contacted him on behalf of the Nixon administration, which was against Pakistan’s break-up. Choudhury, a former Chief Justice of the Dhaka High Court, was also told that if he stopped backing the then jailed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he would be rewarded with the presidency of a united Pakistan. Banerjee says Choudhury’s revelation did not shock Gandhi. “Those were the days of the Cold War... It confirmed the rock-solid permanence of the US-Pakistan strategic relationship.” Choudhury, the book says, correctly interpreted the American diplomat’s suggestion as a last ditch attempt “to save Pakistan from disintegration”. “He told Gandhi that the State Department official had also taken the line that Hindu-majority India could make it quite difficult for a breakaway Islamic East Pakistan to retain its independence once it had been achieved.” British foreign secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home separately met Choudhury and stressed that “India with its large Hindu majority” would end up surrounding a future mainly Muslim Bangladesh. Choudhury assured him that there was nothing to worry on that count. Choudhury, also a former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, led the Bangladesh independence struggle from London. He was appointed president of Bangladesh and held the post from 1972 to 1975. Another reason Choudhury met Gandhi in London was to persuade her to quickly recognise Bangladesh. He felt that an Indian diplomatic recognition would greatly boost the independence struggle. When Pakistan finally released Mujibur Rahman, he flew to London. From there he was to originally fly to New Delhi, on his way to Dhaka, in a special Air India plane. “Fearing that the (Air India) flight could be booby-trapped by enemy agents, Gandhi requested British Prime Minister Edward Heath to provide an RAF (Royal Air Force) plane to fly the Bangladesh leader first to New Delhi, then on to Dhaka. It was a move with a motive.” — IANS
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IAF asks officers to be more vigilant
New Delhi, November 24 Western Air Command chief Air Marshal P.K. Barbora told top commanders at the start of the two-day WAC commanders’ conference here today that the country was going through a very difficult phase while the world economy was in turmoil posing new challenges to our country. During the two-day conference, the top commanders will deliberate on how to capitalise on the operations conducted by the WAC this year. The WAC achieved gains by landing a fixed wing aircraft at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), the highest airstrip in the world at a height of 16,200 feet, after more than four decades. The command also revived Fukche airbase in eastern Ladakh, 2.5 km from the India-China border, by landing a transport aircraft there. For the first time while Sukhoi-30 fighter jets also roared in the skies of Jammu and Kashmir this year and conducted night operations from forward bases in the state. Meanwhile, Air Marshall Barbora said the need of the hour was to make optimal use of all our assets, be it equipment or our skilled manpower so as to expand on our capability spectrum. Air Marshal Barbora also asked his commanders to increase their operational efficiency by making the best use of the hi-tech equipment being inducted under the modernisation of the force. The WAC chief called for a greater synergy between the three services to cope up with the present challenges faced by the country. “The synergy among us and the other services needs to be strengthened to cope up with the challenges of the time,” the Air Marshal said. The WAC operation extends from the world’s highest airfields in the Himalayas to the deserts of Rajasthan. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major will address the annual commanders’ conference tomorrow.
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Left, TDP, JDS for fuel price reduction
New Delhi, November 24 The CPM, CPI, TDP, JD (S), AIFB and the RSP have issued a joint statement here today saying, “The administered price of petrol and diesel was increased in June by Rs 5 per litre for petrol and Rs 3 for diesel when the international oil prices had reached a level of $123 per barrel.” The statement also pointed out that, “There is no justification for refusing to make a substantial cut in the prices of petrol and diesel when the government has admitted that the administered price of petrol and diesel based upon the Indian basket works out to $67 a barrel.” The Left parties have also noted, “The Manmohan Singh government has been prompt in reducing in five phases in the past four months, Aviation Turbine Fuel used by airline companies” and added that, “Neither the Prime Minister nor the finance minister considered the losses suffered by the oil marketing companies when providing such a largesses to the private airline companies.” |
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Indo-Nepal Border
Maharajganj (UP), November 24 As many as 500 carriers, which include women, children (in the age group of 6-10), aged persons and 30 physically handicapped, have been identified by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), an SSB officer said here. Assistant Commandant (AC) of SSB posted at Sonauli, S.K. Singh, said, “After the SSB came here in 2007, the smugglers have changed their modus operandi and have started using children, women, handicapped and aged persons as ‘carriers’.” He added that the items being smuggled from Nepal to India primarily include tobacco, soaps and shampoo, while sugar is smuggled from India to Nepal. “The ‘carriers’ have now started using cycles to smuggle sugar from India to Nepal. Even the physically handicapped persons smuggle sugar using their wheelchairs and get Rs 2 per kg,” Singh said and alleged that the smuggling was going on in the border area in connivance with the local businessmen and influential people. He said, “The Vyapaari Mandals are encouraging the smugglers who may even one day smuggle explosives or weapons.” The SSB is running awareness campaigns among the school children and is also roping in well-known residents to spread awareness in the society against the illegal activities, the AC said. — PTI
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Panel for Amritsar airport set up
New Delhi, November 24 With a view to put the committee into the functioning mode, Gill on Monday also discussed modalities concerning the working of the committee and identification of issues regarding the Raja Sansi Airport with civil aviation secretary M.M Nambiar. Other members of the committee include S.S Dhindsa, Tarlochan Singh and Navjot Singh Siddhu. The committee has been asked to finalise its recommendations within one month. Gill has also invited suggestions from the Chambers of Industry and citizens relating to the improvement of Amritsar Airport. |
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Scribe’s murderer identified
Kokrajhar, November 24 Under tremendous pressure to identify and nab the culprits, Kokrajhar SP Arabinda Kalita confirmed that the main culprit had been identified. He, however, refused to name the culprit, stating that it would hamper the investigation. A series of raids were being conducted in and around Kokrajhar town and the police expected to nab the person by this evening. All entry and exit points had been sealed.
— UNI |
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5 cops suspended for napping during duty Arunachal film for
French fest Oppn walkout over
price hike Special secy, security
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