New Delhi/Raipur, July 4
With Naxal attacks against security forces showing no letup, the government is planning to position helicopters at a few additional places for quick response to reinforcement and rescue needs. To enable deployment of additional helicopters, officials of the central security forces and the Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand governments are scouting for safe helipad locations as close as possible to the battalion or company headquarters.

Helicopters of the Border Security Force (BSF) are presently stationed at Ranchi and Raipur, the state capitals of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, respectively.

The existing BSF fleet of three to four Dhruv Advance Light Helicopters and two Mi-17 helicopters are deployed in supporting anti-Naxal operations and the Home Ministry is planning to add some more helicopters to it.

The new helipad sites surveyed in Chhattisgarh are Narayanpur and Kanker where the Army-run counterinsurgency and jungle warfare school is located and one site at Gumla in Jharkhand.

These steps have been fast-tracked in the aftermath of the April 6 Dantewada attack, which left 75 CRPF personnel and a Chhattisgarh policeman dead.

According to sources, helicopter support in Naxal areas has helped save the lives of paramilitary and police personnel who were injured in Maoist ambushes.

A senior officer disclosed that two bleeding CRPF men among those ambushed in Dantewada were saved because of the timely airlift to a hospital by a BSF helicopter. “The helicopter is the best friend of troops in operation,” the officer added.

While a Mi-17 can accommodate about 25-27 personnel, a Dhruv can carry 10-12 men. The number of stretchered casualties that can be carried are far less.

According to sources, the new helipads will be "located close to the base of paramilitary or specialised combat forces so that the security and safety of these air assets can be ensured by these troops," a senior officer said. — PTI

Jaipur, July 4
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot may have brushed aside the issue of cross-voting during last month’s Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress high command has not only taken a serious note of it but also issued notices to its seven legislators, including three Congress ministers.

Among those who have been issued notices are Energy Minister Jitendra Singh, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Brijendra Singh Ola, parliamentary secretary Giriraj Singh Malinga, MLAs Nirmala Saharia, Mahendra Singh Gurjar, Lal Shankar Ghatia and Ramlal Meghwal.

The AICC has also asked them why action should not be taken against them for going against the party whip. The cross-voting didn’t have any negative impact on the poll prospects of Congress candidates — Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and Ashq Ali Tak — both of whom got elected comfortably. However, the fact that as many as seven Congress MLAs, including the three ministers, gave second preference votes to the BJP candidate left the ruling Congress embarrassed.

The matter also intensified factionalism in the party as the anti-Gehlot camp sought action against those who voted against the party whip. They came out against the “erring” MLAs after the CM virtually defended them, saying, “The party candidates have got all the first preference votes.”

New Delhi, July 4
Trinamool MP and Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi is virtually on a war with the bureaucracy these days. Annoyed with Health Secretary Sujatha Rao for scuttling his dream project of a comprehensive web portal on health — a concept he announced six months ago — Trivedi on Friday blamed the slow bureaucracy for the growing menace of Naxalism and terrorism.

“They (bureaucrats) are not accountable to anyone. Unless we address this issue of missing accountability, Maoists and terrorists will grow,” Trivedi said on Friday, two days after he had forwarded to the Health Secretary the concept note on a web portal for health, being developed jointly by Sam Pitroda and him.

The two had jointly announced the project months ago, however, no follow-up was done until three days ago, when a note was sent to Rao for further action.

But Trivedi is in a hurry, as was evident from his remarks against Rao on Friday. Days after he said the bureaucracy lacked innovativeness and the Health Ministry was mired in red tapism, the Trinamool MP said Rao was preventing his dream project of the web portal from rolling out. The MoS accused Rao of not understanding the idea behind the project and ignoring the Health Minister’s positive references to the said project, which was to be implemented through the National Informatics Centre.

Trivedi accused the bureaucracy of being slow and preventing technological solutions. He said the Health Ministry should itself had unearthed the MCI scam and not waited for the CBI to do so. “Fresh graduates have better ideas than these people,” he said of the bureaucrats, evoking a shrill response from Rao, who on Thursday had said the bureaucracy was accountable at several levels, including the CAG, the Parliament, the RTI Act and the media.

But Trivedi plans to discuss the issue with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is in the UK these days.

New Delhi, July 4
The Government has proposed to launch an urban employment guarantee scheme on the lines of NREGA and give statutory sanctions to minimum wages.

The proposal, which focuses on generating employment and enhancing employability among less advantaged, is part of the short-term strategies and targets of the Government contained in the first 'Annual Report to the People on Employment'.

At present, states are under no obligation to implement revision of minimum wages by the Centre.

The report, released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Friday, has emphasised on achieving an employment growth rate of at least 2.5 per cent per annum compatible with the 9 per cent growth in the economy.

The Government has solicited comments and suggestions from the people on major issues highlighted in the report specially those relating to the employment of youth, women and disadvantaged groups.

The report has stressed that NREGA programme must reach out to all poor households with 100 days of assured employment and statutory provisions to provide social security and improved conditions of work and remuneration of contract workers at par with the regular employees.

Among its long-term goals, the report has sought to enhance the scope of employment in the organised sector and enhance regular employment for less advantaged groups, especially, in poorer states.

It has also called for a comprehensive coverage of unorganised sector workers under social security schemes and rationalisation and simplification of labour regulations and broadening the ambit of labour reforms.

The report favoured detailed skill mapping mechanism and creation of a credible and independent accreditation and certification process. — PTI

New Delhi, July 4
Concerned over increased burden on its coffers due to recent fuel price hike, Indian Railways, largest bulk consumer of diesel in the country, have decided to cut costs by using alternative sources like bio-diesel in a big way for powering their vast fleet of locomotives.

It has decided to set up an integrated bio-diesel plant at Chennai with an aim to gradually reduce dependence on high-speed diesel which powers its fleet of over 7500 diesel locomotives.

Tenders have been floated. The entire work is expected to be over in two years from the date of starting the project, a senior Railway official said.

Diesel locomotives cater to 60 per cent of the rail traffic in the country, hauling both passenger and freight trains. Railways foot a bill of about Rs 4500 crore annually and calculates an additional burden of Rs 460 crore on its resources with the hike in fuel prices last month. "A small reduction in fuel consumption through use of alternate cheaper fuel, efficient engine and improved technology can result in substantial savings in fuel bills. Besides, the alternate fuel needs to be environmental friendly and without requiring any change in locomotive design," the official said.

Railways consume approximately two million kl of diesel every year.

High speed diesel blended with bio-diesel will be used to cut cost. Initially, it will be five per cent and gradually will be increased to 20 per cent in the years to come, the official said.

Extensive trials have already been conducted using bio-diesel in different proportions on railway locomotives and the results have been found satisfactory, the official added. The move comes as Railways are also investing in CNG to run a sizeable number of diesel locomotives. Indian Railways Organisation for Alternate Fuels, spearheading the project, has laid down strict guidelines for the plant towards environment protection.

The official said the plant design should be such that its operation must result in reduction of green house gas emission and should be able to qualify for earning carbon credit points.

Railways have already gone in for massive plantation of 'Jatropha', producing oil as a diesel substitute. — PTI 

Mumbai, July 4
The Ministry for Environment and Forests has nixed plans by various corporate houses and industrialists to construct rooftop helipads in various Indian cities on the grounds that they create noise pollution.

Acting on petitions by environmental groups, Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has stayed proposals by the Mumbai municipality to permit at least a dozen helipads in various parts of the city.

A number of prominent industrialists including the Ambani brothers and the Ruias of Essar are keen on operating helicopters that land atop their office or residential buildings. The Ruias have actually constructed a helipad atop their office in South Central Mumbai. However, it is so far not operational as permission hasn’t been forthcoming.

Industrialist Mukesh Ambani, who is constructing a multi-storeyed residential building in South Mumbai, reportedly has plans for a helipad atop his house. As of now helicopters owned by the industrialists are parked at the Mumbai airport.

Mumbai-based NGOs have complained to the environment ministry that a helicopter landing and taking off emits noise exceeding 120 decibels, more than double the permitted levels. Earlier, the office of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had forwarded the proposals to construct rooftop helipads to the environment ministry.

Ahmedabad, July 4
Gujarat will get 11 new airports to provide easy connectivity to major pilgrimage sites in the state, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said here today. “The Gujarat government is working on 11 new airports, which will come up at pilgrim places like Palitana (Bhavnagar), Dwarka (Jamnagar) and Ambaji (Banaskantha),” Modi said after inaugurating the new terminal at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport here.

“Gujarat has some 20 small and big airports and to promote tourism we need better air connectivity. We have also floated our own aviation company to develop infrastructure," he said, adding that his government would soon come up with an aviation policy.

Modi said the state government has been approached by a company offering to provide intra-state air connectivity. “The company will run air service between districts. They have sought permission from the Centre for import of small planes," he added.

Modi also pointed out that there was need to develop human resources, be it ground staff or pilots along with infrastructure, as both were inadequate.

"We have not been able to match the growth of flyers in terms of infrastructure and human resource," he said. Modi also said there was need for more security personnel at airports. "We see long queues of people waiting for security check at airport here, which suggests that there is need to increase the number of security personnel," he added.

Modi also suggested to the Aviation Ministry that the airport terminal be used to generate solar energy by installing solar panels on terminal roofs and alongside runways. He also said every airport should have its own rainwater harvesting system.

On suggestion of Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Industries Dinsha Patel that there should a statue of Sardar Patel at the airport, Modi said "I will go a step further. Besides a statue, there should be a touch screen kiosk at every airport, containing profile of the leader it is named after. We shall begin this from here at Sardar Patel Airport.” During the inauguration, the leaders from Gujarat demanded resumption of Ahmedabad-London direct flight.

Union Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who was the chief guest during the function, said he would take up the matter when his ministry finalises new schedules in October. — PTI

Guwahati, July 4
A top Dimasa-tribe militant of Assam, self-styled commander-in-chief of Black Widow or Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa faction) Niranjan Hojai was yesterday, arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA)in Nepal.

He had earlier surrendered but was absconding from the designated camp since the past six months.He was arrested from a hotel early morning yesterday, with the help of the police.

He had fled from a designated camp set up by the government at North Cachar Hill district of Assam for the surrendered militants of Black Widow.

Hojai had surrendered along with 380 cadres of the outfit last October. The NIA was looking for it for questioning on issues related to alleged collusion between militants and politicians in siphoning development funds meant for the in-hill district government.

Meanwhile, the DHD ( J) has called for an indefinite bandh at North Cachar Hill district from today, demanding the release of Hojai and chairman Juwel Gorlosa who are currently in jail.

Bangalore, July 4
As the fight for custody of George Fernandes rages on, ironically, it may be the former Defence Minister and his brothers’ philanthropic bent of mind that could have dragged the Alzheimer-affected veteran Socialist leader into the current mess.

The brothers took up philanthropy when their brother Lawrence Fernandes, a bachelor, died in 2005. They did not divide the property left behind by the deceased and instead used the money to set up the Lawrence Fernandes Foundation to help the needy.

Later, after selling their mother’s property here, they gave away their rightful share to George to set up the George Fernandes Foundation. In fact, when Paul Fernandes -- George’s Canada-based brother -- took him to Toronto for treatment in 2007, it was already being contemplated to set up a Foundation from money from sale of the Bangalore land. The two brothers discussed the plan further during George’s Toronto sojourn.

On George’s return to India, a preliminary list of the intended beneficiaries of the foundation was also drawn up. The different amounts for each of these organisations were tentatively decided in consultation with George. The total of these allotments was to be approximately Rs 9 crore and the balance of about Rs 4 crore from his assets was to be retained for his personal expenses, specialised medical care and salaries for personal staff. But the Foundation never saw the light of day.

While George’s US-based Sean, who is into investment banking, a sector severely affected by the recent worldwide recession, has claimed that he is rich and not interested in his father’s money, none of George’s brothers can make any claim to be rich. Still, they relinquished their share in their brother and mother’s property for the Foundation so that the entire amount could be utilised for the poor and needy.

Like George, Michael is also a trade union leader himself and is president of the Karnataka unit of the Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat headed by George Fernandes.