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Mamata’s generosity cost govt Rs 500 crore Aged SSC officers move AFT over denial of facilities
War widow denied pension
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Saffron terror, Bellary brothers worry BJP
Judicial Service
Din over mining scam
Krishna’s Pak Visit
Despite rain deficiency, kharif sowing in full swing
5 cops killed in Naxal blast
Maharashtra plans more jobs for locals
Can’t detain witness for more than 24 hrs: HC
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Mamata’s generosity cost govt Rs 500 cr
New Delhi, July 16 Clearly not in a mood to upset the temperamental Trinamool Congress chief, the Cabinet quietly put its stamp of approval on her suggestion to continue with this facility despite the astronomical cost it entails. Having recently established her unassailable clout in the recent local elections in West Bengal, the Congress has little choice but to treat her with kid gloves. The proposal to do away with the free rail passes for employees was first made by the Expenditure Reforms Commission in 2004. Then Rail Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had disagreed with this recommendation when it came up for consideration by the Cabinet and said it should be struck down immediately. Instead of rejecting the proposal, the Cabinet chose to tread a middle path, suggesting that an in-House study be conducted to get an estimate of the costs entailed. The study, undertaken by the Railway Ministry, turned out to be quite a revelation. It showed that during 2004-2005, the Railways had over 14 lakh employees on its rolls while the number of pensioners was close to 12 lakhs. The cost of a free pass per employer for one year was estimated at Rs 3,311 and for a retired person it was Rs 498. The total cost for these freebies for a year was pegged at Rs 528 crore. For serving officers the figure was over Rs 471 crore and for pensioners it was nearly Rs 57 crore. Given the staggering costs involved and the country’s financial condition, the radical elements in the UPA were pitching for scrapping this facility. However, Mamata insisted that it should be continued and everybody went along. However, Mamata has not always been this lucky. Earlier this year, she was reduced to tears when she sought financial clearance for massive railway projects just before the Budget. Pranab Mukherjee had given her an earful for submitting her proposals close to the presentation of the Budget. However, the Congress is in no mood to rock the boat at this stage when it is bracing up for a stormy Parliament session this month-end.
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Aged SSC officers move AFT over denial of facilities
Chandigarh, July 16 The former officers, who were released on the completion of their terms of engagement, are claiming that directives issued by the Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), apparently in contradiction of Presidential sanction and relevant Army orders, have deprived a large number of ex-officers and their dependents of medical cover at military hospitals. The Chandigarh Bench of the Tribunal, comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen H.S. Panag (retd), has issued notices to the central government and others concerned for August 13. The issue had been repeatedly taken by the officers with the higher authorities . It was only about a decade ago that the government extended medical facilities to SSCs and ECOs at military hospitals. However, in 2008, DGAFMS wrote to all Army commands that they were not entitled to medical facilities as these were available only to service pensioners. Since the early 70s, the Army has been inducting about 500 SSC officers annually. In the wake of the 1962 Indo-Pak war, thousands of ECOs were also commissioned. Earlier, medical facilities were only available to ex-service pensioners and their dependants and the families of deceased personnel drawing pension of some kind. Then in 1996, the MoD directed that the term “ex-service pensioners” be replaced by the term “ex-servicemen”. Consequently, entitled categories became ex-servicemen covered under the definition of “ex-serviceman” issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), their dependants and families of deceased personnel drawing pension. The MoD, for the purpose of medical entitlement, had simply adopted the definition of “ex-servicemen” issued by the DoPT and resultantly all ex-servicemen irrespective of “pensioner” status became entitled to medical facilities. This included all personnel released after the completion of terms of engagement such as SSCOs and ECOs. Army HQs issued medical entitlement cards to them. Those who have been released from service on the completion of their term of engagement are included in DoPT’s definition of ex-servicemen.
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War widow denied pension
Chandigarh, July 16 Waziristan happens to be in Pakistan and not in Burma and the deceased, Sepoy Sital Singh, was posted with the 5th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment of the then British Indian Army. He was killed in Waziristan in 1940. Setting aside this the civil court’s order, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal has held that he was very much part of the Indian Army and has directed the authorities concerned to release family pension to his 90-year old widow, Surjit Kaur, a resident of Hoshiarpur. The ADJ had granted her ex-gratia allowance. Former Burmese employees of Indian origin and their families are entitled to a pension paid by the Burmese (now Myanmar) government which is stepped up to the minimum level of pension applicable in India and the difference is paid by the Indian government. This payment is known as ex-gratia allowance is much lesser than what is granted to widows in India. After her husband’s death, Surjit Kaur was granted normal family pension by the Controller of Military Accounts (Lahore) of the British Indian Army, instead of the liberalised family pension admissible to widows of soldiers killed in action. When she sought her actual entitlement from the authorities, they very strangely stated that her husband was a member of the Burmese Army and not of the British Indian Army, and hence, she was not even eligible for normal family pension. During arguments, it was contended that her pension documents also clearly state that the pension was determined under the Regulations for the Royal British Indian Army. Further, Burma attained independence from the Britain in 1948 and since Sital Singh had died in 1940, he could never have been an employee of the Burmese government because till then the country did not exist. The Punjab Regimental Records and the Rajput Regimental Records have also maintained that the deceased’s battalion was a part of the Punjab regiment. What may probably have created confusion is that the battalion was informally referred to the “5th Battalion (Burma)” because in 1922 remnants of the 93rd Burma Infantry were merged into it.
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Saffron terror, Bellary brothers worry BJP
New Delhi, July 16 Most BJP leaders have made themselves scarce and even when they do appear in public like BJP general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad today, they would studiously avoid any mention of the two subjects. “Let us keep it for another day,” he said when asked to react to these two issues. But sources said the party was in a quandary over both these issues. RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat recently met BJP’s LK Advani and reportedly discussed with him the specific issue of senior RSS leaders like Indresh Kumar being named in what is now being called saffron terror, the bomb blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer Dargah, Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and Samjhauta Express. Sources said Bhagwat also went to Ahmedabad to meet Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who too is facing similar situation because of the CBI pointing fingers at his Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged involvement in the Sohrabuddin murder case. The RSS wants the BJP to increase its decibel level while attacking the Congress and defending the unquestioned patriotism of the Sangh leaders. BJP president Nitin Gadkari and some other BJP leaders have responded to the call but not with the vigour and resolve that the Sangh expected of them, said a party insider. But while the party was looking for ways and means to counter the campaign against its Sangh leaders, Karnataka came to a boiling point over the allegations of large-scale illegal mining by the Bellary brothers, two of whom G. Janardhana Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy hold important cabinet-level portfolios in the BJP-led government of chief minister BS Yedyurappa. On the face of it the BJP is brazening it out by attacking Governor H.R. Bhardwaj. But privately the party and its leaders are a bit worried because it fear that the Congress could rally other parties round on this issue in the monsoon session of Parliament, beginning in another 10 days. The party also appeared vertically split on this. While Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar, traditional backers of the Reddy brothers, continue to back them, Arun Jaitely, Rajnath Singh and L.K. Advani seem to be worried over the spill over of committing the party to the business interests of any individuals. Incidentally there is a report in Tamil daily Dinamalar that a 10-day yajna is currently under way in Trinanvelli district for the well being and prosperity of the Bellary brothers. Sources said the yajna has the blessings of some important BJP leaders in Delhi, who along with Bellary brothers are expected to attend the yajna tomorrow when it concludes.
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TDP chief arrested, protest march foiled
Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, July 16 High drama prevailed on the Andhra-Maharashtra border when the opposition activists arrived in a large convoy of vehicles, raised slogans against the Maharashtra government and insisted on visiting the Babhali dam in Nanded district. The Maharashtra police asked Naidu and nine other senior TDP leaders to get into a van, assuring them that they would be taken to the project site. However, they were later taken into custody at Dharmabad town in Nanded district, about 100 km from the dam site. Amidst tension, the police arrested some 75 TDP activists, including MPs, MLAs and former ministers, and took them to Dharmabad police station. The lower riparian AP has been opposing the construction of the Babhali dam, across the Godavari river, alleging that it was “illegal”. Arguing that the dam was designed to store more water than what Maharashtra was entitled to, the AP government and the parties, across the political spectrum, have been demanding the Central government’s intervention to stop the project. Andhra had also moved the Supreme Court on the issue. It is argued that Babhali and 11 other projects being taken up by Maharashtra would cause “irreparable loss” to the interests of farmers of the Telangana region in the state. There are fears that the projects, if allowed to be completed, would turn the Telangana region into a desert as water would not flow into Sri Ramsagar Project in Nizamabad district, the lifeline of the region. The TDP leaders embarked on a “Bus Yatra” to the neighbouring state to highlight the “callousness” of the Congress government in stopping the project. The main opposition party has alleged that the government is not serious about stopping the illegal projects in Maharashtra which would take away the state’s rightful share of the Godavari waters. The agitation comes at a time when the Telangana region is gearing up for by-elections, scheduled to be held on July 27.
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SC for guidelines on confidential reports
R Sedhuraman/Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, July 16 “We direct the Secretary of the Union of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension as well as all the Chief Secretaries of the states to issue appropriate guidelines, in the light of this judgment, within eight weeks from the date of the pronouncement of this judgment,” the apex court ruled. The Bench also directed all the High Courts to ensure that the police verification reports were received by the authorities concerned before an order of appointment/post in the State Judicial Service was issued. The apex court passed the order while rejecting an appeal by Khazia Mohammed Muzammil challenging the manner in which he was relieved from service when he was a probationary Sessions Judge, Bangalore. He had joined service on May 15, 1996, and was discharged March 24, 2000 on the ground that he was not “suitable for the post.” According to Muzammil, he was appointed for two years but allowed to continue for more than three years. He had contended that since the probation was for two years, he should be deemed to have been confirmed in service and should not have been discharged as a probationer. He claimed he had performed his duties with utmost diligence and had an excellent record. However, there was no confidential report in his service file.
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Twin K’taka Houses adjourned sine die
Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service
Bangalore, July 16 The Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly had initially proposed that the session, which began on June 28, would continue up to July 30. The decision to call off the session midway was prompted by the unprecedented din witnessed in the Assembly over the issue of illegal mining and the unique round-the-clock protest that saw Opposition MLAs spending four consecutive nights inside the Assembly. The ruling BJP, however, managed to get passed 18 bills, six yesterday and 12 today, including the Appropriation Bill. Opposition members in the Legislative Council had also resorted to round-the-clock protest over the issue. The council too was adjourned sine die today. With both the Houses being adjourned sine die today, the protest by the Opposition was also withdrawn. While legislators such as YSV Datta of the JDS was candid enough to admit the difficulties the protest entailed, many others preferred to play down the problems. KJ George, Congress MLA, said the hardship they faced while sleeping inside the Assembly hall was to expose those behind the mining scam. Similar sentiments were expressed by Congress MLA Syed Yasin, JD(S) MLA HK Kumaraswamy and many others. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa met Governor HR Bhardwaj, credited with stoking the agitation, and told him that handing over investigation to the CBI was not an option since the Karnataka Lokayukta had been entrusted the probe already.
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BJP condemns, Cong praises
Faraz Ahmed and Vibha Sharma/TNS
New Delhi, July 16 BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad delayed his daily briefing today awaiting Krishna’s press conference and then declared: "Why should India talk under pressure? We cannot have talks at any cost. Pakistan has no desire to tackle terrorism”. The BJP took serious objection to Pakistan Foreign Minister SM Qureshi comparing JuD terrorist Hafiz Saeed to Indian Home secretary GK Pillai. He also criticised Krishna for being a mute spectator while Qureshi tarnished Pillai’s image. Prasad said: “The Government of India should introspect why it should continue talks with Pakistan. Pakistan should be told that till it acts against the perpetrators of Mumbai attack, and destroys the entire terror network on its land, there will be no talks with it,” said the BJP leader. Juxtaposed to that Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarjan insisted: “Talks should continue. Talks with neighbours should always continue. It has always been our stand that effort should be made to bridge the trust deficit (between India and Pakistan),” she added. Though even Jayanti partly agreed with Prasad saying, “Talks would be meaningful only after acts of terror from Pakistani soil stop and the culprits of 26/11 are brought to justice.”
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Despite rain deficiency, kharif sowing in full swing
New Delhi, July 16 “The presentation given by the IMD to me has been quite encouraging… I am not worried,” he said The country at present is 15 per cent in the red, with the east and northeast and the northwest leading the pack with 22 per cent and 21 per cent rainfall deficiency, respectively. While Punjab and Haryana faced floods, deficiency in the northwest has largely been due to acute shortfall of 57 per cent in east UP and 37 per cent in west UP, the major cane-growing areas in the country. The IMD’s latest prediction is that the axis of monsoon trough will shift northward from July 18 onwards. There will be an increase in rainfall activity over northwest India from July 18 with isolated heavy to very heavy falls on July 19 and 20 while scattered rainfall will occur over the remaining parts of the country. Fairly widespread rainfall will also occur over east UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and northeastern states during the next 48 hours and there will be an increase in intensify thereafter. There will also be widespread rainfall over West Coast, Gujarat, interior Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh during the next 48 hours and a decrease thereafter. Incidentally, despite the shortfall in rain, planting of summer crops appears to be progressing well. Kharif sowing has picked up in different parts of the country in the past one week, the Agriculture Department today said, adding that as compared to last year, rice, oilseed, sugarcane, jute and cotton plantings were higher.
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5 cops killed in Naxal blast
Latehar (Jharkhand), July 16 Latehar police chief Kuldip Diwedi had a narrow escape when the landmine blew up a patrol van following his car, killing five security personnel and wounding five others at Kutmu More. “I was the target of the Maoists, but the landmine went off moments after my car passed the path at Kutmu More," Diwedi told reporters soon after reaching the headquarters. “Unfortunately the van following my car carrying the personnel of the Jharkhand Jaguar Force was blown up, killing five and injuring five others,” the SP said. The SP was returning after leading a long range patrolling in Maoist-affected areas. The deceased have been identified as Ashok Kumar, Mohan Niraj, Duduwa Munda, Gopal Lakra and Prakash Yadav. The wounded security men have been admitted to a hospital in Palamau's Medininagar.
— PTI
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Maharashtra plans more jobs for locals
Mumbai, July 16 According to state Industries Minister Rajendra Darda, 89 per cent of people employed with small, medium and large-scale industries in Maharashtra are locals. Darda told the Assembly earlier this week that the state government had conducted a survey of various industries over the past two years and results showed that majority of locals have been employed by industries. Under an existing law that dates back to 1968, 80 per cent of unskilled jobs and 50 per cent of skilled jobs in the state are reserved for locals. Now , under pressure from the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the government is considering an amendment to the law under which jobs like security guards at banks and housing societies be reserved for locals.
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Can’t detain witness for more than 24 hrs: HC
Lucknow, July 16 The order of far reaching implications was passed yesterday in a Habeas Corpus petition by a Division Bench of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court comprising Justices Devi Prasad Singh and Yogendra Kumar Sanga. The order has asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to the petitioner Afreen Bano for having kept her “in the police station for around two weeks without justified reasons causing mental pain and agony and her stay has been held to be violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India”. Taking a serious view of the violation, the court has also proposed that the present directions should be used “to meet out the requirement till the state government legislates a law to meet such contingencies”.
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