New Delhi, September 2
Following the Supreme Court's reprimand over foodgrains rotting in godowns despite millions going hungry in the country, the government today came up with a plan of sorts that included releasing additional 2.5 million tonnes of foodgrains to below poverty line (BPL) families and overhauling the public distribution system (PDS).

However, foodgrains would be distributed to the poor at rates prescribed for the BPL families, and not free, as desired by the Supreme Court. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has made it clear in the past that it was not possible for the government to distribute foodgrains for free to the poor.

Sources said the EGoM headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also tried to work out a suitable reply to the Supreme Court's directive to distribute foodgrains for free.

After the meeting, Pawar said the government was considering an overhaul of the PDS, including upgrading the number of eligible BPL families. "This is expected to increase the number of BPL families eligible for assistance and corresponding increase in allocation by the Central Government," he said.

Terming it as an interim measure, pending a final decision on the issue, Pawar said the government would release additional 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and rice to the states at the prices prescribed for the BPL families over the next six months.

As pressure mounts on Pawar to find a solution to the vexed problem, officials are trying to find a workable solution to the twin problem facing the Agriculture Ministry - making surplus foodgrain available to the starving poor and storing it in FCI facilities across the country. Pawar has held a string of meetings with top ministry officials, including FCI chairman Siraj Hussain, to find a workable solution.

However, free distribution of grains through a system already dotted with corruption perforations is not be so easy. "It would just open up another window to corruption," officials. "How can one ensure that free grain will not end up in the open market," they say.

One option is expanding BPL quota in the 150 poorest districts as the National Advisory Council has suggested.

But before government does that there also has to be a rethink of the entire grain storage policy, especially when the food is about to become the legal right of every individual.

One option is taking storage facilities to the village level, but that requires time. There also has to be clear picture on the exact number of poor families in the country.

Mandi, September 2
Power producers and the Himachal government are planning to contest the recommendations of the Shukla Committee before the High Court. The one-man committee has raised serious concerns over the environmental fallout of the mushrooming power projects in the state.

While the next date of hearing has been fixed in October, a series of meetings have already been held to finalise the response of the state. Caught on the wrong foot, power producers are learnt to have informed the state government that if environmental restrictions are followed, it would increase project costs as well as the unit cost of power.

If the panel’s recommendations are followed, the power utilities have argued, not only will the state government incur a loss of Rs. 1,500 crore per annum but that it would also prompt an exodus of power projects from the state.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjay Karol, has directed all power projects in the state, including the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), JP Hydro, Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL), the state and central governments to respond to the recommendations made by the Shukla Committee within eight weeks from August 9.

The court had appointed Abhay Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, as one-man committee on December 23, 2009, to file a “detailed report on damages caused to the environment by hydel projects in the state”.

Shukla studied 11 big projects, submitted its report in early August and recommended that the state government should carry out basin-wise environmental impact assessment (EIA) of all rivers of the state. In its 33-page report, Shukla observed that much of the damage to the environment was being caused by debris and muck dumped on the roads at project sites.

“None of the projects allows discharge of 15 per cent flow of river downstream and, as such, river ecosystems look dry or dead.” The committee observed that trees felled for the projects were four times more than those projected in the ‘Detailed Project Reports’ (DPRs).

Power projects, meanwhile, are pleading that the state government and the high court should take a “realistic and balanced view”. The recommendations, if accepted, will delay all projects worth 2,800 MW allotted after 2007 and those in the pipeline for allotment”. Hydel projects to generate 1,357 MW were advertised for bidding in August, 2010, and are in the pipeline for allotment. 

Hyderabad, September 2
The vertical division in Andhra Pradesh Congress came to the fore even during the solemn occasion today to mark the first death anniversary of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The continued stand-off between YSR’s ambitious son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the party high command had its impact as parallel programmes were organised to pay tributes to the former Chief Minister. After defying the party’s diktat over his controversial “Odarpu Yatra”, Jagan, the 38 year old rebel MP, kept himself away from the official functions in the state capital to mark YSR’s death anniversary.

Instead, he confined himself to Idupulapaya, the family estate in Kadapa district, where he paid homage to his father at the burial site. His close family members, friends, followers and some loyal ministers were with him.

The AICC General Secretary in charge of AP affairs Veerappa Moily flew in from Bangalore to pay homage at YSR memorial being built at Idupulapaya. Moily’s visit triggered speculation that he carried a message from the high command to convince Jagan to call off his next round of Odarpu Yatra, scheduled in Prakasam district from tomorrow. The party had already warned the first-time MP against undertaking the yatra but he continues to be defiant. Moily’s mission could be a last ditch attempt to rein in the rebel leader.

The Chief Minister K Rosaiah, who is down with viral fever, could not participate in the functions organized to mark the occasion. He was to fly to Kurnool district for inauguration of “YSR Smriti Vanam” at Nallakalva, close to the helicopter crash site.

Instead, a few senior ministers went to the venue and unveiled YSR’s statue to mark the inauguration of the memorial. The chief minister, in a message, regretted his inability to attend the official functions on the death anniversary of YSR. He recalled his association with the late Chief Minister and paid tributes to him.

New Delhi, September 2
The Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010 has been notified, bringing about gender equality in the matters of guardianship under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and adoption under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.

Earlier, the mother was not included as Guardian along with the father under Clause (b) section 19 of the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, while Clause (c) of section 8 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 incapacitated a married woman from taking in adoption merely on the basis of her marital status and was discriminatory in nature.

Therefore, section 8 has been amended to give a similar right to a female Hindu, irrespective of her marital status, as that of a male Hindu.

Similarly, sub-section (2) and (3) of section 9 curtailed the right of mother to give in adoption if father was alive or of sound mind or had not renounced the world completely and finally. The rights of father and mother under sub-sections (2) and (3) were discriminatory in nature. Therefore, section 9 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 has been suitably amended to give similar right to a female Hindu. 

Chandigarh, September 1
With electronic warfare becoming central to all military operations, the Army is planning to procure helicopter-mounted electronic warfare systems to augment its capabilities, which, at present, are restricted to land-based systems.

Sources said some firms have already briefed senior officers concerned at Army Headquarters about the operational aspects of such systems The Army has now sought technical details of available systems for evaluation. The Army, like its sister services, is already into electronic warfare, with the Corps of Signals being the nodal agency in the force for using the electromagnetic spectrum for military gains. Currently, the systems with the Army are vehicle mounted.

Electronic warfare involves use of the electromagnetic spectrum, including radio waves and infrared, to interfere with, intercept, degrade or dominate an adversary’s communication, data-transfer or surveillance network for attaining battlefield superiority, while protecting one’s own networks.

Heli-borne electronic warfare systems, sources said, would allow greater operating flexibility as they can cover greater distances in shorter time without the impediment of traversing difficult terrain like deserts and mountains. They would also be less vulnerable to anti-radiation missiles that static ground based systems.

Sources added that heliborne systems could also play an important role in counter-terrorist operations by pinpointing remote terrorist radio transmitting points or jamming their communication. They would also cut down the response time vis-à-vis vehicles. Electronic warfare suites are already retro-fitted in combat aircraft as well as helicopters and transports. Depending on the type of aircraft, some systems are for offensive operations while those for transports are primarily for self-defence.

The Army’s quest for electronic warfare systems assumes significance as its aviation corps is being expanded. Besides additional indigenous Dhruv ALHs, process is underway to acquire over 80 medium utility helicopters for the force.

Mumbai, September 2
Maharashtra politicians are outdoing each other by putting up huge amounts of money as prizes at Gokulashtami celebrations where revellers form pyramids to break pots put up several storeys high.

Lucre Lure n Maharashtra politicians construct pyramids 45 feet or nearly nine storeys -- seven storeys is considered normal -- for revellers to break n About 30 persons, part of govinda groups, hospitalised with various degrees of injuries till late afternoon in Mumbai

Two prominent state politicians have constructed pyramids 45 feet or nearly nine storeys above the ground with prize money going up to Rs 75 lakh. Though no one expects the ‘handis’ or pots put up at this height to be broken, several groups of govindas, as the revellers are called, have been at work since this morning.

Pyramids built to go up to 45 feet are at least nine tiers in height and often revellers are egged on by cheering residents who spray them with water. Often the pyramids break before scaling up to break the handi and govindas who tumble down suffer severe injuries.

According to police and fire brigade officials, at least 30 people, who are part of govinda groups, have been brought to hospital with various degrees of injuries till late afternoon in Mumbai, Thane and nearby areas.

“We will reduce the height of the handi later in the evening if it is not broken by then,” Jitendra Avhad, Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Thane, said this morning. Sangharsh, the organisation headed by him, has put up a handi 45 feet above the ground with prize money of Rs 75 lakh. By afternoon, thousands of people had gathered around the place to watch groups of govindas try their luck. According to Avhad’s colleagues, the prize money would be progressively reduced with the lowering of the handi’s height.

Another MLA Pratap Sarnaik offered Rs 65 lakh as prize in Thane while the handi put up by Ram Kadam of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena at Ghatkopar in Mumbai had Rs 31 lakh as prize.

Till afternoon, none of the handis were broken.

Earlier this month, govinda groups came together and stated that they would not scale more than seven tiers. But politicians are hoping that the lure of the lucre would cause them to put aside fear of injuries and start climbing atop each other.

Chandigarh, September 2
The near 40-day agitation by over 50,000 employees of the I-T Department across the country was called off today after negotiations between the employees' union and the member (Personnel) Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) - the apex body for tax administration - ended successfully on Tuesday.

The agitation, during which the employees had virtually resorted to a pen-down protest, had severely affected the functioning of the department and had literally paralysed the raid and survey work. The agitating employees included officers even of the rank of assistant and deputy commissioners.

Talking to The Tribune over phone from Mumbai, Ashok B Salunkhe, secretary general, All-India Income Tax Employee Federation, said the CBDT had agreed to some of their demands and, thus, they had decided to call of the agitation. He said the Finance Ministry had acceded to the demands of mobile phone bill reimbursement to all employees and also accorded sanction for 51,000 connections for the ‘B’ and ‘C’ category employees.

He said the contentious issue of the promotion of I-T officers to the rank of assistant commissioners has been sorted out with the order for setting up of Departmental Promotion Committees (DPC) issued to all CCITS. It is worth mentioning that of the 2,192 posts of assistant commissioners, almost 700 are lying vacant and out of 1,300 posts of joint and additional commissioners, 500 are vacant. With the setting of the DPC, these posts are likely to be filled up soon, say the officials.

The CBDT has so far not agreed to demand of the employees to end outsourcing. Members of the Gazetted Officers’ Association have been demanding that the department discontinue outsourcing work of data entry of returns and their processing. “Discussions are still going on to settle the issue and is likely to resolved in the next round of negotiations with CBDT chairman,” said Salunkhe.

He said outsourcing was causing more problems and inconvenience to the tax payers. “Sometimes, there are mistakes in entering the PAN or figures of returns in the computer,” SK Bhalla, general secretary (North West) of the Gazetted Officers’ Association said, adding “We are hopeful that other demands will also be considered by chairman of the CBDT.”