New Delhi, May 5
Did Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu commit the fatal mistake by agreeing to fly in a single-engine chopper, ignoring Ministry of Home Affairs’ directives on precautions to be observed regarding use of state-owned and private aircraft and helicopters carrying political leaders and VIPs.

Precautionary measures suggested by the MHA clearly say that “at least twin-engined aircraft or helicopter having good operational capability, reliability and easy maintainability characteristics should be used”.

A senior Civil Aviation official believes that the operator, in this case Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited, did not do the right thing by letting the CM travel in the single-engine copter, in this case AS 350 B3 of Eurocopter.

He, however, also added that there was little that anyone, including operators and pilots, could do as on many occasions VIPs themselves insist on travelling in single-engine helicopters, especially during election times. VIPs are also known to pressurise pilots to press on, which at time leads to fatal consequences, a fact also acknowledged by a department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee yesterday.

While Pawan Hans sources maintain that it was the state government that chose the brand new single-engine copter to fly the CM, pilots with extensive flying experience in the treacherous Tawang region say with the kind of weather that prevails in the region even a twin-engine chopper would not have been of much use in averting the mishap since the crash most probably happened due to sudden bad weather.

Aviators explain a twin-engine aircraft may have helped if the crash was due to a sang in one of the engines. However, in this case, it was the weather that most likely turned out to be the villain, leading to the turn of events on the fateful day last Saturday.

There are three types of weather conditions that prevail in the region: one in the Tawang Valley beyond the Sela pass; the second in the mountains from Sela to north of Tejpur; and the third in the Brahmaputra Valley. At any given time, the weather in all three areas can be different. The Met office gives weather forecast for the entire area, thereby making it difficult for a pilot to anticipate a situation.

“Only someone who has flown extensively in the region can make the correct judgement because the biggest problem is that once inside the valley, there is no way a pilot can turn back if he encounters bad weather on both ends. 

New Delhi, May 5
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) and the Union Cabinet today condoled the "sudden and untimely" demise of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in a helicopter crash and said he had achieved a lot at a relatively young age.

In a resolution passed at a meeting, held at the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the CWC said Dorjee Khandu successfully completed all tasks undertaken by him and the party would feel his loss for a long time. Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said after the CWC meeting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia would go to Itanagar tomorrow to pay their respects to the party leader.

In a resolution, the Union Cabinet said in the death of Dorjee Khandu, the country has lost an eminent leader, an able administrator and a compassionate human being, who was committed to all-round development.

In her condolence message, President Pratibha Patil has described Dorjee Khandu as a politician who actively spent his life in public affairs and who deeply understood the pulse of the people.

The PM said in Dorjee Khandu's passing away, Arunachal Pradesh and the country had lost an experienced and able leader who spent long years in dedicated public service.

Itanagar: Congress legislators in a resolution today authorised party president Sonia Gandhi to choose a successor to Dorjee Khandu, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Tawang district on Saturday.

Raj Bhawan PRO Atum Potom said "There is every possibility of the swearing-in tonight."

Front-runners in the race are Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and PWD Minister Nabam Tuki, Power Minister Jarbom Gamlin, Finance Minister Setong Sena and RWD Minister Kalikho Pul, party sources said.

Though most aspirants for the top post were tight lipped, a senior party leader said Congress legislators were interviewed individually by top leaders. Later, a single line resolution by the CLP was faxed to the Congress president. — PTI

New Delhi, May 5
The Supreme Court today said no person, irrespective of their chair and wealth, would be spared in 2G Spectrum scam investigations and slammed Income Tax Department for the slow probe against corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others for alleged tax evasion in the case.

The court also described as “mind boggling” the figures of the transactions mentioned in the first report submitted by the I-T Department, observing it has not seen “so many zeros in our life”. Directing the I-T Department to be quicker and not to treat in an “ordinary way” the cases relating to the 2G scam, the court said it wants a “result”.

“The I-T Department must be quicker. This is not a normal case of tax evasion. It (probe) should have been done fast. These are not ordinary cases to be handled in ordinary way,” a Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly said after going through the report given in a sealed envelope.

“We would like to see the entire report on the action taken by you in the last three years when the department started probing on the complaint (filed against Radia). We would see what you have done after we started monitoring the case (of 2G scam),” the Bench said, directing the department to place the complete report before it on May 13.

The department, however, defended its ongoing probe saying the investigation has entered the “fifth layer” and that the approach towards the case has not been tardy. The court, however, was not satisfied and said, “We are not concerned about layers but results.” It also allowed the I-T Department to approach the special judge, trying the 2G case, to interrogate corporate honchos and other accused who are in judicial custody for their alleged role in the scam.

In the meanwhile, CBI today refuted the allegation made by the petitioner which had contended that the big corporate players like Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani, Essar Group CEO Prashant Ruia and Tatas are being treated differently. — PTI

New Delhi, May 5
The BJP took its battle against the UPA Government a step forward today by pressing for CBI investigation into the role of the then Finance Minister P Chidambram currently heading the Union Home Ministry in the allocation of 2G spectrum by the then Communications Minister A Raja in 2008.

A prominent member of the outgoing PAC and now on the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set to probe the 2G scam, Yashwant Sinha pronounced today, “Till the CBI investigates and interrogates P Chidambram, the whole truth about the 2G scam will never come out. Chidambram is directly involved in the scam,” said Sinha, addressing a public meeting organised by the Delhi BJP at Malvalankar Hall to boost PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi’s morale.

Sources indicated that the BJP has chosen to target Chidambram realising well that in case it succeeds in building pressure, Chidambram will perforce have to step down as the Home Minister. Apart from being one of the most important pillars of this government, he is also a known confidant of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy was the first one to drag Chidambram’s name in this scam. 

New Delhi, May 5
Thanks to India, the world has recognised mental disorders as one of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that continue to be the leading causes of premature deaths across the world.

At the just-concluded First Global Ministerial Conference held in Moscow in the run-up to the first UN Summit on the NCDs this September, India was the only country that fought to include mental and neurological disorders in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) traditional NCD list, which includes cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases.

India won the case, with the Moscow Declaration issued at the end of two-day deliberations that concluded on April 29, clearly admitting that the “NCDs such as mental disorders also significantly contribute to the global diseases burden”.

The declaration recognises the long-term negative health impact of mental disorders (though it does not include the term neurological disorders as the NCDs) and calls for global action to fight the same. For India, the step marks a positive development, considering other countries were vying to get the NCD status for other sets of disease. South Africa for example wanted sickle cell disease included in the list.

“But we argued that mental disorders must be included in the larger range of the NCDs. In India alone, three per cent of the population is known to suffer from severe mental illness. This category of disease requires as much long-term treatment and care as the other four categories of diseases, which the WHO traditionally recognises as the NCDs. Long-term medication is also equally required for mental disorders, which seriously impact the quality of life of sufferers,” top Health Ministry sources said.

The move will go a long way in de-stigmatising mental disorders simply by bringing them on the global discussion agenda. Funding for the sector would also get priority at some level. Overall, the NCDs, notes the Moscow Declaration, principally CVDs, diabetes, cancers and respiratory disease, “are the leading causes of preventable morbidity and disability and currently cause over 60 per cent of global deaths, 80 per cent of which occur in developing countries. By 2030, the NCDs are estimated to contribute to 75 per cent of global deaths.”

The Moscow Declaration will be in sharp focus at the forthcoming session of the World Health Assembly, which begins in Geneva from May 16. It will later be discussed at the UN summit on NCD in September. The Indian delegation in Moscow was led by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

New Delhi, May 5
The Supreme Court today said no person, irrespective of their chair and wealth, would be spared in 2G Spectrum scam investigations and slammed Income Tax Department for the slow probe against corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others for alleged tax evasion in the case.

The court also described as “mind boggling” the figures of the transactions mentioned in the first report submitted by the I-T Department, observing it has not seen “so many zeros in our life”. “The I-T Department must be quicker. This is not a normal case of tax evasion. It (probe) should have been done fast. These are not ordinary cases to be handled in ordinary way,” a Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly said after going through the report given in a sealed envelope.

“We would like to see the entire report on the action taken by you in the last three years when the department started probing on the complaint (filed against Radia). We would see what you have done after we started monitoring the case (of 2G scam),” the Bench said, directing the department to place the complete report before it on May 13. The department, however, defended its ongoing probe saying the investigation has entered the “fifth layer” and that the approach towards the case has not been tardy. The court, however, was not satisfied and said, “We are not concerned about layers but results.” — PTI

New Delhi, May 5
a controversy over Army Chief General VK Singh’s age, the Army has said no communication was received from him for making any alteration in his date of birth. Responding to an RTI application seeking to ascertain details of the date of birth records of Gen Singh, the Army provided a response received from Adjutant General branch, which said as per records his date of birth is May 10, 1951.

“As per records maintained in the AG’s branch, the officer has never written for any alteration,” Integrated Headquarters of Defence Ministry (Army) replied to a question seeking to know if Gen Singh had “ever written” for alteration in his date of birth records because of a wrong entry.

According to some reports, Gen Singh is said to have a written number of letters to the then Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor and the then Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadhesh Prakash for reconciliation of different dates of birth mentioned in the records.

The RTI application that was filed on March 28 before the controversy over the date of birth of the Army Chief erupted had also sought to know file notings on the communications received from Gen Singh in connection with alleged two records of the date of birth maintained in two different branches of the force.

“The date of birth as recorded at the time of commission of the officer is May 10, 1951. No correction to the same has been effected in our records,” the reply said. The Army chief's date of birth varied in the records of the Adjutant General’s and Military Secretary’s branches. The AG branch, the official record keeper for salary and pension, has May 10, 1951 as Gen Singh’s date of birth, but the Military Secretary’s (MS) branch, in charge of promotions and postings, records his date of birth as May 10, 1950.

The Army in response to the RTI application gave only the Adjutant General’s records, but did not make public controversial records of MS branch where the alleged error took place. As per the rules, an Army Chief can serve for three years or up to the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

The issue of date of birth also has bearing over his successor. If he retires in June 2012, Lt Gen Bikram Singh will be the most-likely successor and if he gets an extension as per AG branch record, Lt Gen KT Parnaik would be the likely successor. — PTI

Washington, May 5
A legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives which if passed would cut aid to Pakistan unless the State Department can certify that Islamabad was not harbouring slain Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.

“Osama bin Laden has met his maker, and we appreciate the Navy Seals for arranging the meeting, but Pakistan gives us some concern. It seems like Pakistan might be playing both sides, and they have a lot of explaining to do,” Texas Republican Ted Poe said in his remarks on the floor of the House after introducing the bill.

“For all these years, we believed that Osama bin Laden was on the run, living in a cave; but, apparently, Satan’s Pawn has been living for years in a million-dollar compound just yards away from a Pakistani military base, but Pakistan claims no knowledge of Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts. I just don’t buy it,” Poe said.

Poe said he has introduced a bill that would require Congress and the American people to get a full understanding of what Pakistan knew about bin Laden’s whereabouts and when they knew it, before US give them anymore American money.

“Congress has already appropriated $3 billion in aid to Pakistan for this year; and unless Pakistan can prove that they were not providing sanctuary for America’s number one enemy, they should not receive any American aid,” he said.

Poe serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees. He is the vice chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations as well as the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade. — PTI 

BRIEFLY

Bhanot, Verma’s custody extended
NEW DELHI: A trial court on Thursday extended till May 18 the judicial custody of former CWG Organising Committee officials Lalit Bhanot and VK Verma, who were arrested for alleged irregularities in awarding a contract to a Swiss firm for the sporting event held last year. — IANS