New Delhi, June 18
While efforts are on to remove MV Wisdom, stuck at Mumbai’s Juhu beach for the past week, environment activists suspect the mammoth end-of-life ship did not “drift” but landed at Juhu beach by design.

Efforts to salvage Wisdom were abandoned for the second day today after tugboats failed to haul it back into the sea and the 9,000-tonne cargo ship may remain beached at the same spot for at least a fortnight, sparking environment concerns.

So who exactly is the owner of Wisdom? As per Toxics Watch Alliance (TWA) convener Gopal Krishna, it is not yet clear. He believes that Wisdom did not drift but followed a well-designed plan, as had happened in the case of US toxic ship Platinum II.

Environmentalists say that “many times, monsoon is used as an excuse to dump end-of-life vessels in Indian waters” and are now demanding that no ship under tow be permitted in Indian waters between the monsoon period of May 15 and August 15, keeping in mind security of the port.

They also say that Wisdom should not be dismantled where it is grounded, as it would mean fulfilling the ulterior motive of the ship owner and ship-owning countries.

“No ship, whether for dismantling or for shipping, should be allowed in Indian waters without the name of port of registry, name and address of ship owner, IMO registered owner identification number and IMO company identification number. Unless this is done, no seller will be traceable,” Krishna says.

Experts say that all end-of-life vessels carry hazardous waste and therefore, their impact on the coastal environmental is not a debatable but an established fact. Shipbuilding sources say that a whopping 22 per cent vessels are insulated vessels with asbestos and glass wool. In refrigeration vessels used to transport perishable cargo, the entire vessel is insulated whereas in other vessels, insulation is only in the engine.

New Delhi, June 18
While runaway ship MV Wisdom is poised to turn into an environmental nightmare if left beached longer, tarballs generated by “rogue” ships pose a regular threat to the country’s vast coastline, particularly the west side.

Dona Paula-based National Institute of Oceanography Director Satish R Shetye says that during this time of the year, when winds are directed toward the west coast, large quantities of semi-solid oil lumps float toward the shoreline, affecting aesthetics at beaches and the health of people and marine life alike.

“While the problem of tarballs is prevalent all along the west coast around this time of the year when winds are directed toward it, it is all the more evident in Goa, since it is the centre of tourist attention,” he says.

Visiting Goa at this time of the year is not such a bright idea as it is since the beaches are bereft of the usual fun and activity, but along with the usual litter of polythene bags and empty soft drink bottles, unsightly dark patches also dot beaches.

“These black spots are an unpleasant sight, something a state dependent on tourism can ill afford. Besides, if you walk on these tarballs, they can leave a residue on the feet. If they seep into the sand, they can form a film fatal for marine life,” Shetye explains.

The best way to prevent formation of tarballs is to ensure that ships follow rules and effective policing is done along the coastline to punish rogue ships.

Tarballs can be removed mechanically, which is what the Goa administration does once the tourist season begins.

However, a big worry is what to do with them once they are removed. As these cannot be burnt, there is a proposal to mix them with tar and use for road resurfacing. 

Kolkata, June 18
In an interactive session with the industrialists and business barons here today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that her government would not allow the political parties to frequently observe bandhs and call strike in the state.

Mamata said the government was committed to provide a new work culture in the state that would encourage larger investments and ensure better functioning of the government. She said the experience had taught them that by frequently calling strikes or bandhs only political purpose is served to some extent, but the real problems remain the same.

This was Mamata Banerjee first meeting with the industrialists after completing one-month tenure of her chief ministership. Over 300 prominent industrialists in the country, including some NRIs, participated in the meeting.

The Chief Minister appealed to the industrialists to come in a bigger way with their capitals in the state and they were promised maximum incentives and other facilities from the government.

The CM said the government would not follow the Gujarat model or any other models in the state for its industrial expansion.

“We will have our own model - a new Bengal model that other states will have to follow in future,” she said. Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee also addressed the meeting. 

New Delhi, June 18
As Rahul Gandhi turns 41 tomorrow, voices in the Congress are rising, touting the young leader as fitting the bill to become the next Prime Minister. But party leaders said Gandhi alone would decide whether or not he wants the country’s top executive post.

While Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has said that the MP 
from Amethi had all the qualities and capabilities to become a “good Prime 
Minister”, another party leader, Birender Singh, 
said Gandhi would fit in the role whenever the situation so demands.

Digvijay Singh, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, is closely working with Gandhi to bring the party back to power in the country's most populous state in next year's Assembly election. Digvijay, who has openly aired differences with some decisions of senior ministers, added that Gandhi was mature with a sound understanding of social and political issues -- and had qualities of head and heart.

“Congressmen feel he has the capability of a being a good leader of the country. We feel he has the qualities of becoming prime minister,” said Shakeel Ahmed, the party in-charge of West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Party sources said that renewed talk about Gandhi’s suitability to become Prime Minister has also been driven by a feeling in sections of the party that the second tenure of the UPA government has been marked by a string of controversies.

“Partymen mention that the government has mishandled situations, including the agitations by Anna Hazare and Ramdev. There have been scams and controversies,” a party leader said on the condition of anonymity.

He said partymen have begun talking about the need to give a younger look to the government and the possibility of anointing Gandhi as Prime Minister about a year before the 2014 General Election. — IANS

New Delhi, June 18
Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, sulking over some decisions taken in his own state Maharashtra, today held discussions with senior party colleagues M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar but party president Nitin Gadkari stayed away from the exercise.

Gadkari, who also hails from Maharashtra and with whom Munde is said to have strong differences, may meet the disgruntled leader here in a bid to sort out the issues raised by the latter. Gadkari was scheduled to attend the meeting of the central leadership with Munde here today. While senior leaders LK Advani, Naidu and Kumar were in the national capital, Gadkari was away in Dehradun holding a meeting with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and the state ministers.

After a two-and-half-hour meeting with Naidu and Kumar, Munde indicated the differences had not been sorted out yet. “The meetings with senior party leaders will continue tomorrow,” he said. Naidu, however, appeared hopeful that the differences will be sorted out by tomorrow. “We have held positive and healthy talks with Munde. We are hopeful of an amicable solution after meetings with Gadkari and Advani,” Naidu said.

Leader of the Opposition in Mahaharashtra Eknath Khadse and his counterpart in Legislative Council Pandurang Phundkar were also present in the meeting. “Although Munde has no personal problems, the grievances aired by him are those of party workers in the state,” Naidu said, adding “Gopinath is our senior party leader and we do not wish that he nurtures any pain. We will sort out everything by tomorrow.”—PTI

New Delhi, June 18
Members of Parliament are now free to spend handsome portions of their Rs 5-crore annual allocation under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) on works outside the state or UT of their election.

In a major overhaul of the rules of the scheme, the government has allowed greater freedom and flexibility to MPs to disburse funds under the scheme, which hitherto allowed them to contribute a maximum of Rs 10 lakh to works outside their state, provided those works pertained to the furtherance of cultural and educational objectives of their own states.

But now, they can fund any work permissible under the scheme even outside the state of their election. According to the government, the move will enhance national unity and help MPs partner in the development of other states apart from their own.

Also, under the new guidelines an MP can recommend any private organisation for free purchase of ambulances or hearse vans. Presently, an MP can recommend a free ambulance only for government hospitals and not private trusts.

In another bonanza, the government has allowed each MP to contribute up to Rs 50 lakh annually to any trust or society that wants to construct works of public utility and infrastructure. Right now, the MP (or a group of them) can contribute only half of that amount - Rs 25 lakh - to such a work in their lifetime. It may be remembered how in the past MPs’ contribution to former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla’s trust had raised eyebrows.

Further, the minimum worth of a recommended work has been raised to Rs 1 lakh to avoid delays of implementation in cases where MPs recommend works involving petty monetary amounts.

In another change of rules, the district authority has been directed to release 75 per cent of the estimated cost of a sanctioned work under MPLADS as advance if a government agency is implementing the work (at present money is released in two 50 per cent instalments) and the remaining upon satisfaction that the work is progressing well.

In case of all MPLAD works up to Rs 2 lakh being undertaken by Government agencies, the entire amount would be released as a single-instalment advance. In cases exceeding this amount, state government rules (if they permit 100 per cent advance) would apply to works executed under the scheme.

If a private agency is implementing the work, 60 per cent of its cost would have to be released as advance in the first instalment while 40 per cent would be released in the second and third instalments - 25 per cent will be given when the work is near three-fourth complete and 15 per cent when it is near completion.

Hyderabad, June 18
The Andhra Pradesh police has unearthed a scam in the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and arrested five SIs for getting the jobs through fraudulent means. The modus operandi of the conmen has come as a major embarrassment to the police department.

The investigations revealed that the scamsters had engaged “experts” to write the examination on their behalf by morphing the photographs in the hall tickets. After “outsourcing” the written test in connivance with the invigilators, they managed to get selected for the jobs.

“Comparison of the handwritings on the examination papers with those of the probationary SIs of the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy (APPA) confirmed the fraud. So far, five sub-inspectors posted in Hyderabad and Khammam have been found to be involved in the scam and have been arrested,” the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) said in a release here on Thursday.

The CID probe revealed that the impersonators had got their photographs on the hall tickets morphed with the help of the owner of a photo studio in Nalgonda district and thereby indulged in offences of criminal conspiracy and impersonation. The fraud took place in 2008, but the investigators stumbled on it while probing another case pertaining to impersonations during the constables’ examination in Nalgonda district last year.

The case was subsequently transferred to the CID, which found that the fraud had also taken place in the recruitment of SIs. The kingpin of the racket has been picked up for questioning and the police say lakhs of rupees were paid to the impersonators and mediators.

The CID is also probing the role of the invigilators as they failed to stop the impersonation. “The invigilators are supposed to identify impersonators as there are photos on the hall tickets. So we are also suspecting the active connivance of the invigilators,” said a top police official.

“We have examined the handwriting of the SIs in the application form, the examination papers and the writings in the APPA. They were different. The SIs, who had been selected, were trained in the APPA and are posted in Hyderabad and Khammam districts. A case has been registered against them under cheating, and impersonation for fraudulent means to get the job,” official said.

Three of the arrested SIs were posted in Hyderabad, while the other two were working in Khammam. The CID has sought their dismissal from service. Efforts are on to nab the other accused involved in the scam, including those who wrote the examinations on behalf of the arrested SIs.

Hyderabad, June 18
Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Government take steps to dispel doubts among scores of devotees on the happenings in the Sathya Sai Central Trust at Puttaparthi.

Addressing a press conference here, senior TDP member and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dadi Veerabhadra Rao said the happenings in Prasanti Nilayam, the abode of late Sathya Sai Baba, have been causing anguish among his devotees not only in India but also in foreign countries.

"The Sathya Sai Central Trust members should bear in mind that the Trust affairs are not their own and that devotees across the globe are keenly observing them. Lack of transparency (in the Trust affairs) is causing several apprehensions and the Government's silence is baffling."

He regretted that the Government remained a mute spectator and did not make any effort to ensure transparency in the trust affairs when doubts arose in people's minds.

"The government need not directly interfere with the Trust affairs but it can certainly play an observer's role and give necessary suggestions so that the lofty ideals of late Sathya Sai Baba are upheld," Rao maintained.

The TDP leader said there was a need to expand the Trust and strengthen it so as to properly implement the programmes started by the popular religious leader.

"There are many ardent devotees of the Baba in India and abroad, some of whom could be nominated to the Trust. The Government can play a facilitator's role in this regard. — PTI 

New Delhi, June 18
India and Russia ended their high-level defence cooperation meeting at Moscow late on Thursday with Russia assuring that the sea-based aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov will start sea trials off the Russian coast by November this year. Delivery of the ship to India will be as per schedule in December 2012.

The 45,000 tonne, 283-metre aircraft carrier will fly the naval version of the MiG 29 off its deck. The fighters are already in India and based at Goa. At present, the Indian Navy has one aircraft carrier, the INS Viraat and is building one of its own at Kochi that is to be named INS Vikrant. The development of an craft carrier is crucial as China is set to launch its first-ever such ship which is also a old Russian carrier being re-fitted.

Sources said the Indian Defence Ministry team led by Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar visited the ship yard at Sevmash in North-Western Russia to see the development. Gorshkov is being re-fitted as per the Indian requirements. Teams at the shipyard are working overtime and around the clock to meet the schedule. The cost escalation and delay in the ship had caused a strain on the 50-year-old Indo-Russian ties. It needed the intervention of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who himself took care that all contracts are signed.

Meanwhile, a section of the Indian delegation was also shown a test flight of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) that the two countries are co-developing. The development of design alone will cost close to $ 6 billion.