L A T E S T      N E W S

DGCA suspends Kingfisher’s flying licence

NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday suspended the flying licence of beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines for failing to come up with a viable plan for its financial and operational revival and resolve the impasse with its employees over payment of their salary dues.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the Scheduled Operator Permit of Kingfisher Airlines till further orders, Civil Aviation Ministry officials said.

Suspension of flying licence implies an immediate halt to all bookings on the entire Kingfisher network as well as through travel agents, the officials said.

The liquor baron Vijay Mallya-owned carrier has been saddled with a loss of Rs 8,000 crore and a debt burden of another over Rs 7,524 crore, a large part of which it has not serviced since January. The airline currently has only 10 operational aircraft compared to 66 a year ago.

Asked why the licence was suspended, the officials said the government did not want a situation where the airline, which was on cash-and-carry mode for almost all service providers, re-starts operations and then keeps flying in fits and starts, as has been happening since last year-end.

The airline, under a lockout since October one and resultant suspension of entire operations, had on Friday sought more time to respond to the DGCA’s show-cause notice but did not give any timeline by which it would do so.

The DGCA had issued the show-cause notice on October 5 to the crisis-ridden carrier asking why its flying licence should not be suspended or cancelled as it was not adhering to its flight schedule and “abruptly cancelling its flights time and again during the last 10 months”, causing great inconvenience to the travelling public.

The aviation regulator had given the airline 15 days to respond, the deadline for which expired on Saturday. — PTI

Aadhaar-enabled direct cash transfer system launched

DUDU: Millions across the country may soon get benefits of various government schemes such as cooking gas subsidies and old age pension with the launch of the much-awaited Aadhaar-enabled direct cash transfer system here.

Prime Minster Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched the much touted payment mechanism which is aimed at checking corruption and pilferage in the social sector schemes that seek to promote financial inclusion.

The launch of the scheme coincides with the second anniversary of Aadhaar project, which is being implemented by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

In the last two years, the UIDAI has generated over 20 crore Aadhaar numbers. The Aadhaar number 21 crore was handed over to a villager in Dudu by Sonia Gandhi at a function here which was also attended by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Union Ministers Sachin Pilot, Ashwani Kumar and Namo Narain Meena among others.

“This is very significant thing and it will help reducing wastage, fraud and corruption,” said UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani.

Use of Aadhaar-based delivery mechanism will improve compliance management, reduce leakages and increase efficiency and accountability of the government’s social sector schemes.

The government is rolling out Aadhaar-enabled service delivery initiative in 51 districts across the country. It will be used for making pension payments, MNREGA payments, PDS distribution, scholarship payments, an official statement said.

UIDAI Director General R. S. Sharma said, 80 per cent of the work in the 20 districts out of total 51 districts, will be completed by December 2012. Around 80 per cent work in the remaining 31 districts will be completed by the March 31, 2013.

UIDAI has been mandated to cover a total population of 60 crore by March 2014 across 18 states including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. — PTI

Nation pays homage to 1962 martyrs for first time

NEW DELHI: Paying homage to soldiers who fought in the 1962 Indo-China war, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Saturday ruled out any possibility of the repeat of the war and said armed forces were confident of protecting the country against any such threat.

This is the first time that the Indian defence establishment has honoured the dead and participants of the 1962 war officially.

“I would like to assure the nation that India of today is not the India of 1962. Over the years, successive governments learning lessons from the past strengthened our capabilities and modernised our armed forces... we are confident armed forces will be able to protect the border in event of any threat,” he said on the sidelines of an event to honour the soldiers of the 1962 war on its 50th anniversary.

The Defence Minister was asked to assess the threat from China and India’s preparation to tackle it.

In the war, India suffered defeat at the hands of the Chinese Army which went to capture large portion of Indian territory.

The Defence Minister, who along with Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh and the three services chiefs paid homage to the 1962 war heroes and laid wreaths at Amar Jawan Jyoti, said successive governments have learnt lessons from the war and strengthened military capabilities and developed infrastructure.

“We will vigorously continue to strengthen our capabilities,” the Defence Minister said.

Antony also noted that India was holding dialogue with China to find a solution to the long-pending border dispute and has established a mechanism to “immediately settle” any tensions on the border.

Asked why did it take 50 years for the Government to honour the soldiers and martyrs of the 1962 war, the Defence Minister said, “Nothing changed. This is the 50th year and we thought this is the time the whole nation must pay our homage to the officers and jawans who lost lives to protect our border.”

Asked about criticism that the military leadership was not much involved in 1962 and the lessons learnt from it, Antony said, “The major lesson is that we have to strengthen our armed forces to protect our borders. That we are doing and now we are in a position to involve armed forces, intelligence agencies and all those involved in the protection of national security that process is much more strong.” 

Asked when will the government take a decision on the Henderson Brookes report on the 1962 war, the Defence Minister said, “Let me take a decision.” 

He said all issues relating to setting up of the national war memorial at India Gate have been sorted out and it was in the final stages of being cleared by the government. — PTI

CBI conducts raids, charges Lt Gen Tejinder Singh

NEW DELHI: CBI on Saturday carried out raids at five places here after registering a case against Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh on ex-Army chief V.K. Singh’s complaint that he was offered bribe to clear a tranche of “substandard” vehicles. 

CBI sources said the agency has registered a case against Lt Gen Tejinder Singh and unknown persons after it gathered prima-facie evidence to register a formal case on the complaint of Gen Singh. 

Soon after registering the FIR under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the agency carried out searches at five locations here including the premises of Lt Gen Tejinder Singh, they said. 

After getting a formal complaint from Gen Singh, the agency had initiated a preliminary enquiry in April this year. 

The then Army chief had alleged that Lt Gen Tejinder Singh offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore, a matter he had reported to Defence Minister A K Antony, to clear purchase of nearly 600 all-terrain Tatra BEML trucks in September 2010. 

Lt Gen Tejinder Singh has refuted the allegations and also slapped a defamation case against Gen Singh. 

As part of the Preliminary Enquiry, CBI has looked into the alleged relationship Lt Gen Tejinder Singh enjoyed with the Vectra group which purportedly prompted him to make the offer to the then Army Chief, the sources said. 

During the course of the preliminary enquiry, the agency has questioned Lt Gen Tejinder Singh with regards to allegations levelled by Gen V.K. Singh and his alleged relations with arms dealers including Vectra Chairman Ravinder Rishi. — PTI

Srinagar attack: LeT claims responsibility

Srinagar: Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has claimed responsibility for the Friday attack outside a Srinagar hotel in which one person died and three people were injured, sources said. On Friday evening suspected militants opened fire near the gate of Hotel Silver Star in Nowgam in Srinagar, Kashmir.

According to the police, the ultras opened fire near the gate of the hotel near Lasjan at around 4:20 pm, resulting in death of one of its employees identified as Farooq Ahmad. It was not immediately clear whether the hotel or a security forces convoy passing through the area was the target of the militants.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a hunt to track down the militants, the police said.

Digvijaya questions off-shore funding of Kejriwal's NGO

NEW DELHI: Stepping up his attack against Arvind Kejriwal, Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh on Saturday posed a number of questions to him raising doubts about off-shore funding of his NGO and asking why he never raised issue of corruption in BJP-ruled states. A day after shooting off a letter to Kejriwal in which the Congress leader described him as a "self-serving ambitious megalomaniac having "streak" of Hitler, Singh on Saturday sent the activist a list of 27 questions asking him to "respond to them with clarity and honesty as you demand from others."

"Why there are no details of individual donors and corporate donors on any website of your NGOs. Is it a fact that the NGO, Kabir, with whom you are closely associated, received $172000 and $197000 from Ford Foundation in 2005 and 2009 respectively?

"Was this foreign money used to organise seminars, advocacy, discussions, programmes, social media campaigns and publicity material related to the issue of corruption?" Singh asked.

Replying to the Congress General Secretary's questions, IAC member Manish Sisodia on Saturday said that the Congress was using diversionary tactic. 

The AICC leader also sought to know Kejriwal's "relationship with US-based NGO Avaaz" which, he said, has been funding civil disobedience movement in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Syria. Singh said, "What is the logistical and other support your anti-corruption movement received from Avaaz?"

In the backdrop of the controversy surrounding land deals of some of Kejriwal's associates including Prashant Bhusan and Anjali Damania, Singh asked the activist whether he will be "willing to take responsibility as a leader and resign from IAC or give up public life, if any of his staff members of colleagues in the IAC are found to have been involved in any irregularity."

Singh reminded while Kejriwal asked for the resignation of Law Minister Salman Khurshid for irregularity committed by people working in his Trust, he "never objected when Anna Hazare said that he cannot be held responsible for the action of colleagues/office-bearers in Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Trust". — PTI

Kejriwal slams Digvijaya, says never lobbied for NAC

NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday rubbished Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's claim that he had lobbied for an entry into Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council seven years ago, saying he has never approached anyone for this.

"I have never approached anyone for NAC. I never had any desire for being a member of NAC," Kejriwal told PTI when asked about Singh's claims that he along with Swami Agnivesh had met him for help in getting into NAC in 2005-06.

On Friday, Kejriwal wrote on Twitter that Singh's letter demonstrated the Congress was "completely rattled and baffled" apparently with his campaign.

"Digvijaya's letter does not merit a response. The Congress seems to be completely rattled and baffled. That's apparent from the letter. Digvijaya seems Congress' last resort," he said.

When contacted, Agnivesh said the meeting is said to have happened six-seven years ago and he does not remember any such meeting.

"The issue which Singh raised happened in 2005-06. Time has passed. I don't remember whether I met him with Kejriwal or not," Agnivesh said.

In a letter to Kejriwal, the AICC General Secretary has described the activist as a "self-serving ambitious megalomaniac" having "streak" of Hitler in him. Singh alleged that Kejriwal wanted him to recommend his name for being made a member of the NAC.

Responding to Singh's remarks, Kejriwal's close associate Kumar Vishwas said, "We have only one thing to say to him. Get well soon." — PTI

2 killed, 13 injured in Madhya Pradesh temple stampede

BHOPAL: Two persons were killed and 13 others were injured when a stampede broke out early today at Salkanpur Devi Temple in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh.

The incident took place when devotees returning from the temple, situated atop a mountain about 70km from Bhopal, slipped and fell, resulting in the death of two persons.

Eyewitnesses said the stampede broke out when a woman and a girl fell down.

Police, however, claimed it was not a case of stampede. "A 30-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl were killed as they slipped while returning from the temple. Thirteen others got injured in the same way," Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Yadav said.

The injured were referred to Bhopal and Sehore hospitals, police said.

Senior district officials have reached the spot to monitor the situation, which is said to be under control. — PTI