The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Rahul Gandhi to take centrestage at CII meet Anita Katyal/TNS New Delhi, April 1 Having so far confined himself to addressing party gatherings and election campaigns, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is now spreading his wings further. He is set to speak at the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday, widely being billed as a “coming out” event for the Nehru-Gandhi scion. Rahul Gandhi is expected to be a big draw as it is the first time that the 1,500-odd industrialists, participating in the annual CII meet, will hear the views of Congress vice-president and the party’s future PM candidate on key economic policies. An enigma to the world outside the Congress, Rahul Gandhi has been facing flak for not making any substantive contribution in Parliament or articulating his views on important national issues. The BJP has been particularly harsh on Rahul Gandhi, often question his ability to run the country. The criticism became sharper after his elevation as Congress vice-president which brought greater clarity about his projection as the party’s future PM although Rahul Gandhi has publicly said he is not interested in the top job. Nevertheless, there has been a clamour from both outside and within the party that Rahul Gandhi should be more visible and accessible to people beyond Congress circles. The one time that Rahul Gandhi took a firm public stand on an important economic measure was when he publicly endorsed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decision to open up the multi-brand sector to foreign investors. It became even more imperative for Rahul Gandhi to “speak out” as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is said to be the BJP’s PM candidate, has been extremely vocal on policy issues. The CII platform has obviously been carefully picked for Rahul Gandhi as Modi has endeared himself to the corporate world and has successfully marketed his Gujarat model of development as the answer to the country’s ills. “It’s a good thing that Rahul Gandhi is finally stepping out...there has been too much criticism about his silence on national issues,” remarked a senior Congress leader. The CII meet will be inaugurated on Wednesday by the Prime Minister and attended by Union Ministers, including Anand Sharma, Praful Patel, Kapil Sibal and K.V.Thomas. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh are among the other key speakers. Rahul Gandhi is slated to speak at Thursday’s plenary session. The theme of the conference is “India tomorrow: Imperatives of growth, security and governance.” The Food Security Bill and other issues like future of industrialisation, overcoming the challenges of governance, enforcement and implementation and Indian economic reforms will be taken up for discussion during the two-day deliberations. Big draw Rahul Gandhi is expected to be a big draw as it is the first time that the 1,500-odd industrialists, participating in the annual CII meet, will hear the views of Congress vice-president and the party’s future PM candidate on key economic policies Rahul has been facing flak for not making any substantive contribution in Parliament or articulating his views on important national issues The BJP has been particularly harsh on Rahul, often questioning his ability to run the country
	Travel by train becomes expensive Girja Shankar Kaura Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 1 Train travel across the country became costlier from today as the Railway Ministry brought into effect the hike in reservation, Tatkal, cancellation fees and some other charges announced in the Rail Budget earlier this year. According to the details given out by the Railway Ministry, the reservation fee for AC classes went up by Rs 15 to 25 per ticket while reservation fee for second and sleeper class remained unchanged. “The revision will come into effect on tickets issued on and after April 1, 2013," the ministry said in a release. The supplementary charges for superfast trains have been increased by Rs 5 for second class and Rs 10 for sleeper class. In different AC classes, the hike is between Rs 15 and Rs 25. The release further said that the tatkal charges have been increased by 10 per cent of the basic fare for second class and 30 per cent of the basic fare for all other AC classes. In the reserved second class sitting, the minimum tatkal charges will be Rs 10 and maximum will be Rs 15. Corresponding tatkal charges for sleeper class will be Rs 90 (minimum) and Rs 175 (maximum). For other classes, they will be: AC chair car - Rs 100 and Rs 200, AC-3 tier - Rs 250 and Rs 350, AC -2 tier - Rs 300 and Rs 400, executive class - Rs 300 and Rs 400. Clerkage charge for cancellation of waiting list and RAC tickets will be dearer by Rs 5 to Rs 10. Cancellation charges have been increased by Rs 10 per confirmed ticket in second class to Rs 50 in AC classes.
	Women tourists desert India after assaults: Survey New Delhi, April 1 The number of foreign women tourists visiting India has dropped by 35 percent in the past three months following a spate of sex attacks that have made global headlines, a new survey has found. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) says overall tourist arrivals are down 25 percent year-on-year, with holiday makers opting instead to visit other Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. The fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old Indian student by six men on a bus in New Delhi in December sparked outrage over the country's treatment of women, and since then there have also been other widely reported attacks. A Swiss cyclist was gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh last month, while a South Korean tourist was allegedly drugged and raped in the same state in January by the son of the owner of a hotel where she was staying. These incidents have "raised concerns about the safety of female travellers to the country", said D.S. Rawat, secretary general at Assocham, which surveyed 1,200 tour operators from different cities.— PTI
	MARINES row NIA to probe marines’ case New Delhi, April 1 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was today handed over the probe into killing of two Indian fishermen allegedly by Italian marines off the Kerala coast. The Home Ministry has taken the decision after the Supreme Court ruled that the Kerala Government has no jurisdiction to prosecute the two Italian marines — Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone — allegedly involved in the killing of the fishermen last year. The NIA will investigate the case from the beginning and file the charge sheet in an NIA special court or any other special court to be set up by the government in consultation with the apex court, Home Ministry sources said. The ministry is likely to convey to the Supreme Court that since there is an NIA special court in Delhi, the high- profile case can be tried by it instead of another special court being set up. The apex court on January 18 had said that the marines on board 'Enrica Lexie', accused of shooting dead the two fishermen in February last year, be shifted to Delhi and be under the 'custody' of the Supreme Court till the Centre constitutes a special court to hold their trial. "The incident of firing from the Italian vessel on the Indian shipping vessel having occurred within the Contiguous Zone, the Union of India is entitled to prosecute the two Italian marines under the criminal justice system prevalent in the country," the bench had said. The apex court had said that since the Kerala government had no jurisdiction to prosecute the two foreign marines, it had to be done by the Centre in a special court to be set up after consulting the Chief Justice of India. The incident took place at a distance of about 20.5 nautical miles from the coastline of Kerala and, therefore, it occurred not within the territorial waters of the coastline of Kerala state, but within the Contiguous Zone, over which the state police of Kerala ordinarily has no jurisdiction, the court had said. The Italian government had a fortnight back reversed its earlier decision not to send back to India the two marines, who had gone to Italy to cast votes in elections there. Italy had reneged on its assurance to the Supreme Court on sending back the two marines but later gave in after the Indian government and the apex court took a firm stand with New Delhi warning that ties with Rome could be downgraded. — PTI Fresh inquiry The Home Ministry has taken the decision after the Supreme Court ruled that the Kerala Government has no jurisdiction to prosecute the two Italian marines — Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone — allegedly involved in the killing of the fishermen last year The NIA will investigate the case from the beginning and file the charge sheet in an NIA special court or any other special court to be set up by the government in consultation with the apex court, Home Ministry sources said The ministry is likely to convey to the Supreme Court that since there is an NIA special court in Delhi, the high- profile case can be tried by it instead of another special court being set up
	Never felt scared, space feels like home: Sunita Williams Jyoti Rai/TNS New Delhi, April 1 “The sight of the Earth from hundreds of kilometers in outer space makes you wonder when boundaries divided such a wholesome and spectacular planet,” said Indian-American NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain Dr Sunita L Williams. Space almost feels like home, said Williams who holds the record of the longest spacewalk by a woman astronaut. Interacting with students at the capital’s National Science Centre today, Williams said: “I remember I was in the middle of the shuttle deck when my wing commander called me towards the window to hand me my gear. I chanced upon the sight of the Earth and I just gasped. Till date it has been one of the best things I have seen in my life. And I couldn’t really believe it’s actually that round!” she said smilingly. Answering if she was ever scared to go in space after the unfortunate 2003 incident that claimed the life of Kalpana Chawla (first Indian woman in outer space), she said: “All of us at the space station know that it is a calculated risk. But I have never been scared to go in space, always been excited. I am proud to take Kalpana’s dream forward. My task is to constantly work towards new methods to make space travel safer for future trips. With our research, we try that such instances can be minimised.” Williams (47) would be interacting with school students in major Indian cities over the next few days. Excited about her first trip towards the east coast, she said she still wishes to see a lot more of India. “From space, I have seen a lot more of India than anyone I know. But on foot, I still hope I get to see more of it. I will try to manage a trekking trip to the Himalayas with my cousins. I am also really excited about all the Indian food I get to have here,” said an excited Williams who carried samosas along on her last mission. Responding to questions on connection to Indian heritage, Williams said she had always been more spiritual than religious. “Being in a family with a Hindu father and Christian mother, I always tended to question the necessity and purpose of religion. I hold my beliefs very near to me. My Ganesh stays in my house, goes everywhere with me and I even took him along to space on my last trip,” she said adding that she even carried a copy of Bhagwadgita along. On future plans, Sunita said she would love to fly again when the next shuttle takes off. For the next one year, however, she would work with astronauts on the Russian soil, working on the next space shuttle. Blessed with a supportive family, when asked what message she had for Indian husbands who didn’t support working wives, Williams smirked and said: “Well! You can never tell the husband anything. Can you?”
	Chautala admitted to hospital with chest pain Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 1 Jailed former Haryana Chief Minister OP Chautala was admitted to the Sir Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) following complaint of chest pain today. A team of cardiologists at the hospital are taking care of him, confirmed sources from the RML. Apparently, 78-year-old Chautala was first taken to the Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, from where he had to be shifted as the hospital did not have functional pacemaker available. It was around 11 am when Chautala was admitted to the hospital and since then, a team of specialists had been monitoring his condition. The court, where Chautala is serving 10 years of RI in the 2000 job scam and was supposed to appear for a trial in a disproportionate assets case here today, pulled up the Tihar Prison Authority for not informing the court about it. The court also issued a notice to the Tihar superintendent seeking a report on the health status of Chautala, apart from issuing a fresh production warrant for Chautala for April 12. On March 25, Chautala had submitted a plea regarding undergoing a pacemaker implant at a private hospital on his own expense but the court had rejected it.
	Hollande apologises for killing of 2 Indians by French troops Embassy official visits victim’s kin in Panchkula Hina Rohtaki/TNS Panchkula, April 1 French President Francois Hollande has sent a letter to the family of Karna Bahadur, who was shot dead in firing by French troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), expressing sorrow and saying sorry that troops mistook him to be a suicide bomber. He has assured the family of a fair probe. The letter was sent through an official of the French embassy, Benedick Smith, who visited the family in Panchkula and expressed grief on behalf of the French Government. The body of Bahadur reached Panchkula late last night. The letter stated that the incident was a ‘tragic misunderstanding’ in the background of the coup that triggered grave unrest in the country. “An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact circumstances of the accident. All light will be shed in liaison and full transparency with the Nepalese and Indian authorities,” stated the letter. “We are just sorry for what happened. About compensation, we will surely look into the matter,” said Smith. Due to disturbances in the country, Bahadur was approaching the Bangui airport in the capital of CAR to catch a flight for India when the troops mistook the vehicles as suicide bombers and opened fire. Bahadur, who hailed from Nepal and was settled here in Panchkula for the past many years, was one of the two Indians who were killed in the incident apart from six injured. Bahadur was working as a cook in CAR and is survived by wife and two daughters.
	Consul Gen promises speedy investigation Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS Bangalore, April 1 The body of Krishnaiah Mogaveera (37), shot dead by French troops at Bangui in Central African Republic (CAR) on March 25, was today cremated at his native village falling under Kundapura taluk in Udupi district of Karnataka. “The body arrived at the village from Mangalore Airport at 2 pm and the cremation took place an hour later. There were a large number of mourners but everything went smoothly,” Gayatri Nayak, local tehsildar, said. Earlier today Eric Lavertu, French consul general from the consulate in Bangalore, visited the family of Mogaveera at their home at Hemmady village. The French official also assured the grieving family of completing the probe within a month and also promised to provide compensation to the family at the earliest. Mogaveera, who was an employee of a pharmaceutical company in CAR, was among two Indians killed in the shooting incident. They wanted to return to India in the wake of the tense situation prevailing in CAR following the coup there. The Indian Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, who is concurrently accredited to the Central African Republic, made arrangements for bringing bodies of the Indian nationals back to India.
	Kunda triple murder CBI may quiz Raja Bhaiyya soon Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, April 1 After interrogating his cousin and Independent legislator from Kunda, Akshay Pratap Singh, the CBI’s questioning of former UP Cabinet minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya in the triple murder in Kunda on March 2 is just a matter of time. Akshay, one of the closest aide of Raja Bhaiyya, may also be questioned again as he could not satisfactorily answer some of CBI’s queries during the first round of questioning. The brothers of the slain gram pradhan Nane Yadav and Suresh had charged the MLC of being present along with his supporters during the post-mortem examination of their brothers. In a written complaint against the MLC, it has been alleged that he had built pressure and did not allow the bodies to go to their house. Instead, the MLC ensured that the bodies reached the ghat straight for the last rites. The MLC first maintained that he had done this to maintain peace and avoid tension in the village as it was under his area. He was at a loss of words when the CBI pointed out that the village was not part of his work area. Taking the probe virtually to the doorstep of the former minister, the gram pradhan’s brothers have also criticised Raja Bhaiyya alleging that he was threatening them with dire consequences if they spoke against him in connection with the triple murder of the gram pradhan, his brother Suresh and DSP Zia-ul-Haq. Meanwhile, under heavy security cover yesterday, the widow of the slain DSP visited his official residence in Kunda to vacate it by packing his personal belongings. She reiterated her demand to punish the real culprits in the case and even threatened to launch an agitation if there was any delay.
	Digital deadline: Lakhs of TVs go dark in Uttar Pradesh Lucknow, April 1 Over 7.5 lakh cable TV sets went blank in seven major cities of Uttar Pradesh Monday, a day after the deadline to get set top boxes installed expired. In state capital Lucknow, more than two lakh TVs blanked out. Another 5.46 lakh TVs fell silent in six other cities of Uttar Pradesh namely Kanpur (1.5 lakh), Agra (1.5 lakh), Varanasi (70,000), Allahabad (62,000), Ghaziabad (60,000) and Meerut (54,000). Officials said there was little they could do as it was the central government's policy to digitise television. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had last week written to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tiwari, seeking deferment of the March 31 deadline by another six months. While Yadav had cited the deadline as a potential threat to law and order in the state, Tiwari did not respond to the letter, officials told IANS. With the existing analog transmission in seven Uttar Pradesh cities dead now, there is chaos as the set top boxes are in short supply and are being sold at hiked rates. Under phase II of the digitisation process, seven cities — Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Allahabad — were selected. In these cities, cable TV transmission snapped March 31 midnight and is now only available through the digital addressable system. — IANS
	Bhandara rape-murder case handed over to CBI Mumbai, April 1 Facing flak for "failure" of police to make headway in the probe of alleged rape and murder of three minor sisters at Murmadi in Bhandara district, Maharashtra government today announced that case would be handed over to the CBI. Home Minister R R Patil made the announcement in the state Assembly. Three girls — aged 11, 8 and 6 years — went missing from their house on February 14 and their bodies were found in a well two days later. Initially there were allegations of rape and the case has not been solved by police so far. Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse, Devendra Phadanvis, Nana Patole (all BJP), Ashish Jaiswal (Shiv Sena) and others asked as to why the post-mortem was conducted 17 hours after the bodies were fished out. "The bodies were kept in the morgue and left to rot," Phadanvis said. Patil said the delay was because family members were not allowed by villagers to go to Bhandara civil hospital for the inquest. "The family came to the hospital only after police persuaded them," the Home Minister said. Inquiry will be conducted as to why they were stopped from going to hospital, he said. "If the family tells the government it is unhappy with the investigation, I would hand over the case to the CBI," he said. To this, Khadse said he had a letter of the victims' mother to Chief Minister, dated March 2, which said that as police had failed to crack the case, it be handed over to CBI. He further alleged that the police were pressurising their mother to withdraw the letter, which is why she was demanding protection. vOn this, Patil announced that the case would be handed over to the CBI. — PTI
	CBI opposes Chavan’s petition in Adarsh case Mumbai, April 1 The CBI today opposed the petition filed by former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan seeking to quash the case registered against him in the Adarsh Society scam. Chavan has sought quashing of FIR lodged against him by the CBI, arguing that he was falsely implicated by political rivals. Petition also claims that the CBI has no jurisdiction to probe the case, as neither the High Court nor the Maharashtra Government had asked it to take over the probe. At the last hearing, the HC had sought replies from both the state and the CBI. The CBI said in its reply-affidavit today that Chavan, as the Chief Minister, granted 'undue favours' to the Society, in return for which his relatives were allotted three flats. Chavan also asked the society to take 40 per cent members from civilian category, when it was originally meant only for war veterans, the CBI alleged, adding that Chavan played a key role in the scam. As to the jurisdiction, it said Defence Ministry had forwarded a complaint to it, which led to probe. But the Maharashtra Government, in its affidavit, reiterated its stand that the CBI had no jurisdiction to probe the scam. The division bench of Justices P V Hardas and A R Joshi today sought copies of all the orders passed by other benches in the case, and affidavits filed by parties. Next hearing will be on April 12. Chavan's mother-in-law Bhagvati Sharma, sister-in-law Seema Sharma and father-in-law's brother Madanlal Sharma have flats in the society. The CBI has filed chargesheet against the former Chief Minister and 12 others for criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct under Indian Penal Code and also under Prevention of Corruption Act.— PTI
	Navi Mumbai airport cost rises 3 times due to delays Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, April 1 Delays and major changes in design specifications has caused the cost of the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport to shoot up thrice and increase even further. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told the Maharashtra legislature that the cost of the airport was originally pegged at Rs 4766 crore. However, land acquisition costs and associated factors have caused the bill to shoot up to Rs 14,753 crore. Chavan added that the problems surrounding the airport are still to be solved since the government needs to acquire 291 hectares of land elsewhere to plant mangroves in compensation for the loss caused by the facility. “Until 291 hectares are acquired, construction of the airport cannot start,” Chavan said. Over the past few months consultants appointed to advise the government on the project have suggested that the annual capacity of the airport be increased from 40 million passengers to 60 million. According to the state government, the changed plan would require construction of additional infrastructure. Sources said a 10 per cent cost escalation has been built into the project for every year's delay. Meanwhile, the stand-off between people affected by the project and the government is showing signs of intensifying. Locals are demanding that the government offer them 30 per cent of the developed land as a pre-condition for handing over their land to the project. The government insists that it cannot offer more than 22.5 per cent developed land by way of compensation. Project Late CM Prithviraj Chavan told the Maharashtra legislature that the cost of the airport was originally pegged at Rs 4,766 cr However, land acquisition costs and associated factors have caused the bill to shoot up to Rs 14,753 cr
	After HP, Sikkim forays into kiwifruit cultivation Vijay Mohan/TNS Gangtok, April 1 Himachal Pradesh, known for its wide variety of fruit produce, could soon have competition from the faraway state of Sikkim. The former princely state in the northeast is foraying into cultivation of not only exotic items kiwifruit, but also more common varieties like apples, pears, pomegranate, almonds and walnuts. “Introducing and cultivating kiwifruit and strawberry in this state is one of our success stories,” Dr Ashish Yadav, senior scientist at Indian Council for Agricultural Research’s regional centre, here said. “Given the soil and climatic conditions, there is vast potential for kiwifruit cultivation in Sikkim as also in other areas of the northeast India,” he added. Though the production of kiwifruit is India is very limited, Himachal Pradesh is the largest producer of the fruit. Some areas of Arunachal Pradesh are also under kiwifruit cultivation. It was recently introduced in Jammu and Kashmir. Given its limited production, it is an expensive fruit with a single piece the size priced at Rs 25 in retail market. Also known as Chinese gooseberry, kiwifruit has high nutritive and medicinal value. It is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and dietary fibre. It is widely grown in New Zealand, Italy, Chile, the USA, Spain and China. Kiwifruit can be kept in good condition in a cool place without refrigeration up to eight weeks and for 4-6 months in cold storage. Sikkim is home to oranges and some local species of fruit like Sikkim Mandarin, Chinese pear and ginger. “We have just started experimenting with several temperate ‘low-chill’ fruit like apples, walnut, pears and pomegranate, which were alien to this region,” Dr Yadav said. “While we have now started propagating the cultivation of kiwifruit and strawberry among locals, experiments with other fruit could take 3-5 years to come to any conclusion,” he added. Kiwifruit saplings take about four years to bear fruit. “The initial produce is about 20 kg per plant and a young plant produces about 40 kg,” a scientist said. “Mature plants in Himachal Pradesh are producing about 80 kg each, though it is quite low when compared with countries like New Zealand where the yield per plant can be as high as 160 kg,” he added. So far just about 50 hectares are under kiwi plantation in Sikkim, most of which are associated with back-yard growers rather than commercial cultivators. Projections made by experts show that an initial investment of Rs 7 lakh and a recurring expenditure of Rs 50,000 each year will give a return of Rs 2 lakh in the third year of cultivation, Rs 7 lakh in the sixth year and about Rs 10 lakh from the seventh year onwards.
	WB Panchayat Poll State EC moves High Court against govt Tribune News Service Kolkata, April 1 The month-long tussle between the West Bengal Government and the State Election Commission (SEC) over conducting the panchayat polls entered the premises of the Calcutta High Court today, following a writ petition filed by the commission in the court against “the government’s unilateral decision of fixing the poll dates on April 26 and 30 in contravention to the commission’s legal and constitutional position”. In the affidavit, the commission demanded an immediate withdrawal of the notification issued in this regard, fresh election dates be fixed and other formalities be finalised so that the elections could be held without any further delay. The petition was admitted to the single Bench of Justice Biswanath Sammadar who will take up the hearing tomorrow on a matter of urgency, provided the government does not seek one or two days for their preparations. The BJP also submitted a separate petition to the same court today, demanding striking down of the clauses number 42 and 43 of the State Panchayat Act as “illegal and unconstitutional since it curtails the rights and duties of the SEC”.
	Violence-hit Assam silk town remains tense Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, April 1 Curfew was relaxed at 7 am for 10 hours today in Assam’s silk town of Sualkuchi though the situation continued to remain tense there because of continuing protests against trading in synthetic and Benarasi silk garments by some unscrupulous traders under the garb of traditional Assamese mulberry (Paat) silk, for which Sualkuchi is famous globally. The curfew was imposed on Saturday after the situation in the silk town went out of control following injuries to 14 persons in the clashes between police personnel and protesters in the town. The protesters were on a rampage, burning heaps of Benarasi silk garments that were being sold as Assamese Paat silk. The Army continued to remain deployed in the silk town, while the district administration of Kamrup today launched a massive raid operation to seize Benarasi silk garments (traditional Assamese mekhela-chadar) which are being sold as genuine Paat silk. A senior official said huge quantity of such Benarasi silk dresses had been seized today during the raid operation which was conducted after the administration had imposed a ban on the sale of Assamese attire made of Benarasi silk along with genuine Assamese Paat silk attire in the same outlet. The two kinds of silk clothes would have to be sold in separate shops with signboards stating which variety was being stocked. The root cause of the problem is that a section of silk traders from Sualkuchi are selling traditional Assamese attire made of Benarasi silk and claim those to be made of genuine Assamese Paat silk. Sualkuchi being the hub of looms producing Assamese Paat silk attire, the weavers and traders dealing in genuine Assamese silk attire have raised concern that backdoor invasion of traditional Assamese attire made of Benarasi silk would wipe out the genuine Assamese silk attire from the market, thereby sounding death knell for the age-old mulberry silk attire industry in the state. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi stated that he was not aware of the genuine problems faced by the weavers and traders in Sualkuchi as no one, including local Congress legislator Dr Himanta Bishwa Sharma, had apprised him about it. Silk trouble A section of silk traders from Sualkuchi in Kamrup district are selling traditional Assamese attire made of Benarasi silk and claim it to be made of genuine Assamese Paat silk
	Several Maoists in NIA’s list of most wanted Suresh Dharur/TNS Hyderabad, April 1 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has listed several top Maoists among the most wanted. The latest list of the most wanted persons has been uploaded on the NIA website. The Maoist top gun Ganapati alias Muppala Lakshman Rao, Secretary of the CPI (Maoists), figures in the list. He hails from Karimnagar district in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. The NIA’s revised list contains names of 56 terrorists, white collar criminals and extremists, their portraits, history of their crimes, pending cases and cash rewards on their heads. The list includes criminals and Maoists wanted in illegal arms and explosives procurement, white collar economic offences and cyber crimes. Besides Ganapati, the NIA listed top Naxalite leaders Basavaraj alias Sambala Keshav Rao, Devji, Somji and Prabhakar, all of them members of the CPI (Maoists) Central Committee. The NIA has been entrusted with the case of Maoist technical committee chief Sadanala Ramakrishna, who was apprehended by the Kolkata Special Task Force in March 2012 along with eight other associates. They had also seized some components of rocket launchers, rocket-propelled grenades and 51 mm mortars and also spare parts of the latest SLRs. The NIA probe revealed that all these spare parts were secretly produced in several workshops by Maoists in Pune, Rourkela, Indore, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar. The designs for the rocket launchers were generated and supplied by Asim Kumar Harnath Bhattacharya, a Maoist activist from West Bengal .The components were manufactured in workshops between 2002 and 2006 and assembled at Chhattisgarh till 2009, the NIA officials said. The investigations had also revealed that the Maoists were hand-in-glove with the extremist groups of North-east in procuring weapons, assault rifles, pistols, explosives and also rocket mortar shells from China.