The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Coal Ministry sets up panel to probe Jindal group Girja Shankar Kaura/TNS New Delhi, August 30 The Coal Ministry has set up an inter-ministerial probe panel to look into complaints regarding misuse of coal mines allocated to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL). The panel will not only probe the allegations but also to review the status of its mines in Chhattisgarh. The panel set up by the Coal Ministry is separate from the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), which has been taking stock of the development of coal blocks allocated to various companies, both public sector and private. The panel has been set up after the ministry received complaints alleging sale of coal to third parties at higher prices by the private sector steel and power producer. The mines are allocated to the company only for captive use. The panel is headed by a senior officer of the Coal Ministry and has representatives from the Steel and Power ministries. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier registered FIRs against the Jindal companies in the multi-crore coal allocation scam. Officials in the Coal Ministry say the CBI has registered 13 FIRs so far in the “coalgate” scandal, which has rocked the UPA government with estimates of over Rs 1.76 lakh crore worth of loss to the exchequer.
	BJP demands PM’s reply on missing files Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 30 The BJP today demanded a reply from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the missing files related to coal block allocations, pointing out that even the Supreme Court had come down heavily on the government on the issue. Raising the issue during question hour in the Rajya Sabha, BJP member M Venkaiah Naidu sought a reply from the Prime Minister since the government had admitted before the Supreme Court that a large number of files were missing. He even gave a notice for suspension of question hour. “Nothing is more important... The Prime Minister should come and reply,” he said while referring to the castigation of the government by the Supreme Court over the missing files yesterday. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said the government had never avoided a discussion and the Prime Minister was in the House when the issue last figured. Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said since the discussion on the previous occasion was inconclusive, the issue had not been abandoned. “The Prime Minister can be requested to come back and answer,” he said. Shukla said he would return to the House after consulting the Prime Minister. The issue was raised again as the Prime Minister replied to the clarifications sought by the members on his statement regarding the state of the economy. But the Prime Minister retorted by saying he was not the custodian of all files related to the Coal Ministry. The issue of missing files relating to coalgate had paralysed proceedings for some time in Parliament earlier during the session, with the main Opposition party demanding an immediate response from the Prime Minister. Its contention was that the Prime Minister had recently taken full responsibility in the Lok Sabha, so it was incumbent upon him to take Parliament into confidence as to what had happened to the 147 missing files. The BJP has been claiming that the files, including applications for coal blocks, have gone missing as some Congress bigwigs are involved.
	BJP meets Prez, wants early polls Vibha Sharma/TNS New Delhi, August 30 “Sad and hurt” over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement attacking the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP today registered its protest against the Congress-led UPA’s economic policy with President Pranab Mukherjee and demanded an early general election. A party delegation led by veteran leader LK Advani informed the President of the stance taken by his successor in the Finance Ministry — P Chidambaram — on the economic crisis. “The limit of irresponsibility was, however, crossed when the Finance Minister blamed his immediate predecessor for the crisis and the Prime Minister kept quiet,” the BJP’s memorandum stated, in an obvious reference to Mukherjee who was Chidambaram’s predecessor. “This government is indulging in making excuses and blame game. The incumbent Finance Minister is blaming the earlier minister who is not in a position to defend himself. “The country can ill-afford at this moment of crisis a government which is paralysed, a Prime Minister who never speaks, a Finance Minister who wrongly blames his immediate predecessor who is unable to defend himself, a supreme leader who does not care about where the money will come from and a bureaucracy which is frozen and unable to act. The ministers of this government are unbridled and working at cross-purposes,” the memorandum said. Advani later said the present situation of uncertainty was because of the government’s inability to tackle economic crisis but the PM was instead blaming the Opposition. Terming Singh’s statement in the Rajya Sabha “particularly sad and hurtful”, he talked of how he had never witnessed a government head ever doing that. “We have conveyed to the President people’s apprehensions about the economic crisis of the country and how instead of accepting truth, the government is indulging in blame game,” he said. The party said early general election coinciding with the five state elections scheduled later this year would end the “prevailing uncertainty” in the country. What memorandum says The fundamentals of the Indian economy have been ruined because of reckless policies of the government The Finance Minister blames his immediate predecessor for the crisis, while the Prime Minister stays mum The relationship of the Centre with states, especially non-UPA-ruled ones, and with the Opposition parties is at its lowest ebb Manmohan Singh’s statement in the Rajya Sabha is ‘sad & hurtful’ The government is mired in corruption
	Armed Forces Tribunal sets aside promotion of Brigadier Saurabh Malik/TNS Chandigarh, August 30 Indicating that manipulations of promotions at the highest levels of the Army would not be tolerated, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has set aside the promotion of a Brigadier to the rank of Major General in the Judge Advocate General’s department (JAG), the legal-cum-judicial branch of the Army. Alleging manipulation in the selection board proceedings, Brig Dinkar Adeeb and Brig PK Sharma, Deputy JAG of Eastern and Northern Commands, respectively, had alleged glaring irregularities in the board proceedings. They had averred that their junior, Brig T Parshad, was granted out-of-turn relief by expunging some of his ACRs hastily on the eve of the selection board. His name was then considered with a changed improved profile resulting in his empanelment and supersession of seniors. The officers had alleged that the board was scheduled for October 18, 2012, and then suddenly Brig Parshad was granted relief on the eve of the board. It was again postponed by a day, wherein his changed improved profile was considered and he was promoted. It was pointed out that according to the policy, no officer could be granted out-of-turn relief and that profiles of officers were to be frozen five days prior to the selection board and changes could not be introduced just prior to the board which affected inter-se merit. The Army, however, submitted that it was not practically possible to follow the five-day freeze policy and also that there were file notings made on October 12, last year, which reflected that Brig Parshad was to be granted relief. Junking the argument, the AFT, comprising Justice VK Ahuja and Lt Gen HS Panag, held that file notings have no value till an order in the name of the President is passed. Also, it was mandatory to follow the laid down cut-off date to eliminate arbitrariness as was also held by the Supreme Court. The AFT also decried the statement of the Army that Brig Parshad may have made it to the next rank even without the relief in his ACRs, reminding the Army that it was only the selection board which could assess the same. The AFT also directed a fresh board without taking into account the improved profile of Brig Parshad. This is not the first case when manipulations in JAG promotions have come to light. The Chandigarh Bench had earlier stayed the promotion board to the rank of Brigadier on which the government then itself took corrective action and re-convened the board. The Delhi HC had earlier this year quashed the promotion of an officer to the rank of Lt Gen in the Remount and Veterinary Corps. The charge Brig Dinkar Adeeb and Brig PK Sharma, Deputy JAG of Eastern and Northern Commands, respectively, had alleged glaring irregularities in the selection board proceedings They had averred that their junior, Brig T Parshad, was granted out-of-turn relief by expunging some of his ACRs hastily on the eve of the selection board
	Sindhurakshak blasts Remains of 11 crew members recovered Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, August 30 More than a fortnight after INS Sindhurakshak, a submarine belonging to the Indian Navy, sank following multiple explosions, seven of its crew members remain unaccounted for. So far naval divers have recovered the remains of 11 crew members from the wreckage of the submarine off Mumbai dockyard. “The search for the remaining crew is continuing,” an official at the Western Naval High Command in South Mumbai said. The Russian-made Kilo class submarine sank early on August 14 following multiple explosions. Authorities collected DNA samples of the relatives of all crew members in order to determine the identities of the dead. Officials said the remains of crew members were disfigured beyond recognition. In some cases, only body parts have been recovered. Following tests conducted on the remains recovered so far, the dead crew members have been identified as Liju Lawrence, Seetaram Badapalli, Rajesh Tootika, Vishnu V Kewal Singh and Malay Haldar. DNA profiling Authorities collected DNA samples of the relatives of all crew members in order to determine the identities of the dead Officials said the remains of crew members were disfigured beyond recognition In some cases, only body parts have been recovered
	Mumbai rape accused heckled at court Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, August 30 The Esplanade court today extended the police custody of three of the five men arrested for raping a city photojournalist last week. The Crime Branch of the city police, which is investigating the case, produced Shiraz Rehman Khan, Vijay Jadhav and Kasim Bengali before the court and sought extension of their custody on the grounds that their further interrogation to recover some of their belongings was required. The court extended their custody till September 5. High drama was witnessed at the court after a group of women pelted the accused with eggs as they arrived for appearance. The women, claiming to be members of the Nationalist Congress Party, demanded hanging of the alleged rapists. The police later dispersed the women. The police will produce the fourth accused, Salim Ansari, who was arrested from New Delhi in the court later, sources said. The fifth accused was not brought to the court today as his relatives produced documents before the police claiming that he was a minor. The police is verifying the authenticity of the documents produced by the accused’s grandmother, sources said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Satyanarayan Chaudhary said a decision on producing him before the juvenile court would be taken later. Kasim Bengali, one of the three accused, had earlier moved an application before the court of Additional Metropolitan Magistrate saying he was a minor. But his plea seeking trial by a juvenile court was rejected as Bengali’s past criminal record treated him as an adult, the police said.
	Blast in kolkata An explosion rocks Kolkata’s busy Chandi Chowk market area near the Metro Station around noon Commuters and passersby flee the scene in panic, shopkeepers down shutters; no one is hurt A police team from Lalbazar and Bowbazar police station cordons off the area The police searches the area with sniffer dogs, recovers an empty box and an unexploded bomb kept in a tin box near a shack at the Madan Street-Central Avenue crossing A member of the bomb disposal squad inspects the scene of the blast in Kolkata on Friday. — PTI