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Food Minister blames hoarders, trade cartels for costly onions
Despite imports, prices scale new heights
India, US talk ahead of Manmohan’s visit
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ISI harbouring top IM terrorists: NIA
INS Vikramaditya completes trials in Russia
Army Chief meets Patil, Badal, Hooda
BJP hopes to attract Jats to saffron fold
Seemandhra lawyers to extend support to stir for 'united' AP
Rajasthan minister booked on rape charge
Govt to seek corporate honchos' help in finding IIT directors
Firing at Uttarakhand minister’s house; 2 hurt
Five minors gang-rape 13-year-old in Guwahati
96-yr-old WW-II sepoy seeks financial benefits
Widowed, divorced daughters eligible for family pension
Andhra ex-CM Naidu worth only Rs 42
lakh!
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Food Minister blames hoarders, trade cartels for costly onions
New Delhi, September 17 Though the government expects the price of the politically sensitive commodity to moderate from October on the back of crops planted after a good monsoon season, but sceptics believe otherwise. With the festival season approaching, fears are that the humble onion may not cool off even in the wholesale market till October 15, perhaps even till Diwali. The Centre is blaming states for not procuring onions and store them despite ample warnings. After the Commerce Ministry imposed minimum export price (MEP) of $650 per tonne, exports have declined and efforts are on to augment supplies through imports. Reports suggest that NAFED invited tenders for import of onions but is yet to place order with global suppliers due to sanitary and phytosanitary issues but private imports have hit the market. Officials say that supplies from Maharashtra are about to exhaust and farmers and traders are hoarding in anticipation of better prices while other growing areas, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for instance, are not transporting onions because of high moisture level content in the new crop. Agriculture analyst Devinder Sharma, however, directly blames the government for allowing the prices to prevail as this level. “Markets don’t react on their own they are manipulated. There is no reason why prices of onion should be going up because the shortfall in production is only 4 per cent while increase in prices is 400 per cent. Cartelisation and hoarding are the reasons and the government is to blame,” he says Considering that the U-turn in prices was despite the efforts by a much-worried Centre, some experts believe that more than wastage of food, trader cartels and hoarding the problem also lies in mismanagement of existing resources.
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Despite imports, prices scale new heights
Mumbai, September 17 Afghanistan. According to information available from the Agriculture and Produce Marketing Committee market at Navi Mumbai, wholesale onion prices touched Rs 58-60 per kilogram. Retailers in Mumbai are quoting Rs 70 with prices in some upmarket areas touching Rs 75 per kg. "We are receiving around 6,000 quintals per day as against the normal 10,000 quintals per day," Ashok Walunj, who heads the onion and potato markets at the APMC, said. Traders at the wholesale onion markets at Lasangaon and Pimpalgaon say the number of arrivals have fallen sharply because of heavy rains in Maharashtra damaging crops. "We expect the new crops to hit the markets in the first week of October. Till then prices will remain high," a trader at Lasangaon said. Four hundred tonnes of onions arrived from Egypt on Monday in addition to the five hundred tonnes which arrived the week before. According to traders, the imported onions will be priced at around Rs 58-60 per kg. According to Walunj, the onions from Egypt were of poor quality and have a low shelf life. "They are smaller in size and are deep red in colour. They also have a stronger taste," Walunj added. Traders at the market here had placed orders from Egypt last month. The cargo took three weeks to arrive in Mumbai and it was another 10 days before they were cleared by the customs. Though some of the onions had turned bad, most were fit for sale in the market, according to traders.
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India, US talk ahead of Manmohan’s visit
New Delhi, September 17 Visiting US Deputy Secretary of Defence Ashton B Carter held talks with Defence Secretary RK Mathur, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and senior officials of the Defence Production Department to review progress in talks on various defence related projects. National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon hosted a lunch in honour of the visiting official, who is America’s point man for defence trade with India. Carter is learnt to have also discussed a number of co-production and co-development projects with New Delhi to inquire if India would be interested in them so that the issue could be discussed at length during Manmohan Singh’s visit. As part of its efforts to take the Indo-US defence relationship to the next level and help New Delhi raise the indigenisation of its defence systems, the Pentagon is understood to have initiated some India-specific projects, details of which have not been revealed so far. Carter himself has gone on record to say that the US was keen to give India the same status as some of the closest allies of Washington enjoyed in terms of access to the defence systems. India has so far been involved in co-development projects with Russia for the BrahMos cruise missile, and with Israel for the long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) and medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM). New Delhi plans to spend about $10 billion annually on defence purchases in the coming years. The US has so far sold defence equipment worth about $10 billion to India. The two countries have more or less finalised deals for Apache attack helicopters, Chinook heavy lift helicopters, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and 145 M 777 howitzer guns.
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ISI harbouring top IM terrorists: NIA
New Delhi, September 17 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said as per disclosure of arrested IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, both Riyaz and Iqbal are now residing in Pakistan and they used to communicate with each other in coded language through the Internet. It said that during the custodial interrogation, Yasin has disclosed that he was getting “active advice” and “guidance” from Riyaz and Iqbal to carry out terror strikes in India. “He (Yasin Bhatkal) was getting active advice, guidance and support on the planning of these subversive activities from his co-conspirators sitting in Pakistan, namely Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal who are being harboured by Pakistan’s Intelligence agency ISI. “The communication was being made through web chat communication on the Internet which are being analysed since these are in coded language,” the NIA said in its plea while seeking extension of police remand of Yasin by eight days. The probe agency also told the court, which extended NIA’s custody of Yasin till September 21, that as per his disclosure several foreign nationals from Pakistan and Nepal were also “involved in recruitment, financing, training and providing tactical support to the accused persons as well as other IM members who are not arrested yet.” It also said Yasin had told the interrogators that some of his Indian associates are now in Pakistan, Nepal and the Middle-East and they were also involved in the conspiracy. “One such associate has been identified and examined in the last seven days and a large number remain to be identified and located,” it said. — PTI
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INS Vikramaditya completes trials in Russia
New Delhi, September 17 The carrier is on course to be handed over to the Indian Navy in November, sources said. Once inducted, it will be the second aircraft carrier in the Navy after INS Viraat and give it an strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean. Vikramaditya, which is already years past its original 2008 delivery date, was supposed to have been handed over on December 4, 2012, but sea trials in September that year revealed the ship's boilers were not fully functional. It then returned to the shipyard to fix the problems that were detected during the sea trials. India and Russia had signed a $947 million deal for 45,000-tonne Gorshkov in 2004. The deal amount was revised later to $2.3 billion. — PTI
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Riots
in Samajwadi party rule
Lucknow, September 17 The Lucknow Bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Anil Kumar Tripathi II passed the order after Additional Advocate General Bulbul Godiyal, appearing on behalf of Uttar Pradesh Government, sought two weeks time to seek instructions and file the response. On September 11, a local social activist Nutan Thakur had filed the PIL seeking direction for a CBI inquiry into all the major riots which took place after the formation of SP government in Uttar Pradesh on March 15 last year. In the PIL, it has been alleged that the action and policy of the current government and its officials had been such that it showed a definite tilt towards a particular sect. It alleged that in all the riots that took place in past 18 months, the administration "shied away from taking action against culprits of that particular sect". It stated that this has resulted in a sense of mistrust in members of the other community, including the petitioner’s. Thakur, while narrating various communal riots beginning from Mathura on June 1 last year, said there had been “partisan and ineffective action" in them. She also prayed that the ambit of Justice Sahai Commission constituted by the state government to probe into Muzaffarnagar clashes should be expanded to all major riots during this period. — PTI
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Army Chief meets Patil, Badal, Hooda
Chandigarh, September 17 During the interactions, the Army Chief thanked the Governor and the Chief Ministers for their positive response which had resulted in the resolution of a large number of pending civil-military issues. Various issues of mutual interest including allotment of land at concessional rates, Jai Jawan Awas Yojna housing schemes and reservation in housing schemes for ex-servicemen were discussed. Issues related to second career in government organisations for retired officers and resettlement of jawans, who retire at a relatively young age but are armed with a wealth of experience in human resources development and management, disaster relief, project and inventory management and other security related roles, were also raised. The Army Chief highlighted that the state governments have always been at the forefront for the welfare of servicemen and their families. He also assured the state leaders that the Army could be counted upon to render all possible assistance in the events of any unforeseen contingency. The Governor and the Chief Ministers appreciated the role played by the Army in aid of civil authorities and assured the Army Chief of a favourable response in matters for welfare of serving and retired Army personnel.
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Gujarat celebrates Modi’s 64th birthday in style
Ahmedabad, September 17 Though Modi is the chief minister for the last 12 years, till some two years back not many people in the state knew that his birthday was on September 17. It was the high profile “Sadbhavana Mission” that he launched on this day in 2011 to announce his intentions to move to the national political stage, his birthday became a public affair in the state. Modi, who had termed CM as the “Common Man,” began his birthday today as usual seeking blessings from his mother Hiraba who stays with his younger brother Pankaj Modi in a small flat in Gandhinagar. He spent some time with his family and mother who blessed him with success in his future political career and gifted him a copy of Bhagvat Gita. Coming out, Modi said he was receiving blessings from the people all over which was the biggest achievement in his life. It will instill in him a fresh vigour, strength and understanding to work for the welfare of the people. He said he was confident that the hopes and aspirations of the common man would not be wasted. Modi then went to seek blessings from his one-time political guru Keshubhai Patel, whom he had replaced as chief minister in September 2001. Though he had sought Patel’s blessings on his birthday last year also, political observers here feel that the move could be part of the BJP design to welcome back some of the old guards who had left the party for one reason or the other. Modi’s birthday was celebrated with pomp across the state. While a special “aarati” was organised at the Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad, the Muslims in Jamalpur locality in the old Ahmedabad baked a 64-kg cake to mark the 64th birthday and distributed it among his supporters. The BJP workers launched several programmes, especially a membership drive targeting the Muslims. All the cells of the state BJP unit have been asked to carry out intensive membership drive and enrol at least one lakh people each during the week-long drive, which would culminate at the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. A newly created Gujarat Gaurav Abhivadan Samiti organised a massive Modi felicitation function on the occasion at the Town Hall in Gandhinagar where thousands of people from different walks of life joined to congratulate Modi on his anointment as the BJP prime ministerial candidate. Addressing the huge gathering, Modi said, “The year 2014 may be the first election that the common person is eagerly awaiting for. It is like praying for monsoon after a scorching summer:” Lambasting the UPA government at the Centre, Modi said never before the people had developed a “hatred for a government and eagerly waiting how soon it will go.”
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BJP hopes to attract Jats to saffron fold
New Delhi, September 17 The current political situation in UP - the state that sends as many as 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha - and gains and losses of the Muzaffarnagar riots were discussed at a core group meeting. The party also kick-started the process of finalising candidates for the forthcoming elections in the state. The meeting, convened for the purpose, was chaired by party president Rajnath Singh and attended, among others, by Modi’s points man for UP - Amit Shah and Varun Gandhi, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vinay Katiyar. Sources said there was a strong feeling that the BJP could maximise gains in the western UP and other regions with the help of Jat votes, which traditionally belong to Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). The party has divided UP into eight zones - West, Braj, Rohilkhand, Kanpur, Awadh, Bundelkhand, Gorakhpur and Kashi. Each area will hold rallies for Modi after Navratras. The BJP is planning to go alone in the state which holds key to the Centre. The party is upbeat over reports of Muslims’ disenchantment with the Akhilesh Yadav government. Political analysts say that after the Muzaffarnagar riots, the chances of the BJP maximising gains from the western UP have increased as upset Jat voters may desert the RLD. Though BJP leaders insist that corruption, policy paralysis and price rise issues will be the poll planks for 2014 in UP and elsewhere, indications are that the saffron party may entrust its tried and tested formula of religious politics to the
VHP.
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AP minister, Jagan named in fresh CBI chargesheets
Hyderabad, September 17 The CBI filed chargesheets against Lepakshi Knowledge Hub (LKH) and Indu Tech Zone in a special CBI court here. Besides naming Jagan Mohan Reddy and his auditor V Vijayasai Reddy, the CBI has also named Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Major Industries J Geetha Reddy, former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao and some IAS officers like Ratna Prabha, Sam Bob, M Samuel as well as suspended IAS officer BP Acharya. The CBI has also named Sham Prasad Reddy, the promoter of the Indu Group, in its chargesheet against LKH. They have been charged by the CBI in the Jagan assets case, for making investments as a quid pro quo arrangement, in exchange for alleged favours by the YSR government. So far, the CBI has filed eight chargesheets against Jagan and others accused in the case. This includes the three chargesheets filed on September 9 against Penna Cements, Raghuram (Bharathi) Cements and India Cements, naming its managing director N Srinivasan. — PTI
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Seemandhra lawyers to extend support to stir for 'united' AP
Rajahmundry (AP), Sept
17 "We have decided to support and participate in all agitations including various protests by APNGOA against the bifurcation of Andhra
Pradesh," Seemandhra Lawyers' JAC Co-Convener Muppalla Subba Rao said in a press release here today. — PTI
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Rajasthan minister booked on rape charge
Jaipur, September 17 Rajasthan Minister of State for Dairy Babu Lal Nagar had been booked under Sections 376 (rape) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC following direction from the Judicial Magistrate No 9 in the city, SHO of the Sodala police station Bhawani Singh Shekhawat said. When contacted, the minister claimed it was a "political conspiracy" to tarnish his image ahead of the Assembly poll. In her complaint, the woman said the minister, who she knew, called her to his official residence in Civil Lines on September 11, where she was raped and assaulted. The woman also complained that Nagar had threatened her with dire consequences if she opened her mouth against him, the SHO said. — PTI
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Still possible to extract DNA from ‘khukri’: Defence witness
Ghaziabad, September 17 Andre Semikhodski told the court that the handle has several grooves and it was possible to extract DNA from it. Today, Semikhodski was allowed to examine a block of cement on which a blood-stained palm print was present, some bottles of alcohol and beer along with the 'khukri'. The forensic expert told the court that according to his view, "sufficient biological material could also be present in this palm print for retesting". He also said that the forensic reports may be "misleading" as the exhibits were touched by several people. — PTI
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Success of ‘3 Idiots’ sparks global hunger for Indian films
Mumbai, September 17 Apart from the Japanese, exhibitors, distributors and broadcasters from Taiwan, Brazil, Hong Kong, Poland, Sweden, France, Germany, China and South Korea are queuing up in big numbers at the Mumbai Film Mart which is part of the Mumbai Film Festival to be held next month. “The success of movies like ‘3 Idiots’ has opened up a number of non-traditional markets for Indian film makers,” says Rashmi Lamba, manager, Mumbai Film Mart. Japan’s oldest distribution company Nikkatsu, which released ‘3 Idiots’ in May this year, has already grossed $1 million and is still being screened in that country, according to Lamba. Nikkatsu has followed up by releasing more popular Bollywood hit flicks like ‘Don 2’ to good response in that country, she says. The Taiwanese have also joined the race and have picked up rights for films like ‘Zindagi Na Milega Dobara’ and animation film ‘Makkhi’. Broadcasters from that country have also obtained television rights of ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Wanted’, ‘One Two Three’, ‘Krrish’, ‘Cheeni Kum’, ‘De Dana Dan’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, ‘Ready’, ‘God Tussi Great Ho’, ‘Aladin’, says Lamba. Other new buyers like Brazil and Omni Television, a Canadian television channel, picked up the rights for seven films last year. “Our strategy to develop non-traditional markets for Indian cinema has culminated in unprecedented success of theatrical releases in Japan, S. Korea and Taiwan,” tells Lamba. Interestingly, international film makers are also showing interest in regional films from India. “We had more than 300 members from the Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal and studios from Hyderabad participating last year,” according to Lamba. This year, the Mumbai Film Mart is launching the Filmy Room, a DVD viewing facility for buyers broadcasters and festival programmers. “The films should have been produced and completed in the last three years and carry sub-titles in English,” says Lamba. At the end of the Film Mart, the DVDs will be returned to the film makers with a list of buyers who had seen the movie or shown interest in it. With global interest for Indian films growing, film makers will also begin selling under-production films to foreign buyers from this year, says Lamba.
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Govt to seek corporate honchos' help in finding IIT directors
New Delhi, September 17 Faced with a dearth of applicants for the posts of directors of these undergraduate engineering institutions, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has decided to write to top industrialists to suggest future leaders for the 15 IITs. Speaking to The Tribune exclusively, HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju said, "I will write to corporate heads of industries such as Wipro, Reliance and others and take their help in finding the right leaders for the IIT system. That would help us broaden our selection base, which is right now a little confined to academics. The idea is to engage top technocrats of the country in selecting the best minds for the IIT system." Raju said efforts in that direction were necessary because all top technical institutions were now expected to acquire both academic and market edge to find future solutions and raise funds. "IITs are expected to find solutions to urban problems of our times such as city development and alternative energy resources use. They are also required to generate more funds by establishing industry linkages. Technocrats can be of help in achieving these objectives. They can suggest candidates fit for the top IIT jobs apart from the usual academic route we practice," Raju said. The decision to involve corporates follows the realisation that few quality applications were coming forth for IIT directors' posts. Most recently, the ministry was found struggling to find quality candidates for the post of IIT-Jodhpur Director. "We got just 30 applications whereas one would have expected many times more. Of these, we were able to short list just about five. The selection base is thus very narrow and we wish to widen that," ministry officials said. Besides Directors, the search for IIT faculty is also becoming tough for the government and individual IIT boards of governors. At present, out of around 5,000 sanctioned posts in the 15 IITs, almost 1,611 are vacant. Data from the IIT, Madras, shows the institute managed to recruit just 32 faculty members last year. "IIT directors are expected to lead recruitment drives and motivate technical talent to join the IIT system. That explains why we are placing so much emphasis on the right kind of leaders as directors," ministry sources said.
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Firing at Uttarakhand minister’s house; 2 hurt
Dehradun, September 17 According to eyewitness accounts, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, a Congress legislator and chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation, fired from his weapon during the dinner. Champion, who loves to flaunt his muscles as well as his guns, on entering the party fired in the air from his weapon several times. One of the shots hit Khanduri in his leg. Ravinder Saini, another Congress leader, received pellet wounds. However, Congress leaders including host Harak Singh Rawat refused to comment on the incident. Police officials are also tightlipped about the incident. Ajay Bhatt, leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly has condemned the incident and demanded action against the guilty Congress legislator.
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Five minors gang-rape 13-year-old in Guwahati
Guwahati, September 17 Superintendent of Police AP Tiwari said the boys from the Chandan Nagar area in the city drugged a 13-year-old girl, who lived in the neighbourhood, and gang-raped her in a hut on the night of September 15. The incident came to light when the mother of the victim lodged an FIR at the Basistha police station the next day. The accused were taken into custody and the site of incident searched for evidence. The trial would be conducted in a fast-track court, the officer said.
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96-yr-old WW-II sepoy seeks financial benefits
Chandigarh, September 17 In his petition, Narindar Singh, who remained incarcerated for four years as a prisoner of war, has sought monthly financial assistance as is being paid to similarly placed World War-II (WW-II) veterans belonging to Kerala. Reviewing the lack of any monthly assistance to WW-II veterans, many fora, including the Kochi Bench of the AFT, directed the government to attempt to resolve the situation but to no avail. Ultimately, the Kerala High Court directed the Central government to provide monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 each to such veterans. The Ministry of Defence, however, implemented the order only for persons who were party to the petition before the high court and that too only for those who are residents of that state. Taking up his petition, the AFT’s Chandigarh Bench, comprising Justice VK Ahuja and Lt Gen NS Brar, today issued notices to the Central government. Narindar had been recruited into the Royal Indian Army Service Corps in May 1939. The petitioner has contended that when the soldiers were recruited, there was no condition of being discharged without letting them complete their various pensionable service periods.
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Widowed, divorced daughters eligible for family pension
New Delhi, September 17 The Ministry of Personnel has recently issued a circular in this regard after it received a number of communications from other central government ministries and departments seeking clarifications. Family pension is payable to the children as they are considered to be dependent on the government servant or pensioner or his or her spouse. "A child who is not earning equal to or more than the sum of minimum family pension and dearness relief thereon is considered to be dependent on his or her parents. "Therefore, only those children who are dependent and meet other conditions of eligibility for family pension at the time of death of the government servant or his or her spouse, whichever is later, are eligible for family pension," the rules said. Similarly, family pension to a widowed or divorced daughter is payable provided she fulfills all eligibility conditions at the time of death or ineligibility of her parents and on the date her turn to receive family pension comes, they said. According to the rules, the turn of unmarried children below 25 years of age comes after the death or remarriage of their mother or father, i.e., the pensioner and his or her spouse. "Thereafter, the family pension is payable to the disabled children for life and then to the unmarried, widowed or divorced daughters above the age of 25 years," said the rule. The provision of providing pension to widowed and divorced daughter of a pensioner existed earlier too. Regarding opening of old cases, a daughter if eligible may be granted family pension with effect from August 30, 2004, according to the circular issued on Wednesday. — PTI
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Andhra ex-CM Naidu worth only Rs 42
lakh!
Hyderabad, September 17 For the third consecutive year, Naidu made public the details of the properties owned by him and his family members.
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Maoists kill SPO
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Chandigarh, September 17
I will write to corporate heads of industries such as Wipro, Reliance and others and take their help in finding the right leaders for the IIT system. That would help us broaden our selection base, which is right now a little confined to academics. The idea is to engage top technocrats of the country in selecting the best minds for the IIT
system.
