New Delhi, December 14
The UPA government today unfolded a twin-pronged strategy to fight terrorism announcing a grant of Rs 45-crore each for the development of terrorism-hit districts across the country, besides a Rs 4000-crore programme for modernisation of the police network in states.

Each terrorism-infested state has been asked to raise additional two to 10 battalions, depending upon their respective needs, with the objective of strengthening the force and providing employment to people who had strayed into terrorist activities due to lack of jobs.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said while replying to a discussion on internal security situation in the country.

Rs 45-crore would be given to the terrorism-hit districts over a period of three years, at a rate of Rs 15-crore per year, he said.

Mr Patil also announced the setting up of 209 police battalions in the country to effectively deal with terrorist and naxalite problems in the country. The police battalions will be under the state governments.

The minister said security forces would be armed with armoured vehicles as also provided with better telecommunication facilities to deal with the problem of infiltration and terrorism.

Agreeing with the suggestion of the members that the Government should, besides holding talks with terrorists, also look into the economic and social development as well as the social justice aspects in the terrorism-hit regions.

Mr Patil said funds were being provided for construction of mini power plants to generate electricity and create job opportunities in J&K. These power plants would create upto 1000 to 1500 MW electricity, he pointed out.

Other development works being carried out in the terrorism-hit regions concern railways, roadways, tourism and forest development, he said.

Strongly advocating the need for holding talks with those who had strayed into terrorist activities, Mr Patil said the government would, at the same time, keep vigil and not lower the guard.

Mr Patil said he would not dispute the observation by some members that the internal security situation in some states was not good. He agreed that the situation in some terrorist-affected states had deteriorated while in other regions it had improved.

He claimed that in Jammu and Kashmir the infiltration had abated by 60 per cent while terrorist violence had decreased by 24 per cent and deaths reduced by 12 per cent.

The fencing on the borders had helped reduce infiltration. Credit for the reduction in violence and deaths also went to deployment of paramilitary forces.

He disagreed with the members that the situation in the North East had deteriorated and said, on the other hand, the situation had improved. The terrorist activities had reduced by 22 per cent. While the deaths of security men had reduced by 7 per cent, that of common people had gone down by 26 per cent.

Referring to Manipur, the Home Minister said the situation there had deteriorated three years ago, not now.

“It is not correct to say that Manipur is burning,” he said.

Observing that as part of sustained efforts to combat terrorism and organised transnational crime, he said India has entered into treaties on mutual legal assistance on criminal matters with 18 countries and extradition accords with 30.

Several members voiced concern over Nepal-based insurgent groups operating in Bihar and other border states. They also spoke of large-scale infiltration from Bangladesh into Assam and other north-eastern states.

New Delhi, December 14
Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Sarswati, incarcerated for over a month in mutt official Shankar Raman murder case, today filed a petition for bail in the Supreme Court, which earlier in the day dismissed two public interest litigations (PILs) against his arrest on the question of locus standi.

The Shankaracharya’s counsel, Krishna Kumar, who had last week informed the apex court along with senior advocate M.N. Krishnamani that no other lawyer had been authorised by the Kanchi seer to move any plea on his behalf, today filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Court Registry against the Madras High Court order declining him bail.

Challenging the December 8 order of the high court, the seer in his SLP said in its judgement, the high court had only dealt with the question of law on bail without going into the facts on the basis of which the Tamil Nadu police had arrested him.

It could not be said, as held by the high court, that the Shankaracharya was not entitled to bail or bail could not be granted to him, his counsel giving brief averments of the SPL said.

He also claimed that there was nothing on record to show the complicity of the seer in the alleged murder even when the Tamil Nadu police was making tall claims about collecting evidence against him.

Meanwhile, a Bench of Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice S.B. Sinha dismissed two PILs on the Shankaracharya issue earlier in the day saying when the seer had not authorised anyone to move a petition on his behalf, the lawyers who had filed them, had no locus standi.

“Othersiwe also in criminal matters the scope of PILs under Article 226 and 227, was very limited,” said the court, which had earlier rejected Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal’s petition also on the same ground.

While the first PIL, filed through lawyer S P Sampat Kumar, had sought monitoring of the Shankaracharya case by the apex court, the other filed by advocate D.B. Vohra sought transfer of the case to some other investigating agency like the CBI, accusing the Tamil Nadu police of acting with a “particular motive”.

The counsel, arguing the twin PILs, alleged that the Tamil Nadu Government had launched a systematic campaign against the Kanchi Mutt, one of the five sacred seats established by “Adi Shankaracharya which has hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus.”

Stating that no one should be above the law, they said the police should not be allowed to behave in a manner in which it has been treating the Shankaracharya.

But the court said “when the person aggrieved has not chosen to come before it for relief, how you are concerned with the matter.”

Another petition, filed on behlaf of the Shankaracharya by a UP Lawyer, is still pending before the apex court, which has asked the advocate concerned to place on record the authority letter from the seer. That petition would be taken up for hearing on December 17.

New Delhi, December 14
During the visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Shamsher Bahadur Deuba to New Delhi in September, the Indian Government had agreed to give the Nepal royal regime three light advanced helicopters, 20,000 INSAS rifles, 15,000 7.62 mm self-loading rifles (SLR), 5,000 machine guns of various calibers, 800 trucks and jeeps, 100 mine protected vehicles (MPVs), bullet-proof jackets and other war material to fight the maoist violence.

But it seems to be a case of the Indian Government handing out `alms’ to its weak and poor neighbour without really keeping in mind the safety of people. Of all the war material that is to be supplied to Nepal, at least one has a dubious record, not only in regard to its performance, but also about how the contract for its supply was initially signed and then blocked when doubts were raised over its durability and strength.

The item in question is mine protected vehicle (MPV) — Caspiars — which India has supplied to Nepal. Initially bought from South Africa at a staggering cost of over $ 12m, they were taken out of service after one of these blew up in Jammu and Kashmir, killing the 15 jawans who were travelling in it. Till recently these very MPVs were lying parked idle at one of the many depots of the Army with no use to the force.

The MPVs, which had proved dangerous for service with the Army and paramilitary forces in both Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, have now been handed over to Nepal to fight the Maoist insurgents. Incidentally, the Maoists use similar kinds of tactics, which are used by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East.

When the first lot of the MPVs was handed over to the Army in April 1999, it was touted as a highly sophisticated equipment, which was to be extensively used in the low-intensity war being fought by the Indian forces in different parts of the country.

The first batch of 10 of the total consignment of over a 100 South African “Caspiar” MPVs were formally handed over to Lt-Gen Shankar Prasad, the then Director-General (Infantry), by Pretoria’s then Deputy High Commissioner to India D. Pillay at the Delhi cantonment.

Fitted with Mercedes Benz engines, the MPVs were supplied to India after being ``reassembled and refurbished’’ by South Africa’s Reumech OMC at a cost of around Rs 60 lakh a piece. Lt-Gen Prasad had then said that the 11-tonners with 14-passenger capacity were better than brand new ones, whose cost was nearly double. Incidentally the MPVs were bought as the Army had a high casualty figure in Sri Lanka due to landmines.

Incidentally, the MPVs had been “extensively tried out under our strict trial measures before induction, and Caspiar came out exceedingly well as one of the best MPVs the world over’’.

Ironically, what came to light later was that these MPVs, supplied by a private South African firm, were actually antiquated and were roughly 13 years old. These vehicles had been discarded by the South African police and the army much before the Indian deal. Besides, the manufacturer of these reconditioned vehicles had also shut down the assembling units.

As such, the spare parts necessary for this purpose were also missing. And as had been claimed by the Indian Army Commander at the time of the delivery, of the 166 MPVs contracted, 90 were delivered but did not come up to the mark. The deal for the remaining 75 was put on the backburner. The then Defence Secretary, Mr T.R. Prasad, blocked the purchase of the remaining 75 Caspiars, but after he was moved from the ministry a South African delegation met the Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials and the deal was again revived.

The purchase of 75 Caspers, blocked earlier by the then Defence Secretary, was cleared at a discount of a paltry 5 per cent. But they were finally taken out of service when 15 jawans were killed in the mine blast in Jammu and Kashmir while travelling in one such vehicle, supposed to have been designed to withstand mine blasts.

New Delhi, December 14
Doordarshan today launched two satellite channels to telecast live the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The channel for the Rajya Sabha was inaugurated by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at a function in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that live telecast will improve the quality of debates in Parliament.

Mr Shekhawat, who is Chairman of the Upper House, said the telecast would help people know what their elected representatives were doing in the House and the manner in which their issues were being raised.

Mr Chatterjee said the live telecast will provide a direct link between the people and their representatives.

Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said the channels were both an opportunity and a challenge for the members as their actions will be “on camera” and not “in camera.”

Those present included former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani, senior officials of Prasar Bharati and Cabinet ministers.

With the start of telecast, India joins US, Canada, England and some other European countries where parliamentary proceedings are telecast live.

New Delhi, December 14
In a clear attempt to shore up its image among the minorities, the UPA government moved a Bill in the Lok Sabha for the constitution of a National Commission of Central universities to Minority Educational Institutions. This body will provide direct affiliation of Central universities to minority professional institutions .

The Bill, which replaces an ordinance promulgated last month, was introduced by Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh. The UPA government had promised to constitute such a commission in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

According to the provisions of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Bill,a minority educational institution will be able to seek recognition as an affiliated college to Central universities from this body. The Bill provides for a three-member Commission, including a chairman. All the three members are to be appointed from the minority communities.

The Commission will have powers of a civil court giving legal sanction to the its decisions. The Bill also empowers the Centre to add or omit any university from the list of universities.

The Bill came in for criticism from the Opposition with senior BJP member Bache Singh Rawat charging that this legislation would override the powers of the states. He also warned the government against vesting such enormous powers in the the Commission which, he said, was dangerous.

Mr Rawat said the legislation would render existing bodies of higher education like the UGC and MCI redundant.

The Opposition’s charges were countered by Congress member Madhusudan D. Mistry who said this legislation would open new vistas in the development of minorities. It would, he said, help improve the conditions of not only minorities but also the SC and ST and the OBCs who still remained at the bottom of the social ladder.

He highlighted the difficulties faced by the minority communities in establishing and running their own educational institutions. Mr Mistry also pointed out that the territorial jurisdiction of state universities and the concentration of minority populations in some specific areas invariably meant that the institutions could not avail of the opportunity of affiliation with the Universities of their choice.

He said there was a need to provide access to such affiliation in view of the restrictive conditions imposed by universities. The fact that there was no effective forum for appeal and quick redressal only aggravated the sense of deprivation among the minorities, he added.

New Delhi, December 14
Director-General of Punjab A.A. Siddiqui today said in 2004, till date, four custodial deaths had taken place in the state and not 87 as reported by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC).

Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a meeting of chief secretaries and director-generals of police from different states, convened in the Capital by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), he said the number of custodial deaths given by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) was not correct and in the past two years, eight custodial deaths had taken place in the state — four in 2003-04 and 2004 — till date.

Saying that such incidents were wrong, he added that of the four custodial deaths in 2004, two had taken place in Tarn Taran, and one each in Barnala and Gurdaspur. Suitable action was taken against police officials concerned, he added. He said barely five per cent of human rights violation complaints had any substance to them and more often such complaints were gimmicks to side-track the normal course of the police action or evade arrest.

An additional Director-General was in charge of the human rights in the state police department, he said, adding that a computerised data bank was maintained by the department and periodic reports issued.

New Delhi, December 14
Women in Haryana continue to be subordinated, subjugated and deprived. “A situational analysis of women and girls in Haryana”, released by the National Commission of Women today, stated that the fact was evident from the extremely low and declining sex ratio, high level of anaemia among women and children and prevalent violence against women in the state.

The position regarding mortality rates of women and the girl child was no better and of the 16 states for which the gender development index was available, Haryana’s rank was a lowly 10th.

“The state’s affluence is not reflected in the gender relations scenario,” states the report. Haryana, at the female: male ratio of 861, ranks 30th out of 35 states and union territories in sex ratio.

“Preference for a son is so strong in the region that quacks are adverting that they can guarantee a son. One such advertisement of a “Putra Daata Aushdalaiya” in Yamunanagar was brought to the notice of the house,” says the report.

Though the state had made rapid progress in the field of female literacy, which had risen by almost four times in the past four decades, still remained one of the major concerns. “Most of the girls drop out after primary schools.

Further, existing schools suffer from lack of teachers. Many schools in the state have only one teacher for many classes.” According to NCW Chairperson Poornima Advani, even schools, adjoining Chandigarh and Panchkula, were facing this problem.

The report also highlights other social problems and atrocities faced by women. “Jind, Rohtak and Hisar have a tradition called “seedhi pratha”, which implied bonded labour. Such bonded women labourers are subjected to sexual harassment.

In Mahendragarh district, bonded labour is employed in agriculture and upper caste men often use them for sexual gratification.”

New Delhi, December 14
Anguished over a series of antics of RJD MP Rajesh Rajan Pappu Yadav in Patna’s Beur jail, including taking the authorities for a ride by holding a ‘durbar’ there, the Supreme Court today asked the CBI to name some other prison where he could be shifted.

Expressing grave concern over the helplessness of the jail officials in making Pappu Yadav follow the jail rules, a Bench of Mr Justice N Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice S.B. Sinha said “the long hands of law seem to be not long enough to keep him as an undertrial (in a murder case) in the prison.”

The court directed the CBI to identify by January 3 another jail either in Bihar or outside, while posting further hearing on a petition on the issue for January 4.

The Bench, which had earlier cancelled his bail twice, granted by the Patna High Court, for “violating” the conditions imposed on him, said “there are reports of the presence of a cell phone with him, though he has denied it, and he has been talking to top officials of Bihar and others from jail. If the reports are true, it is a very serious matter.”

As his lawyer R K Jain tried to pacify the exasperated court, the Bench asked him “whether the MP is in prison or a five star hotel.”

“Every day we are watching on TV and reading in the newspaper reports about his actions, which (reports) are proving to be correct,” the court said.

Seeking to monitor all of Pappu Yadav’s activities itself, the apex court said the notice issued by the Patna High Court to him on the cell phone issue would be treated as issued by it and sought replies from the CBI, the jail authorities and the cell phone company concerned also by January 3.

Meanwhile, the CBI and Bihar’s IG (Prison), Dipesh Kumar Singh, in their reports filed in the court today, said Pappu Yadav had held a meeting with 54 of his supporters in the jail’s administrative block on December 1 in violation of the jail rules. The IG said he had gone to the prison on that day on an inspection visit.

The CBI said the MP even threatened the IG of “dire consequences” when he questioned him about his illegal actions. Not only this, since he had been sent to jail by the apex court on March 16 in the CPM leader Ajit Sarkar murder case, the RJD MP had “an unusually large number of visitors meeting him in the jail’s administrative block, which was not the designated place for such meetings,” the CBI said.

Between November 5 and November 28 the group of visitors to him on five occasions exceeded over 50 and at one time it was as high as 78, the agency said.

PTI adds: “None of these visitors made any entry in the visitor’s register at the main gate of the jail,” the CBI said.

Appearing for CBI, the Additional Solicitor General Amarendra Saran said the CBI had been able to arrest the accused who “pulled the trigger” on Purnea MLA Sarkar.

Saying that it was a matter for the CBI to investigate, the Bench refused to lose focus of the conduct of Yadav in Jail.

“If we look back, after his bail was cancelled, he was kept in the hospital and given VVIP facilities in the false pretext that there was no bed available in the prison ward,” the Bench said and added that now a “sob story” was being circulated that he was being denied medical treatment because of the courts.

New Delhi, December 14
An Army Brigadier has been sentenced to nine months Rigorous Imprisonment for illicit sale of liquor and for fraud.

According to an Army spokesperson, Brigadier R P Singh, who had commanded an infantry brigade in the Capital, was found guilty by the Court Martial of several lapses including intent to defraud and matters involving sale of liquor.

The accused has been dismissed from services and has been cashiered from service as per the military law provisions, it was pointed out. Action is also being taken against the others who are said to have been involved in the racket. The matter was discovered following raids by Military Intelligence personnel.

Meanwhile, the Army has announced a number of measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents, the spokesman said. The process of drawing of liquors by canteens has been streamlined and will be closely monitored. Furthermore, a ‘Smart Card’ will be introduced for the purchase of canteen stores by all ranks.

Kolkata, December 14
Dr Gopal Krishna Gandhi, a great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was sworn in as West Bengal’s Governor today. The acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Mr Ajoy Nath Ray, administered the oath of office to the new Governor at the banquet hall of Raj Bhavan.

Dr Gandhi succeeded Mr Viren J Shah, who had relinquished the office after completing his five-year term on December 4.

He was given a warm farewell yesterday by the state government and officials of Raj Bhavan. Mr Shah left for Mumbai this evening.

For Dr Gandhi it was like “his home-coming” since he spent several years of his childhood at Raj Bhavan when his another great grandfather, Chakraborty Rajagopalacharai, was the Governor-General of Bengal before Partition.

A bureaucrat by profession, Dr Gandhi belonged to the Indian Foreign Service. He had been the country’s Ambassador in South Africa, which he himself had chosen, in his first posting abroad.

He also served in Sri Lanka and Norway as the Ambassador before opting for voluntary retirement. Dr Gandhi also acted as Secretary to former President, K.R. Narayanan. After his retirement, Dr Gandhi engaged himself in various social welfare works and literary activities.