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Govt, Left lock horns over petrol
2 ISI microwave stations detected on
Indo-Bangla border
Satyajit Ray remembered Byelections in Haryana, J&K, Goa on June 2
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SC notices to Centre, J&K on ‘evacuee property’
Cong not to act against Karunakaran India to continue monitoring in border areas
Power crisis: Shiv Sainiks assault MSEB workers
NGO: TN has 40 lakh child workers
Adopt Gujarat model to eradicate leprosy, says Kalam
New environment
policy soon Cong takes exception to Jogi’s behaviour
Mamata refuses to align with Cong in civic poll
NCW moots cell to probe sexual harassment cases
Naval top officers meet today
Urban transport policy in offing
SC asks Centre, states to implement ban on scavenging
Probe into charges
by Anjali begins Ashish Sinha is Bihar DGP
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Govt, Left lock horns over petrol price hike
New Delhi, May 2 “No decision was taken at today’s meeting (on the issue of proposed increase in petroleum prices). We will meet again,” CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said after a 30-minute meeting of the Left leaders with the Petroleum Minister. He said the CPI was not in favour of any hike in prices and it suggested measures to cushion the impact of rising prices of crude on the profitability of public oil companies. “We suggested that excise and customs be brought to zero, refinery charges, which are highest in India, be brought down and proposed 50 paise cess on diesel and petrol for development of highways be reviewed,” he said. The Ministry was of the view that these measures would be inadequate as crude prices account for 75 per cent of the cost of products. It also told the Left leaders that unless prices of petroleum products were hiked, the oil companies would have to take a hit of about Rs 37,000 crore. The CPI’s main opposition to the increase in prices of diesel was that it would fuel inflation. “They said that the inflation would go up just about 0.5 per cent but we feel that the figure would be higher,” Mr Bardhan said. He said the party was assured by the Minister that the government was not considering hike in prices of kerosene while it has not firmed up its views on the increase in prices of LPG. The CPI said with a hike in petrol prices, two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws would be sufferers. Mr Bardhan said the party also suggested that proposed cess of 50 paise be reduced. To prevent leakages in the system, party leaders S. Sudhakar Reddy and D. Raja said government should make efforts to prevent misuse of kerosene for adulteration of auto fuels. “The government has already got a scheme for the purpose approved from the cabinet. Petroleum companies should bear its cost,” they added. |
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2 ISI microwave stations detected on
Aizwal, May 2 The entire effort by the ISI, disclosed the Central intelligence sources, was to boost up various fundamentalist groups working in Assam, the North-East and in West Bengal. The intelligence wing has collected information which revealed that about 20 Islamic fundamentalist groups met recently at Rangpur district of Bangladesh. Some leaders of the insurgent groups were also invited. A decision was reportedly taken to set up
'madarsas' in large number in the border areas of Assam and other states of the North-East and West Bengal, to go on a recruitment drive, and also to flood the Indian market with fake currency, Some top ISI officials and some senior officials of the BDR were also reportedly present at the meeting. Against this backdrop, the intelligence wing welcomed the US`s decision to brand the ULFA as a terrorist outfit because it would
certainly put pressure on Bangladesh which was harbouring the militants from the North-East. Sources
disclosed, apart from the dilly-dallying by Bangladesh to hand over Anup Chetia of the ULFA to India, top leadership of the
ULFA, including Paresh Barua and others, as well Kamtapur Liberation
Organisation (KLO) leader Jeevan Singh were among others who were presently staying in Bangladesh. The Central Intelligence Wing here has already
apprised the Union Home Ministry about the fresh ISI activities on Bangladesh border to destabilise the North-East and West Bengal. |
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Satyajit Ray remembered
Kolkata, May 2 But a number of his admirers complained that his birthplace at Gorpar in north Calcutta, which had been declared a heritage building, was now in a dilapidated condition and had not been looked after. Incidentally, Satyajit's father Sukumar Ray, who was also a renowned writer, lived and died in this house where Rabindranath Tagore had been a frequent visitor. A large number of Ray's friends, his admirers and followers in the film and literary world today visited his Bishop Lefroy Road residence at the Chowringhee and paid their tributes to the artist. His portraits, pictures and other literary activities were exhibited there. The Satyjit Ray archive was also kept open through out the day for the admirers to see. The late Ray, who was also honoured with Bharat Ratna, had written over 300 short stories and novels, including the Feluda series for the children. He had directed as many as 50 films and documentaries which were internationally acclaimed.
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Byelections in Haryana, J&K, Goa on June 2
New Delhi, May 2 The byelections will be held on June 2 to fill vacancies for one seat in Karnataka and Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh. Three seats in Haryana where elections would be held were Kiloi, Tosham and Hisar and Zanskar seat in Jammu and Kashmir, the poll panel said, adding that the Model Code of Conduct came into force with immediate effect. The EC said notification for the poll would be issued on May 9 and the last date of filing nominations would be May 16, the scrutiny would take place next day and the last date for withdrawal of candidature would be May 19. It said elections would be held on June 2 and counting on June 5. The election process would be completed by June 7. Much focus in the byelections would be on the five Assembly seats in Goa. They are Taleigao, Cambarjua, Benaulim, Margao and Poinguinim. Poll outcome could lead to renewed efforts to form a government. The strength of the 40-member Assembly was reduced first to 36 and later to 35 because of the resignation of five ministers — all of them of the BJP. While Cumbarjua and Benaulim were bagged by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in the 2002 poll, the Poinguinim, Taleigao and Margao constituencies were won by the Congress (Ishidore Fernandes), the UGDP (Atanasio “Babush’’ Monserrate) and the BJP (Digambar Kamat). The two MGP MLAs subsequently merged with the BJP, as did Monserrate. Fernandes resigned his seat last year after he quit the Congress and was re-elected from the Poinguinim seat, but on the BJP ticket, in the byelection held later in the year. In January this year, he quit his seat again, along with three other MLAs, reducing the Manohar Parrikar government to a minority. The MGP group and Monserrate joined him in the resignation drama. The BJP suffered a huge jolt in February this year when Kamat resigned his seat after joining hands with the Congress.
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SC notices to Centre, J&K on ‘evacuee property’
New Delhi, May 2 While stating that no such thing could happen in the state of Jammu and Kashmir as there was at present no law there under which such applications could be entertained, a Bench of Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde sought replies from the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government by May 12. However, the court declined to issue any interim direction to the state government at this stage regarding not entertaining any application from the evacuee “tourists” coming from the PoK, saying that there was no requirement of order as the apex court had already stayed the Jammu and Kashmir Resettlement Act, 1982, providing for restoration of the properties to those who had migrated to the PoK in 1947. “We find no reason to issue any interim order at this stage,” the court said, adding that “nothing can happen as there is no law under which the applications can be entertained.” The issue was brought before the apex court in a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) accusing the Mufti-led PDP-Congress coalition government of receiving applications from Muzaffarabad bus “tourists” for claiming their properties 57 years after they had left to the PoK. Advocate Bhim Singh, who is also a leader of the JKNPP, claimed that this move of the state government had created a “fluid situation” in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in heightened tension, requiring immediate intervention of the court. The petitioner has sought to restrain the state government and its officials from entertaining any application by PoK residents for acquiring their properties back, stating that any such move would be in violation of the Supreme Court order, staying the 1982 Resettlement Act. Mr Bhim Singh claimed that in view of the stay on the 1982 Act, the state government was now resorting to the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir State Evacuees’ (Administration of Property) Act, 1949, to entertain such applications, which was illegal. “The government has also declared that residents of the PoK may also send their applications through power of attorney and the same will be considered by the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” the JKNPP alleged. This move of the Jammu and Kashmir Government would hamper the “peace initiatives” and the “confidence-building measures” of India with Pakistan if the persons who had shifted to the PoK voluntarily in 1947 were permitted to ride back on the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad bus merely to claim the “evacuee properties”, the PIL contended.
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Cong not to act against Karunakaran New Delhi, May 2 Given Mr. Karunakaran’s seniority and mass following , the party has decided not to say or do anything which would generate sympathy for him, party sources explained. Treading carefully on this issue, the party is publicly showing full deference to the octogenarian leader and has played down Sunday’s
development, merely describing it as “unfortunate.” In fact, party spokesperson Anand Sharma, even went to the extent of saying that the new outfit floated on Sunday does not constitute a split in the party since no legislator or PCC member participated in the proceedings. “It is only a formation of a group...we don’t view it as a split,” he said. Overlooking Mr. Karunakaran’s alignment with the new group, Mr. Sharma maintained that the senior leader has had a long association with the Congress and he himself had, on more than one occasion, reaffirmed his faith in the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi. “We have received no
communication from Mr. Karunakaran about his decision to leave the party ... we have not asked him to
leave. If he goes, it is his own choice,” Mr. Sharma said, adding that they had no information that he had resigned his Rajya Sabha seat. Putting the onus for the infighting in the state unit on him, Mr. Sharma maintained the Congress leadership had, over the years, gone out of its way to
accommodate Mr. Karunakaran His son, Mr. K. Muraleedharan was appointed PCC chief and then elevated as minister, his daughter was given a Lok Sabha ticket while the senior leader himself was given a Rajya Sabha seat. Mr. Muraleedharan was subsequently expelled for fuelling dissensions in the state unit.
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India to continue monitoring in border areas
New Delhi, May 2 Noting that there was some decline in the level of infiltration across the LoC, the annual report of the Defence Ministry said this was more on account of measures on the part of the Indian Armed forces than any discernable change of heart or action by the Pakistani authorities. “There was no evidence of any significant Pakistani efforts to dismantle infrastructure of terrorism such as communications, launching pads and training camps on its eastern borders with India,” the report said. Highlighting that the challenges posed by terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction remained central to the international security agenda and at the bottom of India’s primary security concerns, the report observed that China’s close defence relationship and military assistance to Pakistan continued. About India’s relations with China, the report said that the two countries had stepped up efforts to address differences on the boundary question through discussions and continued to maintain peace and tranquillity on their long-shared borders The report said that New Delhi would continue to monitor development of military infrastructure by China in the border areas and its military modernisation, including its expansion of the Navy. It said while diplomacy remained the chosen means of dealing with these challenges, “effective diplomacy has to be backed by credible military power”. On the threat posed by terrorism, the report said that despite operations against
al-Qaeda and Taliban elements on the Pak-Afghan border, the principal threat to the region remained. A combination of fundamentalism and terrorism nurtured in Madarasas and training camps run in these areas. Turning to Bangladesh, the Defence Ministry said Dhaka “had been insensitive and unresponsive” to India’s concerns regarding the presence and activities of insurgents’ groups. On Nepal, “India is of the view that there can be no purely military solutions to the Maoist insurgency”, the Defence Ministry said while expressing serious concern over the links of the Maoists insurgents and left extremist outfits in parts of Nepal and their possible influence in India. Reiterating its commitment to global nuclear disarmament, India today said it was forced to go nuclear in 1998 in response to the ‘untenable nuclear environment.’ “India possesses a firm and consistent stand on global nuclear disarmament, based on the principles of non-discrimination, universal acceptability and effective compliance,” the Annual Report of the Defence Ministry, released today, said. It said the “untenable nuclear environment” had forced the country to resort to the nuclear option in 1998.
— PTI, UNI |
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Power crisis: Shiv Sainiks assault MSEB workers
Mumbai, May 2 The police said 18 activists were arrested. More than 50 activists converged on the MSEB’s offices at Rasta Peth in Pune and demanded that power to parts of the city should be restored immediately. When the staffers refused to do so, they were beaten up. After the police dispersed the Shiv Sainiks, employees of the MSEB turned against mediapersons covering the incident and attacked some of them. Subsequently, journalists affiliated to the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ) staged a sit-in at the MSEB offices to protest the assault on the mediapersons. Incidents of violence were also reported from Nagpur today where an angry mob gheraoed the MSEB urban circle Chief Engineer V.N. Borade to protest load shedding. The police were later called in to rescue the official. Meanwhile, the MSEB Chairman Jayant Kawale admitted yesterday that the power situation in the state would be in a critical condition for the next three years. So far, 20 incidents of rioting have been reported across the state. The police has had to open fire in some places to rescue MSEB employees. The power situation in Maharashtra has worsened with the MSEB shutting down power supply for as long as nine hours. Sources say more than 2,00,000 power connections have been issued to farmers ever since the state government provided free power to the agriculture sector last year. Maharashtra now faces a power shortfall of 4,000 MW.
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NGO: TN has 40 lakh child workers
Chennai, May 2 A prominent NGO — Campaign Against Child Labour
(CACL) — has stated that the number of child workers employed in various sectors in Tamil Nadu stood at a whopping 40 lakh. It alleged, in its latest field report, that though many children had lost their lives while working in brickkilns in Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts, the government had not taken any steps to check this growing problem. According to the Tamil Nadu
co-ordinator of CACL, Ms. N. Radha, the CACL research team had visited many brickkilns in Kanyakumai district and found over 5,000 children were employed in 900
brickkilns. Most of these children were aged between 6 and 14. The report stated that around 500 migrant labourers and their families, including their children, worked in those kilns and the bricks made there were in great demand in Kerala. It also mentioned that the children were engaged in hard labour which involved tasks like stomping and seasoning of the clay for long hours, watering it, loading seasoned clay onto carts, transporting it, cutting bricks, stacking burnt bricks in the window method, transporting the cut bricks into the kilns and harvesting the burnt bricks from the hot kilns. Ms Radha said even female children were also made to do arduous tasks like harvesting burnt bricks from the kilns and gathering broken bricks. The kiln owners paid Rs 30 per day to each child while adults were paid Rs 50 per day as wages. |
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Adopt Gujarat model to eradicate leprosy, says Kalam
New Delhi, May 2 Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh (HKNS) today, he called for concentrated efforts in Bihar, UP, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, which accounted for 70 per cent of the occurrence in the country. “Concerted efforts are needed for diagnosing the causes for this situation and developing strategies by which we can bring down to the level of less than one leprosy case per 10,000 population before 2005,” he said. The total number of patients in the country has come down from 4 million to 0.3 million during 1981 to 2004. He said the severely affected states should adopt the Gujarat model for leprosy elimination, disability care and the rehabilitation of patients. “Gujarat carried out a comprehensive programme in which the state medical colleges, hospitals and NGOs became active partners. Based on the needs of particular districts they have carried out reconstructive surgery camps and mega camps to treat large number of patients,” Dr Kalam said. |
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New environment policy soon New Delhi, May 2 Replying to a discussion in the Rabya Sabha on the functioning of his Ministry, Environment and Forest Minister A Raja said the government was consulting states and NGOs with regard to the new policy. He said Joint Forest Management Committees would be set up in every village to boost afforestation. He lauded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's initiative in setting up a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau on the lines of the CBI. The Minister refuted reports that tigers were
disappearing in the country and said the situation in Sariska could not be compared with other tiger reserves. The minister said tigers had
disappeared in Sariska due to "biotic pressure" caused by factors like unregulated traffic and tourist flow. He said tiger was unable to reproduce under such pressure. The minister said tiger sightings had been reported in Bharatpur and some other areas where the animal was not spotted normally. He said the government intended to give the tribals `pattas' or rights to land. He said the matter was subjudice and government will try for early vacation of the stay given by the court.
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Cong takes exception to Jogi’s behaviour New Delhi, May 2 Mrs. Margaret Alva, AICC General Secretary incharge of Chhattisgarh, and the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) have been asked to submit a report on the unseemly scenes witnessed during Dr. Manmohan Singh’s first visit to the state. The matter could be referred to the disciplinary committee and a show-cause notice may be issued to Mr. Jogi, party sources said. Mr. Jogi was apparently upset when he was not invited to accompany the Prime Minister in his helicopter to the project sites he was visiting in the state. An angry Mr. Jogi accused Mr. Motilal Vora, AICC treasurer and president of the state unit, of getting his name struck off the list in full public view. He openly warned Mr. Vora and others present that they could ill-afford to ignore him in Chhattisgarh. Subsequently, when Mr. Jogi’s supporters shouted angry slogans and heckled Prime Minister when he was addressing party workers. This is not the first time that Mr. Jogi has been in the eye of a storm. He fell foul of the party leadership soon after the last assembly elections when he was caught on tape while trying to “buy up” newly-elected BJP legislators. An
embarrassed party initiated disciplinary action against him and it was only after several months that he was eventually rehabilitated.
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Mamata refuses to align with Cong in civic poll
Kolkata, May 2 Instead, she stuck to her decision to fight the elections as an NDA partner against both the Congress and the CPM. She virtually "removed" the Mayor, Mr Subrata Mukherjee, 11 MLAs and Municipal Councilors from the party for forming a separate
Congress (I) Manch and defying the party's decision, though on technical ground so far no "dismissal order" has been served on them. Calling Mr Mukherjee and others as "traitors", Ms Banerjee asked the dissidents to leave the party or face the disciplinary actions. Mr Mukherjee, on the other hand, accused Ms Banerjee of running the party whimsically as a dictator. He charged that Ms Banerjee was ruining the party as well as political career of many leaders. |
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NCW moots cell to probe sexual harassment cases New Delhi, May 2 NCW chairperson Girija Vyas , shortly before leaving for Pakistan to attend a Beijing Plus 10 conference in Islamabad on Asian women and their problems, told The Tribune today that the commission was in touch with not only the Chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air force but also the bureaucracy and the political executive on the issue. “The NCW has written to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and if the need arises, we will also approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” she added. The NCW’s hectic lobbying comes close on the heels of the controversial case of an IAF officer, Ms Anjali Gupta, who levelled charges of sexual harassment against three officers in a letter on April 7 to the Chief of the Air Staff and the Ministry of Defence. The working at the Aircraft System and Testing Establishment (ASTE), had also complained to the police in February against the three senior officers. She is separately facing court martial proceeding on the charges of indiscipline, insubordination and financial irregularities. Ms Vyas said a women officer to deal with cases of harassment should head the proposed cell in all wings of the armed forces and even those related to women. “We wanted a fair hearing for Ms Gupta in sexual harassment allegations she had made against her superiors. The IAF has already agreed the NCW’s demand of including 50 per cent women officers in the Court of Inquiry ordered on April 27,” she said. Reacting to whether sexual harassment was being used as a weapon by women officers to get out of difficult situations, she said, while it was in the interest of the women to be tough and up to the mark, especially when competing with men in high-level jobs, the fact that they were vulnerable could not be ignored. “Though women should be strong enough, especially when they want to be treated on a par with men, one cannot ignore that they face certain inherent problems for which they should have some safeguards. Since the armed forces have opened doors to women, they should also protect them. Besides ensuring that a woman facing harassment at the work place has someone to approach right in the beginning and not when she is charged with indiscipline, the cell will also provide counselling,” she said.
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Naval top officers meet today
New Delhi, May 2 A Navy spokesman said here that due to extra-regional forces increasing their presence in the Indian Ocean — both in terms of numbers and capability — the maritime security environment was becoming ‘’more complex, more fluid and significantly more challenging. As a result there was need to make the Navy more operationally focused force and capable of dealing with the changing environment of the 21st century. All these issues were expected to be the key topics for discussion at the Naval Commanders’ Conference being hosted by the Western Naval Command. The conference is being attended by the brass from the Integrated Headquarters at New Delhi, the Command Headquarters and Fleet Commanders. |
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Urban transport policy in offing
New Delhi, May 2 Responding to supplementaries during question hour, the minister said the policy document would include suggestions for having sky bus, trolley bus, light mono rail and elevated rail. To a question on the MRTS system for Chandigarh, the minister said the public sector BHEL had been engaged to undertake a study of the electrical trolley bus system and the Centre was partly funding the study cost of Rs 70 lakh.
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SC asks Centre, states to implement ban on scavenging
New Delhi, May 2 Seeking details from the Social Welfare Department and the civic bodies as to what extent the practice was still continuing in the country, a Bench of Mr Justice S.N. Variava and Mr Justice H.K. Sema directed the states to take immediate steps to implement the ban. The direction was issued by the court, while hearing a PIL by Safai Karamchari Andolan, a body representing over eight lakh scavengers in the country. They have sought stoppage of the inhuman practice of carrying night soil by human beings and provide alternative work for them. |
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Probe into charges
by Anjali begins
Bangalore, May 2 The four-member inquiry team including two women, headed by Air Vice-Marshal V.R. Iyer, was going through relevant documents to look into the charges by Ms Gupta at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), where she works as an education officer.
— PTI
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Ashish Sinha is Bihar DGP
Patna, May 2 Mr Sinha would continue to hold the additional charge of Director-General of Vigilance Bureau, Chief Secretary K. A. H. Subramanian told reporters here. The flood-relief scam allegedly involves former Patna District Magistrate Gautam Goswami and others. Mr Subrmanian said Mr Mishra was shifted to the state police building corporation as its Chairman-cum-Managing Director.
— PTI
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‘Black’ declared best film Karunakaran quits RS seat Himanshu gets CISF addl charge |
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