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Boeing enters fray with Super Hornets Left poser to PM on gas pipeline
Navy told to renegotiate Scorpene deal |
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CAG raps UP cane corpn
4 crore job seekers in the market
Plug PDS holes: SC to Centre
PSUs shouldn’t be out of CAG’s purview, says Speaker
MP to scrap Panchayat Act on two-child norm
Hurriyat offer a stunt: Pandits
Dacoit Buddh Singh
shot
Owners of dance bars to challenge ban
3 blasts before Lalu’s court appearance
Pak team to visit Baglihar site
Law & order problem in Rajasthan worries Sonia
e-filing return date extended
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Boeing enters fray with Super Hornets
New Delhi, July 22 As a bait, the manufacturers of the Super Hornets also offered India the opportunity of transfer of technology with a possibility of it also being marketed at a later stage. There are already four aircraft manufacturers, including another one from the US, in the race for the order, which would probably be one of the biggest to be awarded by India. Talks on the offer are expected to move forward in the next six to eight weeks when US Navy officials are expected to hold talks with the IAF officials here. Chris Chadwick, the Boeing vice-president for the F/A-18 Programs, while making a formal presentation regarding its bid for the order stated that the company was ready to offer India the manufacturing facilities. When asked whether it was willing to offer India the marketing rights, as was being offered by some other manufacturers, Mr Chadwick said it could be considered at a later date when the costs of manufacture in India came down. The offer from Boeing can be termed significant especially as the US is known to not provide marketing rights to another country for its products, although it is offering the technology transfer and a manufacturing base. The other US firm that is also in the race is Lockheed Martin, which has already put on offer its F-16 combat aircraft. The other aircraft on offer to the IAF are Mirage-2000, Grippen combat aircraft from Sweden and the MiG-29 from Russia. However, it is the offer from France that has been the most lucrative one so far for India with it even willing to offer India the marketing rights for the Mirage, besides making a manufacturing base here for its latest version of the combat aircraft. Incidentally, the IAF has also shown its willingness towards the Mirage-2000 aircraft as they are already in the Indian inventory and also have a fairly good track record. However, experts here now point out that the possibility of the Mirage getting a go-ahead over others was receding fast, especially now with the entry of Boeing with its Super Hornets, which incidentally remain one of the largest selling combat aircraft around the world. According to Mr Chadwick, the company had received a request for information (RFI) in November last and as per the offer being made, 18 Super Hornets would be provided to India in flyaway condition with the rest being manufactured here, possibly at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bangalore. Although the Boeing official did not disclose the price tag it wanted on the aircraft, he said it was being supplied to the US Navy at $ 53.8 million apiece. He, however, clarified that formal talks over the issue were still to begin. Claiming that the Super Hornets, which are now being operated only by the US Navy, provided “the latest in advanced technology available anywhere in the world”, Mr Chadwick said the company was pleased to offer “a premier aircraft that will help guarantee the security of India and its people”. The Super Hornet is the second (Block-2) phase of the Hornet, which is flown by seven other countries besides the US and include Kuwait, Australia, Malaysia, Canada, Finland, Switzerland and Spain. The fighter is fitted with electronic beaming capabilities, ray radar, day-night strike with precision- guided weapons, besides integrated and networked systems, situational awareness and support, which allows direct communication with the troops on ground or ships at sea. The Boeing official said the US aircraft major was hopeful of receiving the RFP document soon. Asked about which of the aero-support systems would Boeing be ready to provide to India, Chadwick said it would depend on the recently-concluded Indo-US Defence Framework and the issue was “premature” at this stage. |
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Left poser to PM on gas pipeline
New Delhi, July 22 “The Prime Minister should immediately clarify whether the commitment to the pipeline project has been diluted as a result of his visit to the USA,” the four Left parties said after more than an hour long meeting here. They said “going ahead of the pipeline project is an acid test for the UPA government’s commitment to an independent policy serving national interests.” The Prime Minster in an interview to Washington Post on the gas pipeline project said: “I am realistic enough to realise that there are many risks, because considering all the uncertainties of the situation there in Iran. I don’t know if any international consortium of bankers would probably underwrite this.” “It is very unfortunate that the Prime Minister has made such remarks in Washington when it is well-known that the USA is opposed to the project,” CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said after the Left parties meet. Observers were of the view that it is puzzling whether the nuclear energy cooperation deal was a quid pro quo to virtual abandoning the gas pipeline project. In a crisis management move, officials in the Petroleum Ministry said the Prime Minister had only underlined the risks inherent in the project, which had been highlighted in the past too. The officials felt the moves of the three countries in appointing global consultants are “precisely to address these risks and have in place built-in arrangements to guard against them”. The Left leaders said the Prime Minister had told them during separate meetings before his visit to the USA that all the countries associated with the project were matters”. Replying to questions, Mr Karat said disinvestment in BHEL was not discussed at today’s meeting. “So far as we are concerned, the chapter is closed,” he said adding the Left parties were firm in their stand on the issue. Asked if the Left parties would support the employment guarantee Bill in its present form, Mr Karat said “let us first see the form (whether the recommendations of the standing committee have been incorporated).” Today’s meeting also discussed the issue of one-thirds reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures, he said. Mr Karat said the Left parties wanted the government to bring the original Bill providing one-thirds reservation for women in the forthcoming session of Parliament. This will be in keeping with the commitment made in the Common Minimum Programme. He said the Left parties expressed “serious concern” over the worsening situation in Manipur arising out of blockade of the highway which had snapped communication network of the state. The Left parties urged the Centre to intervene immediately to restore the road and other communications so that normalcy returned to the state. He said the Left parties would write a joint letter to the Prime Minister in this regard.
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Navy told to renegotiate Scorpene deal New Delhi, July 22 As part of the renegotiations, the focus would be on issues like warranty and integrity pact. He however, he ruled out entertaining any new offers from different manufacturers. The naval chief made this observation when asked if the German HDW submarine was also in the race. Speaking to reporters on the occasion of the second anniversary of the newsmagazine Force here, the naval chief ,who outlined his vision for the Navy, however, clarified that the entire Scorpene deal would not be reopened. The navy had completed the mandatory price negotiations with the French for the acquisition of the Scorpene submarines a year back and sent the proposal for final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). However, the CCS had directed the government to carry out further negotiations and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had on Monday last said that certain issues regarding the deal would be renegotiated. These issues included price escalation and integrity pact which entails that the seller would have to give an undertaking that no dubious means or middlemen were used for any deals worth over $ 300 million. The Navy urgently needed the submarines to augment its fast ageing and depleting underwater capabilities and delays like the one regarding Scorpene were seriously hampering this process and Admiral Prakash said the government was apprised of this urgency. The naval chief also said the recent Indo-US defence framework signed by Mr. Mukherjee and his counterpart Donald Rumsfeld, had opened up the field for India and for the first time allowed the sale of military hardware. An Indian navy team would visit the US in the next few weeks to have a look at some specialised landing ships and minesweepers, he said. The Navy was also negotiating with the US for purchasing some long-range maritime P3C Orion aircraft, he said, adding that the Navy could also issue global tenders if India was not satisfied with the US offer. Outlining his vision for the Navy, Admiral Prakash said India had to have a credible maritime power to meet the challenges posed by fast changing strategic scenario. He pointed out that the Indian Ocean and rim around the Bay of Bengal had become the centre of focus following the 9\11 incident. The Indian Navy was taking suitable steps to strengthen its capabilities in order to protect its sea lanes, economic zone and ensure energy security, he said while stressing that the focus of the planners was on self-reliance and indigenisation. He said that the Indian shipyards were now manufacturing 20 warships of different categories, including an aircraft carrier, and the navy was waiting for government clearance for another 20 ships.
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CAG raps UP cane corpn
Lucknow, July 22 Speaking to National Horticultural Board officials during his visit to the state capital, Mr Pawar underlined the need to double agricultural production during the 11th Five Year Plan. For this Uttar Pradesh had to increase productivity of sugarcane and wheat, he pointed out. However, the CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2004 last year, tabled in the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday has recorded lapses ranging from inadequate cane development, to minimal cane procurement, excess losses during crushing and poor plant performance and excess consumption of bagasse that is used as fuel. The report also pointed out lapses in the sale of molasses, unfruitful expenditure on computerisation of sales procedure, lower sales causing higher level of finished sugar as inventory. The CAG report points out that the government had not done enough to promote early varieties of sugarcane that not only has higher sugar content but also ensures that the mills start the crushing season at an early date. A meager expenditure of Rs 4.74 crore (0.30) was made towards cane development in respect of its 11 mills against procurement of 1,745.54 lakh quintal of cane valued at Rs 1,577.53 crore. Procurement of high- yield early variety remained as low as 10 to 11 per cent. “Had the company made concerted efforts for development of high-yielding varieties of sugarcane, the company could have improved the sugar production,” the CAG visit Report notes. The report also observes that the 11 mills collectively could not procure the quantity of cane due to stiff competition from private mills. The delay in the payment of cane price by the government mills, delay in starting operations, higher rates offered by the private mills and prolonged waiting time by the cane growers due to frequent and prolonged mill stoppages during season has been listed as the reasons for low procurements.
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4 crore job seekers in the market
New Delhi, July 22 The red bastion of West Bengal topped with 70 lakh job seekers registered with the employment exchange. Of the annual 2.7 lakh annual notified jobs, over 50 lakh job seekers annually register with the employment exchanges across the country, according to the data released by the Directorate-General of the Employment and Training of the Labour Ministry. Although the notified jobs in 2004 were comparatively more than 2.6 lakh jobs notified in 2003, the placement from those registered with the employment exchanges were lower in 2004 than the previous year. “The placement, which was of the order of 1.55 lakh during 2003, has gone down to 1.38 lakh in 2004. Out of the total number of vacancies notified during 2004 around 50 per cent were filled through the employment exchanges. Placement to submission ratio at the All India level was around 7.6 per cent,” the ministry said. The maximum number of 70 lakh job seekers through employment exchanges were in West Bengal followed by 45.1 lakh in Tamil Nadu, 43.9 lakh in Maharashtra and 37.5 lakh in Kerala. The number of vacancies notified by the employment exchange during 2004 were highest in Gujarat (74,400) followed by Maharashtra (35,700), Tamil Nadu (28,00) and West Bengal (22,700). In other states, the number of vacancies notified varied between 18.6 thousand to 0.1 thousand. The employment exchanges sponsored 18 lakh job seekers, out of which only 1.4 lakh could find placement, which is far less than 2.7 lakh vacancies notified during 2004. Gujarat got the highest placement figure of 65,000. However, placement to submission ratio was maximum in Jammu and Kashmir (37.5 per cent) followed by Jharkhand (31 per cent), and Haryana (25.4 per cent).
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Plug PDS holes: SC to Centre
New Delhi, July 22 Stating that this could be started with the National Capital Territory of Delhi to make it a “role model” for implementation in every state, a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice S. H. Kapadia, took serious note of the large-scale pilferage of commodities, depriving the poor people of PDS benefits. Directing Delhi Government counsel Ashok Bhan to come up with a response on making available information of PDS beneficiaries, number of ration cards allotted in the Capital, action taken on complaints against fair-price shop-owners and Food Department officials for irregularities by August 1, the Court said the PDS system could not be allowed to be hoodwinked. The Court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), by People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), highlighting the loopholes in the PDS, starvation deaths reported in recent times from states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. PUCL counsel Kolin Gonsalves said according to a research done by an NGO, Parivartan, about the working of the PDS in the country, especially in Delhi, which the Court wanted to take up as a case study for examination of the system, huge pilferage had been found. The study report, which was prepared in the presence of officials from Food Department of Delhi Government, says that in some areas 90 per cent of the PDS ration was finding its way to the open market from the government storage. The Court also took note of the very low commission paid to fair-price shop owners, which could be a reason for their indulgence in irregularities, and asked the Union Government to consider whether the commission could be enhanced. Mr Gonsalves said the Union Government was spending Rs 30,000 crore annually on the PDS, which was one of the largest system for providing food security to
the poor. |
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PSUs shouldn’t be out of CAG’s purview, says Speaker
New Delhi, July 22 “There are attempts to keep the regulatory bodies, whose decisions affect the government finances and the public in a significant manner, out of CAG jurisdiction through statutory provisions like TRAI Act,” the Speaker said at a CAG seminar here. Mr Chatterjee said the country must know about the emerging risks of such efforts and take suitable measures in the best interest of general public. He also decried a suggestion that the government companies should be taken out of the purview of the CAG’s audit. “I view this with great concern as it dilutes the accountability of enterprises created out of public money,” he said, adding that public sector corporation is not merely a profit maximising commercial entity. As such, it is difficult for a private auditor carrying out a financial audit to report comprehensively on the performance of public sector corporation in respect of achievements of its social and other special objectives. “Past history has shown that CAG’s audit of public sector enterprises has been able to identify major instances of mis-management, waste and fraud, including material errors in accounts, which would have gone undetected, had the Company Law not empowered the CAG to carry out supplementary and test audit,” Mr Chatterjee said. He also expressed concern that devolution of funds to panchayat and local urban bodies is not scrutinised by the CAG in most states at present. “I understand that CAG’s institution is the primary auditor only in the three states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, and in other states, the CAG audits only those local bodies which fall under its audit purview,” he said. Hailing the move by 18 major states to fully entrust audit of panchayats and urban local bodies to CAG under the technical guidance and supervision scheme, he said accountability of NGOs, increasingly involved with the execution of public sector programmes, was another area of concern since they were not subject to audit by the CAG. Parliament and its committees have been deliberating issues relating to PSUs, government institutions and development expenditure in the era of economic reforms and WTO regime, he said and urged for the cooperation between Parliament and CAG. Senior BJP leader and Central Public Accounts Committee Chairman V.K. Malhotra called for greater synergy between the CAG and the PAC to strengthen the accountability mechanism. Comptroller and Auditor-General Vijayendra N Kaul said the country must find an effective solution to the disposal of audit objections.
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MP to scrap Panchayat Act on two-child norm
New Delhi, July 22 A Cabinet Committee has been constituted to review the provisions of the Act enacted during Mr Digijay Singh’s tenure as Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babu Lal Gaur said, addressing a press conference here today. After the committee gave its report it would be placed in the Cabinet for consideration and scrapped if so recommended. The Chief Minister said he was going to raise this issue in the conference of the National Population Commission, convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the national capital tomorrow. He said unless the law was applied at the national level uniformly to all its employees, MPs and MLAs, singling out those contesting panchayat, janpath and nagarpalika elections for application of this Act was unjust. According to the Chief Minister, the provision for not allowing those having more than two children to contest elections to civic body or making them resign from the post of pancha or sarpancha for producing the third child had ruined some families. This had led to those affected by the law to disown their own children or to declare them illegitimate. It had also led to disputes in the families and even to divorces, and hence was anti-social. Many women’s organisations in Madhya Pradesh had pleaded for scrapping of the law and Union Panchayat Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar too had written to him to have the law withdrawn, Mr Gaur claimed. |
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Hurriyat offer a stunt: Pandits
Mumbai, July 22 Bodies like Forum for Internally Displaced People and Panun Kashmir, which seek to represent the pandits dismissed the recent moves by Hurriyat to woo back the minority Hindu community. “The call for dialogue is a stunt and drama. In fact many of the Hurriyat leaders were responsible for the rapes and murders of pandits during 1989-90,” Mr Moti Kaul, Chairman, FIDP told reporters here. According to Mr Kaul, the Hurriyat is singing a different tune at the behest of the Pakistan Government. “The past 14 years have shown how fundamentalist they are,” Mr Kaul said. Dismissing the Hurriyat’s offers as a political gimmick, pandits are demanding increased benefits from the Kashmir Government. “Though one lakh government jobs have been created by the present government, only 200 jobs have been given to pandits,” Mr Kaul said. According to him 30,000 members of the Pandit community were employed in government jobs when they were thrown out of the Kashmir valley 14 years ago. Mr Kaul added that the pandits should also be made party to the peace process initiated by the Indian government and Kashmiri separatists.
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Dacoit Buddh Singh
shot
Lucknow, July 22 According to the police, policemen from Kuthauth police station came to the jungles on the bank of the river following a tipoff. Crossing the river, about 8 or 10 members of the Nirbhay Gujjar gang came face to face with the police. While rest of the members jumped into the river and swam to safety, Lathi was killed in the encounter. One stengun, 7 firearms, along with a heavy amount of ammunition, was recovered from him. The police was still looking for the remaining members of the gang. |
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Owners of dance bars to challenge ban
Mumbai, July 22 Cutting across party lines, MLAs of the Shiv Sena and BJP voted last night with legislators of the ruling Congress and NCP to shut down dance bars across the state. “We are ready to legally challenge the law as and when the notification is formally issued,” Manjeet Sethi who heads the Fight for Rights of Bar Owners Association. According to him, the body will try and obtain a stay on the order in courts. The bar owners say, the government is discriminating against them even as dance performances are allowed in clubs and star hotels. The state government will now send the Bill for ratification to the Assembly’s upper house, the legislative council. In all nearly 2,000 bars in the state will be shut down. Bar owners say some 75,000 girls will be rendered unemployed if the bars are shut. |
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3 blasts before Lalu’s court appearance
Patna, July 22 The bombs, which were thrown in quick succession, shattered the windowpanes and glasses of the shop, city police Superintendent Shalin said, adding that one of the injured was a shop employee. The bombers later managed to flee, he said not ruling out an extortion bid. “We are investigating the case with an open mind,” he said when asked if it was an extortion bid. Securitymen immediately cordoned off the area after the explosion and launched a hunt for the bombers. Four persons have been detained for questioning in connection with the incident, he said. The condition of one of the injured persons was critical. Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav appeared in a court in connection with a disproportionate assets case against him and wife Rabri Devi.
— PTI |
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Pak team to visit Baglihar site New Delhi, July 22 This will be the second time when Pakistani experts are allowed by India to conduct on-site inspection of the Baglihar project after the first such inspection was done by the Pakistanis in October 2003. The visit is under the framework of action plan devised by the World Bank neutral expert on Baglihar controversy, Mr Rymond Lafft, who himself is expected to conduct an on-site inspection of the Baglihar dam in October. The eight-member Pakistani delegation will be led by Pakistan’s Indus Treaty Commissioner Syed Zamayat Ali Shah and will interact with the Indian delegation led by Mr Shah’s Indian counterpart, Mr D.K. Mehta. An interesting member of the Pakistani delegation is a Canadian expert. The Pakistani delegation will first be visiting a Water Resources Ministry-managed facility in Roorkee where a model of Baglihar dam is located. The Pakistani experts will first be briefed about the technical parameters of the Baglihar project and then be taken to Jammu for the project site inspection which is expected to take place on July 24. The Indian effort will be to tell the Pakistanis how the technical parameters of the project do not violate the Indus Water Treaty signed between India and Pakistan and guaranteed by the World Bank.
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Law & order problem in Rajasthan worries Sonia
Jaipur, July 22 In a communication addressed to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, she said that with regard to various projects pertaining to the drinking water problem and wake for irrigation purposes pending consideration with the UPA government, she would be writing to the ministries concerned for the speedy clearance. However, at the same time, she has advised Ms Raje to take care of the safety and security of the people by promoting peaceful environs in the state. The communication in question was in response to Ms Raje’s recent letter reminding her of the assurance given by her when last month she visited Sohela village in Tonk district where five persons were killed in police firing on the agitating farmers for a release of water from Bisalpur dam to their area. |
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e-filing return date extended
New Delhi, July 22 This is for assessees whose due date was July 31, 2005. This has been done in exercise of powers conferred under Section 119 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The tax returns are to be filed under Section 139 (1b) of the IT Act, 1961.
— UNI |
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CBI chargesheets Amit
Jogi
New Delhi, July 22 Amit Jogi, who has been named as the main accused, was charged with murder (Section 302) and criminal conspiracy (Section 120 B of IPC). The chargesheet was filed in a court in Raipur.
— PTI
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MP to scrap Panchayat Act on 2-child norm New Delhi, July 22 A Cabinet Committee has been constituted to review the provisions of the Act enacted during Mr Digijay Singh’s tenure , Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babu Lal Gaur said.
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Natwar, G-4 ministers to meet
New Delhi, July 22 |
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