New Delhi, September 22
The funding and implementation of various government schemes by NGOs needs to be monitored closely as there is growing concern of “abuse” of the resources by these agencies, was the concern expressed by the Accountants-General at their annual meeting which concluded here today.

“There has been a proliferation in partnership of NGOs in the social development process. While this has added tremendous value at the grassroot level, there have been growing concerns regarding abuse of this partnership by some vested interests,” stated the press statement issued at the end of the session.

The focus of the deliberations of this 23rd conference was on linkages of Public audit to good governance and widespread concern for improving the quality of public services and towards optimizing the outcome of state interventions.

It also expressed concern for good governance extending to public sector enterprises, where huge public resources were being wasted.

The conference deliberated on four themes including mid-term review of the Perspective Plan 2003-08, enhancing effectiveness of audit, adopting international best practices on audit quality management and responding to new challenges.

The conference recommended the possibility of carrying out audits at different stages of the project cycle in selected schemes; providing audit inputs at pre-determined intervals to enable suitable corrective action in consonance with international best practices; review audit approach for facilitating use of upgraded technology by auditees for more efficient utilization of resources and formulate a strategy to respond to the impact of e-commerce on accountability issues.

The conference also recommended the refinement of the scope of audit to take on board these growing concerns. In addition, it suggested changes in legislation relating to audit of public companies.

The Conference noted that the government had already accepted the recommendation of the 12th Finance Commission regarding introduction of accrual based accounting system.

A study carried out by ICRA Management Consultancy Services has suggested a broad framework for this transition. Preparations will be required in establishing accounting policies and principles, changing administrative structures and human resources development.

The Perspective Plan 2003-08 adopted at the last conference in 2003 had also quite reflected concern for good governance in its Mission. The comprehensive set of goals and the activities and initiatives with milestones included in the Plan provided a blueprint for channelising efforts.

Earlier, inaugurating the conference, President APJ Abdul Kalam presented a seven-point agenda for auditors.

Citing his experience of the ‘Agni’ missile programme, he asked auditors to adopt real-time and online corrections to various state-run schemes instead of audits after the programme.

Asking the Comptroller and Auditor General to become a partner in the country’s agriculture mission to double foodgrain production to 400 million tonnes by 2020, he said CAG should make effective contribution to ensure that funds reached the targeted people. Kalam said CAG’s experience in Jawahar Rozgar Yojana should be shared with the Rural Development Ministry to enable it to take proactive corrective action while implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

New Delhi, September 22
In a bid to reduce stress on over-stretched police and paramilitary forces, the Centre today announced that it would raise 300 new battalions for them.

“The government has decided that 300 battalions will be raised, not just for the BSF but also for other police forces,”

Home Minister Shivraj Patil told newspersons here after inaugurating the 33rd annual training conference of the BSF.

He was replying to reporters’ questions with regard to BSF Director-General R.S. Mooshahary’s request that 20 reserve battalions be raised for the force.

Mr Patil, however, did not give details about the timeframe for raising the battalions or the para-military forces which will benefit. Each battalion has around 1,000 personnel.

The BSF and other paramilitary forces have been insisting on raising more battalion as their personnel hardly get time for training because of almost perennial field duties.

Mr Patil said he had discussed with senior BSF officials about various aspects of training, including physical, weapon, psychological and disaster management which he said were “among the best in the world.”

Earlier, addressing BSF personnel, Mr Patil asked them to adopt modern training techniques to keep pace with the changing security environment.

The minister expressed happiness that the BSF was conscious of the importance of training and had already initiated a number of steps on these lines.

In his welcome address, BSF Director-General R. S. Mooshahary said due to the force being over- committed for various duties, specially for deployment in the counter insurgency grid, elections, etc, collective training had been adversely affected.

“This conference is not only meant for taking stock of the status of the training in the force but also to analyse problems connected therewith,” he said stressing the need to ensure that the BSF companies deployed on the borders remain 100 per cent battle worthy.

The BSF Director-General further stated that keeping in view the present internal security situation, the only practical way out was to raise adequate battalions as reserves, so that these battalions can be rotated and the annual collective training of all companies ensured.

In this context, he urged the Home Minister to personally look into the finalisation of the proposal of raising 20 reserve battalions at the earliest.

New Delhi, September 22
Chandigarh will host the next conclave of the Congress chief ministers on October 7 and 8, AICC general secretary Ambika Soni announced today.

Although these meetings were a regular feature when the Congress was in the Opposition, this will be the first such conclave after the party came to power at the Centre.

Earlier meetings held at Guwahati, Srinagar and Mount Abu had focused on specific themes relating to the implementation of the party’s election promises.

The agenda for this meeting is yet to be formalised, but the party is hoping that the gathering of 15 chief ministers and the two-day deliberations will send out a message to the poll-bound states that the Congress is a natural party of governance.

While retaining its focus on the implementation of the party manifestos, next month’s conclave will draw special attention to the UPA government’s major achievements, especially the passage of the the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill and the Right to Information Act to emphasise that the Congress delivers on its promises.

“ The meeting is also expected to review the implementation of the Centrally-sponsored schemes and how these can be made more effective,” Ms Soni said. In addition, she said, priority areas identified by the party like rural health, agriculture, power situation and law and order may also figure in the discussions.

The meeting will be chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but in the changed situation when the party’s nominee is heading a government at the Centre, it will be an occasion for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to brief the chief ministers on the ruling coalition’s thrust areas to ensure that the Centre and the states work in tandem.

Although Ms Soni was at pains to clarify that the meeting is not meant to put the chief ministers in the dock, the conclave will focus on the performance of the CMs.

Jaipur, September 22
The general belief that corruption was rampant in conducting law examinations at Rajasthan University proved a stark reality when it was discovered that an IPS Officer, Mr. Sunil Kumar Mehrotra, scored the highest percentage of marks at the LLM Part-I Examination, 2005, by attending just one lecture during the entire academic session.

Not only that, Mr Mehrotra was the only candidate who had secured first division among the hundred students studying the postgraduate law course. He is currently posted as IGP with the State Human Rights Commission.

According to the rules, a student has to get 75 per cent attendance to be eligible to appear at any examination of the university. Accordingly, Mr Mehrotra should have been barred him from appearing for the examination.

However, he was not only admitted to the final annual test but also rewarded with the distinction of being a topper. A complaint lodged with the anti-corruption bureau revealed that besides Mr Mehrotra, there were more than half a dozen influential students who had got merit positions.

The complaint disclosed that these students included the daughter of a judge of the Rajasthan higher judicial service. She is reported to have received the first rank at the LLM examination. Other students who got merit positions in LLM/LLB examinations during the past four years were also either sons and daughters of senior bureaucrats or university professors.

New Delhi, September 22
Calling for drastic reduction in restrictions on people’s movement across the LoC, the ‘intra-Jammu and Kashmir heart-to-heart talks’ ended today with the participants urging “all concerned to avoid all types of violence as it was detrimental to peace and stability in the region.”

The note released at the end of talks said that governments of India and Pakistan should refrain from antagonistic propaganda against each other. It recommended review of detenue cases and general amnesty to prisoners on the two sides. It urged the governments to consider reduction in level of deployment of military and para-military forces on both sides.

The participants resolved to strive for return of displaced persons back to their homes in the state. They said that promoting contacts between youth on the two sides will help the peace process.

The participants suggested that the two governments should develop a mechanism to share each other’s expertise so as to improve the living condition of people in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir and take early steps for revival of trade relations and tourism.

While intending to promote intra-parliamentary forum to increase contacts between parliamentarians on both sides, the participants urged all official and non-official institutions to extend cooperation in the efforts to promote greater understanding and help the peace process reach its logical conclusion. They hoped that the forum will be broadened to forge a consensus on furthering the confidence building measures, including reopening of old and traditional routes to facilitate people-to-people contact.

Former Prime Minister and President of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Sardar Muhammad Abdul Qayyum Khan, who briefed the media about the deliberations, said that increasing facilities for people’s movement across LoC will promote better understanding between the two countries. Answering queries, Mr Qayyum said that the talks had been kept at a low profile to avoid hype. About lack of condemnation of terrorism in the joint note, he said participants had called for end to all kinds of violence.

Mr Qayyum, who was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh, said that the participants looked forward to participation of representatives from Gilgit\Baltistan in subsequent heart-to-heart talks.

The two-day talks were attended among others by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and former All Party Hurriyat Conference chief Abdul Ghani Bhat, former MP Inder Jit and noted lawyer Ashok Bhan.

The participants from PoK included a 14-member delegation of Muslim Conference and members from National Awami Party, Pakistan People’s Party (Shahid Bhutto), besides lawyers and academicians. However, some of those invited for the talks including Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mr Shabir Shah of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party did not come.

The talks were organised by Indian Council of World Affairs and Coordination Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Leaders and Intellectuals.

New Delhi, September 22
Seized of Bihar Assembly dissolution imbroglio, in which the role of Governor Buta Singh is under scrutiny, the Supreme Court today expressed serious concern over the “political appointees” in Raj Bhavans often leading to such controversies.

Referring to Sarkaria Commission recommendations, laying down guidelines for the Governor to be followed when using his powers under Article 356 recommending Central rule in a state, a Constitution Bench, headed by Mr Justice Y. K. Sabharwal said as long as political appointees continued to occupy Raj Bhavans, such problems would prevail.

“A person may be a Chief Minister today and a Governor tomorrow. He is a human being and cannot function as a machine by switching on and off and will not be influenced by his political agenda,” said the Bench, having Mr Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, Mr Justice B. N. Agrawal, Mr Justice Ashok Bhan and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat as other judges.

The crucial issue arose when there were heated arguments on the alleged “misuse” of powers by Bihar Governor with “political” consideration.

“The Governors are sacked and appointed on political consideration. This is an important issue. Governors’ appointment has in fact become a source of accommodation of party functionaries... this is a serious matter,” the court observed.

The court drew the attention of the government towards the recommendations of Sarkaria Commission to ensure that democratic process was not derailed due to certain wrong actions of those occupying Raj Bhavans.

New Delhi, September 22
The Janata Dal (United) today said that the Bharatiya Janata Party should give up its claim on three Assembly seats in favour of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Independent candidates who joined the National Democratic Alliance.

Commenting on the BJP’s refusal to withdraw its claim to the Chakai, Khagaria and Sakti Assembly seats in Bihar, JD(U) secretary general K.C. Tyagi told TNS here that there would be no compromise on these three seats. “Let the BJP be hell bent on pressing its claim to these seats. The tickets for the three seats should be given to the LJP and Independent candidates who took part in our parade in our efforts to prove the numbers to form a popular government in the state.”

He said the BJP ought to acknolwedge the sacrifice of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Independent candidates. “The NDA strength was 92. It was the Independent candidates and the Lok Janshakti Party candidates who raised the numbers to 131 when we paraded our MLAs in Delhi to prove our strength following the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly.”