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Halt on Delhi demolitions; Lok Sabha passes Bill
After Clemenceau, SC seeks report on Blue Lady
BJP may move privilege notice against PM on N-deal
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Buddhadeb elected leader
Spiralling prices alarm Congress, allies
SC rejects Maharashtra minister’s review plea
Rape case verdict in 34 days
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Halt on Delhi demolitions; Lok Sabha passes Bill
New Delhi, May 12 Although the Bill could ire the judiciary, it is expected to provide much needed relief to thousands of resident of Delhi, who were living under the spectre of demolition, following the Supreme Court directive to act against illegal constructions. The Bill, which was piloted by Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, provides for status quo as on January 1, 2006, of unauthorised development in respect of mixed land use, construction beyond sanctioned plans and encroachment by slum dwellers, jhuggi jhopri dwellers, hawkers and street vendors in the Capital. The measure comes after stepped up demands from affected persons and different political parties to halt the demolitions and the sealing of commercial establishments in the Capital in the backdrop of demolition drives launched by the civic authorities following court orders. Mr Reddy said the Delhi Laws (special provisions) Bill, 2006, was to prevent “unnecessary hardships and harassment” to the citizens of Delhi. The Bill, he said, would provide temporary relief to persons residing or carrying out commercial activities or otherwise dependent on such unauthorised development till such time the government finalised a policy or strategy. Replying to the brief discussion, he announced the construction of one lakh apartments for slum dwellers in the next two years through in-situ development. He said through in-situ development, the slum dwellers would be settled where they are residing at present. He said for the construction of these apartments the ministry would generate its own funds and would not look up to the Finance Ministry. With an estimated five lakh immigrants every year and the growing scarcity of land in Delhi, a revised policy for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in multi-storied tenements as well as fresh guidelines for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies were under the government’s consideration, Mr Reddy said. The minister said it was “difficult” for government agencies to implement court directions for the removal of slums in a “rigid time limit” due to the non-availability of land. “The removal of slum dwellers, who are otherwise eligible for relocation under the policy, require protection from their placement pending the finalisation of the revised policy,” he said. On court directions to local bodies to frame specific schemes for street vendors, he said these had to be realistic taking into consideration not only concerns of hawkers and squatters but also citizens’ right on public places. “This would require some time for finalisation”, he said. Describing the measure as coming “too late and too little”, BJP deputy leader V.K. Malhotra said he had sought government action in March, but it had failed to respond. He said 40,000 shops had been sealed, 20,000 houses demolished and slums removed. It was nothing but “criminal negligence” on the government’s part, he alleged.
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After Clemenceau, SC seeks report on Blue Lady
New Delhi, May 12 An environmentalist organisation, Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy (RFSTNRP), moved an application seeking a direction to the Union Government not to allow the ship's entry in Indian waters till the court appointed committee of technical experts had given clearance for it. Taking cognizance of the RFSTNRP’s application, of which special mention was made by its counsel Sanjay Parikh, a Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Markandey Katju directed the committee to submit its report by July after examining the matter. The court also said that if the committee so desired, it could take assistance from the Central Pollution Control Board, Gujarat State Pollution Control Board and Gujarat Maritime Board in examining the ship. RFSTNRP in its application said the Blue Lady, earlier named as SS Norway, and heading for breaking at Alagh “contains substantial amounts of asbestos, a hazardous and cancer causing substance banned in at least 40 countries.” The petitioner said since the apex court had set up a high powered committee under Prof M.G.K Menon to deal with all issues pertaining to hazardous waste in the ship breaking industry or any other depth relating matters, the ship needed to be thoroughly examined. The ship, a large ocean liner built after World War-II by France, which withdrew it in 1974 and latter sold to a Norwegian company in 1979, has 1,250 tonnes of material containing asbestos, the RFSTNRP said. The demise of Blue Lady became certain after it was involved in an accident in May 2003, resulting in the death of several crew members, and the Norwegian company had recently decided to send it to Alagh for burial in the sea, the petition said.
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BJP may move privilege notice against PM on N-deal
New Delhi, May 12 “Preparations are on for moving the notice”, BJP Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra told mediapersons here yesterday. He said the party had been collecting and compiling material, including testimony by US officials before the Senate and the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, on the deal. “These reflect that many aspects of the agreement were hidden by the government. This amounts to misleading both Houses of Parliament, where the Prime Minister had made separate statements”, he said. Under rules, the Lok Sabha Speaker would decide on merits whether to allow a privilege motion against a member. Referring to the testimony in the US Senate on the Indo-US nuclear deal and the issues and questions being raised there, former External Affairs Minister and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh had recently said he did not see any such courtesy on the part of the government through Parliament or parliamentarians in India. |
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Largest-ever TN ministry to be sworn in today
Chennai, May 12 Mr Karunanidhi met the Governor this afternoon with letters of support from other Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) partners like the Congress, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the two Left parties. The Governor then invited him to form the government. Though the DMK is an atheist party but May 13 was chosen for the swearing in as tomorrow is “Buddha Poornima” and considered a very auspicious day according to the Tamil
calendar. The previous largest ministry was sworn in under the leadership of J. Jayalalithaa in 2001 which had 27 members. Mr Veerappa Moily, CWC member in-charge of Tamil Nadu also met the Governor. Mr Moily said the Congress would extend unconditional support to the DMK government. Though the party is not joining the government now, party sources said it would take a decision after six months evaluating the performance of the new government. As a result, the question of a coalition government in Tamil Nadi has been ruled out at present. Mr Moily said in reciprocity the DMK would provide unconditional support to the government in Pondicherry headed by the Congress which bagged 21 out of a total of 30 Assembly seats. According to a Raj Bhavan press release the ministry would be a blend of experience and youth with 19 new members, including three women. For the first time Mr Karunanidhi’s son and DMK deputy general secretary M. K. Stalin is becoming a minister. He had been a legislator before but never inducted into the cabinet. Two Muslim DMK legislators have also been included in the list of ministers. Mr Karunanidhi wanted the coalition partners to be part of the ministry as it would have strengthened it politically. Since the DMK alone failed to obtain simple majority, the party will be on tenterhooks as any time a coalition partner might threaten to withdraw support. Had the two main partners — the Congress and the Pattali Makkal katchi — being part of the government, they too would have shared the pie and would never have thought of pulling the rug from beneath the DMK government’s feet. By remaining outside the government they would not have any responsibility but enjoy power indirectly. |
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Buddhadeb elected leader
Kolkata, May 12 Earlier, the CPI(M) state secretariat also empowered Mr Bhattacharjee to head the new government, which might be sworn-in on May 18. The council of ministers and the distribution of their portfolios would be finalised after several rounds of bi-lateral talks among the partners and the party’s state committee and secretariat's meetings during the next two-three days. The politburo which will be meeting tomorrow in New Delhi will also formally endorse the decision of re-appointing Mr Bhattacharjee as the new chief minister. Addressing the press conference today, the Left Front chairman, Mr Biman Bose, who is also the CPI(M) secretary in the state, however, told reporters that the date of oath-taking would be finalised only after the oath-taking of the MLAs and other formalities were completed. He said so far no discussions were held regarding the formation of the ministry and the participation of the allies in the new government. Mr Bhattacharjee, however, said that several young and energetic leaders would be inducted in the cabinet for speeding up the development works in various field which had been already undertaken. He said his main task would be to solve the burning problems of unemployment through rapid industrialisation. Other priority sectors like health and sanitation, primary and advanced education, agriculture, power, rural improvement etc would be also given special emphasis. “I’m a socialist but a realist too and that is why I would invite foreign investment and other private sectors in the state’s industrial expansions,” he remarked. Incidentally, Mr Ratan Tata, while congratulating Mr Bhattacharjee, conveyed to him in a note about finalising the decision of setting up a Tata Motors factory in West Bengal, which would produce the Rs 1,00,000 Tata car. |
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Spiralling prices alarm Congress, allies New Delhi, May 12 The minorities were already cut up with the UPA Government over its anti-Iran and pro-US policies. The Congress now fears that it could end up losing the support of the “aam admi” as well as spiralling prices of essential commodities, the decision to import wheat and the spectre of another hike in petrol prices has only added to the woes of the common man. Consequently, there is little cheer in the party as the UPA Government prepares to showcase its achievements on completion of two years in office on May 22. There is a growing demand that Congress President Sonia Gandhi convene a meeting of the party’s Working Committee to address these issues. The second anniversary of the government, it is felt, is a good occasion to do some serious introspection about the direction of the government’s policies and, if need be, resort to a mid-course correction. Despondent Congress leaders pointed out that the UPA Government had projected itself as different from the NDA on the basis of its pro-poor agenda,its promise to revive the agriculture sector and provide relief to the farmers. “On the other hand, we find that prices of essential commodities like cereals and cooking oil have shot up and instead of providing help to the farmers, the government is importing wheat,” remarked a senior UPA Minister. UPA sources said that in addition to the five lakh tonnes of wheat which had already been imported, the government has cleared the purchase of another 30 lakh tonnes for which it is paying far more that what it is giving its own farmers. Senior ministers admitted that they are finding it very difficult to explain this move which has predictably created ripples among the farmers. “We just don’t know what to tell our voters.... even the price of the humble dal has gone up to Rs. 60 per kg,” remarked a senior AICC office-bearer, adding that with another fuel hike becoming inevitable, prices will be pushed up even further. Glum Congress leaders said the party finds itself in deep trouble once the message percolates down that the government had deviated from its stated pro-poor promises. Congress insiders maintained that though the growth rates are encouraging, the real point of worry is that this growth is not equitable.
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SC rejects Maharashtra minister’s review plea
New Delhi, May 12 The court said the order sentencing him to one-month imprisonment, for granting licences to six saw mills in prohibited green forest areas in the state, remained unchanged. Naik, who in an unprecedented move was found guilty by the court of violating its order banning setting up of any saw mill in prohibited forest areas by wood industries, has virtually been left with no option but to surrender to the authorities to serve the jail term. A Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia also rejected the review petition of Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Khote, who helped the wood industries in getting the licences for saw mills from Naik in 2004 when he was holding the charge of Environment Minister. This is perhaps the first case of its kind in the history of the country that a sitting minister of state has been found guilty of contempt and ordered to serve a month’s jail term and even his review petition has been turned down. The brief order rejecting the review petition was passed by the Bench after it had considered whether any error of fact or law had crept in the main judgement passed by it on May 10. In its main judgement, the court had taken serious view of the minister and Khote, who was Principal Secretary for Environment when the licences were issued in 2002. The court had said that they had taken the court’s ban order for a ride and “willfully” disobeyed it. The court in its main judgement had said that no sympathy deserved to be shown to the guilty persons as they “deserve severe punishment… that will act as an example to those who have the propensity of disregarding the court order because of money power, their social status or position held”. Naik and Khote had not taken permission from the apex court-appointed monitoring committee’s permission to grant licences, while it had been made mandatory by the court in its ban order. The minister had taken a strange defence during the hearing on the contempt petition filed against him that he was a Scheduled Tribe and due lack of higher education he could not understand the implications of putting signature on such an order. But the apex court was unfazed by his plea of defence and said the guilty did not deserve any “leniencey” when they had attempted to “overreach” the order of the court. |
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Rape case verdict in 34 days
Jharsuguda (Orissa), May 12 Additional Sessions Judge Anil Kumar Patnaik also fined the convict Rs 5,000. Unless the fine was paid, he would have to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for six more months. The court also ruled that Rs 4,000 of the fine amount would be paid to the victim. Lawyers were of the opinion that this, perhaps, was the quickest disposal of a criminal case in Orissa. Trinath Bhoi, a betel shop owner of this town, had lured the little girl, the daughter of a neighbour, to his home on April 9 last and attempted to rape her, public prosecutor Jayaram Mishra said.
— PTI |
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