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Parties’ strength to decide plot sizes
Jakhar warns Sonia against wheat import
UPA-Left panel meeting today
Mamata dares CPM to withdraw support
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Rahul made a scapegoat: Pravin
Mumbai, June 14 Pravin Mahajan today broke silence before the media for the first time since he allegedly gunned down his brother Pramod Mahajan more than a month ago. Speaking to reporters outside the court where he was produced today, Pravin Mahajan said he felt sorry for Pramod’s son and his nephew Rahul who was facing drug charges.
Gowda’s throat at stake
Planning panel sounds PM on poverty, cites NSSO findings
National e-governance
plan unveiled
Anti-GM food activists meet Ramadoss
SC seeks J&K reply in dargah case
HCs to get 150 more judges
BJP rejects charge against Vajpayee
Maharashtra cuts fuel prices
Gogoi admitted to AIIMS
Mika’s bail hearing adjourned
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Parties’ strength to decide plot sizes New Delhi, June 14 This policy of allotting land on the basis of a party’s strength in Parliament, will place the Congress and the BJP at a clear advantage given their numbers at present. It will also mean that the parties will have to vacate spacious bungalows they have been occupying for several years. According to the Urban Development Ministry’s proposed policy, a party which has a strength of more than 200 members will be entitled to a four acre plot while those whose numbers are in the 101-200 bracket will get a two acre plot. Parties having 51-100 members will be allotted a one acre plot each while those with 26-50 members will be entitled to 2,000 sq metre. Smaller parties whose strength is between seven and 15 MPs will have to make do with 500 sq metre and those with a membership of 26-50 will be entitled to 2,000 sq metre. Parties would be expected to construct their offices on this land, which would be located in an institutional area, it was stated. This policy was being framed for nearly three years, ever since the apex court ruled that the parties be asked to vacate government bungalows. When the parties were faced with eviction, the government had quickly formulated guidelines for the allotment of official accommodation. The 2003 policy had laid down that national parties, recognised as such by the Election Commission, will be allowed to retain or secure an allotment of one housing unit for their office but on the payment of a licence fee. A provision was also made for the allotment of accommodation for state-level parties. This accommodation will be for three years during which the party will be expected to acquire a plot of land for the construction of its office.
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Jakhar warns Sonia against wheat import
New Delhi, June 14 The company had been indicted, it said, of paying kickbacks of $ 300 million to the Saddam regime in Iraq for supply of wheat and the matter was being investigated by the Cole Commission in Australia. Talking to The Tribune, the Executive Chairman, BKS, Mr Krishan Bir Chaudhary, said: “The decision of the government to import 35 lakh tonnes of wheat cannot be justified considering the bumper crop this year. The area under wheat crop has increased by 4 lakh hectares this year and there were no reports of damage to wheat crop in the current season due to adverse weather conditions.” “Though NCP leader Sharad Pawar heading the Agriculture Minister has mishandled the wheat procurement, being a leading party in the UPA, the Congress would have to pay political costs.” Citing party sources, he said, the letter had been forwarded by the party President to the government. The BKS alleged that the government was purchasing 5 lakh tonnes of wheat from AWB Ltd at $ 178.75 a tonne on CIF basis when the same exporter had recently sold wheat at $ 131 a tonne on FoB basis. The difference between CIF and FoB should not be more than $ 15 a tonne. AWB Ltd has now quoted a price of $ 200 a tonne for the supply of additional quantity of wheat. AWB Ltd was also accused of paying similar kickbacks to the Gujral government, stated the letter, for supply of wheat in 1998. It was clear that such imports were being designed to fill the pockets of unscrupulous agents. The BKS alleged that the government was paying hefty prices for importing wheat but was reluctant to pay farmers the rational remunerative prices.
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UPA-Left panel meeting today
New Delhi, June 14 Armed with the two-year assessment report, which they submitted to the UPA leadership today, the leaders of the four Left parties are in a belligerent mood to take the government head on as the Manmohan Singh government is determined to go ahead with the reform agenda with new vigour. With the Centre failing to yield to the Left pressure on the petrol and diesel price hike issue, amidst the increasing cost of essential commodities, Communists find themselves in a catch 22 situation, as they are unable to put pressure on the Congress-led coalition to mend its ways nor it is able to withdraw its outside support. In the nine-page note submitted to the Prime Minister, the Left leaders alleged that the government had distanced itself from the promises in the NCMP and they were "very unhappy with the two-year performance of the government." The elaborate note prepared by the Left parties, after the four parties held consultations at their own party level and amongst themselves, expressed its apprehensions over the government's disinvestment policies, airport modernisation, FDI in retail and taxation. They urged the UPA government to bring down the pace of liberalisation that "It has not been taking care of the interests of the majority of citizens."
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Mamata dares CPM to withdraw support
Kolkata, June 14 Deora regretted that he could not reduce the excise duties on petrol and diesel as he was not authorised to take any such decision, which strictly fell under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry. But he advised Bhattacharjee to follow other Chief Ministers and give relief to the consumers by withdrawing sales tax on these items in his state. The minister was in the city yesterday en route to Beijing from New Delhi. During his stop-over in Kolkata, he called on the Chief Minister at Writers Buildings and held talks regarding the IOC’s participation proposal in the Haldia petrochemical project, which had been pending for the past few years. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee ridiculed the left parties for playing the double-standard on their agitation programme vis-a-vis supporting the UPA government. She dared the CPM to withdraw support and proved how people’s friendly they were. TMC and BJP workers took out protest marches in the city demanding the left front government to withdraw sales tax on the petrol and diesel.
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Rahul made a scapegoat: Pravin
Mumbai, June 14 Speaking to reporters outside the court where he was produced today, Pravin Mahajan said he felt sorry for Pramod’s son and his nephew Rahul who was facing drug charges. Pravin Mahajan blamed the family’s downfall on the company his brother. “The family has been held hostage by
tentwallas,” Mahajan said, apparently referring to Pramod’s close associate and BJP leader Sudanshu Mittal, who is a major player in the tenthouse business in Delhi. “Rahul has been made a scapegoat. I had told his parents to be careful with him. He’s a very good boy; it’s his birthday next month. I’m willing to serve his sentence,” Pravin said of his nephew. Pravin also hit out at Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his statement, blaming the drug incident on Rahul’s youth. “Atal Bihariji owes an explanation to the nation,” Pravin said. “This has been happening for the past five-six years (when Vajpayee was the Prime Minister). He owes an explanation to the nation. Why is he skirting it?...it is not a family tragedy but a national tragedy. It has happened in a ministerial bungalow. The Prime Minister stays nearby. Did the former PM know about it? If he did, what did he do? If he did not know, what was he doing in six years' of rule?” Pravin asked. The late Pramod Mahajan also came in for criticism for “spoiling” Rahul. “His parents are to be blamed for not inculcating good habits in him. They did not give him good education. Both the people who spoiled him are no more...it is not that some outsider had trapped him....I had told his parents to make him fall in line....I wish if I could undergo any sentence given to him. What more can I do?” Pravin said. Pravin then insisted that the Rahul Mahajan drug case and the shooting of Pramod Mahajan were inter-connected. “The Delhi and Mumbai Police departments should work together to solve the case in which Rahul is an accused,” Pravin said. He hinted that Hinduja Hospital, where Pramod Mahajan passed away, could be hiding vital information on the case like Apollo in Delhi was accused of doing so with regard to his son’s case. Through his long talk with mediapersons , Pravin refused to speak about his gunning down Pramod Mahajan. “When my trial begins, I will say it all and more in the court. There are many reasons”, Pravin said.
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Gowda’s throat at stake
Bangalore, June 14 Mr Gowda promised five days back that he would “slit his throat” in case it was proved that either he or any of his family members owned land near the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC). The former PM does not seem to have taken into account the affidavit submitted by his son and Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy while furnishing his nomination papers for the Ramanagaram Assembly seat in 2004. The Chief Minister claimed that besides other property, he owned 24 acres of agricultural land at Kethaganahalli village near Ramanagaram. This land forms part of the second township comprising 1,836 acres which is set to be developed by the BMIV project promoters— Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). It is not Mr Kumaraswamy alone who owns land near BMIC areas. His younger brother Ramesh’s mother-in-law also owns land in the area. The Chief Minister tried to downplay the issue immediately after landing from an official trip to the Middle-East yesterday. He claimed that land owned by him near Ramanagaram did not have anything to do with the project and that it was purchased by him much before the project was conceived. He claimed NICE had distributed documents to the media to mislead the people. Mr Kumaraswamy said his government would not come in the way of building of the four-lane expressway between Bangalore and Mysore provided the company stuck to the original plan. He claimed the company was however “grabbing” valuable government and private land around Bangalore to create real estate assets for itself. He said he was ready for an open debate with NICE officials to put an end to the controversy and spread awareness why the project had been languishing for over a decade. The Chief Minister also accused NICE of running a parallel government and even using the services of a former minister to bribe him. “I, however, am not saleable and will fight to protect the interests of the people”. Meanwhile, farmers of Hemmigepura and Konasandra continue to hold a dharna on a stretch of the expressway alleging that NICE had cut off access to certain roads.
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Planning panel sounds PM on poverty, cites NSSO findings
Chandigarh, June 14 The paper is based on the preliminary estimates prepared by the panel as per the basic findings of the 2004-2005 survey, relating to the expenditure on household consumption, conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). A top source in the Planning Commission disclosed the preliminary findings of the NSSO’s 61st round of survey (detailed report of which would be made public only in October) and details of the approach paper to The Tribune. He said the survey findings (covering a period primarily under the NDA rule) so far suggested that the incidence of poverty had not fallen at a pace that was expected. But even during 2004-2005, the reduction in poverty had been 0.79 per cent only and not 1.35 per cent as expected, he disclosed. On being asked why the number of persons living below the poverty line has remained more or less the same, he said the liberalisation policy was not
particularly successful in stemming the widening chasm between urban and rural poverty. In fact, the draft approach paper submitted to the PM has suggested that the time has come to launch an aggressive economic campaign targeting the rural poor. “There is a point beyond which the urban sector cannot grow without being complimented by the rural sector,” he said. The draft paper, projecting a somewhat dismal poverty reduction scenario, would be keenly scrutinised by the PM who is the architect of India’s liberalisaiton policy, he said, adding that even Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the panel’s deputy chief, wanted to reorient the liberalisation policy. The paper would also be sent to the Chief Ministers later seeking their comments and suggestions. The 11th Five Year Plan would see the thrust on rural poor in particular and BPL families in general, the source emphasised.
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National e-governance
plan unveiled
New Delhi, June 14 The vision of the plan is to make all government services accessible to the common man in his locality. The plan is estimated to cost Rs 23,000 crore over the next five years, according to a press release. The entire effort involves 500 implementation agencies, two lakh sites and 70,000 man-years of effort. Maran said a monitoring mechanism serviced by the Department of Information Technology and chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being constituted to provide a thrust to implementation to the plan. About the cost structure, the minister said that funding for various projects and components of the NeGP will be done through Plan and non-Plan budgetary provisions of the respective ministries/departments in Central or state governments. Some projects are also being implemented on a self-financing model through levy of service fee adopting Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Financial approvals are being obtained by individual departments based on specific project proposals. He said some Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) such as Land Records, Transport, Registration, MCA-21, Income Tax, Central Excise, and Common Services Centre already have specific time limit for a complete roll out. These are scheduled to be completed in the next 6 - 12 months.
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Anti-GM food activists meet Ramadoss
New Delhi, June 14 A delegation representing the Coalition for GM-Free India met Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today to impress upon the minister and officials who are ministry’s representatives in the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) that there is no need for Bt brinjal in the country. “There is no crisis in the brinjal production. There are safe pest management alternatives. But there are variety of health concerns with regard to the GM technology,” said activist Kavitha Kuruganti. The activists presented a detailed memorandum on the flip side of the GM technology to the minister, who they claimed, assured them that he would look into the matter. “The future of all our food is in danger and it starts with the brinjal. Genetically modified brinjal could become India’s first GM food crop. It will soon be followed by GM mustard and GM potato,” Greenpeace genetic engineering campaigner Rajesh Krishnan told The Tribune after the meeting. “In brinjal, the Bt gene has been inserted with other genes that are known to be toxic to humans if consumed directly. The gene is a known toxin that impacts human health and livestock health adversely. The Cry 1 AC, the Bt toxin used in Bt brinjal, is a very powerful immunogenic and binds to gut cells of mammals,” says Kavita.
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SC seeks J&K reply in dargah case
New Delhi, June 14 The apex court, in its order on January 2, had laid down that the administrator for the “dargahs” of Fari-dud-din Saheb and Shah Asrar-ud-din Saheb, appointed by the state government, “shall alone” be authorised to collect the cash, other valuables, offerings and maintain proper records of it and invest the money in fixed deposits in a bank. The administrator, who is the SDM of Kishtwar, was further directed to collect the rent from dargahs’ buildings and maintain proper account of the money and spending of it to meet the expenditure of the shrines. But legal heirs of Sayed Maqbool Shah “Sajaad Nasheen” of Fari-dud-din Saheb, on whose petition the order was passed, today moved an application, alleging that the administrator had appointed 12 surrendered militants as OCs for the shrines by his orders issued on
February 22 and March 4. |
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HCs to get 150 more judges
New Delhi, June 14 It has also extended the tenure of fast-track courts, financed by it, by another five years till 2010 and suggested to the judiciary clubbing of cases involving similar questions of law for faster disposal. “We have a definite programme to deal with arrears of cases, improving the judicial infrastructure through central funding of computerisation of subordinate courts across the country and filling vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the lower courts,” Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj said here.
— PTI
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BJP rejects charge against Vajpayee
New Delhi, June 14 "What he said about Vajpayee is baseless.. we reject it", BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said here. His comments came in response of Pravin Mahajan's allegations that the 7, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of the slain BJP leader where a late-night party last month led to the arrest of his son Rahul on drug charges, was being used for such activities for the past five to six years.
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Maharashtra cuts fuel prices
Mumbai, June 14 While diesel and petrol prices were reduced by 60 paise and 80 paise per litre, respectively. The state Cabinet met today to examine a proposal mooted by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora. Sources say, the state Finance Minister Jayant Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party who had opposed the price reduction move was brought around by Mr Deshmukh and other colleagues. Shortly before the meeting, Mr R.R. Patil told reporters that he would back any move that would give relief to consumers.
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Gogoi admitted to AIIMS
New Delhi, June 14 Mr Gogoi, who has been suffering from gastro-enteritis since he returned from an European tour on June 12, was admitted to the hospital when he complained of uneasiness after having lunch at his Delhi residence. The Chief Minister spent the previous two nights at AIIMS due to the gastro-enteritis problem and was discharged early today. He was later re-admitted in a private ward. Doctors treating Mr Gogoi have advised him complete rest before returning to Guwahati.
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Mika’s bail hearing adjourned
Mumbai, June 14 The court also asked Mika to be present in the court on June 17 when the anticipatory bail plea comes up for hearing.
— PTI
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