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Kandhamal limps back to normalcy
SC moved for protection of Meghalaya caves |
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Cong prepares to take on BSP
Mend UPA’s economic policy, Left to Cong
Child Labour
Ram Setu: Cong rebuts BJP
Advani’s absence irks Parivar
BJP national executive to meet in Jan
A bloody year for S. Asian journalists
Traffic report on Ludhiana metro soon
Centre moots panel to preserve heritage sites
Koda promises to create 30,000 jobs
Liberhan panel get one more extension Indo-Pak train, buses resumed Prez, PM extend New Year greetings Centre: No move to raise retirement age
Goa govt scraps 12 SEZs
CBI files chargesheet against former GTB officials
Four ULFA men killed in Assam
Man ‘weds’ hill to curb Naxal menace
Centre to make film on freedom struggle
Rajshris to make serial for mobiles
Army overlooks Gen Kapur for promotion
Children greets troops on New Year
Ex-MLA survives bomb attack
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Kandhamal limps back to normalcy
Bhubaneswar, December 31 Making the announcement, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here that those whose houses were destroyed would be provided accommodation under the Indira Aawas Yojana. Similarly, Rs 10,000 would be provided to people whose houses were partially damaged, he said, adding that Kandhamal had remained incident-free since December 27 as efforts were on to restore peace and normalcy in the district. Maintaining that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called up to inquire about Kandhamal situation, Patnaik said: “I assured him that the state government will ensure safety and security of people belonging to all communities”. Meanwhile, twelve unlicenced guns were seized during search operations in Brahmanigaon and 20 persons were detained in this connection, the police said. Efforts were on to trace 14 persons, including 10 children, missing from various places during the violence. The death toll stood at three. Over 450 houses and 3,000 persons were affected in arson during violence while 1,200 persons sheltered in four rehabilitation camps, sources said. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader JB. Patnaik held the administration responsible for the Kandhamal communal violence. The former Chief Minister said here that the communal violence erupted in the district as the administration failed to take any step to prevent it in the beginning. Patnaik said the district was very sensitive as tense situation prevailed in there very often over the issue of ST status to converted Christians. He said members of Hindu and Christian communities clashed over the issue of erection of a welcome gate by the Christians to celebrate the Christmas on December 24.
PM reassures Gladys Staines NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured Gladys Staines that the Centre would not tolerate communal violence in Orissa or any other part of the country. Responding to a letter from Gladys, whose husband Graham Staines was killed in Orissa a few years ago, Dr Manmohan Singh said the Centre would take all necessary steps to protect all citizens irrespective of the community to which they belonged or their caste in accordance with the law of the land. Gladys had expressed concern over the recent communal violence in Orissa.
— PTI, UNI
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SC moved for protection of Meghalaya caves
New Delhi, December 31 Since the area where the caves are located is a sloppy hills with rich deposit of quality limestone, the Meghalaya government has proposed to set up a new cement plant and it was in a “tearing hurry” to execute the project. This will be the second cement plant in the area, an NGO undertaking research on cave life for decades, in its fresh application said. NGO’s counsel R. Venkataraman said though a PIL was filed by it in May, 2006, the fresh application was moved for staying the project and setting up of a committee of experts and environment scientists to examine as how much threat the new plant will pose to the caves. The NGO has further pleaded that till the expert committee submits its report, the state government and cement plants should be restrained from disturbing the area and the existing units not permitted to enhance their capacity from the sanctioned level. The NGO, which has been conducting research on the caves for over 10 years now and had explored several of them in its petition, said the Meghalaya government itself has admitted their importance in a book brought out on them. “The Meghalaya government in its book on the caves brought out in September, 2006, the forward of which was written by the Chief Minister himself, stated that they are the longest and deepest, perhaps the world’s largest caves,” the petition said, while placing on record the relevant chapters of the book. “These caves and cave life have now been endangered by rampant and unscientific limestone mining activities for cement plants and even coal mining… unmindful of the fact that such acts endanger the entire stretch of the caves and thus triggering off a man made disaster,” the NGO said. The petitioner claimed that the ministry of environment and forests has not applied its parameters for clearance of the project as “stringently” as was required, considering the historical and geographical importance of the caves. The ministry decision instead was “influenced” by the clearance report given by the state authorities, who allegedly had not undertake a “proper technical and environment study”, the petitioner claimed. It also gave details with supporting figures from the government records how the per day production in the existing cement plant was allowed to go beyond the sanctioned limit in violation of the agreement. The NGO also alleged that the CMCL, which was leased 5-hectare area for mining of the limestone but it was increased to 9.55 hectare through two separate lease agreements. “This had extended the mining operation to the distance of only 1000m away from the caves, threatening to reach it to their mouth,” the petition said adding the underground disturbance could even reach the cave areas faster.
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Cong prepares to take on BSP
New Delhi, December 31 This was evident from UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s terse remarks on Mayawati today. “If Mulayum was bad, Mayawati is worse," she told mediapersons, clearly indicating the party’s changed strategy in Uttar Pradesh. The BSP has played spoiler in the recent Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls where the Congress lost at least 15-odd seats because of the BSP factor. With a number of states headed for Assembly polls in 2008, chief among them being Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, the Congress cannot afford to be complacent. Mayawati has publicly declared that her next objective is to expand her electoral base outside Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress will be hit hardest by Mayawati’s expansionist plans as the Scheduled Castes, which is the BSP’s main support base, has traditionally voted for the grand old party. Firing the first salvo, Rita Bahuguna Joshi today declared that Mayawati’s government has failed to deliver on any front, be it law and order, electricity or farmers’ issues. The Congress has, therefore, planned a number of rallies in January to pin down the Mayawati government. Keeping up her attack, Joshi said, “Both the SP and the BSP are casteist and anti-social. Both have supported the wrong kind of people and contributed to deterioration of the law and order. Both are detached from people's woes and are power-hungry." Giving details of the UP state unit’s plans, Joshi said it will hold a major rally in Bundelkhand on January 17 which will be addressed by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi and will focus on the problems of the drought-hit farmers of the region. This will be followed by similar rallies in Aligarh and Mathura on January 20 and in Agra on January 21, again on farmers' problems and also covering the issue of compensation to the people displaced by the Taj Expressway. This will culminate in a massive state-level rally by February-end, which will be addressed by party president Sonia Gandhi. Joshi accused the Mayawati government of not being sincere in dealing with problems of farmers and said that Rs 15,000 crore given by the Centre was lying unutilised in the state government's coffers. “What is the point of asking for more money when Rs 15,000 crore is not being used?" she asked. Digivijay Singh, AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, denied that the Congress was on a confrontationist path with the state government and instead said the party was only playing the role of a "constructive opposition".
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Mend UPA’s economic policy, Left to Cong
Agartala, December 31 “The Left parties have asked the Congress to be more aggressive and launch an uncompromising and secular offensive by drastically amending the economic policies,” Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary D. Raja told journalists here today. He said the government should implement the promises given in the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA in letter and spirit. Raja was here to attend the CPI’s three-day state conference, at north Tripura’s Kumarghat. “In Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Congress has failed to successfully fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); all secular parties should intensify the struggle against communal forces like the BJP across the country,” the CPI leader added. Referring to the Indo-US nuclear policy, Raja, also a member of the Rajya Sabha, said the Congress had committed to the Left that the government would not finalise the pact without consulting them. The Congress-led UPA government will complete its full five-year term, he said, adding the next Lok Sabha polls would be held on time in 2009. Raja urged the central government to be vigilant against forces inimical to India. “India should closely watch the instability in Pakistan as there are possibilities of foreign forces trying to poke their nose in that country taking advantage of the political
uncertainty.” — IANS
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Child Labour
Patna, December 31 In a letter written to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Radhuvansh reportedly accused the NDA of politicising the issue involving his brother Raguraj Singh. Near about a month back, the media had reported the use of two minor boys as child labourers by the minsiter’s brother replacing the oxens to plough his land in Vaishali. The issue understandably had raised a hue and cry as the father of the boys said he was forced to employ them in the field out of poverty. The issue was said to have further embarrassed the minister as he himself was in charge of the much-hyped rural employment guarantee scheme of the ruling UPA at Centre. While the minister then had dismissed the report as "concocted" one to defame his image, the state government was quick to order a probe into it by the local administration. Subsequently, another high-level probe was ordered under the state labour commissioner, which in its report on December 15 found the use of child labourers in agriculture field by the minister’s brother to be true. This prompted the deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, who also heads the labour department portfolio, to refer the matter to the state advocate general to seek his opinion as to how the government could proceed legally on the case against Raghuraj. While Raghuvansh had no problem with the probe conducted initially into the issue by the local administration in Vaishali, he took umbrage at the way the Nitish government subsequently ordered a second high-level probe into it by the state labour commissioner. In his letter to Nitish, Raghuvansh thus charged Sushil Modi with acting on political vendetta while dealing this issue. He also took strong exception to the way Modi had distributed the "confidential report" of the high-level probe to
the media. An angry Raghuvansh reportedly demanded immediate dismissal of Sushil Modi for leaking the report to the media, failing which he was said to be under the impression that the whole government, and not only Modi, ganged up to frame his brother with the motive to defame him.
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Ram Setu: Cong rebuts BJP
New Delhi, December 31 The Congress felt compelled to put the record straight after the BJP signalled its intention to return to its hardcore Hindutva agenda by using the Ram Setu issue as a central theme in its election campaign. This was evident from the presence of senior BJP leaders, including the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh at yesterday’s rally. Realising that this issue could spiral out of control, the Congress put out a detailed three-page note, giving the chronology of this project, to underline the NDA government’s role in clearing the project. Having been on the defensive on this issue after the UPA government’s affidavit in the Supreme Court which questioned the existence of Lord Rama, the Congress has consciously decided to take the BJP head on. According to the Congress’ press statement, the chronological events from 1999 to 2004 show that the BJP did not mention about the Ram Setu while clearing the project but woke up to it only after the UPA government came to power. “This reflects the BJP’s ulterior motive which remembers Lord Rama only at election time,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said today, adding that the sole purpose is to communalise and politicise the issue. The Congress also clarified that the entire Adam’s Bridge will not be destroyed and that the project envisages the dredging of a limited portion of the channel across the Adam’s Bridge which will affect a mere 300 metres out of nearly 30,000 metres. Stating that the decision on the alignment of the Sethusamudram project was taken in 2002, the Congress said the environmental clearance was given two years later after 14 public hearing were held in six districts as part of an exhaustive consultation process. Jayalalitha, who was the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister then, had also written to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to expedite the project. There was no mention of Ram Setu at any stage then, the note added. The Congress’ point-wise rebuttal said that a number of senior NDA ministers, including George Fernandes, Arun Jaitely and V.P. Goel, were in the know of the project which was formally announced by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee as far back as 2001. The NDA government had even allocated a sum of Rs 4.8 crore for the preparation of the project, the Congress pointed out.
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New Delhi, December 31 The reason Advani could not make it to the meeting in the outskirts of the capital was that he had to attend the swearing in of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at Shimla. But the Parivar leaders maintained the leader of Opposition did not choose to show up even though several BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh and Dhumal could attend this meeting. — UNI
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BJP national executive to meet in Jan
New Delhi, December 31 The party, which was earlier contemplating to hold these meetings at Bangalore, has now decided to hold the meeting in the capital. While the BJP’s national executive will meet on January 27, the National Council will meet on January 28 and 29. An important agenda for the National Council would be the ratification of the decision to reserve 33 per cent posts at various levels for women. The proposal was adopted at the last national executive of the party held in Bhopal. A meeting of office-bearers was held today at the party office to discuss the political situation in the states which will face elections in 2008. Apart from Karnataka, the states facing the polls include Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan. Beating anti-incumbency in the states ruled by it is a major challenge for the party.
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A bloody year for S. Asian journalists
Chandigarh, December 31 The report, released today, noted that journalists and media outlets “suffered from horrendous conditions” in various conflict-ridden regions and faced “unprecedented restrictions and forced closures” in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Twenty journalists and four media workers were killed in the region in 2007, with trouble-torn Pakistan expectedly topping the table with seven deaths. It was followed by Sri Lanka with six and Afghanistan with five. Three journalists were also killed in Nepal. One media worker died in Afghanistan while three media workers lost their lives in India, in the Dinakaran office attack in Madurai, in Tamil Nadu. N. Ram is the Chairman of the Commission, while Najam Sethi and Husain Naqi serve as Secretary-General and Regional Coordinator, respectively. In India, the report was critical that, “amid debate on sting operations and foreign investment in Indian media, attacks on media freedom from official agencies and non-state actors made the news.” “The media situation showed disturbing trends - arrogance by the authorities, especially in the states, misplaced enthusiasm to “reform” the media, and intolerance of militant groups, evident in disproportionate, violent reaction to publication of the accounts of their activities, not to their liking,” it said. It took note of attacks in Hyderabad by the MIM, Majlis Itthadul Muslimen, against the chief editor and owner of an Urdu daily, Siasat, which had carried material critical of a legislator of their party. In Guwahati, ULFA threatened a city-based satellite news channel with closure, in case a report against the organisation was not substantiated within a specified period. In Mumbai members of a little known Hindu Rashtrya Sena attacked the Star News headquarters, because the channel had “glorified” the elopement of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy. The commission was critical of the government’s plan to regulate broadcast services through an official agency, and credited the ensuing uproar by media organisations in getting it deferred. The media representatives favoured formulation of a code by the profession itself. Self-regulation will be in the interest of the profession and prevent the government from moving against the media on one pretext or the other. Anti-media moves and threats by non-state players were equally disturbing with both the electronic and the print media being at the receiving end. In Pakistan, the private electronic media faced worst times with successive draconian amendments made to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority ordinance and, later, imposition of an arbitrary media code that took life out of the private TV channels, the report said. The Musharraf government that took pride in allowing private TV channels panicked over massive public outrage against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and clamped down on private electronic media that sympathised with the cause of independence of judiciary, it noted. The state of emergency took off the air all news channels and imposed blanket restrictions on free debate and live coverage of events. The restrictions continue to keep the election campaign of most popular parties at low key. Journalists suffered immensely in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, as the internecine ethnic conflict grew out of proportion, media persons and outlets became more vulnerable to conflicting pressures. However, Nepal and Bangladesh presented a mixed picture due to a difficult and tenuous transition. If the Maldives remained, as usual, a difficult country for journalists since many decades, Bhutan presented a case of healthy but careful opening for media with the advent of constitutional monarchy and introduction of democracy. The most encouraging feature of 2007 was the valiant resistance put up by the media and the civil society against the curbs on freedom of expression and the right to know in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the commission felt.
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Traffic report on Ludhiana metro soon
New Delhi, December 31 The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) will submit its inception report in January followed by the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the project by the Delhi Metro. Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal confirmed to The Tribune today that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) would submit the Ludhiana DPR by May or June, 2008. After the DPR is ready and accepted, actual work on the ground can begin. The Punjab government had asked the DMRC to prepare the DPR for Ludhiana Metro on July 30. Based on a preliminary feasibility study conducted by RITES, originally, the DPR envisaged the approximate length of the Metro to be 25 km. Dayal said the RITES report was conducted around five years ago. “The report said the Ludhiana population, currently around 13.5 lakh, was expected to grow up to 32.96 lakh by 2021. However, for projects of such magnitude, fresh study was required. This was the reason that the CRRI was given contract for preparation of traffic and transportation study for horizon years 2011, 2021 and also 2031,” he added. The CRRI has already submitted inception report on the methodology to be used for traffic and a transportation study. It will submit the final report by January or February, 2008. Dayal said it was possible that after the traffic study one or more corridors totalling 25 km or more could be suggested for the Ludhiana Metro corridor. However, right now it could not be said which likely areas could be covered by the Metro. After the CRRI study is submitted, topographical survey plans, geo-technical investigations, utility diversion plans, environmental impact assessment, location of stations would be carried out.
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Centre moots panel to preserve heritage sites
New Delhi, December 31 Culture minister Ambika Soni today said her ministry had proposed the constitution of the commission to the Cabinet recently. The government, she said, was also encouraging participation of the corporate sector in preservation and conservation of cultural heritage through the National Cultural Fund, contributions to which were 100 per cent tax free. Soni said the government was also providing alternative commercial hubs to encroachers for necessary livelihood so that exterior ambience of monuments remained presentable. Addressing the 33rd meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology today, she said alternative commercial hubs were already being provided at Mahabalipuram, Agra and Bodhgaya. Encroachment is a major problem in the maintenance and efforts to improve the ambiance of monuments. Vandalism against monuments, law and order situation in areas where monuments are situated are major concerns for the government and efforts are needed to be made by the ASI, the state and local bodies to work together to ensure that the country’s cultural heritage is well-preserved and tourist friendly. Soni admitted the country was at risk of loosing a number of archaeological sites due to rapid
urbanisation and developmental work. The government had therefore decided to create a national register for heritage sites and antiquities of India within the next five years. A National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities has been constituted for the purpose. The aim of the mission is to document the monuments and antiquities spread across India and to have a GIS based data based both at the regional as well as national-level which can be accessed by the common public and scholars alike.
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Koda promises to create 30,000 jobs
Patna, December 31 Earlier on November 15, the Congress, supporting Madhu Koda with nine MLAs from outside, had set January 15 as the deadline to improve his performance in the wake of growing complaints against the UPA for failing to deliver after it had dislodged the previous NDA government led by Arjun Munda in 2006. Union minister and senior Congress leader Ajay Maken had even met Governor Syed Sibte Razi requesting the latter to play proactive role in suggesting the state government on various development issues. Besides, the Congress had also expressed concern over the unabated Naxalite violence in the state with the ultras succeeding to kill their political targets in the form of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Sunil Mahato in March and the son of former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Anup Marandi, in October this year. Reports reaching here said apart from the jobs to be provided under the NREG, Koda also promised to create employment in agriculture, home, education, engineering and other departments as per requirements in 2008. The move was said to be as part of Koda government’s 15-point New Year resolution. Koda reportedly considered the Rs 806-crore revival package given to Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), which was set up during Jawaharlal Nehru’s Prime Ministership, as one of the major achievements of his government in the passing year.
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Liberhan panel get one more extension New Delhi, December 31 Justice M.S. Liberhan, a retired judge, was appointed by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao on December 16, 1992, to inquire into the events that led to the demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The commission was set up about 10 days after the event. It has already cost the exchequer over Rs 70 million for the one-man panel of Justice Liberhan, who is still writing his report. The commission has also had its share of controversy, with the most recent one involving Anupam Gupta, the lawyer attached to the commission. Gupta stated some months ago that he wasn't sure if Justice Liberhan would like to address the role played by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani in the demolition. "I have disassociated myself from the commission and it would not be in the fitness of things if I were to comment on what the end result is going to be," Gupta told IANS from Chandigarh. When the commission's report is made public it is sure to prove a political hot potato, given the nature of the inquiry. The commission has already held 399 sittings and examined several politicians including P.V. Narasimha Rao, BJP leaders Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Kalyan Singh. Several senior bureaucrats and policemen too were examined. Technically, a commission of inquiry has no punitive powers or power to prosecute and its findings are only recommendatory in nature. But considering that this commission has an important mandate, its findings will be keenly looked forward to. — IANS
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Indo-Pak train, buses resumed New Delhi, December 31 Bus services between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot would also run as per their existing schedules. The Samjhauta Express has departed as scheduled. However, the Thar Express, running between Munabao-Khokrapar, remains suspended on the advice of Pakistan Railways. Instructions have been issued for extension of visas of Pakistan nationals, who were to travel on this service, by a week, if so required. Pakistan nationals who intended to travel on this service and need to travel back to Pakistan urgently have been advised to approach the concerned FRROs at Mumbai, Delhi and Amritsar and FROs at Jodhpur and Ahmedabad, for obtaining changes in visas to travel to Delhi for return by any of the scheduled bus/train services to Lahore.
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Prez, PM extend New Year greetings New Delhi, December 31 In his greetings, Dr Manmohan Singh said this was the time to reflect upon the year bygone, upon successes, achievements and mistakes. “It also gives us a chance to set new goals,” he added. “It is a time for stocktaking and making a new start in achieving our individual and collective goals. As a nation, it is time to rejoice in our democratic traditions and brace ourselves for future challenges,” he said. “I wish 2008 brings peace, security and prosperity for the people world over.” Patil said in her message: “As the sun rises over 2008, may this New Year bring peace, prosperity and happiness to everyone.” The First Citizen also asked the countrymen to work for the betterment of the nation and do their “little bit in making the world a better place by helping the underprivileged and the needy”. — PTI
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Centre: No move to raise retirement age New Delhi, December 31 In a statement, the government scotched rumours that the Department of Personnel and Training was planning to finalise a proposal to raise the retirement age of officials that would benefit over 10 million Central and state government employees. "In order to put at rest all such speculations, it is clarified that there is no such proposal before the government," said a statement issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions. In 1998, the retirement age was raised from 58 years to 60 years, principally as a means of easing pension payments caused by a hefty increase in government employees' salaries on the lines of the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations. — IANS
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Goa govt scraps 12 SEZs
Panaji, December 31 "We have come to this conclusion after a lot of deliberations. We will write to the Centre to scrap eight proposals pending for approval with them while we will not notify four which are already approved. About the rest three, we will take up the matter with the Centre to denotify them," Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat told
mediapersons. Kamat had a marathon deliberation with political parties and the cabinet committee on infrastructure this
evening. Goa had proposals for 15 SEZs, of which seven were approved envisaging an investment of Rs 4,714.04 crore over the next five years.
— PTI
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CBI files chargesheet against former GTB officials
New Delhi, December 31 Besides Gelli, the chargesheet was filed against Sridhar Subasri and six employees of Balaji Group of Industries, including its general manager (finance) N. Srikanth, in the designated CBI court of Mumbai. According to the CBI chargesheet, the Balaji Group of Companies was into the business of breweries, distilleries, hotels, shipping and aqua culture. This group borrowed funds from the GTB from 1996 onwards and its accounts became a Non-Performing Asset (NPA) in 1999, the CBI said and added instead of classifying the account as a NPA, the top management of the bank started ever-greening of these accounts by sanctioning fresh loans to propped up companies of the group. The propped up companies of Balaji group were not authorised to export goods. Therefore, the exports were made through another company, Cargil India. The company took advance payments from foreign buyers against bank guarantees and for the same exports, funds were also obtained from the bank against letters of credit. The bank officials camouflaged the NPA and even declared dividends for personal gains, because of their share holding in the bank, thus resulting in Rs 47 crore of loss to the bank, the CBI said.
— PTI
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Four ULFA men killed in Assam
Guwahati, December 31 Three ULFA extremists were killed and another was injured in an encounter with army troops at the Dibru-Saikhowa reserve forest in Tinsukia district in the early hours today, defence sources said. The slain militants were fresh recruits and had returned recently from Myanmar for some major strike in the state during the panchayat poll beginning today. Another was suspected to be injured as his blood stains were seen on the road as he fled with the others, sources said adding a search operation was launched to trace out the escaped extremists. A pistol, two grenades, 400 rounds of ammunition, two IEDs, writing pads and rations were recovered from the site, they said. In another encounter, hardcore ULFA activist Chandan Baishya was killed in Guwahati’s Bethapara area, senior superintendent of police V K Ramisetti told PTI. Baishya was a close associate of ULFA’s 701 battalion commander Hira Sarania. A 9-mm pistol was recovered from the dead militant.
— PTI
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Man ‘weds’ hill to curb Naxal menace
Jamshedpur, December 31 Nandi Munda, a married man with two children, applied ‘sindoor’ (vermillion) on a rock of a hillock known as ‘Lakhaisini’, with a hope to stop the menace in his village Bhomru in Naxal-hit Ghatsila sub-division of East Singhbhum district. When asked about the reason behind the ‘marriage’, Munda claimed he had dreamt of the hill goddess directing him to marry the hillock to save the village from naxal activities. Some villagers had accompanied the 30-year-old man as ‘barati’ to the hill, where the wedding was solemnised with traditional rituals followed by a feast in the village. Prior to the marriage, Munda said he had formed a group of youths from his village, who were prepared to take pledge to fight Naxalites. Such marriages were not uncommon in the tribal pockets of East and West Singhbhum districts, but usually they are conducted to dispel evil or diseases. Interestingly, the
wedding ceremony was held on Friday when the police of Jharkhand and neighbouring West Bengal decided to get rid of the barrier of jurisdiction in
adjoining Maoist-hit areas to take faster action against the Naxalites. — PTI
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Centre to make film on freedom struggle
New Delhi, December 31 Secretary I&B ministry Asha Swarup told TNS that the Rs 50 crore budget film would be co-produced by Feroz Nadiawala and the National Film Development Corporation on behalf of the ministry. Swarup said the decision was taken after a series of meetings between the ministry and a core committee comprising filmmakers Yash Chopra, Shyam Benegal, lyricist Javed Akhtar and historian K.C. Yadav. She said this is the first time that a film is being made with Tantya Tope as the central character. It will cover all areas where the uprising took place. The film will be scripted and directed by Vinay Shukla who directed Godmother. While Nadiawala has agreed to bear half the expenditure of the film, the remaining will be borne by the ministry. She said efforts were on to identify the cast and to hunt locations for shooting the film. The desk calendar designed by the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) is a pictorial tribute to the heroes of India’s freedom struggle.
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Rajshris to make serial for mobiles
Mumbai, December 31 Rajshri Productions’ younger scion and head honcho of Rajshri Media Rajat Barjatya is set to introduce a 90-episode series meant for mobile phones by the end of January 2008. The duration of each episode will be of approximately three minutes, with the series set in the humour genre.
Rajshri Media was launched in 2006, and specialises in producing content for new media, including the Internet, mobile phones, and
iPods. Earlier, the company released Rajshri Productions’ “Vivaah” simultaneously in theaters and on the Web.
— UNI
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Army overlooks Gen Kapur for promotion
New Delhi, December 31 Instead in a stop-gap arrangement, the Army named Lt Gen Bharat Singh Sisodia as the director general of ordinance to succeed Lt Gen D.D.S. Sandhu who retired today. The appointment came as the cabinet committee on appointment is yet to take a decision on the panel of the officers submitted to them for promotion as DG, ordinance. Kapur is being investigated by the CBI on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known income. Army officials said as Sisodia has only ten months of service left, Major General Kapur would retire by then. The new director general is the officer with a long standing in managing ordinance inventory of the Army.
— PTI
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Children greets troops on New Year
Patna, December 31 Reports said the little hands of about 20,000 school children in Jharkhand were busy painting out their love and respect for the men in olive green, battling the icy winds atop the mountains in Jammu and Kashmir and the tortuous terrains of the desert in Rajasthan and Gujarat so that they could sleep in peace. The man behind this unique New Year greeting cards addressed to the soldiers is Vijay Kumar from Bihar. He reportedly gave up a lucrative business in Patna last year to make greeting cards visualised and painted by school children for the Indian soldiers. And this is not the first time he had taken up this initiative. In 2006 over 30,000 school children had painted the cards with the same feelings from Bihar. Next year it would be Orissa with West bengal coming in thereafter-all linked to the same spirit.
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Ex-MLA survives bomb attack
Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), December 31 The police said the explosion was triggered by assailants when the car carrying the former MLA, his two gunmen and followers, including Town Youth Congress president Siva Reddy, was crossing a culvert. Babu’s gunman Surendranath (36) sustained serious injuries and succumbed on the way to hospital. Babu had survived seven attempts on his life so far.
— UNI
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Bank robbery in Kerala
Malappuram, December 31 The articles were stolen from the strong room of the branch at Idimoozhikkal in the district, it said. The services of forensic experts had been requisitioned. The exact amount of loss would be worked out after going through the records. Unconfirmed reports, however, said jewellery worth Rs 4.25 crore and Rs 24 lakh were missing.
— UNI
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Truce
with Assam outfit extended
New Delhi, December 31
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