Mumbai, January 17
Goa Governor S.C. Jamir today prorogued the Goa Assembly even as senior leaders of the Congress began a fire-fighting operation to save the seven-month-old Digambar Kamat government in this politically volatile state.

It is now clear that Independent MLA Vishwajeet Rane and three MLAs from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) hold the key to the survival of the Congress-led government in Goa. The opposition BJP with 14 members and the two-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party are egging on Rane and the NCP legislators to form the government with outside support, say sources from Goa.

The central leadership of the NCP is working hard to prevent this from happening. It has rushed union civil aviation minister Praful Patel to work out a solution. However, NCP leaders from Goa said the Goa unit of the party may break away from the national outfit if the BJP dangles a good deal before the rebels.

The Congress has rushed AICC general secretaries Mabel Rebello and Siddarth Patel to negotiate. With Kamat and the Congress leaders unable to make any headway today, Speaker Jamir prorogued the Assembly just before it was to convene at 2.30 p.m.

Fourteen BJP MLAs, three from NCP, two from MGP, the lone United Goans Democratic Party legislator Atnasio Monserrate and one MLA from the Save Goa Front Reginaldo Lourenco accompanied Vishwajeet Rane to the Assembly where they were turned away by the secretariat employees.

The group numbers 22 in a house of 40. They have, however, not approached the Governor in order to stake claim to form the government till press time. Indications are on that negotiations are still on.

Meanwhile, Digambar Kamat’s cabinet today recommended to the Governor that the contingency fund be raised from Rs 30 crore to Rs 200 crore. An ordinance is likely to be issued soon. In a reprise of the Deve Gowda- HD Kumaraswamy drama in neighboring Karnataka, Speaker Pratapsinh Rane today told the party observers that he was not with his son Vishwajeet in his attempt to pull down the government. Vishwajeet had earlier demanded the top job for his father. 

Mumbai, January 17
Political woes of Govinda, Congress MP from the Mumbai North constituency, continue. His political rivals have started to prick him publicly with pins of sarcasm.

A “wanted” notice has been put up at a street corner in Mumbai’s western suburb of Malad, declaring a reward of Rs 5.1 million to anyone who can provide the whereabouts of the Bollywood star. He has been reported “missing” from his constituency ever since he became an MP.

Acting on the notice, a party rival even reported the matter to the Malad police station on Tuesday and wrote to police commissioner D.N. Jadhav about the “missing MP”.

Soon, the rumour spread that the star had either gone missing or was kidnapped when, in point of fact, he was shooting throughout the day in the same suburb.

When contacted, his family members dismissed the queries as a “stupid joke” spread by his political rivals.

Beneath the sarcasm, the message for Govinda Arun Ahuja is loud and clear: Would he ever deign to show himself up at his constituency? More important, would the party repeat him, his popularity notwithstanding, from this prestigious constituency once represented by stalwarts like Ram Naik, V.K.

Krishna Menon and others? It is not easy to maintain a balance between a professional career and a political career, especially, if one is not a professional politician and the Bollywood actor is a case in point.

For the actor, the situation has become tougher to handle, especially after the recent incident.

Although the star is known for his side splitting display of comic talent in reel life, it seems humour has gone out of his real life existence ever since he became a Congress MP.

While most of his Bollywood associates called him a political turncoat, his newfound colleagues in politics, particularly those from his own party, dismissed him as a political novice. Some even considered him as an intruder straying into their preserved territory to spoil their fun.

The badgered star belatedly got the hints from both sides. Finally, he chose his profession over politics, from which he started to distance himself slowly without making his retreat appear too obvious. — IANS

New Delhi, January 17
With employment opportunities in the state sector becoming lesser by the day, the Centre today gave approval to a scheme that envisages incentives to employees in the organised sector who provide regular employment to physically challenged persons.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval to the scheme of providing one lakh jobs per annum to persons with disabilities with a proposed outlay of Rs 1800 crore during the 11th Plan Period. In addition, the CCEA also approved a provision of Rs 16 crore for four years for making adequate publicity of the scheme. The implementation of the scheme will lead to considerable social profit and goodwill as persons with disabilities, who are otherwise in a disadvantageous position, to get regular employment in the organised sector, says the government.

Considering that employment opportunities in the government had been shrinking over the years, the scheme will ensure that adequate employment opportunities for person with disabilities are created in the private sector by providing incentives to employers, I&B Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said after the CCEA meeting.

Meanwhile, the CCEA also gave its approval for revision in criteria under the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme.

The revision will ensure access to education to most deprived section through provision of additional residential schools for girls at upper primary level in blocks having very low literacy rates of below 30 per cent. Urban areas with female literacy below national average of 53.67 per cent as per the 2001 Census will be covered.

Out of 338 towns and cities identified by the Ministry of Minority Affairs having concentration of minority population, 94 towns and cities having female literacy rate below 53.67 per cent will qualify for the scheme.

New Delhi, January 17
Seeking to further modernise the force, the Army has asked for more funds from the Ministry of Finance in the forthcoming budget.

“The Army is keenly interested in the modernisation of the force and if we get the budget allocation, we would be happy,” Chief of Army Staff Gen Deepak Kapoor told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the NCC Republic Day camp here. His comments came when asked what would be the Army’s demand before the Union Finance Ministry as it began the consultation process for finalising the budget.

The Army has made a detailed presentation to the Ministry of Finance over its requirements in the forthcoming year and has accordingly sought an increase in the allocation of funds.

On the Sixth Pay Commission, General Kapoor said the soldiers were confident that they would get a fair deal. “The Defence Minister himself has assured us that the interests of the soldiers will be kept in mind,” the chief said.

He also hoped that the government would approve the project for constructing a war memorial at the India Gate soon. Earlier, addressing the cadets, the General said the NCC had been playing a vital role in channelising the energy of the youth into constructive activities.

Jhansi, January 17
The demand for a separate Bundelkhand state received further impetus today when AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi declared it to be the only solution to the problems being faced by the people of the region.

The second meeting of the UP state coordination committee held in Jhansi today also passed a resolution demanding a second state reorganisation commission.

Putting the creation of an independent state back into Mayawati’s court the meeting today demanded the tabling of a motion recently presented by Jhansi MLA Pradeep Jain of the Congress in the Vidhan Sabha in October demanding an independent Bundelkhand state.

Jain had brought the motion under Rule 103 pertaining to discussion on a matter of public interest. Speaking to The Tribune Jain said while it was printed on the Vidhan Sabha agenda it was not taken up either in that session or the one following it.

Later addressing a massive ‘Bundelkhand Rahat Vikas Rally’ at the conclusion of his 2-day tour of the area Gandhi revised the famous observation of his father Rajiv Gandhi that of the one rupee sent by the central government for development work merely five paisa reached the beneficiary.

Describing Bundelkhand as the “sangharsh ki dharti” (area of struggle) Gandhi said the people of the area along with the state government had to accept the challenge of turning things around.

In his 25-minute address he lashed out at the rampant corruption in the state machinery and did not mince words in blaming officers for not doing their duty. 

Patna, January 17
Even before the Congress translates its threat, with regard to reviewing its support to Madhu Koda, into action and his related downfall, the Jharkhand Chief Minister is already forced to take to roads.

This is reportedly because the private firm, from which the state government had hired a chopper on a contract basis, has withdrawn the service on charges of misuse, forcing Koda to take roads to travel the state.

Ironically, Governor Syed Sibte Razi is also forced to follow the suit as this was the only chopper available in Jharkhand.

Reports reaching here said the five-seater chopper was hired by the Jharkhand government from Asian Aviation to ferry VIPs like the Chief Minister and the Governor. The company was charging Rs 75,000 per hour.

A Brazilian pilot assigned the duty to fly it was said to be unhappy over the alleged misuse of the chopper. It was reportedly used for surveillance purposes in anti-Maoist operations. “The pilot was against using it for anti-Maoist operations. Despite his protest, it was used in these operations,” sources said.

Subsequently, last week the pilot left the state with the chopper.

Last year, the Jharkhand government had purchased a Dhruv helicopter from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd at a cost of Rs 320 million. But, the chopper still stayed on the ground because there was no pilot to fly it.

Bangalore, January 17
Lok Ayuktas do not fight corruption alone, they can be good Samaritans too. The Karnataka Lok Ayukta’s office, which has recently started a helpline to report on the corruption, is now set to initiate the new helpline - one which will address the needs of the distressed people in the state.

It all started with a baby girl born to Gurulingaiah V. Hosamutt in Badami subdivision of Bagalkot district three months back. Both Gurulingaiah and his wife, who suffer from polio, were horrified when they came to know that their newly born girl did not have an anus.

Doctors at the civil hospital in Bagalkot requested the couple to a specialty KIMS hospital in Hubli but here too the couple could not get any relief as doctors there referred them to a private hospital. The private hospital told them they would have to pay Rs 60,000 for the operation.

Unable to pay the fee, the couple, who work as tailors, rang up Deputy Lok Ayukta Patri Basavanagoud and explained their plight to him. The Deputy Lok Ayukta rang up the director of KIMS and requested him to treat the child. Once the couple went back to the hospital, the authorities there rebuked them for having spoken to the Lok Ayukta’s office following which the couple telephoned Basavanagoud again.

The Deputy Lok Ayukta then spoke to Lok Ayukta Justice N. Santhosh Hedge, who called up the superintendent of Manipal hospital and requested him to provide treatment to the child free of cost. The Manipal authorities agreed to perform the operation for Rs 8,000 only which also the couple did not have with them.

The Lok Ayukta arranged this money from a philanthropic organisation to see the operation through.

In the past one month there are others too who have approached the Lok Ayukta with their plight. A person from Shimoga wrote a letter saying he needed an injection to treat his haemophilia and that this was not available in the district hospital. The Lok Ayukta spoke to the secretary of the Health department following which arrangements were made to send the injection to the district hospital.

Similarly, an SC student was not allowed to sit for his examination in a private engineering college in Bangalore as he had not paid the fee. When the student met the Lok Ayukta with his plea, the Lok Ayukta office initiated discussions with the college and ensured the student was able to sit for his examination.

Though this exercise was being conducted purely as a humanitarian service, the Lok Ayukta’s office has now decided to give it a more concrete shape by establishing a helpline so that distressed people can contact the office with their problems.

While there will be a helpline at Bangalore, people in various districts can approach the District Legal Services Forum with their grievances which will be routed to the Lok Ayukta’s office. The Lok Ayukta’s office has also decided to prepare an information brochure listing the type of grievances for which people can approach it. 

Mussoorie, January 17
Mussoorie seems to be the last on the mind of weather gods as its date with snow is getting delayed even as other famous tourist places in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kahsmir already have had their share of the tourists’ rush and the business that comes along.

The queen of the hills has received snow during December or January since 2002. But, the locals, especially in the hotel business, are pinning their hopes on the delayed snowfall as witnessed last year. “We expect the repeat of the last season when the snowfall occurred in mid-February,” said Nitin, owner of a garment store on the Mall Road. And there seems a chance, as the director, meteorological department, Uttarakhand, Dr Anand Sharma, also expects its occurrence till February.

According to the data available with the meteorological department for the past seven years, the snowfall lasted a day barring a couple of days on few occasions. But, this means winter tourist season of at least a week during which people from Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh throng the place.

“It is a time of bumper sale. Though short, it is kind of a bonus season for us. So, we anxiously look forward to it,” adds Nitin. Similar are the expectations of the local hotels as general manager, Honeymoon Inn, Adarsh Sharma said the snowfall boosts occupancy in hotels to around 40-45 per cent from the dismal 20-25 per cent in normal days.

This time, however, business people apprehend the delay may cause decline in the tourist rush as most of them were diverted to places like Shimla. Notably, moderate to heavy widespread snowfall is being reported in the higher reaches covering places like Badrinath and Auli while Mussoorie has to be content with light rainfall so far.

“The present system of western disturbances, which is expected to be over in the next 36 hours, offers little hope. We have to watch the next system that would develop only after a week. But, given the past experience you cannot rule out snowfall till February-end,” adds Sharma.

New Delhi, January 17
The much-awaited Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has finally started functioning and hopefully its workplace will also become visible to the public within next couple of weeks.

Owing to some logistic problems, it has remained on papers for the initial nine months of one year, ever since the announcement of its formation was made.

It is only during the past three months that the bureau saw some movement after officials started joining it.

The ministry of environment and forests now says that everything is in place and the bureau, with its four regional offices at New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai and three sub-regional offices has been operational.

The bureau was set up at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to develop infrastructure and build capacity for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes, besides helping state governments in cases related to wildlife crime.

The bureau will have two joint directors, one from the IFS and another from the IPS rank, and will be assisted by six regional directors.

But, the government is yet to appoint seven inspectors and 25 constables who will be deputed from customs and police from various state governments.

The bureau also has a forensic cell and aims at facilitating training for field staff in intelligence gathering, crime detection and prosecution. It will also strengthen the ongoing efforts for control of poaching and illegal trade.

According to the ministry, the bureau in past three months has been coordinating with various agencies in various seizures.

It also facilitated seizure of Schedule I & IV gastropod in New Delhi and one leopard skin at Dharamtola, Kolkata.

Besides, more than 320 bags of sassurea lappa, a scheduled species of Medicinal Plan in Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, were also seized in New Delhi.

The bureau is currently examining cases of Star Tortoise smuggling detected at Mumbai and Chennai airports and Red Sanders smuggling to Nepal and gathering intelligence in this field.

New Delhi, January 17
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for an additional release of Rs 530.06 crore towards waiver of overdue interest in the 31 districts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.

Briefing newspersons after the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, information and broadcasting minister P.R. Dasmunshi said this was the additional share of the Centre as 50 per cent of the overall financial implication of Rs 3,778.37 crore in this relief package.

It is the difference between the expected final share of Rs 1,889.19 crore less the original estimated amount of Rs 1,359.13 crore.

This decision will give benefit to the borrowers whose loans were overdue as on July 1, 2006, in these four states. The Cabinet also gave its approval for filling 246 technical posts through the direct recruitment method in partial relaxation of the guidelines of the Application of Direct Recruitment Plan (ADRP) Scheme. It would be valid for six organisations that being Tea Board, Coffee Board, Rubber Board, Spices Board, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Export Inspection Council of India (EIC) under the administrative control of the Department of Commerce.

It also gave its approval for exemption of all technical posts from the ADRP as recommended by the Committee of Secretaries.

There was also approval for signing of the agreement between India and Egypt on the abolition of visa requirement for diplomatic and official and service passport holders.

This agreement will facilitate a visa-free travel between India and Egypt for diplomatic and official and service passport holders while entering, transiting through and exiting from the territory of the other country.

It will also facilitate in issuing of residence visa valid for duration of the assignment to the members of diplomatic or consular missions. This agreement will allow a citizen of one country to stay in other country’s territory for a maximum period of 90 days without a visa.

India has already entered into similar agreements with 35 other countries.

In another decision, the Cabinet gave its approval for signing of a treaty between India and Australia on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and also to ratify the treaty.

The treaty will improve the efficacy of both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crime, including crime related to terrorism and tracing restraint and forfeiture of the proceeds and instruments of crime, through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

Approval also came for introduction of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2008,in Parliament by amending the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes ) Order, 1950 for giving effect to the modifications in the list of Scheduled Tribes relating to Arunachal Pradesh.

The modified list of Scheduled Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh will satisfy the aspirations of the ‘Nyishi’ community regarding removal of the term “Dafla” and insertion of “Nyishi” in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.

Imphal, January 17
Eight persons were killed in various insurgency-related incidents in Manipur, official sources said today.

Two persons were shot dead and another was injured this morning at the high security Andro Parking area in the heart of Imphal town by militants.

Factional fighting within a militant outfit appeared to be the cause of the incident, the sources said.

The injured person was taken to Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital (RIMSH) where his condition was stated to be out of danger. An unidentified militant was also killed today in an encounter with a combined force of Assam Rifles and the police commandos at Kongpal area in Imphal district.

In another incident late last night, three persons were shot dead by unidentified militants at Meitram Awang Leikai area under Nambol police station in Bishenpur district, sources said.

Police commandos also gunned down two suspected militants of the Kangleipak Communist Party at Lamdeng area in Imphal yesterday, sources said. — PTI

Patna, January 17
At a time when the Indian team takes on Australia, the Bihar government has come up with an innovative idea to cool down tempers in Bihar jails by making the inmates play cricket.

The problem of overcrowed jails in the state and the resultant clashes among inmates over the alleged mismanagement is said to have prompted the state government to introduce cricket matches for prisoners within jail compounds, which it hopes will help them bond with each other as well.

All 54 jails in Bihar are presently overcrowded. Over 46,000 prisnors are said to be lodged in different jails against a total capacity of 21,000.

The plan conceived by the IG (prison) Sandip Paunarik was reported to have already been given a go ahead by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Sources said the idea was conceived after the prison department recently noticed the imapct of cricket in developing a sense of brotherhood among prisnors. “Telecast of cricket matches inside jails acted as a strong binding force even among prisnors who were at loggerheads with one another”, sources added.

As an experiment, the Prison Department has already organised one such match in the recent past in Samastipur jail and the report was said to be encouraging.

As the plan now stands, there will initially be an inter-ward tournament and a team from each jail will then be picked to play the inter-jail tournament.

Rajapalayam (Tamil Nadu), January 17
In a bid to etch his name in the Guinness Book of World Records, a postgraduate student broke 250 tiles non-stop on his forehead in a record time.

Amudhan,the first year M.Sc Information Technology student of a self-financing engineering college here, had a penchant for getting into the Guinness Book of World Records, right from his young age.

A Karate trainee, Amudhan, started breaking bricks on his head when he was studying in tenth standard.

Last evening, in the presence of officials and well-wishers, Amudhan broke 250 tiles non-stop in a record three minutes and 40 seconds. — UNI

Bangalore, January 17
The police has arrested five men who smashed the heads of two women as part of a bizarre sacrifice to facilitate finding of a “hidden treasure” as promised by a tantrik.

According to the police, one of the accused, Ravindra, was promised by the tantrik that he would find a hidden treasure if he sacrificed women. Ravindra roped in his four friends in order to carry out the advise of the ‘tantrik’.

Ravindra was able to gain the confidence of two women, Elizabeth and Aruna, both of whom were facing marital problems. He promised them that performance of a special pooja would rid them of these problems.

Ravindra and his friends first took Aruna to Bellur village in Mandya district on the pretext of performing a prayer. The woman was taken to a place near the riverside.

During the course of the prayer, the woman was asked to place her head on a boulder while praying with her eyes closed. When she did this, Ravindra smashed her head with a stone and the gang decamped with her jewellery.

The other woman Elizabeth was also killed in similar way on December 14. She was, however, murdered at Muddur, also in Mandya district.

The incidents came to light during the investigation into the case of the woman serial killer, Mallika.

The main accused was arrested yesterday from a locality in the city where he was staying with a friend. The other accused have been identified as Mohana (20), Shekar (20), Ravikumar (20) and Chandrashekar (19). All of them are local resident.