 |
|
|
ULFA negotiator ‘gets threat’ to life
Black Widow ultras’ attack leaves 4 dead
BSP govt tables tax-free budget
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Power Pangs
DefExpo
Social activist couple’s daughter kidnapped
Young Leadership Awards
Tiger count dips further
Sonia to visit Kerala
Tripura Poll
Bhagat Singh’s statue in Parliament
Wanted woman escapes again
Mangalsutra finds a kin in Arunachal
Common man under heavy debt
Gorkha Morcha begins indefinite strike
Talks with IAEA positive: Kakodkar
|
|
ULFA negotiator ‘gets threat’ to life
Guwahati, February 12 Saikia is a member of the People’s Consultative Group (PCG) constituted by ULFA in September 2005 to facilitate direct talks between the outfit and the Government of India. The ULFA negotiator claimed that he, as directed by the ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, had been trying to act as a bridge between ULFA and the Government of India along with the PCG and noted litterateur Mamoni Raisom Goswami (Dr Indira Goswami) to find a solution to the ULFA problem. He alleged that last night he was warned over phone by a person who identified himself as an ULFA cadre Bakul Deka that one of the ULFA battalion commanders Hira Sarania would kill him. The warning call came from a mobile number. Saikia, however, expressed apprehension that it was a call made from any of the police or Army base in the state, as no one in ULFA except its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah was allowed to talk to him directly over phone. “I fear that the threatening phone call followed by an SMS from the same mobile number was part of a design to kill me and then blame it on the ULFA. Those who want to kill me want the peace initiative to get destroyed,” Saikia told the media here. He also alleged that yesterday’s arrest of right activist Lachit Bardoloi, another PCG member, by police in connection with a foiled ULFA plan to hijack an aircraft, was aimed at damaging the peace initiative launched by the PCG on behalf of ULFA. He said he would lodge a complaint with the police about the threat received to his life and was very candid in saying that “only a section, but not all, of police force, Army and politicians are out to scuttle the peace initiative for good”.
|
|
Black Widow ultras’ attack leaves 4 dead
Guwahati, February12 NEEPCO sources said that the ultras had cut the 33 KVA line and a number of telephone lines to the Umrangshu plant of the Kopili Hydro-power Project bringing power generation to a grinding halt. The attack left over 300 families of NEEPCO employees in Umrangshu township in jitters. The police informed that four persons, including three security men and a driver, were killed and two other security personnel injured when suspected militants belonging to Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa) faction or Black Widow attacked the convoy with police escort carrying NEEPCO employees from Umrangshu power plant to their residential colony at Umrangshu township. Travelling along the 10 km stretch of road from Umrangshu power plant to the NEEPCO staff colony is always fraught with danger because of presence of militants. The threat became alarming after the dreaded Black Widow militants put the NEEPCO plant on its radar after the power corporation, a government of India undertaking, failed to comply with militants’ extortion demand of Rs 2 lakh. It was a second attack by the Black Widow ultras on the NEEPCO power plant and its staffs during a month. On January 14 last, Black Widow militants had opened random fire at the power house gate at Umrangshu killing five persons, including a minor and two security personnel. Following the attack last month, NEEPCO authority had asked for at least one additional company (over 100 personnel) of Assam Police Battalion to augment security cover for the vulnerable power plant and employees, but the Assam government provided only additional 24 personnel. As on date there are only 66 Assam Police Battalion personnel guarding over the Kopili Hydro-power Project and its staffs in Umrangshu.
|
|
BSP govt tables tax-free budget
Lucknow, February 12 Amidst protest and walkout by Samajwadi Party and BJP
MLAs, minister for finance Lalji Verma tabled the budget in the Vidhan
Sabha. Amounting to Rs 112472.72 crore for the financial year 2008-2009, the budget estimates a receipt of Rs 110827.87 crore and an expenditure of Rs 112472.72
crore. While Rs 2498 has been proposed for new roads and bridges, the budget for increasing power generation goes up by 12 per cent to Rs 10,330
crore. Seven hundred crore have been earmarked for two urban development schemes in the memory of BSP mentor Kanshi Ram. Of this Rs 500 crore is for the Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagra Vikas Yojana for the well-planned all-round development of cities. For interest-free loan for the development works of urban bodies, Rs 200 have been kept aside under the Kanshi Ram Urban Development Scheme. While no new taxes were announced in the budgetary provision, direct-to-home
(DTH) entertainment would be taxed in future, while multiplexes will continue to enjoy 100 per cent tax-free status for the first three years. To strengthen the primary education system, the budget proposes to appoint 88000 new teachers on a priority basis. A university for the differently abled is also proposed in the budget under the PPP model, for which the budget has allocated Rs 1
crore. Bundelkhand finds a special package in the state budget. Of the estimated expenditure of Rs 300 crore in waiving off interest accumulated on agricultural bank loans, around Rs 100 has been granted in this budget. Another Rs 100 crore is for subsidy to farmers for purchasing water-efficient irrigation equipment like sprinklers and drip irrigation equipment.
|
|
|
Power Pangs
Dehra Dun, February 12 Since Uttarakhand Congress leaders have made the prevailing power crisis as a major issue in the forthcoming
byelection, Khanduri’s reaction, political observers felt, has only lent credence to the Congress charge. When asked to comment at the press conference here, he admitted that his government committed a ‘mistake’ by not following the usual practice of banking power during the summer. But he tried to shift the blame on the Congress-led UPA government for the crisis, which by his own admission was the outcome of lack of prior planning. “Even if a mistake was made but this does not mean the union government should not do its bit to bail out the state. It provided cheap power during the tenure of previous Congress government in
Uttarakhand. We have no option but to purchase power at exorbitant rates,” he said while alleging the UPA government’s attitude as discriminatory. Interestingly, the power department is one of the 39 departments Khanduri retained with himself after taking over the reins of the state in March, 2007. Given the gravity of the problem that resulted in ‘official’ power cuts, especially in capital Dehra Dun, a part of Pauri Garhwal parliamentary constituency, political observers felt it may upset the poll calculations of the ruling
BJP. The constituency is a stronghold of Khanduri since 1991. He was representing it since 1991 till he became the Chief Minister. Probably sensing adverse impact on the electorate, Khanduri as well as the state BJP leaders have started a tirade against the UPA government holding it responsible for all ills being faced by the state. The CM also alleged that the wheat quota of the state has also been reduced unreasonably from the earlier 18,770 metric tonnes to 1566 metric
tonnes. Besides, the four-lane road project between Dehra Dun and Delhi was dropped.
|
|
|
DefExpo
New Delhi, February 12 Being organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) the four-day exhibition, which is also known as the Land and Naval Systems Exhibition, will also see a strong Indian presence. As many as 202 domestic manufacturers would be vying with foreign exhibitors for a share of the estimated Rs 155 billion that the Indian armed forces are expected to spend over the next five years as part of the modernisation drive. DefExpo ‘has been conceptualised to promote business activity in global land and naval systems’, secretary (defence production) Pradeep Kumar told mediapersons while giving out details of the exhibition here today. “It allows the international defence industry to promote and showcase their products and services and also gives domestic manufacturers an opportunity to do so,” he added. He added that there would be 47 official delegations visiting the DefExpo including six ministerial delegations from Afghanistan, Belarus, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and Nigeria. “The participation of companies, both from India and abroad is very good and there are as many as 30 country pavilions,” he said while pointing out that the Indian private sector was slowly acquiring strength for defence manufacturing. “We are also looking at exports and while these are currently only at Rs 500 crores (Rs 5 billion), we hope to see these rise as the Indian industry acquires cutting edge technology from around the world,” he said. The exhibition has been spread over eight halls and 32,000 square metres of open and covered space and will see the launch of a staggering 91 products ranging from radars to communications systems, torpedoes, anti-mine vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles and combat clothing. A total of 46 American companies, the largest from any country, will be represented at the show. They include giants like Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Sikorsky besides the US Defence Department. The US is followed by companies from Israel, Italy and even France in large numbers. However, the number of companies from Russia, India’s traditional defence arms and ammunition supplier has gone down to 24. Discounting any possible differences between New Delhi and Moscow, Lt. Gen S.S. Mehta, D.G. CII, pointed out that the Russians already knew the Indian market so they were possibly keeping away. A major highlight of DefExpo is the inclusion of 16 seminars 'to enable exhibitors make technology or product specific presentations to Indian defence establishments, R&D institutions, defence public sector undertakings, ordnance factories and to Indian industry', Kumar pointed out.
|
|
|
Social activist couple’s daughter kidnapped
Lucknow, February 12 She, along with her parents, was mobilising support against the sexual exploitation of a Dalit woman by a local carpet trader. The kidnapping occurred on February 5, two days before her parents, V.K. Rai and Pushpa Rai, associated with the Centre for Environment and Rural Technology (CERT) and other social organisations, had announced to stage a dharna on February 7 outside the Dalit girl’s makeshift house in front of the culprit’s residence. Rachna Rai, a BA (II) student, left for the college in Gyanpur locality on February 5 and never returned. Despite her parents registering a case of kidnapping at the Gyanpur police station the same evening, there is still no trace of the girl forcing the hapless father to sit on an indefinite fast from today. Rachna’s parents believe the kidnapping to be in retaliation of their daring to raise the issue of a 25-year-old Dalit daughter of a carpet weaver Santoshi, being sexually exploited by a powerful carpet trader Ghulam Rasool. Following their fact-finding mission, the case was taken up and an FIR registered against Rasool. Santoshi had given a statement under Section 164 in which she charged Rasool of sexually exploiting since she was a minor by promising marriage. She now has a 2-year-old son from Rasool and is again 15 weeks pregnant. She also admitted undergoing four abortions. After the matter became public, the Dalit girl was thrown out of Rasool’s house and is now living in a jhuggi. She also charged Rasool of stopping the Rs 2,000 a month that he was paying her for upkeep. Speaking to The Tribune about the case, Bhadohi SP S.N. Upadhyay sounded nonchalant. Maintaining that the alleged culprit was absconding, he said everything possible was being done for his arrest. However, local activists point out that Rasool is roaming around in the market place fearlessly. BSP MLA from Bhadohi Archana Saroj said she had collected all facts related to the case and would soon be submitting them to the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, social activists across the state today sent a petition to Chief Minister Mayawati demanding justice for the Dalit girl.
|
|
|
Young Leadership Awards
New Delhi, February 12 The President, who today presented the Lakshmipat Singhania-IIM Lucknow national leadership awards at a function here, said the country’s economy was growing fast but not fast enough to generate jobs required in the country. “People will have to be encouraged to become entrepreneurs and IIMs should focus on promoting entrepreneurship and related skills that can make medium and small enterprises successful,” she said. Congratulating the award winners, she said the fields chosen for giving the awards were interconnected and important aspects of the corporate world. The award in the field of business was given to Bharti Group chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, for science and technology to Dr Anil Kakodkar, chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, and for community service and social upliftment to Aruna Dalmia, founder, Akshay Pratishthan. In the young leader category, the winners were R. Subramanian, managing director, Subhisksha (business), Dr Atish Dabholkar, scientist (science and technology) and Dipendra Manocha, director, IT, National Association for Blind (community services and social upliftment). Lucknow IIM has instituted the leadership awards in association with the JK Organisation. K.C. Pant, former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, headed the award jury, which included N.K. Singh, deputy chairman, Bihar Planning Commission, Shobhana Bhartia, editorial director of Hindustan Times, H.K. Dua, editor-in-chief, The Tribune, Dr K. Kasturirangan, director, National Institute of Advance Studies, O.P. Bhatt, chairman, State Bank of India, Arun Bhagat Ram, CMD SRF Ltd, Hari Shankar Singhania, president, JK Organisation, Dr Jamshed J. Irani, chairman, board of governors, IIM, Lucknow, Dr Devi Singh, director, IIM, Lucknow, and Bharat Hari Singhania, director, JK Group. The President said questions regarding good corporate governance and corporate responsibility had assumed a central position and a set of principles voluntarily agreed to by the business world and corporate houses could be developed into a self-imposed code of conduct. “I have often spoken about corruption as a menace in our country that needs to be uprooted. The business world can play an important role in this endeavour.” Noting that the awards were a joint endeavour of an industrialist and a management institute, she said it was reflective of the need for the corporate world to work closely with management institutes who train and prepare the youth for assuming future responsibilities in the field of business management.
|
|
Tiger count dips further
New Delhi, February 12 “The Tiger Project explained that the tiger has suffered due to direct poaching, loss of quality habitat and loss of prey,” said Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of the project, while making a presentation in the capital today. “But there is still hope.” According to the census, the lower limit of the total population of the animal is 1165, with the upper limit extending to 1657. The National Tiger Conservation Authority of the ministry of environment and forests initiated refinement of the ongoing process of tiger estimation using pugmarks in 2002. Based on the pilot study done in Satpura, the methodology was mainstreamed as a country level process endorsed by the Tiger Task Force. “The government has declared eight new tiger reserves to strengthen the population of tigers,” said Gopal. “An area of 31,111 sq km of tiger habitat has been notified by the tiger states.” Gopal added: “The estimation could not be carried out in some of the areas like Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh and Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand due to extremist and Naxalite generated problems.”
|
|
Sonia to visit Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram,
February 12 She would arrive at Kochi on February 14 and inaugurate the Kerala Pulayar Mahasabha. The next day, she would reach this city, he told reporters here. She would lay the foundation stone for the Shantigiri Ashram Research Institute at Pothancode, near here, and inaugurate the Women’s Centre. Gandhi would later inaugurate the District Congress Committee office’s new building and visit the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio Technology. In the evening, she would address a party public meeting at the centre stadium, Chennithala said.
— UNI
|
|
|
Tripura Poll
Agartala, February 12 The state election commission finalised the list of all contestants from 13 parties, including seven regional and independent, last night. The CPM will contest 56 seats alone while its allies the CPI and the RSP each will contest four seats. The Congress and the BJP would each contest in 49 constituencies. Meanwhile, dissident leftist Forward Bloc would fight alone in 12 Assembly segments and almost all the seats would witness multi-cornered fight. The tribal alliance of the Congress, the INPT, would be fighting in 11 constituencies. — UNI
|
|
Bhagat Singh’s statue in Parliament
New Delhi, February 12 “It is a matter of great honour and satisfaction for the people of Punjab that one of their sons is the most honoured and admired martyr in the struggle for freedom of the country. Punjab was his (Bhagat Singh’s) home and thus it alone should have this honour (of sculpting his statute),” Badal said. The current year being the birth centenary of Shahid-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, the tabloid of the Punjab government for the Republic Day celebrations in the national capital also depicted the significance of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, he said. Bhagat Singh was cremated on March 23, 1931, at village Hussainawala near Ferozepur. The village is situated close to the Indo-Pak border. In the year 1968, the Punjab government constructed the Samadhi of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru and dedicated the same to the nation.
|
|
Wanted woman escapes again
Chennai, February 12 Airport sources said the woman, Alamelu
Lakshmikanth, had been evading the Mumbai police for the last couple of years in connection with a case. The Mumbai police had alerted the immigration authorities in all the airports to prevent her from fleeing the country. When she came to the airport to board a Malaysian Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur, the immigration authorities cancelled her journey and detained her at around 11.45 pm last night. They also informed the Mumbai police, who in turn asked them to hand her over to the airport police and a special team from Mumbai would take her into custody after obtaining transit remand. As the immigration authorities allegedly delayed the process of handing her over to the airport police, the woman hoodwinked them and escaped.
— UNI
|
|
|
Mangalsutra finds a kin in Arunachal
Itanagar, February 12 The decision was taken unanimously at the seventh annual convention of the communities in order to prevent marital relations between people having blood ties. The convention made it mandatory for married women of the two tribes to wear 'jenjaps', the cost of which would be borne by the bridegrooms as part of the ornaments offered.
— PTI
|
|
Common man under heavy debt
Lucknow, February 12 As per the statistic, the loan on the state was expected to reach Rs 154,875 crore in 2008-09 that is 39.4 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP). With the state population touching around 180 million, the debt on each individual works out to be over Rs 8,605 in 2008-09 which is expected to be Rs 8,488 in the current financial year with the total loan of Rs 144,300 crore.
— UNI
|
|
Gorkha Morcha begins indefinite strike
Kolkata, February 12 The morcha also demanded the immediate removal of Ghising from the Darjeeling Hill Council. The strike was peaceful but paralysed normal life in hills. Shops, markets, educational institutions and other establishments were closed. Buses and other vehicles were off road. Though Subhas Ghising-led GNLF had been “ruling” Darjeeling for over three decades at a stretch, hill people today widely responded to bandh and there was no protest from the GNLF side.
|
|
Talks with IAEA positive: Kakodkar
New Delhi, February 12 Speaking on the sidelines of Lakshmipat Singhania-IIM Lucknow National Leadership awards function here, he said talks with the IAEA were moving positively. Asked about a possible timeframe for the conclusion of talks, he said there could be no specific timeline. “Every issue has to be resolved. The talks are moving positively,” he said.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
