New Delhi, February 16
The Tata group announced two defence-related partnerships at the DefExpo-2008 here today. One tie-up is with the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) consortium, while the other is with Israel’s Urban Aeronautics.

The pact between Tata Advanced Systems and EADS calls for a hi-tech team to jointly bid for the Indian Army’s $1 billion advanced tactical communications system project.

The tie-up with the Israeli company calls for jointly exploring opportunities to manufacture and market unmanned aerial vehicles that will be based on overseas technology but for the Indian market.

Tata Industries, which is the parent company of Tata Advanced Systems, has also invested in Urban Aeronautics, which focuses on providing integrated solutions for the defence and aerospace markets.

Ratan Tata, chairperson of the Tata group, said, “The teaming arrangement with EADS would ensure that the solution proposed is cutting edge, best-in-class and meets all requirements of the Army”.

According to company officials, the $1 billion order for the tactical communications system is intended to replace the Army’s current system. It is also intended to bring the force on a par with the most sophisticated tactical mobile equipment in the world.

Incidentally, Urban Aeronautics is also displaying the model of its Mule Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at the Tata Pavilion at the DefExpo.

“We are extremely pleased to have joined forces with the Tatas to exhibit this unique technology with the plan of eventually being able to bring the Fancraft revolution to the Indian market,” said Rafi Yoeli, founder of the Israeli firm.

Meanwhile, defence minister A.K. Antony said today that there was a major breakthrough for the indigenously developed light combat aircraft Tejas after the Indian Air Force (IAF) agreed to induct two of its squadrons.

Addressing a press conference here after inaugurating the DefExpo organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation and the CII at the Pragati Maidan, the minister said, “In the past, the IAF was not willing to accept even one light combat aircraft. But now, after trials, they had agreed to induct two squadrons”.

He stated that the development of the multi-role combat aircraft was on schedule. 

Guwahati, February 16
Four militants belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed following an encounter with a joint team of the Army and the police at Naphuk Naharani village under Sonari police station of Sivasagar district at around 2.30 am today.

Army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia informed that the joint team of the Army personnel from the 316 Field Regiment and the Assam police moved into the village in pre-dawn hours today acting on a tip-off that four ULFA militants were taking shelter in a house.

Sensing the presence of the security personnel near their hideout the ULFA militants tried to escape by opening fire. However, all the four militants were killed on the spot in the retaliatory fire by the security personnel. None of the inmates of the house were injured in the gun-battle as they had been forced into a single room by the ultras.

The Army official informed that all the four militants were from the 28th battalion of the banned militant outfit. Two of the killed ultras were identified as self-styled sergeant major Ranju Hazarika, and self-styled sergeant Phatik Handique. The rest of the slain militants were yet to be identified.

An AK-47 assault rifle with 14 rounds of ammunition, and a magazine, one 9 mm pistol with four rounds of ammunition, four grenades, a mobile phone and several incriminating documents were recovered from the possession of the killed militants.

Meanwhile, an alert has been sounded in Assam following intelligence inputs that the banned ULFA would try to create terror in the state through subversive activities in retaliation to the latest crack down launched by the police and security forces on its over ground links. The security agencies apprehend desperate ULFA attempt to strike terror in the state capital Guwahati.

Panaji, February 16
The Goa authorities have kept the marriage proceedings of Sanjay Dutt and Manyata on hold after Margao division administrative officer suspended the residence certificate issued to Manyata.

“All the marriage registration proceedings are kept in abeyance pending further orders,” sub registrar, Chandrakant Pissurlekar, who had accepted the declaration of marriage told PTI today.

Pissurlekar said they would not allow the final signature on the marriage, which has to be done within 90 days, till the Mamlatdar (senior administrative officer in district collectorate), clears off the suspension of the residence certificate. Manyata had attached a residence certificate of a local panchayat, recommended by a talathi (revenue officer) in South Goa Collectorate.

Mumbai: A local court today asked the police to investigate claims by a struggling writer that he was married to Manyata. Mehraj Shaikh had filed an application against Dutt and his wife in a local court yesterday, alleging that they had violated the Muslim marriage norms. — PTI

Mumbai, February 16
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan today lost the legal battle for custody of his mentally ill brother Faisal Khan as a local court held that Faisal need not be in anybody’s custody and can live anywhere he wants.

But he requires regular medication, Bandra metropolitan magistrate’s court held. Faisal, a onetime actor himself, is sufferring from schizo-affected psychosis, according to government-run J J hospital’s report. But the report did not say that he could not live on his own.

Faisal’s mother had filed a police complaint last year when he went missing. He was found in Lonavala. Then both Aamir and his father Tahir Hussain filed separate applications in the court seeking his custody. Tahir Hussain later withdrew his application. — PTI

Hyderabad, February 16
The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh today presented a tax-free, populist budget for 2008-09 with its size crossing Rs 100,000 crore mark, claimed to be the highest for any state in the country.

The revival of the Rs 2 per kg rice scheme, aimed at benefiting 1.80 crore poor families, was the highlight of the surplus budget presented by finance minister K Rosaiah in the Legislative Assembly.

Populism was the name of the game as the budget focused on welfare schemes and the ruling party’s thrust areas like irrigation, weaker section housing and rural development.

Irrigation, the ruling party’s pet sector, got the lion’s share with Rs 16,500 crore followed by housing Rs 5,850 crore and rural development Rs 3,838 crore. Together, they constituted over 55 per cent of the total planned expenditure.

This is the last full-fledged budget of the Congress government with Assembly elections scheduled in April next year.

The third surplus budget in a row had all ingredients of an election-eve please-all exercise.

Apart from announcing resurrection of the subsidised rice scheme, with an allocation of Rs 1,980 crore, the budget made liberal enhancements in key sectors.

The total budget size stood at Rs 1,00,436 crore, an increase of 24 per cent over the current year. This includes Rs 51,885 crore under non-plan and Rs 48,551 crore under plan expenditure.

“It is a matter of pride that ours is the highest budget in the country. It is even higher than the budgets of some of the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh,” the Chief Minister Y.S Rajasekhar Reddy said.

The year will have a revenue surplus of Rs 709 crore, which will be 0.2 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP).

“After taking into account the overall transactions of the year, we will have a net surplus of Rs 134 crore. The financial year 2008-09 is expected to end with a cash balance of Rs 120 crore,” Rosaiah said.

“For the fourth consecutive year, we have been able to manage the state finances without resorting to the ways and means advances from the RBI. The state has earned a revenue surplus of about Rs 2,800 crore for 2006-07, ending the long and unfortunate period of revenue deficits that have adversely impacted the economic growth for the full decade 1994-2004,” he said.

Pointing out that the annual economic growth rate during 2007-08 was 10.37 per cent against the national growth rate of 8.7 per cent, the minister said, “By substantially increasing the plan outlays year after year, we stepped up the public investment in an unprecedented manner, which is responsible for leading the state to a double digit growth rate.”

Kochi, February 16
Kuwait is set to restart issuing work visa to Indian workers, which had been stopped since December following a dispute between the two nations over certain employment conditions.

“Re-issuing of Indian work visas by Kuwait is likely to commence by next week,” union minister of state for external affairs E. Ahmed said here today.

“A Joint Working Group of senior officials of both the nations and the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait held discussions in New Delhi, and a ‘mutually acceptable’ and ‘satisfactory’ formula has been arrived at on the provisions of the model contract,” Ahmed told reporters.

The Kuwait Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate in Mumbai had stopped issuing work visas to Indians from December 20 following a dispute between the two countries over certain new employment conditions put forth by the Centre in its model contract.

Ahmed had visited Kuwait and held discussions with their labour minister in an effort to resolve the issue.

India has also issued a travel advisory that Indian passports would not be valid for travel in Iraq. It would be reviewed as and when the situation improves, he said. — PTI