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Gujarat Riots
SC pulls up Teesta for article
New Delhi, February 19
The Supreme Court today came down heavily on social activist Teesta Setalvad for casting doubt about its integrity in dealing with the major Gujarat riot cases, the transfer of which outside the state was sought by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Ultras kill four workers in Assam
Guwahati, February 19
Suspected tribal militants belonging to Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa) or Black Widow group mowed down four workers of a cement plant owned by Vinay Cement at Umranghsu in North Cachar Hill district of Assam at around 11 am today.

Sniffer dogs, choppers being used to hunt Naxals
Bhubaneswar, February 19
Security forces today used helicopters and sniffer dogs to hunt the Maoists involved in the Nayagarh attack after failing to locate them in Gosmah forest, officials said. “Besides using Indian Air Force choppers to spot the Naxals inside jungles, the security forces deployed a large number of trained dogs,” a senior officer engaged in the combing operation said.

EARLIER STORIES

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	Tatas announce two defence-related pacts February 17, 2008
	‘Jodhaa Akbar’ opens amid protests February 16, 2008
	PM seeks security of sea lanes February 15, 2008
	Cong sets poll ball rolling with 3 new PCC heads February 14, 2008
	ULFA negotiator ‘gets threat’ to life February 13, 2008
	Regional parties inch towards alliance February 12, 2008
	Russian PM’s visit: N-deal tops agenda February 11, 2008
	Yet another Justice Katju ruling sparks debate February 10, 2008

Orissa Assembly adjourned again
Bhubaneswar, February 19
Amidst slogan shouting and a scuffle between the Opposition and Treasury Bench members, the Orissa Assembly was adjourned thrice and finally for the day without transacting any business.

Wrong policies causing dip in N-power output: Kakodkar
Bangalore, February 19
“Wrong policies” have led to the drop in power production in nuclear reactors in the country using natural uranium, but the situation is being described as a “temporary phenomenon” by the Atomic Energy Commission. The commission claims that the capacity factor of the reactors will improve through uranium augmentation that is being undertaken.

Thorium-based reactor soon
Bangalore, February 19
Thorium-based Advance Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) are the nation’s answer to the grim power scenario and one such reactor having a capacity of 300-MW is in the offing. This was stated by Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar here today. He said the reactors, visualised by the commission, would get two thirds of its energy from thorium and one third from plutonium.

Don’t become super legislature: Somnath
Nagpur, February 19
Slamming judicial activism yet again, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee cautioned that any efforts by the judiciary to take on itself the “onerous responsibility” of the governance of the country would have “serious implications.”

Maya’s meeting with Sonia sparks speculation
New Delhi, February 19
First the stick and then the carrot. After she threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government and attacked the Gandhi family personally, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday evening. The meeting is being viewed essentially as a “public relations exercise” by the BSP chief.

Cabinet Appointments
Sheriff appointed secy to Vice-President
New Delhi, February 19
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved 17 senior level appointments, including that of Shamsher K. Sheriff, IAS (AGMU:77), as secretary to the vice-president. Sheriff has been appointed in the rank and pay of additional secretary.

Delimitation gets Prez nod
New Delhi, February 19
Giving a go-ahead to redraw the political map of the country, President Pratibha Patil has given her assent to the delimitation process, which will alter constituencies in 24 states, and union territories.

Kidney Scam
Tout in CBI custody
New Delhi, February 19
A lab technician, who allegedly worked as a tout and arranged donors for kidney scam kingpin Dr Amit Kumar, was today sent to four days CBI custody by a court here. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjeev Jain remanded Manoj Kumar (27), who allegedly assisted kidney thugs during transplants at Gurgaon, to CBI custody till February 23 for intensive interrogation.

Test finds complainant’s kidneys intact
Moradabad (UP), February 19
In a new twist to the ongoing investigation in the kidney transplant racket,the medical report of a villager, whose complaint blew the lid of the scam, has found that both his kidneys were intact.

Punjab signs MoU for automotive institute
New Delhi, February 19
The Punjab government today signed a MoU to set up a State Institute of Automotive and Driving Skills at Mahuanna village in Muktsar.

BJP walkout over Ganga Expressway
Lucknow, February19
The BJP staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha today when the BSP government refused to table documents related to the contract of the eight-lane Ganga Expressway to be built at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore.

LF govt slowing development in Tripura, says PM
Udaipur, February 19
After Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who brought Tripura’s Left Front government in the line of fire today accusing it of slowing down the pace of development and failing to bring peace in the insurgency-hit state.

Centre for time-bound execution of Forest Act
New Delhi, February 19
The ministry of tribal affairs has stressed the need for implementation of the Forest Rights Act in time bound manner, urging the states to complete preliminary work for identification of beneficiaries by the middle of March.

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Gujarat Riots
SC pulls up Teesta for article
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, February 19
The Supreme Court today came down heavily on social activist Teesta Setalvad for casting doubt about its integrity in dealing with the major Gujarat riot cases, the transfer of which outside the state was sought by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

A Bench, headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, was apparently annoyed by an article written by her and a letter circulated among her well wishers recently seeking help from them to overcome the “delay”, which was also prominently published in some newspapers..

While hearing the bail petitions of some of the accused in the Godhra train carnage, which had triggered the unprecedented riots in the state in Febraury 2002, the Bench at the very outset questioned the “locus standi” of Setalwad to raise the issue.

The Bench having Justices R.V. Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari as the other two judges, asked the counsel for the Godhra train carnage accused whether she was the “spokesperson” for them.

The lawyer was prompt to “disown” her and distance from her and submitted that they had nothing to do with her. Whatever she was doing, she was doing it own her own, he stated.

At least nine of the Godhra train carnage accused had moved the apex court for bail and also seeking dropping of charges under POTA against them.

Setalvad, an activist of Citizens for Peace, had been vocal against the Narendra Modi government for “mishandling” the riot cases. But it was on the direct intervention of the Supreme Court that cases like the Best Bakery incident and the Bilkis Bano gang rape and murder of several members of her family could reach the logical conclusion after the apex court ordered their trial outside Gujarat.

It was also on the apex court’s direction that nearly 2,000 cases closed by the state police were reopened and investigated and now being proceeded in various trial courts in the state.

The CJI said raising doubt about the court’s integrity was “shameful” and termed the article written by Setalvad as in a “bad taste”. The court said it was seized of over 60,000 cases and everything was computerised and all the cases were listed on merit as per the rules and there should be no reason for any body to rake up the bogey of “delay”.

Meanwhile, another Bench seized of the NHRC petition on the transfer of the major cases adjourned hearing for two weeks. It was to hear the petition in the light of the Central government’s latest affidavit favouring investigation into these cases by the CBI.

Ultras kill four workers in Assam
Bijay Sankar Bora
Tribune News Service

Guwahati, February 19
Suspected tribal militants belonging to Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa) or Black Widow group mowed down four workers of a cement plant owned by Vinay Cement at Umranghsu in North Cachar Hill district of Assam at around 11 am today.

Police informed that the ultras hiding in the roadside forest areas fired upon a vehicle carrying Vinay Cement workers, from the cement plant near Umrangshu town, to a limestone mine located about 5 km away.

Four workers were killed on the spot while two others were injured in the attack. The militants also burnt down the vehicle. The workers were going to collect limestone from the mine. Another vehicle of the cement company escaped the wrath of marauding militants.

A team of police and paramilitary force personnel had rushed to the incident site from Umrangshu after the killings.

Meanwhile, normal life was paralysed in Assam, especially in Brahmaputra Valley districts, today due to 12-hour state-wide bandh called by the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). All offices, banks and other financial institutions, business organisations, educational institutions in the state remained closed during the bandh. However, the state secretariat in Dispur capital complex functioned normally. The bandh had partial affect on life in Barak Valley districts in south Assam.

Vehicular traffic was off the road in the state barring skeletal service provided by the state-owned Assam State Transport Corporation. However, there was no report of bandh-related violence from any part of the state.

The ULFA called for bandh demanding release of the arrested human rights activist and chief convenor of the ULFA-constituted People’s Consultative Group (PCG), Lachit Bardoloi.

	Sniffer dogs, choppers being used to hunt Naxals Bhubaneswar, February 19 Security forces today used helicopters and sniffer dogs to hunt the Maoists involved in the Nayagarh attack after failing to locate them in Gosmah forest, officials said. “Besides using Indian Air Force choppers to spot the Naxals inside jungles, the security forces deployed a large number of trained dogs,” a senior officer engaged in the combing operation said. Suspecting the presence of land mines and clamour mines in the jungles, the security forces were using sniffer dogs to locate the militants suspected to be hiding in the caves of Singhasini hills near Buguda in Ganjam district. The change of strategy to nab the Naxals was believed to have been influenced by the death of three prominent members of the SOG, including assistant commandant Pramod Kumar Satpathy during the combing operation. “We do not want to sacrifice more personnel by directly confronting the Naxals and raiding their hideouts. The enemies were obviously in an advantageous position inside the forests. They knew the routes and were well acquainted with the terrain,” the official said. He said moonlight had helped the Naxals to slip from their hideouts in Gosmah forest, which was encircled by the security personnel. “It was easy for them to escape taking advantage of their knowledge of forest routes,” the officer said. The combing operation was launched after Maoists shot dead 14 policemen and a civilian and looted armouries in Nayagarh on February 15 night. Personnel of the Orissa Police, Special Operation Group, CRPF and Greyhound from Andhra Pradesh, were also carrying out the operation in the jungles of Ganjam, Kandhamal and Gajapati districts adjoining Nayagarh district. While Kandhamal SP Nikhil Kanodia was leading a group in the Daringibadi area, southern range DIG R.P. Koche was heading another group. “Even district magistrates of several districts were asked to help in the combing operation, said to be the biggest ever anti-Maoist operation in the country,” claimed a senior home department official. Meanwhile, sources said the combing operation, which had received reinforcement of another five companies (500 personnel) of CRPF jawans, was likely to continue for a long period. “This is because, instead of chasing the ultras in jungles, the force will now wait for their arrival, according to the new strategy,” the officer said. Even as the government claimed to have killed 20 Naxals during an encounter on the first day of combing operation, the Maoists had killed 17 security personnel, including 14 killed on Friday. The government was yet to recover a single body of the Naxals. “I suspect, whether they have killed any of the Naxals. The claim to have eliminated 20 ultras could be a figment of imagination,” leader of opposition J.B. Patnaik said. Ultras shoot one Latehar: Ultras of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) gunned down a person after abducting him from Janijawar village under the Balumath police station area of the district late last night. The police said today the rebels took away Sanjay Ram from his house and killed him. The deceased was a sympathiser of the banned CPI (Maoist), the police added. — PTI, UNI
	Orissa Assembly adjourned again Bhubaneswar, February 19 Amidst slogan shouting and a scuffle between the Opposition and Treasury Bench members, the Orissa Assembly was adjourned thrice and finally for the day without transacting any business. Pandemonium was witnessed for the third consecutive day today, leading to a scuffle between the Treasury Bench and Opposition members Speaker Maheswar Mohanty was forced to adjourn the House for 30 minutes to avoid any further untoward incident. The House was again adjourned by Deputy Speaker Prahallad Dora, who also failed to bring the situation in order. The Assembly was finally adjourned till lunch up to 3 pm. During the post lunch session, the Opposition continued its slogan shouting forcing the Deputy Speaker to adjourn for the day. — UNI
	Wrong policies causing dip in N-power output: Kakodkar Jangveer Singh Tribune News Service Bangalore, February 19 “Wrong policies” have led to the drop in power production in nuclear reactors in the country using natural uranium, but the situation is being described as a “temporary phenomenon” by the Atomic Energy Commission. The commission claims that the capacity factor of the reactors will improve through uranium augmentation that is being undertaken. As many as eight pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) used natural uranium converted into pellets as fuel. The reactors, situated in Rawatbhatta in Rajasthan, Narora in Uttar Pradesh, Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu and Karapar in Gujarat, are presently running at 60 per cent of their capacity due to a shortage of uranium. Nuclear plants operating at present have a capacity of producing 4,000 MW of power, but are presently producing 30 per cent less from a plant load factor of 90 per cent in 2002-03. Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, while answering a question in this regard here yesterday, said wrong policies in the past had adversely affected uranium mining in the country and efforts were on to take a u-turn and augment uranium mining. He said in the past private business had put tremendous pressure stating that it was not wise to mine uranium in the country due to costs involved. Kakodkar said it was well known that uranium deposits in the country were very lean and mining them involved substantial cost. He said mining the precious metal also met with protests from environmentalists. Many questioned why the country was acquiring uranium when a substantial number of nuclear projects to consume the metal were not functioning. The scientist said due to these reasons uranium mining projects had been stopped midway resulting in the present shortfall. He said as India could not buy uranium from the international market due to restrictions by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), mining the product itself was the only answer.
	Thorium-based reactor soon Tribune News Service Bangalore, February 19 Thorium-based Advance Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) are the nation’s answer to the grim power scenario and one such reactor having a capacity of 300-MW is in the offing. This was stated by Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar here today. He said the reactors, visualised by the commission, would get two thirds of its energy from thorium and one third from plutonium. The commission head said thorium was abundantly available in the country with known reserves of around nine or 10 lakh tonnes. He said the design of the reactor was complete and even the pre-licensing arrangements had been worked out. “Right now we are working on the foundations and hope to start construction of the reactor by the end of the year or early next year”.
	Don’t become super legislature: Somnath Nagpur, February 19 Slamming judicial activism yet again, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee cautioned that any efforts by the judiciary to take on itself the “onerous responsibility” of the governance of the country would have “serious implications.” Chatterjee asked the judiciary not to become a ‘super legislature’ saying it should not overstep into matters of legislature and encroach upon spheres earmarked for other organs of the democracy. Speaking at a function of the High Court Bar Association here yesterday, Chatterjee said the Indian constitution has clearly demarcated the responsibility for managing public affairs to the legislature for which they are accountable to the people. Justice Swantater Kumar and a galaxy of other members of bench and bar were present at the function. “Any efforts by the judiciary to take on itself the onerous responsibility of the governance of the country will have serious implications,” he said. “Legislature has a pre-eminent position in the democratic set up,” he added. Expressing deep concern over inordinate delay in dispensing justice, Chatterjee said it was disturbing the nation’s ‘conscience’. — PTI

Maya’s meeting with Sonia sparks speculation
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19
First the stick and then the carrot. After she threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government and attacked the Gandhi family personally, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday evening. The meeting is being viewed essentially as a “public relations exercise” by the BSP chief.

Although Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati enjoy a good personal rapport, their respective parties have taken a conscious decision to fight each other politically as the two are locked in a battle for the Dalit vote. The Uttar Pradesh Congress has launched a concerted campaign against the Mayawati government while the BSP chief has sharpened her attack against the ruling coalition at the Centre and the Congress as she seeks to spread her wings beyond UP.

In view of this background, both the parties kept the Mayawati-Sonia meeting under wraps and even when it came out in the open today, Congress leaders played it down. “It was only a courtesy call. Mayawati had enquired about Sonia Gandhi’s health last month when she was unwell and expressed a desire to meet her,” explained a senior AICC office-bearer. The meeting materialised on Sunday evening after Mayawati returned from Jaipur where she had addressed a big public rally.

Cynical AICC office-bearers were quick to state that this was Mayawati’s way of “mollifying” the Congress president. It is no coincidence that the “courtesy call” came just a day after BSP MP and legislators disrupted a meeting called by Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi in Sultanpur on the implementation of the National Rural Guarantee Employment Scheme (NREGS) where they accused him of unfairly targeting the Mayawati government. The BSP had, so far, refrained from targeting the Gandhis personally.

“If the Congress needs BSP support at the Centre, Mayawati also needs the UPA. After all, her cases are still pending. She also needs the ruling coalition to get a favourable financial package, “ remarked a senior AICC leader. Mayawati did have a successful meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday where Uttar Pradesh was promised a total of Rs.2,80,000 crore during the 11th Plan period, 3.5 times more than its allocation in the tenth plan. This includes Central assistance of Rs 80,000 crore, which is what Mayawati had sought.

Congress leaders, however, maintained that the Mayawati-Sonia meeting would not derail their campaign against the UP government. The UPPCC organised a rally in Khushinagar (Eastern UP) today where speakers lambasted the Mayawati regime while a farmers’ rally in Muzaffarnagar has been planned for February 27.

The UP Congress unit is already in the midst of a “hisaab mango abhiyan” where it is asking the UP government to explain how it has spent the Central funds allocated to it. “There will be no dilution in our campaign... we will continue to fight for the rights of the people,” declared UPPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Cabinet Appointments
Sheriff appointed secy to Vice-President
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved 17 senior level appointments, including that of Shamsher K. Sheriff, IAS (AGMU:77), as secretary to the vice-president. Sheriff has been appointed in the rank and pay of additional secretary.

Other appointments are as follows:

B.K. Sinha, IAS (BH:75), presently additional secretary, ministry of panchayati raj as director general, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, under the department of rural development, ministry of rural development in the rank and pay of additional secretary, in the vacancy of V.S. Sampath, IAS (AP:73).

G. Balachandran, IAS (WB:77), presently joint secretary, ministry of environment and forests as chief executive officer, food safety & standards authority under the department of health and family welfare, ministry of health and family welfare in the newly created post in the rank and pay of additional secretary.

Naved Masood, IAS (MT:77), presently in the cadre as additional secretary and financial adviser, ministry of health and family welfare vice Raghubir Singh,. IA&AS(72). Sudhir Krishna, IAS (KN:77), presently in the cadre, as additional secretary, ministry of panchayati raj in the vacancy of B.K. Sinha, IAS (BH:75).

Ajay Bhattacharya, IAS (TN:77), presently joint secretary, department of animal husbandry and dairying, ministry of agriculture as administrator, USOF, department of telecommunications, ministry of communications and information technology in the rank and pay of additional secretary.

Alok Rawat, IAS (SK:77), presently in the cadre, as secretary, Union Public Service Commission in the rank and pay of additional secretary. Pradeep K. Deb, IAS(RJ:77), to be upgraded in the post of senior adviser to the executive director, Asian Development Bank, Manila, in the rank and pay of additional secretary.

Sundaram Krishna, IAS (PB:77), to be appointed as additional secretary, ministry of defence by in-situ elevation of the post of joint secretary, ministry of defence presently held by him. Loretta Mary Vas, IAS (UP:77), to be appointed as additional secretary in the department of economic affairs, ministry of finance.

Viswapati Trivedi, IAS (MP:77), to be upgraded as the joint chairman cum managing director, National Aviation Company of India Limited, to the rank and pay of additional secretary.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has also approved the following appointments, to take effect from 1st March, 2008, or later:

R.S. Sirohi, IAS (MP:74), special secretary and financial adviser, department of industrial policy and promotion, ministry of commerce and industry to be appointed secretary, National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes, in the rank and pay of secretary, on the superannuation of Wilfred Lakra, IAS (CG:73). On his vacating it, the post of special secretary and financial adviser, department of industrial policy and promotion, ministry of commerce and industry shall revert to the level of additional secretary and financial adviser.

P. Uma Shanker, IAS (UP:76), to be appointed chairman and managing director, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited under the ministry of power in the rank and pay of additional secretary. Pradeep Kumar Sinha, IAS (UP:77), joint secretary and financial adviser, ministry of petroleum and natural gas to be appointed as additional secretary and financial adviser, ministry of petroleum and natural gas by in-situ upgradation of the post held by him.

D.R.S. Chaudhary, IAS (MP:77), to be appointed as additional secretary and financial adviser, department of industrial policy and promotion, ministry of commerce and industry vice R.S. Sirohi, IAS (MP:74). A.S. Lamba, IAS (WB:77), chief vigilance officer, Indian Oil Corporation Limited to be upgraded to the rank and pay of additional secretary, in his present post; and A.K. Barman, IAS (WB:77), chairman, Damodar Valley Corporation to be allowed the pay of additional secretary in his present post.

Delimitation gets Prez nod
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19
Giving a go-ahead to redraw the political map of the country, President Pratibha Patil has given her assent to the delimitation process, which will alter constituencies in 24 states, and union territories.

The President has given her assent to the delimitation proposal, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said amid indications from the law ministry that it would come into immediate effect in almost all parts of the country.

This is except Meghalaya and Tripura where the Aassembly poll process is already on and there it would come into force from March 20. However this will raise questions over early Assembly poll in Karnataka.

In four north-eastern states, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, there are some problems in the delimitation exercise.

Though it is unclear when the Assembly poll would be held in Karnataka where the President’s rule is expiring by May-end. Election Commission sources said earlier it needed minimum three months’ time to carry out the delimitation process in the state, indicating that the poll would not be possible before August.

Kidney Scam
Tout in CBI custody

New Delhi, February 19
A lab technician, who allegedly worked as a tout and arranged donors for kidney scam kingpin Dr Amit Kumar, was today sent to four days CBI custody by a court here. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjeev Jain remanded Manoj Kumar (27), who allegedly assisted kidney thugs during transplants at Gurgaon, to CBI custody till February 23 for intensive interrogation.

A.K Singh, appearing for the CBI, argued that Kumar was working in the allegedly illegal hospital in Gurgaon run by the main accused Dr Kumar.

Singh alleged that Manoj worked as a conduit to arrange poor people whose kidneys could be removed by the doctors involved in the scam.

The CBI sought his remand to unearth the deep-routed conspiracy and to find out his involvement with other accused, including doctors. Singh said custodial interrogation of Kumar was essential in the interest of justice. — PTI

Test finds complainant’s kidneys intact

Moradabad (UP), February 19
In a new twist to the ongoing investigation in the kidney transplant racket,the medical report of a villager, whose complaint blew the lid of the scam, has found that both his kidneys were intact.

“A medical test was conducted at a private diagnostic centre in Meerut on February 17 where it was found that Vidya Prakash, alias Pappu Jatav’s both kidneys are intact and fit,” Moradabad Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Prakash told PTI here.

It was on Jatav’s complaint that the police had conducted a raid at the house of kidney kingpin Dr Amit Kumar in Gurgaon last month and busted the kidney racket.

In his complaint on January 21, Jatav had claimed that two years ago when he had gone to Gurgaon to work as a labourer, Kumar and his associate Dr Upendra had forced him to undergo an operation and he later claimed that one of the kidneys had been removed.

When asked why police did not conduct an examination when Jatav lodged the complaint, the SSP said there was no need to go for such a procedure at the time of filing the complaint.

The Moradabad police got Jatav’s ultrasound scan done as part of evidence collection and found that both of his kidneys were functioning normally. The CBI is investigating the case now. — PTI

Punjab signs MoU for automotive institute
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19
The Punjab government today signed a MoU to set up a State Institute of Automotive and Driving Skills at Mahuanna village in Muktsar.

A Punjab government spokesman said MoU for the state-of-the-art facility was signed by the managing director of Pepsu Roadways Corporation (PRTC) Manvesh Singh Sidhu and vice-president (sales & marketing) Tata Motors Ravindra Pisharody.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and managing director Tata Motors Ravi Kant graced the occasion. The institute would be set up by the PRTC in an area of 14 acres. The state government would invest Rs 10.17 crore and Tata Motors would invest Rs.2.5 crore by way of providing vehicles and equipments for training.

The institute would provide systematic training to electricians, painters, welders besides drivers.

BJP walkout over Ganga Expressway
Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, February19
The BJP staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha today when the BSP government refused to table documents related to the contract of the eight-lane Ganga Expressway to be built at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore.

BJP legislature party leader Om Prakash Singh raised the issue through an adjournment motion during zero hour. He demanded tabling of all documents of the proposed 1047-km expressway project connecting Noida with Ballia, alleging that the government had accepted huge kickbacks in awarding the contract to a private company.

Charging the state government of not receiving clearance from the environment, pollution and archaeology departments before pushing the project ahead, he pointed out that the holy Ganga river would become more polluted after the project was implemented. He also expressed concern at the threat of flood becoming more acute in the cities situated on the banks of the river.

Joining issue, SP chief whip Ambika Choudhury expressed his party’s apprehension of large tracts of fertile land belonging to farmers being acquired from farmers in the Ganga basin, depriving them of their livelihood and accentuating the emerging food crisis in the country.

According to him there was no justification in awarding the contract to JP Industries, which had earlier been awarded the Taj Expressway but failed to build even 1 km of road.“How is the same company expected to construct 1 km of road per day to complete the Ganga Expressway within its time schedule”, questioned Chaudhury.

Defending the government, parliamentary affairs minister Lalji Verma claimed that the contract had been awarded in a transparent manner and the company to which it had been awarded would seek all clearance before starting the project. Declaring that only 28,000 hectares of land had been given to the promoter, who is expected to implement a new and liberal rehabilitation policy.