Mumbai, April 14
Now, it is the turn of Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to call for curbing migration of outsiders to Mumbai.

The issue, which was raked up first by Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) earlier this year and later taken up by the Shiv Sena, is now being echoed by the Congress in the state. At a function held here on Sunday, Deshmukh said migrants were stretching public resources to the limit and their entry into Mumbai should be restricted but in an indirect manner.

He asked the civic authorities to impose stringent anti-encroachment restrictions on public amenities to contain the problem of migration in the state. "We cannot stop migrants from coming to the state but anti-encroachment restrictions can be imposed upon them."

The Chief Minister’s solution for keeping migrants out is a complete crackdown on illegal slums sprouting all over the city. "The first thing a migrant arriving in Mumbai looks for is accommodation in a slum," Deshmukh said at the foundation-stone laying ceremony for improving Mumbai's drainage system. The event was held at Chembur, the area where his arch-rival revenue minister Narayan Rane hails from.

Deshmukh pointed out that if illegal slums were quickly removed, the entry of migrants would be immediately curbed. From Deshmukh's tone it was clear that only those migrants with no resources to buy or rent a legal home need to be targeted.

"The heavily overburdened infrastructure of the city should not be misused by migrants at the cost of taxpaying citizens," Deshmukh said as the Shiv Sena leaders in the gathering cheered.

Also attending the function was Ramdas Kadam of the Shiv Sena, leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and Shubha Raul, Mumbai's mayor who is also from the Shiv Sena.

Under the sewage revamp project known as the Brimstowad scheme, the Maharashtra Government will release Rs 1,200 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation which is controlled by the Shiv Sena. The project, to be completed by June-end, aims to provide Mumbai a flood-free monsoon.

Deshmukh promised that hutments built on the city's pipelines and other public property would be removed immediately. While Narayan Rane was absent from the function, Deshmukh and the Shiv Sena leaders poked fun at him without naming the revenue minister.

Leader of the opposition Ramdas Kadam, who has been a trenchant critic of Rane in the state Assembly, called upon the Sena and the Congress to work together "in the interest of Mumbai". The Shiv Sena and the BJP leaders even praised Deshmukh for his effective administrative skills.

Observers say that Deshmukh and the Shiv Sena leaders are finding a common foe in Rane who is openly angling for the top job. Just over a month ago, Rane had openly criticised Deshmukh for his administrative failures at a press conference and managed an appointment with party chief Sonia Gandhi the following day.

Rane’s camp followers also put out that a committee constituted by Sonia Gandhi was looking at alternatives to Deshmukh. 

Lucknow, April 14
BSP supremo Mayawati used the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti today to underline that all legal rights given under the Constitution to the Dalits, OBCs and the Muslims were due to the struggle of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and the Gandhi-Nehru family had done nothing in this regard.

She was speaking at a public function organised on the occasion of Ambedkar’s 117th birth anniversary, rededicating the renovated Ambedkar Memorial to the public as ‘Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samajik Privartan Sthal’.

It was only last week that the Supreme Court allowed the state government to go for renovation and adding of temporary structures that had earlier been withheld by the Allahabad High Court.

Before arriving at the venue, Mayawati stopped on the banks of the Gomti to unveil larger than life size bronze statues of Ambedkar and his first wife Ramabai and BSP founder Kanshi Ram. Party colleague and senior minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui unveiled the statue of Mayawati that stands beside her mentor.

Launching a frontal attack on what she termed “Congress party and company” for hatching a conspiracy against Ambedkar, Mayawati alleged that they went to the extent of handing over the “part of Bengal that had sent Ambedkar to the Constituent Assembly to Pakistan despite it not fulfilling the criteria of having 50 per cent Muslim population”.

Narrating her version of the Dalit history, she said it was only after Ambedkar presented his case before the British that they told the Congress they would not grant independence till they either reclaimed his constituency to India or made one of their members resign to accommodate him.

“Obviously, the Congress was too scared to take back that part into India that had sent Ambedkar to the Constituent Assembly. Therefore they vacated a seat and that was how he returned to the Constituent Assembly from Poona on July 2, 1947”.

According to her, it was this mindset of “Congress party and company” that makes such a hue and cry over the expenditure to make a memorial to commemorate the contribution of this man to the uplift of the most depressed section of society.

“The same party sees nothing amiss in allocating land worth crores of rupees on the banks of the Yamuna in the name of memorials. In fact, Delhi is dotted with memorials, galleries and libraries in the name of leaders for which the public exchequer pays and no one objects”, she pointed out.

Underlining Ambedkar’s contribution to the nation, she said it was because of him that the nation’s Constitution did not represent the “Hindutva mindset of the BJP, but was non-partisan toward religions”.

Attributing her statue “even while she was alive” to the last wishes of Kanshi Ram where he had declared that wherever his statue be put up her statue should also be there.

She announced that from the next year no public meeting or cultural programme would be held on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti,instead she requested common people to come to the Dr Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthall to pay floral tributes.

Kolkata/Dhaka, April 14
After a gap of over four decades, rail services between Kolkata and Dhaka resumed today with the simultaneous launch of “Maitree Express” from here and Bangladeshi capital Dhaka in a move aimed a strengthening ties between the two neighbours.

Bedecked with flowers and amid fanfare, the six-coach train began its nearly 15-hour historic run from a station in north Kolkata for Dhaka at 7.10 hours as external affairs Pranab Mukherjee gave the go-ahead signal through a remote control on ‘Poila Baisakh,’ the Bengali new year’s day.

Simultaneously in Dhaka, the Dhaka-Kolkata service left the cantonment station after officials greeted passengers with flowers.
The rail connection between Kolkata and Dhaka was snapped during the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. However, India and Bangladesh in 1996 resumed direct bus service linking Kolkata and Dhaka.

The Moitree (friendship) Express will cover 538-km running 120 km on the Indian soil and the rest in Bangladeshi territory. With the Indian rake having a capacity of 368 passengers and the Bangladeshi one 418, the service will leave their respective starting points on Saturdays and return the next day.

On its inaugural run, the train was briefly stopped in Nadia district in West Bengal by a group of people who squatted on the track demanding rehabilitation of Bangladeshi refugees. It, however, resumed its journey without security personnel having to use force to remove the blockade. However, 87 persons, including 11 women, were arrested for blocking the train.

Describing the occasion as memorable, Mukherjee said the service would bring the two countries closer. He also thanked railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav at the function for introducing the train.

“It’s a historic moment for India and Bangladesh,” Mukherjee said, as the train with 65 passengers on board left Kolkata’s Chitpur station. At Dhaka, Bangladesh’s foreign minister Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said, “It is a historic occasion for both the countries. We will be more close after the resumption of passenger train service”.

The train, which has both economy and air-conditioned coaches, left Dhaka with 370 passengers. Bangladesh’s interim government’s advisers, including commerce and local government ministries, India’s High Commissioner in Dhaka Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty and senior officials attended the flag off ceremony.

The two countries had signed the final agreement for resuming the train services earlier this week, after the respective cabinets had endorsed the accord.

At the function here, Mukherjee, accepting a suggestion from information and broadcasting minister P.R. Dasmunshi, said he would take the initiative to celebrate on board Maitree Express, the birth and death anniversaries of Nobel laureate Rabindranth Tagore, who had the rare distinction of composing the National Anthem of both India and Bangladesh.

Describing it as a historic day for both India and Bangladesh, Lalu said the UPA government had taken the initiative to strengthen ties with Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries to ensure peace without which prosperity could not be achieved. — PTI

New Delhi, April 14
Ignoring the dangerous effects they have on health, amphibole and chrysotile varieties of asbestos continue to be used in India.

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) says the details of the National Mineral Policy announced on April 10 have revealed quite unambiguously that India continues to use both amphibole and chrysotile varieties of asbestos, ignoring the toll it takes on the national health.

Gopal Krishna of the BANI elaborates that exposure to asbestos causes stiffening of lung and has resulted in the deaths of many miners. “Lung cancer has a higher incidence in miners who also smoke, with the chance of developing cancer roughly proportional to the amount smoked. Asbestos-induced cancer is found only rarely in non-smokers. Among the various type of asbestos, chrysotile workers have the lowest incidence of cancer,” he says.

Krishna adds that the mineral policy has made two facts clear. One that ban on asbestos is not in force even though no formal announcement has been made to the effect that the ban has been lifted. Two, it is also clear that ban on amphibole, the most dangerous variety of asbestos, is not correct.

“World over, asbestos-based MNCs are all in bankruptcy proceedings and shifting to other businesses. But India’s mining policy shows how the Indian government has adopted a considered ostrich policy in face of indisputable evidence about the havoc from asbestos consumption. Unmindful of the ongoing global momentum to ban this mineral, asbestos cancer epidemic in India is a story of monumental failure to protect public health,” he adds.

Asbestos is one of the most pervasive environmental hazards in the world, present in more than 3,000 manufactured products. Five to seven per cent of all lung cancers can be attributed to occupational exposures to asbestos. All forms of asbestos, including amphibole and chrysotile varieties, cause variety of health disorders.

Asbestos exposure affects not only asbestos workers but also their families, users of asbestos products, and the public as it is exposed to building materials and asbestos in heating and ventilating systems, Krishna says, quoting a recent paper.

“It is noteworthy that Rajasthan produces asbestos despite repeated statements in Parliament stating that asbestos mining remains banned in India so far.” 

New Delhi, April 14
The International Bench and Bar Association has filed a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking judicial guidelines for entertaining pleas against projects of national importance costing over Rs 100 crore.

Association head Ravi Prakash Gupta submitted that execution of these projects was being delayed deliberately by vested interests, including those from abroad, through pleas filed on the pretext of highlighting environmental concerns.

"The judiciary is saddled with unfounded fears based on unproven materials and media hype. Judicial indulgence in such matters leads to protracted litigations serving the purpose of vested interests," the petition said.

The petition said such PILs resulted in escalation of project cost and cited the case of the Narmada dam, Tehri dam and the Taj Corridor projects which were allegedly delayed due to litigation.

The opposition to the projects is voiced in courts close to their completion, the petition added.

All projects costing over Rs 100 crore should start only after inviting objections from environmentalists and others.

Once the concerns have been addressed, courts should not entertain pleas challenging the project later, the petition said.

The petition urged the apex court to call for all cases relating to projects costing over Rs 100 pending in various High Courts for early disposal.

The International Bench and Bar Association, which has filed the petition, has sitting judges, including Chief Justices, legal experts, lawyers and former judges from the country and various foreign countries among its members. — PTI

New Delhi, April 14
The Supreme Court will tomorrow hear a petition challenging the Calcutta High Court’s decision that held as legal the acquisition of land by the West Bengal government for Tata Motors’ small-car project at Singur. The petition is likely to come up before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.

The petition filed by Kedar Nath Yadav, a practising lawyer, has sought immediate halt of the project that will produce the world’s cheapest car, Nano. The acquisition of fertile multi-crop agricultural land by the government in various parts of the state for Tata Motors’ upcoming project, for Indonesia’s Salim Group in Haldia and the Reliance group, was violative of farmers’ rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the petition filed through Sarla Chandra stated.

It also goes against the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the petition says.

Such action on the part of the state government to acquire 997.11 acres at Singur in the name of public purpose without any specific master plan and depriving farmers of their livelihood without giving proper compensation was mala fide, arbitrary and illegal, it says.

While seeking a direction to the government against evicting or dispossessing farmers from their lands, it alleges that the government is torturing these farmers by deploying 26,000 police force to demolish their houses and occupy land, which is the source of livelihood to thousands of people. Yadav further alleges that the state government has invested large amounts of public funds in favour of one private company. The high court, on January 18, held as legal the acquisition of land for the Tata Motors’ unit. — PTI

New Delhi, April 14
The Supreme Court has held that the Income-Tax Department must give reasonable opportunity to an assessee to present its case before an order for special audit is passed. A three-judge Bench headed by Justice B.N. Agrawal while allowing the appeals of the Sahara Group held that the principles of natural justice demand that an opportunity of hearing should be afforded to an assessee before the assessing officer orders special audit under Section 142 (2A) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The court said, “Rules of natural justice are not embodied rules. The phrase natural justice is also not capable of a precise definition. The underlying principle of natural justice, evolved under the common law, is to check arbitrary exercise of power by the state or its functionaries.

Therefore, the principle implies a duty to act fairly, i.e. fair play in action. “While applying the law on the subject prospectively, Justice D.K. Jain, writing the verdict for the Bench, said, “Unless a statutory provision, either specifically, or by necessary implication excludes the application of principles of natural justice, in that event the court would not ignore the legislative mandate”. The principle will hold good irrespective of whether the power conferred on a statutory body or tribunal is administrative or quasi-judicial, he said.

However, no general rule of universal application can be laid down as to the applicability of the principle in addition to the language of the provision, it said, adding there can be exceptions to the said doctrine. — PTI

New Delhi, April 14
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Central Public Information officer in the ministry of home affairs to provide an applicant detail of the police security provided to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and his family members.

The CIC has asked the ministry of home affairs to provide Delhi-based applicant Rajendra Singh Raja with the information on Thackeray’s police security, within 10 working days from the date of the receipt of its decision.

Treating Raja’s application as a complaint petition, chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah has said if the ministry of home affairs did not have this information, the application might be forwarded within five days to the public authority that had the information.

The central information commission has asked Central Public Information officer and deputy secretary in the ministry of home affairs S.K. Bhatnagar to appear in person before the commission on May 2.

The Central Public Information officer has been asked to show cause as to why a penalty of Rs 250 per day from the date the information that was due on April 29, 2007, to the date when it is supplied, not exceeding Rs 25,000, should not be imposed on him under Section 20 (1) of the Right to Information Act.

The commission had sought Bhatnagar’s comments on the application through a notice on February 7 this year but received no reply.

In his application to the CIC, Raja said the PIO in the ministry had not responded to his request for the information under the RTI Act even when he had paid the fee.

New Delhi, April 14
After scoring a major political victory on the OBC quota issue, is human resource development minister Arjun Singh preparing for another round of shadow boxing with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh? Is the minister trying to create a rift between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister?

And more importantly, is Arjun Singh positioning himself as a consensus prime ministerial candidate in the run-up to the next Lok Sabha election? These are some questions, which are being raised by Arjun Singh’s own colleagues in the Congress after his statement today favoured the projection of the Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi as the party’s next prime ministerial candidate.

“Why not,” he said in an interview to the news agency PTI, when asked whether a young leader should be projected for the post.

“He (Rahul) has all the qualities of his father. He is making sincere efforts in acquiring the information and knowledge that is required,” Arjun Singh said, adding that this was the right time for the Amethi MP to be seen in the race for the PM’s post.

The politically astute minister, however, was quick to add that these were his personal views.

“These are individual views ....it is for the UPA to decide. I have no view.”, he told the news agency.

Singh’s statement comes shortly after Praful Patel declared in an interview that his party would support Rahul Gandhi for the PM’s post if the UPA won the next Lok Sabha elections. Patel’s views are at variance with those of his leader Sharad Pawar, who had recently declared that Manmohan Singh should be projected as the UPA’s prime ministerial candidate.

Congress leaders, who are deeply suspicious of both Arjun Singh and Pawar, are convinced that their separate statements are meant to embarrass the PM, create confusion in the UPA and a rift between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The two leaders enjoy a good working relationship and the Congress president is credited with the view that Manmohan Singh is not only trustworthy, but also enjoys wide public acceptance as a clean politician.

Since Arjun Singh is famous for weighing his words carefully, his statement today has become the subject of deep analysis by Congress leaders, who maintained that the HRD minister had never accepted Manmohan Singh as a Prime Minister and had even brought up the OBC quota issue primarily to create problems for him. Political analysts also believe the HRD minister may even be looking at a situation after the next general election when Manmohan Singh is not repeated as the PM and Rahul Gandhi is unacceptable to the others.

“Arjun Singh probably believes that in such a scenario, he could emerge as a consensus candidate for the top job,” said another Congress leader, adding that the HRD minister had endeared himself to the Left parties and the pro-quota parties like the RJD, the DMK, the Samajwadi Party and even Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (U).

New Delhi, April 14
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has expressed concern over present-day confrontational politics and consumerism saying that because of lopsided development, the system does not allow honest and well-meaning people to enter politics.

The Speaker's observations were expressed during his interaction with Lord Swraj Paul, who called on him at his official residence here yesterday. Chatterjee also regretted the rise of consumerism which he said was endemic in contemporary times.

Both discussed a range of national and international issues afflicting India and the world at large such as terrorism and immigration into the United Kingdom.

Lord Paul, who recently visited West Bengal, praised the pace of industrialisation there, describing his visit to the state as an eye-opener.

The hard work put in by you as the chairman of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) was yielding great results, he told the Speaker.

Lord Paul, who visited Bolpur and Shantiniketan, which is being represented by Chatterjee in the Lok Sabha for more than a decade now, said that signs of development were visible everywhere in West Bengal.

BRIEFLY

3-hr non-stop speech on Ambedkar
Puducherry: Dhanathirukumaran, a 12-year-old boy, on Monday spoke non-stop on the life of Dr Ambedkar for three hours on the occasion of Ambedkar's birth anniversary. The Achievers Association had organised the programme. — UNI

Raj pledges to donate eyes
Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, his family members and many MNS activists on Monday pledged to donate their eyes on the occasion of Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary. Shiv Sena MLA Bala Nandgaonkar, who is now with Raj Thackeray, and municipal corporators Mangesh Sangle and Parmeshwar Kadam have also made a similar pledge. — UNI

Fire at corporate building
MUMBAI: A fire broke out in a bank office in a building that houses several corporate offices at Nariman Point in south Mumbai on Monday, fire officials said. No body was injured in the fire. The blaze started at the Centurion Bank of Punjab office on the second floor of the Maker Chambers building located near the Vidhan Bhavan in the business district of South Mumbai, they said.— PTI

3 injured in communal clash in Mehasana
AHMEDABAD: Three persons, including a policeman, were today injured in a clash between groups of the two different communities in Visnagar town of Mehasana district, the police said. The police fired 10 rounds in the air to bring the mob under control after seven teargas shells fired by them failed to make much impact, officials said. Row between youths of the two communities over parking of autorickshaw turned ugly, which resulted in group clashes and stone pelting, the police said. — PTI