Bangalore, May 30
A 30-member ministry headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa took office in Karnataka today, marking a historic moment for the BJP as it gets its first government in South India. Governor Rameshwar Thakur administered the oath to Yeddyurappa and 29 others on Assembly complex (Vidhan Soudha) here amid a heavy presence of top leaders of the BJP and its allies.

Twenty-eight of those sworn-in today, including Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, are members of the legislative assembly. Of the remaining two, one is a member of the legislative council and the other not yet a member of either of the two houses of the legislature.

All 29 members chosen by Yeddyurappa for the council of ministers were given cabinet status. The ministers, however, were not allocated their portfolios. BJP sources said the job of assigning portfolios would be accomplished tomorrow.

All five Independent MLAs, who had offered support to the 110-member BJP brigade and enabled it to attain simple majority in the 224-member House, were inducted into the cabinet.

However, the sixth Independent MLA, Varthur Prakash, who offered support to the BJP one day after it attained simple majority in the Assembly, was not inducted in the ministry as a reprimand for the hesitation shown by him in backing the BJP initially.

Keeping up his promise of inducting a member of the minority community in the ministry, Yeddyurappa inducted Mumtaz Ali Khan, a leader of the state BJP’s minority wing, in the council of ministers. Khan, who is not yet an MLA or an MLC, is expected to be given a berth in the legislative council next month when seats are slated to fall vacant.

Janardan Reddy, a member of the legislative council and one who has strong clout in the iron ore rich Bellary district, was also given a cabinet berth. B Sreeramulu, BJP MLA from Bellary (ST) constituency, who, too, is known for his association with the mining lobby of Bellary area, was also made a minister.

It was also decided to hold the first session of the new Assembly for three days starting from June 4. During the session, the Speaker would be elected.

L.K. Advani, Bhairon Singh Shekhwat, Venkaiah Naidu, Narendra Modi, Gopinath Munde, George Fernandes and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal among others attended the swearing in ceremony. 

New Delhi, May 30
In a significant development in the Noida double murder case today, Nupur Talwar, mother of the murdered teenager Arushi, gave vital clues about the murder to the visiting team of National Commission for Women (NCW).

Nupur Talwar also sought the Commission’s help to nail the real culprit, besides asking it to monitor police investigations and get the issue sorted out at the earliest. The NCW team lead by member Nirmala Venkatesh visited Nupur Talwar at her Noida home today to ask her if she needed help with the case. They came back with what they said “were significant leads Nupur Talwar wanted them to share with the Uttar Pradesh police.”

“Nupur Talwar gave us clues which we will now transfer to the police. She has also given us a representation, seeking thorough enquiry into the investigation already carried out in the case. She wants us to monitor police action,” Nirmala Venkatesh confirmed to The Tribune. She was accompanied by advocate Preeti Sood.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) is, meanwhile contemplating filing of a defamation suit against Uttar Pradesh cops for assailing the image of a murdered child. Sources in the ministry said legal opinion was being sought to see how the erring cops could be brought to book.

WCD minister Renuka Choudhary had yesterday lamented the role of police in the investigation and strongly indicated that IG Gurdarshan Singh, who made sweeping statements about the character of Arushi Talwar, be held liable for his act.

The National Commission for Women also today severely condemned the police action of sullying Arushi Talwar’s image at a time when she was no longer alive to defend herself. “We met Nupur Talwar because we realise that she is facing acute trauma. She says she wants the real accused to be caught. The Commission will soon take a view on the what to do about the case,” Venkatesh said.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati had yesterday expressed her government’s willingness to hand over the case to the CBI, while also accusing the Congress (read the WCD minister) of politicizing it. Mayawati’s comment then prompted WCD minister Renuka Chodhary to say she reacted as mother when she said the police should have behaved wisely and not character-assassinated a child.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari, however, did not react to the Mayawati-Renuka spat, saying he did not want to dignify the diatribe by offering any explanation. The Congress had also said that Mayawati had lost faith in her own police which was why she was recommending a CBI probe. “Let the recommendation come formally,” Tiwari said.

New Delhi, May 30
India has been better off in managing inflation compared to several other developing countries in 2007-08, even as the government faces public and political anguish over sharp rise in prices.

Prices of food articles rose by 5.8 per cent in India, the lowest increase among 15 developing countries for the period ending February 2007-08, a joint report of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and Food and Agriculture Organisation has said.

Food prices showed the highest increase at 25.6 per cent in Sri Lanka, followed by Kenya at 24.6 per cent and China 23.3 per cent, the report entitled ‘Agriculture outlook - 2008’ said.

A record food grain production estimates at 227.32 million tons during 2007-08, against 217.28 million tons last year has helped India keep food inflation under control, experts said.

However, recent negative yield shocks in key food commodities like pulses and oilseeds have contributed to the price increase, they said, adding that global price rise had a spill-over affect on domestic rates as well. — PTI

New Delhi, May 30
The Central Committee of the CPM has conceded that it suffered losses in West Bengal panchayat polls earlier this month because of wrong policies, infighting within the party and disunity among the Left partners.

The two-day meeting of the newly constituted central committee, which met here on Thursday and Friday, first time since the last party Congress in Coimbatore, deliberated on the reverses it suffered in the panchayat polls. It congratulated the people of West Bengal for returning the Left Front to power again. Briefing newsmen, its general secretary Paraksh Karat conceded, “The disunity among the Left partners caused damage to the Left.”

He however added, “We are confident that our party will take remedial measures both in terms of policy and organisationally.” The central committee also decided “The apprehensions about land acquisition, which has led to loss of support in some areas must be removed. The plan for industrialisation must take this into account,” said the party statement. On other fronts the central committee vehemently opposed the proposed hike in petrol and petroleum products by the UPA government it is supporting from outside.

“The proposed hike in petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices have to be viewed in the context of steady rise in prices and inflation,” Karat said.

He threatened a nationwide agitation along with its Left partners and other secular parties against the government if it failed to heed their advice to reduce excise duties and impose windfall tax on private oil companies to reduce the burden on the common man.

“The UPA government cannot pamper the private oil companies while the public sector oil marketing companies are suffering,” Karat said.

The central committee also asked party units in different parts of the country to agitate on the rise in prices of essential commodities and considered the proposed farm loan waiver by the government as totally inadequate.

Holding Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhra Raje solely responsible for the present violent agitation in her state the central committee claimed that “The Vasundhara Raje government has the notorious record of having conducted more than 50 police firings in which around 80 persons have been killed in its four and a half year rule,” and added, “Vasundhra Raje should own up the responsibility and resign from the post.

It blamed “the opportunistic and unprincipled” policies of the JD-S and the weakening of the Congress organisation for the BJP victory in Karnataka and said, “This is a serious development when viewed in the background of the growth of Hindutva communal forces over the last two decades in Karnataka. 

New Delhi, May 30
While the UPA government and the Left parties appear to be heading for a confrontation on the issue of oil price hike, the Congress tried to buy peace with the communists by expeditiously clearing the stalled project for the modernisation of the Kolkata airport today.

The clearance was given a few hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This was the first meeting between the two leaders, after the West Bengal Chief Minister had publicly questioned the Prime Minister’s leadership capabilities.

Bhattacharjee had subsequently retracted his statement and even called up the Prime Minister to clear the air. In this case, however, the Prime Minister walked the extra mile to mollify the West Bengal Chief Minister, who was in the Capital for the meeting of the CPM’s central committee.

In fact, the Prime Minister also met another CPM compatriot, Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achutanadan, today whose long wish list for the clearance of several state projects is under consideration.

The timing of these meetings has assumed significance as they were held just as the government was preparing to raise the price of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

The Left parties are vehemently opposing this move. The CPM has warned that it will intensify its protests if the UPA raises prices instead of reducing customs and excise duties as suggested by the communists.

Having reconciled to a marginal increase in the price of petrol, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) tomorrow to take the party into confidence about this decision and also explain the government’s compulsions for taking this extreme step.

Finance minister P. Chidambaram is likely to be invited to the meeting to brief the party’s highest decision-making body about the global crude crisis and its impact on the Indian oil companies.

The Congress is already under tremendous pressure over escalating inflation and an oil price hike at this juncture will only add to its woes as it is bound to push up the price line further.

Having suffered the ill effects of inflation in the recent Karnataka elections, the Congress is understandably worried as to how this issue will play out in the next round of assembly elections at the end of this year.

Besides reviewing its party’s strategy and the health of the organisation in the poll-bound states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, tomorrow’s CWC meeting is also expected to discuss the damage control measures to minimise the impact of the rise on the common man.

Having made the “aam admi” the centrepiece of its programmes, it has become imperative for the Congress to take some corrective measures as the party’s credibility is at stake.

The Congress has lost nearly a dozen assembly elections over the past year.

New Delhi, May 30
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today chaired a meeting of senior officers of various ministries for a comprehensive scrutiny of demands of the Gujjar community for a ST (Scheduled Tribe) status.

Sources in the Home Ministry said Patil discussed the issue in its entirety and examined various aspects with officers of the Law, Social Justice and Empowerment and Tribal Affairs ministries. National security adviser M.K. Narayanan, cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, home secretary Madhukar Gupta and director Intelligence Bureau P.C. Haldar were also present at the meeting.

Sources said the officers discussed various options to defuse the situation arising out of the week-long Gujjar agitation, which has had a spill over effect in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in large parts of Madhya Pradesh. The agitation claimed two lives in Haryana on Thursday.

Sources said views of states having sizeable Gujjar population are being taken, as any decision on according ST status to the community was likely to have wide-ranging ramifications.

They said Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending four to six per cent quota for Gujjars in the category of de-notified class of tribals/ nomadic tribe was also taken up during the meeting.

Cuddalore (TN), May 30
People living in and around special economic zones (SEZs) here are “2,000 times more” likely to be affected by cancer than normal population, states a report. The Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) has prepared the report for the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

In a normal sample population, one person in a million is affected with cancer, but in and around the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) Industrial Park, nearly 300 km south of the state capital, two in every thousand are likely to have cancer, say anti-pollution campaigners.

The study confirms the decades-old complaints by local residents that pollution from the chemical factories in the park is worst at night. The NEERI submitted the report in August 2007 to the board without any public information. It came to light only after an RTI plea by the local environment watchdog, Community Environment Monitoring (CEM).

The TNPCB commissioned the NEERI study in response to a 2004 report “Gas Trouble”, released by SIPCOT area community environmental monitors. The study mandated special reference to volatile organic compounds so that the state government could take remedial action. Several studies of air pollution around the SIPCOT Industrial Park found 94 chemicals in the ambient air.

In September 2004, the Supreme Court monitoring committee on hazardous wastes directed the TNPCB to bring down pollution levels or shut errant industries in the SIPCOT within three months. However, nothing was done.

Dehra Dun, May 30
The ongoing Gujjar agitation has affected railway services in Dehra Dun. The Dehra Dun-Bandra Express has been suspended indefinitely. As a result the commuters are facing lot of difficulty. According to the railway officials, the train has been suspended in wake of the Gujjar agitation to ensure that no untoward incident happens.

The officials further informed that as soon as the situation improves, the train will be resumed. The Railway Department has also made special arrangements for refund of tickets. Speaking to The Tribune, several commuters said they were facing difficulty on account of the suspension of the Dehra Dun-Bandra Express.

Meanwhile, bus services to Rajasthan and Delhi have also been affected due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation. Fearing that Gujjars may resort to stone pelting, Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) has stopped its buses plying to Rajasthan.

As per information, UTC has not sent any of its bus to Jaipur from the last four days. 

BRIEFLY

Educationists flay Uttarakhand University Act
Dehra Dun: Criticising the Uttarakhand University Act, a seminar was organised here by the HNB Manav Vikas Trust on Friday. The seminar was organised with a view to discuss the pros and cons of Uttarakhand University Act-2008. The educationists believed that Act would curtail the powers of the university, educationists and students. Speaking on the occasion, Dr O.P. Kulshreshtra, president Hemwati Nandan Garhwal University (HNBU) Teachers Association, said the Act is an irrational example of political intervention in the education sector. — TNS

Degrees conferred on students
Dehra Dun: The Delhi Metro Rail Services accounts for 99.8 per cent statistical efficiency, which is obtained after a punctual regime and great hard work, said Dr E. Sreedharan, managing director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, on the 4th convocation programme at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) here on Friday. Sreedharan also talked about the increasing opportunities in the energy sector. As many as 442 postgraduates and 153 graduates got the degrees on the occasion. 
— TNS

Sales officer shot dead
ROORKEE: One person was reportedly shot dead near Mundiyaki village in the Manglore area near here. According to the police, deceased Harish Tyagi (30), a sales officer in a private company, had come to Mundiyaki village. He picked up a fight with two persons over inappropriate parking. This led to heated exchange of words between them and one the accused shot Harish dead, the police said. — TNS

Gangster killled
GHAZIABAD: A criminal of the NCR region Jatan Sirohi was killed in a police encounter, which ensued after his supporters made an attempt to free him while he was being taken to Bulandshahar jail on late Thursday night. Some of Sirohi's supporters opened fire on the police squad and Sirohi was killed when the police opened fire too. The encounter took place near Sikandrabad, 15 km from here. 
— PTI

Tamil comedienne dead
CHENNAI: T P Muthulakshmi, a popular comedienne of yesteryear, died here on Thursday evening after a brief illness. She was 77. She made her debut as a heroine in the film ''Ponmudi''. Muthulakshmi acted in more than 350 films. She had won the hearts of millions of people by her natural flair for comedy. She was a recipient of the Tamil Nadu government's prestigious Kalaimamani Award in 2003. — UNI

Ex-minister, son convicted
NAWADA: A local court found former animal and husbandary minister Aditya Singh and his son Suman Singh guilty in a murder case dating back to 2000 in this district of Bihar on Friday. Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Shankar Pathak found the duo guilty of killing Ashok Singh, a manager of brick kiln at Govastha village. The judge has fixed June 2 for pronouncement of the punishment. — PTI