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Rural job scheme has loopholes: PM
Nation remembers Mahatma Gandhi |
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Bapu’s idol dumped for 45 years
Hookah, chillum ‘more toxic’ than cigarette
N-deal a historic step: Mulford
BJP, Left slam clearance of N-deal
BJP nation’s enemy no 1: Lalu
Mass protest in Bhopal; CBI inquiry demanded
Kandhamal death
toll 33; fire spills to neighbouring Boudh
Monsoon withdrawal gets delayed
SIMI widens network in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand minister gets threat letter
MHA to strengthen states’ intelligence network
Ship Hijack
Residents of Azamgarh shun Eid festivities
Kabir Puraskar announced
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Rural job scheme has loopholes: PM
New Delhi, October 2 “We need to mobilise public opinion for the proper implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, plugging all loopholes and leakages that have come to our notice,” Manmohan Singh said in his inaugural address at a day-long function aimed at supporting the scheme through state legal services authorities. Observing that a “faulty design” of any scheme would result in failure, he said improving the programme would have to be a continuous process. “We, therefore, must put in place a mechanism that rigorously evaluates the rural employment guarantee programme and other such programmes. The outcome of the evaluation should serve as feedback for improving the design of the programme. Our mechanism for evaluating programmes needs considerable improvement,” the Prime Minister said. Among those who attended the function, held at Vigyan Bhawan, were Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, law minister H.R. Bhardwaj, rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad, Justice Arijit Pasayat of the apex court and Justice Mukul Mudgal of the Delhi High Court. It was organised by the National Legal Services Authority, the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and the Supreme Court Middle Income Group Legal Aid Society. The Prime Minister said the rural poor had to be educated that the programme was not supply driven but had granted to them the right to “ask, seek and to get guaranteed employment for 100 days in a year”. They should not be allowed to be “exploited or taken advantage of by officials or contractors”. CJI Balakrishnan, who delivered the presidential address, said a survey had shown that people’s awareness about the programme varied widely, from 29 per cent in Jharkhand to 98 per cent in Andhra Pradesh. Also, there was a big gap between the number of eligible households and those registered for employment under the programme. The legal services authorities had an obligation to give free legal aid. Lok adalats should take a pro-active role in this regard and a concerted action plan by the vast network of state legal service authorities was needed. In his keynote address, Dr Prasad said “despite deficiencies” the programme was moving toward “great success” as permanent assets such as rural water bodies and rural connectivity were being created. Bhardwaj said it was the duty of lawyers to inform the intended beneficiaries that they were eligible for unemployment allowance if they were not given work on minimum wages within 15 days from the day they sought work. Justice Pasayat welcomed the government’s initiative as dealing with unemployment in a way amounted to tackling terrorism.
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Nation remembers Mahatma Gandhi
New Delhi, October 2 In India, UNESCO and UNDP forward the message of non-violence and the UPA appealed all to follow the path set by Mahatma Gandhi. Beginning from yesterday, the BSNL played recorded appeals to subscribers to emulate Mahatma Gandhi in letter and deed. Besides, Zen master Thich Nihat Hanh led the meditative walk at Vijay Path in the capital. It was aptly termed “Peace is Every Step”. In Ahmedabad, a special event was organised at Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram. Back in the capital, President Pratibha Patil, vice-president Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee paid rich floral tributes to the messiah of non-violence, and celebrated his 139th birth anniversary. UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, opposition leader L.K. Advani, home minister Shivraj Patil, defence minister A.K. Antony, panchayati raj minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit paid floral tributes at Rajghat, the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. An inter-religious prayer meeting was organised at Rajghat to pay respect to Father of the Nation. A music evening was part of celebrations, which saw some people display “charkha” and “takli” on the occasion. Parliamentarians also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur
Shastri.
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Bapu’s idol dumped for 45 years
Surat, October 2 The idol was locked for years in the godown of the government office amidst dusts, cobwebs and other unwanted items, sources in the office said, adding it was found recently when some people saw the idol in the godown. Amidst state-wide celebratinos of the 139th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi today the news of his condition statue has stunned many people. The idol, which was recovered from the godown, was brought from Umrachchi village by Congress workers 45 years ago. They wanted to place the idol in front of Taluka Office, but their dream was never fulfilled. Since 1963 to 2008, 75 officials have worked as Taluka Development Officer (TDO) in the Olpad taluka office, but none of them bothered to give Mahatma Gandhi a befitting honour. Chandrakant Solanki, TDO, said ignorance of idol lying idle for all these years could not be justified. “It is surprising that none of the officials ever thought of giving due respect to the idol,” Solanki said. “The idol was under captivity during Congress regime also. We will try to restore the idol with complete honour in a suitable place so that dignity of the Father of Nation is not hurt,” Solanki said. —
PTI
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Ban on smoking comes into force
New Delhi, October 2 Two-thirds of India’s population is non-smoking. That explains the anti-tobacco media campaign’s thrust to familiarise these people with the potent dangers of inhaling second-hand smoke. The campaign is already on television, radio and internet, with the health ministry asking people to visit their special anti-tobacco website that explains the hazards of second-hand smoke. It is called www.secondhandsmokekills.in. As for the law, it defines public places as those which people visit as a matter of right or not. These include theatres, auditoria, railway stations and workplaces, among a host of other spaces. From now on, anyone smoking in public can be punished with a fine up to Rs 200, although it is not very clear as to where this fine will be deposited. While the ministry issued strict directives to Governors, Chief Ministers, and heads of institutions to stop smoking in their respective organisations, states like Bihar and Maharashtra have expressed their inability to implement the ban. The inability may well be driven by poll considerations, some health ministry sources feel. Other states and UTs like Chandigarh, Delhi, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh have, however, already enforced the ban, with Chandigarh leading the pack as India’s first smoke-free city. Back in the capital, anti-tobacco activists expect huge and positive returns from the law. They cite the example of Scotland where post smoke-free law implementation, 17 per cent reduction was reported in heart attack admittances to nine major Scottish hospitals. This was incredible compared to an average reduction of only three per cent per year reported in Scottish heart attack admissions in the 10 years leading up to the ban. Studies further prove that smoke-free legislation supports smokers to quit. On the other hand, smokers extend their own reasons as to why the law might fail. Canada, with 16 best anti-tobacco practices in the world, could barely manage one per cent reduction in tobacco consumption. “How does Indian smoke-free law guarantee reduced consumption,” some smokers ask.
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Hookah, chillum ‘more toxic’ than cigarette
Jaipur, October 2 The study underlines that the old mode of smoking is much more toxic than cigarette smoke as carbon monoxide (CO) level is higher in it, the study conducted by a group of pulmonary doctors of the SMS Hospital Medical College and the Asthma Bhawan here said. The study assumes significance in the wake of ongoing debates on the ill effects of smoking and the countrywide ban on lighting up the rolled tobacco at public places, which came into force today. Professor of medicine Virendra Singh, who was a part of the study claims that the traditional smoking ways can be fatal. “Full serve of hookah and chillum cause elevation of exhaled-carbon monoxide by almost 10 folds compared to cigarette and bidi, Singh said here. Singh in a research paper, to be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in Berlin (Germany) on October 4, contradicted the popular belief that crude tobacco present in hookah and chillum made them less toxic and that water in hookah detoxifies the smoke. “Our study contradicts the 15th century history in which a physician named Hakim Abul Fath invented hookah during the reign of Emperor Akbar in India with a belief that by passing smoke through water the toxic substances get removed and it is not harmful,” Singh said. Toxic levels in exhaled carbon monoxide (e-CO) was evaluated scientifically in a sample test of 18 healthy smokers, Singh said. It was found hookah and chillum raised the e-CO levels by almost tenfold than cigarettes, he added. — PTI
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N-deal a historic step: Mulford
New Delhi, October 2 Sources indicated that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would arrive here on Saturday on a day-long visit to sign the deal with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. The Indian minister, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly meet, is expected to return to the capital tomorrow. Talking to mediareports, Mulford, who acted as a key player in speeding up the clearance of the deal by the US Congress, noted that all amendments to the 123 agreement moved in the Senate had been rejected in the ‘up and down’ vote. Asked when Rice would visit New Delhi to sign the deal, he said “We expect her to be here in the next few days.’’ However, New Delhi would have to sign the safeguards agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before the 123 agreement was inked by India and the US. On the controversy about India’s right to testing and concerns about the Hyde Act, the US envoy said, “The content of the 123 Agreement has been preserved” in the legislation passed by the Congress. “This is a very good day. It’s historic for both countries. It’s a major agreement that will change the relationship between the world’s major democracies,” Mulford emphasised. Mulford denied that the nuclear deal was driven by commercial interests, saying it was an outcome of the larger vision of making India a world power. “This was driven by a vision to restore India, home to one-fifth of humanity, to the world. The US wishes to assist India in becoming a major power,” the envoy said. Mulford said the deal would enable India to diversify its energy basket and create civil nuclear industries, generate electricity and be a major contribution to environment protection. Besides, India would no longer remain isolated in this area of technology and would become a major player and one of the top economies in the world.
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BJP, Left slam clearance of N-deal
New Delhi, October 2 “There are certain clauses in the 123 agreement which we do not agree upon. If we come to power after next year’s general elections, we would renegotiate on those points,” BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters here. Rudy said the deal had been worked out at the cost of the country's sovereignty and nuclear independence. “We don’t accept the deal in its current form,” he added. The Left parties, which withdrew support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in July due to differences over the pact, said they would step up their protests against it. “The United Progressive Alliance government has committed to buy $70 billion worth of energy (generating capacity) from the dying US nuclear industry,” CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said. “India, he said, was committing to buy a minimum 10,000 MW (of generating capacity) worth 70 billion dollars from the US nuclear industry, which has not received any new orders for the last 30 years,” he added. Karat, as also CPI leader D. Raja and Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas, said the Left and other parties would observe October 4 as a ‘black day’ as they expect US secretary of state Condoleeza Rice to come to India and sign the 123 agreement with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. Ridiculing the government’s claim that the Hyde Act would be overridden by the last act passed by the US Congress as per US jurisprudence, Karat said the last act contains all the Hyde Act restrictions and they have been made more explicit.
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BJP nation’s enemy no 1: Lalu
New Delhi, October 2 "The BJP is worse than the VHP and the Bajrang Dal in terms of inflaming passions against Christians. It is our enemy number one," said Union railway minister who was seen sharing the stage with CPM's Sitaram Yechury. Both the RJD and the CPM have been demanding a ban on Hindu organisations, holding them responsible for continued persecution of the Christian community in seven states of India. In his trademark caustic style, Lalu said he (read the UPA) would not let country's enemies harm its unity and harmony. The railway minister, in fact, took the liberty of speaking on the behalf of CPM when he said the CPM may have withdrawn support from UPA government, but was very much with it on the issue of minority rights. CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury could barely counter Lalu's remarks and said the CPM was with the UPA on the issue. Lalu for his part referred in abundance to Mother Teresa, appreciating the efforts of Christian missionaries in the field of development and social uplift. He said he would urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the riot-hit Kandhamal district of Orissa, where the death toll in recent anti-Christian violence has gone up to 57. Close to 50,000 Christians have been internally displaced, about 4300 houses burnt or damaged and 300 villages affected. Lalu and Yechury along with labour minister Oscar Fernandes and Delhi chief minister Shelia Dixit addressed the Christian gathering at the end of week-long dharma the community held in the capital to protest Christian persecution. In a gesture of respect to Mahatma Gandhi, whose birth anniversary was today celebrated, the Christians marched to Rajghat, and submitted their memorandum to the Mahatma. The submission was made by two children. "It was a symbolic protest. We made submissions to the Mahatma, the apostle of non-violence and marked copies of our memorandum to the Prime Minister and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi," said Archbishop Vincent M. Concessao who led the march. Christians seek refugee status from UN
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and International Day for Peace, 100 Christians from riot-hit districts of Orissa, especially Kandhamal have petitioned the UN to declare them as refugees.
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Mass protest in Bhopal; CBI inquiry demanded
Bhopal, October 2 Carrying placards and banners, the protesters, who maintained a silence, submitted a memoranda to the governor and the chief minister demanding a CBI enquiry into the arson at churches at Jabalpur, Indore and Ratlam in the state. They also protested against an alleged remark made by a senior BJP leader at a recent mega conclave of party workers here. Former minister and BJP MP Thawarchand Gehlot, while addressing the workers, said after conversion to Christianity, tribals joined “anti-national organisations and became terrorists and naxalites.” The remark was made in the presence of top BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani and M.M. Joshi. Addressing the protesters, state CPM general secretary Badal Saroj demanded that like the SIMI, “the Bajrang dal should also be outlawed.”
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Kandhamal death toll 33; fire spills to neighbouring Boudh Bhubaneswar, October 2 Although the riot-torn Kandhmal district remained by and large incident-free, some people went on rampage at Uma, Phatamunda, Kunukutri and Mosinaguda villages in neighbouring Boudh district in the wee hours today. The mob comprising over 200 people set afire 111 houses, police said, adding that while the highest number of 42 houses were torched at Uma village, 29 were burnt at Mosinaguda, 27 at Phatamunda and 13 at Kunukutri village. However, no casualty was reported. Two persons, identified as Mitu Mallick and Madhia Mallick, were arrested in this connection, Additional District Magistrate of Boudh Mihir Chandra Mallick said, adding that houses of Hindu ‘Pana’ Dalits were targeted. In Kandhamal, one more person identified as Lalji Nayak, who had sustained bullet injuries in Tuesday’s clash at Rudangia, succumbed in MKCG Medical College Hospital at Berhampur today, raising the total number of deaths in the troubled district to 33. — PTI
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Monsoon withdrawal gets delayed
New Delhi, October 2 The IMD said seasonal rainfall over north-west India and rainfall during July for the country as a whole could not be predicted. “While the prediction overestimated the rainfall during July for the country as a whole, it underestimated the seasonal rainfall over north-west India,” it admitted. Rains in the June-September season were 98 per cent of the long-period average, IMD director-general Ajit Tyagi said, adding that “beauty of this year’s rainfall was that it was well distributed”. In June, the IMD said the rainfall would be 100 per cent of the long-period average, allowing for an error margin of 4 per cent. The spatial distribution of the seasonal rainfall during 2008 was largely uniform with 30 meteorological subdivisions recording the normal rainfall. For the country as a whole, the seasonal rainfall from June 1 to September 30 was 98 per cent of its LPA. Seasonal rainfall over north-west India, central India, north-east India and south Peninsula was 107 per cent, 96 per cent, 94 and 96 per cent of the LPA, respectively. The spatial distribution of seasonal monsoon during 2008 was almost uniform with 30 meteorological subdivisions recording the normal rainfall. Out of the 516 meteorological districts, 392 districts (76 per cent) received excess/normal rainfall and the remaining 124 districts (24 per cent) received deficient/scanty rainfall during the season. Monsoon was marked by large temporal variation. The uneven temporal distribution caused flood situations on different occasions in many states viz., Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The monsoon withdrew from entire Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, west Rajasthan, most parts of Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan, some parts of north Gujarat and north Arabian Sea on September 29. The normal date of withdrawal of south-west monsoon from west Rajasthan is September 1.
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SIMI widens network in Uttarakhand
Dehra Dun, October 2 Highly placed sources in the state police told The Tribune that the SIMI had spread its network in Uttarakhand, especially at places like Hardwar, Dehra Dun and Haldwani. M.A. Ganpaathy, IG (law and order), confirmed that they had certain inputs about SIMI activities in certain parts of the state. He added that they were closely monitoring the situation and had already taken necessary steps to ensure that no untoward incident took place. It is pertinent to mention here that because of its tourist and religious importance and presence of vital institutions, Uttarakhand has always been susceptible to terror threats. In August this year, a prominent ashram of Hardwar had received a letter purportedly written by the SIMI, threatening to blow up places in Hardwar, Rishikesh and other religious spots in Uttarakhand. Besides, in March 2008, a couple of letters, written by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were received at Hardwar and Rishikesh railway stations. In the letters, the LeT had threatened to blow up vital installations across the state and crowded places like railway stations, bus stands, markets and Har-Ki-Pauri in Hardwar and Rishikesh. Apart from the SIMI activities, the presence of considerable number of Bangladeshis in the state, who are involved in criminal activities, is another cause of worry for the police administration.
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Uttarakhand minister gets threat letter
Dehra Dun, October 2 While there has been a steep increase in the incidents of murder and looting in the recent past, the threat letter to state education minister Madan Kaushik, an MLA from the holy city of Hardwar, has exposed the hollow claims of the administration. An unidentified person, in a letter written to Kaushik, has demanded Rs 50 lakh as extortion money and had threatened him with dire consequences for failing to comply.
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MHA to strengthen states’ intelligence network
New Delhi, October 2 From the past few weeks, the MHA has been under pressure from the states to provide the latest international-level equipment. The sudden spurt in bomb blasts in different parts of the country in quick succession has rattled many states. The states DGPs had earlier made it clear to the MHA that they needed help. It is a common thinking now that all equipment needed for snooping should be purchased by the centre and then sent across to the states. Also, the personnel should be trained adequately. The MHA is already providing an additional five per cent of funds available for police modernisation for intelligence gathering. The state governments have been asked to strengthen their own intelligence machinery by filling up vacant posts, posting competent officers, giving suitable incentives, reactivating the beat constable system, making available the latest gadgets and providing suitable training. Another aspect is the use of private security agencies, which employ several former armed forces personnel, and are deployed in a big way by private establishments, could be now used to keep a check on suspicious persons. Such agencies can help in pre-empting terrorist activities by identifying them and their activities within the premises they are guarding. The men in most of these top agencies happen to be former armymen. These can be used to augment the knowledge about suspected terrorist activities in any area. Besides, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the CRPF will also augment their intelligence wings. The intelligence set-ups of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have already been strengthened. More recruitments will be carried out soon.
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Ship Hijack
Dehra Dun, October 2 "I have faxed letters to the President and have sought an appointment with her,” Seema Goyal told mediapersons in Dehra Dun today. She said she was also planning to meet Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi and external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. Seema Goyal held that time was running out for the Indians aboard hijacked ship as sources had confirmed that the ration had already run out of stock. She also held that six among those hijacked were very sick and needed medical aid. Meanwhile, Dehra Dun Mariners’ Association has appealed for bigger participation for the October 4 candlelight march at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
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Residents of Azamgarh shun Eid festivities
Azamgarh, October 2 People stayed away from the Eid celebrations and banners were put up demanding justice for the youths, whom the police accused of being terrorists and connected with the serial blasts in the capital.
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Kabir Puraskar announced
New Delhi, October 2 It is a national award instituted by the Indian government for recognising the acts of physical and moral courage displayed by a member of one caste, community or ethnic group in saving the lives and properties of members of another community during caste community or ethnic violence. The award carries cash amount of Rs 50,000.
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UPSC declares central police forces exam results Largest 'jalebi'
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