New Delhi, August 8
Reeling under the impact of an erratic monsoon, states have demanded early announcement of paddy MSP besides a bonus. At the meeting of Chief Secretaries of states and UTs to discuss issues relating to agricultural production and food security in view of deficient and scanty rainfall, they sought additional assistance from the Centre, including additional funds for supplementary power used for irrigation, gratuitous relief for affected areas and additional release of funds.

Haryana and Punjab demanded compensation for power they were supplying to farmers for irrigating paddy fields. “We have been supplying power to our farmers on a sustained basis for eight hours everyday. Despite low rains, irrigation to paddy fields has not suffered,” they said.

Another specific demand has been for the reduction of short-term credit for farmers from 7 to 4 per cent and long-term credit to 6.5 per cent.

Paddy growing states, especially Punjab and Haryana which contribute the maximum for the Public Distribution System kitty of the Centre, have asked for MSP paddy to be announced early besides a bonus of Rs 100 for paddy and Rs 50 for bajra in addition to the support price set by the government.

Farmers, however, have termed this exercise by the UPA Government “a rather belated response to the extraordinary feature of delayed monsoons and drought in many parts of the country.”

“It is to be noted that peasant organisations like the Kisan Sabha and different political parties have all through been warning of an impending national calamity only to find the government in a denial mode. We, however, welcome that the government has finally woken up to the reality,” the All-India Kisan Sabha said.

Meanwhile, the government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group under the chairmanship of Union Secretary of Agriculture comprising Secretaries of other key ministries and departments.

Officials say the government is confident that measures initiated by the Centre, with assistance of the state governments, will provide the requisite framework and impetus for handling the situation arising out of deficient and scanty rainfall in affected parts of the country.

New Delhi, August 8
In what will emerge as an important milestone for the Armed Forces, President Pratibha Patil today inaugurated the much-awaited Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT).

While inaugurating the tribunal here, the President said: “The establishment of the tribunal, an exclusive court for the members of the Army, Navy and Air Force, will enhance their confidence and trust level in the system of dispensation of justice in relation to their service matters”.

At present, about 9,000 such cases are pending before various courts across the country, most of them with the High Courts. Apart from the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and High Courts, she said the tribunal would have exclusive jurisdiction in nearly all issues relating to the conditions of their service, ranging from tenure to seniority, promotion and pension benefits.

Aggrieved armed forces personnel will now be able to appeal against sentences handed down by court martial. “The tribunal will also act as the appellate forum for the Armed Forces personnel against the verdict of court martial. This meets a prime demand of the forces,” the President said in her speech.

The President, who is also the Supreme commander of the forces, said the functioning of the tribunal should be excellent. 

New Delhi, August 8
Within hours of the Coast Guard having detained a North Korean ship near the Andaman Nicobar islands, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta, today said the suspicious ship was carrying genuine merchandise.

The Naval Chief told correspondents on the sidelines of the function to inaugurate the Armed Forces Tribunal: “As per reports available, the ship was carrying cargo containing genuine merchandise (sugar).’’ The vessel has been detained since last night.

A Navy spokesman confirmed today that the Coast Guard had detained a North Korean ship that had dropped its anchor off Hut Bay in Andaman and Nicobar Islands following interception.

The Coast Guard first launched its Dornier aircraft after the ship did not respond to signal and a warning shot was fired. The ship was later escorted to Port Blair.

According to preliminary information, the crew of about 40 has been detained and investigation was in progress.

A suspicion has been raised on the statement of the captain of the ship, who said the vessel left Thailand and was heading towards Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, while he had informed the authorities in Thailand that the vessel was heading to Iraq.

Intelligence teams from the Navy and other services have left for Port Blair to join the probe. In response to a question that some time back the Navy had detained another North Korean ship that was carrying components of missile to Pakistan, the Navy chief said that case was different.

The captain of the ship has claimed that that the vessel had entered the country’s territorial waters due to mechanical problems. The Navy is keen to check his engine log.

Jaipur, August 8
With the Lok Sabha elections over and Gujjar reservation issue settled, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is back to the task of balancing caste equations as another round of Cabinet expansion and political appointments is expected anytime now.

With 30 posts of various boards and commissions, besides some Cabinet berths, up for grabs, the race among the Congress leaders has hot up. Various communities, which went unrepresented after the formation of the Congress government, are also staking their claim for different posts. Leading the race are the Muslims who felt ignored by the ruling party in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha bypoll. The community minced no words in flaying the ruling Congress for fielding a Jat candidate in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha bypoll.

“It is a matter of concern for healthy democracy. The community feels cheated as it has not been given equal opportunity. There are many communities which have same population as Muslims in the state, but their representation in the Assembly and Parliament is manifold than the minority community,” said Salim Engineer, member of the Rajasthan Muslim Forum.

Hyderabad, August 8
Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the impact of adverse seasonal conditions across the country, the authorities in Andhra Pradesh are bracing up for a harsh spell of drought with nearly 80 per cent of the state receiving deficit rainfall.

With prayers on their lips, farmers are desperately looking skywards as the situation is turning grim with each passing day in the wake of the South-West monsoon playing truant.

“It looks like we are heading for the worst drought in recent times. The seriousness of the situation is reflected in the deficit rainfall in at least 1,000 mandals (administrative units) out of a total of 1,128 mandals,” an official of the agriculture department said.

Vast stretches of agricultural lands are yet to see sowing while crops on lakhs of acres face the threat of withering due to acute deficits in rainfall, officials said.

The imminent drought has triggered fears of large-scale rural unemployment and a drastic fall in agricultural production.

According to official figures available so far, the state has recorded 52 per cent deficit rainfall.

As against the normal rainfall of 322.20 mm, the state received only 153.80 mm. Seven districts have reported deficits of 60 per cent to 99 per cent. Barring the three north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, the entire state is suffering because of poor monsoon.

The state government is likely to declare nearly three-fourths of the mandals as drought-hit next week and seek financial assistance from the Centre.

The deficit rainfall has affected almost all crops. 

Hyderabad/New Delhi, August 8
Following a specific intelligence alert over possible terror strikes on the eve of Independence Day, the Andhra Pradesh police has been put on high alert and security beefed up, particularly in and around a stadium here hosting the World Badminton Championships.

The GMC Balayogi stadium at Gachibowli, where a week-long international sporting event is scheduled to begin on Monday, is wrapped in a thick security blanket with a strong posse of armed policemen guarding the venue.

Meanwhile, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said there was no specific information of a threat to the World Badminton Championship in Hyderabad and the event would be held under complete security.

"I am satisfied that the World Badminton Championship will take place in complete security. No one needs to have any apprehensions on this score," he said, responding to a question on reports of a terror threat to the championship to be held between August 10 and 16.

He said the alert in Hyderabad was based on information shared with the state police in a routine manner.

About 500 foreign players and officials will be camping here for the championship being held in India for the first time.

According to the IB alert, Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was planning terror strikes in Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad on the eve of Independence Day and the international badminton players could be the possible targets of attack.

The LeT was responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Special security teams have been deployed at the stadium and at the venues where the players are put up. The security personnel have scanned the entire area with metal detectors and sniffer dogs. Armed escorts will be provided to players from their hotels to the stadium, police officials said.

A team of officials from the IB has arrived here to discuss the security arrangements with the organisers.

“We will not take any chance regarding players’ security. The intelligence inputs speak of a specific threat,” a top police official said.

The IB team visited the Badminton Academy run by Pullela Gopichand at the Gachibowli Stadium and carried out random checks.

Meanwhile, following the intelligence alert, security has been stepped up at all vital installations in the city and task force personnel conducted raids at places, including hotels and shopping malls.

Strict vigil is being maintained at places of worship, cinema halls and shopping malls and a thorough checking of vehicles, incoming trains and buses taken up. Special police parties have been deployed at all entry points into the city.

The state director-general of police SSP Yadav held a meeting with top police officials to review the situation.

The police have appealed to the public to inform it about the movement of any suspicious persons.

Security has been tightened at information technology companies, bus and railway stations and defence establishments here.

The city police also requested people not to provide shelter or let out premises to strangers. A strong posse of policemen guarded the city’s star hotels and the visitors were being thoroughly frisked before allowing inside.

Kolkata, August 8
The police today lathicharged and fired several rounds of teargas shells to disperse the Trinamool Congress workers and supporters, who were holding a protest meeting in Kudrot village near the disturbed Mongolkot township in Burdwan district against the cadres’ attack and atrocities on their party workers.

During the clashes, two police jeeps were burnt and several people were injured. The police took the action allegedly in the face of attack on them by violent groups with brickbats and other weapons.

Over 40 people, including seven police personnel, were injured and they were admitted to hospital. The police arrested 30 people in connection with the incidents.

The meeting today was organised by the Youth Congress wing of the TC against the CPM atrocities in the Mongolkot village on their workers and supporters, which the newly elected YC president Subhendu Adhikery, MP, and Madan Mitra, MLA, attended.

After the incident, TC supremo and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged in Kolkata that the police and the cadres had forcefully disrupted their meeting, held outside the area under Section 144 CrPC.

It was a deliberate attempt by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to curb the opposition parties’ right to hold meetings and demonstrations against the CPM’s atrocities and other misdeeds, she said.

Mamata said according to her information, several rounds of bullets were also fired from the CPM party office at the meeting venue, resulting in injuries to several people. She said she was waiting for a detailed report.

The CPM state secretary, Biman Bose, rejected the Railway Minister’s charges as “bogus and baseless”. He alleged the police had to take action for the safety and security of the policemen under attack by the TC.