New Delhi, August 15
The number of minority concentration districts (MCDs) in the country would rise beyond the existing 90, with the government making changes in the eligibility criteria for such a district.

Right now, a district with 25 per cent minority population is considered an MCD, which is then entitled to the benefits of several UPA programmes, more specifically from the government’s Rs 3,000 crore multi-sectoral scheme designed for the development of such districts. But now, the ministry of minority affairs has decided to relax the existing cut-off and add two qualifying clauses whereby a district with 20 per cent minority population can claim to be an MCD provided it has a minority population of five lakh. The proposal has already been flagged for the Planning Commission’s consideration. The commission would look at it in its mid-term review slated shortly.

Confirming the development to The Tribune today, minority affairs minister Salman Khursheed said he had been approached by several state chief ministers who said a lot of districts in their areas were being left out due to the existing eligibility norms for MCDs.

“There are cases in many states where some districts have 24 per cent minorities, just one less than the current requirement. We are proposing to relax the percentage to 20 with a qualifying clause that such a district must have 5 lakh minority numbers,” Khursheed said.

New Delhi, August 15
More than 100 Indian Ambassadors and heads of missions (HOMs) have been called to the headquarters for a meeting on August 24 to discuss various foreign policy issues and how the country could effectively discharge its increasing responsibilities in a fast-changing geo-political situation in the world.

This will be the first meeting of the Indian envoys after the UPA returned to power at the Centre with huge expectations from the people that it will, among other things, be able to chalk out an independent foreign policy, now that it does not have to depend on the Left parties for its survival.

However, some of the recent foreign policy initiatives of the Manmohan Singh government seem to have boomeranged, particularly the joint statement issued with Pakistan at Sharm-Al-Sheikh in which India is perceived to have compromised with its position on the issue of terrorism. The end-use monitoring arrangement for defence procurements with the US and the G-8 countries resolution on not transferring enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to the countries which are not signatories to the NPT have also not gone down well with the Opposition as well as strategic experts.

It is against this backdrop that the Indian envoys’ meeting is taking place. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to address the conclave, instructing the top Indian diplomats on how they should go about dealing with various important international issues. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was the Foreign Minister earlier, are also expected to address the meeting. Nirupama Rao, who took charge as the Foreign Secretary only this month, will get an opportunity to firmly tell her colleagues what is expected of them while serving in different world capitals.

This is the second such meeting being held in less than a year. The last such conclave was held in December last year shortly after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks when India launched a major diplomatic offensive against Pakistan for failing to check the misuse of its territory for terrorist activities against India. 

New Delhi, August 15
The Congress would be holding a meeting next week, most likely on August 17, to chalk out a strategy for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra and to discuss the prospects of its alliance with Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

Sources said party functionaries involved in the management of Congress affairs in Maharashtra, including Defence Minister AK Antony and general secretary Digvijay Singh, would attend the meeting. Presently, Congress observers are travelling across Maharashtra to collect inputs that will in turn provide the basis for Congress’ election strategy in the poll-bound state, said sources.

Notably, there are two points of view in the Congress as far as the alliance with the NCP in Maharashtra is concerned. While a section of workers believe that considering the party’s good performance in recent Lok Sabha polls, the Congress should venture alone in Assembly elections. The other viewpoint is that with the shadow of price rise and drought looming large, sticking with the NCP would make more sense as parting ways may end up giving advantage to the Shiv Sena-BJP combine.

New Delhi, August 15
Senior Congress leaders discussed the drought situation and rising prices of essential commodities in the country in a core group meeting last night. Sources say a CWC meeting is likely to be held in the next week to discuss the same issue.

The party leadership is concerned that if not sorted out, the distress due to drought and resulting price rise might spoil its “aam aadmi” image.

The meting comes at a time when Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra are approaching. Sources say the party has asked the government to come up with both short and long-term plans for boosting agriculture, especially the production of pulses, oil seeds and sugarcane, and mitigating farmers’ distress.

The government had taken several emergency measures to help the agriculture sector, including an emergency subsidy of Rs 1,000 crore for diesel and additional power to important crop-growing states. With 31 out of the 36 meteorological subdivisions facing deficient rainfall, efforts are on to save the standing crops by giving additional irrigation support.

The government hopes the rainfall situation to improve and winter crops to benefit from it.

New Delhi, August 15
The CPI said today the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement signed on August 13 by Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma would adversely affect the Indian economy.

State like Kerala and others that produce rubber, tea, coconut, and similar goods are bound to be hit hard, said the CPI central secretariat in a statement in the national capital. The CPI added that the weaker sections and the labour class would be particularly affected by the agreement.

The party also blamed the Congress-led UPA for pushing free trade agreements (FTA) without proper discussions and transparency. “We had said in our election manifesto that the government, whenever it pursues FTA, must make the negotiations transparent and consult the state government before arriving at a final decision,” said the CPI. But that has not happened, it added, deploring the agreement and seeking a debate on the same as and when Parliament assembles for the winter session.

New Delhi, August 15
A team comprising only lady officers of the Indian Army scaled the Siachen glacier early this morning, making it the first ladies team to have reached the highest battlefield in the world.

Located in north-eastern J&K, Saichen glacier is totally snow- bound throughout the year and is one of the treacherous stretches of land with deep crevices and steep walls of ice.

The Army is seeing this “an endeavour towards women empowerment”. The lady officers led by Major Meghna Aktadikar reached the highest tip Indira col ( 6117 metres) at 6: 45 am today. They had started off on August 3 when the Vice Chief of the Indian Army, Lt-Gen Noble Thamburaj, had flagged off the expedition.

The officers are from the corps of engineers. A lady medical officer, Major N Linyu, has accompanied the team. The expedition comprised the following officers: Major Meghna Aktadikar, Major Neha Bhatnagar, Major Pradiya Kulkarni, Major Meghna R, Capt Shalini Datta, Capt Pushpa Kumari, Capt RP Parashar, Lt Namrata Rathore, Lt Girija Mohalkar, Lt Vijay Laxmi Thakur, Lt Garima Pal and Lt Neelam Rathore.

For the final summit, the entire team was divided into two groups and started the climb at midnight yesterday. The Tricolour was hoisted by the summiteers.

New Delhi, August 15
The Central government proposes to expand the tiger projects and sanctuaries in the country. ‘In principle’ approval has been accorded for creation of four new tiger reserves - Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Sunabeda (Orissa), Ratapani (Madhya Pradesh) and Sahyadri (Maharashtra).

Funding support under the ongoing centrally sponsored scheme of Project Tiger is provided to tiger range states for relocation of villages from the core and critical tiger habitat of a tiger reserve, identified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for providing inviolate space to tiger population. The ongoing scheme, has been revised to include, interalia, an enhanced village relocation package from Rs one lakh per family to Rs 10 lakh per family.

Patna, August 15
Bihar’s ruling coalition -- JD(U) and BJP -- has strongly objected to the Election Commission’s decision to hold bypolls to the 18 vacant Assembly seats in the state in different phases. The Election Commission, a couple of days ago, decided to hold the byelection for only seven of the vacant Assembly constituencies on September 10 while the dates for the remaining 11 seats were yet to be announced.

Represented by the Chief Secretary, the state government immediately lodged its protest over the decision of staggered bypolls in Bihar with the EC and its local representative here, the Chief Electoral Officer, saying that a major part of the state (26 out of the 40 districts) had been already declared as drought-hit and holding byelection in different phases would adversely affect the relief and rehabilitation process being undertaken by the state government.

The state administration wants the EC to complete the election process for bypolls to all the 18 seats in one go so that the administrative machinery becomes free from the model code of conduct and carry on with the relief and rehabilitation job unhindered.

A joint delegation of JD(U) and BJP MPs, led by Sharad Yadav, met Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla in New Delhi on Friday with the same request. The delegation also submitted a memorandum to the CEC signed by all the MPs of NDA from Bihar.

As the byelection to a vacant seat whether Assembly or Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has to be held within a particular time frame after the seat becomes vacant, the state government feels that the EC should complete the process at the earliest and in one go. 

Jaipur, August 15
Unfazed by the intense pressure from the party to quit her post, beleaguered Leader of Opposition Vasundhara Raje Scindia today upped her ante against the BJP leadership, stating that the responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in the country has to be “fixed from the top”. In an informal chat with select mediapersons at her Jaipur residence, a defiant Raje said, “As far as the poll debacle is concerned, the party tasted defeat not just in Rajasthan but across the country. And the responsibility should be fixed from top to bottom in the leadership ladder.”

Interestingly, the former CM denied receiving any communication regarding her resignation from the central BJP leadership. “I have not received any communiqué, so there should not be any unnecessary talk about it… I have the support of over 60 MLAs. So, it’s not fair to ask me to quit.” She went a step ahead and said neither she would put in her papers nor she will go to New Delhi. Earlier in the day, supporting MLAs of Raje kept trickling in at her Civil Lines residence.

She held informal meetings with her aides to decide the future course of action. As most of the MLAs were in their respective constituencies for Independence Day celebrations, she is likely to have a meeting with them tomorrow. Meanwhile, the rebellion in the BJP also cast its shadow on the party’s Independence Day celebrations with Raje keeping away from the flag hoisting function at the state BJP headquarters, though she unfurled the Tricolour at Badi Chaupad.

When asked about the high command’s decision, state BJP chief Arun Chaturvedi said, “The central leadership has officially asked Raje to tender her resignation from the post of Leader of Opposition. This is a normal process of change in leadership and there is no bad intention as such against anyone as projected by the media.” He denied any comment when asked if any action would be initiated against MLAs and other party leaders who went to Delhi in support of Raje. 

Mumbai, August 15
The Maharashtra government has decided to wait for confirmation of tests conducted on victims before reporting swine flu deaths, health officials said today.

The measure was adopted after tests conducted on three suspected deaths came negative for the H1N1 virus. Subsequently, the number of swine flu deaths in Maharashtra as on Friday was revised downward from 15 to 12.

Tests conducted on three victims, Gautam Shelar, 48, Swabhiman Kamble, nine months, and Bharati Goel, 70, came negative for swine flu. All three had earlier been classified as victims of the virus.

Pune district collector Chandrakant Dalvi told reporters today that the deceased showing symptoms of swine flu will not be classified as H1N1 casualties till tested samples are confirmed.

Meanwhile, three more persons died of suspected swine flu symptoms in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra district. If confirmed, it would indicate that more areas in the state are being affected by swine flu.

The victims hailed from the Latur and Jalna districts of Marathwada. One of the victims, Sudam Manik Kale (40), from Jalna was suffering from pneumonia. The other victims, Sharad Nanasaheb Gaikwad, 30, and Arjun Srinivas Wagmare, 2, were from rural Latur.

Guwahati, August 15
An acclaimed rock star from the North East, Law Majaw, popularly known as Bob Dylan of Shillong, today used what he knows best, the music, to bring people out of their homes in Shillong to defy the general strike called by insurgent groups on the Independence Day.

Members of Majaw’s the Great Society band and two other bands rent the air at the Police Bazaar point in the centre of Shillong, much to the entertainment of a huge gathering that braved the diktat of militants in hitting the street for the day’s celebrations.

“People stay indoors on Independence Day out of fear and do nothing. We can give them the reason to celebrate the day through music. The intention of this concert is to be with people from all walks of life to celebrate freedom and our existence. We are born free. Who can prevent us from celebrating our freedom through music? We are all Indians, we will also sing Khasi songs, not only western songs,” Majaw told The Tribune over the telephone from Shillong just before the beginning of the concert.

At least six secessionist militant outfits called for boycott of Independence Day celebrations and general strike in the region as usual to mar the event in the region.

Meanwhile, the people of Guwahati today sent a strong ‘enough is enough’ signal to the militant by celebrating the Independence Day hoisting the Tricolour in their localities, residential complexes, individual buildings, numerous localities, singing the National Anthem and taking part in other related programmes.

At Guwahati Press Club, journalists were joined by members of the public on the occasion. Hoisting the national flag, eminent litterateur Nirupama Borgohain said it had been a motley crowd some years ago that dared to defy the militants. But now, it’s a different story. The number of people, who joined the open display of respect to the Tricolour, was growing with every passing year. Later, the journalists and other citizens took out a procession with the Tricolour in hand, raising slogans and paraded through several streets.

Kochi, August 15
Kerala Tourism plans to develop the ancient port of Muziris as a tourist heritage circuit in association with the Centre.

Muziris was a major port for trade and commerce for several civilisations. The historically and culturally rich region is today popular as Kodungallur and straddles the borders of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of central Kerala. The project aims at preserving the heritage wealth of Muziris and also to restore some of the structures and activity centres associated with daily life during the period. The aim was to preserve the socio-cultural and religious imprints of a period in Kerala's history for posterity, Kerala Tourism Secretary, Dr V Venu, said.

The first phase of the project was currently on and was expected to be over by December this year. It would take two years for the project to be completed. When completed, it would be the first of its kind in India and was expected to become a major destination for cultural tourism in the country, he said.

The heritage preservation works are being implemented through various government departments and private agencies with Kerala tourism in the lead role, Venu said.

Venu said the project would be a valuable asset in the heritage wealth of Kerala. "Not only are we preserving the time tested heritage, but also are sharing the same with the rest of the world, elevating the status of the region into a hub of cultural tourism," he said.

The Tourism Department is hoping that the upcoming heritage site will generate a lot of interest among tourists. Kodungalloor came to limelight with the archaelogical discoveries that connected the place with the people and trade of the first century. In the past 10 years, archaelogical findings from Pattanam in Kodungalloor pointed towards a glorious and eventful past of the region.

Muziris, a thriving port in the first century BC, was the gateway for various faiths like Christianity, Judaism, Islam.

Cargo vessels from West Asia, Mediterranian and East Africa used to call at the port. It is believed that St Thomas, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, had set foot in Kerala through the Muziris port and so did Islamic missionaries. India's first church Mar Thoma church and First Mosque Cheraman Juma Masjid are located here. Since the 15th century, this region began to come under the influence of foreign powers starting with Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and the British.

Heritage conservation is the primary objective of the project and efforts would be made to protect identified monuments. Integrating them with the tourist map of Kerala would result in a new product for state tourism, he said. — PTI 

Hyderabad, August 15
Faced with acute drought and the resultant large scale rural unemployment, the Andhra Pradesh government has hit upon a novel idea of seeking philanthropists’ help to procure spades, crowbars and other implements to be used in works under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

With the monsoon playing truant and vast swathes of standing crops withering away, there are fears that about 35 lakh agricultural labourers will be out of jobs needing government’s intervention.

In a communication to all District Collectors, Rural Development Secretary K Raju asked them to use their “good offices” to convince philanthropic organisations and individuals to donate Rs 5 lakh worth labour implements - 1,000 spades and 1,000 crowbars to 2,000 labourers - in every mandal (administrative unit).

“You can motivate philanthropists to buy these implements in the open market and supply to labourers to show their solidarity with the toiling masses who are facing serious distress on the account of failed monsoon. We can allot one or more mandals to a person or an agency who come forward to donate implements,” the official said.

The implements would be used for creation of works under the scheme.

“The demand for work under the scheme is increasing manifold everyday due to the failure of monsoon. All those coming forward should be provided employment and they should be put to productive use,” the secretary said.

Stating that a large number of works would have to be sanctioned under the scheme in view of the growing demand, he said “availability of adequate number of implements was one factor that influenced the productivity of the labour.” Meanwhile, Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao said the state government was prepared to spend Rs 600 crore per month to help rural workers under the scheme.

Bhubaneswar, August 15
Amid tight security in view of Maoists' call for observing 'black day' in parts of Orissa, Independence Day was today celebrated with enthusiasm with government promising an exploitation-free society and asking ultras to shun violence.

Unfurling the Tricolour at a function here, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said "a society devoid of exploitation can be possible only through good governance and the state government is capable of providing it." Terming Maoists as enemies of society for obstructing development activities, he asked ultras to shun violence. In its endeavour to ensure balanced development, the state government has set a target of providing electricity to all by 2012, said Patnaik — PTI