Mumbai, December 28
The Bharatiya Janata Party-backed government in Jharkhand would work for the development of the state, BJP president Nitin Gadkari told reporters here today. Gadkari, who arrived here to seek the blessings of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, said Jharkhand would be the ninth state where an alliance that included the BJP takes power.

The Jharkhand government headed by Shibu Soren would take oath on Wednesday, Gadkari said. The JMM and the BJP together have 18 members in the 81-member Jharkhand house. The five-member All-Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and two MLAs from the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) along with Independent MLAs are backing the government. Later in the day, Gadkari left for a meeting with Thackeray at the latter's residence Matoshree in suburban Bandra. Their closed-door meeting lasted 15 minutes.

PTI adds: After the meeting, Gadkari told reporters that he looked upon Thackeray with love and respect. "We had a good 45-minute chat where Balasaheb told me that my new assignment was a big responsibility. He said he was giving his blessings to me to carry out my duties properly. He said he had faith that I would do well," Gadkari said. Gadkari said he was happy to note that Thackeray's health had improved considerably and that he was in good spirits.

The BJP leader said he will meet Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who is out of the country and would be back on December 30, once he returns. "We will meet after he returns," he said.

New Delhi, December 28
In the ongoing game of one-upmanship being played between India and China, it now turns out that China had again intruded the Indian airspace. It sent an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) — also popularly called a drone - on a spying mission over Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh while the Dalai Lama was there for a religious visit in the first week of November.

Indian intelligence agencies immediately reported the sighting of a Chinese UAV, near Bumla, a few km north of the historic Buddhist Monastery at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Sources said, “A UAV entered the Indian airspace on November 9 from the Sela Pass and was headed (south) towards Bumla/ Tawang.” The time of sighting was around 6 pm.

The Dalai Lama started his week-long visit to the monastery on November 8.

The Sela pass, where the UAV was sighted, is the point where Indian and Chinese troops hold border meetings. It is lowest point in that valley in the lofty Himalayas. Both sides have permanent border patrols and observation posts there and every activity is watched.

A UAV is between 14 to 20 feet long. It is normally fitted with high-resolution cameras, thermal imagers and even “listening devises”. This one would also be carrying all this, otherwise why would China send it across, sources said. It could have been used to know how big were the crowds at the monastery or even intercept some communication over mobile or satellite phones. India could have brought it down, however, this would have caused an international furore amidst the Dalai Lama’s visit.

The spying mission of the UAV is the second major violation of the Indian airspace by China after an intrusion by its choppers over Ladakh in June. Earlier this month, Defence Minister AK Antony had informed Parliament that there had been 11 violations of Indian space between December last year and September this year. This included three violations by China and six by Pakistan. The recent one during the Dalai Lama’s visit was not mentioned as the question in Parliament related to the period ending September 30, 2009.

Just days before the Dalai Lama started his visit in November, China blamed New Delhi for trying to provoke Beijing by orchestrating the Tibetan spiritual leader “controversial visit” to Arunachal Pradesh. India has rubbished the allegation, but had advised the Indian armed forces not to provide any “logistical” help.

The field formations of the Army and the IAF were advised not to be seen facilitating the visit in any manner.

The visit of the spiritual leader to the Tawang monastery was important as it had been linked with Lhasa. Till the early 50s - or before the Chinese took over Tibet - the chief Lama of Tawang was appointed by the Drepung monastery in Lhasa. 

Guwahati, December 28
Twenty-three-year-old archer from the city Jayanta Talukdar has been in the spotlight for consistently winning medals for the country in international tourneys. His journey from a promising young player to one of world’s top archers has been remarkable and the people of his home state hope him to scale the 2012 Olympic height in London.

It was in Guwahati that coaches first spotted and selected Jayanta at a talent-hunt camp in late 90s. He has been a trainee at the Tata Archery Academy, Jamshedpur, since 2000. His strength has been his physical fitness and the high-level of concentration.

In 2004, Jayanta became the top performer of the Indian team and won the silver medal at the Junior World Championship in Britain. He became India’s top ranking archer in 2005 after he upstaged a few seasoned stars to clinch the Olympic round at the 25th Senior Nationals in Kochi. He went on to carve a niche for himself in the global arena by winning the gold medal in the FITA Meteksan Archery World Cup at Porec, Croatia, in 2005.

Jayanta ranked second (his career-best FITA ranking) in October, 2006, behind Italy’s Ilario di Buo in the individual world rankings. In the SAF Games held in Colombo, in 2006, he defeated compatriot Tarundeep Rai to bag the men’s individual recurve gold. He was honoured with the Arjuna Award-2006 for archery by the President on August 29, 2007.

Jayanta played key role in the Indian team’s bagging the team gold in the World Cup last year and two more team gold medals in this year’s World Cup at stage I and stage II. The trio of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Mangal Singh Champia won India the men’s recurve team gold in the team event at the Archery World Cup (stage 2) at Porec, Croatia, on May 9 this year. It was the second consecutive team gold medal after bagging the first at Santo Domingo World Cup (stage 1) on April 5. India had beaten Great Britain in the stage 1 final. After the team gold, Jayanta went on to clinch the men’s individual recurve gold in the Archery World Cup (stage 2) at Porec, Croatia, the same day on May 9 this year. Jayanta is clearly one among the few Indian sport stars who have had such a successful run in the global arena. His performance career in the next Olympic Games in 2012 will be crucial for the Indian archery team.

Jayanta has been training hard and he hopes to qualify for the Olympics on the basis of his world ranking. Jayanta missed a berth for the Beijing Olympics held last year because of a dip in his performance as he was trying to cope with a new technique taught by his Korean coach.

Jayanta’s father Ranjan Talukdar said, “Jayanta adopted a new technique of playing at the instance of his Korean coach. It why was one of the reasons he could not perform to his ability last year, as mastering a new technique needs some time. But now that he has completely adjusted with the new technique.” As he is eyeing for a place under the sun in 2012 Olympics, all eyes will be Jayanta’s performance at different level of archery events next year. His fans can only hope Jayanta to hit the bull’s eye when it matters the most for the country.

Guwahati, December 28
Even as unidentified militants continue to train guns on migrant workers in Manipur’s four valley districts -- Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal -- miscreants in Manipur are now out to stop non-Manipuris from travelling to Manipur from outside.

Sources in Imphal informed that suspected militants in Manipur have threatened inter-state bus operators in Nagaland (Dimapur and Kohima) and Assam (Guwahati and Silchar) not to issue tickets to non-Manipuris, especially migrant workers.

Some inter-state bus service operators here informed that they had been asked by their counterparts in Manipur to stop selling tickets to non-Manipuris as they were apprehending trouble for those passengers in Manipur in view of threat from suspected militants.

Miscreants have threatened to shut down inter-service bus operators counters in Manipur if they continued to carry non-Manipuri passengers from outside. About 15 buses run by private operators travel to Imhal (Manipur) from Guwahati every day.

Meanwhile, Imphal West district police has written to their counterparts in Assam and Nagaland to provide security to inter-state bus services ticket counters in view of the threat issued by suspected militants in Manipur to these bus operators.

Meanwhile, Manipur government has appealed to all migrant workers in the state to remain confined within the capital city area in Imphal in view of continuing attacks on Hindi-speaking migrant workers. The administration has opened a temporary relief camps for these workers at a high-security ‘dharamshala’ (inn) in the heart of Imphal city.

Notably, four migrant workers were killed in Imphal East and Imphal West districts over the past fortnight. A total of 29 migrants have been killed in Manipur so far this year.

Chandigarh, December 28
In a first-of-its-kind venture, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, to develop indigenous capability and methodology for long-term forecast of weather.

Culmination of the project would enable generation of weather forecast reports over the entire duration of a season. At present, accurate weather forecast capability is limited to a week. “We are looking towards predicting weather and climatic formation about one or two months ahead, which would eventually be extended to forecast weather over a seasonal duration,” Ashwagosha Ganju, Director of the DRDO’s Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) said. “The project is expected to take around three years to formulate effective models for long-range weather forecast,” he added.

Engaged in studying snow physics, avalanche mitigation and climatic conditions over the Himalayas, the SASE is the nodal agency for the project. This is for the first time that such a project is being undertaken in the country. It is being funded by the DRDO. At present, accurate weather forecast in the country is limited to 3-5 days ahead, while the medium-range weather predictions done by the central agencies cover duration of a week or so.

Six experts in atmospheric sciences from the SASE and the IIT are engaged in the project. Data would be collected by DRDO observatories and weather stations while the IIT would be primarily responsible for conceiving and developing forecast models.

Recently, the SASE has also extended its mountain meteorology project, heretofore focused on Western Himalayas, to the Central Himalayan axis to improve weather forecast and avalanche warning. Besides the SASE, the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast, the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force are stakeholders in the project.

Chennai, December 28
Owing to lack of major industrial units in the state and a chunk of its population employed abroad, Kerala’s economy is integrated with global economy and the state’s revival depends on how quickly the Gulf countries recover and whether the rising prices of natural rubber provide a momentum to the dipping exports.

Kerala economy can be affected by remittance inflows, availability of credit from the banking system, exports, tourist inflow, prices of intermediate inputs and imported goods. The credit crunch is likely to continue and affect the scale of all credit-dependent activities, including cashew exports, construction and real estate.

Right now, the state has $6.3 billion worth of non-resident deposits. Of these, 56 per cent flowed in from the Gulf region. A significant dip in remittances, coupled with exodus of expatriates, could hit Kerala’s economy adversely.

Some of the recent economic surveys predict 20 per cent decline in exports of coir, affecting more than 30,000 persons. A 15 per cent reduction in cashew exports is expected and this could result in job losses to about 20,000 persons. A decline in marine exports and handloom sector is also predicted. This is likely to cause job losses to around 35,000 persons.

On the positive side, the price of natural rubber, a major industry in the state, is heading for a record with the RSS-4 grade touching Rs 140 per kg at the end of this year. The shooting up of rubber price is attributed to slump in world production and increased off-take by China and the increasing demand within the country. The rubber production will further dip in the beginning of the year and Kerala is expected to cash in on this.

Despite Kerala Government’s claims of a new model budget to combat economic slowdown, the state is unlikely to witness industrial growth seen in the other three South Indian states. Kerala’s stiff opposition to the “neo-liberal approach and unrestrained play of market forces” can only ensure that no meaningful industrial expansion and investments take place in 2010 also.

The state government continues to blame the “Centre’s globalisation policy for destroying the public distribution system in Kerala”. The paddy production in Kerala is increasing every year. But, its dependence on other states for rice may not stop next year, as the quantity of production is not sufficient. The Rs 1 per kg rice provided at PDS shops in Tamil Nadu is a boon for Kerala, since a sizeable section of people, buy smuggled PDS rice at a lesser price than available in Kerala. It’s reliance on neighbouring states for vegetables is unlikely to end in 2010.

A major reason for Kerala’s industrial backwardness is its unresolved power crisis. The state depends heavily on hydropower and failure of rains add to the existing woes. The Idukki power project remains a non-starter due to the non-availability of water flow, since most of the rainwater flows into the Mullaiperiyar dam and used by Tamil Nadu for irrigation, as per an agreement valid for 999 years. The attempt of the Kerala Government to build a new dam and break the agreement can lead to a major confrontation with Tamil Nadu, in the coming year.

Lucknow, December 28
Instead of letting blood on the dusty streets of their village by resorting to zanjiri matam (beating oneself with chains), Muslims of Amrai village on the outskirts of the city turned blood donors to observe the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed.

In a unique gesture, Muslim residents of this village in Chinhat area of Lucknow held a daylong blood donation camp to commemorate the holy month of Muharram, the Islamic New Year. The villagers took the initiative to organise the blood donation camp along with health officials.

“We decided to donate blood on Muharram this year in remembrance of Imam Hussain who devoted his life to humanity. In a way, our blood donation camp is also related to humanity,” said Tanveer Hussain, a member of the committee that organised today’s blood donation camp.

“Like the martyred Imam, we also want to contribute to mankind. We believe our small initiative will definitely benefit the public. Both men and women of different age groups had come forward to donate blood that can provide a new life to several people," Hussain said.

Meanwhile, the 10th day of the month Muharram, ‘Yaum-e-Ashura’, was marked in the state by taking out a string of processions, some silent ones by men and women clad in black. And others very dramatic having beating of chests and backs with chains to the chant of ‘Ya Hasan, Ya Hussain’.

Leading clerics recited marsiyas (elegies) and soz (dirges) in the hundreds of majlises organised across the state in public places and inside the historic and family imambaras or traditional places of mourning. The day set with the symbolic burying of the taziyas or replicas of the mausoleum of the Imam Hussain in the various make believe Karbalas in the cities.

Considered a day of bereavement, many Muslims observe fast, give charity and pray in remembrance of Hussain who was martyred this day around 1,400 years ago at Karbala in Iraq.

The tenth day of Muharram (Ashura) is mourned by both Shias and Sunnis as it marks the martyrdom by the then ruling caliph Yazid of Imam Hussain along with 72 supporters and members of his family, including a six month son, during the battle of Karbala in present day Iraq.

The heroic martyrdom of Imam Hussain demonstrates to Muslims the need to uphold truth and justice and to fight against tyranny and evil and expects them to be prepared to give their lives in a similar cause if the need arises.

Heavy police presence in the old city today ensured peace. The Muharram processions were taken out without a hitch. Close circuit television cameras had been installed at several places to capture every happening on and around the procession route. Elaborate traffic restrictions had been announced for almost all the main roads of the old city area. 

New Delhi, December 28
The DGCA will investigate how the windshield of an Air India plane was damaged after being hit, probably by a stone, when it was taxiing for take-off from IGI airport in the bizarre accident here last evening.

The Mumbai-bound plane with 162 passengers on board was damaged when it’s windshield was hit by a "foreign object, which was blown away by the jet blast of a Jet Airways aircraft which was in front, official sources said.

They said the civil aviation regulator would investigate as to how and why the "foreign object" flew into the windshield at high speed and damaged it. It would also investigate as to how stones or such objects were present at or near the taxiway.

The flight - Delhi-Mumbai IC 683 - was in line for take-off at the taxiing bay around 5pm when the pilot of Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Mumbai applied throttle. The ensuing blast from the engine was so powerful that some foreign material, stones and dust flung onto and cracked the windshield of the Air India aircraft.

Sources said the taxiway where the incident occurred was cluttered with small stones and other construction material due to ongoing work at taxiway Echo.

While Jet Airways did not officially comment on the issue, sources said the maintenance of the airside was in a poor condition and the accident could have been avoided had the taxiway been clear.

Meanwhile, Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) officials confirmed that the accident had taken place but their version was at variance with that of Air India's.

"Prima facie, it appears that a departing Jet Airways aircraft increased thrust while taxiing out, resulting in a jet blast that caused damage to the door of an Air India aircraft parked on the adjacent bay. The matter has been referred to DGCA which will be investigating the incident," a spokesperson said.

New Delhi, December 28
Amid the deepening chill in India-Pakistan relations, Pakistan senate chairman Farooq H Naik and national assembly speaker Fehmida Mirza are coming to New Delhi early next month on a visit that will provide them an opportunity to gauge the mood of the Indian leadership on resuming the bilateral dialogue process.

Though their visit is in connection with the 20th conference of the speakers and presiding officers of the Commonwealth to be held here from January 4-8, the two high-level Pakistani dignitaries are expected to meet top Indian leaders and intellectuals. There is a likelihood of the Pakistani dignitaries calling on President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Pakistan senate is equivalent of the Rajya Sabha in India while the national assembly is like the Lok Sabha here.

Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is understood to have personally cleared the visit of Naik and Fehmida Mirza to India, hoping it could help break the ice between the two countries.

The dialogue between the two countries was suspended by India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks last year. India has time and again bluntly told Pakistan that it would not revive the dialogue until Islamabad brought to book the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks and dismantled terrorist infrastructure still intact in the neighbouring country.

Sources said Pakistan must realise the strong sentiments in India against resuming the dialogue process in the absence of any concrete action by the neighbouring country to punish those who masterminded the Mumbai carnage.

They observed that the dialogue process is likely to remain in limbo for the better part of 2010 as well if Pakistan shows no change in attitude towards bringing to justice the 26/11 plotters. There is also no possibility of the top leaders of the two countries meeting at any international forum in the next two-three months. It is only in April that the two Prime Ministers may meet on the margins of the SAARC Summit in Bhutan. That too only if the SAARC Summit takes place.

Dehradun, December 28
An unfazed former Andhra Pradesh Governor ND Tiwari, who had to resign following a sex scandal in the Hyderabad Raj Bhawan, reached here amidst welcome by Congress supporters today. Unperturbed by the sex expose, veteran Congress leader and a former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand alleged that he had been made a victim of the internal politics of Andhra Pradesh.

Tiwari came to Jolly Grant Airport, near here, in a chartered aircraft and was received by more than a 100 Congress supporters led by his relative and former Uttarakhand Minister Navparbhat who raised slogans in his favour.

Talking to mediapersons, an unrepentant Tiwari said the allegations against him were politically motivated. He denied that it was a conspiracy by Congress leaders against him.

“I will take rest for another two weeks and celebrate coming New Year amidst you,” he said.

He also gave indications that he was in no mood to retire from active politics. “I will be doing whatever I can do for people,” he added.

Asked about the serious allegations levelled against him, he retorted that those who struggled had to face allegations also. Former Andhra Pradesh Governor also talked about the newer technologies in communication equipment, possibly hinting at the secret cameras that were allegedly used to trap him. “Now people will be afraid to talk to women,” he said.

On the political front, he said people of the neighbouring areas of Uttar Pradesh impressed by the development of Uttarakhand were demanding merger with the state. Tiwari said the Central government had to take a decision in this regard.

Later, Tiwari went to his house at Forest Research Institute (FRI) and was received and followed by his supporters who welcomed him with flowers and bouquets. Amongst those who welcomed Tiwari were senior party leaders Parmod Kumar Singh, Lal Chand Sharma, Manish Nagpal and Anil Negi.

Chennai, December 28
A popular show on a Tamil TV channel has landed a 13-year-old boy in hospital, when he filled his mouth with kerosene and blew it over fire, in an attempt to imitate the show. The boy Vineeth, studying in seventh standard, has been admitted with serious burn injuries in the mouth and stomach.

The boy's family belonging to Peranambut in Vellore district had brought him to a city hospital for treatment with critical injuries on the face and stomach. His father Kumar is working as a labourer for daily wages.

The boy used to watch this show every week with his friends and he was excited with last week's show in which a man filled kerosene in his mouth and blew it over fire to create fire balls in the air. He was discussing the show with his friends for a long time and finally decided to imitate the performance.

He took a bottle of kerosene from his house yesterday and went to an isolated place with his friends.

They collected wooden logs, sticks and dry leaves and set them to fire. When he took a burning stick and tried to spit the kerosene from his mouth, fire from the stick spread to his mouth.

He suffered serious burn injuries from mouth to stomach. Doctors said the boy, who is not able to speak, is in a critical condition. 

Lucknow, December 28
The 125th anniversary of the Congress party was today marked by felicitating around 200 freedom fighters of the state by presenting them with shawls at a function organised at the Congress headquarters.

Braving the cold wave conditions, the elderly freedom fighters clad in heavy woolens arrived at the Congress office to be honored by the party to which they had given the best years of their lives.

As UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi put it: “The history of the Congress party is the glorious history of the country’s freedom struggle. Many known and unknown freedom fighters had bravely faced the wrath of the British to free the country.”

Prominent among those honored today were former minister Dr Swarup Rani Baxi, Dr Prahlad Prasad Prajapati from Kushinagar, Ramvilas Pandey from Mau, Laxmi Narayan Utsahi from Agra, Diwakar Singh from Jaunpur and Dr Baijnath Singh, Man Singh and Shabbir Khan from Lucknow.

Similar programmes were organised at the district and block levels where this year the party has attempted to identify unsung legends and incidents associated with the freedom struggle, which till now had not been appropriately commemorated.

According to Dr Bahuguna Joshi, structuring programmes around such local incidents and persons not only revives the spirit and values of the freedom struggle but also motivates the local populace to gear up for the battle ahead against casteism, communalism and backwardness.

Former minister and member of the organising committee, Ramkrishna Dwedi, admitted that the future of the party was to be built on the foundation laid during the freedom struggle. He said that even the directive from the AICC suggested events around places and incidents that were landmarks in the history of the freedom struggle.

Chauri Chaura near Gorakhpur and the Swaraj Bhawan in Allahabad are two places where programmes are to be organised during the year ahead. 

New Delhi, December 28
When Congress managers drew up elaborate year-long nation-wide plans to commemorate 125 years of the grand old party’s formation which were kick-started today, the objective was to showcase its long history, vast experience and achievements in governance to revive its predominant position in the country’s polity.

As it happens, the celebrations have been marred by the Congress leadership’s handling of the ongoing unresolved Telangana crisis which continues to elude a solution. Coming in the backdrop of a highly successful year when the party defied all expectations by crossing the 200-mark in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Telangana imbroglio has shown the party’s failure to tackle its first major political challenge. Not only has this episode raised serious questions on the party’s poor political judgement, it has wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh which was being held up till recently as the most stable Congress state government.

“The problem may be confined to one state but there is no doubt that the national image of the party has been dented since it comes at a time when the Congress is hard-selling itself as the only national party which has the experience and the capability to run the country,” said a despondent party leader.

Till the Telangana bomb blew up in its face, the Congress had been cruising along smoothly. The year 2009 had been particularly good for the grand old party. Not only did the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) form the government for the second time in succession, the party’s individual score at 206 seats gave it a clear edge over its allies.

The Congress profile as a stable force was undoubtedly enhanced after it shed its dependence on the Left parties and acquired a dominant position within the ruling combine. This allowed it sufficient elbow room to pursue its policies and agenda. As it happened, its successful run continued in the subsequent assembly elections when the Congress was able to form governments in the states of Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh.

“Three elements stand out in 2009. The Congress came to head the government for the second time, it improved its tally by 60 seats which was completely unexpected. Most importantly, Rahul Gandhi’s credibility has risen since the last elections...he is is taken far more seriously by the people now,” remarked a senior Congress leader.

With the Congress clearly eyeing the large population of young people, the emergence of Rahul Gandhi as a youth icon and future leader, coupled with its electoral performance has given it the confidence to believe it can come to power on its own in the not-so-distant future. “We have now to consolidate the gains we made in 2009...we must aim to achieve a target of 300 seats in the next Lok Sabha polls,” said a Congress leader.

The party’s hopes are pinned on its revival in the key Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which accounts for 120 Lok Sabha seats. The growth of regional parties like the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (U) here had pushed the Congress to the margins for over two decades. Although it failed to make any headway in Bihar in the last General Election, its tally of 21 seats in UP has positioned Congress as a viable third player here while the BJP finds itself out of reckoning.

Kochi, December 28
Stressing on the need to make legal services affordable to all, President Pratibha Patil today asked lawyers to ensure that high costs do not act as a barrier to seek justice.

"Affordability of legal services is an issue on which there should be constant focus in legal circles so that the right for judicial opportunity is not compromised due to high costs," Patil said. Court fees and high lawyers fees are impinging on the decision to opt for a legal remedy, she said in her inaugural address at the two-day National Conference of the All India Federation of Women Lawyers here.

Article 39A of the Constitution calls for free legal aid to those who cannot access justice due to economic or other disabilities. Access to quick, inclusive and quality justice is the key to achieve this objective. The government has taken several steps to make free legal service available for the poor, disadvantaged and others. Women lawyers should devote some time to contribute to these efforts to secure legal services for women and those who are vulnerable, she said.

Legal reforms should address procedural aspects so that justice delivery mechanisms can be easily understood by the public, Patil said. The system can be made more transparent, effective and people oriented. Innovative mechanisms are required to reduce delays in legal proceedings, including revising legal codes and old and outdated laws, besides strengthening institutional aspects of the judiciary, she said. — PTI 

Kolkata, December 28
The CPM has reportedly expressed its opposition to the appointment of Justice Rajinder Sachar as West Bengal Governor, a seat that fell vacant on December 13 after Gopal Krishna Gandhi completed his five-year term.

Also, it has been learnt that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has conveyed the message to Prime Minister Manmhan Singh.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had, following Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recommendation, suggested three names — Sivraj Patil and Santosh Mohan Dev being the other two —forwarded three names for the post of West Bengal Governor, sources said. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the WBPCC president, had also supported Sachar’s name, the sources said.

Also, it was learnt that the Congress and the TMC wanted Gandhi for another term, but the latter declined the offer.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has said that the state needed a strong and upright Governor who could rightly guide the Left Front government and oppose the “misuse” of police and other official machinery by the ministers for vested interests. She said Sachar would be the “right person” for the Governor’s post.

But the CPM leadership, including party state secretary Biman Bose, senior central committee leader Benoy Konar and CITU president Shyamal Chakraboty, has strongly opposed Sachar’s appointment.

Notably, the opposition from CPM leadership for Sachar’s name comes in the wake of latter’s criticism for the Left Front government on their handling of the minorities’ problems in the state.

Meanwhile, Bhattacharjee, when asked to comment on the issue, declined to say anything. But he “hoped that the new Governor would be appointed before the Republic Day”.