Chandigarh, January 16
To provide enhanced protection to its troops engaged in counterterrorism operations in confined areas in the northern sector, the Army is seeking hand-held ballistic shields. These would protect troops from the effects of small arms fire and limited blasts while clearing built up areas.

The Army has already floated a request for information for the supply of an initial batch of 32 such shields, each of which would be about three feet long, weigh about 10 kg and shield user’s face and upper body while offering wide visibility, maneuverability and tactical advantage. The Army wants the shields to conform to NIJ-0108.01 standards for level-IIIA threats, which is the standard US government specification for ballistic shields that offer protection against pistol and sub-machinegun ammunition.

Besides having a bulletproof window offering a wide-angle forward view, the shields would also be having a LED headlight that would serve the dual purpose of illuminating the area ahead as well as blinding potential adversaries. According to experts, such shields provide ballistic protection to assault teams during dynamic entry situations and approaches towards potentially armed individuals.

These offer enhanced protection as bulletproof jackets and helmets protect only the head and the chest, leaving the face, neck, lower body and limbs vulnerable to fire and blasts. Ballistic shields are also invaluable in situations where there is little or no cover. In the backdrop of recent terrorist situations and suicidal attacks, ballistic shields are becoming standard equipment for law enforcement agencies when approaching potentially armed suspects in public areas.

And as part of improving security of its complexes in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army is also in the process of acquiring high-speed barriers to stop hostile speeding vehicles crashing through the perimeter.

The Army is hunting for barriers that can be activated remotely and have a power backup in case of electricity failure. Significantly, these would also have a sensor detection system so that the gate operates automatically on detection of a unique security sensor installed on vehicles. These sensors would be issued in a controlled manner and also held reduce stress levels of troops on guard duty, besides giving them added advantage and safeguards.

Kolkata, January 16
Henceforth, professionals and experts, not bureaucrats, will run the country’s historic, cultural and heritage institutions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

Addressing an august gathering at the Science City auditorium here today, Singh said the Centre in principle had decided to induct professionals and experts from respective fields in all historic and valuable institutions for their proper preservation and better maintenance. “We are also encouraging the private sector to join hands with the government through joint venture to work for the improvement of the country’s education,” he said.

The PM was here to lay the foundation of the second campus of the Science City. Acting Governor Devnand Kuwar, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Cultural Secretary Jawahar Sarkar were among others present.

He expressed similar views minutes later, while speaking at the 150th centenary celebration function of St Xavier’s. Singh also laid the foundation of the new building of Maulana Azad College.

Singh said the Centre decided to convert the city’s Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose Bhavan as a heritage institution. “We have already sanctioned Rs 200 crore for Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary celebrations,” he added.

“Gurudev Rabindranath’s 150th birth anniversary will also be celebrated next year. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and I agreed to commemorate the occasion in both countries in a befitting manner,” he said.He did not visit ailing Jyoti Basu. However, he expressed his concern at Basu’s deteriorating condition in his St Xavier’s address.

TMC supremo and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, too, was in the city but she did not meet Singh. Instead, she organised a massive protest rally against the government’s misuse of the police and power against the opposition.

Kolkata, January 16
Congress today expressed anguish at Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s absence in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s engagements at Science City and described her public outbursts against UPA government policies as “an embarrassment”.

“It is sheer embarrassment for the Congress when a major ally of the UPA government, particularly its seven ministers in the Union Ministry, criticises the Central government policies in public and it is regrettable that Railway Minister stays away from Prime Minister’s function,” a 37-member WBPCC delegation told Singh at Raj Bhavan.

State Congress legislature party leader Manas Bhuniya told PTI that the delegation during its 45-minute audience with the PM pointed out it was unfortunate that the Railway Minister preferred to “stay away” from his programmes in the city and even decided not to meet him.

“It is ridiculous, too, that seven ministers in the Union Ministry have been publicly vocal against the UPA government and bringing out processions,” Bhuniya said. Bhuniya said the PM had heard them (the delegation) with rapt attention, but refrained from commenting. Banerjee was earlier reported to have decided to stay away from any programme of the PM “which is attended by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee”. — PTI

Hyderabad, January 16
The cracks have surfaced in the Telangana movement with members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), representing various parties, differing over strategies to achieve the statehood goal.

Though the JAC has threatened en masse resignations by elected representatives of all parties if the Centre failed to announce a specific time-frame for formation of Telangana state by January 28, some of the ruling Congress leaders have openly opposed the idea.

“The resignations will lead to constitutional crisis and eventually the fall of our government here. It will not serve the cause of Telangana,” the government chief whip Bhatti Vikramarka said.

Concurring with his views, the Congress MPs from the region, S Satyanarayana and T Rajaiah, said that setting deadlines and forcing a constitutional crisis would nullify the initiatives taken by the UPA government so far towards creation of Telangana state.

Vikramarka went a step further and alleged that there was a conspiracy to “dislodge” the Congress government over Telangana issue by forcing the MLAs from the region to quit and deliberately create a constitutional crisis.

“It must be noted that Congress is in power at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh. The Congress must be given credit for initiating the process for carving out the new state in deference to the wishes of the Telangana people. We should not allow our political rivals to take away this credit from us,” the Chief Whip said.

The JAC comprises representatives from Congress, the main opposition TDP, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which has been in the forefront of the statehood agitation, BJP and several people’s organisations. A leading Telangana ideologue and academician Prof Kodandaram has been chosen as its convener.

“The people of Telangana want their elected representatives to quit their posts for the statehood cause. The JAC has only articulated the public will. It is for Congress leaders to decide whether they will abide by the people’s wish or protect their positions of power,” Prof Kodandaram said.

However, a section of Telangana Congress leaders feel that they should not fall into the “trap” of the opposition parties and other organisations in the JAC and must desist from actions that would hurt the party’s interests.

“As a ruling party, both at the Centre and in AP, we should behave in a responsible manner and not precipitate the matters,” senior Congress legislator and former Home Minister K Jana Reddy said.

As the January 28 deadline draws closer, the battle for supremacy within the JAC is likely to intensify with Congress leaders beginning to assert their authority and claiming entire credit for initiating the consultation process for bifurcating the state.

As many as 77 out of 119 legislators from Telangana region have so far submitted their resignations, demanding specific time-frame from the Centre on Telangana formation.

Jaipur, January 16
The Keoladeo National Park, popularly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is facing threat of losing its World Heritage Site status as the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has set a deadline of January 2011 to arrange adequate water for the park or else its status would be revoked.Already, the hopes of retaining the status are drying up with marshlands inside the park turning into arid, parched land for want of water.

The bird sanctuary receives over 300 species of birds, including the Siberian crane. It has been grappling with acute water crisis for the last five years with rains and bore-wells being the only source of water for the sanctuary. However, the year gone by has turned out the worst with both monsoon breeding birds and winter migratory birds staying away due to water crisis.

According to sources, the UNESCO has asked the state government to come clean on management of water resources in the park and steps initiated to ensure adequate water supply. Interestingly, this is not the first time that the UNESCO has set the alarm bells ringing. About one-and-a-half-year back, it had raised similar objections over poor management of water in the sanctuary and had proposed to withdraw the World Heritage Site status, following which the government had agreed to make the best possible efforts to provide enough water to the park.

As far as the government efforts are concerned, it had prepared Rs 65 crore project to lift monsoon waters of the Yamuna from Goverdhan drain and take it to the park through a 16.2 km pipeline. The government also sanctioned Rs 12.5 crore for initiating the project, while the planning commission, too, released Rs 20 crore towards the project. The government also floated the tenders for the project in September last year.

However, the tenders were later cancelled. Obviously, the government approach does not augur well for the sanctuary, particularly in view of the fact that a UNESCO team, during a meeting in Spain last year, submitted an affidavit that if water arrangements are not made in the sanctuary by January next year, it would lose the UNESCO recognition. 

New Delhi, January 16
Critically short of doctors for the public health system, the government today said it was in the process of starting a three-and-a-half year Bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery.

Also on the cards is a strategy to check diabetes in persons aged 30 to 40 years in rural areas. The Pune local authorities have volunteered to do the first survey in their district.

“While rural areas will require glucometers, in urban areas the governments can use labs to check diabetes,” Azad said, addressing a meeting of state health secretaries here today.

“The basic structure for this course is in place. These doctors will work in rural areas, and district hospitals with specified bed capacities will be used as medical schools for the new courses. The Medical Council of India will hold a meeting with vice-chancellors in February to fine-tune the modalities,” Azad said.

Eager to increase the number of doctors, the government also asked the states to expedite reforms in the medical education sector and revise their student intake in PG medical courses as per the amended MCI rules.

The MCI had recently amended Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations wherein the teacher-student ratio has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2.

The regulations were amended to enable medical colleges increase seats in postgraduate medical courses.

The government has now told the states to instruct government medical colleges to forward details of the teaching faculty. “Once we get the details, we will consider them for increase in PG seats in the light of amended regulations,” Azad said.

New Delhi, January 16
Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan today defended his demand for payment of dearness allowance for his wife for the foreign tour she undertook with him, stating that DA was being provided for the last several years.

“For several years, the dearness allowance was paid because somebody who goes abroad should eat something… Otherwise, in a foreign country one cannot survive without eating. Sometime, it is permissible under our rules,” he told CNN-IBN. He was responding to a query relating to the recent controversy over the Supreme Court Secretary General writing to the government seeking DA benefits for his wife.

The apex court registry had issued a statement yesterday, defending the Chief Justice after the government, in response to an RTI application, said there was provision only for air ticket to the spouses of CJI and other judges of the Supreme Court and no other allowance could be sanctioned by the Department of Justice.

Replying to a question on the disclosure of assets by Judges, he clarified that he was not personally opposed to the exercise. However, such information being sought under the RTI could at times seriously affect the image of the judiciary. “At no point of time I was against disclosure of assets.”

Asked about the controversy over Karnataka HC Chief Justice PD Dinakaran, he said allegations were levelled against the CJ only after he was recommended for elevation to the apex court. 

Bangalore, January 16
The Centre today asked the state governments to take necessary steps for protection of tourists against crime and disaster situations.

Safety and security of tourists were matters of worldwide concern and these were important for the growth of tourism sector. The state governments should ensure security to tourists against crime and disaster situations, Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja told a regional conference of tourism ministers of southern states here.

The matter regarding constitution of Tourist Police Organisation in states and union territories has been taken up from time to time and guidelines for setting up of tourist security organisation, comprising ex-servicemen, for safety and security of tourists have also been formulated, she said.

As part of “sustainable tourism route”, the ministry has adopted a Rural Tourism Project, to strengthen skilled rural artisan communities, in association with the UN Development Programme. Over 150 rural sites have been selected under this initiative, out of which 28 are in southern states, she said.

Tax incentives for new hotels coming up in World Heritage Sites have been announced wherein RBI has agreed to de-link hotel projects from commercial real estate classification for credit purposes, enabling hotels to obtain credit and liberal conditions and low interest rates, Selja added.— PTI

New Delhi, January 16
Transport Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday said there was proposal with the government for using cement to carpet over 18,000 km of expressways in the country.

“It would be appropriate to look at expressways with cement or concrete, as these will be greenfield projects,” Nath said. He, however, said cement would not be used for upgrading the existing bitumen roads, but could be used for constructing the new expressways. He said concrete could also be used on roads, where wear and tear is high. — TNS

BRIEFLY

Basu’s vital organs fail
Kolkata: The condition of CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu was extremely critical on Saturday, and except for his heart, all vital organs have failed, an attending doctor said. “His cardiac condition is poor, his lungs are functioning partially and his kidneys are not functioning and he is on dialysis,” Dr TS Kukreja, executive vice-president of AMRI Hospital, where 95-year-old Basu is admitted, said. The leader is on full ventilatory support and there was a sudden drop in his blood pressure last night. Basu has also been put on slow low-efficiency daily dialysis. — PTI