New Delhi, March 17
Embarrassed in the Lok Sabha over introduction of the Civil Liability of Nuclear Damages Bill, the government is going out of its way to take the Opposition along.

After briefing Congress spokespersons on the merits of the law and its necessity, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon has touched base with leaders of the principal Opposition party — the BJP — to convince them on the law. Notably, the nuclear liability Bill proposes to fix the liability of operators in case of accidents at Rs 500 crore. The Opposition, however, accused the government of sparing the suppliers of any damage liability. They felt that by capping the liability of the operators at Rs 500 crore even as the overall liability was capped at Rs 2,200 crore, the government wanted to burden the taxpayer.

Sushma Swaraj, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, while describing the BJP’s performance in the first half of the Budget Session as “extremely satisfactory”, today said that the N-Bill was not acceptable in the current form and amendments would have to be made. When asked if Menon had sought to meet the BJP top brass, she said, “The NSA has been in touch with us on the issue and is expected to meet us shortly. He has already met Arun Jaitley ji once.”

The NSA-Jaitley meeting took place before the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, with Jaitley — leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha — today saying that he had expressed his concerns to Menon. “The next we heard was that they were planning to introduce the Bill,” he said, adding that in such circumstances discussions meant little. For its part, the BJP said it would oppose introduction of the Bill in its present form. In self-adulation mode, the saffron party credited itself for blocking the Bill, with Sushma saying that Opposition unity remained intact throughout the first half of the Budget Session.

“Victory came to the side we stood with,” she said, referring to passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha and the opposition of UPA on nuclear liability and price rise. The entire Opposition had walked out as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the Budget speech to protest spiralling prices.

Chandigarh, March 17
The Armed Forces Tribunal has ruled that mere attachment with static or non-static unit should have no bearing on sanction of compensatory allowance for high altitude postings. It has directed that Compensatory Field Area Allowance (CFAA) be paid to all officers posted in high altitude areas. The order would benefit a large number of army officers posted in “static” or non-combatant establishments as well as auxiliary services like the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The Compensatory Field Area Allowance was introduced by the Fourth Pay Commission as compensation for harsh climate and uncongenial conditions in remote high altitude areas. Officers posted to areas designated as field areas are entitled to CFAA, but the Controller General Defence Accounts (CGDA) denied it to officers posted to certain establishments regardless of geographical location.

Allowing a petition filed by Col G Keshav seeking CFAA sanction, the Tribunal termed the CGDA’s order as discriminatory and imposed a special cost of Rs 25,000 on the respondents. The Tribunal also ruled that its order shall also be made applicable to officers posted in identical situations.

“These was no justifiable reason for not granting CFAA to some when it has been given to others in the identical situation. Persons posted in static units are also facing the same adverse climatic conditions and isolation,” the petitioner’s counsel, Maj K Ramesh (retd) told The Tribune.

Observing that the pay commission did not differentiate between static and non-static units, the Tribunal ruled that the Centre had issued an executive instruction under provisions of the Constitution and thus, being statutory in nature, the executive order does not permit administrative departments to redefine field area or make further classification such as static or non-static.

New Delhi, March 17
The Congress apparently “sacrificed” senior party leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi to keep key ally NCP and its chief, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, happy and on the same page regarding the controversial Women’s Reservation Bill, even though the grand old party maintains that it is under no pressure from any of its allies on the issue.

“All our allies will support us. We know our allies will be with us in the Lok Sabha. We will be able to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in the same form,” Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan today said, ruling out quota within quota in the bill providing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.

Chaturvedi was on Tuesday eased from the panel of party spokespersons following the NCP’s complaint to Congress president Sonia Gandhi over his alleged abusive remarks against Pawar on the issue of price rise. Congress sources say the party was no doubt embarrassed by Chaturvedi’s action but it took action against him largely to placate the NCP.

The UPA hopes to bring the Bill to the Lok Sabha after the Parliament recess and the NCP, a Cogress ally which completely supported the legislation in its present form through its passage in the Rajya Sabha, now seems to be changing stance.

Pawar recently indicated the Centre was willing to dilute the bill to make it appealing to legislation’s opponents, while NCP MP Sameer Bhujbal, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urged him to consider quota within quota for OBC women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies and suggested that caste-based census be held to ascertain figures of backward classes.

There are other issues staring the Congress in the face, like the N-Liability Bill. In the face of combined BJP-Left blitzkrieg, the party desperately needs the support of its allies on the issue. While the other key ally, Trianmool Congress, is known to change tack as per its chief Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal agenda, the NCP is considered more dependable

Congress sources confirm that remarks made by Chaturvedi were not official comments and he was talking off the record. Still the party “officially” removed him from the spokespersons’ panel to please the NCP. The fact, however, is that Chaturvedi stopped briefing mediapersons almost a year and a half back.

Meanwhile, the NCP is satisfied with the outcome. Stressing that everyone must exercise restraint in language, the UPA ally said it was satisfied with the Congress action against Chaturvedi. “We are satisfied with the action taken,” NCP leader Tariq Anwar said. 

New Delhi, March 17
Performance was perhaps the last thing on BJP national president Nitin Gadkari’s mind while finalising the list of party office-bearers announced yesterday. This despite having made a promise of rewarding talent at the recent party convention held in Indore.

Over 40 per cent saffron leaders in top party positions are the ones who lost the last Lok Sabha polls, who failed to steer the party to victory or lack organisational experience.

The list of election losers getting working positions is long, with 11 of the 36 office-bearers (11 vice-presidents, 10 general secretaries and 15 secretaries) having bitten the dust in the 2009 general polls.

Leading the list among vice-presidents announced yesterday are - Vinay Katiyar, the volatile rabble rouser who finished at the third slot in Ambedkar Nagar last year; Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, defeated in Rampur; BJP veteran Atal Behari Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla, who suffered a loss in Chattisgarh. Among vice-presidents, Bijoyaja Chakravarty from Assam is the only LS election winner. Purushottam Rupala got in as vice-president, courtesy Gujarat CM Narendra Modi.

Among Gadkari’s general secretaries this time are Vasundhara Raje, who failed to steer the BJP to victory in 2009 and later defied the party diktat; Dharamendra Pradhan from Orissa, who faced accusations of weakening the saffron candidate in Dhenkenal, the LS segment in Orissa, from where Pradhan had himself wanted to contest. Also in the list is Vijay Goyal, who lost the LS elections in Delhi.

More than half (eight to be precise) of the 15 newly appointed national secretaries are those who either lost the 2009 LS polls or lack organisational background - a factor that has dampened the spirits of ground workers in the party.

Among election losers made secretaries by Gadkari are Santosh Gangwar, the seven-time party MP who lost in Bareilly last time; actress Smriti Irani, who fell to Congress’ Kapil Sibal’s charisma in Chandni Chowk; Kiran Maheshwari defeated by Congress’ Sachin Pilot in Ajmer; Tapir Gao, sitting MP from Arunachal who lost 2009 elections; Ashok Pradhan who lost in Bulandshahar; Capt Abhimanu, son-in-law of BJP leader Sahib Singh Verma, who suffered a humiliating defeat by 2.32 lakh votes at the hands of Haryana CM’s son Deependra Hooda in Rohtak.

Others who lack organisational background include consumer activist Kirit Aommaiya; TV actress Vani Tripathi (she joined BJP only in 2004) and Bhupendra Yadav, who has law background.

Among the few rewarded winners are Arujun Munda and Narendra Singh Tomar, who won LS polls from Jamshedpur and Morena, respectively.

Mumbai, March 17
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to intensify its agitation for the creation of a separate Vidarbha state. Under its new president Nitin Gadkari --- who hails from Nagpur, which is poised to become the capital of the proposed state --- the demand for Vidarbha will be echoed in Parliament.

“The Central government will not be able to create a separate Telangana state, while ignoring Vidarbha,” Gadkari told a rally in Nagpur earlier this week. Senior party leader Gopinath Munde, who is seen as Gadkari's rival within the BJP, is also a strong votary of carving Vidarbha out of Maharashtra.

Political observers here see Gadkari’s espousal of a separate Vidarbha as part of a blueprint by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to break up India’s bigger states into smaller units in order to enable a strong Centre.

Under Gadkari, the protests for a separate state are attracting a large number of RSS activists who are seen as aiding the BJP to take control of the pro-Vidarbha agitation. For instance, last week’s rally was essentially a BJP show even though the party claimed the support of the Vidarbha Rajya Sangram Parishad (VRSP), the umbrella body comprising representatives of all the major parties in the region.

“We are all working under the parishad but we organise our own rallies and protests,” Sudhir Mungantiwar, BJP MLA from Akola told The Tribune. This region, which is seen as a stronghold of the Congress, has a large number of its leaders and workers backing the creation of Vidarbha.

Senior Congress party MPs like Vilas Muttemwar from Nagpur and Datta Meghe from Wardha have shared public platforms with the BJP leaders in support of Vidarbha. Apart from the Congress and the BJP, the Nationalist Congress Party in the region has also thrown in its lot with the pro-Vidarbha movement. Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who hails from the region, has openly backed the Vidarbha demand.

Only the Shiv Sena is staunchly opposed to the creation of Vidarbha and has threatened of large-scale protests across Maharashtra if the state is split. “The martyrs who died for Samyukta Maharashtra should not be dishonoured by breaking up Maharashtra,” Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said shortly after the BJP rally this week.

The Samyukta Maharashtra protests which were essentially to demand inclusion of Mumbai in Maharashtra when Gujarat was carved out of the erstwhile Bombay state still is an emotive issue in the state.

Sena mouthpiece Saamna also noted that Indian states were created on the basis of language. “There is no logic behind having two states both with Marathi as their official language,” Saamna argued. The BJP has, however, hit out at the Sena’s argument. “There are many states with Hindi as their official language. So there is nothing wrong with two states as Marathi as their official language,” BJP leader Gopinath Munde said.

Jaipur, March 17
Even as the Congress is going gaga over the success of its flagship NREGA scheme, there has also been a surge in the cases of financial bungling with corrupt politicians and officials exploiting the scheme to the hilt to make a quick buck.

The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that 300 cases of corruption have already been registered with the police till February 28 this year. This is a quantum leap as compared to a mere 9 cases in 2007 and 54 in 2008. Last year, too, 216 such cases were registered in the state. Interestingly, not even a single case of financial bungling or irregularity was registered in the scheme’s inaugural year in 2006.

As if the rise in number of cases was not enough, the home district of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tops the list for the highest number of corruption cases in NREGA this year. The Jodhpur police registered 25 cases out of 34 complaints that they had received. While sarpanchs and gram sewaks primarily figured in the list of those against whom cases were registered, the state government has conceded that it has also received complaints against some district collectors.

Replying to a query in the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly, Rural Development and Panchyati Raj Minister Bharat Singh said a probe has been initiated against some district collectors, including those of Karauli and Dungarpur. He also admitted that two Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officials have already been suspended after corruption charges were corroborated against them. He also conceded that there were delays in payment to NREGA workers and in some cases they haven’t received payments even after three to four months.

Aiming at checking corruption in the scheme, the government had launched social audit last year from Bhilwara, the constituency of Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, CP Joshi, where too embezzlement of funds worth about Rs 1 crore was unearthed.

However, the High Court had ordered a stay on the social audit, citing Section 13 (b) of the NREGA which prevents active participation, facilitation or assistance of any outsider in the gram sabha, including civil society organisations or government agencies. While the Jodhpur HC has lifted the stay, another such case is pending before a Jaipur bench. The state government has also shot off a missive to the Union Rural Development Ministry, seeking amendment in Section 13 (b) of the Schedule 1 of NREGA that prevents outsiders from participating in social audit. 

Chennai, March 17
Tigers in the Anaimalai sanctuary in Tamil Nadu are facing a severe water crisis following deficient rains, raising concern among environmentalists that their number may go down further in the country.

Even before the advent of summer season, the forests below the Western Ghats where the tiger sanctuary is situated, is wearing a dry look, with bushes and trees turning brown.

Most of the water bodies have already evaporated and the remaining ones are likely will dry up unless sudden summer showers, which are very rare, provide some relief. If there are no summer showers, the super cats will have to wait for another four months. In Tamil Nadu, summer begins on April 14 and continues for the next four months.

The onset of the south-west monsoon during June-July also will not guarantee rains in the Anaimalai forests, since the forests are located in the rain shadow region for that monsoon. However, there is a possibility of slight drizzle during that time.

The state gets rain during the north-east monsoon, which usually begins in the second half of October, which is seven months away. By this May, the entire forest is likely to go dry, leaving no grass for the herbivores, on which the tigers feed. Although, the herbivores migrate to the other side of the mountain during the south-west monsoon, the tigers rarely move out their habitats and wait for better times.

Forest officials say that the sanctuary did not receive sufficient rains last season and the forests did not see rains even after December. Besides, scarcity of water and food and the scorching heat, forest officials and environmentalists fear the possibility of wild fires during summer. Director of the sanctuary Basavaraju has already prohibited tourists from visiting the sanctuary and all check-posts have been closed till April 15. 

New Delhi, March 17
The Unique Identification Number (UID) will be a tool to bring in mobility, choice, transparency and accountability on the doorstep of the common man. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairperson and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, speaking at a summit here organised by the Skoch foundation, said the UID was a scheme for the marginalised people of the country.

He said the slogan “bijli, sadak, pani” (electricity, roads, water) which talks about the need for development would now be taken over by a new catchphrase seeking bank account, mobile numbers and the Unique Identification Number. The 16-digit unique number, which is likely to be rolled out by next year, would be a fundamental part of the next decade, he said.

He said talks were already on with various government departments and all state governments for bringing them on board on the project which aims to give a unique number to all residents of the country.

He said public partnership in the project was very crucial and the public could volunteer for the project and can even work with it on a sabbatical.

“We are in talks with everyone, including major industries," he said. Nilekani said from the slogan of "roti, kapada, makaan" (food, clothing, shelter) in the 1960s and 1970s, India grew to the slogan of "bijli, sadak, pani" in the last decade.

"I think, in the next 10 years, it would be the bank account, mobile number and the UID. All these are abstract ideas but they are tools for empowerment, access and opportunity," he said.

He said the UID would give hundreds of millions of Indians, who have no means to prove their identity in the absence of birth certificates and education certificates, an opportunity to access services that they are entitled to.

Nilekani also said the UID would enable the government to target its rural employment, food and education programmes for their beneficiaries by identifying them in a robust way and remove duplication.

New Delhi, March 17
The Supreme Court today restrained the Himachal Pradesh Government from terminating the services of two excise and taxation inspectors in compliance with a high court order.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan ordered status quo after senior counsel JS Attri pleaded with the court that his clients had applied under the OBC category but the government appointed them under the general category.

Seeking early hearing of the case on behalf of petitioners Rajinder Singh and Sant Ram, counsel Attri assailed the HC verdict quashing their appointments. Instead of setting aside the appointment of petitioners, the high court should have directed continuing their services under the OBC category. The Bench, which included Justices Deepak Verma and BS Chauhan, posted the matter for hearing on March 29.

In the show-cause notice, the state government had sought their responses by tomorrow failing which their services would be terminated.

Guwahati, March 17
There hasn’t been much headway in the efforts to bring leaders of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) to the negotiation table, though there has been a lull in the activities of the outfit in Assam since December last following arrest of its top-rung leaders, including self-styled chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.

The outfit’s fugitive commander-in-chief Pradesh Barua, who is suspected to have relocated his base from Bangladesh to Myanmar somewhere near the Myanmar-China border, has remained adamant on his stand that talks with the Centre will be possible only if the outfit’s demand for sovereignty figures in the agenda.

The ULFA commander has also stated that the government should hold plebiscite on its demand for restoration of sovereignty of Assam, in case it doesn’t want to discuss the “sovereignty” demand across the negotiating table.

In an apparent attempt to showcase its “sincerity” to hold negotiation with ULFA, the government recently facilitated the release of two senior leaders of the outfit, vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi and central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary, from the jail by not contesting their bail petitions.

However, instead of reciprocating that gesture of the government, ULFA said the release of the two leaders from the jail would provide new impetus to its “struggle”. “Our cadres are happy over the development (release of the two leaders) which has given us new energy to continue our struggle,” a statement issued by the outfit said.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, however, claims “there have been some positive signals vis-à-vis talks with ULFA”. The state government had even stated in the Assembly that soon there would be good news about expected dialogue with ULFA.

On the other hand, ULFA has apparently revamped its propaganda machinery to remain in headlines even as the security forces apprehend that the outfit is trying to regroup while keeping a low profile for the time being.

New Delhi, March 17
Retired Punjab Police chief SS Virk today moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of all criminal cases filed against him by the Punjab Government to Maharashtra to ensure a free and fair trial.

Posting the petition for hearing on March 29, a Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, however, declined his plea for immediate relief in the form of stay on the investigations being done on the basis of FIRs.

The Bench, which included Justices Deepak Verma and BS Chauhan, said it would not grant stay on investigations or FIRs. “Transfer can be done even after the chargesheets are filed,” the Bench pointed out.

When Virk’s counsel sought a stay on “proceedings,” the Bench said, “There are no proceedings now. The cases are only at the investigation stage.” Virk, who was DGP in Punjab, retired recently as DGP of Maharashtra.

New Delhi, March 17
The Supreme Court has allowed the Shimla Municipal Corporation to issue fresh notice to Hotel Gulmarg for allegedly violating building bylaws while making additional construction on terrace.

“We permit the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Shimla, to issue fresh notice to the respondent and pass fresh orders in accordance with law,” a Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and RM Lodha said in a recent order.

The corporation had issued notice to the hotel on June 8, 2005, but the Additional District Judge had quashed it ruling that the owner had not been provided inspection report and this was in violation of the rules of natural justice. The court made a remark that the height of the hotel building was within the permissible limit even after the additional constructions.

The MC filed an appeal in the HC, which dismissed it in the preliminary stage. This prompted the hotel to claim that the trial court had decided the case on merit as well.

The apex court noted that MC’s counsel Anil Nag had contended that the Additional District Judge ought to have afforded liberty to the corporation to proceed afresh. In view of the MC’s stand, “we are of the view that it is for the parties to agitate the said issue after issuance of fresh notice,” the Bench ruled.

New Delhi, March 17
India is reviewing the security of its embassies and high commissions abroad following intelligence inputs that terror groups, particularly the Lashkar-e-Toiba, plan to target Indian missions.

Official sources today said an overall review of the security arrangements was recently conducted by the External Affairs Ministry in consultations with the Home Ministry.

Plans are afoot to beef up the security at some of the sensitive missions, particularly in neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The sources said the government had also taken up the matter with the countries concerned, sensitising them of the need for taking effective security measures to counter terror plans. Senior-level security experts from India have made an on-the-spot assessment of the measures required to strengthen security at Indian missions. Their inputs were also being taken into account while drawing up plans to strengthen security.

The government woke up to the threat in the wake of the February 26 terror attack on two guest houses frequented by Indians in the heart of Kabul. This was the fourth attack targeting Indians in Kabul since July 2008, when the Indian Embassy in the war-ravaged nation was bombed by a suicide bomber.

The Afghan authorities as well as the American intelligence agencies had blamed Pakistan’s ISI for the July 2008 attack. The LeT is being blamed for the latest attack in Kabul. India has already started undertaking measures on a war-footing to fully secure the Indian mission in Kabul as well as other Indian establishments in Afghanistan.

The delay in drafting of the new constitution in Nepal has triggered fears of political unrest in the Himalayan nation. This has compelled India to review the security there as well. New Delhi’s apprehensions are that Pakistan-based terror groups might try to take advantage of the situation in Nepal and target the Indian mission and diplomats posted there.

In Bangladesh, at least one attempt to target the Indian High Commission was foiled late last year, thanks to the alertness of the Dhaka police and other security agencies. The sources said India had been receiving unprecedented cooperation from the Sheikh Hasina Government in tackling Indian insurgent groups operating from Bangladesh. “However, it is our duty also to ensure that our mission and our diplomats are fully safe in Bangladesh. Therefore, we are doing what is necessary for the purpose,” the sources added.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo could also be targeted by remnants of the LTTE. In any case, the security situation in Sri Lanka was such that New Delhi could not take a chance with its interests and individuals, the sources maintained.

Meanwhile, India is also keenly reviewing the security arrangements being made by the Bhutan Government for the SAARC summit to be held there in April-end. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend the summit at which terrorism in the region will obviously be one of the main items on the agenda. India has also offered its assistance to Bhutan in meeting its security requirements for the summit.

Kolkata, March 17
The Sainbari killings of 1970 returned today to haunt the ruling CPM as opposition Trinamool Congress and Congress demonstrated in the West Bengal assembly after their adjournment motion on the incident was rejected.

Congress and Trinamool members were on their feet as soon as Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim rejected the adjournment motion on the murder case jointly moved by Trinamool Congress and Congress members, including Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee and CLP leader Manas Bhuinya.

Halim said he was rejecting the motion as it pertained to an incident that happened 40 years ago.

The Sainbari murders occurred on March 17, 1970 in Burdwan district when a young man belonging to a well-to-do family was hacked to death, allegedly by CPM supporters, and his blood smeared on the face of his mother because they had refused to switchover to the Marxist party from the Congress. Some other members of the family were also killed.

The Trinamool Congress and Congress members claimed that the Speaker had rejected the motion to shield Industry Minister Nirupam Sen, who was an accused in the case, and was present in the House.

They rushed to the well and unfurled banners, demanding the arrest of Sen, along with former CPM MP Anil Basu and party central committee member Benoy Konar who were also accused in the case. — PTI

New Delhi, March 17
Indian Railways, it seems, is on a clean-up mission. In an attempt to check corruption and bring transparency in administration, more than 5,000 rail officers will face departmental action for their alleged malpractices.

Reports said out of 19,082 preventive drives carried out by the Vigilance Directorate under the Railway Board last year, a total of 5,244 officers (5,082 non-gazetted and 162 gazetted) were booked for various charges, including making fraudulent payment to the staff.

A maximum of 855 officers were from the Northern Railway followed by 640 from South Central Railway and 559 from Western Railway. There are about 13,000 gazetted and nearly eight lakh non-gazetted officers in the department which has a total strength of nearly 14 lakh officers.

Of the staff booked for fraud, 384 were from Central Railway, followed by 376 from Southern Railway, 307 from North Central Railway and 258 from South Eastern Railway zone.

Meanwhile, the Railway Ministry has identified eight sectors as thrust areas for intensive vigilance to monitor misuse of various concessions, handling of banking interface of railways and electronic financial transactions under schemes like Payment Gateways, ATM and E-ticketing among others.

Incidentally, as per the instructions of the Home Ministry, the Railways prepares two lists --- Agreed and Secret List --- as a measure to combat corruption and to keep a watch on officials whose integrity is under cloud.

The Agreed List, prepared in consultation with the CBI, includes names of officers whose integrity is doubtful. While, the Secret List includes names of officers on the basis of accepted inquiry reports or proved charges of corruption.

Persons in Agreed and Secret List are not assigned any sensitive posts and their working is kept under constant surveillance.