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Afzal petitions SC to hang him
Rs 141-cr boost for ex-servicemen’s medicare
Extension to Majithia wage board recommended
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Make laws to regulate surrogacy, Centre told
CID begins probe into Tamang’s death
Triple murder: Saini told to be present in court
SP renominates Jaya Bachchan to RS
Maya files nomination
Indian Mujahideen recruiting members at tourist spots
Assam-ULFA talks soon
Super 30 does it again!
1 dead in Gujarat communal violence
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Afzal petitions SC to hang him
New Delhi, May 26 According to his lawyer ND Pancholi, who met Afzal in Tihar jail here last week, his client was fed up with life in jail and the government’s pending decision on his four-year-old plea for mercy. Contending that the judiciary, from the trial court to the apex court, had sentenced him to death and not to solitary confinement, Afzal has sought the SC’s intervention for expediting the government’s stand on his mercy petition submitted to the President. Pending the outcome of his plea, Afzal said he should be shifted to a jail in Jammu and Kashmir where his family could meet him. He had sent an application directly to the apex court in January this year, but upon being advised to approach through proper channel he forwarded a similar plea through prison officials in March. Last week, the Delhi Government had clarified that it had no objection to sending Afzal to the gallows but wanted the Centre to assess the law and order implications before deciding on the mercy plea. The state took the stand after the Union Home Ministry had sent 16 reminders to it, seeking its view. The trial court in Delhi had sentenced Afzal Guru to death on December 18, 2002 for his involvement in the Parliament attack. The Delhi High Court upheld the sentence on October 29, 2003 while the Supreme Court rejected his appeal on August 4, 2005. His hanging, scheduled for October 20, 2006 in Tihar Jail, did not take place as he filed his mercy petition before that date. Eight security personnel and a gardener were killed and 16 people -- 13 of them securitymen -- were injured in the Parliament attack on December 13, 2001. All terrorists were shot dead in the encounter that had ensued. The courts have ruled that Afzal was part of the conspiracy to wage a war against the country in the form of the attack on Parliament around noon during the Winter Session.
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Rs 141-cr boost for ex-servicemen’s medicare
New Delhi, May 26 In a major move to recognise the importance of Gorkhas in the Indian armed forces, the Cabinet also approved the extension of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) facilities to Nepal-domiciled Gorkhas (NDGs). The inclusion of NDG ex-servicemen and their dependents (around 1 lakh) for the ECHS would cost Rs 85 crore annually. As part of this effort to increase the number of polyclinics for ex-servicemen, 17 mobile military medical facilities and 15 new regional centres would have to be created besides revamping the central organisation of the Employees Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). Of the Rs 141 crore approved for the project, Rs 118.52 crore would go towards the cost of land, construction and medical equipment and purchase of furniture. IT hardware would cost around Rs 22.25 crore. The annual recurring expenditure on new facilities would be Rs 43 crore. “The expanded network envisages 426 polyclinics in 343 districts of the country which will benefit ex-servicemen residing in remote and far-flung areas,” an official statement issued after the Cabinet meeting said. The ECHS was introduced with effect from April 1, 2003, to provide comprehensive medical coverage to ex-servicemen pensioners, war window and dependents by establishing 227 polyclinics at stations with ex-servicemen population above 2,500 throughout the country. “At present, ex-servicemen residing in remote areas where their population is less than 2,500 face a lot of inconvenience in reaching the polyclinics due to their location varying from 200 to 300 km from their places of residence. The expansion of the ECHS will provide easy access to health facilities for such ex-servicemen and their dependents,” the statement said. The ECHS scheme for NDG’s would cover all ex-servicemen of the Indian armed forces/dependents domiciled in Nepal. “The present, the ECHS provides comprehensive and quality health care benefits to ex-servicemen. Extending it to NDG ex-servicemen will meet a long-outstanding need of their health care,” an official statement said. All other policies and procedures of the ECHS would also apply to Nepal-domiciled Gorkha ex-servicemen in Nepal. Application forms can be collected from the nearest Station HQ of Army/Navy/Air Force in India or from Defence Attaché at Kathmandu. Forms can also be downloaded from the website www.indianarmy.nic.in/arechs.htm.
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Extension to Majithia wage board recommended
Chandigarh, May 26 Talking to The Tribune here last evening, she said a note sent by her ministry was in the Prime Ministers’ Office for approval. Sources say the demand made by the board for additional staff may not be met but it will be given six months to complete the pending work and submit its recommendations latest by December 31. The Labour Ministry, however, is reluctant to grant any further extension. She expressed hope that once cleared by the PMO, Justice Majithia would complete the report in the extended term. She said her ministry was also considering a proposal to make some changes in its accreditation policy for journalists so that senior journalists from major cities, including state capitals, could also be considered for accreditation. The ministry, she said, was ready with the draft for the amended Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. “It has been an archaic law. We will invite suggestions and comments on the draft of the amended Act for months before bringing it for legislation,” she said. Talking about the Broadcasting Authority, she said her ministry was seriously pursuing the issue, as it was urgently required. “It would not be a regulatory authority, but look into important issues like foreign direct investment, digitalisation and a more reliable TV-rating mechanism. Content is not the only issue. We are also looking at a mechanism of co-regulation,” she said. “My ministry has already held several meetings with stakeholders and has been in no hurry to push the pace of evolving consensus on the issue,” she said. She also announced the expansion of a scheme for journalists’ welfare. As per her, now even non-accredited journalists, who have put in five years of service, are covered under the scheme. Besides those from the electronic media have also been included under the Journalist Welfare Fund Scheme that provides ex gratia to journalists.
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Make laws to regulate surrogacy, Centre told
New Delhi, May 26 A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and CK Prasad spelt out the need for such legislation while disposing of a case filed by a German couple, John Balaz and Susanne Lohle, seeking permission to take out of the country their two-year-old twins. The children were born in January 2008 to a Gujarati woman, Martha Khristi, who had rented her womb as Susanne had a medical condition. Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told the court that the government had succeeded in persuading the German Government to grant visa to the children despite the fact that the laws of that country did not recognise surrogacy. At this, the Bench congratulated the couple and asked the Solicitor General to convey its sentiments to the government. He said he had already written to the Centre underlying the need for enacting legislation. The German couple was facing problems as India was refusing to issue passports to the children as they would be rendered stateless in Germany, which neither granted visas nor passports to persons born through surrogacy. India also does not have laws outlining the rights of such children born within the country and those of the women who offered to be surrogate mothers.
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CID begins probe into Tamang’s death
Kolkata, May 26 Bharati, who was unanimously elected today the ABGL president in place of her husband, told mediapersons that they would now launch a counter-movement in the hills demanding restoration of peace and normalcy and also the democratic functioning of the government. She invited all peace-loving people in Darjeeling and other like-minded parties to join the stir. Today, no untoward incident occurred in the hills but partial bandh was observed in some areas in the three hill sub-divisions - Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling
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Triple murder: Saini told to be present in court
New Delhi, May 26 Additional Special Judge Poonam Chaudhary said Saini’s presence was necessary to enable witnesses to identify him in the case. The order was passed at the instance of the CBI, the prosecuting agency in the case. The order specifically mentioned prosecution witness no. 1, 91-year-old Amar Kaur and prosecution witness no. 9, Meenakshi Jain. Amar Kaur has charged Saini with playing a role in the abduction and murder of her son, son-in-law and their driver. Amar Kaur would be cross-examined from July 1-3 while Meenakshi Jain would be summoned for three days -- July 5-7. Earlier, the court had given Saini exemption from personal appearance.
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SP renominates Jaya Bachchan to RS
Lucknow, May 26 It will be Jaya Bachchan’s third term in the Upper House as a Samajwadi party MP. The second SP candidate for the Rajya Sabha is national vice-president Rashid Masood. State party president Akhilesh Yadav today made an official announcement declaring the name of the party’s candidates for the biennial election scheduled for June 17. The candidature of Jaya Bachchan came as a surprise as she was closely associated with the former party national general secretary Amar Singh who is considered a family member of the Bachchan family. However, she had played her cards wisely in recent months clearly shunning his company in the political arena and not making any statement against party president Mulayam Singh Yadav or his clan. The move has clearly paid off as she has been re-nominated by the party spoiling the chances of party spokesperson Mohan Singh. The term of 11 Rajya Sabha members is coming to an end on July 4. With political dynamics changing in the state, the SP would be able to retain only two of its present seven seats in the Upper House while the BSP can easily get its six members elected while for winning the seventh seat it is short of 12 first preference votes.
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Maya files nomination
Lucknow, May 26 Mayawati, who reached the Tandon Hall of Vidhan Bhawan along with senior cabinet ministers, state party chief Swami Prasad Maurya and Satish Chandra Mishra and a horde of party MPs and MLAs filed her nomination papers before the returning officer and Principal Secretary Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey. Besides, the BSP chief seven more BSP candidates filed their nominations today. Other candidates who also filed their nomination from the BSP include Rishipal Gautam, Satish Chandra Jatav, Dr Ram Kumar Kureel, Mohammad Athar Khan, Subodh Kumar Parashar, Lal Chand Nishad and Virendra Kumar Chauhan.
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Indian Mujahideen recruiting members at tourist spots
Mumbai, May 26 According to members of the anti-terror squad (ATS) of the Mumbai Police, they are trying to unveil the sleeper cells of the outfit at places like Goa, coastal Maharashtra and Karnataka. The arrest of Ahmed Samad from Mangalore earlier this week has thrown up a number of clues, they maintain. According to the police, the IM was founded by renegade youth in Bhatkal (Karnataka) and was headed by Riyaz Bhatkal, a declared absconder. Investigators have linked Bhatkal to a number of rich expatriate Muslims based in the Middle East who have built mosques and set up charities in clusters dominated by members of the minority community. According to the police, these facilities are under the scanner on suspicion that these may be the fronts for recruiting members to the IM. Samad, a resident of Bhatkal, allegedly supplied arms to gangster Chotta Shakeel. He has been remanded in police custody till June 1. According to the ATS, it has found CCTV recordings showing Samad. These recordings were from a hotel adjacent to the German Bakery where he was seen carrying a bag in which the explosive device was allegedly placed. However, relatives of Samad deny that he was involved in the blast. His relatives have come with video recordings and photographs to show that Samad was very much in Bhatkal on and around the days of the Pune blast. Samad was arrested two years ago in connection with a bomb blast in Mangalore but was later let off.
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Assam-ULFA talks soon
Guwahati, May 26 The Assam government today in principle decided to initiate talks with the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) even without the outfit’s fugitive commander-in-chief Paresh Barua who sounds strongly opposed to peace talks sans scope for discussion on ‘sovereignty demand’. “The Assam cabinet today decided to initiate process to facilitate dialogue with ULFA whose most of the top leaders are now in jail. We have decided to send signals to the ULFA leaders to come for dialogue which may take place even if the ULFA’s fugitive commander in chief Paresh Barua doesn’t come for talks,” chief minister Tarun Gogoi said after chairing the crucial Cabinet meeting. He said the decision of the cabinet would be conveyed to the Union government, which will finally hold talks with insurgents. He said modalities for the peace initiative on part of the state government would be decided soon and claimed that the decision of the government was based on ‘hints’ it had received from majority section of top leaders of the ULFA who sounded willing for holding dialogue. “We also wanted to talk with Barua, but, as I had said earlier, we can’t go on waiting for him. I hope he will also realise and come forward for talks,” Gogoi said adding that today’s decision of the Assam cabinet would be conveyed to the Union government. He termed today’s cabinet decision to start process to hold dialogue with the ULFA a ‘big one’ during his past nine years in office and hoped that the ULFA leadership would respond to it positively. He claimed that insurgency situation in the state had improved leaps and bounds during this year and said insurgency-related violence claimed lives of 261 civilians during Jan-May in 2008, and 232 civilians during the same period in 2009 while the figure has come down to 20 during the same period in the current year. Out of the 16 central committee members of the ULFA, six are in jail in Assam while general secretary Anup Chetia is lodged in Bangladesh jail. Two leaders are out of jail on bail while three other central committee leaders went untraced since December 2003 after Operation All Clear of Royal Bhutan Army that demolished ULFA base in the Himalayan kingdom. One central committee leader is dead while one on parole due to illness. That leaves commander-in-chief Barua and another leader Jibon Moran at large.
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Super 30 does it again!
Patna, May 26 Anand and a senior IPS officer of Bihar, Abhayanand conceptualised the Super 30 to give free coaching along with food and lodging to the meritorious students from socially and economically deprived sections. Anand agreed to meet the cost incurred on this project from his well-established private coaching center by the name of Ramanujan School of Mathematics at Patna. The selection process for entry into the Super 30 was through an open entrance test. Only 30 best students were selected for the IIT-JEE coaching. In this first year itself, 18 out of 30 students from this institute made it to the IIT. In the subsequent year 22 made it then in 2008 all the 30 students passed out the IIT-JEE. Since then Anand and his Super 30 have maintained the trend even though Abhayanand disassociated himself from this institute and started guiding a similar coaching institute meant for the economically deprived students from the minority community “Rahmani 30”. Impressed by the success of Super-30, a charitable society has sought Anand’s help to establish a similar coaching Centre for the needy and poor students of Punjab. However, the critics of Anand and Super 30 have charged him with manipulation. According to them, he never discloses the names of his students prior to the results. This year too many newsmen had contacted him in person as well as through e-mail seeking the names of his students being taught free of cost at Super-30 but they could not get it.
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1 dead in Gujarat communal violence Ahmedabad, May 26 The deceased, Vijay Datania, was injured in the head during stone-throwing by two groups in Nagoriwad lane of Shahpur area. A few others were also wounded in the clashes. Meanwhile, a man was injured today after a mob attacked him near RC Technical School. He was rescued by the police and taken to a hospital. In another incident, two men were stabbed near Mirzapur rural court in the area, the police said. In a bid to control the violence, Gujarat government today set up a special control room and deployed State Reserve Police personnel in the area. “The Chief Minister has instructed to set up a special control room from where revenue minister Anandiben Patel and education minister Ramanlal Vora will monitor the situation,” an official from the CMO said. The clashes reportedly began last night when a wedding procession with a DJ playing loud music passed by a mosque. People offering prayers at the mosque objected, which led to an altercation. — PTI
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Lucknow, May 26
Chief Minister Mayawati today filed her nomination papers for the biennial election for the State Legislative Council scheduled to be held on June 10.
The BSP supremo is currently a member of the Legislative Council and her term would expire on July 6.
Mayawati, who reached the Tandon Hall of Vidhan Bhawan along with senior cabinet ministers, state party chief Swami Prasad Maurya and Satish Chandra Mishra and a horde of party MPs and MLAs filed her nomination papers before the returning officer and Principal Secretary Vidhan Sabha Pradeep
Dubey.
