New Delhi, November 29
The Environment Ministry (headed by Jairam Ramesh) today rapped the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society for "unreasonable" request seeking four weeks' time to reply to a show-cause notice issued to it, giving the corruption-ridden society a week to clarify stand on alleged violation of green norms.

The ministry, on November 12, had asked Adarsh to reply within 15 days why its 31-storey building should not be demolished for violation of India's Coastal Zone Regulations.

Expressing inability to reply within the stated time frame due to the "unavailability of space and basic necessities", the society on November 24, however, sought another four weeks to prove its point.

An irritated ministry termed the request by Satish L Maneshinde, the lawyer representing the society, as "demonstratively unreasonable", saying "significantly you have chosen to give a comprehensive response on factual, legal and constitutional issues. This clearly shows you have not been handicapped in any manner in the preparation of your reply".

Taking a dig at Maneshinde for claiming that that his client was handicapped due to "space and basic necessities", MoEF director Bharat Bhushan said the issue had been in the Press for around 45 days. "This, coupled with the fact that you have been in no way impaired in the preparation and filing of a comprehensive writ petition in the Bombay High Court, demonstrates no infirmity in the access to relevant documents and materials. Your statement that 'substantial time has been spent in collecting documents and preparing for the writ petitions'… amply validates this understanding."

The letter further noted that apart from this, the lawyer's letter showed that his client was fully in possession of all facts, pages and documents. The ministry also argued that the issue first came to public domain in November 2009 when the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority issued directions to Adarsh, seeking details of the CRZ clearance required. "From the outset, the question was whether there was approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forest was squarely an issue. The question of obtaining necessary Union government clearance was also directly an issue. In the circumstances, the notice sent to you on November 12, 2010, represented a culmination of the controversy".

But in order to leave no cause for complaint, the ministry decided to grant "an extension of seven days further time from the date of issue of this letter" to submit its reply. Incidentally, in a petition filed last week in the court the society is understood to have submitted documents to support claim that clearance from the environment ministry was not required. 

New Delhi, November 29
With CWG Organising Committee in the focus of probe on corruption charges, its chief Suresh Kalmadi today said he was ready to answer all queries of investigating agencies, claiming he had done no wrong, and was willing to make a statement in Parliament.

Welcoming the probe into the alleged wrongdoings into the Games, he said, “I will give my statement on the issue in Parliament.”

“I met the Speaker and told her that I will give my statement in the Lok Sabha and she said I can do so when the Parliament starts functioning,” Kalmadi told reporters on his return from China after attending the Asian Games there.

Refusing to discuss the ongoing probe, he said, “All matters are sub judice but I would say that I have not done anything wrong even in a single thing.... I welcome the investigations and will answer all their queries.”

The Organising Committee has come under the scanner and three of Kalmadi’s close associates had already been arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Games held here in October. “Some channel is saying that I am missing. I had gone to Guangzhou,” Kalmadi 
said while referring to some media reports that suggested that he was absconding to avoid probe.

He said the CWG OC was responsible only for the conduct of Games and its opening and closing ceremonies, which had a budget of Rs 1,500 to 1,700 crore, of which Rs 1,400 crore had been spent till now.

“We had no role in construction as it was being done by other agencies. Our responsibility was to organise the Games and the opening and closing ceremonies. Construction was being looked after by others and they will reply on those issues,” he added.

Kalmadi said after the successful conduct of the Games and the performance of athletes in the Asian games, India had emerged as a sporting power. “I went to Guangzhou and after that to Monaco as the President of Asian Athletic Federation and everywhere people say India has become a sporting power and someday India can host the Olympics. This is their view and not my view. They are very happy with our performance in the CWG,” he added. Kalmadi also credited the Prime Minister for the medal-winning streak of athletes by allocating money for them. — PTI 

Mumbai, November 29
The controversial Lavasa hill station project promoted by Sharad Pawar's associate, industrialist Ajit Gulabchand will take centre stage tomorrow when Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan holds talks on its future with noted social activist Anna Hazare in Nagpur. Hazare has threatened to go on a fast-unto-death from tomorrow to protest what he says are irregularities concerning the Lavasa project.

According to the noted social worker, land belonging to the tribals in the ghat area between Mumbai and Pune has been illegally alloted to Gulabchand's Hindustan Construction Company which is building the hill station.

Hazare is also protesting the Maharashtra government's decision to grant municipal and town planning powers to officials managing Lavasa. These powers at present fall under the purview of elected representatives of civic bodies. If the proposal goes through, the managers of Lavasa would also enjoy police powers in the township, according to sources.

Hazare's threat to launch an agitation on the matter has put the new Chief Minister on the back foot. Prithviraj Chavan, who took over as Chief Minister earlier this month, says the decision on Lavasa was taken by his predecessor Ashok Chavan and former Revenue Minister Narayan Rane. Chavan is keeping the revenue portfolio with himself, thus giving rise to speculation that he may re-examine the relaxation in rules to granted to Lavasa by Rane.

The threat by Hazare comes days after the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests under Jairam Ramesh pointed out to a number of irregularities concerning the Lavasa project. Chavan himself who took over the top job after spending years in Delhi scored two big goals for Maharashtra when he obtained environmental clearances for the Navi Mumbai airport and the Jaitapur nuclear power plant projects in Western Maharashtra.

Political observers are waiting to see what Chavan's actions will be concerning Lavasa now that Sharad Pawar has come out openly and identified himself with the project. The Chief Minister was one of the few Maratha leaders who shunned Pawar and is known in political circles as an opponent of the NCP leader. Pawar, however, has been making overtures to Chavan ever since he took over as Chief Minister going to the extent of snubbing his nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in public.

Midnapore, November 29
The CBI today filed charge sheet against 23 persons in connection with the May 28 Jnaneswari Express disaster in West Midnapore district that left 148 passengers dead.

CBI counsel Partha Tapaswi filed the 56-page charge sheet before Chief Judicial Magistrate Narendranath Dasgupta under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and IPC Sections 120 (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 325 (causing grievous hurt), 340 (wrongful confinement). Tapaswi said of the 23 accused, six were absconding while 17 were arrested.

The charge sheet did not include names of prime accused former PCPA convener Asit Mahto and Sasadhar Mahto, brother of jailed former PCPA convener Chhatradhar Mahto, as the CBI could not arrest them, he said. — PTI

New Delhi, November 29
The Congress nonchalantly dismissed resignation of YS Jaganmohan Reddy from the Lok Sabha and primary membership of the party saying the Kadapa MP was the best person to explain why he took the step and that the party had nothing much to add except that the organisation was always bigger than individuals.

“It is for him (Jagan) to elaborate why he resigned, the Congress doesn’t have to say anything on this. All I can say is history shows that the party is greater than individuals,” party spokesman Manish Tewari said, adding that “future will also validate that the party is and will remain above any individual.”

Making Jagan’s decision sound like one he would regret in times to come, he said many times individuals had “walked out” only to come back “knocking at the party’s door”. And in response to Jagan’s charge that the party had “humiliated” him, the spokesman insisted that the Congress had always been sensitive to its activists, cadres and members.

Terming the Jagan’s decision as the “most unfortunate and misguided”, Verrapa Moily, who is also the AICC in charge of Andhra Pradesh, said, “The party is very strong there.” He laughed off questions whether he would guide Jagan in the right direction, saying “I will not comment on it”.

Senior Congress leader from Andhra V Hanumantha Rao also said the party would not be affected by his resignation. “It is his own decision. The high command had given him a long rope. He himself wanted to go...what can we do,” he said. On whether other Congress leaders could follow Jagan, Rao said, “Maybe three or four leaders will resign and follow him. That also I doubts”.

The Congress is trying to minimise the damage and ensure that not many MLAs leave, especially with Jagan contemplating to launch a new party - the Sramik Ryot (YSR) Congress - named after his father YS Rajashekhar Reddy.

What may come as a breather for the party is that after his father died in a chopper crash in September 2009, over 140 MLAs supported Jagan’s candidature as the Chief Minister, but now only around 20 MLAs are said to be with him.

Party leaders say they were not exactly taken by surprise by Jagan’s resignation since they knew it was coming, considering his persistently belligerent behaviour over the past few months. However, the party high command was not in favour of taking any action against him because that is precisely what he wanted in order to become a “martyr” with masses. His resignation in fact will make the situation easier for the Congress, which now will not have to protect him in any way.

Party sources say Jagan has huge amount of undisclosed wealth and as long he was a Congress MP no one could have touched him. Now that he has resigned decks will be cleared for the income tax and other agencies to go after him and break his money power so that he is not able to woo party MLAs in the only independent Congress government down-South. 

New Delhi, November 29
The Delhi Police today registered a case of sedition against author Arundhati Roy and Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on charges of making anti-national statements at a seminar in Delhi.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 124A, 153A, a53B, 504 and 505 of the IPC with the 13 Unlawful Activity Act, 1967, a Delhi Police spokesman said.He said a case had been registered today after directions given by a Delhi court.

The court earlier asked the police to probe the complaint filed by a private petitioner Sushil Pandit on October 28 and file status report on January 6, 2011, where the matter would come up for hearing.

Pandit had filed the complaint in the court appealing for direction to the Delhi Police to register a case under Sections 124A (sedition), 121 (raising war against India), 153A, 153B and 295 (spreading hatred, and animosity between communities and groups) of the IPC.The Metropolitan Magistrate directed the police on Saturday to register the cases against both persons. 

New Delhi, November 29 
US President Barack Obama has send a golden plaque to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar with the preamble of the US Constitution inscribed on it.The plaque was presented to Meira on behalf of Obama by a Parliament official today. The preamble of the US Constitution begins with the famous words “We the people...” Obama had addressed the MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament on November 8.

“As a representative of the world's oldest democracy, it is a true privilege and honour to address the world's largest democracy,” Obama had written in the newly introduced Golden Book in Parliament immediately after he came to the historic Central Hall for the address. — PTI 

Mumbai, November 29 
Two suspected LeT operatives have been arrested near here for plotting strikes on oil and military installations in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat and an important railway station in the metropolis, a top police official said today.The duo was also trying to recruit members for the Pakistan-based group, responsible for the 26/11 terror attacks here, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Rakesh Maria said.

Mohammed Shareef Makhandeen Thakkar (33), and Mohammed Isak Mohammed Rasheed Kumlakh (29), both hailing from Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, were apprehended from adjoining Thane district on November 15. Two Tokarev pistols and 13 live cartridges were seized from them, he said.

The two were working as oil tanker drivers for a private firm in Thane's Talasari town and trying to lure their colleagues in the company and friends from Silvassa and Vapi, who had a good knowledge about the roads, key locations and other geographical details, Maria said. — PTI