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SC demands black money details again
Country’s culture, military power on grand display
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61-yr-old Republic to count its manual scavengers
More trouble for Cong in AP
Sohrabuddin Encounter
RBI to keep watch on Dubai
300 taken ill after chlorine leak
Onion retailers selling at 100% profit
Pranab convenes meeting of parties on Feb 8
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SC demands black money details again
New Delhi, January 27 Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the Centre, told a Bench headed by Justice B Sudershan Reddy that the information was not readily available and took time till February 3 to gather and submit the details. Taking exception to the Solicitor General focusing his arguments only on the steps being taken for recovery of income tax that was due on this black money, the Bench, which included Justice SS Nijjar, said tax was just one of the aspects. The government had received information relating to some “faceless individuals” who had managed to accumulate wealth and stash it in a bank in Liechtenstein, bordering Switzerland. In this situation, the first query that would arise was as to who were these people and how did they manage to take the money out of the country. “This is the long and short of it,” not mere recovery of tax, the Bench told the Solicitor General and sought a specific response from the government. The Bench was hearing a bunch of PILs seeking the SC’s directive to the government for taking action to bring back an estimated $1.4 trillion or Rs 70 lakh crore taken illegally out of the country in just five years (2002-06). Half of this period comes under the NDA rule (till May 2004) and the rest under the UPA regime. Among the petitioners are former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani, ex-police chiefs of Punjab JF Riberio and KPS Gill and constitutional expert Subash Kashyap, who has been Secretary General of the Lok Sabha. Arguing for the petitioners, senior counsel Anil Divan said the government had failed to register an FIR against one Hassan Ali Khan, a Pune-based small-time businessman, and subject him to custodial interrogation even after detection of huge amounts of black money. It was now believed that he had fled from India. At this, the Bench asked the Solicitor General about the whereabouts of Khan. The Solicitor General said he would have to find out. The petitioners contended that several countries, including the United States, Germany and France, had taken pro-active action against the banks in which their nationals had put their ill-gotten money and got the details. The Indian government had not shown any interest and in fact was trying to create a “smokescreen” over the issue by seeking bank account details under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) which had a secrecy clause debarring public disclosure of information. Not only were the rich and powerful people illegally taking funds out of the country, but were also bringing these back into the stock market through the Mauritius investment route and again making huge profits. These unscrupulous elements kept repeating the cycle and managed to multiply their wealth manifold, Divan said. Observing that the government should not have any problem in finding out the sources of black money, the Bench pointed out that the persons involved were Indian citizens and as such were governed by the law of the country. “You know the names, where the money is lying, still you are talking about double taxation,” the Bench told the Solicitor General. The Bench listed the next hearing for February 3.
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Country’s culture, military power on grand display
The display of culture and military might was watched by the chief guest, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister AK Antony and the country’s top political and military leadership among others. For the first time, Russian-built attack choppers Mi 25 of the IAF joined in the flypast. Three of the attack choppers flew in formation to a thunderous applause from the audience. The IAF’s frontline fighters Sukhoi-30 MKI performed a ‘vertical climb’ manoeuvre in front of the saluting base with children clapping with glee at the gravity-defying feat. Fighter jets like the MiG 29 and the Jaguar were part of the flypast along with the transport squadron’s IL 76 and An 32 aircraft. Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, which has been recently given an operational clearance, was on static display. The Defence Research and Development Organisation showcased underwater weapons such as torpedoes and long-range array radars. The Army displayed the T-90 tank, Brahmos cruise missile and multi-barrel rocket launcher Pinaka. Notably, nuclear missiles were not on display this time. The Navy sent in its scaled-down models of the sea-borne aircraft carrier INS Viraat and the Mig-29K, the fourth generation fighter jet inducted last year. There was a big round of applause for Param Vir Chakra recipients Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh (Retd); Lance Naik Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK RIF; and Naib Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers. The oldest participant in this year's parade, M M Shukla, was also warmly cheered by one and all. Shukla, Flying Officer of the Royal Air Force based in Rawalpindi's Chaklala during World War II, was leading a contingent of former soldiers. The country’s cultural diversity was highlighted by the 23 tableaux — 13 from states and 10 from ministries. The first tableau to be rolled out was the one on Rabindranath Tagore by the ministry of culture and the Sangeet Natak Akademi to commemorate the Nobel laureate’s 150th birth anniversary.
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61-yr-old Republic to count its manual scavengers
Following this realisation, the government on Wednesday ordered a fresh survey of manual scavengers and dry latrines across the country, besides resolving to amend existing laws to root out the menace by 2012. It will also determine their gender breakup, considering women are more affected. The move comes 18 years after India prohibited manual scavenging and construction of dry toilets and the government spent Rs 3,000 crore to rehabilitate those affected. In March 2010, the government had advanced for the fifth time the last date for abolition of manual scavenging. By March 2010, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, the nodal ministry for implementation of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 (which outlaws scavenging), had spent Rs 2,368 crore under the Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme to convert 53 lakh dry latrines in 23 states and 911 towns across the country into flush toilets. Ministry of Social Justice Joint Secretary Sanjeev Kumar told The Tribune that the Centre would finish the survey exercise by the end of the 11th Plan, as required by the NAC. So far, under the Social Justice Ministry’s Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers introduced in 2007, over Rs 800 crore has been allocated. But only 16 states and two UTs (Delhi and Puducherry) have sought these funds. In these UT/states, 1.18 lakh scavengers exist. The highest numbers are in Odisha (17,533) followed by MP (15,213), Tamil Nadu (11,896), Maharashtra (11,227) and UP (9,548). Haryana and Punjab haven’t drawn funds under this scheme though they house manual scavengers. Himachal and Rajasthan, despite the persistence of this problem (in Rajasthan, scavengers are known to get stale bread in return for work), have not adopted the central Act, citing their own laws. Only Andhra, Goa, Maharashtra, Tripura, West Bengal and all UTs notified the 1993 Act in its early stages. Madhya Pradesh notified it in 2002, Bihar in 2003 and Arunachal and Nagaland in 2008. So far, only Mizoram and Manipur have claimed to be dry latrine and manual scavenger-free. The Safai Karamchari Andolan recently submitted to the Centre names of 4,833 unlisted scavengers. The Centre, as of 2006, had claimed to have rehabilitated 3.42 lakh scavengers out of the 7.7 lakh that existed then. Uttar Pradesh led the list with 2.13 lakh scavengers followed by MP (81,307), Rajasthan (57,736), Maharashtra (64,785), Haryana (36,362) and Punjab (2,988).
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More trouble for Cong in AP
Hyderabad, January 27 The Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, a former cricketer now facing a bouncy political pitch, set the tone for confrontation by challenging the rebel camp led by former MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to move a no-confidence motion or resign from the Assembly. In a counter attack, Jagan camp dared the Chief Minister to seek a trust vote and prove his strength. The combative posturing by the rival factions has raised fears over the stability and longevity of an already fragile government. Kiran, who was the captain of Hyderabad Under-25 cricket team before joining politics in late 1980s, was anointed the CM in November last to effectively tackle the twin challenges of rebellion by Jagan and Telangana turmoil. However, Jagan, who is positioning himself as the sole inheritor of his charismatic father and former Chief Minister late YS Jajasekhar Reddy’s political legacy, has sharpened attack on the government, claiming that its “survival was at his mercy”. The Congress has 155 MLAs in the 294-member House, just seven more than the half-way mark. It is estimated that about 30 legislators are backing Jagan. The ruling party is already caught in a catch-22 situation vis-à-vis the dissidents gravitating towards Jagan camp. If the party leadership initiates disciplinary action and suspends legislators who have been openly siding with Jagan, the government will be reduced to a minority, given its wafer-thin margin in the Assembly. If the rebels are let off, it would expose the party’s internalweakness and may encourage further rebellion. Despite the bravado, both the warring factions are well aware of their inherent limitations. The rebel legislators know that they will face disqualification under anti-defection law if they move a no-confidence motion. In case of a showdown, the ruling party will bank on the support of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) and Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM). Though PRP has 18 MLAs, two of them have already joined the Jagan bandwagon while two others from Telangana region have since dissociated themselves from the party following its support for a united Andhra Pradesh. The support from the seven-member MIM will hinge on the Congress stand on the bifurcation issue. The MIM, which has considerable influence in the city, is against division of the state. The main opposition Telugu Desam Party, which has 90 MLAs, is not keen on moving the non-confidence motion as such a move might eventually lead to mid-term elections. The TDP leadership does not want to be seen as a destabilising force. Moreover, its assessment is that in the event of mid-term elections, Jagan would gain strength in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions while the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) would sweep poll in Telangana region.
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Sohrabuddin Encounter
New Delhi, January 27 Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Shah, said the CBI had no right to level such serious charges against an elected representative of the Assembly without providing him the relevant details. All the correspondence mentioned in various documents provided by the CBI to the court in support of the charges should also be made available to Shah, he said. The Gujarat Government also sought all these details. A Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha then directed the CBI to provide certain documents to Shah and the state government. The Bench is hearing the CBI plea for shifting the trial in the encounter case out of Gujarat and Shah’s petition challenging his prosecution. The apex court passed the direction while posting to February 23 hearing of the agency’s plea for transfer of the case on the grounds that the trial could not be held in a free and fair atmosphere as even the judge hearing it had become "servile" to Shah. Earlier, Jethmalani insisted that certain material relied upon by the agency to charge Shah have not been furnished to them. "It is wholly inconsistent with any principles, principles of natural justice or the Indian Evidence Act," Jethmalani said during the arguments. He submitted that the CBI had claimed 200 complaints of extortion registered against the accused but there was no evidence to link Shah to any of the complaints. CBI’s senior counsel KTS Tulsi argued that observations and opinions expressed by the investigating officers which is part of the case diary and status report cannot be divulged to the accused at this stage. "We will not use anything against you which is not supplied to you," the Bench told Jethmalani while directing the CBI to furnish copies. The CBI alleged in its application that "there was open servility and excessive demonstration of favourable and partisan attitude to Amit Shah by the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate.
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RBI to keep watch on Dubai
Mumbai, January 27 “With the US government taking a tough stand against banking secrecy laws in Switzerland there is a fear that banks in that country may have to open their books to investigators,” says an RBI official. Indian businessmen and even politicians are pulling out funds from the banks in Europe and stashing them away in banks connected to the royal family of Dubai. Many Indian businessmen and politicians have good personal relations with the officialdom in Dubai and use them to launder money, say sources. Businessmen and film stars from India are also investing heavily in properties in Dubai, thus allowing them easier access to the Emirates which is emerging as a weekend destination for the swish set. RBI officials feel that the funds deposited in West Asia may eventually find their way to India as investments by FIIs set up in Mauritius. Sources of funds by many of these entities would now be closely scrutinised to see if they originate in India before being routed via foreign shores. The apex bank is also getting the Securities Exchange Board of India and the Income Tax department as part of a co-ordinated effort.
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300 taken ill after chlorine leak
Chennai, January 27 "None of the people admitted is in a serious condition. Till afternoon, only around 70 people were admitted. But after 12.30 pm, the number of people being admitted has increased. Now, there are around 300 people. We will review their condition and discharge around 250 of them later today," medical superintendent of Indira Gandhi Government Hospital said on telephone. The union territory's administration has ordered immediate closure of the factory. “Around 7.30 a.m, workers in the factory were filling chlorine gas in 900-kg cylinders. One of the cylinders leaked and the wind carried the gas to the nearby village, where the people complained of nausea and discomfort,” said district collector Rakesh Chandra. According to him, none of the 300 workers in the Chemfab factory was affected as the wind blew the leaked gas away. The Rs 87.29 crore turnover Chemfab Alkali makes caustic soda lyke, liquid chlorine, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen gas and barium sulphate.
— IANS
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Onion retailers selling at 100% profit
New Delhi/Amritsar/Jalandhar, January 27 As a result, the retail prices continue to hover around Rs 40 per Kg in most of the northern states. With the harvesting of fresh crops and fresh supplies having arrived from Maharashtra and Gujarat, prices at Azadpur have gone down to Rs 13 for smaller varieties and Rs 20 for the bigger ones. But the retailers have formed cartels, confirmed wholesale traders, and are hoarding onions in the hope of making a killing. While the government targeted wholesalers, recalled bitterly Radheyshyam Gupta, there is no regulation to control the retailers. In Jalandhar, after touching a high of Rs 60-65 per kg last month and Rs 40-45 per kg last week, retail prices came down to Rs 30-35 per kg. The item was available on Thursday at Rs 20-22 per kg in the wholesale market as compared to Rs 28 per kg yesterday. While in Amritsar the prices are currently hovering between Rs 10 to Rs 15 in the wholesale market. However, the retailers there are still selling the essential commodity between Rs 25 to Rs 30 a kg. “Wholesale traders are again feeling the heat as prices fell steeply and fast , forcing the traders to incur losses,” said Gaurav, an Amritsar-based wholesale trader. “Arrival of the fresh crop has made the supply chain better throughout the country. Around 20 trucks, each loaded with 15-20 tonnes of onion, are reaching the Jalandhar vegetable market everyday. States like Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat are the major suppliers of the stock arriving here,” said a wholesale onion dealer. According to the wholesale onion dealers at Jalandhar, there would be a definite fall in prices in the coming weeks. Onion-producing states are expecting a good turnover from the fresh crop. “We expect that prices will further go down as harvesting has yet to gain momentum,” he added. — TNS
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Pranab convenes meeting of
parties on Feb 8 New Delhi, January 27 The entire winter session was washed out with the Opposition raising demand for the setting up of a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scam and the government refusing to do so. According to sources, Mukherjee will try to seek the Opposition’s cooperation in running Parliament smoothly in view of the important business that will come up in the two Houses. “The meeting has been convened over lunch for mutual consultations over the budget session of Parliament,” sources said. The government is worried that the Opposition may stick to its demand for a JPC inquiry into the 2G spectrum scam. The government’s stand so far is that it is ready to discuss the issue on the floor of Parliament and would go by the sense of the two Houses. President Pratibha Patil, in her address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, had asked both government and the Opposition to sort out their differences and ensure proper functioning of Parliament.
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New Delhi, January 27
New Delhi, January 27
Youth Cong poll