Mumbai, February 4
The CBI probe into the Adarsh Housing Society scam is shaking up the political establishment in Maharashtra as investigators have begun questioning politicians and bureaucrats connected with the case.

The ruling Congress is the worst hit with former legislator and co-promoter Kanhaiyalal Gidwani being called in for questioning. All eyes are on former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who is likely to be grilled shortly. Supporters of Chavan are demanding that former chief ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde be questioned as well.

At least 20 MLAs from the state have begun a signature campaign to save Chavan though the former Chief Minister claims he is unaware of the ongoings. On the other hand, supporters of Vilasrao Deshmukh are calling for two NCP ministers - Sunil Tatkare and Rajesh Tope - in the Maharashtra Cabinet to be questioned as well. Tatkare and Tope had also given some clearance to the construction of the Adarsh society. However, as neither they nor any of their relatives reportedly own any houses in the controversial project, their names were not included in the FIR filed by the CBI.

However, both Tatkare and Tope enjoy the confidence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who has taken the battle to the bureaucrats. Shortly after Chavan was forced to resign as Chief Minister, Pawar demanded that action be taken against bureaucrats as well. Pawar has since attracted support from across the political spectrum with the Shiv Sena and even sections of the BJP demanding stricter action against corrupt bureaucrats.

The Adarsh tangle has also not left the opposition parties untouched. Former Union Power Minister Suresh Prabhu of the Shiv Sena was another one who was allotted a flat in Adarsh Housing Society. Even the BJP got dragged into the controversy following allegations that a senior party leader may be owning flats in the building via benami owners.

Politicians cutting across the party lines now say controversies like this would result in public projects being held up.

The biggest hit seems to be the construction industry in Mumbai. Proposals worth hundreds of crores are pending with the Chief Minister’s office. Prithviraj Chavan, who holds the urban development portfolio, is said to be going slow on scrutinising projects. Chavan has refused to meet with builders in private and representations made by industry bodies are kept pending.

New Delhi, February 4
In a far-reaching ruling that might impact all TADA cases, including the 1993 Bombay serial blasts, the Supreme Court today virtually struck down two provisions of the Act under which confessional statements of the accused to the police are admissible and being a member of any banned organisation is illegal.

The Centre had allowed the controversial Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act 1987 to lapse in 1995, but cases booked during that period under the Act are still pending in various courts across the country.

A Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra ruled that Section 3(5) of TADA “cannot be read literally, otherwise it will violate Articles 19 (Freedom of opinion and expression) and 21 (Right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.”

Holding membership of a banned organisation is a criminal act under Section 3(5) of TADA and confession to a police officer is admissible under Section 15 of the Act.

The apex court virtually struck down these two provisions while setting aside the conviction of a person by a TADA court in Assam for being a member of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) on the basis of his confessional statement to the police.

“Confession is a very weak kind of evidence. As is well known, the wide spread and rampant practice in the police in India is to use third degree methods for extracting confessions from the alleged accused. Hence, the courts have to be cautious in accepting confessions made to the police by the alleged accused,” the Bench ruled.

Citing an apex court verdict and judgments of two US courts, the Bench held that mere membership of a banned organisation “will not make a person a criminal unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder by violence or incitement to violence.”

New Delhi, February 4
While the BJP has kept everyone guessing over whether it will allow Parliament to proceed with business in the Budget Session beginning later this month, there are indications that the party is not likely to stall the presentation of the Budget and other budget-related business.

BJP leaders hinted informally today that even if the party and its NDA allies continued to disrupt proceedings in both Houses of Parliament till their demand for a JPC probe was conceded, the Budget presentation was too important an event to be allowed to be disrupted.

They also cited earlier examples when the Opposition made an exception of the Railway and main Budget presentations, reverting to the agitation the very next day. “It has happened earlier, it can happen again,” they said.

The party led the Opposition protest stalling the entire winter session of Parliament, demanding constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the 2G scam in its entirety.

The arrest of former Telecom minister A. Raja by the CBI in this connection has taken some wind out of the BJP campaign for a JPC probe. But the party like most other opposition groups has not relented on its demand for a JPC probe. But other opposition parties like the CPI, CPM and some others, while not giving up the demand, have clearly stated that they do not favour the stalling of Parliament anymore.

New Delhi, February 4
The first of US military transport planes purchased by India after gap of five decades landed at Hindon air base near New Delhi. However, the US has held back key encrypted communication systems as India has refused to sign the crucial Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) with the USA.

Foundation agreements such as CISMOA are required under the US law for providing another country with the advanced electronics on US platforms. These agreements facilitate high-technology transfer. India has said a firm “no” to CISMOA. As a result, the C-130-J transport plane manufactured by Lockheed Martin slated for induction into the IAF tomorrow, will not be the same as the US Air Force's plane of the same make and model.

India will use it for varied needs, including special forces operations that is para-dropping armed troops behind enemy lines, medical evacuations and transport material. India has been operating Soviet-origin transporters- AN 32 and IL 76.

Lockheed Martin's vice president (business development) Orville Prins said today “It was clear CISMOA not being signed will affect certain things. We have worked with the IAF to ensure that the capability they required on the aircraft have been fully met. It is ultimately their choice on what they wanted”.

Sources in the IAF say India was confident that it could do without that the specialised communication equipment.

The latest transport plane deal signals the end of five-decades of military ‘mistrust’ between the two countries. India was seen in the Soviet-Bloc during the days of the cold war.

New Delhi, February 4
A Soviet-origin MiG-21 of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed 150 km south west Gwalior this morning. There were no casualties as the pilot Squadron Leader Falguni Laha Roy ejected safely and landed in forested area.

The plane went down at 11:25 AM near Bela-Bhimlat village, about 150 km south-west of Gwalior air base after taking off from there, an IAF spokesperson said. "The plane developed some engine problem. The pilot Squadron Leader Falguni Laha Roy managed to eject and landed safely on the ground," he said. A rescue helicopter was sent to fetch the pilot, the spokesman said, adding that a court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident. He said the crash took place in a forest area and there was no damage on the ground. The last five days have been bad for the armed forces. A naval warship INS Vindhyagiri capsized last Sunday at Mumbai following a collision with a merchant shop MV Nordlake. An inquiry is in progress. An Army chopper crashed on Wednesday in a residential area in Nashik, killing two Majors while the IAF lost a fighter today.

This is first crash for the IAF this year.

Last year the IAF saw 11 crashes, including six of fighters, two MiG 21s and four MiG 27s. Also, one MI-17, one Mi 26 and three cheetah/cheetak choppers also crashed. An advanced light helicopter Dhruv crash landed. As many as 24 persons lost their lives last year. This included IAF pilots, IAF personnel, Army officers and a few civilians.

The last of the MiG 21 crashes was on June 15 near Halwara in Punjab.

In today’s crash the MiG 21 was of the ‘bison’ series. The indigenous LCA that got initial operational clearance on January 10 is expected to replace the MiG 21s.

New Delhi, February 4
A list of 15 individuals and trusts allegedly holding secret accounts in the tax haven of Liechtenstein was released by a news magazine today.

The list had been handed over to the Indian Government in March, 2009 and the government had taken the stand that the names could not not be disclosed because these had been given by the German Government on confidential terms. The list released by the magazine contains names of 12 individuals and three foundations without their addresses and business details as also the amounts they have allegedly stashed in these accounts.

The magazine said it had approached each of the individuals involved and was awaiting their response pending, which they are not not giving details though it had given the names. According to the magazine, the name of the chairman of a major Indian corporation was on the list but it had decided to hold back the name because it was awaiting “his full version”. — PTI

New Delhi, February 4
Top health policy drivers of the country today argued that exclusive insurance cover for the People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) would not be financially viable and an inclusive insurance cover for the entire population was more warranted.

The government has agreed to set up a working group, including representatives of the PLHIVs, insurance companies, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to debate the issue and come out with a plan within two months.

The move came after the high-level committee constituted by the Planning Commission to work on the Universal Health Coverage for all Indians said it was about to propose an end to exclusive insurance schemes for separate sections of the population and a gradual shift towards an all-inclusive insurance cover.

Chairperson of the committee, Dr K Srinath Reddy, made this point at the end of the two-day consultation on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the health insurance cover in India. He said their panel was against a slew of insurance schemes like the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (meant for the BPL families), Employees State Insurance scheme, seperate insurance cover for the railway workers and close to 50 other such schemes in operation in the country. He advocated an inclusive cover.

“It makes more sense to have a wider population base, which will ensure low premiums and more financial viability. It will also offset the risk of disease the population poses, making insurance an effective tool to provide for healthcare costs. I don’t think exclusive insurance cover for the HIV + or for any other population group will help. Today, treatment for diabetes is as costly as that of HIV. We need to cover all costs and keep equity and non-discrimination issues in mind,” Shiv Kumar, member of the high-level group on health and member, National Advisory Council (NAC) today told The Tribune. He said the working group had evidence of the RSBY failing financially in some states.

The NACO also admitted that ways needed to be worked out to look at which model, inclusive or exclusive, would help the HIV/AIDS affected. The working group will look at these issues.

The insurance sector, for its part, argued for service tax exemption on insurance premiums. “Since healthcare is a sensitive subject, service tax exemptions could attract insurance companies to spread their net,” KK Srinivasan, Advisor, IRDA said. Though the other experts disagreed on grounds that the tax concerned a small fraction of the Indian population. The government said it had commissioned studies on mortality and morbidity, as sought by the insurance companies, which need the population characteristics of the HIV infected population and data on the incidence of various opportunistic infections and other diseases the infected people contract.

Attari, February 4
The Indian authorities released seven Pakistani prisoners, who had been languishing in various jails after the completion of their jail terms, through the Attari-Wagah checkpost today.

They had been held guilty of crossing the border illegally.

Five of those released had earlier been lodged in the Amritsar Central jail, the Bal Sudhar Ghar (juvenile home) in Faridkot, the Agra jail and the Tihar jail. Two of them were from Sewa Sadan Lama, Delhi.

Before crossing over to their country, they claimed that most of the Pakistani prisoners lodged in the Amritsar jail were mentally ill and could not tell much about their antecedents. They demanded that the Indian Government should get in touch with the Pakistan Government to help the prisoners find their familes back home.

Amritsar, February 4
Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary will not be celebrated in 2012. Reason: as per the amended Nanakshahi Calendar, the gurpurb will be celebrated for the second time this year on December 31 and hence no birth anniversary next year.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar confirmed that they would celebrate the event for the second time this year on December 31. “We will follow the amended Nanakshahi Calendar which has been accepted by the Sikh Sangat,” he said. Earlier, the birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru used to be celebrated on January 5 every year as per the original Nanakshahi Calendar.

Ironically, the state government, which, like the SGPC, has the SAD at the helm of affairs, has not declared a gazetted holiday on December 31. As per the official diary of the Punjab Government for 2011, the last holiday in the year will be of Christmas on December 25.

Speaking on the issue, DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna said, “The Sikh community will never forgive the SGPC for amending the Nanakshahi Calendar which was a symbol of a separate Sikh identity.” He said even former Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh were in the favour of the original calendar. He said they would continue to celebrate the event on January 5 as per the original calendar till the issue was resolved in a "proper manner" in consultations with all panthic organisations.

Former Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti, in whose tenure the original calendar came into inception, said the gurpurb always fell on January 5 in the original calendar. According to him, those who were complaining about clash of dates in the original calendar should now explain as to why the confusion prevails even after making the amendments. “If we will bring about changes in the calendar time and again, it will show us in a bad light. Moreover, if the Akal Takht has to appeal to the Sikh Sangat often to celebrate an event on a particular day and if a section of the people doesn’t obey the same, it will challenge the sovereignty of the Takht.” He opined that the matter should be resolved in consultation with the 11-member committee formed at the time of making the calendar, adding that more experts could be roped into the panel.

Hyderabad, February 4
India’s richest MP and Telugu Desam Party leader Nama Nageswara Rao today found himself in the dock following extensive raids by Income Tax authorities on his offices and houses across the country.

With assets crossing Rs 173 crore, Rao, who represents Khammam LS constituency in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, is ranked first among the super rich Parliament members, as per the affidavit submitted before the 2009 elections. Rao, is a chairman of Madhucon Group, which has interests in infrastructure and irrigation sectors. He also owns granite units near Bellary in Karnataka and sugar factories in his native Khammam district. The IT sleuths conducted searches in the offices of Madhucon Group of companies and residences in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Khammam.

BRIEFLY

Rouvanjit case
KOLKATA: A city court on Friday extended the bail of the Principal and three teachers of La Martiniere School in connection with the death of 13-year-old Rouvanjit Rawla. — PTI

Manmohan greets Nepal PM
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Jhala Nath Khanal on his election as the Prime Minister of Nepal on Friday. In a letter to Khanal, Singh said he was looking forward to working with the new leader of Nepal to carry the bilateral partnership forward. The Prime Minister also called up Khanal to congratulate him. — TNS