New Delhi, May 30
Following sharp differences between the government and Anna Hazare’s Civil Society representatives at the Joint Drafting Committee meeting of the Lokpal Bill today, Anna’s men called their supporters to get ready to take to the streets again describing the government intent suspect.

After the meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan announced, “Please prepare yourself for the next huge movement in the country,” adding though that “we will go to the next few government meetings. We will try our best, till the last moment, to persuade the government to agree to a strong and effective Lokpal Bill.”

They said “today’s meeting was quite disastrous” and added that “broadly, the government disagreed on almost everything,” stating further that the government refused to heed their demand to bring the Prime Minister and the judiciary under the purview of the proposed Bill.

They further said: “We were shocked because in the draft bill prepared by the government in January this year, the PM was covered, though with some exceptions. Today, they wanted the PM to be completely out of Lokpal’s investigations.”

Hazare’s group was also disillusioned with the government refusal to bring the judiciary under the purview of the Lokpal. Recalling the discussion in the meeting, Bhushan said: “We said all that we were asking for was power to a seven-member Lokpal bench to decide whether an FIR should be registered against a judge or not. Today, only the Chief Justice has the power to give that permission. And despite so much evidence against so many judges in public domain, permission had been given only in one case in the past 20 years. In the meeting held on May 7, Bhushan had even told Chidambaram how the latter himself had sought permission to register FIR against Justice Sen Gupta of the Kolkata HC. Permission was sought from the then Chief Justice Venkatachaliah, who is very well known for his integrity. However, even Justice Venkatachaliah did not give permission.”

Bangalore, May 30
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa today said it was his decision, which he took in consultation with the Bharatiya Janata Party's central leaders, to appoint the Reddy brothers as ministers.

“It was my decision, after consultation with our central leaders,” he said at a press meet here to mark the completion of three years in office. Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother and Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy have been accused of large-scale illegal iron ore mining, both in Karnataka and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

The younger G Somashekara is an assembly member from Bellary, the iron ore rich district bordering Andhra Pradesh and their political base. B Sriramulu, a close associate of the brothers, is the health minister.

Yeddyurappa backed senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's stand that she had no hand in making the Reddys ministers in the party's first government in the state. “Sushma Swaraj ji is our all India leader. What she has said is right. As CM, I took the decision in consultation with our party's central leaders,” Yeddyurappa said.

He did not name the central leaders whom he had consulted when he formed the ministry in May 2008. — Agencies

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned to June 2 hearing of the interim application praying for vacating the stay on the criminal proceedings against Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and his family members in a corruption case. — PTI

New Delhi, May 30
The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on the bail plea of jailed DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G Spectrum case with the CBI claiming that the plea that routing of Rs 200 crore bribe to Kalaignar TV was a “valid” loan transaction was nothing but a “smokescreen”.

Bollywood bigwig Karim Morani, an accused in the 2G Spectrum allocation scam, was today sent to Tihar Jail by a Delhi court, which rejected his bail plea and ordered his arrest.

“Bail is dismissed. Take him to custody,” Special CBI Judge OP Saini said while pronouncing the order.

“The orders on the bail applications of applicants (Kanimozhi and Sharad, CEO and MD of Kalaignar TV) are reserved,” Justice Ajit Bharihoke said.

Morani, Director, Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd, now joins the long list of multi-crore 2G scam accused who have been sent to Tihar jail.

The court said Morani, who is accused of facilitating the transaction of Rs 200 crore from DB Realty to DMK-run Kalaignar TV has “failed to make out a case for bail.” — PTI

Allahabad, May 30
In yet another setback to the Mayawati Government in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court today quashed acquisition of 170 hectares at Gulistan village in Greater Noida for industrial development.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justices Sunil Ambawani and Kashi Nath Pandey on a petition filed by landowners and farmers challenging the government notification for land acquisition issued on September 5, 2007 under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, depriving the aggrieved persons of filing their objections on the ground that the matter was urgent.

The declaration of the acquisition was made on February 27, 2008.

The court rejected the contention that there was any urgency and said the landowners have to be given an opportunity for hearing by filing their objections.

This was the third time that the HC has set aside land acquisition in Greater Noida where the farmers are up in arms against the UP Government’s land acquisition, demanding adequate compensation for their land and had clashed with police earlier this month.

On May 12 and May 15, the High Court had quashed acquisition of more than 170 hectares in Gautam Budh Nagar district. — PTI

Lucknow, May 30
Claiming to unearth another scandal in Greater Noida, BJP national secretary Kirit Somaiya here today alleged that around 100 farmhouses in the area were allotted out of the land acquired for industrial purposes and that one-third of such transactions were benami.

Presenting documentary evidence of two such transactions, Somaiya claimed the Mayawati government had acquired the land from farmers under the antiquated Land Acquisition Act 1894, in April 2010 after paying them a compensation at the rate of Rs 80 per sq ft while the market rate of that land is between Rs 1,500 and 2,000 per sq ft.

Somaiya alleged that farmhouses were allotted to “favourites”. He quoted names of two companies (Kunal Infratech Private Limited and Greatvalue Buildwell Private Limited) that were given farmhouses.

Illustrating his point of these companies reportedly being shell companies, Somaiya pointed out that Agra-based Kunal Infratech was incorporated on July 16, 2010, while the date of appointment of both its directors, Pradeep Kumar Agarwal and Deepak Kumar, was November 25, 2010. 

Since politics is all about signals and messages, much is being read into the surprise inclusion of Jaya TV, the AIADMK-run news channel, in the guest list for the dinner hosted at the Prime Minister's residence last week to celebrate the UPA II's second anniversary. A first time invitee to the UPA's birthday bash, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) apparently went out of its way to hunt down the Jaya TV correspondent to hand out the invitation card to him. Even though the Congress realises that the DMK cannot afford to walk out of the UPA at present, the grand old party is clearly keeping its options open for the future. There is no denying that the relationship between the two coalition partners has begun to unravel after the arrest of DMK MP and M.Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the 2G Spectrum scam. Although the equation has turned in favour of the Congress after the DMK's shock defeat in the recent Tamil Nadu assembly elections, there is an overriding perception that Karunanidhi is just biding his time and will hit back at an appropriate time. Well aware that this could well be the beginning of the end, the Congress does not want to be caught off-guard when the DMK finally decides to say good bye.

New Delhi, May 30
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has tied up with Punjabi University, Patiala, to launch an MBA course in financial markets, the first course of its kind in India.

Senior officials from the NSE and Punjabi University, which has 166 affiliated colleges, signed an agreement to start the five-year MBA course in financial markets from the coming July/August session.

Students who complete their schooling with a minimum of 50% marks, will be eligible for this course. They have the option of either doing a three years course and taking a BBA degree in financial markets or studying a five-year course for an MBA degree in financial markets.

It is estimated that 62 lakh professionals will be required by the BFSI sector by 2022, but there is a huge shortfall in this target. These courses will help employers to find youth with the requisite skills.

According to a NSE statement, students who complete a three-year BBA will also have to appear for 8 modules of NSE's NCFM or national certification in financial markets.

The NCFM modules are widely recognised in India as a necessary criterion for employment in the financial and capital markets space.

Students who complete the five-year MBA will also have to pass tests on 20 NCFM modules and will be provided certificates.

The NSE will train the faculty of all affiliated colleges of the university and will depute experts in financial markets to be guest lecturers in these colleges.

Ravi Narain, MD & CEO, NSE said, "Financial education of investors has been a key focus area of NSE for many years. The exchange has conducted hundreds of seminars on financial literacy, to bring more people into the financial mainstream. This is another step in that direction to train the youth and empower them to take sound financial and investing decisions."

Patna, May 30
Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand Raman Singh, Mamata Banerjee and Arjun Munda, respectively, did not turn up for Regional Consultation of five Eastern States to Approach Paper for 12th plan period called by Planning Commission here today.

Chhattisgarh CM Singh boycotted the meet as he was opposed to making civil rights activist Binayak Sen as a steering committee member of the Planning Commission’s committee on health. Official sources said Binayak Sen was not present in the meeting.

Besides Union Minister of state for Planning Ashwani Kumar, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman MS Ahluwalia and 21 other members of Planning Commission and Central Government team were present. — PTI

New Delhi, May 30
Egypt today invoked the ‘legendary bonds’ between Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and Gamal Abdel Nasser, two of the pillars of the Non-Aligned Movement, to reach out to India and seek a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Taking initial steps towards ushering in democracy after the revolution early this year that dislodged the three-decade old Hosni Mubarak regime, Egypt also sought India’s technical assistance for holding parliamentary elections in September, to be followed by presidential polls.

On his first international visit since taking charge, Egyptian forign Minister Nabil Al-Araby was in India to revive Cairo’s ties with New Delhi, which had shown a considerable slide when Mubarak was at the helm of affairs in the Arab nation.

“It is my first bilateral visit at the international level and it is an ndication of the growing importance of India in our foreign policy and a sincere tribute to the increasing role of India at the international political and economic level,” he said.

The minister held talks this evening with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

Guwahati, May 30
Third-time lucky chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi has decided to lean heavily on the shoulders of his trusted ones, while distributing portfolios to his 18 ministers today. Given the pattern of distribution of portfolios, Gogoi has apparently accorded more importance to his trusted and young ministers from the previous government as they have been put in charge of key departments.

While deciding to keep key home, finance and political departments with him, Gogoi allocated other important portfolios like rural development, health, education, industry and commerce, public works to his relatively trusted lieutenants from the previous ministry.

Some of the ministers from the previous government have retained the same portfolios while the old guard from the Congress party has to remain content with lesser important ministries. Gogoi’s deputy Dr Himanta Bishwa Sharma has been given health, education and Assam Accord implementation, while another trusted and young minister Rockybul Hussain has been given charge of panchayats and development, forest and environment. Sharma was the health minister in the previous government, while Hussain was the forest and environment minister.

Another comparatively young legislator, Rajib Lochan Pegu has been given a key portfolio of flood control and water resources.

Two other Gogoi’s favourites Pradyut Bardoloi and Ajanta Neog have retained their departments. Bordoloi has been again made minister of power and industry, while Neog retained the important public works department, in addition to urban planning.

Rest of the portfolios were allocated to senior ministers, including Prithvi Majhi, Tanka Bahadur Rai, Gautom Roy, Dr Ardhendu Dey, Dr Nazrul Islam, Pranati Phukon and Akon Bora. besides the first-time ministers.

Chandan Brahma of Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), which is a Congress ally since 2006, has been allocated transport, tourism and tribes welfare in respect of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council.