Lucknow, July 12
A judicial probe into the mysterious death of Deputy Chief Medical Officer Y S Sachan in jail here has found it to be prima facie a case of murder, in a rebuff to the Uttar Pradesh government which had claimed it to be a suicide.

The report by Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajesh Upadhyaya was opened in the court today during the hearing on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the case by Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court.

The Bench comprising justices Pradeep Kant and Ritu Raj Awasthi reserved its order for July 14, court sources said.

Arrested on charges of financial irregularities, Sachan, 52, was found dead inside the toilet of Lucknow district jail hospital on the night of June 22. He was also named as the key conspirator in the murder case of CMO B P Singh in April following the arrest of three shooters hired to kill him.

After Sachan's death, the government and police had initially claimed that he committed suicide. The post mortem, however, revealed nine injury marks on the body, including the neck, elbows, wrists and thigh.

While Sachan's family cried foul and demanded a CBI inquiry, the state government ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

The CJM submitted the report with the acting district judge, district magistrate Lucknow and prison officials yesterday.

Meanwhile, former Chief Medical Officer of Lucknow A K Shukla, who along with Sachan was named in connection with the financial irregularities in the state health department, was today arrested from a hospital here.

"Doctor Shukla was arrested from the trauma centre of Chattrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar Medical University this morning," said Deputy Inspector General of Police Lucknow D K Thakur.

He said Shukla was arrested in connection with financial irregularities in National Rural Health Mission.

CMO Shukla got admitted to the trauma centre last night complaining health complications including diabetes, sources said.

He was later produced in the court of Special Additional CJM Inthikab Alam, who remanded him to judicial custody till July 24.

Citing health complications Shukla sought permission for treatment outside the jail, but the court said that facilities would be provided by the jailor as per the jail manual. An FIR was registered against CMO Shukla, a clerk and some contractors on charges of misappropriation of funds by Joint Director (Administration) Rajendra Singh at Wazirganj police station on April 7, 2011.

In the FIR, Singh alleged that the CMO misused his powers and helped his associates in withdrawing government funds by producing fake bills. The financial irregularities were detected during the investigations into the murder of CMO B P Singh, who was shot dead in Gomti Nagar area on April 2.

Sachan, administration officer C S Yadav and senior clerk PC Verma had been arrested immediately after the allegations surfaced. Two state ministers Babu Singh Khushwaha and Anant Kumar Mishra had resigned on moral grounds due to the ongoing controversy. — PTI

Guwahati, July 12
Taking a step forward towards facilitating political negotiation with the Centre soon, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), pro-talks faction, led by its “chairman” Arabinda Rajkhowa today formally announced ceasefire.

Though the top leaders of the faction had met the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister in March this year after its “general council” decided to hold political negotiation with the Government of India, the formal process of dialogue with the government is yet to begin.

As per the laid down norms, any militant group willing to hold talks with the Government has to declare cessation hostilities. Rajkhowa today made the declaration of “ceasefire” with the government forces in a signed statement issued to the media here.

In the statement, he said: “In accordance with the resolution adopted in the fifth general council on February 22, 2011, the ULFA, with a view to exploring a lasting peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict, resolves to cease all forms of armed campaign for an indefinite period. All members of the organisation are commanded hereby to scrupulously implement the decision in letter and spirit and any infringement thereof will be considered as an anti-organisational act and shall be dealt with accordingly.”

The peace initiative took root in the wake of the arrest of the key ULFA leaders, including Rajkhowa, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika and foreign secretary Sasadhar Choudhury in Bangladesh, and their subsequent hand over to the Indian security forces in December 2009.

The “general council” of the outfit had decided to initiate political negotiation with the Government of India respecting the “desire” of vast majority of people of Assam for a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict.

The ULFA faction is hopeful to finalise its charter of demands soon to submit before the Centre by the end of this month. The charter will form the basis of political negotiation with the outfit.

Kanpur, July 12
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who today met those injured in the Kalka Mail accident at a hospital here, pulled up railway officials after the victims complained that they had not got the promised compensation.

During his nearly 40-minute visit to Hallett hospital, Rahul, who was accompanied by Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and senior rail and other officials, inquired about the condition of those undergoing treatment in burns, emergency and ICU wards from their families and doctors, officials said here.

Rahul promised the victims and their families all possible help.

A few victims told Rahul that they haven't received the promised compensation from the Rail Ministry yet. A visibly agitated Rahul expressed his unhappiness over the complaints and directed the rail officials to take steps to hand over the compensation to the victims as soon as possible, they said.

The railway officials said they were facing some problems but Rahul dismissed them. "I don't know all this. You will have to immediately settle this," the Congress general secretary was quoted as saying by an official accompanying him.

As many as 56 of those injured in the train tragedy have been admitted to the hospital here while others are undergoing treatment in Allahabad and Fatehpur.

Gandhi was originally scheduled to reach here at 8 am but due to a last-minute change in plans, he reached Hallett hospital at 10:55 am from Chakeri airport.

Rahul first met victims in the burns ward of the hospital. After spending around 25 minutes there, he went to the emergency room where he spoke to patients and their relatives.

"Rahul enquired about my health and asked if I was satisfied with the medical attention," said Irfan, who was travelling in the S4 coach of the train on Sunday, when the accident caused grievous injuries to his head and legs.

Another injured Iqbal from Fatehpur said, "Rahul saw my wounds and asked me if I was facing any difficulty in the hospital. He also directed Shriprakash Jaiswal to ensure that none of the victims faced any problems during medical treatment".

Jaiswal is the local MP.

Rahul also spoke to Dr Aanad Swarup, principal of the medical college, and enquired about the condition of the injured. He asked if free medicines and medical treatment were being provided to the patients, to which Swarup replied in the affirmative. — PTI

New Delhi, July 12
Sidelining of some aspirants in the latest Cabinet reshuffle began taking its toll before the swearing-in today with veteran Mumbai strongman outgoing Minister of State for Home Gurudas Kamat resigning for being “overlooked” for cabinet promotion, while the other MoS Srikanta Jena could barely hide his sulk.

Kamat, who was given independent charge today as MoS Drinking Water and Sanitation seems to have taken this as a kind of demotion and felt slighted.

He has behind him a four-decade history of parliamentary battles having defeated at one time or the other Subramaniam Swamy, Pramod Mahajan and Jaywantiben Mehta. He was so upset that he decided to skip the swearing-in ceremony and left for Mumbai.

Sources said he had been warned that this act may not be taken kindly by the party. Therefore, before leaving he sent his resignation letter to both Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister.

However, in his official statement released simultaneously Kamat said, "There is no question of any disappointment over the portfolio, which is an important one, with concerns related to requirements of a large sections of the people of the country. The reasons are totally personal and not any defiance of the party leadership as is being made out in certain sections of the media."

One-time Parliamentary Affairs Minister Srikanta Jena and four-time MP, who weathered the BJD storm to get elected from Odisha, faced a similar situation. He was promised elevation soon after he was sworn in a minister after the 2009 elections when he was made an MoS in the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry.

Jena is facing an even more peculiar situation. Under the latest dispensation while he will continue to be MoS in Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry under M.K. Azhagiri, he has also been given independent charge as MoS of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Naturally, Jena was very unhappy.

Sources said he was asked to retain his old ministry simultaneously because with Azhgiri facing language problem and remaining away in Chennai most of the time, Jena is needed to run that crucial ministry. But to appease him he was given additional independent charge of another ministry.

While Jena refused to say a word, sources close to him wondered whether this decision was a reward? He came rushing almost towards the end of the swearing-in ceremony.

Mumbai, July 12
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has decided that candidates who opt for an Indian language medium other than Hindi for the written Civil Services Examination can now give the interview in the same Indian language, English or Hindi.

As per the recommendations of an expert committee, even those candidates who give the main exam in English can now choose for the interview English, Hindi or any other Indian language, opted by them for the compulsory Indian language paper in the written part of the test, the UPSC said in an affidavit submitted in the Bombay High Court.

The affidavit was submitted in response to a PIL filed by IAS aspirant Chittaranjan Kumar, challenging the existing rule that requires a candidate to give the interview in English if he had appeared for the main examination in that language.

Kumar, who appeared for the written part of the 2008 civil services examination in English, wanted to give the interview in Hindi.

The affidavit said these were the recommendations submitted by an expert committee formed specially to look into the issue.

The recommendations had been accepted by the UPSC and forwarded to the government with a request to send comments or observations. After hearing from the government, the UPSC would incorporate the necessary changes and implement them, the court was told.

As per the present policy, the candidates who are exempted from the compulsory Indian language paper have to appear for the interview in English or Hindi only. Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice G S Godbole disposed off the petition.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had approved the committee of experts appointed by the UPSC to review the impugned rule and file a report by June 23.

The PIL argued that if the existing rule is changed, the candidates appearing for Civil Services Examination shall get an opportunity to speak in their own language in which they feel comfortable at the time of interview and thus score more marks in the oral test.

This way, students from the grassroot level will grab more seats by securing higher rank and break the tradition of elites getting into the civil service, the PIL argued.

The PIL contended that the impugned rule was pro-rich and anti-poor. It said the interviewers should judge a candidate on the basis of his or her personality and not on the basis of whether he or she can speak English.

The existing rule violates fundamental rights under the Constitution and is also against public policy of the nation, the PIL argued. — PTI

Chandigarh, July 12
After initial delay, the IAF expects to commence its programme to upgrade the MiG-29 frontline fighter aircraft in India next month. The aircraft will be upgraded at 11 Base Repair Depot near Nasik and the project to upgrade the entire MiG-29 fleet is scheduled to take five years.

“There have been some delays. The project should have started last year but will now commence within the next month or two,” Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, Air Marshal P.V. Athawale said.

Under the project, six MiG-29s were to be upgraded by the aircraft’s Russian manufacturer, RAC-MiG Corporation at its plant in Zhukovsky, with the remaining aircraft being upgraded by the IAF locally.

“The Russian part of the project is now complete. The upgradation involves modifications of the engines, several structural changes to the airframe as well as incorporating advanced avionics and integrating newer weapon systems and electronic warfare suites to gives the aircraft more range and combat capability,” Air Marshal Athawale said. “The aircraft’s lifespan is also being increased from the present 25 years to 40 years,” he added.

The IAF operates about 70 MiG-29s, equipping three squadrons-No. 28, 47 and 223. These twin-engined aircraft were inducted in the mid-1980s. A deal was signed with Russia to upgrade these aircraft in 2008 and the first of the six upgraded aircraft was flight-tested early this year. The entire project was initially envisioned to be complete by 2013.

Primarily intended for intercepting aerial targets and ensuring air superiority, the upgraded aircraft will have the ability to strike ground (sea-surface) mobile and stationary targets with high-precision weapons under all-weather conditions. Complete updating of the on board data and sighting systems will include fitment of state-of-the-art multi-functional Zhuk-ME radar, an advanced on board computing complex, a new weapon control system, an optronic station based on space technologies and coloured multi-functional displays in the cockpit.

Some features and sub-systems of the IAF’s upgraded MiG-29 would be common with the MiG-29K, the carrier-borne variant being produced for the Indian Navy. Air Marshal Athawale, however, ruled out that the recent crash of the MiG-29K in Russia and the subsequent grounding of the fleet would have any impact of the IAF project.

He was, however, silent on the proposed Mirage 2000 upgrade programme, saying that some planning in this regard was underway at the top level. The IAF is considering a deal with France to modernise its 59-odd Mirage 2000 fighters to meet future operational requirements.

On the ongoing AN-32 modernisation programme, he said that the IAF has started upgrading then at 1 BRD at Kanpur after initial aircraft were modified in Ukraine. This year, three aircraft would be upgraded in India and the number would be increased from next year onwards.

Chandigarh, July 12
The composition of the benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal, comprising a retired high court judge as the judicial member and a senior armed forces officer as the administrative member, has come under judicial scrutiny.

A petition challenging an order passed by the AFT’s Chandigarh Bench dismissing an Army NCO’s appeal against his conviction by a summary court martial has contended that administrative members are not legally qualified to exercise judicial review over criminal matters.

Taking up the petition, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comprising Justice MM Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh has issued notices to the Union of India and the Armed Forces Tribunal.

The order dismissing the NCO’s appeal was dictated by the bench’s administrative member who does not possess any legal qualification and is hence not competent and suitable for performing duties as a member of an appellate tribunal exercising powers under section 15 of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, the petitioner contended. Powers under this section gives the tribunal the trapping of a criminal court as these are similar to that of an appellate court under provisions of the CrPC.

To be eligible for appointment as an administrative member, the person should have held the rank of Major-General or equivalent for at least three years. Claiming that sections of the Act dealing with the appointment of administrative members are “defective, violative of criminal jurisprudence, basic constitutional scheme of independence of judiciary and principles of the rule of law”, the petitioner added that the qualifications are insufficient and unsuitable for exercising purely judicial functions because the tribunal is required to review, re-appreciate and reconsider the evidence of court martial proceedings under the Evidence Act and other pertinent Acts.

Further claiming that the prescribed qualifications for administrative members are not proximate to judicial members of the mainstream judiciary, the petitioner has contended that the power to review decisions of quasi-judicial bodies like court martial by an executive member is contrary to the principles of judicial review.

Kolkata, July 12
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced development schemes worth Rs 2,000 crore for the three Maoist-hit districts - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.

On her first visit to the Naxal-affected Jangalmahal belt after becoming the Chief Minister, Mamata assured jobs to over 10,000 local residents. She was accompanied by several other ministers and senior officials.

Without naming the Maoists, she declared that those who wanted to rejoin the mainstream of society by giving up arms would be given special rehabilitation packages.

”The government has prepared many Jangalmahal-centric projects. The area because of violence has not seen development. But things are to change now,” said Mamata while addressing a rally in West Midnapore district.

She, however, did not utter a word on the demand for withdrawal of the joint action force from Lalgarh-Jangalmahal areas.

Reiterating the government’s decision to restore normalcy in these areas at all cost, the Chief Minister asked the locals to help the district administration in maintaining peace. Unless peace and normalcy prevails in these areas, development works would be meaningless, she asserted.

Mamata also handed over land and pension papers to poor farmers and the elderly. She also promised bicycles within three months for all school-going children (between Class VIII and Class X) in the area.

She also announced supply of rice at Rs 2 kg to all families in the backward tribal areas, setting up three degree colleges at Nayagram, Gopiballavpur and Jhargram, upgrading all junior schools to the higher secondary level, immediate recruitment of 1,400 teachers for teaching Santhali language in the schools, setting up several drinking water supply projects and healthcare facilities.

Guwahati, July 12
Assam wants the Centre to facilitate a water-sharing treaty with China given that the state’s main channel and lifeline, Brahmaputra river, originates in Tibet.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has informed that his government has been in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Water Resources Ministry over a river water sharing treaty with China, so that the flow of Brahmaputra was not hampered within India, in the wake of China exploiting the river for various purposes.

Out of its total length of 2,880 km, 1,625 km of Brahmaputra lies in Tibet (China), 918 km in India (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) and 337 km in Bangladesh.

Gogoi allayed fear that there would be a catastrophic effect on the Brahmaputra valley in Assam, in view of China’s reported plan to divert the channel in Tibet to its drought affected areas in the Northern parts.

“The Government of India has assured us that China is not diverting the course of the river. Even if it does, I am told by experts that there was no cause of worry, given that the volume of water at the point when the river enters India is 98 billion cubic metres and the figure is 600 billion cubic metres when it converges into the Bay of Bengal.”

Gogoi informed that the Assam Government was chalking out a plan to exploit the Brahmaputra channel firmly, to establish the users’ right on the river. He said a water mission would be set up in the state to pave way for tapping the river to expedite the state’s economic growth. This included setting up of small hydro-power projects at various points of the course of Brahmaputra.

Though Brahmaputra is recognised as the National Waterway No. 2, the channel has not been properly developed to promote the water transport to the optimum level.

Gogoi talked about the plan to take the help of World Bank for development of Brahmaputra Water Basin, while the state government remained in touch with national and international experts on water resources management.

Mumbai, July 12
After years of dealing with Gopinath Munde of the BJP, the Shiv Sena leadership in Maharashtra is reaching out to the Nitin Gadkari camp, which was so far seen as hostile to the Thackerays.

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray made his big move earlier this week when he hosted a dinner for senior BJP leadership from the Gadkari camp ostensibly to discuss the strategy for elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation early next year. Among those who attended the dinner were Gadkari’s acolytes like Vinod Tawde, who virtually controls the BJP in Mumbai, and Leader of the Opposition in the state legislature Eknath Khadse.

Munde, who is said to be still sulking from his public spat despite kissing and making up with the BJP leadership subsequently, was not invited for the dinner, according to sources.

The Thackerays, who enjoyed good equations with Munde and his late brother-in-law Pramod Mahajan, are said to be upset with the disgruntled BJP leader’s reported flirtations with the Congress. Last month, when it appeared that Munde may well join the Congress, Thackeray had hit out at him. “His leaving the BJP will not affect relations with the Shiv Sena,” Bal Thackeray had remarked.

In the past, it was Thackeray who mediated between Munde and the BJP leadership when the former had revolted against the party.

Hyderabad, July 12
The prisons in Andhra Pradesh are set to shed the conventional image of being hellholes. A series of jail reform measures is helping them in the image make-over.

Any visitor to Chanchalguda prison for women in Hyderabad is greeted by an appetising smell of freshly baked bread and other bakery products wafting through the air. A group of workers go about their job in the kitchen with a clinical precision.

The trained inmates dish out mouth-watering bakery products like bread, cakes, cookies and puffs. According to the State Director General of Prisons, CN Gopinath Reddy, the bakery products would be sold to the public from a shop, to be set up near the prison.

However, this is not a one-off exercise initiated by the State Prisons Department. With 16,000 prisoners, including undertrials lodged in various prisons across the state, the department has drawn up plans to promote diverse economic activities in the prisons.

Citing the Gujarat experiment as an excellent example of rewarding prisoners, who show good behaviour, Reddy said, “In Gujarat, prisoners are even allowed to go out and market their products. That is the faith being reposed in prisoners, who prove their behaviour. We are also not averse to adopting a similar system here.”

Encouraged by the success of the Chanchalguda experiment, another bakery unit would be started at the Central Prison, Cherlapalli, where the department intends to manufacture glucose biscuits, which would compete with other biscuit brands for market share.

The Prisons Department’s products come under the brand name ‘Sudhar’ and the latest bakery products would also be marketed under the same name, Reddy added.

The women prisoners, who work in the bakery unit would have the advantage of gaining experience in baking and can think of starting their own units once they are free. The DGP pointed out that there were government schemes, which could give financial assistance to prisoners, so that they could be self-employed.

The total earning last year for the Prisons Department through sale of goods manufactured in jails was Rs 2.68 crore. The goods manufactured in prisons included bedsheets, towels, napkins, steel and wooden furniture and carpets. Apart from this, the department also earned nearly Rs 29 lakh by selling agricultural produce, including vegetables, fruits, poultry, dairy products and through sheep rearing. These are sold to the public at the open air jail at Cherlapalli in the city.

Last year, Cherlappali central jail saw the establishment of a Business Process Outsourcing unit, the country’s first such venture inside a prison. The Bangalore-based software company, Radiant Infosystems, which has taken up the initiative in association with the state government, is imparting training to prisoners in data-entry works for back office operations.

New Delhi, July 12
Environmentalists have offered mixed reactions to the appointment of Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan as the Environment Minister, replacing high-profile Jairam Ramesh, who, with some very decisive and controversial decisions during his tenure, managed to bring the previously low-key Green Ministry on front pages of newspapers. Since Tamil Nadu polls are over, Jayanthi’s appointment has raised eyebrows in political circles. Environmentalists feel that the Congress spokesperson, with her consultative way of working, clean image and a good rapport in the inner circles, will handle the ministry well. However, some also feel that since a minister of state does get any representation in the all-powerful Cabinet, her appointment proves that the Prime Minister does not accord the priority that environment issues deserve.

Toxics Watch Alliance activist Gopal Krishna says the fact that Jayanthi has been appointed a junior minister like her predecessor underlines that Prime Minister does not accord the priority the environmental issues deserve. “Once again the minister has been kept structurally weak so that whenever there is conflict between blind economic growth and ecology, the former is given precedence at the cost of the latter. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (from which the Environment Ministry draws its mandate) and the Prime Minister are not yet alive to the collapsing ecosystem,” he says, adding that the “regressive influence of the CCEA will not provide adequate space to act as it did as in the case of Jairam Ramesh”.

Centre for Science Sunita Narain however differs, saying that Jayanthi’s appointment means that the government continues to take environment seriously.

“Jayanti Natrajan has good reputation with high integrity and is an articulate person. We believe that the government continues to take Environment seriously and do not expect any roll-back in the environmental policies. Yes, she has a tough job ahead as Jairam has raised a lot of hopes but we have full faith in her,” she says.

Sunita adds that elevating Jairam to the Cabinet rank with an important portfolio like rural development means that the government recognises good work, saying “MNREGA is the biggest climate adaptation programme and we expect the programme will be brought to complete justice under Ramesh”. Manoj Misra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan considers “any change is for the better”.