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Yeddyurappa challenges Lokayukta report in HC
Balwa: Scuffle, not conspiracy, elbowed Tatas out of 2G race
Mamata launches plan to beautify Ganga banks
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Sino-Pak ties go sour over Xinjiang
I-Day security alert hits train services in N-E
Over 6 lakh trees to be axed for Posco project
Adarsh Housing Scam
Lokpal Bill on LS floor tomorrow
German Bakery likely to reopen on August 15
CBI ready with questionnaire for Ramdev aide
Four ‘exposed’ to radiation in Gujarat N-plant
Mamta Sharma is new NCW chief
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Yeddyurappa challenges Lokayukta report in HC
Bangalore, August 2 In his petition, Yeddyurappa, who resigned following a directive by the party’s central leadership in the wake of the submission of the report, questioned the recommendation of the Lokayukta for his prosecution under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Meanwhile, Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde (retd) last day in the office today was marked by filing of a petition by Yeddyurappa before him seeking reconsideration of his report indicting Yeddyurappa in illegal mining that cost the CM the top post. The petition will be now dealt with by the new Lokayukta Justice Shivraj V Patil, who has been recently appointed by the Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj on Yeddyurappa’s advice. Hegde told Yeddyurappa’s advocate Sandeep Patil that the new Lokayukta would take a decision regarding the outgoing CM’s review petition. Yeddyurappa in his petition pleaded with the Lokayukta to reconsider his recommendation for prosecuting him under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, saying “there were certain errors which have crept into the said report”. “If notice was issued to me the finding would have been otherwise”, Yeddyurappa said and claimed the finding and recommendation made by the Lokayukta in his report went beyond the references made by the state government to the Lokayukta while assigning him the probe. Regarding the findings by the Lokayukta that a company by the name of South West Mining Company affiliated to the Jindal Group had carried out illicit transactions with Yeddyurappa’s kin, Yeddyurappa argued that neither the Jindal Group nor the South West Mining was having any mining licence. On the charge that his son and son-in-law had sold a piece of land near the new Bangalore Airport to the South West Mining at a price which is hugely in excess of the market price, Yeddyurappa could only say that the issue was pending before the court and also before an inquiry commission set up by the state government under a retired HC judge. “In these circumstances, it was appropriate that no finding be recorded on the said transaction. This precisely what Section 8 of the Lokayukta Act contemplates,” Yeddyurappa said in his petition. On the Rs 10 crore donation paid to the Prerana Trust by the South West Mining Company, Yeddyurappa said he was not a part of the trust. He added that the trust (run by his family members) was doing yeomen service to the poor and the downtrodden. “Merely because the company has donated some money to the trust, an interference of present nature (that the donation was in reality a bribe) could not have been drawn,” he argued. Yeddyurappa also pointed out that during his tenure as the Chief Minister, he never passed any order in favour of the Jindal Group. He added that in the Lokayukta’s report itself, it was recorded that “no orders have been passed”. “In these circumstances, the question of future favourable orders cannot be the basis for launching a prosecution,” Yeddyurappa said.
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Balwa: Scuffle, not conspiracy, elbowed Tatas out of 2G race
New Delhi, August 2 Balwa, who also argued the case before Special CBI Judge OP Saini, said the Datacom executives had a scuffle with representatives of Tatas at Sanchar Bhawan here right in the presence of Rajkumar Dhoot, a Rajya Sabha MP and brother of Videocon owner Venugopal Dhoot. However, some of the prosecution witnesses said it was Venugopal Dhoot, who remained present at the Sanchar Bhawan on that day by allegedly using his brother’s ID card of an MP and ensured that Datacom was ahead of Tatas and others in the queue for getting the licences, Balwa said. “How can three persons (CBI’s witnesses) do the same mistake by saying it was Venugopal Dhoot who was present there? Venugopal was not an MP ...it is a case of fraud as Rajkumar Dhoot was the MP. This is something which needs to be probed,” Majeed Memon, Balwa’s counsel, said. “It also establishes the pick-and-choose policy of the CBI,” he said. The CBI had, in its chargesheet, accused Balwa of conspiring with former Telecom Minister A Raja and other Department of Telecom (DoT) officials in driving Tatas out of the race to get the letter of intent (LoI) for lucrative Delhi circle. Balwa said out of all the accused, he was the only person present at the Sanchar Bhawan during the distribution of LoIs when he saw Datacom executives trying to hinder the process and pushing Tatas officials back, leading to a scuffle.
— PTI CBI may quiz Maran soon
As the agency winds up its probe in the allocation of 2G Spectrum between 2008-09, CBI sources said Maran, who resigned as the Textile Minister last month, would be asked to answer on the allegations levelled by Sivasankaran and Spectrum policy changes made during his tenure during UPA-I.
— PTI
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Mamata launches plan to beautify Ganga banks
Kolkata, August 2 Mamata also said she would fulfil her commitment of rebuilding Kolkata and North Bengal alike London and Switzerland, respectively. The CM invited the private sector to come forward and participate in the Kolkata re-building programme. The embankment beautification plan includes construction of sub-ways, parks, gardens and floating jetties on both sides of the river. Mamata said the state government would renovate and beautify the embankments at Dhakineshwar, Belur Math, Gandhi Ghat and several other places along the Ganga for facilitating the visits of the devotes and the tourists to these sacred places. The government had already taken up the programme of developing the Sunderbans as a main tourist attraction.
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Sino-Pak ties go sour over Xinjiang
New Delhi, August 2 However, the Chinese reaction has certainly given further credence to New Delhi’s contention that Pakistan continues to provide shelter to terrorists groups. “We have been saying for years that Pakistan has become a safe haven for terrorist groups of all hues and colours…even China is realising it now,” official sources said. The sources, however, believed that Beijing’s pressure on Pakistan to deal with terrorists groups creating trouble in China could increase in the days to come. Lest the development affects the relationship with Beijing, Pakistan promptly promised to extend its full cooperation to the Chinese government in tackling terrorism. “Pakistan is fully confident that the patriotic people of Xinjiang autonomous region of China and, in particular, Kashgar, as well as the Chinese Government, will succeed in frustrating evil designs of the terrorists, extremists and separatists, who constitute an evil force,” Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an obvious attempt to placate Beijing. With its relationship with Washington having taken a nosedive following the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad, Pakistan can ill-afford to annoy China. News reports from Islamabad have already suggested that ISI chief Shuja Pasha has left for Beijing on a secret mission. Xinjiang has been witnessing ethnic unrest involving native Muslim-Turkish speaking Uyghurs and the increasing influx of majority Han Chinese. In 2009, ethnic riots in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi involving Uyghur and Han Chinese killed about 200 people. China had launched a major crackdown then against Uyghur militants. Tensions have been rising in the region since then. But the month of July had been particularly violent for Kashgar with the last week of the month witnessing incidents almost on an unprecedented scale. Chinese official have been quoted as saying that terrorist ringleaders had received training in making firearms and explosives in Pakistan. “We will harshly attack any atrocities that threaten people’s lives, defile the dignity of the law, and threaten supreme national interests,” according to Nur Bekri, Governor of Xinjiang. The region’s rich oil and gas deposits are vital to China’s booming economy and the government is hoping to develop Kashgar as a manufacturing centre. China vows to crush Pak-trained terrorists
Beijing: China on Tuesday vowed to crush the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) militants trained in Pakistan even as the state media highlighted their role in fomenting militancy in the strategic Xinjiang province. A day after attacks by ETIM terrorists claimed 22 lives in the province, Chairman of the Xinjiang regional government Nur Bekri said that the authorities would go all out to counter the violence and terrorist suspects would be given severe punishments. For the first time, China has blamed Uyghur “militants” trained in Pakistan for the deadly violence. — PTI
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I-Day security alert hits train services in N-E
Guwahati, August 2 A large number of passengers bound for various destinations, both within and outside the state, have been stranded at various railway stations because of the eleventh hour change in train timings or cancellations. NFR chief spokesman SS Hajong said trains had been cancelled, rescheduled or short-terminated due to security reasons. The derailment of a goods train on the main broad-gauge line connecting the region to the rest of the country between Fakiragram and Kokrajhar railway stations yesterday was also partly responsible for the inconvenience, he added. Seven bogies of a goods train derailed near Sesapani in lower Assam’s Kokrajhar district yesterday after miscreants removed a portion of the track between Kokrajhar and Fakiragram stations. Meanwhile, vigil has been beefed up along the railway tracks and around railway properties apprehending that certain insurgent groups like anti-talks faction of the ULFA led by Paresh Barua, anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the Adivasi People’s Army, the Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT) etc may try to target these. Though most of the trains bound for New Delhi, barring the Avodh-Assam Express, remained unaffected by the NFR’s unusual exercise, trains connecting the nearest metropolitan city of Kolkata to the North-East as well as passenger train services within the region have been severely affected.
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Over 6 lakh trees to be axed for Posco project
Bhubaneswar, August 2 Local people have voiced strong opposition against the move to clear the trees, arguing that they will be exposed to cyclone, tsunami and other natural calamities. While a large number of women are guarding the forest area, male members of the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, the organisation opposing the project, have posted themselves at Gobindpur village to prevent entry of security personnel and government officials to enter the plant area. “We will discuss the matter with the local people to ensure smooth progress of work in the proposed plant site villages,” Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena said. Jena, however, assured that an afforestation exercise would be taken up to replace the trees. Also the South Korean steel giant would create enough greenery on its proposed plant premises and adjoining areas. “The trees mostly belong to the casuarina variety, a fuel wood. In any case the trees, planted by the Forest Department after the super cyclone in 1999, need to be cut at regular intervals," Orissa's Forest and Environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra said. Saying that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had already approved cutting of trees in the proposed plant site, the minister claimed that the state government had been following guidelines laid down for the purpose. “'There is no old tree or forest variety trees in the area,” the minister said, adding that a Supreme Court committee had also studied the issue. The minister also claimed that compensatory forest cover would be created as part of the measures to make up for the loss of greenery. “So far we have chopped trees worth Rs 10 lakh. Now we are enumerating blocks of fruit-bearing trees. Those will be removed and their owners will be compensated as per the government rates,” additional district magistrate of Jagatsinghpur S K Choudhury said. Trees belonging to horticulture varieties such as coconut, mango, jackfruit and cashew were now being cut, Choudhury said. “In monetary terms, we have estimated the total worth of the fruit-bearing trees which need to be cut at Rs 4.71 crore,” an officer said.
— PTI Govt Explanation
Loss and Compensation
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Adarsh Housing Scam
Judges Ranjana Desai and R V More, who are hearing the matter, today asked the CBI to respond tomorrow. "There should not be any soft handling. We are not happy with the speed of the investigation and
the CBI's conduct," the judges said. The court's remarks came after Y P Singh, counsel for petitioner Simpreet Singh, pointed out that the four persons, who were arrested by the CBI after files regarding the Adarsh society went missing, were granted bail. The court was told that the CBI had failed to file its charge sheet within the stipulated 60-day period because of which the four were released on bail. The judges demanded that the officers in charge of the case be named."We will take appropriate action against them.... Why could you not file a charge sheet in time?," the court asked. Lambasting the agency further, the court asked it to probe the role of higher officials in the scam. "The petitioners are right in saying that they have no faith in you. We want to ensure that the faith placed on the CBI by the court is not misplaced," the court said. The agency was also asked to treat everyone equally after the counsel for the petitioner submitted that union ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Vilasrao Deshmukh were given preferential treatment by the CBI.
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Lokpal Bill on LS floor tomorrow New Delhi, August 2 While Team Anna suggested to the Delhi Police four alternative locations for the agitation, in his open letter to the MPs Hazare said many critical issues affecting the poor had been left out in the draft Bill prepared by the government, leaving no room for debate on these issues. “Introduction of such a defectively structured bill is an affront to the parliamentarians, who do not have the option of debating some of the critical issues that we had raised for a strong anti-corruption Act,” he said. The much talked about Bill is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with the government writing to the Speaker to waive off the two-day period required before introducing a Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy had given a notice to Speaker Meira Kumar to waive the two-day period so that the Bill could be introduced on August 4. The Lokpal Bill seeks to keep the office of the Prime Minister outside the purview of the ombudsman during his term in office and also excludes higher judiciary and conduct of MPs inside Parliament, a move which is what the social activists are vehemently opposing. The government hopes that if the Standing Committee comes out with its recommendations on the Bill by August-end, it can go ahead with its passage. Congress sources also maintain that the government was not overtly worried about the Anna’s proposed fast on August 16 with a senior leader claiming that Anna’s support base was limited only to urban areas. Meanwhile, with the Delhi Police striking down Anna’s request for Jantar Mantar, social activists have sent another letter to the Commissioner of Delhi Police, giving other options for the venue of the protest fast which include reconsidering Jantar Mantar Road or choosing Boat Club, Rajghat, Ramlila Maidan and Shaheed Park. They also said if any of these places were not suitable then the police could any suggest any other alternative location within the 3 km radius of Jantar
Mantar. Incidentally, replying to the intimation letter sent by Team Anna on the venue of the proposed fast, the police refused to allow Hazare to protest at Jantar Mantar on the grounds that duration of the protest at the site was not mentioned. Arvind Kejriwal, however, maintained that India Against Corruption had clearly mentioned a month’s time. Another reason the police cited for refusing to allow the protest was that the location was inadequate for a gathering of a large number of people as expected during the protest. Meanwhile, Team Anna has constituted a 22-member core committee for the Lokpal movement, which it plans to restart from August
16.
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MiG-21 crashes in Bikaner, pilot dies
Bikaner, August 2 The MiG-21 “Type-96” aircraft was on a routine sortie and crashed near the airfield, about 15 km from Bikaner city, he said. This is the second crash of a MiG series fighter aircraft this year. On February 4, an IAF MiG-21
“Bison” fighter plane had crashed apparently due to an engine problem while on a routine sortie in
Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, but the pilot had ejected safely. In 2010, 10 IAF aircraft crashes took place. These involved four MiG-27 and two MiG-21 planes.
— PTI
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German Bakery likely to reopen on August 15
Mumbai, August 2 "We are trying to reopen the German Bakery on August 15," Shewale told The Tribune over the phone. Vijay is the brother of senior NCP leader and former Pune mayor Suresh
Shewale. The two who run several hotels in the area have invested a few crore rupees to do up the place after it was damaged in the bomb blast. Work on the premises is continuing and part of it will be ready for opening by the inauguration date, according to
Shewale. Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is slated to be the Chief Guest at the inauguration.
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CBI ready with questionnaire for Ramdev aide
The Nainital High Court had recently prohibited Balkrishna’s possible arrest by the CBI till August 29 and asked Balkrishna to appear before the agency on August 3 and cooperate with the officials there. The CBI that had asked Balkrishna to appear before it by August 4 had also served him a fresh notice for August 3 following the court’s order. Balkrishna has been evading the CBI summons fearing arrest. He went missing from his Haridwar-based residence on July 25, the day after the CBI registered a case against him in Dehradun. It was only after the high court gave him relief by prohibiting his arrest by the agency till August 29 that he appeared taking part in a havan in Haridwar the same day. CBI sources said they were sure that Balkrishna would make an appearance tomorrow. However, some feel, the Ramdev aide might appear before the agency on August 4.
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Four ‘exposed’ to radiation in Gujarat N-plant
Ahmedabad, August 2 “Our medical staff had checked them and there was no problem with them as such. We had instructed our hospital that if they wanted to undergo any investigation, it had to be done but none of them turned up,” KAPS Additional General Manager HR Sujaya Kajur said. The KAPS nuclear power station has two 220 MW pressurised heavy water reactors. “The incident was brought to the notice of regulator AERB and the international agency concerned. Whatever corrective steps that were to be taken so that such an incident doesn't get repeated in future have also been taken," he said.
— PTI
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Bangalore, August 2
Anna writes open letter to MPs, seeks stalling of Bill
NEW DELHI: Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran may be “examined” soon by the CBI in connection with his alleged role in coercing former Aircel chief C Sivasankaran to sell his stake to a Malaysia-based group.
Mumbai, August 2
Dehradun, August 2