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Ban on onion export goes
Koodankulam
N-PLANT ROW Fast till Cabinet passes resolution, says Patkar
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PM may meet Iran Prez in US
Jnanpith for Srilal Shukla, Amar Kant
BJP minority cell chief for judicial probe into Batla House encounter
Raids on Yeddyurappa kin’s house, office
Bird flu in West Bengal; govt orders culling
Four die in gas leak at Thane plant
Rivalry between Munde, Pawar family flares up again
Maya wants Jats in OBC list
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Ban on onion export goes
THE ROLLBACK
New Delhi, September 20 The decision to permit onions exports was taken by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Food headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Emerging from the crucial meeting, Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, a prominent leader from Maharashtra which saw a maximum number of protests by farmers, said: “Ban on onion exports has been lifted”. Others who attended the meeting were Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who had been canvassing in favour of farmers, and Food and Consumer Affairs Minister KV Thomas. However, the situation will be reviewed after a fortnight to ensure that hoarders and blackmarketeers don’t take consumers for a ride as it had happened last year when the onion sold at Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kg. The government had imposed a ban on onion exports on September 9
to check its spiralling prices which touched Rs 25 a kg in retail. While the ban on exports had an instant impact in bringing down the wholesale prices of the vegetable by Rs 2-5 per kg in Delhi, the decision triggered protests from farmers in the key producing regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Farmers in Nashik district and Bangalore had refused to bring their produce
to markets, protesting the drop in their profit level due to the ban.
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Koodankulam N-PLANT ROW
Koodankulam (TN), Sept 20 Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy rushed here by PM Manmohan Singh to allay the fears of the local population, up in arms against the project over safety concerns, visited the protest site and made efforts to hold discussions with the leaders but in vain. "The people's sentiments are very strong. I will convey this to the Prime Minister before he goes abroad (tomorrow)," he told reporters at nearby Idinthakarai, the epicentre of the protests where 100-odd people are on indefinite fast. High drama preceded his visit to the protest venue as the core group of agitators declined to meet him in Radhapuram area here, saying the invitation came at the eleventh hour and was conveyed through a junior village official. "It was an insult to our sentiments. We were not respected. Hence, we decided not to meet the Minister at Radhapuram," S V Udhayakumar, convener of the People's Movement against Atomic Power, said in the presence of Narayanasamy. — PTI
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Fast till Cabinet passes resolution, says Patkar
Chennai, September 20 “The villagers (living in and around the project site) demand that the state cabinet pass a resolution for stopping the ongoing work and ensure the safety of the people and the natural resources. We completely support them,” she told a press conference here. Patkar, speaking on her return from a visit to the protest venue near Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district, said the Centre should show the same urgency on the Koodankulam issue as it attached to the Jan Lokpal Bill. “When West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could stop Haripur nuclear power plant, why not the Koodankulam plant (be halted)? The Tamil Nadu government should also follow a similar approach”, she said. Hitting out at Jayalalithaa for sending two AIADMK leaders to express solidarity with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during his three-day fast, Patkar said she had not bothered to depute even a single emissary to talk to the protesters.
— PTI
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PM may meet Iran Prez in US
New Delhi, September 20 However, officials continue to be tight-lipped about it. One source, however, said nothing could be ruled out. With the Indian PM unlikely to meet US President Barack Obama or any other top world leader during his visit to New York beginning tomorrow, the spotlight could shift to Manmohan-Ahmadinejad encounter, if it takes place. The Obama Administration might also keenly monitor the meeting, given the fact that Washington has from time to time been advising New Delhi through the media and other unofficial channels to downgrade its engagement with Tehran. New Delhi has for long taken the position that Iran is too important a country for it to be ignored. Iran is one of the major sources of oil and energy supplies to India. Cooperation with Iran is also necessary for India in view of the situation in Afghanistan. Iran is at loggerheads with the West over its controversial nuclear programme. While underlining that Iran, like any other country, has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, New Delhi has taken the view that Tehran must abide by its IAEA obligations while pursuing its nuclear programme. Accompanied by a high-level delegation, Manmohan Singh leaves for New York tomorrow on a five-day visit. He is scheduled to address the UNGA on September 24. At the session, India will push for reforms in the Security Council and the early adoption of a convention on terrorism. The UNGA session this time has an added significance for India since it is a non-permanent member of the Security Council. During the session, India and other members of the G-4, Brazil, Japan and Germany, will hold a crucial meeting, strongly pitching for permanent seats for themselves in an expended Security Council. New Delhi would also call for greater mobilisation of resources, including honouring of official development commitments, and policy action for attaining the Millennium Development Goals. The PM, who will attend the UNGA after a gap of two years, will have bilateral meetings with the leaders of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Japan, among others.
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Jnanpith for Srilal Shukla, Amar Kant
Chandigarh, September 20 For most readers in Hindi, Srilal Shukla’s name is synonymous with ‘Raag Darbari’, the novel that made reading Hindi books fashionable. The novel was translated into English by Gillian Wright, to introduce English readers to the hard-hitting satire of the Hindi hinterland. Much before the novel was translated into 11 Indian languages, and its characters were immortalised by a popular TV serial in the 80s, it had caught reluctant Hindi readers’ imagination. Most readers of Hindi, who had come to believe that Hindi writers were not capable of writing humour, were surprised by the tone of the book, which even Shukla could not surpass in his later works. Even the reader not familiar with the small-town humour of the hinterland, would relate to situations and characters that echo his experiences, with a sense of deja vu. The novel’s popularity is based on a universal truth- marginalisation of decent intellectuals by a clever connivance between small-time local politicians, educationists, businessmen and police. The book is a hilarious documentation of falling values of the Indian society by a research student of history named Ranganath. A former IPS officer later inducted into IAS, Srilal Shukla (born 1925) authored about 25 books, important among which are ‘Makaan’, ‘Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj’, ‘Pehla Padaav’, ‘Ahyatvas’ and ‘Bisrampur Ka Sant’. He also wrote a detective novel titled ‘Aadmi Ka Zahar’, which was serialised in the weekly magazine ‘Hindustan’. He has already been conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award, Vyas Samman and Padma Shree (2008). Amar Kant, who shares his year of birth with Shukla, has been selected for Jnanpith for the year 2009. Amar Kant is the author of ‘Inhin Hashiyon Se’, that earned him Sahitya Akademi Award (2007). At one time, fighting penury, Kant was willing to sell his Akademi Award. His short stories like ‘Hatyare’, ‘Dopahar Ka Bhojan’ and ‘Diptee Collector’ were part of syllabi in several Indian universities. Kant also authored ‘Sukha Patta’, ‘Kale Ujale’, ‘Beech Ki Deewar’ and ‘Desh Ke Log’. Kambar, who has won the Jnanpith for the year 2010, is a novelist and playwright. His noted works include ‘Takararinavaru’, ‘Saavirada Neralu’, ‘Chakori’ (poetry collection) and ‘Harakeya Kuri’ (plays). He is also a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi awards.
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BJP minority cell chief for judicial probe into Batla House encounter
New Delhi, September 20 Simultaneously, the Bharatiya Yuva Janata Morcha (BYJM), the youth wing led by BJP national convenor Tejinder Singh, sat on a day-long dharna near Batla House to seek renaming of the area after former Delhi Police Inspector M C Sharma, who died in the encounter with alleged terrorists. The party is so stunned by Jain’s gesture that its members decided to feign ignorance or just look the other way. The RUC organised a demonstration at Jantar Mantar yesterday to mark the third anniversary of the Batla House encounter, demanding a judicial inquiry into the killing, claiming the two youth killed there were not terrorists, they never fired at M C Sharma and he was not killed by their bullets. Jain, while addressing the RUC meeting yesterday in his capacity as the in charge of BJP’s minority cell, said there, “O justice seeking Believers, in many ways, this is a historic moment, for this is the first time you have invited a representative of the BJP and first time that the in charge of BJP minority cell is addressing you.” He added, “An incident took place at Batla House. Whatever investigations were carried out, Indian Muslims are not satisfied. There is nothing unfair in demanding a fair and proper inquiry.”
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Raids on Yeddyurappa kin’s house, office
Bangalore, September 20 The Lokayukta police also carried out raids today at the offices of the Dhavalgiri Properties and Sahyadri Healthcare owned by Yeddyurappa’s sons B Y Raghavendra and B Y Vijayendra. Raghavendra is a BJP Lok Sabha member from Shimoga. The Lokayukta police also raided the office of Hemchandra Sagar, BJP MLA and chairman of the Sagar Health Care and Diagnostic, in connection with the corruption charges levelled against Yeddyurappa and family members by advocate Srirajin Basha. Basha, in his private complaint before the Lok Ayukta special court, accused Sagar of paying Rs 3.35 crore to a firm of the former Chief Minister’s sons in lieu of de-notification of a piece of land. Reacting to the news Yeddyurappa, who is campaigning for the BJP candidate for the bypoll at Koppal on September 26, said he knew yesterday that the raids were going to be conducted today. “Let them raid my house also”, he told reporters at Koppal. The raids have come a day after Lokayukta Shivaraj V Patil quit following a row over taking two housing plots from cooperative housing societies in Bangalore in violation of norms. Patil, whose resignation was accepted by Governor H R Bhardwaj today, has denied violation of norms and termed the controversy as “malicious campaign” against him. Yeddyurappa, his sons Raghavendra and Vijayendra and son in law Sohan Kumar, and several others have been accused by Basha of conspiring to de-notify land in and around Bangalore in return for monetary gains. A Lokayukta court headed by Judge N K Sudhindra Rao is hearing five complaints against Yeddyurappa and other accused filed by Basha and N.K. Balraj in January this year.
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Bird flu in West Bengal; govt orders culling
Krishnagar (WB), Sept 20 The samples of the birds were collected and sent to High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) Bhopal for tests. "The report arrived at around 6.30 pm yesterday confirming Bird Flu. We decided to start culling and it was initiated today," Nure Alam Chowdhury, Animal Resource Department Minister told a press conference after visiting the affected block here today. Twenty teams comprising 420 persons were deployed in the process of culling scheduled in 5 gram panchayat areas. After culling, the dead birds will be buried at Lalbazar, a place near Indo-Bangladesh border. Three big holes were dug up for the disposal of the culled birds here, he said. Tehatta SDO Achinta Mondal said "we hope to cull about 5000 birds today and the culling work will go on up to 7 pm and the culled birds will be buried". The minister arrived at Tehatta today morning and visited some of the affected places. Meanwhile the Indo-Bangla border has also been sealed, the minister said. Official reports said culling will continue for three consecutive days. During this period, movement of people deployed in culling also have been restricted outside the area. They have been provided with special uniform. The SDO said the tyres of the vehicles moving through the areas would be disinfected. About 300 vehicles cross the area on an average everyday along the Krishnagar-Karimpur road. There is a vast waterbody at Tehatta where some migratory birds come during winter. The minister suspected the migratory birds might have left behind the germs of Bird Flu. The minister said "there is no need to get into panic mode as the situation is under control." The owners of the culled birds would be provided with coupons at the time of culling and they would be compensated accordingly. "They will get the same rate as was given to them in 2009", the minister said adding they would try to provide them with a higher rate. Over 50,000 birds, including 20,000 ducks and pigeons, were affected with Bird Flu in the block, the sources said.
— PTI
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Four die in gas leak at Thane plant
Thane, September 20 According to them, hydrogen sulphide gas leaked from a plant belonging to Sequential Scientific Limited. While four workers died, three were admitted to a local hospital in a state
of unconsciousness, police said. Two of the deceased have been identified as Haresh Yadav and Vishnu Singh. The leakage has been plugged and a rescue team has been rushed to the factory for relief operations, police said.
— PTI
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Rivalry between Munde, Pawar family flares up again
Mumbai, September 20 This round of attrition was opened by Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and nephew of the senior Pawar, when he roped in Madhusudhan Kendre, the son-in-law of Munde’s brother Panditanna to join the NCP. Kendre, an ayurvedic practitioner, was among the
relatives of the BJP leader who were given tickets in the last Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Kendre blamed his defeat on Munde’s rivals between the party. Observers say a rebel BJP leader, Sitaram Ghandat, won the Gangakhed seat with the help of Munde’s opponents within the party. “I was defeated because of Munde’s enemies within the party,” Kendre said at a function in Parbhani on Monday where he joined the NCP along with a large number of his party workers. Munde, whose own frosty relationship with party president Nitin Gadkari is no secret, accused Pawar of fishing in troubled waters. “Instead of working for the progress of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar is concentrating on dividing my family,” Munde has been quoted as saying in New Delhi. Pawar retaliated by questioning the political standing of Munde himself. “The so-called national leaders who themselves are finding it difficult to gain entry in to other parties will hardly be able to do anything for their workers,” Pawar responded when reporters drew his attention to Munde’s statements. Munde was reported to have unsuccessfully tried his luck with the Congress after his own party leaders endorsed Gadkari’s decision on political appointments in the BJP’s Maharashtra unit. The doors to the NCP are virtually closed to Munde because of his diatribes against Sharad Pawar’s alleged corruption in the 1990s.
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SC order on Hasan Ali’s bail on Sept 29
New Delhi, September 20 A Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and SS Nijjar reserved its order today at the conclusion of exhaustive arguments by ED’s senior counsel Mariarputham and Hasan Ali’s counsel Eshwari Prasad
Bagari. Ali would remain behind the bars till September 29, the Bench
clarified. Bagari pleaded for restoring the Bombay High Court’s August 12, 2011 order granting bail to his client as there was no charge of tampering with evidence or influencing the witnesses when he was on bail earlier. On August 16, the SC stayed the HC order on directorate’s plea. The ED’s counsel opposed this contention, arguing that Ali had been absconding for more than three years to evade arrest and had even hidden himself in Singapore for some time.
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Maya wants Jats in OBC list
Lucknow, September 20 She has underlined that the maximum number of people belonging to the Jat community in the state earned their living from agriculture and allied activities. Owing to decline in the agricultural land holding, the financial condition of their families had weakened. “Added to this was their educational backwardness. As such their children also lagged behind in education. This community did not have proper representation in the Central Services also. Keeping this in view, the state government had included Jat Community in the list of OBCs March 10, 2000.” Her letter points out that the Central list of OBC has a list of Rajasthan state where Jats (excluding districts of Dholpur and Bharatpur) find a place through a notification dated October 27, 1999. She said as the socio-economic condition of Jats in adjoining Rajasthan was similar to their condition in UP, there was a strong case to include them in the Central list of OBCs. In her third consecutive missive to the PM, she once again underlined what she claimed was her “firm belief “ that if change had to be brought about in the condition of the Jat community, opportunities in the field of education and have to be provided to them.
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Lucknow, September 20
n
The decision to permit export of onions was taken by the Empowered Group of Ministers
(EGoM) on Food headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.