The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Fund swindle, pending complaints, MNREGS takes a hard beating Vibha Sharma/TNS New Delhi, October 1 A bewildered Rural Development Ministry is still trying to figure out that how a computer data operator managed to pull off an amazing fraud of "constructing" a road (on paper) from Taj Mahal in Agra to Red Fort in Delhi under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. Records reveal that not more than 45 per cent complaints under the MNREGA are resolved by lackadaisical state governments and in majority of cases some lower level official is indicted and the big fish manage to escape. An astonishing swindle of around Rs 2 crore came to light in May during a field visit by Minister of State Pradeep Jain Aditya in the Varanasi district. The minister, who immediately sought a reply, was informed by the Chief Development Officer of the district that a computer programmer, Ajit Singh, had hacked into the system to create a fictitious project under which he adjusted funds for the non-existent road. However, maintaining that a con of this level could not be pulled off without the collusion of officials at higher levels, including the Chief Development Officer and the Block Development Officer, the ministry asked a team of national level monitors) to investigate and submit a report within 15 days. The ministry is awaiting the report, officials say. While the "Agra ke Taj Mahal se Dilly ke Lal Quile tak Sampark Marg" came under the scanner for its sheer absurdity, officials say thousands of discrepancies have come to light in MNREGA works ever since the programme was launched in 2006 during the tenure of UPA-I . Allegations of construction of non-existent infrastructure apart, officials say village panchayats have bought cameras and other office equipment with MNREGA funds that merely exist on paper. "The UPA is pumping thousands of crores into MNREGA. Even if just 40 per cent of the Rs 41,000 crore allocated for the employment scheme is utilised in the proper way, lot of good work can be done," an official said. Lot to be done Out of the 2,250 complains received by the Rural Development Ministry till July 26 this year, only 1,003 were shown as disposed of. As many as 1,247 complains pending in the entire country UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar worst offenders with 421 out of 827, 208 out of 396, 122 out of 233 and 128 out of 163 complaints, respectively, awaiting disposal.
	Low yield: Govt prepares contingency plan for pulses Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 1 With the production of pulses showing a decline in the first advance estimates of kharif, the government has prepared a contingency plan for rabi to ensure additional production through area expansion and productivity enhancement with extra allocation of funds to 12 states, including Punjab and Haryana, under the NFSM-Pulses programme. An amount of Rs 80 crore is being released and the target is to achieve an additional production of 2.78 million tonnes during the ensuing season to offset the loss incurred in the kharif crop. Haryana will get an additional Rs 5.32 crore, Punjab Rs 2.73 crore and UP Rs 11.92 crore to bring extra area under the summer 'moong' and 'urad' in irrigated areas. The government also plans to promote gram and lentil in rice fields in eastern states like Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa and follow inter-cropping of the key item on Indian menu with sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh. During this kharif season, although a higher area coverage was seen under rice, oilseeds and cotton crops, a decreasing trend was observed in pulses as well as coarse cereals. The first estimates for kharif show that production of pulses like 'tur', 'urad' and 'moong' will be down to 6.43 MT compared to 7.12 MT in 2010-11. Considering that the country is aiming toward self sufficiency in pulses, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has asked states to concentrate more on the crop to wipe away dependency on imports. As per the current coverage of area under pulses during kharif 2011, there is a shortfall of 10.89 lakh hectare as against area coverage during last kharif season.
	Cash-for-vote scam Beneficiaries not being probed: Kulkarni New Delhi, October 1 Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide of BJP leader LK Advani and an accused in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, today questioned the police probe in the case, asking why “persons” from UPA-1, who were the alleged beneficiaries, have not been investigated by it. While pleading for bail before a Delhi Court, Kulkarni, who was arrested on September 27, contended that police have not touched any of the actual accused and the beneficiaries in the case. “Who is the actual beneficiary? The police has no answer. The actual beneficiary was the then (UPA-I) government. None of the persons from the then government has even investigated or interrogated by the police,” Kulkarni’s lawyer told special judge Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal. “Who is the main beneficiary? This is a million dollar question for them (prosecution). It was not Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh’s government which was to be saved,” he said. Regarding the failure of the Delhi Police in tracing the money trail, Kulkarni’s counsel said it is still an unanswered question. “It (the money) has came from the actual beneficiary and routed through Amar Singh. The source (of money) has not yet been revealed,” he said. Claiming innocence before the court, the defence lawyer said that there is not even an iota of evidence that Kulkarni ever solicited anything in lieu of getting money. “It was only a sting operation to expose the rampant corruption. It was to expose the horse-trading going on at the time of the trust vote,” he said. The arguments on Kulkarni’s bail plea are still continuing. Kulkarni appeared before the court on September 27 after the court had threatened to issue arrest warrant against him after he failed to appear on the last two hearings on account of his visit to the USA. He was the sixth person to be arrested in the case. Kulkarni had sought relief from the court, claiming he was “a whistleblower” who intended to expose corruption. The court had rejected the interim bail application of Kulkarni, 54, saying it was devoid of merits. The Delhi Police, in its chargesheet, has alleged that Kulkarni turned towards the Samajwadi Party leaders in a bid to influence the 2008 trust vote of UPA-I government after he failed to make inroads in the Congress camp. To achieve his design, Kulkarni allegedly “masterminded” the conspiracy to bribe MPs and “directed” co-accused Suhail Hindustani to divert his efforts towards Samajwadi Party leaders who met the BJP MPs ahead of the voting on confidence motion in Lok Sabha, it said. — PTI Police: BJP men no whistle-blowers New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday opposed the bail pleas of BJP leader LK Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and two former MPs of the party, arrested for their alleged roles in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, questioning their claim of being whistle-blowers in the scam. “Every accused in the case terms himself as a whistle-blower as if they have saved the country. If they are taking the plea of being whistle-blowers in the scam, they have to establish it by way of evidence,” public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan said. — PTI
	2G: Kanimozhi's bail plea hearing deferred New Delhi, October 1 A special CBI court today deferred till October 17 the hearing on the bail application of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalignar TV chief Sharad Kumar accused in the 2G spectrum case. Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar's counsel Sushil Kumar and Altaf Ahmed told CBI special judge O.P. Saini: "We want to argue on the bail application only after the court frames charges against our clients in the scam." The counsel cited the Supreme Court's earlier order which said the accused can seek bail only after the charges are framed against them and their bail application will be decided by the special court hearing the 2G case, while making the submissions. Judge Saini agreed to their plea and said the arguments on their bail applications can be heard on October 17 as it may frame charges against the accused by that time. "I want to complete the process of framing of charges in the case by October 15. Fix the bail pleas of these two (Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar) for October 17," the judge said. The Supreme Court, while dismissing their bail pleas on June 20, had said that such applications could be taken up only after charges are framed in the case. The special CBI court also deferred the arguments on the bail pleas of five other accused by Monday. — IANS
	CPM’s no to all-party meet on Telangana Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 1 The CPM today slammed the government’s procrastination on Telangana issue saying it must not delay a decision any further as the political parties had already made their stands known on the issue. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of the continuing agitation for Telangana, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat today said there was no need for an all-party meeting on the issue as suggested by Home Minister P Chidambaram. “It is now nine months since the Sri Krishna Committee submitted its report on Telengana and Andhra Pradesh. “We had expected that the government would take a decision on the matter after considering the report. “All political parties and various sections of society in Andhra Pradesh had submitted their views to the committee. “Hence, there is no need for further consultations with political parties,” Karat said, adding that procrastination would only worsen the situation. The party has sought immediate solution to the problem.
	More time needed for consultations on Telangana, says Centre Anita Katyal Our Political Correspondent New Delhi, October 1 Caught in a bind on the emotive demand for a separate state of Telangana, the UPA government today clearly indicated that an early decision will not be possible as it needs more time for consultation with various parties. For the second day in succession, senior Congress leaders met today to take stock of the situation as pressure is mounting for an early decision on the statehood issue. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who has been entrusted with the task of resolving this contentious issue, was locked in consultations with Health Minister and party incharge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary. The Congress core group, headed by Sonia Gandhi, had discussed the issue yesterday at a two-hour meeting which had ended inconclusively. Today's deliberations followed the same pattern. Emerging from the meeting, Mukherjee told mediapersons, "We are in consultations. Yesterday, we discussed it in the core group. Further consultations are needed." Mukherjee said the government was well aware of the gravity of the situation but these consultations will take some more time.
	Lucknow gets Tagore’s house replica for Durga Puja Lucknow, October 1 During Durga Puja, the people of Lucknow will get a chance to perform prayers inside the ancestral Kolkata residence of legendary Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore as a replica of the house is being constructed here. Naveen Sharadiya Utsav -- one of the city's oldest Durga Puja committees -- is coming up with the replica of Jorasanko Thakur Bari situated in north Kolkata. "We are coming up with such a replica to pay tribute to the man who received enduring worldwide recognition for his prowess as a poet by winning the Noble Prize for literature in 1913," Sujoy Chatterjee, assistant secretary of the puja committee, told reporters here Saturday. "Artisans from Kolkata are busy giving the finishing touches to the pandal replicating the 18th century house (Jorasanko Thakur Bari) built by Rabindranath's grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore. From Sunday, it would be open for the devotees," he added. According to the puja committee members, Durga puja celebrations used to be a grand celebration in Thakur Bari, and they would try to recreate that atmosphere with the help of the replica. The massive pandal replicating the Tagore's ancestral house is coming up on an area of over 10,000 square feet in the city's Anand Nagar locality. — IANS
	Bhatt in judicial custody Wife says she fears for her husband's life; police says no threat Ahmedabad, October 1 Senior IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who accused Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the 2002 post-Godhra riots, was today sent to judicial custody after a court rejected the plea for police remand. Police had asked for seven days' custody of Bhatt, who was arrested yesterday, in connection with the complaint filed by constable K D Pant. However, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate B G Doshi rejected the plea, and sent Bhatt to judicial custody for 15 days. Earlier in the day, Bhatt's wife Shweta said that she feared for her husband's life, as he had been handed over to the city crime branch. However, City Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha said that the apprehension was "unfounded". The police also went to search Bhatt's house today, for the second time, but had to return when Shweta demanded to see a fresh search warrant. She also alleged that police were harassing them, for speaking the truth. Bhatt was arrested in connection with the FIR filed by Pant for allegedly threatening him and making him sign a false affidavit with regard to a meeting called by Modi on February 27, 2002, hours after the Godhra train carnage. Bhatt has been charged under IPC sections 341 (causing wrongful restraint), 342 (causing wrongful confinement), 195 (giving fabricated evidence) and 189 (threat of injury to public servant). "Today around 30 to 35 police officers came once again to raid our house. But today, I confronted them and asked them to produce a search warrant. They were able to just produce yesterday's warrant as they did not possess a fresh search warrant," Bhatt's wife Shweta told PTI. "I told them that to search our house based on yesterday's warrant amounted to harassment. They cannot search our house twice on the basis of one warrant," she maintained. "After that they left our house," Shweta further said. "The police are trying to harass us as my husband has spoken the truth," Shweta stated. — PTI
	Rules for N-liability law likely in next session Mumbai, October 1 The much-awaited rules for the implementation of the nuclear liability law which could pave the way for the expansion of the atomic power sector by procuring equipment from foreign suppliers are likely to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament. Giving this information, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee said the rules will have to be notified by the ministries concerned before being presented to Parliament. Parliament had passed the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill in August last year, paving the way for nuclear commerce with the world after prolonged wrangling between the government and the Opposition. "We expect the rules to be tabled before Parliament in the next session," Banerjee told reporters on the sidelines of India Nuclear Summit. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Law allows the operator of a nuclear plant to seek damages from the supplier in case of a nuclear incident due to supply of equipment with latent and patent defects or sub-standard services. However, the law has not gone down well with global suppliers. On popular resistance to the proposed 9,900 MW Jaitapur nuclear project over security concerns in the aftermath of Fukushima incident, he said a re-evaluation of safety norms was being conducted by the nuclear authority of France and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). "Once the French authorities send their report, the AERB will analyse it before submitting it to the government," he said. Banerjee said the process of re-evaluation was likely to be completed by December. "Without having a complete safety analysis, it is not possible for us to push the project for government consideration." Ruling out a Fukushima-like nuclear disaster in India, Banerjee said the reactors here had a passive cooling system, unlike those in the stricken Japanese plant, and added that additional safety features were being installed in them. — PTI
	Ensure it conforms to global standards: US Washington: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her meeting with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna in New York this week, urged India to take necessary steps to ensure the nuclear liability law conforms to international standards, a top American official has said. "The secretary urged India to take the steps necessary to ensure that its nuclear liability regime conforms with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage," State Department's spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at her daily news conference. "There are some decisions that have to be made on the Indian side," Nuland said.
	AP minister opens front against two colleagues HC tells CBI to probe charge Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service Hyderabad, October 1 In a significant development, the Andhra Pradesh High Court today directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the allegations of corruption against Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and Excise Minister M Venktaramana. Justice L Narasimha Reddy took suo moto cognisance of another minister Dr P Shankar Rao's public statement making allegations of corrupt practices against his own Cabinet colleagues. Rao, who holds the Handlooms and Textiles portfolio, is known for his maverick ways and is at present, locked in a bitter war of words with the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy as well. The court took note of media reports quoting Shankar Rao who alleged that the two ministers had amassed huge wealth by illegal means. He had particularly targeted the Home Minister, accusing her of receiving huge kickbacks for favourable postings and transfers in the police department. Taking note of the allegations, the judge said that they needed to be probed by the CBI. However, the judge transferred the matter to another Bench of the high court for examination and further action. Asked about the court's directive, Sabita said, "I will not comment till I see the order." However, Shankar Rao welcomed the court's order and said a thorough inquiry by the CBI would help ferret out facts. He said that he had also written a letter to the CBI, seeking a probe into the irregularities and corrupt practices of the Home Minister. Rao alleged that Sabita was using her son and brother as "conduits" to earn crores of rupees in the transfers and postings of police officials. "Her son and brother have virtually opened counters to collect money. I brought this to the notice of the Chief Minister, but he turned a blind eye to my complaints," the minister said. He also made similar corruption charges against the Excise Minister and offered to resign if he failed to prove the charges. Interestingly, it was on the basis of Rao's letter that the High Court had earlier ordered a full-fledged CBI inquiry into the alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The probe is on. Lone ranger? On the basis of Handlooms and Textiles Minister Dr P Shankar Rao's letter, a CBI inquiry was ordered against YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy At present, Rao is locked in a war of words with CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy HC took suo moto cognisance of Rao's allegations in the media about Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and Excise Minister M Venktaramana's illegal assets
	Maoists trying to find foothold in Arunachal Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, October 1 Maoist elements are trying to fish in the troubled waters of Arunachal Pradesh where anti-mega dam movements are taking roots. The matter has raised concern in the hill state after the police recently found clues to the activities of Maoists in the state after arrest of nine youths from different parts of Lohit district in connection with the case of arms robbery. Sources said the arrested youths, who hail from Sadiya in neighbouring Assam and used to run errands for the outlawed ULFA, confessed to have come under the influence of the Maoists. The youths were entrusted to mobilise locals against mega dams that are being constructed in the Dibang Valley region in Arunachal Pradesh. The police also claimed to have found incriminating documents related to Maoists activities from the arrested youths. The deteriorating situation in the state has come up for discussion in the state Assembly that is now in session. The MLA of Namsai constituency in Lohit district, Nang Sati Mein, has demanded that her constituency be declared a disturbed area. She said the Maoists had been indulging in kidnapping, murder and various other crimes. People in the state were living in constant fear in the area, especially in the Namsai area, after killing of a contractor by suspected Maoists on September 21, she added. The opposition BJP has aired the apprehension that the law and order situation was fast deteriorating in the state because of groupism within the ruling Congress. "Not only the Maoists are a threat, we have information that large number of youths from a particular community in western Arunachal Pradesh are being lured by a Naga rebel group to foment militancy and trouble in the area. If firm steps are not taken, the situation may soon spin out of control in the once peaceful state," said P Chandrasekhar Rao, BJP's in-charge in Northeast.
	West Bengal gets 12 new trains Subhrangshu Gupta Tribune News Service Kolkata, October 1 A promise by former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee — that of introduction of a dozen new trains in West Bengal — was fulfilled today by her successor Dinesh Trivedi. Apart from providing a large number of passenger trains — both mail and long-distance as well as suburban ones — Trivedi today inducted two newly built modern air-conditioned coaches in Calcutta’s Metro rail to facilitate the visit of the devotees and other tourists to the city’s different pandals during the festive season pujas. The new trains introduced today include the Howrah-Dhanbad air-conditioned double-decker, the Howrah-Mumbai Duronto Express (for four days in a week), the Howrah-Darbhanga (weekly), the Asansol-Gorakshapur Express, the Bankura-Shalimar Rajyarani Express and seven other locals linking Howrah and Sealdah with different places, including Singur and Namkahana in the Sunderbans. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was happy that Trivedi had fulfilled her Budget commitment to the state’s people. She said with the introduction of new trains, West Bengal would be well connected with other parts of the country. Office-goers and other commuters travelling to the city every day would also be benefited with the launch of new local trains. At a function at Howrah station’s new complex, Trivedi formally flagged off the 12 new mail and local trains in presence of five Union ministers from the TMC.