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2G spectrum distribution
SC questions CBI on Kani’s bail plea
Lavasa promoters set to be prosecuted
Arunachal CM Gamlin resigns
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45-kg shell dredged from WW-II ship’s ruins
PIL filed against K’taka CM, ex-CM
Tempers frayed in Mumbai over Chhath Puja
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2G spectrum distribution
New Delhi, October 31 The controversy arose when former Director-General of Audit (P&T) RP Singh, who audited the Telecom Ministry accounts, said while he had put the 2G Spectrum distribution losses at Rs 2,600 crore, CAG Vinod Rai and his deputy Rekha Gupta presented the final figure at Rs 1.76 lakh crore presumptive losses. This was naturally wide off the mark and put a question mark not only on Rai’s claim who had given three different figures to the PAC while testifying before it, but also PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi’s unilateral report that relied on CAG to indict the entire government on the bungling of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. After Singh’s disclosures, Congress member of the PAC Sanjay Nirupam had written to committee chairman asking for Singh’s appearance to explain the discrepancy. But as soon as the PAC meeting commenced today, Nirupam asked Vinod Rai to leave the room to facilitate Singh, waiting outside, to testify before the committee, since the questions pertained to Rai’s role. Rai looked slightly uncomfortable but sought the chairman’s refuge and said if the chairman gave his ruling asking him to go out, he would heed to the member’s request. But BJP members appeared unprepared for this and Prakash Javadekar pointed how this amounted to reopening the 2G case and therefore he suggested the full reopening of the case and inviting afresh the CAG, the TRAI chairman and even Kapil Sibal who had put the loss at zero. Congress members did not take kindly to Javadekar’s suggestion and this resulted in sharp exchanges between members. Amidst all this, the chairman passed the ruling that since the CAG was an integral part of the PAC as a “friend, philosopher and guide”, he would not go out and if Singh wanted to depose, he had to appear before the entire committee, including Rai. He adjourned the PAC meeting to another date, postponing even tomorrow’s scheduled meeting, while Singh returned without entering the committee room. About the same time, a little distance away from the PAC proceedings in Parliament House, the JPC, also probing the 2G scam, decided to summon both Vinod Rai and RP Singh to seek clarification on the wide discrepancy in Rai’s calculation of 1.76 lakh crore loss and Singh’s computation of Rs 2,600 crore. But, as suggested by the Congress members in the PAC, while the two have been asked to appear before the JPC the same day on November 15, they will testify separately, explained JPC chairman PC Chacko later today. In the JPC, sources said, it was Congress member Manish Tewari who pointed out the discrepancy between the DG (P&T) figures and the final CAG figures. Curiously, some non-UPA members also supported
Tewari.
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SC questions CBI on Kani’s bail plea
New Delhi, October 31 A Bench asked Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval to discuss the issue with the CBI and give the explanation by tomorrow. The move came after senior counsel Ram Jethmalani sought bail for his client, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra, pointing out that the CBI had drawn a distinction in the trial court between two sets of accused - those charged with offences punishable with a sentence of up to seven years of imprisonment and others facing a jail term more than this.
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Lavasa promoters set to be prosecuted
New Delhi, October 31 The ambitious Rs.3,000 crore hill project near Pune, being developed by Ajit Gulabchand’s Hindustan Construction Company, has been in the thick of a controversy for the past year ever since former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh took action against it for non-compliance with the environment laws. The project promoters, including the company directors, would be proceeded against under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, which has provision for imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of Rs one lakh or both. The promoters want that the state government should initiate action against the company but not its directors. However, they have been told that this may not be legally tenable. This move is bound to put further strain on the relations between the Congress and the NCP who are coalition partners at the Centre and in Maharashtra. NCP chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who is a close friend of Gulabchand, is not going to take to the latest development kindly as he perceives it as an indirect attack on him. When Ramesh had issued the first show-cause notice against the promoters last November, Pawar had complained about it to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He has also been protesting against Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s constant complaints about the sharing of portfolios between the allies in the state. However, the Maharashtra government has been left with little option but to initiate action against the promoters after it was pulled up by the Bombay High Court for sitting tight on the matter even though it had been asked to proceed against the promoters four months ago. In its October 13 order, the Environment Ministry had denied environmental clearance for the first phase of the project because the Maharashtra government had failed to comply with the pre-condition of taking action against the promoters. The order followed after the Bombay High Court asked it to take necessary action or else it would be forced to hear the case afresh. The ministry had first issued a notice on the Lavasa project last November as its promoters had failed to take the necessary environment clearances. The promoters had gone to court to seek fresh clearances, which set several pre-conditions for giving the necessary clearances. One of the pre-conditions required the Maharashtra government to take “credible action” action against the violations.
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Arunachal CM Gamlin resigns
Party sources here said that the new CLP leader would be selected by AICC president Sonia Gandhi tomorrow followed by swearing-in of a new Chief Minister during the day. Highly-placed official sources said Gamlin has in his resignation letter recommended the names of Power (Electrical) Minister Setong Sena and Finance Minister Kalikho Pul for the top post. Earlier in the day, a Out of the 42 Congress legislators, 40 signed a one-point resolution authorising Sonia to appoint a new CLP leader in the state. The resolution “we the party MLAs are authorising Sonia Gandhi to nominate the CLP leader” was read out to newsmen by Shinde. — PTI
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45-kg shell dredged from WW-II ship’s ruins
While cargo of the ill-fated freighter from gold ingots to munitions continues to be discovered bringing back memories of the Bombay Dock Explosion, a dredging operation by the Mumbai Port Trust has thrown up a massive ‘live’ bomb. Last week, a dredger working to deepen the channel of the city's port, fished out a bomb from the cargo of munitions on board Fort Stikine. Measuring 21-inches in length and seven inches in width, the bomb had 45 kg explosives encased in metal. "The sniffer dogs brought in indicated that it was a live bomb," says Pandurang Doke, senior Inspector at the Yellow Gate Police Station. According to the officer, it was a touch and go situation for workers operating the dredger. The bomb covered in muck and marine growth was caught in the dredger's 'hopper', which trawls the seabed. "There is always a danger of explosion in such cases," says the officer. In the past dredgers have discovered some bullets from the ill-fated freighter. Earlier this year, a dredger operating at Victoria Docks discovered two gold bars weighing 3.5oz and 1.75oz (approximately 150 gm). "The gold bars were handed over to the appropriate authorities," Doke said. "Contractors have been asked to look out for more gold and silver bars," he added. According to a Mumbai Port Trust spokesperson, dredging operations are on to deepen the waterways as part of the Integrated Container Terminal Project for two years and will continue for another year. Port Trust officials say they have asked the contractor, Jaisu Shipping Company, to keep an eye open for similar finds to emerge from the depths of the sea.
The Bombay Dock Explosion z Fort Stikine, which was carrying a cargo including explosives for the British forces engaged in World War II, barrels of oil, bales of cotton and huge consignments of gold and silver, mysteriously caught fire on April 14, 1944 z The munitions on board exploded sending debris flying up to several kilometres away. Stories of a shower of gold and silver ingots over South Mumbai is a stuff of lore in the city z While 740 persons including military personnel lost their lives, 27 ships in the Victoria and Princess Docks were sunk or damaged beyond repair
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PIL filed against K’taka CM, ex-CM
Bangalore, October 31 Petitioner KNA Reddy also sought directions to the home department to establish a well-equipped hospital in the jail premises so that the inmates are given better medical treatment and do not have to go outside the jail to seek treatment. — PTI
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Tempers frayed in Mumbai over Chhath Puja
Mumbai, October 31 The earlier editions of the festival have seen threats of violence by Raj Thackeray’s MNS against North Indian migrants. On Sunday night, there was tension in some parts of Mumbai after banners announcing Chhath Puja arrangements in suburban Mumbai were pulled down by some groups of youth. Though no one has been arrested, North Indian groups are blaming activists of the Shiv Sena and the MNS for the damage. The security has been tightened in Mumbai. The police has installed CCTV cameras along Mumbai’s beaches and deployed additional squads of lifeguards at Mumbai’s Juhu, Versova, Chowpatty and Gorai beaches that attract huge number of devotees who pray to the sun on the occasion of Chhath. Last week, Nirupam created a storm when he warned that a strike by all North Indian migrants could bring Mumbai to a halt. The Shiv Sena and the MNS retaliated by threatening to attack
Nirupam.
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Itanagar, October 31
Mumbai, October 31