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PHONE TAPPING
Niira Radia
Draft water policy favours tariff hike
Row over arrest of 13/7 suspect
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2G Scam
Dial CBSE to tide over examination stress
AIIMS paper leak: Custody of accused extended
UP POlls 2012
BJP falls back on Vajpayee for bailout
Camelot blocking UT’s heritage status: Admn
Retrospective increase in ECHS rates challenged
MP sets up carbon flux tower
CBI books ex-Vice Chief of Army for graft
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PHONE TAPPING
New Delhi, January 31 Giving this information in a sealed envelope, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Indira Jaisingh also clarified that government agencies were not responsible for leaking the tapped conversations to the media. About 10 agencies, including telecom service providers, were involved in tapping the conversations, the ASG told a Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya. The report, submitted by the Union Home Ministry, said there were discrepancies in the length of the tapes and the nature of the conversations. After having a cursory look at the government report, the Bench noted that the conversations, particularly in the beginning and the end, did not match with the content in the original tapes. Referring to the government denial that its agencies were responsible for the leak, the Bench remarked that it was quite possible that someone else had done it. The Bench was hearing a PIL filed by Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata seeking the court’s directive against disclosure of tapped conversations which were purely private or personal in nature and had nothing to do with any investigation. The Finance Ministry had recorded 5,800 conversations of Radia after receiving a complaint that she was spying for foreign agencies.
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Draft water policy favours tariff hike
New Delhi, January 31 So, while the draft National Water Policy, 2012, talks of water conservation, it also proposes promoting maximisation of value of water, setting up of a regulatory authority to take care of inter-state disputes and adequate water pricing to incentivise recycle and reuse. The draft favours a hike in tariffs and proposes “reversal of heavy under-pricing of electricity, which it says leads to wasteful use of both electricity and water”. Many governments in agrarian states offer heavy subsidies on electricity, including Punjab and
Haryana. Recognising that states have the right to frame suitable policies, laws and regulations on water, the draft also emphasises the need for a national water framework law, comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-state rivers and river valleys, public trust doctrine and amendment of the Indian Easements Act, 1882. For states, the message is to gradually shift from the role of “service provider” to that of a regulator of services and facilitator for strengthening institutions responsible for planning, implementation and management of water resources. Water-related services should be transferred to community or private sector with appropriate ‘Public Private Partnership’ model, the draft policy proposes. It also says that negotiations regarding sharing and management of water of international rivers on bilateral basis should be in consultative association with riparian states, while keeping paramount the national interests. The draft is equally emphatic on ecological needs of a river. It states that a portion of river flows should be kept aside to meet its ecological needs, ensuring that proportional low and high flow releases correspond in time closely to the natural flow regime. While recognising water as “economic good, over and above pre-emptive need,” a basic minimum quantity for essential health and hygiene and sustenance of ecology has been defined as pre-emptive need. The draft says appropriate institutional arrangements for each river basin should be developed to collect and collate all data on regular basis with regard to rainfall, river flows, area irrigated by crops and by source utilisations for various uses by both surface and ground water.
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Row over arrest of 13/7 suspect Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 31 The two police forces were locked in a row over the arrest of Naquee Ahmed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the triple bombing while the same person was being used by Delhi Police to nab Yasin Bhatkal, one of the main accused in various bombings in the country. Now the IB has intervened and conducted a meeting to reconcile the two versions. “A reconciliation has taken place,” Chidambaram told mediapersons at his monthly press conference adding that both the Delhi Police and Maharashtra ATS are working closely on the case of this suspect and other informers. “One agency has an informer and is working through the informer to nab the prime suspect (Yasin Bhatkal). For another agency, the same informer is identified as a suspect through whom they also want to nab the same person,” he said. “So I don’t think there was any attempt by anyone to scuttle the other agency's efforts. Both were working under their jurisdiction, both were looking for the same person. I don't think the person escaped just now as he has been on the run for nearly two years," the Home Minister said, ruling out any goof up in the case. Seeking to put a lid on the controversy, he said it might appear “a bit anomalous that an informer is also a suspect but if you reflect carefully it’s not impossible that a person acts as an informer to one agency and also turns out to be a suspect in a case being investigated by another agency. It is not impossible.” The Home Minister admitted that there should have been "better" exchange of information between the two forces.
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PM stands vindicated, claims Cong
Our Political Correspondent
New Delhi, January 31 While being soft on the PM, the apex court instead blamed his officials for keeping Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy waiting for 16 months when he sought government sanction for A Raja's prosecution in the 2G Spectrum allocation case. Using strong language against those who advised the Prime Minister on the issue, the court said the PM "is not expected to personally look into the minute details of every case placed before him and has to depend on his advisers and other officers". Seizing upon these comments, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was quick to welcome the apex court's observations. "We welcome the fact that both the learned judges have completely vindicated the Prime Minister whilst appreciating the onerous duties of his office," a statement issued by the PMO said. It said the government was in the process of examining the court's direction regarding the manner in which applications for sanctions were to be dealt with. The court has set a three-month deadline for the government for sanctioning the prosecution of public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act. With the PM coming under personal attack for not acting swiftly against Raja, the PMO was particularly relieved with the court's observation on PM Singh's role in this case. "We have no doubt that if the Prime Minister had been apprised of the true, factual and legal position regarding the representation made by the appellant, he would have surely taken appropriate decision and would not have allowed the matter to linger for a period of more than one year," the court said. The Opposition promptly described it as a huge setback for the ruling coalition while the government insisted that these comments did not reflect on its functioning. Stating that the court verdict was a serious indictment of the government and the PM, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad wanted to know if action would be taken against Home Minister P Chidambaram, for his role in the 2G case as he was heading the Finance Ministry when the 2G Spectrum allotment was made. Speaking on the government's behalf, Minister of State in PMO V Narayansamy pointed out that the Centre had already taken several proactive steps to combat corruption and the Lokpal Bill, which was introduced in Parliament, had done away with the provision for seeking government sanction for the prosecution of public servants. Successive governments have come under attack for delaying the prosecution sanction, sometimes for as long as 10 years, which allowed corrupt officials to go away scot-free. This was among Team Anna's major demands for inclusion in the Lokpal Bill.
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Dial CBSE to tide over examination stress
New Delhi, January
31 Students can call toll free number 1800 180 3456. Students can dial this number from any part of the country and get in touch with the operator for general queries related to exams or with counsellors for one-to-one telephonic counselling from 8 am to midnight.
This year, 67 experts including principals, trained counsellors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools and psychologists, are participating in the tele-counselling exercise of the CBSE. They will address exam-related psychological problems of students. Pre-examcounselling
n
Toll free number 1800 180 3456 n
From 8 am to midnight till April 16
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AIIMS paper leak: Custody of accused extended
New Delhi, January 31 The accused were produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal after expiry of their judicial custody remand. The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police had earlier said that accused Mohit Chaudhary, a second-year MBBS student of an Ujjain medical college, was the "kingpin" of the racket and he had conspired with Amit, Shahi Balender Bakshi and Vimal Dangi, the doctors who had allegedly appeared in the entrance test. Besides them, two MBAs Kapil Kumar and Krishan Pratap and Bhishma Singh, a graduate who had allegedly helped the gang in using computers, were also arrested. — PTI
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Cong promises reorganisation of Uttar Pradesh
Shahira Naim Tribune News Service
Lucknow, January 31 The 27-page manifesto was jointly released by union ministers Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and technology and innovation advisor to Prime Minister Sam Pitroda in Lucknow. But the manifesto promises to set up relgio-cultural centres for Dalit icons like Sant Ravidas, Sant Shiv Narayan, Sant Valmiki, Sant Jagjivan Das, Sant Daria Sahab and Nishad Raj Guhya. It also speaks of setting up an Rs 100 crore Sant Kabir Sadhbhavna Trust for communal harmony. The party promised a ‘Skills and employment Mission’ to provide 20 lakh youth with training and jobs in the next five years. For raising productivity, the party pledged to set up a Horticulture Mission, an Edible Oils Mission and a Dairy Mission. The manifesto promised to introduce a sub quota for the Most Backward Class (MBC) and minorities under the OBC category in state government offices and educational institutions commensurate with their population. This is over and above the 4.5 per cent reservation recently announced by the union cabinet for the socially and economically backward minorities under OBC category in Central government jobs, PSUs and educational institutions. The manifesto also promises a sub quota for the “ati Dalits” (most oppressed dalits) within the SC quota. At least 25 per cent of the procurement done by the UP government would be done from SC,ST, OBC (especially MBC) and minority owned enterprises. The promises n 50% quota for women in panchayats at every level n Broadband Internet connectivity in every panchayat n Over 1 lakh vacancies of school teachers to be filled n Equitable solution of the Babri Masjid dispute.
— Rahul Gandhi (Congress)
— Satish Mishra (BSP)
— Sam Pitroda (Innovation and Tech Adviser to PM)
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BJP falls back on Vajpayee for bailout
Lucknow, January 31 Vajpayee has not been seen in public for the past several months and he is said to be too ill to move out. But the desperation in the BJP is such that some of the leaders clearly hoped to drag the charismatic former PM out. But while Vajpayee will not be campaigning in the state, the BJP still hopes he would be bailing it out. The former PM is all over the party’s publicity material. His larger-than-life posters are everywhere; Vajpayee beams from hoardings and he figures on the cover of the party’s manifesto too. When in 2009 an ailing Vajpayee requested the party that his Lok Sabha seat be given to trusted aide Lalji Tandon, the veteran Tandon had placed the stalwart’s photograph on a chair to seek his blessing and claimed to have fought the elections on his mentor’s behalf. Vajpayee’s magic did help Tandon win the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, but it is unlikely to produce the same results for the BJP in the Assembly election as the party battles one controversy a day. The abortive attempt to induct the former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha had boomeranged on the party and triggered a rebellion with veterans like Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath, MP, former party president Murli Manohar Joshi and Maneka Gandhi publicly declaring that they will not campaign for the party. The Kushwaha controversy also cost a former MLC Ram Ashish Rai his party membership. In a letter to Advani, Rai had demanded action against those who had inducted Kushwaha into the party and even accused them of striking a “deal”. Rai has since joined the Congress. On January 22, three secretaries of the state party unit dispatched their resignations to Gadkari after he promoted Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh as general secretary of the party unit. Gadkari has invited them to Delhi and promised to rethink his decision after March 6. But just when things were settling down, Kalraj Mishra raked up another controversy by calling party’s state in-charge and Charkhari (Bundelkhand) candidate Uma Bharti an “outsider”. While Mishra fancies himself as a ‘probable’ chief minister, he considers Uma Bharti a threat. He did try to make up by being present during the launch of Bharti’s election campaign last week. However, Bharti saw to it that she spoke only after Mishra had left the dais by tactfully telling him that he may get late for his other engagements. At this rate, it remains to be seen if even the populist manifesto and Vajpayee posters can help bail out the beleaguered
BJP.
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Camelot blocking UT’s heritage status: Admn
Chandigarh, January
31 Responding to a petition filed in public interest against raising skyscrapers in the city’s vicinity, the UT Chief Architect minced no words to say: The project adversely affects the efforts of the UT Administration and the steps taken by it to get the status of a World Heritage City from UNESCO as the project is in conflict with the heritage of the
city. The case also saw the UT Administration training its guns at the Punjab
Government. In the written statement placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover, the UT added: “The project and the sanction/ approval/permission granted for the execution of the project are unilaterally and without any consultation with the UT
Administration”. The Administration asserted these were also “against the very concept of the city and in complete violation of the Punjab New Capital (periphery) Control Act and the rules made there
under”. The Administration said in no uncertain terms these were also against the “very edict of Chandigarh as envisioned and prescribed by its planner Le Corbusier and endangers the environment, the ecology of the area, the Sukhna wildlife sanctuary, the Sukhna catchment area and the eco-sensitive
zone”. The reply added: “The project falls in the periphery, that is the controlled area, which was to be kept as no-development zone even as per the Chandigarh Urban Complex Plan and the Chandigarh Inter-State Regional Plan approved through the co-ordination committee of which both the states were also
members”. The high court has already ordered a stay on Tata Camelot Housing Colony Project, coming up in Punjab’s Kansal
village. The stay order came on a public interest litigation filed by Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate Aalok
Jagga. His counsel DS Patwalia had earlier sought directions to Tata, the State of Punjab and other respondents to maintain status quo in the matter.
Delay: UT
fined
Delay in filing affidavit by the UT Administration in the Tata Camelot case has cost it dear. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the administration after observing: "As adjournment has been necessitated by delayed filing of affidavit by the UT Administration, which has also come in way of the disposal of this case in terms of the Supreme Court order dated January 13, we deem it appropriate to impose a cost of Rs 50,000 on the UT Administration".
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Retrospective increase in ECHS rates challenged
Chandigarh, January 31 In September 2010, the rates of ECHS subscription were increased by 3-8 times, depending upon the category, of the earlier rates. While the rate for the lowest rank of Sepoy was increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 15,000, that of General ranks was increased from Rs 18,000 to Rs 60,000. The ministry made the new rates retrospectively applicable from June 2009 and forcibly recovered the differential from the pensions of affected retirees. Not only the personnel retiring after September 2010 but also those who had retired even before and had already become ECHS members by paying the subscription were imposed with the new rates. Taking up the petition, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal comprising NP Gupta and Lt Gen HS Panag today issued a notice to the Defence Ministry. The petitioners have contended that the new rates could only have been imposed prospectively. They have cited the example of the Central Government Health Scheme applicable to civilian employees wherein rates were increased prospectively and that too after giving an opportunity to non-members to join at old rates. In case of the defence services, new rates have been imposed even on old members who had already paid the life-time subscription. The petitioners have also claimed that their move is not to claim monetary benefits but is based on principle and is in the interest of personnel of lower ranks who have no say in such unilateral decisions. The petitioners have also stated that the increase in rates may have been justified in the light of increased pay, allowances and running costs, but the same could not have been done retrospectively.
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MP sets up carbon flux tower
Bhopal, January 31 The tower has been set up in Betul district's Tawdi forest area (Sukwan) by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in association with Indian Space Research Organisation. — PTI
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CBI books ex-Vice Chief of Army for graft
Mumbai, January 31 The case was registered against Lt Gen Thamburaj last evening under various Sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act in a designated CBI court here. — PTI
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New Delhi, January 31
Lucknow, January 31
Political parties have looted your hard earned money, sold Ram, religion and caste...
Rahul Gandhi visits homes of the poor, just to make fun of them...the BSP does not indulge in such acts.
My father was a carpenter and I am proud to be one. His (Rahul Gandhi's) intention was to tell people that when I, being son of a carpenter, could become a computer engineer and help in the country's telecom revolution, then so could they. In India it is possible with the opportunities on offer.