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Non-Congress govts to blame for UP’s plight: Manmohan
Cong unfazed by EC reprimand to Beni Prasad on Muslim quota
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Cong denigrating EC, says BJP
Samjhauta blasts
NRHM Accountant’s Murder
Mi-17 V5 copters inducted into IAF
No rethink on jet deal: Antony
Nepal PM for better ties with India
‘Army Chief age row taught lessons’
Army destroys classified Kargil documents
India fails to halt TB’s menacing march
Italian oil tanker brought to Kochi, crew questioned
Shifting of Sajjan’s Kumar’s trial
Cabinet panel nod to National Dairy Plan
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Non-Congress govts to blame for UP’s plight: Manmohan Addressing two public rallies in the industrial town of Kanpur today, the two leaders described each other’s government as the most corrupt. "For the past 22 years, UP has been steadily regressing. Kanpur, which used to be India's Manchester, now has sick textile mills. The condition of bijli, paani, sadak is pathetic,” said Singh in the meeting at the Motijheel grounds. “As non-Congress governments in the state during the past 22 years did not pay attention to good governance, standards of education and law and order have worsened,” said Singh. Expressing confidence at the Congress winning the UP elections, he said only then would this "bad situation" change. Mayawati attacked the Congress for corruption. “During the past 31 months of the Congress rule, there have been 62 massive scams. “The Congress not commenting on these scams proves that it is party to the scams,”she alleged.
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Cong unfazed by EC reprimand to Beni Prasad on Muslim quota
New Delhi, February 17 All that Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury today offered was a repeat of party General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi’s statement after Law Minister Salman Khurshid’s rant on Muslim sub-quota that “We want all Congress people to speak within the rules of public life and the law of the land.” In the same breath, she said reservation for Muslims had always been Congress’ focus and hence, could not be termed a poll issue. Therefore, there was no need to mention it in the party’s UP manifesto in the way Khurshid and Verma had been talking about it, she said. In the backdrop of regular spats between the EC and its ministers, Congress spokespersons in fact have a suggestion - a statutory status for the Model Code of Conduct and leaving it to wisdom of a court of law to decide and hand out punishment if and when any violation was made by a political party during poll campaigns. “Maybe the time has come in the wider sweep of electoral reforms to really give the Model Code of Conduct a statutory basis… the EC should revisit its own position on the issue,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari recently said after Khurshid creating a major furore. “The Model Code of Conduct has no statutory binding...,” Tewari had said. According to sources, the party is quite pleased with the way the situation has been unfolding each time the controversy is raised. “With his Muslim sub-quota remarks, Salman and now Verma have achieved what they wanted to - grab the headlines and send the message across to the 18 per cent minority community in UP that Congress cares. Every time the controversy is raked up, it just means more publicity for the party,” they say.
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Cong denigrating EC, says BJP
New Delhi, February 17 Referring to the latest disregard of the EC by Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma, BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy asked the EC to take strict action against Verma. A BJP delegation presented a memorandum to the EC in this regard today.
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Accused’s parents seek action against NIA sleuths
Rajinder Nagarkoti/TNS
Panchkula, February 17 In his application, Kamal’s father Radhe Shayam has sought action against the NIA officials, who had allegedly picked Kamal from the Dipalpur police station in Indore on February 10, but later showed his arrest on February 13 from Noida. Confirming the development, Radhe Shyam’s counsel Anil Soni said as the NIA had kept Kamal under illegal custody for three days, they have therefore sought action against the NIA officials. We have also sought details of mobile tower location of NIA sleuths from February 10 to 13 to show that they had picked Kamal from Indore, not from Noida, he added. In the application, they have sought directions to collect the CCTV footage regarding Kamal’s arrival at Indore Airport and boarding a commercial flight. Directions to collect passenger details of all commercial flights from Indore to Delhi from February 11 to 13 have also been sought. Kamal’s father has also demanded the details of logbooks of the allocation and use of official cars by NIA officials in Delhi and Indore showing their movement.
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FIR against 6 health dept officials
Shahira Naim/TNS
Lucknow, February 17 The case was filed on complaint of the deceased’s wife Mithelesh Sharma following the postmortem report which confirmed ante-mortem smothering to be the cause of the death. Six injury marks had been found on his body. His wife has demanded a CBI probe into the murder. As Sharma’s family did not want the health department doctors to conduct the postmortem, the district administration got the process videographed. The postmortem was conducted by a panel of three doctors. An FIR has been lodged against the CMO Dr JP Bhargava, Deputy CMO Balbir Singh, Pasgawan Community Health Centre (CHC) in-charge Dr SC Gupta and Pasgwan CHC clerks Rajesh Hans, Kuldeep and Munna Lal. The accountant had mysteriously disappeared on February 7, barely three days after the CBI team had come to Khiri to question the CMO in the NRHM scam. Khiri was one of the districts which had seen massive financial irregularities relating to NRHM. On February 15, upon receiving information from an employee of the Pasgwan CHC, where Sharma was posted, the district police broke open his official residence and found his body lying in a pool of blood, with severe injuries on the head and face. Sharma’s wife has, in her complaint, charged health department officials with having harassed her husband for the last one year, during which he was reportedly transferred five times. When her husband resumed duties at Pasgawan CHC after returning from leave availed from November 2 to 26, 2011, he found his official almirah broken and important documents, files and cheques related to the NRHM missing. Sharma had reported this to the CMO, who had then asked him to join duty at Bijua after handing over charge to a clerk, Rajesh Hans. Sharma then gave an application to the CMO requesting written transfer orders, the wife claimed in her complaint.
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Mi-17 V5 copters inducted into IAF
New Delhi, February 17 Defence Minister AK Antony said India’s latest acquisition would augment the Army’s military capabilities. He said the Mi-17 V5 helicopters would add to the flexibility and operational muscle, as well as capabilities of the IAF. It would help it in meeting its growing mandate, he added. Earlier, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshall NAK Browne said the first lot of 21 choppers would be sub-divided and sent to Bathinda, Srinagar and Bagdogra. The lot stationed at Srinagar would also do duty at Thoise in Northern Ladakh besides being deployed for air-lifting operations at Saichen Glacier.
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No rethink on jet deal: Antony
New Delhi, February 17 On January 31, New Delhi, after conducting extensive tests of global fighters, had announced that French firm Dassault Aviation’s Rafale was the lowest price bidder for the procurement of 126 jets for the Indian Air Force. Cameron announced in British Parliament that he would impress upon the Indians to review their decision and have a look at EADS consortium’s Eurofighter Typhoon. EADS is a consortium of four countries - the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. Antony, while responding to queries from the media, said Indian foreign policy and relations with any country have no connection with procurement of weapon systems. “Our foreign policy and relations are one thing, but our procurements are not based on political considerations. Procurement is based on trials by Services and the lowest price. There will be no other consideration,” Antony made it abundantly clear. The minister was asked to comment on British Prime Minister David Cameron’s statement that he would ask India to rethink its decision on the deal and buy the Eurofighter Typhoon.
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Nepal PM for better ties with India
Patna, February 17 Acknowledging the socio-economic transformation of Bihar under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said that his countrymen were observing the positive changes in the state, one of the five Indian states that border Nepal. Delivering the inaugural speech at the “Global summit on changing Bihar” here today, Bhattarai said that a significant portion of Nepal’s international trade was dependent on the road and rail transport of this state and it was for this reason that his country’s major industrial and economic centres were located along the border with Bihar. Recalling Nepal’s socio-cultural and historical ties with Bihar which often transcend political boundaries, he said, “We are not just close neighbours. Nature has forced us to work together in harmony.” Talking about the Himalayan aquatic systems that feed most river systems in Bihar, Bhattarai said that these rivers were a boon for both Bihar and Nepal during periods of normalcy, but these also brought misery to the people during monsoon. He offered to make best use of the water potential of these rivers through mutual cooperation and mitigate the suffering of the people. Earlier, welcoming the Nepal PM and his delegation, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said boundaries of state and nations were manmade, but there was a natural bond between Bihar and Nepal.
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‘Army Chief age row taught lessons’
New Delhi, February 17 Speaking to the mediapersons on the sidelines of a defence function, he said, “We have learnt lessons from it. We are going to ask everybody in the Armed forces to strictly reconcile different documents so that this kind of conflict of does not happen in future.” “It is not a personal matter. It happened unfortunately and it is over now. Do not raise the issue in the country’s interest,” he told the media. When asked if there was any strain in the ties between the Defence Ministry and the Army, Antony said, "This is a closed chapter now. There is no strain.”
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Army destroys classified Kargil documents
Chandigarh, February 17 Consequent to the reply, the brigadier's counsel today filed a contempt application against an Army Major and a joint secretary in the Defence Ministry, contending that the said documents were destroyed after the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) directed the Army to keep the said documents readily available for production in court. "The original copies of the documents listed in the RTI have been destroyed by burning as per procedures. No record of any additional copies of the said documents being prepared exits in this directorate," said a note from the Military Operations Directorate attached with the Army's reply received by the Brigadier a few days ago. Brig Surinder Singh was the commander of 121 (Independent) Brigade at Kargil in 1999. During mid-conflict, he was removed over allegations of mishandling classified information and later his services were terminated. He challenged the Army's actions in the Delhi High Court and the matter was subsequently transferred to the tribunal, where it came up for hearing today. He had sought copies of several documents pertaining to the period of operations in support of the contentions he has raised before the tribunal. Some of these documents were attached by the then Chief of Army Staff, Gen VP Malik, along with his reply submitted in the case a few years ago and the contents of which also find mention in his book. In his contempt petition, yet to be taken up by the bench, Brigadier Singh's counsel MP Goswami said they had sought contempt proceedings against Maj Harpal Singh and Arun Kumar Bal, joint secretary (establishment) in the MoD. He said affidavits filed earlier by the respondents revealed that the said documents were existing as on October 25, 2010, when the AFT issued the aforesaid orders on their production. Speaking to mediapersons outside the court, Goswami said Gen Malik should also be questioned as to how he obtained and retained copies of classified documents when the same were being purported to have been destroyed without any copies being made. "If a brigadier can face action for allegedly retaining some official documents, the same provisions of law are equally applicable to the former Army Chief," he said. The list of several hundred pages of documents said to have been destroyed include those related with Operation Meghdoot in Siachen, correspondence on Pakistani intelligence, Line of Control violations, firing incidents, intrusions, movements, VVIP visits, disputes along the border and other operational and administrative matters. Counsel for the Union of India Gurpreet Singh said the petitioner today filed an affidavit before the bench giving his averments on the its observation that some information conveyed to the media was incorrect. "We will be filing a rejoinder to the affidavit on the next date of hearing in April," he added.
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India fails to halt TB’s menacing march
New Delhi, February 17 Nepal is the only other nation, besides India, in South and South-West Asia which will miss goal of halting or beginning to reverse incidence and prevalence of TB. All other countries of the region — Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Turkey — will meet the target. Globally, TB-infected population fell to 8.8 million in 2010 as against 9 million in 2005, but in India, the disease infected over 15 lakh in 2010 and took 3 lakh lives. Multi-drug resistant cases, which make up more than 2 per cent of all new cases, have caused immense concern in recent times. Strangely, even the economically less advanced countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh are “early achievers on the MDG of TB”, as per a new UN report which assesses the progress of the Asia Pacific region on the MDGs. India and Nepal are in the “regressing” category on TB goal. Titled “Accelerating Equitable Achievement of the MDGs”, the report published jointly by the Asian Development Bank and the UN categorises all 55 nations of the Asia Pacific region into four sections depending on their MDG progress — early achievers (those that have attained targets); on track (likely to attain), slow (likely to miss) and regressing (sure to miss). On 10 of the 22 indicators of MDG progress, India is “slow”, while China is slow only on two indicators — reducing under-5 mortality and infant mortality.
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Italian oil tanker brought to Kochi, crew questioned
Kochi, February 17 A diplomatic row has erupted between India and Italy over the incident. The vessel had not reported the incident and it was the coastal police at Neendakara in Kollam district which communicated it to the Coast Guard and search operations were launched, Basra said. "It was an error of judgement on the part of the vessel," he said, adding firing on unarmed fishermen was not correct.
— PTI
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Shifting of Sajjan’s Kumar’s trial Aditi Tandon/TNS
New Delhi, February 17 Citing threat to Sajjan Kumar’s life by extremist groups, Delhi Police recently wrote to the District and Sessions Judge to shift his trial from the Karkardooma Courts to Tihar Jail. Complainants today approached Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta, saying they did not have any objection to the trial being shifted, provided the so-called threat to Sajjan was verified.
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Cabinet panel nod to National Dairy Plan
New Delhi, February 17 According to officials, the long-pending plan
was approved by the CCEA yesterday. To be launched by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the plan aims at empowering dairy farmers with an outlay of around Rs 1,760 crore (Rs 1,584 crore World Bank credit and Rs 176 crore government share). It will be implemented in phases on the basis of the current potential of dairying in a district. According to NDDB’s 2010-11 annual report, an investment of around Rs 2,000 crore will be required for the first phase of NDP activities ranging from production of high genetic merit bulls to production of disease-free quality semen and implementing a pilot project to promote a model for viable doorstep delivery services following
prescribed Standard Operating Procedures. Besides increasing production of milk and allied products, the programme will target bringing 65 per cent surplus milk produced under the organised sector against the present 30 per cent. By the end of the 12th five-year plan period, demand for milk is expected to increase to 141 million tonne. To meet this demand, the sector needs to grow at a rate of 5 to 6 per cent. While milk production has been growing by 3.5 per cent annually, milk consumption is increasing at 5 per cent per annum, thereby leading to demand-supply gap and frequent price rise. There are also issues related to quality of the milk, which are intended to be taken care of once more dairy producers come under the ambit of organised sector.
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If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the non-Congress government in Uttar Pradesh responsible for the state’s backwardness, Chief Minister Mayawati called the Congress the most corrupt and ‘ghotalebaaz’ party in the country.
The Congress, it seems, is not too perturbed either over the Election Commission’s reprimand to Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma for disregarding the Model Code of Conduct or opposition BJP’s appeal to the Election Commission asking for penal action against Verma.
New Delhi, February 17
If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the non-Congress government in Uttar Pradesh responsible for the state’s backwardness, Chief Minister Mayawati called the Congress the most corrupt and ‘ghotalebaaz’ party in the country.