|
|
|
|
|
Over 57% turnout in Phase IV
Poll Snippets
Bodo faction wants IB ex-chief out of talks |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Disability pension
MNS set to get first mayor in Nashik
Maoist-ISI nexus a challenge to Assam security, says Gogoi
Kudankulam plant safe: TN panel
Hackers break into 21 Andhra Govt websites
Rebel factions’ rivalry threatens peace in Nagaland
|
|
Over 57% turnout in Phase IV
Lucknow, February 19 While none of the last three phases has matched 62 per cent average recorded during the first phase on February 8, today’s average was a huge improvement from the 47.23 per cent recorded for these districts in 2007. The lowest number of voters (49 per cent) turned out in Kunda in Pratapgarh, where Raja of Kunda Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya has been winning as an independent candidate since the early nineties. The constituency which registered the highest voting was Shahganj in Hardoi where 64 per cent of voters came out to exercise their franchise. According to Chief Election Officer Umesh Sinha, in this phase, over 30 lakh voters had been added since 2009. As many as 15 EVM machines had to be replaced following complaints. There were no untoward poll-related incident reported anywhere today, claimed Sinha. He said a review would be made tomorrow regarding the number of people who have exercised the right to reject in this phase. However, the case of Indrauli village in Malihabad on the outskirts of Lucknow remained unique as around 350 villagers did not vote in protest against the district administration’s failure to capture a prowling tiger.
|
|
Politics a lucrative option
That politics is the most lucrative business in Uttar Pradesh has once again been proved by the huge increase in assets of re-contesting candidates in the 16th Vidhan Sabha polls. The Uttar Pradesh Election Watch has analysed and compared affidavits of 49 re-contesting MLAs in the 6th phase. The average asset worth of the 49 re-contesting candidates was Rs 1.26 crore in 2007. After five years, it has increased to an average of Rs 3.38 crore. Average percentage of growth in assets for these MLAs is 168 per cent. The assets of Satveer Singh Gujjar, the BSP candidate from Dadri, have multiplied by whopping 3,776 times since 2007 (from Rs 2.21 lakh in 2007 to Rs 97.48 lakh in 2012). BSP candidate from Kithor Lakhi Ram Nagar’s total worth has gone up from Rs 8.42 crore to Rs 19.73 crore. BSP minister Nand Gopal ‘Nandi’, who is re-contesting from Allahabad in the third phase, has the highest increase in his assets worth Rs 79.94 crore, followed by Ajay Pratap Singh, the BSP candidate from Colonelganj, who has increase in asset worth Rs 12.08 crore. The slippery road
Lok Manch national president Amar Singh slipped while boarding his helicopter at Echana village in Bundelkhand on Saturday evening hurting his leg. He was helped into the helicopter by his security staff. Later, his helicopter made an unscheduled landing in Lucknow, where Singh has been admitted into a private nursing home. However, this unscheduled landing of the helicopter in Lucknow has not gone down well with the Election Commission. The EC has issued a notice to Lok Manch candidate Raju Singh and pilot Naseem for misuse of the Aviation Act.
Money no bar
They say democracy is a true leveller. It is true in the case of Sandila constituency in Hardoi district where a Dalit cook is pitted against a king, a sitting minister and a poet. Ramdei (49) cooks the mid-day meal for as many as 75 students at Lalpur Asha Ashram School. She is contesting on the Socialist Party ticket. The Raja of Bharawal — Kunwar Mahavir Singh — is a candidate on the SP ticket, Minister of Science and Technology Abdul Mannan is contesting on the BSP ticket, while poet Vadvrat Bajpayee is the BJP candidate. Although the EC has allowed each candidate to spend up to Rs 16 lakh for campaigning, for Ramdei such an amount is unheard of. With great difficulty, she has managed donations worth Rs 20,000. (Compiled by Shahira
Naim)
|
||
|
Bodo faction wants IB ex-chief out of talks
Guwahati, February 19 The outfit has taken it up with the Union Home Ministry citing lack of progress in the peace process in the last two-and-a-half years. Basumatary said, “We are not happy with the functioning of the present interlocutor. We have asked Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to remove him from the peace process currently on with the NDFB (Progressive) for resolving problems of the Bodo tribe in Assam.” The NDFB (P) has suggested names of four other persons — former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, Congress MP from Arunachal Pradesh Takam Sanjay, former Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir and Meghalaya Governor and retired IPS officer RS Mooshahary — as Haldar’s replacement. The former IB chief was appointed by the Centre as its interlocutor for peace process not only with the Bodo outfit but for all other insurgent groups, including the United Liberation Front of Assam (pro-talks) from Assam, which are now in talks with the Government of India. Haldar’s efforts to woo the other faction of the Bodo faction led by Ranjan Daimary, who is in jail, to enter into a peace process has not gone down well with the rival NDFB (P) faction led by Basumatary. The NDFB (P) demands a separate state for the Bodo tribe in Assam after scaling down its demand for ‘sovereignty’ — something that the ULFA faction has already done.
|
||
|
Govt drags ex-Vice Chief of Army to SC
R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, February 19 Gen Oberoi lost his right leg below the knee during the 1965 India-Pakistan war when he was Captain. Subsequently, his disability was assessed at 70 per cent. He was retained in service and he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General before his retirement in 2001. The war hero claimed 75 per cent disability pension under a February 3, 2000 government circular on rounding off of benefit. Under the circular, personnel assessed at 20-50 per cent disability would be entitled to 50 per cent disability pension. Similarly, the extent of disability from 50 to 75 per cent would be rounded off to 75 per cent and 75 to 100 per cent disability would be treated as 100 per cent disability. Subsequently, the Defence Ministry issued a letter on January 31, 2001 disqualifying those retiring on superannuation from getting the rounding off benefit. Another letter on January 19, 2010, clarified that rounding off would be done only for those who were prematurely released from service. Gen Oberoi challenged the two letters before a regional Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Chandigarh, at Chandimandir, which allowed his claim for 75 per cent disability pension on August 4, 2010, directing the government to make the payment within six months. Any delay in the payment would entail an interest of 8 per cent. The government has, however, moved the SC after a delay of 429 days, challenging the AFT’s judgment. Opposing the petition on behalf of Gen Oberoi, counsel Aishwarya Bhati contended that the matter had very serious ramifications as about 2,000 such cases were pending for adjudication. After a brief hearing on February 17, a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and CK Prasad tagged the petition with other similar cases and sought the response of Gen Oberoi. In the appeal, the government contended that the AFT’s ruling was in violation of several SC verdicts, holding that there was a clear distinction between those invalidated out of service and those discharged from service on completion of tenure for the purpose of pension benefits. Further, the AFT had no power to strike down government orders. This case has come to the SC close on the heels of the apex court resolving another high-profile dispute involving the age of Army Chief Gen Vijay Kumar Singh. The SC had rejected Gen Singh’s plea that his date of birth should be taken as May 10, 1951 on his service records and not as May 10, 1950 as directed by the government.
|
||
|
MNS set to get first mayor in Nashik
Mumbai, February 19 "We will not betray the trust that people have reposed on us. We will take the right decision to deliver results," Thackeray said. The MNS had carried out an aggressive campaign against the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the elections in Nashik and it is not clear with whom it will ally in the town. While the NCP has 20 seats, the Shiv Sena has 19 and the BJP 14. The Congress has 15 seats while others have bagged 14 seats. A section of the Muslim community which accounts for a little above 20 per cent of the population in the town want the mayor to be chosen from one of the three corporators belonging to the minority community. Three of the six Muslim corporators from Nashik belong to the
MNS.
|
||
|
WHO rejects Lancet study, says hormonal contraception safe for HIV+ women
New Delhi, February 19 The global health watchdog dismissed the Lancet research and advised women living with HIV and those at high risk to continue the use of hormonal contraception to prevent pregnancy. “The WHO upholds guidance on hormonal contraceptive use and HIV. Women living with HIV or at high risk of HIV can safely continue to use hormonal contraceptives to prevent pregnancy,” an advisory from the WHO said. Following the research article in Lancet Infectious Diseases journal in October 2011, the WHO convened a technical consultation from January 31 to February 1 to review the findings from all recent epidemiological studies on the issue. It did so to address the alarm the article in the journal raised considering that hormonal contraception is being widely used by women at HIV risk to avoid pregnancy. After detailed discussions, WHO concluded on the advice of its Guidelines Review Committee that contraceptives could be used safely and there was no risk involved. “The recommendation follows a thorough review of evidence about links between hormonal contraceptive use and HIV acquisition,” the WHO said. The current WHO recommendations in the medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (published in the 2009 edition) remain as they were — there are no restrictions on the use of any hormonal contraceptive method for women living with HIV or at high risk of HIV. Couples seeking to prevent both unintended pregnancy and HIV should be strongly advised to use dual protection - condoms and another effective contraceptive method, such as hormonal contraceptives. The Lancet study had suggested that hormonal contraceptives such as the pill or injectable contraceptives may increase women’s risk of HIV infection. The study also found that women living with HIV and using hormonal contraception may be more likely to transmit the virus to their partner than women who did not use hormonal contraception. WHO experts recommended that women living with HIV or at high risk of HIV could continue to use contraceptives as before, but emphasised the need to use condoms also to prevent HIV acquisition and transmission. They stressed the need for further research and the importance of offering a wider choice of contraceptive options. WHO’s Guidelines Review Committee upheld these recommendations.
What are hormonal contraceptives?
Hormonal contraception refers to birth control methods that act on the endocrine system. Almost all methods are composed of steroid hormones, although in India one selective estrogen receptor modulator is marketed as a contraceptive. The original hormonal method — the combined oral contraceptive pill — was first marketed as a
contraceptive in 1960.
|
||
|
Maoist-ISI nexus a challenge to Assam security, says Gogoi
Guwahati, February 19 “The review meeting discussed the need for evolving a new strategy following reports of Maoists infiltrating some districts of Assam in collusion with local insurgent groups, being backed by Pakistan’s ISI,” Gogoi said. “Though insurgency-related violence has come down in the state, there is no scope for complacency,” Gogoi said, adding the state government had asked the Centre for a special fund to facilitate rehabilitation of surrendered militants. The meeting also focused on the North East insurgent base in bordering Myanmar. “It has been a matter of concern that Myanmar has become a hub of insurgent groups from the North East. These groups have links with the Kachin Independent Army. We have to revamp our counter-insurgency strategy to tackle the problem,” Gogoi said. Chidambaram reviewed the status of peace process with various insurgent groups in Assam, including the ULFA (pro-talks), the NDFB (progressive), both factions of the Dima Halam Daogah and Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF). He also discussed with Gogoi and former IB chief PC Haldar how the government was planning to carry forward the peace process.
Gogoi bats for NCTC
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Sunday that he was in favour of the Centre’s decision to set up the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Regarding apprehension expressed by some Chief Ministers that the NCTC would be an infringement of the federal structure of the country, Gogoi said, “I don’t believe that the Centre will do anything while tackling terrorism without consulting the concerned states.”
|
||
|
When Jaitley sang a different tune
Anita Katyal The BJP has gone all out to slam the Congress over its promise on a sub-quota for minorities in its election campaign in Uttar Pradesh. In fact, this has been the recurring theme in all the speeches of its leaders who never fail to accuse the Congress of minority appeasement. However, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley was forced to sing a different tune when he landed in the Patti assembly segment of Pratapgarh for an election rally last week. The party candidate, Moti Singh, who has won this seat several times, requested Jaitley before the rally that it might be a good idea to skip all references to the minority quota in his speech as this constituency has a sizeable population of Muslims who have always voted for him and without whose support he cannot hope to win the seat. As a result, Jaitley tweaked his speech and took care not to mention the minority quota controversy. BJP’s ‘love and hate’ for PC
However, relations between the BJP and Chidambaram soured after the same NIA zeroed in on Hindu terror groups for their alleged involvement in the Samjhauta Express blast case in which more than 65 people were killed. The BJP subsequently declared war on the Home Minister and used every opportunity to oppose him both inside and outside Parliament. Unable to pursue the 2G issue, the BJP has promptly deployed its Chief Ministers to oppose the creation of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, well aware that this is Chidambaram’s pet project.
Raj, Pawar real gainers
NCP leader Ajit Pawar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray have emerged as the two clear winners in last week’s corporation and zila parishad elections in Maharashtra. Although the MNS has not been able to displace the Shiv Sena, it has established its presence in the state local bodies as it has improved its tally considerably. The victory for the NCP is being credited to Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar’s nephew. While Raj Thackeray’s creditable performance is a cause for concern for the Shiv Sena as his fledgling party has emerged as a serious challenger, Sharad Pawar has to worry about nephew Ajit Pawar’s growing clout in the state which has always been his fiefdom. There has also been talk of a rift in the family as Sharad Pawar wants daughter Supriya Sule to take over the NCP reins but his nephew is putting up a spirited fight.
|
||
|
Kudankulam plant safe: TN panel
Tirunelveli, February 19 Emerging from the two-hour-long talks with members of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), committee convenor S Iniyan told reporters they inspected the KNPP yesterday for more than three hours and reviewed the safety measures put in place to deal with any contingency. "From our inspection, we have gathered that KNPP can withstand tsunami strikes as the plant is 20 feet above sea level. The reactors, which are of third generation, would automatically shut down in case of any problem," he said. KNPP also has a passive heat removal system and high-power diesel generators to meet any situation, said the convenor, adding these safety measures had been certified by authorities concerned. Iniyan said talks with the PMANE group, spearheading the protest against the KNPP, were "cordial", but the committee rejected their demands to hold discussions with PMANE's expert group and to meet people of the coastal villages surrounding Kudankulam.
— PTI
|
||
|
Hackers break into 21 Andhra Govt websites
Hyderabad, February 19 The hackers did not deface the home pages of departmental websites, but added additional pages with their messages, indicating that the cyber intruders were not radical hackers and they did not intend to steal any information. It was just a case of hackers trying to demonstrate their capabilities, officials said. The hackers identified themselves as !-Bb0yH4cK3r_Dz-! and Hmei7. The hacked websites belong to major government departments such as those looking into gazette notifications, government orders, commercial taxes, GAD, horticulture, factories and remote and interior area development. The Finance Minister asserted that the question of losing vital data to hackers did not arise. “None of the finance department sites or servers which dealt with the preparation of the Budget were touched,” Reddy said.
|
||
|
Rebel factions’ rivalry threatens peace in Nagaland
Guwahati, February 19 The Government had entered into truce with the NSCN-IM led by Th Muivah and Isak Swu; and the NSCN-K led by SS Khaplang, a Burmese-origin Naga based in Myanmar, in 1997 and 2001, respectively. The Government has been engaging the NSCN-IM in peace talks for over a decade now and both the sides claim to have made significant progress. However, bitter rivalry between the NSCN factions has been a bane for the Naga society. The NSCN-IM has called for a meeting of all stakeholders of the civil society on February 29 in Dimapur for future course of the negotiations with the Centre.
— TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The fourth phase of polling passed off peacefully today with the highest polling at 59.89 per cent recorded at Rae Bareli and the lowest at 52.86 per cent in neighbouring Pratapgarh. The average polling percentage in the 11 districts was 57.20 per cent, slightly better than 57 per cent during the last phase.
Jantar Mantar 
Home Minister P Chidambaram had endeared himself to the BJP with his tough talk on terror when he took over this charge in the aftermath of the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai. Shaken by this incident, all Opposition parties had then rallied around Chidambaram and endorsed all his proposals on fighting terror with the creation of the National Investigation Agency getting the thumbs up.