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Twin embarrassment for govt in RS
Govt treads cautiously on Army Chief’s issue
Defence expenditure to go up: Antony
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Army HQ for Lt Gen’s promotion, Chief wants probe
When PM, Gowda was offered bribe: Son
BRICS
Summit
71% cancer deaths in 2010 involved working adults; tobacco caused the most
Maoists to free Italian if govt fulfils 3 demands
UP minister takes on Kejriwal
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Twin embarrassment for govt in RS
New Delhi, March 29 The embarrassment for the government came one after the other as the protesting Opposition did not allow the Border Security Force (Amendment) Bill and the Whistleblowers Protection Bill to be taken up. Alleging "encroachment" upon federal rights of the states, political parties, including those from the NDA, the Left, the AIADMK, the BSP and the SP, said the Border Security Force (Amendment) Bill should be deferred till the scheduled meeting of the Centre with the Chief Ministers on April 16. The Opposition members apprehended the BSF Bill would encroach upon the rights of state governments. They wanted more time to move amendments to Bill. As Home Minister P Chidambaram rose to introduce the Bill, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said some its provisions should be discussed in the April 16 meeting of chief ministers. Chidambaram's argument that there should not be any doubt that the states' consent would be taken when the Central paramilitary forces were deployed there failed to convince the Opposition leaders, who remained adamant on the Bill being deferred. Jaitley got support from CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, who said though the Home Minister had promised that no decision would be taken on the issue of extending BSF operations to a particular state unless this was asked for, the Bill, however, did not state that. The demand was supported by all Opposition parties, including the AIADMK, the BSP and the SP, even as the Home Minister tried to explain that the Bill was needed for improving anti-Maoist operations. Noting that there is no point in "unnecessary confrontation", Yechury said the government should listen to the demand to defer the Bill. Shivanand Tewari of the JD-U wondered why the government was "repeatedly bringing such proposals, which encroached upon the rights of the states" when there has been protests by parties on similar issues. "I can say with confidence about this government and knowledge of previous governments that no Central Government in India has deployed central forces in any state without a request from the government there," Chidambaram said. As the members did not relent, Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan told the House that the Bill had been deferred. There was further embarrassment for the government immediately after this as Minister of State for Personnel and Public Grievance V Narayanasamy stood up to introduce the Whistleblowers Protection Bill that was passed by Lok Sabha along with the Lokpal Bill in the winter session last December. This time, there was an objection from Deputy Leader of the Opposition, BJP's SS Ahluwalia. He said since the members did not have enough time to go through the Bill and move the required amendments, it should also be deferred. The entire Opposition was once again united in opposing the Bill even as the minister and the chair suggested that the amendments could be moved tomorrow. As the opposition parties continued to press for deferring the Bill, K Rahman Khan adjourned the House for the day.
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Govt treads cautiously on Army Chief’s issue
New Delhi, March 29 With Defence Minister AK Antony ordering a probe into the leak of a letter written by the Army Chief to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, detailing the deficiencies in defence preparedness, the government has decided to take the next step only after it receives the inquiry report. Sources said the government's primary concern was to identify those responsible for leaking the letter to the media. The Intelligence Bureau (IB), which has been tasked with the probe, is expected to submit its findings by next week. The government's next step will be determined by the findings of that report. "More than the contents of the Army Chief's letter, it's the leak of the letter that has sent alarm bells ringing in the government," senior officials said. This was evident from the strong words used by the Defence Minister in that context. Antony described the leak of the letter as an "anti-national" act and said strict action would be taken against those responsible for it. The UPA government has opted for a measured response despite provocations from the Army Chief who first stirred a controversy over his official date of birth, dragging the government to the court. More recently, he publicly declared that he was offered a bribe to clear the purchase of substandard trucks. This was followed by his letter to the PM that was leaked to the media. General Singh fired a fresh salvo when he forwarded to the CBI a year-old letter written by a Trinamool Congress MP containing allegations against Dimapur-based 3 Corps GOC Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag. With General Singh clearly pushing for a confrontation with the government, there are sections in the Congress and the Opposition that are urging the ruling combine to take some action against the defiant Army Chief. It is being suggested that if the government does not want to take the extreme step of sacking him, it should ask him to proceed on leave for the next two months. General Singh will retire on May 31. However, there are others who are advising caution. Stating that any extreme step could have serious repercussions, the moderates are suggesting that the matter be dealt with diplomatically as the government may end up making General Singh a martyr by sacking him.
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Defence expenditure to go up: Antony
New Delhi, March 29 Observing that the defence allocation had been consistent with the country's needs, he said, “India's defence expenditure in the recent past has been around 2% of the GDP (it is 1.93% for 2012-13), which has been consistent with our security needs as well as our requirement.” The four-day exhibition will see the participation of 58 official delegations, including 18 ministerial delegations. Started in 1999, the expo is the biggest-ever with participants booking an area over 30,760 square metre to display products. Antony said the emphasis was on the need for public-private sector partnership in the defence industry. “With the projected growth of the Indian economy expected at 8-10% for the next two decades, expenditure on defence is bound to increase," Antony said.
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Army HQ for Lt Gen’s promotion, Chief wants probe
New Delhi, March 29 These facts tumbled out today. Defence Minister AK Antony said the file to promote Lt Gen Suhag as Army Commander reached his desk on March 22 and that he was surprised to read in the newspapers today that the Army Chief has asked the CBI to probe his role in some purchase. The Chief has forwarded a letter to the CBI which was written by Trinamool Congress MP Ambika Banerjee alleging irregularities in a purchase. The MP had sent the letter in May 2011 and it was forwarded to the CBI in the past two days. There are only eight Army Commanders and Lt Gen Suhag is slated to become one on May 31 when two vacancies arise. In case, he becomes an Army Commander, Lt Gen Suhag is expected to the next Chief of the 1.3 million-strong Army after Lt Gen Bikram Singh, who takes over on May 31 this year. The minister said he was not aware of the Army Chief referring a complaint of corruption against the Lt Gen (Suhag) by a Trinamool Congress MP to the CBI. "Sometime back, during one of the meetings, the Army Chief told me about the particular Lieutenant General. Immediately, I told him that if there is any specific complaint, he must take action.” Antony said, “I think the proposal to make him Army Commander is of March 22. The Defence Secretary cleared it and when I checked up today in my office, it is pending.” The minister admitted that he was not aware if the Army Chief had sent the letter to the CBI. Meanwhile, the CBI has received Gen Singh's covering letter along with the complaint from TMC MP Ambika Banerjee relating to some corruption in a procurement deal. The CBI is likely to write to Cabinet Secretariat and Defence Ministry seeking records of purchases for the Special Frontier Force (SFF). According to the allegation of the TMC MP, Lt Gen Suhag was posted in the SFF at that time. Gen Singh has now requested the CBI to carry out the probe into the allegations of corruption levelled by the MP in the deals of the SFF when Gen Suhag was its Inspector General, sources said.
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When PM, Gowda was offered bribe: Son "I am not aware of any offer made to me." — HD Deve
Gowda,
Bangalore, March 29 "The middlemen had approached me and my father with an offer of bribe to strike a defence deal... This when my father was prime minister in 1996," Kumaraswamy said, adding grist to the raging controversy over bribery charges in defence procurement. He, however, did not provide any evidence to support his claim. Hours after he made this claim at a news conference, Kumaraswamy attempted to shield his father saying Gowda did not have any information about middlemen having approached him with a bribe to strike a defence deal. "Some middlemen had approached me to offer bribe but Deve Gowda doesn't know it... he is not the person in this issue," he said. Gowda was Prime Minister between June 1996 and April 1997.
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BRICS Summit Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 29 At a meeting here on the margins of the BRICS Summit, the two leaders emphasised the need to enhance bilateral trade to $ 100 billion by 2015. The Chinese leader is also understood to have promised to address India's concerns over the huge trade imbalance in favour of China. They also signed a document to celebrate 2012 as ‘The Year of India-China Friendship’ by organising commemorative programmes. Meanwhile, Beijing has appreciated New Delhi for taking effective measures to prevent demonstrations by Tibetan refugees against the Chinese leader during his visit to India. It blamed the Dalai Lama ‘clique’ for the self-immolation by a Tibetan protester here on Wednesday. “We regret the loss of an innocent life…we emphasis that the Dalai Lama and pro-Tibetan elements are trying to push extreme and radical views by glorifying extreme behaviour which is not consistent with Buddhism,’’ Luo Zhaohui, Director General (Asia) in the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. He said India had given a firm commitment to Beijing that it considered the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as an inalienable part of China. “Pro-Tibetan elements have been creating trouble for the Government of India…China appreciates the effective and concrete measures taken by the government to overcome disruptions and ensure a smooth BRICS Summit in New Delhi.’’
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71% cancer deaths in 2010 involved working adults; tobacco caused the most
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There were 5,56,400 cancer deaths in the country in 2010
New Delhi, March 29 The trend has been revealed by a new research published online by The Lancet yesterday. The report has been authored by Professor Prabhat Jha of the Centre for Global Health Research, Toronto. The study, conducted as part of the Million Death Study of the Registrar General of India, found that India recorded 5,56,400 cancer deaths in 2010. The most disturbing finding is that cancer is not a disease of the old as 71 per cent (3,95,000) of all cancer deaths in 2010 occurred among the 30-to-69-year-old persons (2,00,100 men and 1,95,300 women). Cancer deaths accounted for 6 pc of the deaths across all ages, but among the 30 to 69 years age group, the percentage rose to 8 pc of the 2·5 million total male deaths and 12 pc of the 1·6 million total female deaths. New research analysis also shows that oral, stomach, and lung cancers are major causes of death in Indian men while cervical, stomach, and breast cancers cause the most cancer deaths among Indian women. The incidence of cervical cancer among Muslim women were found to be 40 per cent less than among Hindu women, probably due to high circumcision rates among the Muslim men that has a protective effect against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a causative agent in cervical cancer. At 30 to 69 years, the three most common fatal cancers in men were found to be-oral (23 pc; 45,800 deaths due to lip and pharynx cancer), stomach (13 pc; 25,200 deaths); lung (11 pc; 22,900 deaths due to trachea/larynx cancers). For women, the leading causes of cancer death were cervical (17 pc; 33,400); stomach (14 pc; 27,500) and breast (10 pc; 19,900 deaths). "Tobacco-related cancers represented 42 per cent (84,000) of male and 18·3 per cent (35,700) of female cancer deaths among 30 to 69 years and there were twice as many deaths from oral cancers as lung cancer due to the common use of chewing tobacco in men and women," Jha said. Another highlight of the study is that the mortality rates are two times higher in the least educated than in the most educated adults. In terms of geographical variation, the authors said that a 30-year-old man in northeastern India had the highest chance (11·2 pc) of dying from cancer before 70 years. The risk was less than 3 pc for men in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odissa in eastern India. For women, the highest risk (6 pc) of dying from cancer before 70 years was in the northeastern states where tobacco use was rampant.
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Maoists to free Italian if govt fulfils 3 demands
Bhubaneswar, March 29 The state government also suffered a setback in its effort to free abducted BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka as the Maoists turned down a fresh request by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to name their negotiators for talks to resolve the crisis. "The state government is maintaining an indifferent attitude towards talks for the release of the Italian. We may say goodbye to the process if the government does not respond by tomorrow evening," Maoist-nominated mediators BD Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty told reporters on the Italian issue. The negotiation was suspended for the second time yesterday after the Chief Minister claimed to have received additional demands from the abductors of Puri-based Italian tour operator Paolo Bosusco. "We have been negotiating with the state government for the past five days. But there has been no progress. Finally, we have sought the intervention of the Chief Minister and he is now taking time," Sharma pointed out. As 54-year-old Paolo Bosusco has completed a fortnight in Maoist captivity since abduction from Kandhamal on March 14, Dandapani Mohanty asked the state government to fulfil at least three demands for the immediate release of the Italian. The three demands are: assurance to initiate criminal action against police officials involved in fake encounter, custodial death and rape, release of persons re-arrested by the police after being acquitted in different cases and release of innocent persons booked on charge of Maoist activities. "We have already informed Home Secretary UN Behera about three basic demands of Maoists for the release of Bosusco," Mohanty said. "The ball is now in the government's court," he said.
— PTI
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mining licences Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS
Bangalore, March 29 SR Hiremath of the Dharwad-based NGO Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) told The Tribune that being the petitioner, his legal representative in Delhi has been given a copy of the committee’s recommendations. “The SC has been entrusting all the investigations regarding illegal mining to the CBI. We expect that this probe too will be conducted out by the CBI,” Hiremath said. The committee’s recommendation submitted today pertained to the case of one R Praveen Chandra who allegedly deposited Rs 3.5 crore and Rs 2.5 crore, respectively, to two companies belonging to Yeddyurappa’s two sons Raghavendra and Vijayendra (the latter is a member of the Lok Sabha) and Yeddyurappa’s son-in-law Sohan Kumar. In the petition, Hiremath had alleged that the state government had granted mining lease to Praveen Chandra to excavate iron ore and manganese mining in 132.2 hectare in Chitradurga district after kickbacks were paid to Yeddyurappa’s family members. The notification granting permission to Chandra was issued after getting the approval from the Ministry of Mines. The SPS had submitted a bundle of documents to the panel citing payments received by over 12 firms and trusts run by family members of Yeddyurappa.
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UP minister takes on Kejriwal
Lucknow, March 29 Khan has sought complete details of the two-page letter in Hindi in which Kejriwal sought permission for the Ghaziabad’s Kaushambi Residents' Welfare Association (KRWA) that he headed to collect taxes on behalf of the Municipal Corporation. It also underlines that the Mayor had a word with LK Advani, who also suggested that the decision be implemented as a test case. The then officers of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) have been asked to explain why they did not report the matter to the higher-ups after the letter requesting handing over of some duties was received. The matter came to Khan’s notice on March 27 after which he sought a detailed report on the issue from the GMC and has now directed senior officials of his ministry to seek legal opinion on the nature and the extent of action that can be initiated against KRWA and Kejriwal for his alleged intimidation.
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New Delhi, March 29
