The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Meira, Kalam or Gopal OK as Prez, but not Pranab: Mamata Anita Katyal Our Political Correspondent New Delhi, May 21 There was a fresh twist to the upcoming Presidential election today after Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee indicated that she was reluctant to back Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the next incumbent of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In an interview to a TV channel, Mamata Banerjee listed Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, former West Bengal governor Gopal Gandhi and former President APJ Abdul Kalam as her preferences for the President’s post. Asked specifically about Pranab Mukherjee, she replied, “Is he the son of West Bengal. He may be the son of the world. I don’t think so, but it is his choice.” Mamata’s cryptic reference to Mukherjee’s candidature has highlighted the fault lines within the UPA, pointing clearly to the lack of consensus in the ruling combine on the choice of its Presidential nominee. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has held preliminary consultations with key UPA allies on the issue. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP and DMK chief M Karunanidhi have said they will endorse the Congress choice and have even openly supported Mukherjee’s candidature. But the Trinamool chief, a key UPA ally, had kept the Congress guessing about her preference, by merely stating that “all options are open”. Mamata Banerjee, who met Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier this month, had indicated that the support for a Congress nominee would be contingent on the Centre’s response to her demand for a financial package for West Bengal. There was no official word from the Congress on Mamata’s first public statement on her choice of Presidential candidates. “The Congress is trying to evolve a consensus on the issue. As and when there is something to be said on this issue, we will get back to you,” Congress spokesperson Rashid Ali said today. Although the Congress did not expect Mamata to endorse Mukherjee’s candidature, given her strained relations with him, its leaders were surprised that she should have gone public with her views. Senior party leaders were quick to dismiss her statement as an attempt to bargain for a bailout package for her state. They also pointed out that in case the Congress decides on Mukherjee, it will be difficult for Mamata Banerjee to reject him as he would be the country’s first President from West Bengal. The Left parties, which had suggested Mukherjee’s candidature in the 2007 election, would endorse Mukherjee as their choice for the post of President. The Congress will then have to decide if it is willing to alienate Mamata by taking support from her arch political rival. Mamata’s remarks come at a time when Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa have been lobbying for support with non-Congress parties for former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma’s candidature. Mamata had earlier joined hands with these two CMs in taking on the Centre on federal issues. However, parties like the BJP, the Janata Dal (U) and the Akali Dal have decided not to take any hurried decision and will instead wait for the UPA to finalise its nominee. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, who are extending outside support to the ruling combine, are also playing their cards close to their chest though they have indicated they will not part company with the UPA on the issue. On the other hand, the SP and the Trinamool have decided to work in tandem in the Presidential election.
	Spectrum juggle to fetch govt Rs 3 lakh crore Girja Shankar Kaura/TNS New Delhi, May 21 Even as opposition for the proposed re-farming of the Spectrum by the telecom sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) grows, reports emerging from the market said the government could end up filling its coffers with around Rs 3 lakh crore as a result of the proposal. Reports said the regulator has written a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) pointing out that the government can realise the true value of Spectrum in the precious 900 MHz and 800 MHz bands only by re-farming. TRAI has recommended that the 900 and 800 MHz bands should be replaced with the 1,800 MHz band and the vacated bands should be auctioned. The proposal not only has the incumbent GSM operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea angry, but the move also has the industry body ASSOCHAM saying that the suggestion would have detrimental effect on the working of the three GSM operators. TRAI has said the government could receive as much as Rs 3 lakh crore over four years. The Telecom Commission, the country’s highest decision-making body in the telecom sector, is likely to take a decision on re-farming of Spectrum in its meeting on Thursday. The government wants existing operators to pay for excess Spectrum beyond two multiplied by 4.4 Mhz in case of those using GSM technology and two multiplied by 2.5 Mhz in the case of those using CDMA technology. Dual-technology users like RCom and Tata hold more than 2×2.5 Mhz of Spectrum in the 800 Mhz band in most circles. The Telecom Commission also wants the legal tenability of this move to be examined. “The authority would, however, like to underline that the Spectrum required for re-farming be set aside since the value to be realised from the auction of 800 and 900 MHz Spectrum is very large - of the order of Rs 3 lakh crore at the reserve price - besides involving issues of level-playing field,” TRAI has said in the letter to DoT Secretary. TRAI has recommended a reserve price of Rs 3,622 crore for 1 MHz pan-India Spectrum, which is around 10 times higher than the price at which 2G licences were allocated in 2008 under then Telecom Minister A Raja. The regulator has also recommended that the reserve price of the Spectrum in 800 MHz and 900 MHz band should be Rs 7,200 crore per MHz - double that of the 1,800 MHz band. Reacting against the proposal, ASSOCHAM, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Communications Minister Kapil Sibal, has said, “The proposed immediate re-farming of Spectrum would be detrimental for incumbents like Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, MTNL/BSNL, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices which have considerable share of Spectrum in the 900/800 MHz category.” The Proposal Re-farming refers to redistribution of airwaves in the 900-MHz band, largely held by incumbents, and substituting it with frequencies in the 1,800-MHz band Spectrum in the 900 MHz and 800 MHz bands is considered valuable as it involves must lower costs in setting up infrastructure to harness the bands The proposal will hit incumbent GSM operators like Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, MTNL/BSNL, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices
	HC offers another chance to Tiwari Tells him to give DNA sample on May 26 R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, May 21 Offering one more chance to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari to give his blood sample voluntarily, the Delhi High Court today directed him to appear in the court on May 26 for the purpose. Clarifying that the HC did not want to rush into taking police help for collecting the DNA sample of the defiant Tiwari, Joint Registrar Deepak Garg said the veteran Congress leader was being given another opportunity to voluntarily comply with the HC order. The 86-year-old Tiwari should appear before the court at 12 noon on May 26 along with two of his photographs and give his DNA sample to ascertain whether he is the biological father 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar, Garg said in the order. Rohit has filed a paternity suit in the HC claiming that he was born out of a relationship his mother, Ujjawala, had with Tiwari, who has also been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, besides being the Minister for Finance and External Affairs at the Centre and Governor of Andhra Pradesh. The Joint Registrar passed the order after being informed that the HC had received the DNA sample collection kit from the Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) which would conduct the paternity test. Today’s hearing was the result of an order passed by Justice Reva Khetrapal on May 16, setting an ultimatum for Tiwari and authorising the Joint Registrar to take police help to forcibly collect the blood sample. Tiwari has been avoiding the test by filing petitions in the HC and the Supreme Court raising objections despite the fact that the two courts had already rejected these submissions and made it clear that he should be immediately subjected to the test in view of his age. The SC has, however, clarified that the result of the paternity test would be kept in a sealed cover until the verdict on Tiwari’s contention that the DNA test could be conducted only after establishing that Ujjawala had no access to her estranged husband at the relevant time.
	Crossbred ponies to boost Army’s logistics capability Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 21 To overcome physiological deficiencies in the existing animal flock and to boost up their load carrying capability in high-altitude areas, local mountainous ponies are being crossbred with Austrian species. Under a project undertaken by the Leh-based Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), the Zanskar pony found in the upper reaches of Ladakh has been crossbred with the Halflinger, an Austrian draught purpose breed. The aim was to increase the load carrying capacity of pure bred ponies and these can carry heavy loads like mules do in lower altitudes. Trails with the crossbreds were conducted recently at the DIHAR’s Zanskar Pony Training Track as well as the 8 Mountain Division Sector in the Kargil region. “These crossbred ponies are well adapted to the region and are less prone to high altitude maladies while having enhanced weight carrying capacity,” DIHAR Director, Dr RB Srivastava said. “Trials have found that these ponies can be a valuable asset to the Army in this region and their further propagation is suggested,” he added. Mules have been the main pack animals to maintain the logistic supplies to the troops Ladakh in areas where motor transport is not feasible. These are used to ferry rations, fuel, oil, weapons and ammunition as well as heavy artillery equipment. So far these mules are being bred and trained at sea levels and subsequently deployed in high-altitude areas with various animal transport battalions. However, most of these mules have suffered from lack of high altitude adaptability and succumbed to various altitude related maladies, thus affecting the operational efficiency of these battalions and in turn having an adverse impact on the preparedness of units. Over a decade ago, DIHAR started to identify and propagate pack animals for the Army that can successfully take on the challenges of the mountains and be more resistant to high altitude related maladies like pulmonary edema and mountain sickness, with equal thrust on the load carrying capacity as carried by the mules in mountain areas. The local Zanskar pony, native of the Zanakar Valley in Ladakh, was zeroed upon and these have amply demonstrated their ability and suitability. Zanskar Pony Research Station at DIHAR successfully carried out selective line breeding and subsequent field trials established that Zanskar ponies are the best animals for military transport in this region. Subsequently, the entire breeding operation of Zanskar ponies was transferred to the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps, which has established a breeding station at Partapur. The Army is replacing all its mules in Ladakh with the Zanskar Ponies. Consequent to the success with the Zanskar pony, DIHAR began to experiment with crossbreeding this variety with other species to further improve its capabilities.
	China has not diverted Brahmaputra water: India Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, May 21 India today denied that China had diverted any water from the mighty river Brahmaputra while asserting that it was keeping a close watch on Chinese activities so as to protect national interest. "Various agencies of the government, including the NTRO and the National Remote Sensing Centre, are keeping a continuous watch and alertness over the tributaries on the Chinese side,’’ Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told agitated members in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. He said India had so far not noticed any activity which could lead it to believe that China could divert water from the Brahmaputra. Noting that China was a vast country, he said every time India had raised the issue of diversion of water with Beijing, it had been assured that the neighbouring country would act responsibly. "Not only are we going by their statements, our different agencies are continuously monitoring the activities...I can say with all sense of responsibility that there is nothing to suggest that, presently, there is any quantity of water being diverted from Brahmaputra at all," he said. Bansal, however, said there were many projects which China was entitled to take up and most of those projects were on the tributaries of Brahmaputra. "....There is only one project of which there is a reference in the media repeatedly which is at Zangmo, about 550 km from the border. It is a project of 550 MW of electricity. Presently, the entire information is that it is a run of the river and there is no storage," he said, adding there was no question of diversion of water from the South to North in China from that point On a water-sharing agreement with China, the minister said it was not necessary that all riparian countries through which trans-border rivers flow must have some water-sharing pact between them.
	30 striking AI pilots sacked; 2 return to work New Delhi/Mumbai, May 21 Air India today sacked 30 more striking pilots as the agitation by over 200 pilots entered the 14th day with no signs of a resolution to end the impasse. "The services of 30 more pilots have been terminated," AI spokesperson said. With this, the number of dismissed pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) has gone up to 101. The AI crackdown came on a day when Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh met leaders of 10 recognised airline unions in Delhi and appealed to them to persuade the IPG to call off the strike. Pradeep Dhobley, General Secretary of AI Engineers' Association, said the unions also jointly urged Singh to "come out with a compromise formula and assure that the sacked pilots would be reinstated". The airline management claimed that two pilots of the now derecognised IPG resumed duties today taking the total number of "sick" pilots getting back to work to five. The minister sought support of all recognised unions of Air India to restore its financial health and its past glory. The IPG, which has been derecognised in the wake of the current agitation, was not invited for the meeting. It has been demanding that problems relating to pilots' career progression be sorted out forthwith. "I had convened this meeting (with the unions) to listen to their views. We discussed the current situation facing Air India, the Turnaround and Financial Restructuring Plans and the airline's future," Singh told reporters after an over 90-minute meeting. "I sought the support of all the unions to restore its financial health and its earlier 'Maharaja' status," he said. Singh said the recommendations of the Dharmadhikari Committee would be implemented only after all the unions are consulted. In a statement, the unions said the issue of pilots’ strike came up during their talks with Singh. “The unions requested the minister to take a compassionate view and reopen discussions with the IPG,” said the statement. — PTI
	US visa fee hike India to file case in WTO New Delhi, May 21 India will soon file a case in the WTO against visa fee hike by the US, complaining that Indian IT companies face discrimination with regard to their employees who are on short-term contracts in America. "We have finalised our case. The US visa fee hike is a discriminatory move against Indian IT firms. This week, we will formally file the complaint and seek consultations under WTO," a senior Commerce and Industry Ministry official said. According to the procedure of World Trade Organisation (WTO), consultation is the first stage of a complaint filed with the global trade body. The US had raised visa fee in 2010 to fund its enhanced costs on securing the border with Mexico under the Border Security Act. Since then, India has been protesting against the measure. Consultations give parties to the dispute an opportunity to discuss and resolve the issue without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations fail, the complainant may request adjudication by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB). The law - Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 - has substantially increased the fees for H1B and L1 categories of visas for applicants which employ more than 50 persons in the US or have more than 50 per cent of their employees admitted on non-immigrant visas (the 50:50 rule). "This is prima facie discriminatory for Indian companies," an official said. — PTI
	CBI, NIA chiefs to be part of team to Pak New Delhi, May 21 The forthcoming Indo-Pak Home Secretary-level talks will for the first time include heads of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), an organisation formed in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attack. The talks, which will see inking of a pact on liberalised visa regime between the two countries, will also focus on better cooperation between the two countries in cases relating to terror incidents and taking forward Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) along the Line of Control (LoC). The 12-member delegation, headed by Home Secretary RK Singh, will include CBI director AP Singh and NIA chief SC Sinha, official sources said. The talks are scheduled to be held in Islamabad on May 24-25. The NIA is probing the case of the blast in the Samjhauta Express, the train link between India and Pakistan, in February 2007 that left 68 people dead and scores injured. The CBI is probing various trans-borders cases including the 1993 Bombay blast case and others related to pumping of fake Indian currency notes into India. The two agencies are also authorised to liaison with Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on matters related to terrorism and garner evidence for trial in the Mumbai 26/11-attack case. During parleys, which were being held after a delay of five months, a decision on issuance of multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen, allowing them to visit five cities instead of three as at present, will be taken. The Union Cabinet had given its nod for signing the pact on April 25. — PTI
	Maderna, Bishnoi plotted to kill Bhanwari: CBI Jodhpur, May 21 Sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna and Congress MLA Malkhan Singh Bishnoi conspired together to eliminate Bhanwari Devi to conceal their relation with the slain nurse, the CBI told a trial court here while arguing on framing of charges against the duo and 13 others. The prosecution today continued with the arguments in the ADJ court. Maderna, who is suffering from slip disc, did not appear in the court. The arguments on the charges lasted for 45 minutes in the presence of rest 15 accused. Senior special counsel for CBI, Ashok Joshi, began the arguments from where he had left on May 14, the previous hearing, while proving the motive of Maderna and Bishnoi behind the crime. What the prosecution has been undertaking in the court is a narration based on circumstantial evidences but Joshi said that they are so "strong and inevitable" that they in themselves prove the motive of the crime. The trail will continue on May 26. — PTI
	Aarushi case Charges to be framed today Ghaziabad, May 21 A court here today deferred till tomorrow framing of charges against dentist couple Nupur Talwar and Rajesh Talwar in the case relating to the murder of their teenaged daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj after the accused pleaded lack of preparation for arguments. The couple's advocate filed an application before the Additional District Judge of CBI special court Shyam Lal contending that the investigating agency has handed over 6000 pages of documents to them only a day before and they are not prepared for arguments against framing of charges. The judge gave them one day's time for being prepared and fixed tomorrow for framing of charges. He also told Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar that if they do not come for arguments, the court will go ahead with the exercise without hearing them and hear only the CBI. The court had on May 16 fixed for today the start of arguments on framing of charges against the dentist couple, after rejecting their for a month to study the prosecution documents before beginning of the arguments in the 2008 murder case. Special Judge Lal had rejected Talwars' plea saying the Supreme Court has ordered expeditious trial. While Rajesh Talwar is out on bail, Nupur has been in judicial custody since April 30. — PTI
	Pak media delegation in Mumbai Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, May 21 A 14-member media delegation from Pakistan arrived here for a week-long study trip to Mumbai and Pune. The delegation, comprising members of the Karachi and Hyderabad (Sind) press clubs, were given a traditional Maharashtrian welcome with ‘aartis’ and the blowing of ‘tutaris’. The delegation that arrived on a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Karachi were received by representatives of the Mumbai Press Club at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Today's event is a reciprocal event which followed the visit of a delegation of Mumbai journalists to Pakistan last year. The delegates comprise journalists from leading newspapers and television channels of Pakistan including Dawn, The News, Jang, Geo TV, ARY News, Express TV etc. Most of them are first-time visitors to India. Karachi Press Club president Tahir Hasan Khan, who led the delegation, warmed up to the occasion and hoped that such exchanges would result in improved people-to-people contact between the two countries. “We are extremely happy to be in India. I am sure this joint endeavour by Karachi and Mumbai press clubs will lead to improving the relationships between India and Pakistan and more importantly, strengthening people-to-people contact between the neighbours,” Khan said. “The purpose of the visit is to promote a philosophy of understanding and tolerance between the two countries by increasing and improving the quality of media content when reporting on each other's country and bilateral issues. “This is expected to give a boost to the peace process between the two countries,” Gurbir Singh, President, The Press Club, Mumbai, said. The visitors are scheduled to interact with leaders of various political parties, industry leaders, journalists, social activists and the common people. Among those they are to meet include Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and RR Patil, Home Minister. They are also to visit the Bombay Stock Exchange apart from the offices of local newspapers and television channels.
	Tirumala chief priest’s visit to Ambani scion triggers row Suresh Dharur/TNS Hyderabad, May 21 The chief priest of the popular Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, Ramana Deekshitulu, has landed in a controversy following his visit to a private guest house to meet the son of Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani. The priest met Anant Ambani, ostensibly to “bless” the teenager and hand over “prasadam” to him. On his part, the 17-year-old son of the business tycoon gave personal gifts to the chief priest, including 12 pairs of love birds and parrots. The meeting drew flak from a section of the employees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), an autonomous body managing the affairs of the country’s richest temple. The priests of the hill shrine, which attracts an average of 60,000 pilgrims every day, are not governed by the conduct rules under TTD Act. However, the TTD officials view the conduct of Deekshitulu as violative of the established conventions of the popular temple. But they appear wary of initiating action against the chief priest. “Some archakas (priests) are taking advantage of the “Mirasi” system (hereditary appointment of priests). I cannot say that we will take action against him, but certainly, we will put an end to such actions in future,” the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TTD LV Subrahmanyam said. This is not the first time that Deekshitulu’s conduct has come under cloud. In 2010, he paid a visit to the guest house where Mukesh Ambani was staying and gave him “Veda Aseervachanam” (Vedic blessings). The then TTD EO IYR Krishna Rao had issued him a memo, triggering a row between the priest and the temple administration. “It is time we ensure that everyone associated with the TTD is bound by the conduct rules governing the temple,” Subramanyam said.
	Arunachal CM seeks EU help for fund flow China opposed to funding, considers state disputed territory Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, May 21 Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has sought the intervention of the European Union (EU) to facilitate flow of funds to the state from the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). China has been opposing fund flow from international financial institutions for development of infrastructure in the country’s Eastern frontier state as it considers Arunachal Pradesh disputed territory. All other Northeastern states get funds from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Arunachal has an annual budget of around Rs 3,000 crore and fully depends on the Centre for funding from external agencies. An official source said Chief Minister Nabam Tuki made a request for international aid to a team of visiting ambassadors of eight European Union countries. The EU Ambassadors had visited Arunachal for firsthand experience of the rich cultural and natural resources of the country’s Sunrise State. The visit follows that by the Arunachal Chief Minister and his officials to EU countries where they made presentations on potential areas for investment in the state. Taking advantage of the maiden visit of the EU diplomats, Chief Minister Tuki capitalised on the opportunity to make a plea before the EU delegation to win over China in not opposing WB and ADB development funds to the state. Tuki told the EU delegation that the proposed 1,554 Trans-Arunachal Highway, Tasigaon-Bhutan road and ongoing renovation of airports at Pasighat, Tezu and Ziro would improve connectivity with the state. The EU delegation expressed its willingness for collaborative projects in developing airports, golf courses, spas, hydropower and mines. Responding to various queries from the EU delegation, particularly on hurdles in direct ties with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Planning Department secretary Ankur Garg said many large and medium companies were already working in the state.