|
|
|
|
|
Reddy brothers reaped fruit of good ties with
YSR, Jagan
The hotter, the wetter: Heat wave holds promise of a good monsoon
2G: Notice to govt on Loop’s relief plea
Cong working group meeting on June 4
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
EC notification on Prez poll likely by mid-June
Woman posing as MLA held in UP House
Plea in SC against Lt Gen Bikram Singh’s elevation
Khoda’s name for CVC post was decided 6 months ago
2G: Notice to govt on Loop's relief plea
Sukna land scam
Who owns Adarsh land: MoD or
M’rashtra?
Yeddyurappa case adjourned till June 1
|
|
Reddy brothers reaped fruit of good ties with
YSR, Jagan
Bangalore, May 29 Relations between the Reddy brothers of Karnataka-Karunakara, Janardhana and Somashekara (first two are former Cabinet ministers and the youngest, Somashekara, still holds a Cabinet-rank post by virtue of being the chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation) — and Jagan Mohan Reddy run deep. They also had good relations with Jagan’s late father YSR Reddy The proposed Brahmani Steel project in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa, Jagan’s home district, is allegedly a joint enterprise of Reddy brothers and Jagan. During the regime of YSR Reddy, Brahmani Steels obtained 14,700 acres of land in May 2007 for its 2.5-MT steel project with an option to expand it to 10MT in phases. The land allotted included around 4,000 acres for an airport on the steel project premises. Apart from allotting 2 tmc of water, the government had also allotted iron ore mines spread in an area of around 68 hectares near Obulapuram in Anantapur district. The project suffered a setback when YSR suddenly died in a helicopter crash. It received another massive blow when Janardhan Reddy was picked up by the CBI in September last year. Jagan’s TV channel, Sakshi, is also alleged to have investments by Reddy brothers.
A consultancy firm, which helped Reddy brothers acquire mining licences and clearances in Andhra Pradesh, was given 50 per cent share in the Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC) belonging to the Reddys. This extraordinary largesse was reportedly showered on the consultancy firm because it was a “benami” outfit of Jagan. The firm’s promoter Diwakar Reddy is none other than the brother of Sakshi executive director Ramakrishna Reddy. After YSR’s death, Reddy brothers started facing hurdles with regard to their mining operations in Andhra Pradesh. Rosaiah, who became the Chief Minister after YSR’s death, ordered a CBI probe into their mining activities. Reddy’s retaliated by launching a counter-attack through Sakshi, accusing the Andhra Government of launching a witch-hunt against them. G Janardhana Reddy, the key man driving the OMC’s mining operations, was arrested by the CBI on September 5 from his house in Bellary and taken to Hyderabad. He was kept in judicial custody in Hyderabad’s central prison. Jagan Mohan Reddy has also been sent to the same prison in Hyderabad by the CBI special court. However, Janardhana Reddy was brought to Bangalore by the CBI on March 2 in connection with illegal activities of two more mining companies owned by him. Since then, he has been incarcerated in Bangalore. Though political affiliations of the Reddy brothers lay with the BJP and that of Jagan and his father with the Congress, it did not come in the way of their collaboration with each other and making megabucks with each other’s help. After Jagan fell out with the Congress and resigned from the Lok Sabha on November 29, 2010, Reddy brothers knew that trouble for them was round the corner. But their efforts to manipulate the CBI investigation against them did not work.
|
|
The hotter, the wetter: Heat wave holds
New Delhi, May 29
The mercury, coupled with hot and dusty winds, has already breached the 45°C mark at many places like east Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Orissa, Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh. All eyes are now on the monsoon arrival in Kerala, for which the IMD is standing by its June 1 forecast, but with a model error of ± 4 days. The four-month rainy season starts from Kerala and covers the rest of India and neighbouring countries by mid-July, the period during which farmers plant cash crops like cotton and paddy. Although the advancing of the monsoon over the Andaman Sea is slightly late, officials say it is well within standard deviation. “Conditions will become favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of southeast Arabian Sea and parts of Maldives and Comorin areas, south and central Bay of Bengal and remaining parts of the north Andaman Sea during the next 2-3 days,” the IMD says. Heavy rainfall will occur at one or two places over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next 48 hours, it adds. With temperatures running 2 to 4°C above the normal, fingers are now crossed for a normal, well-spread run of the monsoon across the country. Originating from near a small island in the South Indian Ocean called Mascarene, about 4,000 km from the Indian mainland, monsoon rains are extremely vital for the country’s farm output and economic growth. Though its arrival in Delhi and Punjab is around June 30, there have been instances in the past when rains have arrived over the southern coast on time, but its progress to the rest of the country got delayed. However, high temperatures in plains of the northwest during April, May and June are essential for its good progress. The monsoon is a sea-breeze activity. The more the land is heated, the more is the intensity of the current from sea to land. In fact, high temperatures are essential for a good monsoon circulation.
|
|
|
2G: Notice to govt on Loop’s relief plea
New Delhi, May 29 Rs 1,000 crore as compensation for loss of its reputation arising from its inability to continue its operations following the Supreme Court quashing all the 122 2G licences issued in 2008 by the then Telecom Minister A Raja. The telecom company has also sought refund of Rs 3,727.52 crore it has spent so far for rolling out its services in all the 21 circles of the country. The amount included the licence fee of Rs 1,454.94 crore, interest of Rs 737.59 crore, bank guarantee of Rs 696.04 crore, roll out expenses of Rs 265.50 crore and an outgo of Rs 565.65 crore under various corporate heads. Further, the company wants to close down its operations soon, pointing out that the SC has only allowed the telecom companies whose licences were cancelled to continue their operations till September 7, 2012, and has not mandated them to continue their service till then. Hence, the government has no right to penalise the companies for not continuing their service. In view of this, Loop Telecom has also pleaded for restraining the government from taking coercive actions against it by encashing the bank guarantee or through other methods for not maintaining service quality. This is the first time a telecom company has sought to sue the government following the SC verdict on February 2, 2012. The TDSAT Bench comprising Justice (retired) SB Sinha and PK Rastogi has also sought the response of the telecom regulator, TRAI. Arguing for Loop Telecom, advocate Meet Malhotra contended that the SC had cancelled the licences solely citing the “arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional” decision making process adopted by the government for the grant of licenses and spectrum. This resulted in Loop Telecom losing its legitimate right to continue its telecom business for 20 years as provided under the license and as such the company “cannot be made to pay for the same,” the petition said. Having defended the grant of licences in the public, Parliament, the Delhi High Court and the SC, the government “cannot now look the other way and expect the investments made by Loop Telecom to be reduced to naught,” the company contended.
|
|
|
Cong working group meeting on June 4
New Delhi, May 29 This is the first meeting of the party’s highest decision-making body after its dismal performance in the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa.This was followed by its defeat in civic elections in Delhi and Mumbai which only served to reaffirm growing public disillusionment with the Congress. It is expected that this introspection will throw up ideas and suggestions on the roadmap ahead for the party as it prepares for another round of Assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh later this year. Polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi are due late next year which will be followed by the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It also lost the civic bodies elections in Himachal Pradesh just months before the Assembly polls in the hill state. A three-member committee, headed by Defence Minister AK Antony, recently submitted a report to Sonia Gandhi on the reasons for the party’s debacle in Assembly elections and has suggested several measures for streamlining the party organisation. The meeting is being held shortly before the party has to take a decision on its Presidential candidate. Party sources, however, said this topic is unlikely to figure in the June 4 deliberations as the party president has already been authorised to take a decision after consultations with its allies. The first challenge before Congress strategists is to reinvent the party and come up with a winning formula which will restore its credibility and enthuse the demoralised cadres so that they are ready for the next round of battle. With Sonia Gandhi recently ticking off bickering cadres to set aside their differences , the leadership has to instill a sense of purpose among them to ensure that they work
unitedly.
|
|
|
EC notification on Prez poll likely by mid-June
New Delhi, May 29 President Pratibha Patil's term ends on July 24 and the EC notification in this regard will be issued sometime in mid-June. “The notification for the last Presidential election was issued on June 13. The EC will be issuing a notification around that date this time too,” said a senior official of the Election Commission. There is a checklist of 41 tasks for the Presidential election and work has already begun on them, he said. Speculation is rife about the next incumbent for the President’s post and a number of names are already doing the rounds. The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP have so far remained silent on the candidature issue, while NCP leader and former Speaker PA Sangma has jumped into the race. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is considered as being among the frontrunners along with Vice President Hamid Ansari from the ruling Congress. Sangma’s candidature has been backed by two CMs — J Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu) and Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), while his own party, an ally of UPA, has not extended its support to him. Other regional parties like the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have also not extended their clear support to any candidate so far, even though some of them have been involved in discussions with other parties in a bid to evolve some consensus candidate. There is an electoral college of around 11 lakh votes, with the UPA set to get a majority support with the help of its allies and certain non-UPA parties.
— PTI
|
|
|
Woman posing as MLA held in UP House
Lucknow, May 29 Dodging the Vidhan Sabha security staff, the defiant woman intruder identified as Sarita Jaiswal claimed proximity to a Union Minister from Kanpur and also flaunted her ‘high-profile’ connections. As soon as the house proceedings began this morning, Jaiswal confidently walked into the house past the security after claiming to be a first-time MLA. As the 16th Vidhan Sabha has as many as 168 new faces, the security personnel were slightly hesitant about asking her for her identity card. However, after cross-checking her credentials as an MLA with a few mediapersons, the security staff approached the woman for her identity card. The imposter claimed that UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi was bringing her papers and she was to be sworn in. Further confirmation of her being a pretender came when another legislator from Kanpur denied that she was a legislator. The security guards then caught hold of the woman, led her away and later handed her over to the Mahila thana
in Hazratganj.
|
|
|
Plea in SC against Lt Gen Bikram Singh’s elevation
New Delhi, May 29 The PIL had opposed his appointment, citing his alleged role in a 2001 fake encounter in Jammu and Kashmir and as part of a UN peace keeping mission to Congo in 2008. The petitioners, who include former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy, contended that the government had suppressed relevant material and misrepresented facts during the arguments on the PIL. On April 23, a Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale had refused to interfere with Lt Gen Bikram Singh’s appointment.
|
|
|
Khoda’s name for CVC post was decided 6 months ago
Jammu, May 29 The select committee that met in Srinagar on Monday witnessed a walkout by Opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti, who raised serious objections to Khoda’s name and registered her dissent as well. While this dramatic turn of events took place yesterday as Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mehbooba held separate press conferences at the same time, 8.30 pm, its script was written over six months ago, according to sources. Last evening, Sagar had said the meeting to recommend the appointment of the CVC and two Vigilance Commissioners was held under the chairmanship of CM Omar Abdullah “who made an effort to evolve consensus”. However, he said: “There was no consensus on the name of the CVC as the same was not agreed to by the Leader of the Opposition”. Mehbooba told the media: “The appointment of the CVC and Commissioners of Vigilance is extremely crucial to fight corruption. The exercise has, therefore, to be more than mere filling up of vacancies or post-retirement rehabilitation.”
|
|
|
2G: Notice to govt on Loop's relief plea
The telecom company has also sought refund of Rs 3,727.52 crore it has spent so far for rolling out its services in all the 21 circles of the country. The amount included the licence fee of Rs 1,454.94 crore, interest of Rs 737.59 crore, bank guarantee of Rs 696.04 crore, roll out expenses of Rs 265.50 crore and an outgo of Rs 565.65 crore under various corporate heads. Further, the company wants to close down its operations soon, pointing out that the SC has only allowed the telecom companies whose licences were cancelled to continue their operations till September 7, 2012, and has not mandated them to continue their service till then. Hence, the government has no right to penalise the companies for not continuing their service. Loop Telecom has also pleaded for restraining the government from taking coercive actions against it by encashing the bank guarantee or through other methods.
|
|
|
Avadesh Prakash to challenge Army Chief's decision
New Delhi, May 29 "I am going to take legal recourse and challenge the Army Chief's order," Lt Gen Avdesh Prakash said. The sacked officer also attributed motives to Gen Singh upholding the court martial's order to strip him of his rank and retirement benefits after finding him guilty of a scam involving a 70-acre plot adjacent to the 33 Corps headquarters in Sukna military station in Siliguri district of West Bengal. "Gen Singh has been interested in this case right from the beginning. This is against the basic principles of justice," he said. "Why was a court of inquiry ordered six months after cancelling the MoU between the Army and the educational institution," he asked. — IANS
|
|
|
Who owns Adarsh land: MoD or
M’rashtra? Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service
Mumbai, May 29 Both entities are claiming title to the property and the MoD on Monday sent a legal notice to the Maharashtra Government staking claim over the plot. According to sources, the state government was warned that the Defence Ministry would file a title suit in pursuit of its claim if the plot was not handed over to the MoD in the next two months.
The ministry contends that the Adarsh Housing Society was illegally constructed on land belonging to the Ministry of Defence. Sources say the title of the plot on which the controversial building stands is clouded with uncertainty as crucial land records were missing from the Maharashtra government’s revenue department.
|
|
|
Yeddyurappa case adjourned till June 1
Bangalore, May 29 Judge DR Venkat Sudarshan adjourned the pleas of Yeddyurappa, his sons BY Raghavendra and BY Vijendra, and son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar after their counsel Siddarth Navadagi filed objections to the CBI’s application seeking their personal appearance. The Special Public Prosecutor submitted that he would not press for the personal appearance of the petitioners and sought time till June 1 for final arguments on their plea. Yeddyurappa, his two sons and son-in-law have sought anticipatory bail apprehending arrest by the CBI in the wake of the agency filing an FIR against them and raiding their houses on May 16. On the basis of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report, the Supreme Court on May 11 ordered a CBI investigation into the donations given by two mining companies to a trust owned by Yeddyurappa family members and de-notification and sale of a piece of land which had been acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for formation of a residential layout. Cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Karnataka Restriction of Land Transfer Act have been filed against them.
|
|
| 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 | |
New Delhi, May 29
New Delhi, May 29
The legal notice comes more than a month after a two-member inquiry commission set up by the Maharashtra government submitted that the plot belonged to the Maharashtra government. The order also stated that the plot was not reserved for the Kargil war widows.