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Team Anna ends fast; takes political plunge
Air India gets nod for Dreamliner’s delivery
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2G auction base price set at
Rs 14,000 cr
’84 RIOTS
Broadbanding to apply to all disabled pensioners: AFT
Mayawati elevates Maurya as BSP general secretary
CRPF jawan hurt in encounter
with Maoists
Sketches of 2 suspected Pune bombers ready
CCTV projects mired in red tape, official tussles
Prez intervenes to open PHC lying defunct
for 20 years
RSS ex-chief Sudarshan lost and found
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Team Anna ends fast; takes political plunge
New Delhi, August 3 Anna Hazare and his key aides-Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia-ended their fast at Jantar Mantar this evening by drinking coconut water, offered to them by former Army Chief Gen VK
Singh. The presence of Gen Singh, who retired on May 31 after a protracted battle with the government over his age and many other issues, clearly demonstrated his political ambitions. He also delivered a speech to the gathering of about 4,000
persons. A frail-looking Kejriwal, who went on fast on July 25, announced the broad contours of the political outfit that Team Anna proposes to launch. “The political alternative that we propose to provide will be one whose name will be decided by the people and the candidates will also be chosen by the people and not any high command,” he
said. This political alternative would have to dislodge the current dispensation and provide the much-needed change to the country. “If the current regime could give the people of this nation a Janlokpal Bill, right to recall, right to reject and gram sabhas, we are willing to stay away from electoral
politics.” Kejriwal said the manifesto of the political outfit would also be decided by the people even as Anna told the gathering that he would neither join the party nor contest, but would campaign vigorously over the next one year and a half ahead of the Lok Sabha elections against the “corrupt” parties that were holding the country to
ransom. Kejriwal also made it clear that the proposed political party would be run with donations and contributions made by the people. “We will declare the contributions made to us and the expenses incurred by us to the income tax authorities and also put them on the website…then we will challenge all these parties also to do the
same.” He said those people who were hitherto supporting the Congress, the BJP, the Samajwadi Party, the BSP, the DMK, the AIADMK or any other party, but were now disillusioned with these parties should join the outfit that was proposed to be formed by Anna supporters. “We only wanted a Jan Lokpal Bill, but the government is not ready for it. If it is passed, 15 Cabinet ministers will be behind the bars,” he
said. In his speech, Anna asked the people to consider an alternative political dispensation by throwing out “these traitors”. “What did we demand…justice for the poor, fight against corruption and de-centralisation of power, but they (government) are not ready,” he said. “We will bring about a national awakening…I will continue to work for the country till my least breath,” he declared amid a thunderous
applause. Gen VK Singh (retd), who was at the dais for almost two hours, justified Team Ann’s decision to form a political alternative. He also talked about rampant corruption, black money, law and order and rising prices, adding “it seems there is no government and the country is
directionless”. Singh also recalled the famous slogan “sinhansan chhoro, janata aati hai (leave the chair, people are ready to move in) given by Jai Prakash Narayan during the Emergency days in the seventies.
To awaken
nation
We will bring about a national awakening…I will continue to work for the country till my last
breath. — Anna Hazare
People’s party
The political alternative that we propose to provide will be one whose name will be decided by the people and the candidates will also be chosen by the people and not any high
command. — Arvind Kejriwal
No govt in sight
It seems there is no government and the nation is
directionless. — Gen VK Singh
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Air India gets nod for Dreamliner’s delivery
New Delhi, August 3 Air India was initially supposed to get delivery of the aircraft between September 2008 and October 2011. Due to design and production delays at Boeing, the delivery could not be made in time. The national carrier had placed an order to buy 27 B-787s in 2005. Three of these planes, painted with Air India logo and livery, are ready to be flown to India and are currently parked at Boeing factories in the
US. An official statement said the issue relating to compensation for failure to meet performance guarantees had been de-linked from the delay compensation settlement agreement, and would be negotiated separately by an empowered group of officers after actual evaluation of the performance of the delivered and inducted aircraft. The Ministry of Law and Justice would examine and endorse the enabling legal provisions and aspects of the
negotiations. Deposing before a parliamentary committee, then AI CMD Arvind Jadhav had said, “We have slapped a compensation claim of $710 million. Obviously, they have confirmed $145 million they will pay as compensation for the delay...” The parliamentary report was made public in March 2010.
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2G auction base price set at
Rs 14,000 cr
New Delhi, August 3 The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to fix the reserve price at the lower end of the Rs 14,000 crore-to-Rs 15,000 crore band that was recommended by an Empowered Group of Minister (EGoM) headed by now Finance Minister P
Chidambaram. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended a much higher base price for the Spectrum auction at Rs 18,000
crore. The Cabinet also approved pegging of the base price for the CDMA services in the 800 MHz band at 1.3 times of the base price of the GSM 2G Spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band, which would turn out to be Rs 18,200
crore. Some other decisions, including the approval of the Mars mission and amendments in the Forward Contract Act were deferred as some of the minister could not attend today’s meeting. Briefing media after the meeting, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said the base price for the Spectrum had been kept much lower than what was recommended by TRAI was to send out a clear signal that India was a “great place to invest with progressive policies”. The fixing of the base price would now allow the government to plan ahead with the road map for the auction, fixing time lines for other related issues, including fixing of the auctioneer, who would give out the future time lines for the auction to be completed as per the mandate of the Supreme Court. Sibal said, “As recommended by the EGoM, the Cabinet decided to defer the issues related to pricing of Spectrum pending ascertainment of the developments of the ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court in the Presidential Reference and that all questions relating to the pricing of Spectrum currently held by telecom service providers and related issues, including pricing of contracted Spectrum, excess Spectrum, prospective/ retrospective pricing be considered thereafter.” However, sources said that the Cabinet approved levy of annual Spectrum usage charge of 3 to 8 per cent on different slabs of revenue, as was recommended by the
EGoM. The government has been under pressure from some of the countries, whose telecom operators had made heavy investments in the telecom sector here, to keep the base price low so that they could take part in the auction, which now most probably be held later in the year. Norway’s Telenor, the majority stake holder in joint venture with Unitech Limited under the brand name Uninor, and Russia’s Sistema, the majority stake holder in MTS, a joint venture with Shyam Group, have both been saying that the recommendations of TRAI for the base price were prohibitively high for them to even think of participating in the auction. Following the recent meetings of the EGoM on telecom, it had suggested a reserve price at Rs 14,000-15,000 crore for 5 Mhz of airwaves as against around Rs 18,000 crore recommended by TRAI for the auction of Spectrum vacated from cancellation of 122 licences by the Supreme Court. The apex court had in February last cancelled the licences issued on a first-come-first-serve basis during the regime of former telecom minister A Raja. It asked the government to conduct fresh auctions by August 31. But this deadline may not be met and the government may approach the apex court for extension of the time line. The EGom is expected to meet on Monday to decide on the further time lines for the auction and then also decide on the issue of approaching the Supreme Court to seek another extension to carry out the auction.
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Sajjan can confront witness with inquiry panel papers:
HC
Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, August 3 Sajjan had approached the HC challenging the trial court’s June 2 verdict rejecting his plea for cross-examining a key witness, Jagdish Kaur, in the light of her statements to the GT Nanavati and Ranganath Mishra Commissions which reportedly ran contrary to her versions in the trial court. Setting aside the trial court verdict, Justice Pratibha Rani asked all parties to appear before the trial court on August 6. Sajjan had contended that the CBI and the witnesses were using the documents available with the inquiry commissions and as such he should not be denied of the same facility. Kumar is facing trial for his role in the killings of six persons in the Delhi Cantonment area during the 1984 riots in the wake of the assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi on October 31. The other accused in the case are Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal.
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Broadbanding to apply to all disabled pensioners: AFT
Chandigarh, August 3 Disposing of a bunch of similar petitions today, the Tribunal’s Bench comprising Justice NP Gupta and Lt Gen NS Brar ruled that every person who retires or is discharged in low medical category, even on completion of terms of engagement or on superannuation, is deemed to have been invalided out of service for the purpose of disability pension in accordance with the entitlement rules for disability
pension. The tribunal has considered all Supreme Court judgments on the subject, both in favour of and against broadbanding, and has come to the conclusion that it is the judgment of Capt KJS Buttar vs Union of India that shall prevail since it fully discusses the issue as well as rules and regulations dealing with the
subject. The concept of broadbanding had been introduced by the government to rationalise subjectivity and eradicate mistakes of medical boards while assessing disability
percentages. In the past, several courts had upheld the concept of broadbanding across the board, but the decision of the courts had been challenged by the government in the Supreme
Court. During the arguments before the Chandigarh Bench, Central government counsel Capt Sandeep Bansal, while elaborating on the concept, had argued that broadbanding should not be made applicable in cases where an individual had completed his terms of engagement and there has been no loss of
employment. Over time, lack of objectivity was observed on part of medical boards held at the time of discharge and different boards were granting different and varied percentages for similar
disability. To counter this subjectivity, the Fifth Pay Commission had recommended procedural changes and suggested disabilities less than 50 per cent be considered as 50 per cent for the purposes of calculation of disability pension, between 50-75 per cent be considered as 75 per cent, while disability percentage above 75 per cent be taken as 100 per cent. This policy is popularly referred to as
“broadbanding”. Not making broadbanding applicable to all affected personnel had also resulted in an absurdity wherein an invalided individual with 50 per cent disability, who was always drawing a lesser disability element than a person who had suffered 70 per cent disability, was after implementation of the broadbanding policy, getting a higher disability element by taking his disability percentage as 75, while the person with a higher disability continued to draw disability element at a lower rate i.e. 70 per cent because he retired on completing his terms of engagement.
About broadbanding
For the purpose of calculating disability pension, disabilities less than 50% are to be considered as 50%; between 50-75% as 75%; and above 75% be taken as 100 per cent. This policy is popularly referred to as broadbanding
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Mayawati elevates Maurya as BSP general secretary
Lucknow, August 3 Reading out her statement before the media, senior BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui reiterated that during Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati’s fourth term, her government had worked towards restoring the self-respect of the OBC and Dalit
communities. Clearly hinting at former OBC leader-turned-foe Babu Singh Kushwaha who had joined the BJP, Mayawati’s statement said certain greedy leaders of the party had joined hands with opposition parties to harm the Bahujan Samaj
Party. “Despite such acts, the national president has not punished the communities of such leaders for their scandalous action. ?An example of this is elevating Swami Prasad Maurya to the post of national general secretary,” said Mayawati’s
statement. Maurya, who till recently held the dual charge of the state party president and the leader of the opposition, had been divested of the post of state
president. “It has been decided to make him a national general secretary in recognition of his contribution to the party as well as to help him further strengthen his effort to mobilise the Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya, Saini and other OBC communities,” the Bahujan Samaj Party national president pointed
out. Expressing his gratitude to Mayawati for her decision, Maurya assured her he would work for the OBC and Dalit communities to uphold their self-respect as per the vision of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
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CRPF jawan hurt in encounter
with Maoists
Ranchi, August 3 "The CRPF jawan received a bullet in his leg, and he was immediately sent to Ranchi by a helicopter for
treatment. He is out of danger," Palamau Superintendent of Police Anup T Mathew
said. During search operation, the security forces found blood stains in the area, pointing at injuries suffered by the Maoists, he
added. The Maoists started firing from atop a hill at Tal village under Panki police station, about 180 km from here, necessitating the security forces to use high-explosive bombs to target
them. The left-wing guerrillas fled the spot after the bomb attack, Mathew added. In all, eight IEDs were unearthed during the search operation, he said adding all were planted at different places with a view to target the security
forces. Mathew, who along with CRPF commandant was present during the encounter, said raids were on. — PTI
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Sketches of 2 suspected Pune bombers ready
Mumbai, August 3 The sketches prepared by experts will be given to investigators and based on their feedback, these will be further refined. As a last resort, these would be released to the public in order to collect further information, police
said. Apart from Pune police, the National Investigation Agency and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad are conducting probes into the blasts. Police says suspected bombers may have carried out reconnaissance of the area days prior to planting the
explosives. Sophisticated tracking equipment has been pressed into service to check new mobile numbers that may been carried by the suspects while they planted the explosives, police
said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil told reporters today that investigators were looking at all angles. “Let the ATS and other agencies complete their probe; then we will say whether it was a terrorist act or not,” Patil
said. Patil had earlier said an anonymous letter had been sent to the office of the Pune police commissioner saying the death of Mohammed Qateel Siddiqui, an operative of the Indian Mujahideen in the city’s Yerwada prison, would be “avenged”. However, police is not discounting the possibility of Hindutva terror groups planting the bombs. “All angles are being probed,” Patil told reporters who questioned him about the possibility of saffron terror groups carrying out the
blasts. Radical Hindutva groups are also under the scanner after the lone man to be injured in the blasts was found to be carrying one of the explosive devices in his bag. Dayanand Patil told investigators that he was unaware how the device found its way into his bag. Police is questioning Patil and his wife, both of whom migrated to Maharashtra from Karnataka.
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CCTV projects mired in red tape, official tussles
Mumbai, August
3 According to information put out by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, the state government had acquired CCTV cameras and a central monitoring system worth Rs 1.25 crore for installing at several areas in Pune. However, these were yet to be installed and were found dumped in a godown for more than a year. Eknath Khadse of the BJP, Opposition Leader in Maharashtra, alleged that the state’s home department had spent only a part of its budget on security
infrastructure. Information put out by the local unit of the BJP indicates that the Pune police had asked for 837 CCTVs to be installed at sensitive places, but only 79 were actually
installed. Incidentally, even the cameras installed on several important roads in Pune are yet to be activated because of a turf war between the police and the Pune Municipal Corporation. “One camera at the Junglee Maharaj road where the blasts took place remains non-functional because it is not clear in whose jurisdiction it falls,” a police officer in Pune told reporters on Thursday. Home Minister RR Patil had to face embarrassing moments when he was told that CCTV footage from private establishments was useful in providing important clues after Wednesday’s blasts but CCTVs installed by public authorities were
non-functional. Some of these CCTVs were installed after the bomb blast at Pune’s German Bakery two years ago, but they are yet to be activated. Meanwhile, an ambitious programme to install 6,000 CCTVs on Mumbai’s roads is yet to take off. A consortium headed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd, which included MTNL, was awarded the contract last month. The project is stuck in red tape with Maharashtra’s legal department looking into the matter.
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Prez intervenes to open PHC lying defunct
for 20 years
Guwahati, August 3 The Mizoram Chakma Development Forum (MCDF) has sought President Pranab Mukherjee's intervention to open a primary health centre in the border town of Borpansury in Mizoram's Chakma region, which has been lying idle for the past 20
years. The deserted Borpansury clinic happens to be the only PHC in the entire Chakma Autonomous District Council area, created under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. Borpansury lies on the border of India and Bangladesh, where a majority of Chakma tribals
live. In a petition submitted to the President on July 28, the forum stated that lack of healthcare in the region was a cause of great difficulty, hardship and pain to the 12,000 tribals inhabiting the area. "Several people die of preventable diseases every year. The poor health service is compounded by bad road connectivity, forcing people to take a 10-hour mountain road to the state capital of Aizwal to seek medical help," it
said. After lying abandoned for 20 years, the government spent about Rs 1 crore to rebuild the Borpansury primary health centre in 2010. Since then, no doctors or any other medical staff has been appointed; the place is lying in a state of
disuse. In response to the petition submitted by the forum, the office of the President of India on August 1 last transferred it to the office of the Chief Secretary of Mizoram and asked the forum to get in touch with him regarding the
matter. Mizoram chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau cited acute shortage of doctors in Mizoram as the reason for leaving that PHC idle. He said Mizoram needs about 500 more doctors to man all its CHCs and PHCs as per the norms prescribed by the Government of India, but the state has not recruited any regular doctors for the last 15 years because of financial crisis. He further said his office was yet to receive the MCDF memorandum redirected from President's Office from New Delhi.
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RSS ex-chief Sudarshan lost and found
Bangalore, August
3 Sudarshan had come to Mysore from Bhopal on Wednesday by train and stayed at the house of his younger brother KS Ramesh. This morning, he left the house for his routine morning stroll around 5.30 am, leaving his mobile phone at home. His gunman was put up elsewhere while his personal secretary, who accompanied Sudarshan from Bhopal, was in the bathroom when Sudarshan
left. Ramesh told mediapersons that when his brother did not return after a couple of hours, they started worrying for him and went around the locality in search of him. They later lodged a police complaint, following which the entire city police swung into action, launching a massive hunt for the missing
octogenarian. Several BJP leaders and RSS activists also gathered at Ramesh’s house while some RSS activists went around searching for
Sudarshan. It was later learnt that Sudarshan was unable to retrace the road to brother’s home. He was exhausted in the effort and went to a roadside house and asked for a glass of water. Ashok, who works in a courier service company as a delivery boy, lived in that house. He called Sudarshan in, gave him a glass of water and switched on the TV for the elderly visitor to watch. By that time, local news channels had gone on the air with the news of Sudarshan’s disappearance. Ashok saw the news and got in touch with Sudarshan’s family members and soon the former RSS chief was back at his brother’s place.
What
transpired
Sudarshan came to Mysore from Bhopal on Wednesday He stayed at the house of his younger
brother Left the house for routine morning stroll around 5.30 am and forgot the way back
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Team Anna today called off its 10-day-old agitation against corruption by announcing its decision to launch a political formation that would provide the people an alternative to all mainstream political parties, including the Congress and the
BJP.
New Delhi, August 3
Mumbai, August
3
