The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	PAC members pose tough questions to Coal Ministry Aditi Tandon/TNS New Delhi, September 24 Under attack from the Opposition over the coal allocation scam, the government is now facing a queer query on the subject. Members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have asked the Coal Secretary to explain what prompted India to allot coal blocks to private parties for gasification and liquefaction, long dead and known polluting technologies. Sources said Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal posed tough questions to Coal Secretary SK Srivastava who deposed before the PAC yesterday in connection with the scam. “Hitler used coal for gasification at the height of World War II when he was encircled by enemies and needed to ensure his country’s energy security. South Africa used coal for the same purpose when it was alienated by the world on account of its practice of apartheid. What was India’s urgency? India was not exploding an atomic bomb in 2007. Then why were coal blocks given away for gasification?” Mabhat is said to have asked the Coal Secretary. PAC sources said the Opposition MPs alleged that blocks were given for gasification and liquefaction to companies simply to help them raise their stock values. CAG said in his report on coal scam that several coal blocks were given to private allottees for gasification and liquefaction. While the latter is the process of producing synthetic liquids like gasoline from coal, gasification is a process of producing coal gas. Alongside Mahtab, some other Opposition members in PAC also asked Srivastava why coal, a finite natural resource, was allotted for gasification, a technology which could prove to be India’s greatest source of pollution. “This technology is 15 times more polluting than thermal,” PAC sources said. Srivastava said he would furnish written comments on the issue within 15 days. PAC members also raised the issue of swiftness with which the government-appointed screening committee disposed of applications of parties seeking coal blocks for captive mining. “In just 14 meetings, 175 blocks were given away beginning 2004. We have asked the Coal Ministry to give us minutes of all these meetings. We have also asked them the basis on which only two applicants were called for a presentation against a coal block which had 80 takers. We want to know if the committee kept any account of the reasons for ruling out some and favouring the others,” PAC sources said.
	TMC’s exit: CWC to review situation today Anita Katyal Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 The meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), convened here tomorrow by party president Sonia Gandhi, is expected to take stock of the political fall-out of Trinamool Congress’ exit and the UPA government’s decision to press ahead with economic reforms, including FDI in multi-brand retail. Although the CWC agenda only says the meeting will discuss the “current political situation”, Congress leaders said it can safely be surmised the Trinamool’s departure from the ruling coalition will figure in tomorrow’s deliberations as the resignation of 19 TMC MPs has formally reduced the UPA government to a minority. The party’s highest decision-making body is also likely to dwell on the tough and bold economic decisions taken recently by the government, which have placed it in the Opposition’s firing line. With the Congress president backing the government, the CWC is expected to endorse the Centre’s resolve to push ahead with economic reforms and rally around Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has personally come under sharp attack for the recent slew of measures. The party top brass could approve a roadmap ahead for hardselling these economic reforms to the electorate. Though the Opposition was prompt in hitting the streets over the government’s decisions, the Congress has been slow to respond. The Prime Minister and his ministerial colleagues Chidambaram and Anand Sharma have taken the initiative to explain these decisions to the people but no senior Congress leader except AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh has come out to defend the government. The Congress rank and file is actually unhappy with the decisions on fuel price hike and LPG which, they feel, will fuel further public resentment against the party. The Congress president’s opening statement will set the tone for the subsequent deliberations while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram will explain the reasons which compelled the government to hike diesel price and cap supply of subsidised LPG cylinders. The meeting will be briefed about the economic benefits of allowing foreign equity in multi-brand retail to counter the Opposition’s negative campaign on the issue. The meeting will be assured about the UPA government’s stability despite the TMC walk-out. The continued support of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has ensured the longevity of the ruling combine. The CWC is also meeting at a time when the party leadership is in the midst of hectic parleys on the creation of a separate state of Telangana, an issue which has been on the backburner for over a year. Sonia Gandhi has conferred with senior party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Vayalar Ravi who have been handling this issue. Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had also met Sonia Gandhi recently, fuelling speculation that the party is set to take a decision on Telangana.
	US envoy meets Mamata, talks about investment options in WB Subhrangshu Gupta/TNS Kolkata, September 24 The US ambassador in India Nancy Powell met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Writers Buildings today and discussed with her the prospect of larger US investment in Bengal. The meeting was a follow-up meeting of the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s meet a few months back with the chief minister in Kolkata where the US offer of investments on the wide-range development works in the state had been discussed. The officials of the state government and the US foreign office were present at the meeting. During today’s meeting, the chief minister told the US ambassador that she would welcome larger US investments provided the interests of the state and it’s people were not affected. But any FDI in the multi-brand retail trade would not be allowed. The chief minister will lead a dharna at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 1 against the diesel price rise, FDI in retail and UPA II’s other “anti-people decisions” which will be attended by party MPs, MLAs, TMC workers and supporters. The leaders of several like-minded parties are also likely to be present.
	SC spells out powers for HCs in criminal cases R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 24 The Supreme Court today issued guidelines to High Courts for quashing criminal proceedings, first information reports or complaints, saying they can use the power only in criminal cases that have an “overwhelmingly and predominantly civil flavour” and not in cases that can have a “serious impact” on the society. “Heinous and serious offences of mental depravity or offences like murder, rape, dacoity, etc. cannot be fittingly quashed even though the victim or victim’s family and the offender have settled the dispute. Such offences are not private in nature and have a serious impact on the society,” a three-Judge Bench, headed by RM Lodha, ruled in a 56-page judgment. Justices Anil Dave and SJ Mukhopadhaya were the other two Judges. Any compromise between the victim and offender in cases registered under special statutes like the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) or offences committed by public servants while working in that capacity cannot provide for the basis for quashing criminal proceedings, the SC clarified. But the criminal cases that have an overwhelmingly civil flavour will stand on a different footing for the purpose of quashing, particularly the offences arising from commercial, financial, mercantile, civil, partnership or suchlike transactions or offences arising out of matrimony relating to dowry or family disputes “where the wrong is basically private or personal in nature and the parties have resolved their entire dispute”, the Bench said. In this category of cases, the High Courts can quash criminal proceedings if they feel the possibility of conviction “is remote and bleak” and continuation of the criminal case will put the accused to great oppression and prejudice, and extreme injustice will be caused to him by not quashing the criminal case despite the full and complete settlement and compromise reached with the victim. “In other words, the High Court must consider whether it will be unfair or contrary to the interest of justice to continue with the criminal proceeding or continuation of the criminal proceeding will tantamount to abuse of the process of law despite settlement and compromise between the victim and wrongdoer, and whether it is appropriate that criminal case is put to an end to secure the ends of justice. If the answer to the above question(s) is in affirmative, the High Court shall be well within its jurisdiction to quash the criminal proceeding,” the Bench held.
	Nod to 7% DA for Central govt staff Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 The Cabinet today approved a 7 per cent hike in dearness allowance for Central government employees and pensioners. The move comes following rising inflation in double digits and the recent hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG cylinders. The dearness allowance has been raised to 72 per cent from the current 65 per cent of basic pay. The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both dearness allowance and dearness relief will be of the order of Rs 7,408.24 crore per annum and Rs 4,938.78 crore in the financial year 2012-2013 i.e. for a period of 8 months from July 2012 to February 2013. The decision will benefit about 50 lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners of the Central government. The current hike will be effective from July 1 and employees will be entitled to arrears from this date.
	Ration sugar price hike held back Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 After some bold economic reforms to bring the ailing Indian economy on track, the UPA government today held back the politically sensitive proposal of increasing the retail price of sugar sold through ration shops. Sources said the proposal continued to be on the government’s reforms radar but considering its potential to backfire due to direct effect on the Below Poverty Line segment, it was kept on hold.
	Kejriwal party unlikely on Gandhi Jayanti New Delhi, September 24 Arvind Kejriwal is unlikely to announce the formation of a party on October 2 as expected and instead a process will be set in motion seeking public suggestions on a draft of its vision and constitution. It was earlier widely anticipated that Kejriwal will announce the formation of the party on Gandhi Jayanti. Sources in India Against Corruption, however, said it will not happen as they will first seek opinion from people like the way it was done for Jan Lokpal campaign before finally announcing the party. On October 2, the sources said, Kejriwal is likely to put in public the draft vision and constitution of the proposed party and seek opinion of people. — PTI
	Attacker alleges threat from Jaiswal Tribune News Service Lucknow, September 24 The Kanpur trader, who had allegedly hurled shoes and slippers on the entourage of union minister for coal Shriprakash Jaiswal on Saturday while protesting against FDI in retail, has now complained that the minister was a threat to his life. In his written complaint to the Gwaltoli police today, local trade leader Gyanesh Mishra charged the minister, who is also the Kanpur Congress MP, with attempting to crush him and his supporters to death when they tried to stop his motorcade on Saturday to hand over a petition protesting against FDI in retail. The attack on Jaiswal’s motorcade took place when he was headed back from Bhairon Ghat crematorium on the banks of the Ganga where he had gone to attend the funeral of an acquaintance. Later that evening, Jaiswal’s personal security guard Chedi Lal had lodged a complaint at the Gwaltoli police station against Mishra and a dozen of his supporters under IPC sections 143 (offences against public tranquillity), 341, (wrongful restraint), 511 (attempt to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life) and 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) Mishra and his supporters with media in tow today arrived at the Gwaltoli police station to court arrest.
	Gorshkov malfunction: No word from Russia yet Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 India is yet to hear from Russia on the exact nature of error reported in the boilers of sea-borne aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. The malfunction was reported in the warship almost two weeks ago. The Russians have so far failed to convey the exact malfunction in the boilers or the time it will take to correct the flaws, say sources. Two weeks ago, the 500-member Indian Navy team on board Admiral Gorshkov — still undergoing trials in the Barents Sea — had reported the problem with the warship’s boilers, especially when it hits top speeds nearing 30 knots (around 55 kmph), to the Naval headquarters. The problem lies with the insulation system of the boilers (eight of them powering four engine shafts). The insulation system comprises a special ceramic called “fire-brick”, which helps maintain optimum temperature in the boilers. The malfunction was noticed when the warship was being made to run full throttle at sea over a period of 10 days. One possible reason for the lack of official Russian communication stems from the fact that the warship is still sailing and undergoing trials. The warship is expected to return to Russian seaport of Severodvinsk in the White Sea, where it was refitted, early next month when it completes a 90-day trial. Once it is back at the port, a detailed assessment will be made on the functioning of the boilers. Initial reports sent by the Indian crew suggest that three of the eight boilers are not performing at their optimum levels. The malfunction notwithstanding, the warship continues to sail and undergo other trials like the landing and take-off of MiG-29K fighters from its deck. The sonar, radar and electronic warfare suite are also being tested. Cloud over deadline The renovated and refurbished $2.3 billion aircraft carrier is scheduled to be delivered on December 4 this year. Under the contract, a grace period of four months can be accorded. Andrei Dyachkov, president, United Shipbuilding Corporation, was quoted by Russian news agency ‘Interfax’ as saying that repairs would push back the delivery by five months until May, 2013. The Indian side is skeptical of the media reports, as they cannot be taken as the official word on the condition of the warship, and will wait for the ship to first dock at the port, where engineers will estimate the nature of work. Routine refit The repair of the boiler insulation can be completed within the grace period of the contract - around four months or till April 2013 - as it does not require any external work. The change of boiler insulation is a routine refit carried out by the Navy workmen in Indian shipyards. For this task, the shipyard does not need to take out the boilers by cutting through the hull of the 44,550-ton warship. $2.3-bn deal India and Russia had signed a $2.3-billion (around Rs 12,650 crore in today’s valuation) contract for refitting an aircraft carrier of the erstwhile Soviet Navy. The first contract was signed in 2004 when no other country was ready to sell such a technology to India.
	Free and fair art show from Sept 27 Vandana Shukla Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 24 To bring a change in the way the art world operates in India, a first-of-its-kind art fair is being organised in Delhi from September 27 to 30. United Art Fair (UAF) claims to be “the biggest artist-driven free art fair in the world”. The fair will offer an opportunity to the artists to exhibit and sell their art directly to buyers and attract collectors. Anurag Sharma, director, United Art Logistics Private Limited, says this “free and fair” show of art is not mediated by galleries and will offer space to 500 young artists selected from across the country to showcase their works at Pragati Maidan. Sharma, who spent 18 years shipping artwork, along with his curatorial team travelled to 15 cities, meeting 3,850 new artists before arriving at the final shortlist of 525, and a list of 2,000-odd exhibits in painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, video and digital art, installation and cutting-edge art to make a new beginning in art management. Under the UAF initiative, hundred best works will be selected and a group show will travel to four major cities. The launch of “C-ARTWHEEL”, a magazine, will feature young artists and provide information about international events and art fairs. The second edition of the UAF will focus on Southeast Asia and Europe, besides showcasing promising artists of India. The show will focus on bringing forth contemporary Indian art that can stand on a par with any international show, highlighting the uniqueness and diversity of genres practiced by Indian artists. The second day of the fair, “The Day of Dissenters”, will offer a platform to dissenting ideas. “Any person who has a different opinion about the workings of the mainstream art market and even against the UAF can come and present their papers on the day. We are open to criticism,” says Johny ML, chief curator and director, UAF. Also, senior and established artists will endorse the participation of young artists by presenting their own established styles and works in a show, “Mind the Gap Now”. This section has 50 artists like KS Radhakrishnan, Chintan Upadhyay, Sidharth, Waswo X Waswo, Manisha Doshi, Indrapramit Roy, Subodh Kerkar, Amitava Das, Shibu Natesan, Vidya Kamat, Manjunath Kamath, NN Rimzon, Sanjeev Khandekar, Brinda Millaer, Veer Munshi, etc. The fair will have special sections of video works, a sculpture park, Raja Deen Dayal photo section, named after country’s first photographer to earn international repute, and printmaking. Artists from the violence-hit Maoist region and the North East will add an extra dimension to the fair. A tribute wall will be dedicated to the works of MF Husain, Tyeb Mehta and Ram Kinkar Baij, FN Souza and VS Gaitonde.
	Fresh efforts for Kim Davy extradition New Delhi, September 24 India has decided to make fresh efforts for extradition of Purulia arms drop case prime accused Kim Davy after a Danish court turned down a plea for sending him here to face trial in the 17 year-old sensational case. The decision was taken after Union Home Secretary R K Singh discussed the issue of extradition of Kim Davy to India with Indian Ambassador to Denmark Ashok Attri last week. "It was decided that the case should be pursued vigorously with the Danish government to extradite Davy to India at the earliest," a Home Ministry official said. The case relates to an incident on the night of December 17, 1995, when an AN-26 aircraft dropped arms and ammunition in West Bengal's Purulia district. The consignment had hundreds of AK-47 rifles, pistols, anti-tank grenades, rocket launchers and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Five Latvians and British national Peter Bleach were arrested in connection with the case. However, Davy, a Danish citizen and the prime accused in the case, had managed to escape. Since then the Indian government has been pursuing the case for his extradition to India with the Danish government. The extradition order was passed by the Danish government on April 9, 2010. However, Davy approached a local court challenging the order of the Danish government. The court set aside the order. — PTI
	Assam flood toll mounts to 9 Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, September 24 The death toll in the current wave of floods has mounted to nine even as the situation in Assam remains grim with water levels in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries showing a rising trend. The floods have rendered around 10 lakh people from 16 districts of the state homeless. Three children drowned in a boat mishap at Makum in Tinsukia district of eastern Assam last night, while the NDRF rescued 42 others, an official source said. Two others, one each in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district, died, while two more perished in Sivasagar and Nalbari on Sunday. The worst affected districts were Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup (rural and metro), Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia. The entire core area of the Kaziranga National Park in central Assam has been inundated, making wildlife policing a tough task. Poachers took advantage of the adversity and killed a flood-hit rhino last night. At least 21 specialised flood relief units of the Army, equipped with engineering gear and rescue boats, are carrying out flood relief operations in the Sootea sub-division of Sonitpur district. Army helicopters have also been pressed into service and a large number of sorties have been carried out, distributing 2.5 tons of food packets. The Army has evacuated over 6,000 flood-affected people to relief camps established by the civil administration and NGOs, said Defence spokesperson Lt Col SS Phogat. Under Water Core area of Kaziranga National Park remains inundated Districts worst-hit: Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Tinsukia
	Come November, Bollywood will be part of Maharashtra tourism map Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, September 24 Visitors to Mumbai who seek out 'Bollywood' will no longer return home disappointed. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will start guided tours to Mumbai's Film City from November where tourists will get a glimpse of editing suites, film sets and movie stars in action. “This is a pilot project where we will organise guided tours on weekends,” says Film City managing director Laxmikant Deshmukh. Starting November, there will be two tours everyday on weekends where visitors will be taken to the Film City on a specially-configured bus. Though big-budget films are shot in different locations around the world, the Film City is still used by major banners, says Deshmukh. A large number of television serials are also shot here. According to officials at the MTDC, a number of locations here already attract tourists and these locations need to be marketed well. For instance, some of the locations where ‘Sholay’ was shot continue to be big draws, even though the movie dates back to the 1970s. The Film City also draws number of people on days when a game show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan is shot. The area has a number of permanent props like railway station, temple, lake and helipad spread over 520 acres that have been used in numerous films and television serials. Filmmakers put up huge sets that remain standing for as long as a year during the shooting which draw a large number of visitors. The MTDC and Film City management are also putting in place infrastructure where tourists can rest and relax in the Film City. Earlier this week, Maharashtra's Chief Secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia told officials from various departments that the state government was keen on exploiting the tourism potential of the Film City. Incidentally, this is not the first time that such a project has been mooted. Private operators who tried to organise tours of the Film City ran into opposition from filmmakers and actors as visitors disrupted shootings and attempted to enter vanity fans of movie stars.
	Embassy in Kuwait working for release of Indians Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, September 24 The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is ‘proactively’ pursuing the issue of release of Indian nationals detained in the Arab nation for possible visa violations. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is also in touch with embassy officials in this regard. At least 1,000 Indian workers were detained by the authorities in Kuwait for allegedly misusing their visas. They are among the more than 2,000 people who were arrested last week for expired visas and involvement in crimes during impromptu security checks. MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the Indian mission in Kuwait had collected details of 550 Indian nationals detained while about 50 others had been released. Most of the arrested Indians are said to be from the southern Rajasthan districts of Banswara, Pratapgarh and Dungarpur. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to the External Affairs Minister asking him to help secure the release of the men. Vidhu P Nair, Charge de Affaires at the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, said the Embassy had managed to track down and collate documents of around 650 Indians.
	Fake woman ISRO scientist nabbed Tribune News Service Bangalore, September 24 A 42-year-old woman impostor has been arrested for posing as a scientist and intruding into the state-run Indian Space Reasearch Organisation’s high-security satellite centre here. Jula M Sam from Ahmedabad was held on September 21 for posing as a senior scientist of the space agency and staying at the guest house of its satellite centre with a fake identity card. Jula was arrested when she tried to sneak into the ISRO headquarters located at New BEL Road here. A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, deployed on security duty, grew suspicious and took her into custody after the administration confirmed that there was no woman employee by her name at its Ahmedabad space centre. She has been sent to 14-day judicial remand. Julas’s husband, Alex Thomas, a teacher, told the police that she is mentally unsound. Jula told the police that she had come to Bangalore to attend a space conference. The Impostor Jula M Sam from Ahmedabad was held on Sept 21 for posing as senior scientist of the space agency and staying at guest house of its satellite centre with a fake ID Arrested while sneaking into the ISRO HQ Husband Alex Thomas, a teacher, claims she is mentally unsound