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Trilateral talks today
Himachal Govt didn’t utilise most Central funds: PM
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With Bansal in saddle, Punjab hopes to get its rail projects on track
On familiar turf, but many foreign
Cabinet rejig: Bengal Cong celebrates three inductions
Reshuffle a face-saving exercise: Oppn
Sibal hopes his education agenda is carried forward
Radical talk in Punjab a worry for intelligence agencies
Top cops to undergo training in anti-terror operations
Will Aamir Khan join Anna’s team?
Probe Digvijay's claim against BJP leaders' kin: Verma
Pollution blues for Hyderabad Traffic Police
Centre’s Career Progression Scheme
Another World War II bomb found from Mumbai sea
High cost to delay Mantralaya renovation
IAC activists get nod to protest in Farrukhabad
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US, India, Japan to discuss China, maritime security
New Delhi, October 28 During the talks, the Indian delegation will be led by Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary in-charge of East Asia in the External Affairs Ministry. The US delegation will be led by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake, while Deputy Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kenji Hiramatsu will head the Japanese delegation in the talks. The three countries, projected as the three leading Pacific democracies, are expected to discuss issues related to maritime security, anti-piracy cooperation and intensified consultations on a cluster of regional issues, including the flux in Afghanistan and Myanmar. Ahead of the forthcoming East Asia summit in Cambodia, the three sides will be exchanging views on the evolving security architecture in East Asia, which has acquired an added traction in view of increased Chinese assertiveness in the region. The US is seeking to rope in India as part of its strategy which envisages a more proactive role for New Delhi in the region. Although the three countries have denied that the trilateral was targeted at any third country - an all-too-obvious reference to China - Beijing will be the elephant in the room when officials of the three countries hold the talks. In the wake of converging interests and deepening relations between India and the US and India and Japan on both economic and political fronts, the idea of an India-Japan-US trilateral dialogue had been gaining traction among elites. The US feels that India’s participation would strengthen Asia’s regional institutions such as the East Asia Summit (EAS) and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). India’s economic and trade ties with the ASEAN are as important as its ties with the US. The US, therefore, feels that free trade and investment that connects India to Southeast and East Asia would have profound impact on global trade and economic growth. The trilaterals are a forum used by the US to obtain a consensus in small groups of friendly countries. The US-Japan-Australia trilateral has been in existence for five years, while the ones on Afghanistan are beginning to proliferate as the 2014 deadline for the drawdown of western troops from the country draws closer. Interestingly, India has shown interest in a U.S.-China-India dialogue in which trade and investment related issues could be primarily discussed.
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Himachal Govt didn’t utilise most Central funds: PM
Una, October 28 Addressing an election rally at Police Lines here today to seek votes for Congress candidates, Manmohan Singh said, “Keeping in view the special problems of the state, the UPA government has always tried to give benefits to people of the state for irrigation, agriculture, roads, health, extending the railway lines, but the BJP government has not made efforts to help the people. Whatever progress has been made here has been with Central government funds.” The PM said, “The UPA government gave Rs 1,200 crore to set up five new power projects, Rs 1,800 crore through the National Highway Authority of India for building roads, increased special grant from Rs 200 crore to Rs 900 crore, set up IIT at Mandi, Central University at Dharamsala, gave money to expand higher education infrastructure and for opening polytechnics and increased 21 per cent grant under the National Horticulture Mission which led to the increase in area under apple cultivation to 1700 hectares.” Lashing out at the state government for not spending a large portion of the Central grants, he said, “The state government could not spend 56 per cent allocated under MNREGA, could not implement enough projects under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna, could only spend Rs 8 crore out of Rs 142 crore received under the National Rural Health Mission. Named the Atal Ambulance Scheme, 152 ambulances were given under this project. It was a case of ‘kaam kisi ka, aur naam hua kisi ka’ (work of one, fame of another).” “In 2007-08, the enrolment of primary and upper primary students decreased, but the state government could only appoint 4,100 teachers despite getting Rs 5,800 crore to appoint new teachers,” the PM said. Highlighting various schemes of the UPA government, Dr Singh said, “During the last eight years, the UPA government has launched various projects like Bharat Nirman Karyakram, NRHM, MNREGA, Right to Education, waived loans of farmers, gave support prices to grains and fruits, implemented special schemes to benefit ST and SC categories, provided midday meals to 12 crore students and launched projects to boost higher education.” Appealing to the people to vote for the Congress in the Assembly elections, the PM said, “While voting in the election, keep in mind that due to the uninterrupted Congress rule in the state till 1997, with the vision of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, Himachal Pradesh made tremendous progress in every field.” HPCC chief Virbhadra Singh, Union Cabinet minister Anand Sharma, AICC general secretary Birender Singh also addressed the meeting.
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With Bansal in saddle, Punjab hopes to get its rail projects on track
Chandigarh, October 28 Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has promised to look into long-pending demands of Punjab. “I will certainly look into the long-pending issues of Punjab, but would focus on balanced development of all regions,” he said. As has been seen in the past that most of the railway ministers patronise their areas, it is being hoped that Bansal, who represents Chandigarh but hails from Sunam (Sangrur), will get new rail projects sanctioned for the border state. “Though I have yet to go through the exact status of pending railway proposals and sanctioned projects, I believe Punjab has not got any new rail link. I will do my best to push those projects forward,” he said.
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On familiar turf, but many foreign
New Delhi, October 28 Having already been the Minister of State for External Affairs in the Narasimha Rao Government in early nineties, the South Block is obviously a familiar turf for him. At the same time, however, he will be well aware of the demands of his new job, which is constantly under media scrutiny. The Lok Sabha member from Farrukhabad has his task cut as he moves to the MEA to navigate the country's foreign policy at a time when India is gradually emerging as an important player in the global architecture, particularly in the economic arena. Shortly after he was allocated the portfolio, Khurshid visited his predecessor SM Krishna at the latter’s residence and sought his advice. He later took charge of the ministry and held discussions with Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and other senior officials. “I am not going to depart from what he (Krishna) has said. For us as an emerging nation on the world scene, we have to maintain good relations with our neighbours because challenges do come from neighbours,” he said when reporters drew his attention to Krishna’s statement yesterday that ties with Pakistan and China were important. Khurshid said the world has changed since he was in the MEA last almost two decades back. Foreign affairs has shifted greatly towards economic/security issues and there was need for out-of-box thinking. The first major task before Khurshid would be to successfully stage the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of countries belonging to the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) in Gurgaon next week. He will also have bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts from nearly 20 countries, including Iran, Australia and Sri Lanka. Relations with Pakistan, China and the US are obviously critical for India. Khurshid will have to pick up the threads of his predecessor’s work and establish a good working relationship with Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to keep the nascent dialogue process going. However, it must also be kept in mind by India that the dialogue just for the sake of remaining engaged will not be productive unless Pakistan delivers on its commitment to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack. Maintaining the current state of upswing in India-China relations, border flare-ups notwithstanding, will also present a big challenge to Khurshid. At a time when China is busy with its once-in-a-decade political transformation process, the External Affairs Ministry is keeping a close watch on the developments in Beijing. Khurshid will have to build with his Chinese counterpart the kind of rapport Krishna had established with his opposite number Yang Jiechi. Wrinkles have appeared in India’s relations with Russia in recent months due to differences over the civil nuclear cooperation and Russian telecom giant Sistema’s investments in India, leading to the postponement of President Putin’s visit to India. Khurshid will have to ensure that all issues are settled before the Russian leader arrives in New Delhi on the eve of Christmas.
The road ahead
* Having already been the MoS for External Affairs in the Narasimha Rao Government in early nineties, the South Block is obviously a familiar turf for Khurshid * The first major task before Khurshid would be to successfully stage the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of countries belonging to the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation in Gurgaon next week * He needs to establish a good working relationship with Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to keep the nascent dialogue process going * Maintaining the current state of upswing in India-China relations, border flare-ups notwithstanding, will also present a big challenge to Khurshid * Wrinkles have appeared in India’s ties with Russia in recent months due to differences over the civil nuclear cooperation and Russian telecom giant Sistema’s investments in India
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Cabinet rejig: Bengal Cong celebrates three inductions
Kolkata, October 28 The CPM welcomed the induction of the three MPs from the state, but the Trinamool Congress alleged that the Congress was trying to “avenge” the Trinamool’s recent decision of withdrawal of support from the Manmohan Singh government. TMC MP Saugata Roy alleged that it was a calculated move by the Congress to disrupt the smooth functioning of the Mamata Banerjee government. He said the trio would have virtually no official work to perform in their ministerial capacity. Hence, their main job would be to disturb the functioning of the TMC government in Bengal. Roy said that as he had been a minister of state in the UPA-II government for several years, he knew that state ministers neither had any official job to do nor had any power to deliver. But the Congress challenged Roy’s allegations. Newly appointed minister from Malda A Hashem Khan Chowdhury said they had been made ministers not to disturb the work of the Mamata Banerjee government but to expedite all the ongoing Central projects and to chalk out development programmes in the larger interest of the state. Adhir Chowdhury alleged that in the past several years, his district -Murshidabad - had been denied development projects by the Railways. As an MP from the district, he would try to include Murshidabad district in the Railways’ development programme. Deepa Dasmunshi said that she would try to set up an AIIMS-type hospital in Raigang that her husband Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had planned. It was recently sanctioned by the UPA government. But Mamata Banerjee wants that the proposed hospital be shifted to Kalyani. This move has been opposed by
Deepa.
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Reshuffle a face-saving exercise: Oppn New Delhi/Kolkata, Oct 28 The UPA's former ally Trinamool Congress, which pulled out of the Manmohan Singh government last month, had a different take, saying the three Congress leaders chosen as Ministers of State from West Bengal were there only to "needle" the party. It also said West Bengal was deprived of adequate ministerial representation. Dismissing the reshuffle as a "face-saving" exercise, BJP's ally Akali Dal said it was the "same old wine in new bottle". "This reshuffle was lacklustre. It will not do any good to the country or even to the Congress. It was expected that young blood will be given more representation in the Cabinet, but this has not been done," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said. Hussain, who became a Cabinet minister at the age of 32 in the erstwhile NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said even the few young leaders who took oath of office had not been given a Cabinet berth. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has only given the young leaders Minister of State status. The average age of the Cabinet has not come down much, although it was being talked about," he said. Punjab CM and Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal said the reshuffle was not going to help the Congress. "This exercise would prove futile. What the country needed at this crucial juncture was some revolutionary changes in policies in the interests of the common man and not political gimmicks or jugglery of sorts to befool the aam adami (common man)," Badal told reporters in Ludhiana. — PTI
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Sibal hopes his education agenda is carried forward
New Delhi, October 28 The elevation of 50-year-old Raju from the MoS Defence to a Cabinet Minister marks a significant shift from the past when the portfolio remained with political stalwarts, often Prime Ministers themselves. In the past 22 years, the following held the HRD Ministry - VP Singh as the PM; Arjun Singh, PV Narasimha Rao as the PM; Madhav Rao Scindia, Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the PM, SR Bommai, Murali Manohar Joshi, and lately Kapil Sibal. Speaking to The Tribune, Sibal, who now holds only the Telecom and IT Ministry, said, “It is the prerogative of the PM to allocate portfolios. I will do whatever I have been asked to do. But I hope the agenda I set for education is carried forward being fundamentally linked to the future of India and its children.” As he assumed the new charge, Pallam Raju hailed the work of Sibal as “good” saying it “needed to be carried forward”. On his promotion, Raju said, “Younger people have been entrusted with important jobs and it is for us now to keep the trust the PM and Rahul Gandhi have reposed in us.” Asked about the pending reform Bills that Sibal had piloted, Raju said he would gradually take up pending matters. HRD also got two new Ministers of State in Shashi Tharoor and Jitin Prasad. That apart, Sibal’s exit comes at a time when much of his agenda remains unfinished. Lined up for passage are critical legislations which, if passed, would transform India’s higher education sector forever and liberalise it. “I hope to do to education what the PM did to economy in 1991,” Sibal had told the Tribune in 2009 when he assumed charge. His dream remains unfulfilled as do his education liberalisation Bills-such as Bills to allow foreign education providers; set up universities of innovation, educational tribunals for out of court settlement of educational disputes and a national accreditation authority; a Bill to prevent unfair practices, including capitation fee in colleges and create a national academic depository for electronic storage of academic awards and a Bill to establish an overarching regulator that would subsume the UGC, the AICTE and all other present regulators. Ironically, beginning tomorrow, Sibal had lined up crucial meetings to take his agenda forward. On October 31, he was to meet states that are yet to agree to the common entrance test for admission to Central technical institutions from 2013. On November 1, a meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest policy-making body for education, is scheduled to review right to education and discuss its extension to pre-school and Classes IX and X instead of the current six-to-14-year segment.
hiS CONTROVERSIES * Abdication of Minister’s quota of 1200 seats for admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas and abolition of MP quota for KVs that the minister had to revoke under pressure * Single entrance test for admission to IITs and central technical institutes, which IIT faculty termed as erosion of autonomy
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Radical talk in Punjab a worry for intelligence agencies
New Delhi, October 28 Sources in the government confirmed to The Tribune that the UPA’s top hierarchy, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, has been apprised about the assessment in Punjab and also the stream of thoughts being perpetuated from abroad through the Internet. The UPA’s top bosses have been told that some plain speaking is required between the Centre, Punjab and all the agencies controlling the law and order and intelligence gathering agencies. For long, the successive governments at the Centre have considered Badal as a moderate and amenable Sikh leader. Sources said the top brass of the Punjab Police led by DGP Sumedh Saini has been in the forefront of the fight against militancy and is fully capable of curbing any trouble makers. “As of now there is no need for police action, however, a political call needs to be firmed up in dealing with the statements on the memorial issue,” sources said adding the police realises that it will be first to face the brunt in case of misadventure by the radicals. Besides the UPA, even the BJP, the ruling partner in the state with the Akalis, has expressed its reservation on the memorial. As of now there is a drift and it has been observed by the agencies that the Union Home Minister share his opinion with Badal on the matter of the memorial and also the fact that several Pakistan-based elements and pro-Khalistan elements based in Europe, Canada, the UK and the US are having a free-for-all on the Internet and spreading their own thoughts. Badal may not be able to counter the net-based propaganda, however, he can ensure the right kind of atmosphere in the state. New Delhi has sounded off friendly foreign countries about the hatred being spread by radicals. “Thankfully, the European nations are ready to hear India. This is a change since the 1980s and early 1990s when political asylum was being granted to the people from Punjab”.
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Top cops to undergo training in anti-terror operations
Chandigarh, October 28 The Special Tactics Wing (STW) of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (NPA), Hyderabad, is planning to start a special course on tactics for senior officers of the rank of Deputy Inspector General and above so that they are able to plan and execute counter-terrorist operations in a more efficient manner. While a special course on counter-terrorist tactics has already been started for Indian Police Service probationers as well as for in-service junior officers from police organisations and paramilitary forces, the one for senior officers is expected to commence next year. The Special Tactics Wing was set up at the NPA after a review of the terrorist attack at Mumbai revealed that there was a large gap between training of police personnel and the present requirement of tactical skills. The STW is manned by officers and men drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF; earlier known as paramilitary forces) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The STW course prepares police officers for tactical operations in jungle as well as urban environment and training is imparted in three phases with progressive stages of complexity and difficulty. In the last phase, trainees are required to plan and execute operations on their own and are also exposed to self-sustained operations without administrative support. Since its inception about two years ago, the STW has trained over a thousand officers from the IPS, state police organisations and CAPFs in advanced anti-terror tactics. Though at present, it is run from the temporary premises at the NPA, the STW will soon have its own building, firing ranges, training areas and equipment. As many as 400 acres have been allocated adjacent to the NPA. Additional permanent vacancies for training and instructional staff have also been sanctioned for the STW, which at present is being run by the ad hoc staff drawn from
CAPFs.
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Will Aamir Khan join Anna’s team?
Mumbai, October 28 Hazare who disbanded Team Anna - which had high profile members like Arvind Kejriwal and others - is setting up a new group. It will have some old hands like Kiran Bedi, Rajendra Singh and others. Sources said that Hazare has approached former Army Chief General VK Singh to join the new team. Others approached by Anna include noted social activist from Maharashtra Avinash Dharmadhikari. The noted activist is also holding talks with senior ex-servicemen and retired bureaucrats to join his new team. It is not clear whether Aamir Khan will formally join Hazare though he had shared the dais with the activist during one of his protests. Khan also endorsed the activist's demand for a strong Lokpal and even sent a letter to the Prime Minister. The actor is presently on Haj with his mother and Hazare's associates are waiting for his return, sources said.
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Probe Digvijay's claim against BJP leaders' kin: Verma
New Delhi, October 28 He said, “Political parties are failing in their duty, if they do not bring in public domain lapses of one another.” In an interview to a TV channel, Verma said he felt ‘completely disgusted’ with the lack of morality in Indian politicians. When quizzed about what he thought of Congress leader Singh's statement, that he had information about certain instances which were equivalent to corruption on the part of family members of BJP leaders but would not reveal them, Verma said: “It is a very disturbing statement. Whether true or false. It has serious ramifications for our democratic polity. If true, it reveals a conspiracy at the top against combating corruption about which people are talking all the time and it shows that political morality is at its lowest ebb.” He said law enforcement agencies should take note of it and try to get information from Singh which he claims to have. On questions related to allegations against Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, Verma said: “Not only the person in seat of power but also those in close proximity should be above suspicion because they could influence decisions.” When asked about the BJP's ‘reluctance’ over asking questions about Vadra's land deals, Verma said: “It is failure of duty because personalities don't matter.” “According to me the higher you are in the hierarchy, the more strict standard of behaviour you have to answer to and therefore the standard of ethics and morality at the highest level should be the highest,” said Verma. On Digvijay Singh's statement that he would not reveal information about corruption of families of BJP leaders and the ‘hesitation’ of BJP to ask questions about Vadra, Verma said: “It would indicate or reveal a conspiracy of silence to tolerate corruption at the highest level. And if the conspiracy of silence is to accept corruption at the highest level, then what is the point to talk about combating corruption. It is mere hypocrisy, it has no meaning.” Verma while responding to whether it was morally right for BJP President Nitin Gadkari to continue as the chief in the face of allegations against him said: “If there is any evidence which any reasonable person would accept as evidence then there is a moral duty not to wait for the outcome in a court of law, one must step down.” According to Verma, the attitude of people in power towards corruption was giving a fillip to the protests on the streets. Comparing the situation in India with that abroad, Verma said that businessman Rajat Gupta in the US and a former Prime Minister of Italy were convicted for much lesser charges. Speaking about his assessment about corruption in the judiciary, Verma said that the perception about judges was changing. “When I joined the Bar fifty years back, no one talked lightly about a district judge in the privacy of their drawing rooms. And now people ask me about the judges even in the apex court. It makes me feel as if have been slapped, whenever that question is asked,” he said. Verma said that he was in the favour of setting up an effective mechanism to enforce judicial accountability. Verma said that when he was the Chief Justice, he had recommended action against a number of judges. “I had enquiries conducted against a number of High Court judges, written to the Prime Minister sending the papers. The papers may or may not be there, but nothing happened,” he said. — PTI
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Pollution blues for Hyderabad Traffic Police
Hyderabad, October 28 A whopping 32 per cent of the traffic police personnel in the city were found to be suffering from lung-related disorders like pneumonia and bronchitis because of severe air pollution, according to a health survey conducted by the city police. About 25 per cent of the traffic cops are facing hearing impairment due to high-level of noise pollution while another 7 per cent complained about eye-related problems due to dust particles. According to official figures, there are 3,236 traffic police personnel posted in Hyderabad in various cadres, including 19 inspectors, 77 sub-inspectors, 13 assistant sub-inspectors, 172 head constables, 846 constables and 1,276 home guards. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) CV Anand while making a presentation before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology, Environment and Forests recently, explained how the increasing air pollution due to automobile exhausts and noise was affecting the health of traffic cops in the city over the years. During the last 45 days, three traffic constables succumbed to their health problems while performing their duties at different high-traffic corridors - Abids, Kukatpally and Rethibowli. As on August 31, 2012, the city had registered 25.8 lakh vehicles. If the sub-urban areas of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation are also taken into consideration, the number crosses 35 lakh. Of them, 74 per cent are two-wheelers while 15 per cent are cars and 3 per cent are auto-rickshaws. The main polluting vehicles, according to officials, are autos, state-run RTC buses, vehicles which are more than 15 years old and the government transport vehicles. “Out of the total 585 traffic junctions in the city, 125 are identified as highly-polluted areas. Another 200 traffic junctions are identified as medium-pollution zones,” said Anand. The cops on traffic duty are given a disposable nose mask every day, besides polaroid dark spectacles and rain coats. Despite these measures, the incidence of pollution-related diseases is on the rise. The senior IPS officer suggested amendments to the Central Motor Vehicle Act to incorporate strict penal provision for checking polluting vehicles. “An additional Section 185 (b) should be incorporated in the Central MV Act for both air and sound pollution with clauses for imposing heavy penalty and imprisonment for persons driving polluting vehicles,” he said. According to official figures, the total vehicular pollution load in Hyderabad had gone up from 528 tonnes in 1992 to over 1,500 tonnes per day now.
What the health survey says
* 32% traffic cops are suffering from lung-related disorders like pneumonia and bronchitis due to severe air pollution *
25% traffic cops are facing hearing impairment due to high-level of noise pollution *
7% traffic cops complained about eye-related problems due to dust particles
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Centre’s Career Progression Scheme
Chandigarh, October 28 The disparities had arisen between employees who came under the scheme before 2006 and those who got benefits between 2006 and 2008 consequent to the implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (SPC). Orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training earlier this month state, “It has been decided to allow stepping up of pay in such cases where the senior, but for the pay revision on account of the SPC, would have continued to draw higher pay”. A large number of Central government employees will be financially benefited by this order. The employees affected had taken up the matter with the government and the anomalies committee, following which the issue was examined by the Department of Expenditure. The government’s Assured Career Progression Scheme (ACPS), which granted two financial upgrades on completion of 12 and 24 years of regular service to employees who did not get promotion in the existing grade, was applicable up till August 2008. It was replaced in September 2008 by the Modified Career Progression Scheme. As the revised pay scales under SPC were applicable with effect from January 2006, those employees who received benefits under ACPS between 2006 to 2008 got financial upgrade in the revised scales. Consequently, senior employees who got benefit under ACPS prior to 1996 began drawing lesser pay than their juniors. The new order stipulates that for pay to be stepped up under the scheme, the junior and senior employee should belong to the same cadre and the posts in which they have been promoted or upgraded should be identical. Further, the senior employee should have been drawing equal or more pay than the junior before receiving ACPS benefits.
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Another World War II bomb found from Mumbai sea
Mumbai, October 28 The oblong-shaped device measuring three-feet in length was found 6.48 nautical miles from the city, said the police official. “We have called the naval authorities to investigate and defuse the explosive,” said HG Shinde, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Yellow Gate Police Station, which is responsible for the western coast. Coast Guard officials, who have been informed about the bomb, said: “The device could weigh at least 50-55 kg and could be one of the biggest bombs dating back to World War II to be discovered off the Mumbai coast.” It is the second time in more than a year that a bomb dating back to the World War II was being discovered off Mumbai. Last year also a bomb weighing 45 kg was discovered by a dredger which was deployed to deepen the seabed off the Mumbai docks. According to police, the bomb could be one of many that were scattered in and around the city's docks following the Great Dockyard Explosion of 1944, when a British Warship SS Fort Stikine carrying a cargo of gold, cotton, motor spirits and explosives caught fire. The resulting blast damaged 28 ships and took more than 700 lives. Gold bars, ammunition and bombs continue to be discovered from the neighbourhood of the docks nearly 70 years later.
Police’s Speculation
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High cost to delay Mantralaya renovation
Mumbai, October 28 According to information available from state government sources three major companies, Larsen and Toubro, Shapoorji Pallonji and Unity Infraprojects have submitted bids for the renovation of the secretariat. Their bids are in the range of Rs 177 crore, Rs 167 crore and Rs 163 crore, respectively, officials said. The state government’s PWD department had pegged estimates at Rs 110 crore. With engineers of the Public Works Department and sections of the state government's employees objecting to private developers being brought in to renovate Mantralaya, the state government has been forced to re-look at the costs involved, say sources. The government earlier this week asked the bidders to submit fresh bids for the project at lower costs. However such a measure is expected to result in major delays, say officials. The government had originally estimated that the project would be complete within eight months of the tenders being awarded. Several departments of the state government are operating from alternative premises as the fire damaged three floors of the building. Meanwhile, several builders' organisations have told media outlets here that the estimates prepared by the government for redeveloping Mantralaya were on the higher side. The possibility of allegations of corruption is also making the government wary, sources say.
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Jantar Mantar
Gadkari & his new-found friends
Cong goes all-out against Modi
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IAC activists get nod to protest in Farrukhabad Lucknow, October 28 Kejriwal would now stage protest in Farrukhabad on November 1 against Khurshid for the alleged irregularities in distribution of aid to differently abled persons by his NGO Dr Zakir Hussain Trust. Earlier, city magistrate Manoj Kumar had refused permission to Farrukhabad IAC convener Laxman Singh on the ground that the land on which IAC were scheduled to hold the protest belongs to the Awas Vikas Parishad. Following the refusal of permission, Laxman Singh sat on a dharna outside the city magistrate’s office. In Lucknow, state IAC leader Sanjay Singh charged the Akhilesh Yadav government of depriving the differently abled in the state of their right by not allowing IAC activists to protest against
Khurshid.
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Additional charge for Jitendra Singh
New Delhi, October 28
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BPL families to get subsidised pulses
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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has refuted the BJP state government’s allegation of discrimination against the state. He, in turn, has accused it of not spending a large part of the money allocated by the UPA government under various schemes.
Just when everyone thought he would lie low for the time being in the wake of the campaign for his ouster from the Cabinet by India Against Corruption
(IAC), Salman Khurshid has sprung a surprise on both his admirers as well as detractors by bagging the coveted External Affairs portfolio which will always keep him in the limelight.
New Delhi, October 28 
hiS LEGACY
