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FDI in multi-brand retail
Kudankulam unit I to be functional soon, says govt
Curfew continues in Assam areas
Jaya urges PM to 'correct' textbook
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SP releases first list of candidates
Shiv Sainiks want Thackeray’s ‘darshan’
Andhra village decked up for Suu Kyi’s visit today
Hero of Walong remembered on 50th martyrdom day
Tourist visa norms may be relaxed
Antony to open HAL’s advanced avionics factory in Kerala
Jaitley slams govt for
failure of 2G auction
Govt targets CAG; to hold another round
India conveys to Ireland its outrage over dentist’s death
India continues to top global pneumonia mortality list
MoS debarred from visiting Tehatta
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Govt unveils twin strategy to blunt Opposition attack
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 16 With majority of Opposition parties making known their intention of challenging the government resolve on FDI in Parliament, UPA political managers are hopeful of finding a way out to ensure that heavy legislative agenda is carried forward during the November 22- December 21 session while meeting the demands for a discussions on any issue in both Houses. "This session has a very heavy legislative agenda. We are reaching out to various political parties to carry through this agenda in the four weeks that we have for the session," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said at a press conference. He was flanked by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari. The FDI in retail is top-drawer stuff for the Opposition with the Left parties submitting notices to the presiding officers seeking a discussion on the issue under rules entailing voting. Considering the difficult economic situation around the world and the drop in growth rate in the country, the government is keen to send right signals so that investment climate is restored and the economy resumes its over 7-8 per cent growth journey. Responding to a question on the threat of a no-confidence motion by former ally Trinamool Congress, Sibal said, "When the motion is brought before the House, we will face it." Tewari, who is part of the re-constituted group of ministers on media, said the government was ready to discuss any issue under the rules, underscoring the need for normal functioning of Parliament. Leaders of Left parties in Parliament said they also wanted a debate in Parliament. CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury emphasised that it was for the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led NDA to decide on the functioning of the two Houses. He said the Left parties had appealed to all parties to support the motion against FDI in multi-brand retail, saying many parties had earlier joined the Left in protests over the issue, including taking part in the nationwide strike in September. Referring to the continuous disruption of proceedings in the last session, Yechury said, "We do not want a repeat of that situation. We do not want a situation where there is a match-fixing between the Congress and the BJP."
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Kudankulam unit I to be functional soon, says govt
New Delhi, November 16 “Certain technical aspects are being attended to and the plant would be operational by late 2012 or early 2013,’’ the sources added. The announcement came even as India and Russia were discussing deliverables from President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi on December 24 for the annual summit between the two countries. Putin was to visit India on November one but the trip was postponed in view of differences between the two sides over a host of issues. The ongoing protests over the KNPP and India’s refusal to modify its civil nuclear liability law to accommodate Russia’s view on nuclear cooperation have not gone down well with Moscow.
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Curfew continues in Assam areas
Guwahati, November 16 Director General of Assam Police Jayanta Narayan Choudhury, who was in Kokrajhar to take stock of the situation and review the measures taken by the police and paramilitary forces in coordination with the Army, said the operation had been intensified to seize illegal weapons available in the BTC area in view of fresh incidents of shootouts. He told mediapersons that there were two types of illegal weapons available in the BTC area - sophisticated and country-made. The DGP said there was information about availability of about 100 odd sophisticated illegal weapons in the BTC area while number of illegal country-made weapons could not be ascertained. He said the administration in the BTC was exploring ways to keep tabs on licensed weapons. The DGP chaired a closed-door meeting with the SP, the Deputy Commissioner of the district, the IGP of state police, senior officials of the CRPF and the BSF to assess the situation.
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Jaya urges PM to 'correct' textbook
Chennai, November 16 In a letter to the PM, the text of which was released to the media here, Jayalalithaa listed errors in the book published by the NCERT The text of the letter reads: “May I, therefore, request you to intervene in the matter and advise the ministry concerned to take immediate action to remove the topic "Caste Conflict and Dress Change" from Chapter VIII of the IX Std. Social Studies CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi?" — PTI
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SP releases first list of candidates
Lucknow, November 16 The four sitting MPs, who have been dropped from the first list include Kamlesh Valmiki (Bulandshahr), Jaya Prada (Rampur), Radhey Mohan Singh (Ghazipur) and Bal Kumar Patel (Mirzapur). Of these, Jaya Prada and Radhey Mohan Singh are known to be Amar Singh loyalists, Kamlesh Valmiki owes allegiance to Kalyan Singh who may rejoin the BJP any day and Bal Kumar Patel is the brother of controversial slain Chambal dacoit Dadua. There are four members from the Samajwadi Party’s first family in today’s list. Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav will re-contest from Mainpuri, his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav seeks another term from Kannauj and nephew Dharmendra Yadav is to contest from his Badaun seat. The new entrant from the Yadav first family to join parliamentary politics is Akshay Yadav - son of Ram Gopal Yadav. He would be making his political debut from the Firozabad seat from where Dimple Yadav was first defeated by Congress sitting MP Raj Babbar in a by-election in 2009. Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey is an out of the ordinary name in the list of SP candidates. He has been nominated from the Domariaganj seat. It is the first time that a sitting speaker is contesting the Lok Sabha election. Ram Gopal Yadav ruled out the possibility of this leading to any constitutional problem. The SP list of 55 has seven women, eight Yadavs, eight Thakurs, four Muslims and three Brahmin candidates. Yadavs and Thakurs being given equal seats sends a strong signal to the Thakur community who were a bit apprehensive of their importance post-Amar Singh. Yadav candidates have been nominated for Mainpuri, Kannauj, Badaun, Ferozabad, Etah, Chandauli, Jaunpur and Jhansi seats. Of these four are from the Yadav first family. Thakur candidates have been put up in Aaonla, Dhaurhara, Pratapgarh, Akbarpur, Kaiserganj, Gonda, Basti and Ballia. Muslim candidates have been fielded from Kairana, Moradabad, Amroha and Sultanpur seats. The party has given tickets to Brahmin candidates from Unnao, Bhadohi and Dumariaganj.
Four from the first family Four members are from the SP's first family in the list. Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav will re-contest from Mainpuri, his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav seeks another term from Kannauj and nephew Dharmendra Yadav is to contest from his Badaun seat. The new entrant Akshay Yadav - son of Ram Gopal Yadav - would be making his political debut from the Firozabad seat.
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Shiv Sainiks want Thackeray’s ‘darshan’
Mumbai, November 16 Earlier in the day, party workers from different parts of Maharashtra gathered outside Matoshree since Wednesday began showing signs of impatience. "Balasaheb, show yourself to us," they chanted for more than six hours. However, senior party leaders, including Thackeray's son Uddhav and others who were closeted inside, did not show up till the chant got louder by late afternoon. Doctors attending on Thackeray have been told by the family not to issue bulletins, party sources said. However, some doctors have anonymously told local newspapers that the Shiv Sena chief continues to remain critical. Though some in the crowd began moving away following Raut's assurance, a large number of people continue to wait outside the Thackeray residence. The Western Express Highway passing nearby continues to see slow traffic as people spill out on to the roads despite the police barricades. Contingents of the Rapid Action Force and the State Reserve Police continue to be posted outside. Hordes of celebrities, including film stars and industrialists, continue to arrive at the Thackeray household. Sources said no one is allowed into the second floor of the bungalow which has been converted into an ICU for Thackeray. Only his son Uddhav and other close relatives are allowed inside, according to party leaders.
He’s recovering’ Bal Thackeray, who has been taken off life-support system, continued to show signs of improvement with party leaders terming his condition as "stable" on Friday. He was taken off life-support system yesterday, but is still being provided oxygen artificially. There was speculation that he could be shifted to Lilavati Hospital but a senior doctor said there was no such plan. —
PTI
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Andhra village decked up for Suu Kyi’s visit today
Hyderabad, November 16 The Myanmar democratic icon will be visiting the tiny village in Anantapur district, bordering Karnataka, tomorrow for a first-hand account of the success story scripted by the women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of the region. The local authorities are busy making arrangements for the visiting dignitary, while the members of the SHGs are gearing up to accord a traditional welcome. The village wears a festive look with tastefully decorated arches and colourful rangolis. “The groups in the village have posted 100 per cent repayments of the loans they had taken from banks and other financial institutions. Several villages in the region have benefited from their suggestions on investments,” said state Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, who hails from the district. The village has achieved self-sufficiency in sanitation, drainage, dairy
development and organic farming, thanks to the credit rating achieved by the SHGs. “Since the womenfolk are repaying loans,
the farmers have no excuses to keep payments for crop loans pending,” says a local banker. A 40-year-old Dalit woman, Muddamma, is excited to host the visiting foreign dignitary. “Suu Kyi will have her lunch at my small house,” she said. Muddamma was selected for this honour as she was one of the key players in spreading the message of women empowerment in the area and the growth of self-help groups. Suu Kyi will arrive in the village, about 110 km from Bangalore, at 9.20 am tomorrow. Accompanied by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other officials, Suu Kyi will spend about three hours in the village, interacting with women and farmers. The Nobel laureate will inaugurate a Nutrition Centre set up to provide nutritious and wholesome food to pregnant women and children. The centre will be run by women SHGs.
Woman Power
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Hero of Walong remembered on 50th martyrdom day
Five days later, however, Lt Bikram Singh Rathore of 6 Kumaon laid down his life, left with no ammunition and just a handful of troops, fighting till the end as overwhelming numbers of Chinese troops repeatedly attacked his post. On the occasion of his 50th martyrdom day, a special function to pay tributes to him was held at Shaheed Lt Bikram Singh Government Secondary School in his native Sialda Majri village adjoining Kurali near here today. On the occasion, a memorial was also dedicated to him by his family. Lt Rathore’s brother, Narender Singh, a retired Inspector General of Police now settled in Karnal, said he was commissioned in the Muman Regiment in December 1959 and a few months before the outbreak of the war, his battalion was deployed in Walong, the easternmost town in Arunachal Pradesh. He was tasked to defend the Ashi Hill along the fast-flowing Namti Nullah. Referring to available historical excerpts, Narender Singh said on past midnight on October 23, the Chinese advanced towards Lt Rathore’s position. He had removed the supporting planks of the bridge across the nullah and as the first Chinese stepped on the bridge, he fell into water. His shrieks resulted in the Kumaoni troops opening up and the enemy suffered over 200 casualties. The Chinese withdrew, but they were able to concentrate a division supported by artillery by November. In the early hours of November 16, a Chinese brigade attacked the West Ridge, a post which was held by Lt Rathore’s company. This post was crucial as it overlooked the Walong town, the brigade headquarters and an airfield. He successfully foiled two successive attacks by the Chinese and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. The third attack came with an overwhelming number of Chinese soldiers surrounding the post on three sides and the fourth side was almost a cliff. This attack was supported by heavy artillery bombardment. The Kumaonis fought till the last bullet and Lt Rathore held on to the post well beyond the assigned time of 1100 hours. As the situation became militarily futile, he ordered the handful of troops left to retreat down the cliff, but himself decided to stay back and fight till the end. Lance Naik Ram Singh, who last saw Lt Rathore recalled that the officer was out of his bunker and was charging towards the enemy with a grenade in his hand when he was hit by a burst of automatic fire.
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Tourist visa norms may be relaxed
New Delhi, November 16 Sources said following repeated protests from the industry and popular foreign tourist destinations like Goa, the ministry is again pursuing the case with the Home Ministry to ease norms to facilitate bona fide tourists from abroad. “The easing of the two-month norm is likely soon,” they said. India currently receives only 0.65 per cent of tourist arrivals in the world, which the new Tourism Minister, filmstar-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, hopes to increase to 1 per cent to generate employment for an additional 2.5 crore persons. However, with stringent visa rules brought in force following the unearthing of terror missions of Lashkar militant David Coleman Headley, it is mandatory for foreigners holding Indian tourist visas to take a two-month gap before they can re-enter the country. The new norms, according to the Home Ministry, have been designed to prevent misuse of the tourist visa and even avoid foreigners illegally procuring property here. The travel and tour industry claims that the rule has adversely affected the number of foreign travellers to India. Communications to ease the norms have been going on between the two ministries with latest being a query put forth by the Home to the Tourism, asking it to quantify in figures the monetary losses suffered by the industry as a result of this restriction. Sources in the Tourism Ministry say it was not easy to put a ballpark figure to the estimated losses but the rule was definitely affecting the outlook foreign tourists toward India.
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Antony to open HAL’s advanced avionics factory in Kerala
Bangalore, November 16 The factory is slated to produce advanced avionics for aircraft and helicopters. “Considering the huge potential of avionic systems in the coming years, a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for a variety of avionics has been established at Kasaragod. “This will result in better operational effectiveness and improved customer satisfaction,” RK Tyagi, chairman, HAL, said here. The Kerala Government had allotted 196 acres for setting up the new unit. The foundation stone for the construction of the factory buildings was laid by Antony in 2008. The present phase of this factory (first phase) has been set up at a cost of Rs 66 crore. There are seven buildings which are dedicated to various activities like production, administration, technical services, material management, security, medical facility, canteen and for agencies such as the Air Force and DGAQA (Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance). The buildings have come up in an area of 4,250 square metres. The production of airborne special purpose computers like mission computer, display processor, radar computers and open architect mission computer for SU-30, LCA and MiG-27 upgrade have been taken up at the factory. It will be further expanded in phase II to undertake the manufacture of avionics such as automatic electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, electronic warfare (EW) suite, communication and navigation equipment besides other indigenous projects like softnet defined radio, interrogate friend-foe (IFF) mark-XII etc for medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The facilities and expertise acquired at this factory for advanced avionics of MMRCA will be used for upcoming projects like fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), multi-role transport aircraft (MTA), light utility helicopter (LUH), light combat helicopter (LCH), medium lift helicopter (MLH), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) etc.
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Jaitley slams govt for
failure of 2G auction
Ahmedabad, November 16 "The failure of 2G auction shows mismanagement of telephone sector in 2012 and indicates in which direction this government has taken country's economy," Jaitley said here, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function. Any responsible government should be worried about it, it should introspect, but UPA ministers and spokespersons are happy that 2G auction flopped," the BJP leader said. "They cannot imagine that this failure will lead to increase in fiscal deficit and create a negative impact on the economy," he said. —
PTI
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Govt targets CAG; to hold another round
New Delhi, November 16 Three Cabinet Ministers - Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tiwari - while addressing the media jointly today, fired a fresh salvo on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), country’s highest audit body, questioning its 2G spectrum loss figures while demanding an overhaul of the auditor’s method of calculations. Tiwari lashed out at the CAG for the Rs 1.76 lakh crore presumptive loss figure that caused a huge embarrassment to the government and resulted in several high-profile arrests, including that of former telecom minister A Raja and several business leaders. “Mr CAG, where is the Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss?” said Tewari. Chidambaram, quoting from an editorial of a newspaper, said the loss figure was just a myth, a point which was also stressed upon by Sibal. Blaming the environment created by the ‘extrapolation of figures’ and ‘sensationalism’, Sibal said the estimated loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore was a “pure myth”, adding: “If we had been allowed to do what we have to do, and discharge our responsibilities properly, we wouldn’t be in this situation”. Sibal emphasised that policy must remain the prerogative of the government. In February, the Supreme Court had cancelled 122 licences doled out in 2008 on a first-come-first-serve basis, a process allegedly bent by corruption. The court then ordered the government to auction mobile airwaves instead. Last year, the CAG had said the country had lost up to Rs 1.76 lakh crore because telecom licences and spectrum were not auctioned in 2008. “The telecom story is no longer a story we can share with the world. Sensationalism took over,” Sibal said while adding: “You cannot extrapolate figures and sensationalise them and destroy the hen that laid the golden egg”. The press conference seemed to have been conducted in an environment of barely concealed glee, which prompted a journalist to ask the Telecom Minister if he was celebrating. Sibal responded: “I am not celebrating. I am upset that the consumer has not been able to benefit. I am sad.” In what seems to be an effort on the part of the government to extricate itself from the difficult situations it has been facing at the hands of the Opposition, mainly led by the BJP in Parliament, before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, Chidamabaram also refuted claims that the government might not have got any net gain from the auction, as there was a substantial amount of refund the government needed to make to telecom companies whose licences were cancelled. He said with some other processes, including that of the re-farming of the spectrum one-time excess spectrum fee, the government might still see an inflow of Rs 17,343 crore. Taking this amount into consideration, the Finance Minister insisted the government would see a net gain, but said a final figure could be given only later. Sibal said the government intended to hold one more auction of 2G spectrum before March 31. He, however, said all other details like reduction of the reserve price and the market determined price, remained to be discussed. BJP leader Arun Jaitley accused the government of “celebrating the failure of sale of spectrum”. The attack on the CAG, he said, proved “this government has lost its sense of fairness”. BJP’s spokesperson Prakash Javadekar condemned the government attempts to run down the CAG. He said the attempts of the UPA government to browbeat the CAG were “disgusting, unfortunate, unacceptable and undemocratic”. It is like a tennis player committing double faults and then abusing the umpire for calling the fault.
Spectrum spectre
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India conveys to Ireland its outrage over dentist’s death
New Delhi, November 16 Ganapthi hoped the inquiry that has been instituted by the Irish government would be independent and that the Indian envoy in Dublin would be provided with information regarding its progress and outcomes. The Irish Ambassador assured India that it was his government’s desire to conduct an impartial inquiry. He also indicated that the terms of reference for the inquiry were being framed and would be released shortly. India’s Ambassador to Ireland Debashish Chankravarti was quoted as saying in the Irish media that the concerns of New Delhi about the death of Savita had been passed on to the Irish government and he hoped steps would be taken to prevent similar incidents in future. New Delhi feels it was important for the hospital authorities in Ireland to save the life of the woman by terminating her pregnancy if her child could not be saved.
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India continues to top global pneumonia mortality list
New Delhi, November 16 Worldwide, 13 lakh children died of pneumonia in 2011, with 30 per cent dying in India where access to antibiotics and hospitals remains a huge challenge for the affected children. The latest UNICEF estimates on pneumonia mortality point out that India must accelerate its anti-pneumonia measures if it wants to meet the Millennium Development Goal 4 of reducing under-five child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. The WHO and UNICEF have further put India in the red spot over progress on the Global Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP). The GAPP, adopted in 2009, set the goal of 90 per cent coverage by 2015 for three major anti-pneumonia interventions - vaccination, breastfeeding and access to care and antibiotic treatment. The latest monitoring of GAPP targets has revealed that none of the 15 countries (India and Nigeria lead the pack) that contribute three quarters of child mortality due to pneumonia annually have met the GAPP targets. India has managed only 55 per cent vaccination coverage and has done poorly on other targets. A whopping 77 per cent of Indian children affected by pneumonia don’t receive any antibiotics; only 69 per cent get appropriate healthcare. On breastfeeding, too, India is well short of meeting the target, with just 46 pc of all children exclusively breastfed till six months. Bangladesh and Tanzania, formerly 12th and 14th among the top 15 contributors to pneumonia deaths, improved their vaccine coverage and slipped out of the red zone, while India and Nigeria, the biggest contributors to mortality, showed little improvement. Experts say India must strengthen its comprehensive approach to fighting pneumonia, including introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, as previously recommended by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the apex body that advises the Ministry of Health on vaccine policy. Out of Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b) and measles vaccines, which help prevent pneumonia, the uptake of Hib has been slow in India’s public sector. Efforts are now on to prioritise NTAGI’s recommendation to add Hib vaccine to the Universal Immunization Programme. Tamil Nadu and Kerala introduced Hib vaccines (pentavalent) in December 2011 and six more states, including Haryana, are slated to do so by the end of 2012. “The rollout is expected to be smooth,” a WHO expert said. In another positive signal, India joined the other WHO member states in introducing the second dose of measles vaccine into the UIP to protect children from the virus that contributes to the burden of pneumonia. India began the phased introduction of the second measles dose in 2010 and by the end of the year, second dose of measles vaccine had been added to routine immunisation in 21 states. However, much remains to be done.
Worrying figures
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MoS debarred from visiting Tehatta
Kolkata, November 16
Along with some of party MPs, MLAs and several other leaders, Deepa today went for making an on-the-spot study of the situation at Tehatta where one person was killed and 12 others injured in the police firing on Wednesday.
The police said it resorted to firing for dispersing a violent mob, protesting against the cancellation of the permission for holding the Jagadhatri puja at Tehatta by a local club. The police was also attacked with firearms and other lethal weapons during the agitation.
Deepa said her visit to Tehatta was not political. She went there for assessing the situation and helping the local administration for restoring peace and normalcy in the area.
When an order under Section 144 of the CrPC was suddenly enforced, Deepa was stopped at Bhangerkhola, about 5 km from Tehatta. This was certainly a denial of the democratic rights of people and courtesy by the state government to the central minister, Deepa alleged.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not react. A Left front delegation led by CPM MLA Anisur Rahaman also could not visit Tehatta following the restriction imposed by the district administration.
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New Delhi, November 16
India today conveyed to Ireland its concern and angst in Indian society over the death of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in a hospital in that country after doctors refused to terminate her pregnancy. M
Ganapathi, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry summoned Irish Ambassador to India Feilim McLaughlin to the foreign office and told him that New Delhi was unhappy that a young life had come to an untimely end, official sources said.
Chandigarh, November 16
