N A T I O N

Gujarat votes 2012
Campaigning for phase 2 ends; polling tomorrow
Ahmedabad, December 15
The din of electioneering ended in Gujarat today with the closure of noisy campaigning in the 95 constituencies going to the polls in the second and final phase of voting on Monday.


BJP candidate Amit Shah flashes the victory sign during a road show in Naranpura in Ahmedabad on Saturday. PTI

PM: More policy steps in pipeline to boost growth
New Delhi, December 15
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed the government’s resolve to achieve the growth rate of 8-9 per cent by accelerating the reforms process through the introduction of Direct Tax Code and Goods & Services Tax, reworking of GAAR and a transparent land acquisition regime.

Sonia launches Delhi’s cash-transfer scheme
New Delhi, December 15
The Congress and the government have decided to hard-sell the UPA’s latest social welfare measure of direct cash transfer with Congress president Sonia Gandhi emphasising the move as a continuing commitment towards the poor and ordinary people.

NIA arrests key suspect in Samjhauta blast case
New Delhi, December 15
In a major breakthrough in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested Rajesh Chaudhary, suspected to have planted bombs in the Pakistan-bound train, from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

Gujarat votes 2012
Campaigning for phase 2 ends; polling tomorrow
Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, December 15
The din of electioneering ended in Gujarat today with the closure of noisy campaigning in the 95 constituencies going to the polls in the second and final phase of voting on Monday. Around 1.99 crore voters will decide the fate of 820 candidates in this phase of polling.

The first phase of polling for 87 constituencies witnessed over 70 per cent voter turnout on December 13.

Political parties will now be busy in making last-minute arrangements to ensure maximum turnout in support of their candidates. For Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is suffering from soar throat after addressing some 100 election meetings, it is not just the end of fortnight-long campaign as permitted by the Election Commission, but curtain on five-year intensive mobilisation of the people to “educate” them that he was the “only saviour” of Gujarat.

Modi relentlessly organised a series of programmes round the year for the last five years and at no place he missed the opportunity to trumpet for his “achievements” and the “failure” of the UPA government at the Centre.

In case of the Congress, it was perhaps the first time, since Modi came to power in the state, that its poll campaign looked a well-planned exercise. Instead of issuing a last-minute election manifesto, the Congress this time announced its promises phase-wise, beginning from the most attractive “own your own house” scheme. The scheme caught attention of voters and a mad rush was witnessed for getting forms for registration under the scheme. It jolted the Modi government from it slumber.

Though the advance announcement gave the Modi administration enough time to try to counter the popular upsurge for the Congress, it helped create an impression among the voters that the Congress was serious about its promise this time.

PM: More policy steps in pipeline to boost growth
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed the government’s resolve to achieve the growth rate of 8-9 per cent by accelerating the reforms process through the introduction of Direct Tax Code and Goods & Services Tax, reworking of GAAR and a transparent land acquisition regime.

Inaugurating the 85th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Prime Minister said, “The Cabinet has approved the constitution of a Cabinet Committee on Investment. This would help in the issue of clearances for major projects in a time-bound manner. We will speed up the disinvestment process which will also revive our equity markets.”

The Prime Minister announced that the government was bringing greater clarity into the FDI policy in the pharma sector. The Railways, he said, were working on a Rail Tariff Authority which will make fare setting a more rational exercise. “We have already put in place a package for reviving discoms contingent on better performance. The Direct Tax Code and the Goods and Services Tax Bills are high on our priority and the Land Acquisition Bill recently approved by our Cabinet should soon usher in a more fair and transparent regime for land acquisition”, he added.

On the Aadhar-based direct cash transfer, the Prime Minister said this will reduce leakages, cut down corruption, eliminate middlemen, target beneficiaries better and speed up transfer of benefits to eligible individuals. “It will, at one go, bring in crores of people into our banking system and mainstream them into our economy”, he added.

Giving the rationale for reforms, Manmohan Singh said given the global environment, investors have become risk averse and global trade has slowed down. “To address this challenge, we have liberalised our policy on foreign direct investment. Our decision on foreign direct Investment in multi-brand retail, civil aviation, power-trading exchanges and broadcasting must also be viewed in this larger context,” he said.

“Bills on liberalising FDI limits in banking and insurance are currently before Parliament. Each of these decisions is based on sound economic logic. I am afraid that those who oppose these moves are either ignorant of global realities or are constrained by out-dated ideologies”, he added.

Sonia launches Delhi’s cash-transfer scheme
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15
The Congress and the government have decided to hard-sell the UPA’s latest social welfare measure of direct cash transfer with Congress president Sonia Gandhi emphasising the move as a continuing commitment towards the poor and ordinary people.

Heralding the scheme scheduled to roll-out across 51 districts of the country on January 1 as another “revolutionary” action of the government, Sonia declared the intention of her party to bring the much-awaited Food Security Bill before Parliament.

Sonia’s remarks came at a function organised by the Delhi Government to start “Annashree” that combines direct cash transfer for food security through which Rs 600 will be sent to the bank account of the senior-most women members of poor families eligible under it.

It does not do away with the public distribution system but aims to increase the number of beneficiaries and reach those who do not benefit from the existing system considering the perennial problems associated with identification of below poverty line families entitled to subsidised foodgrains.

The Congress president chose to focus on the scheme to be rolled out on January 1 stating that its purpose was to ensure that the government’s money being disbursed in pension, scholarship, MNREGA wage payment and social benefit schemes reaches the beneficiaries directly at their hands.

NIA arrests key suspect in Samjhauta blast case

New Delhi, December 15
In a major breakthrough in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested Rajesh Chaudhary, suspected to have planted bombs in the Pakistan-bound train, from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

Chaudhary, who is also known as Samundar, carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh.

He was arrested and produced before a court in Ujjain which gave his transit remand to the agency, official sources said adding that he would be produced before a Panchkula court.

The breakthrough came after intense investigation, being carried out in the case by the NIA which was handed over the probe in 2010, they said.

It is the fourth arrest in the case. The NIA has already arrested Kamal Chauhan, Aseemanand and Lokesh Sharma for their alleged involvement in the blast.

The bomb blasts in the Samjhauta Express near Panipat, Haryana, on February 18, 2007 and the consequent fire in the train coaches had resulted in the loss of 68 lives and injuries to 12 train passengers, including women and children.

The initial investigation into the bomb blast was conducted by the Government Railway Police and Special Investigation Team of the Haryana Police. The NIA took over the case on July 29, 2010. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Zee editors’ bail plea
new delhi:The decision on the bail application of Zee News editors, who were arrested for allegedly trying to extort money from Congress MP Naveen Jindal, was reserved on Saturday by a Delhi court. — TNS

Demand for HC Bench
Lucknow:The demand for a high court Bench in western Uttar Pradesh intensified on Saturday with lawyers from 22 districts blocking National Highway-58 in Ghaziabad. Over 14 lakh cases are pending in the Allahabad High Court. — TNS 

3 militants held
Tezpur (Assam):The Army and Assam Police on Saturday nabbed three militants Bishnu Daimary and Gelong Basumatary of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland and Dilip Beg of the All-Adivasi National Liberation Army. — PTI