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Rural job scheme can usher in second green revolution: Sonia
Ordinance on sexual assault an ‘eyewash’
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Deserters foment trouble for Reddy govt
Yadav’s plea seeking copies of records dismissed
Juvenile laws adequate, says Justice Kabir
Onion exports set to fall as prices surge
Fishermen see ‘suspicious’ boats off Mumbai coast
Collector revises order that exposed Gir lions to poachers
World Book Fair
Treat for avid readers begins tomorrow
Finally, ‘Vishwaroopam’ row ends
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Rural job scheme can usher in second green revolution: Sonia
New Delhi, February 2 NREGA is believed to be among the reasons responsible for the UPA’s second consecutive innings in 2009. Manmohan Singh held MGNREGA responsible for accelerating the pace of financial inclusion in villages. He said that accounts opened under the programme would help in the direct cash benefit transfer scheme of the government while Sonia Gandhi pitched for utilising the employment scheme to increase agricultural production. However, she also expressed concern about complaints of misutilisation of funds and corruption under the scheme, saying that these needed to be curbed. Acknowledging the challenges in the proper implementation of the scheme, Sonia said, “We frequently hear complaints of corruption and misutilisation of funds in this scheme. It is very essential to put a check on this.” She assured that the government would take steps to reduce the shortcomings through tools of modern communication and information. The UPA chairperson also felt that the scheme could play a big role in ushering in a second green revolution in India. “Manifold increase in the produce of farmers can be made by connecting this scheme with modern technologies in agriculture. There is no doubt that MGNREGA can play a big role in fulfilling our dreams of a second green revolution,” she said speaking at a conference. The Prime Minister said that 30 new jobs had already been added to the list of works permitted under MGNREGA, the focus of which by-and-large was on providing employment in rural areas mainly through agriculture. Besides direct financial benefit, the scheme had given many indirect benefits to the people and brought down the migration graph, he added. “MGNREGA has imparted momentum to the financial inclusion of our rural population. More than four crore accounts have been opened in banks while more than that have been opened in post offices. “These accounts will assist us in taking the incentives of the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme to the rural population,” he said. Manmohan Singh said that around eight crore persons had so far benefited from the scheme on which an amount of Rs 1.3 lakh crore had been spent. The Prime Minister also noted that 80 per cent of the wages being given to the women are going to banks and post offices. “Due to the scheme, the number of women taking financial decisions in their families is rising constantly,” he said. The PM said a huge improvement could be made in the services bring provided under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) if the resources available with both the schemes were used together. He also asked the Rural Development Ministry to ensure, in consultation with states, that panchayats are provided full technical assistance. Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi also expressed concern over a large number of people, especially those living in the far-flung areas, being deprived of their rights under the scheme. She said though the participation of women in MNREGA at the national level was almost equal to that of males, there were many states where women participation was low. She also emphasised on the need to strengthen the system to provide employment to workers within 15 days of enrolment and timely wage payment.
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Ordinance on sexual assault an ‘eyewash’
New Delhi, February 2 They called on President Pranab Mukherjee not to succumb to what they dubbed as “political hijacking” of the ideas and suggestions put forth by the three-member Verma Committee and demanded that these be first debated and discussed in Parliament. While on the one hand, they suspected the government’s alacrity in acting within eight days of the submission of the Justice Verma committee report, on the other they decried the non-inclusion of marital rape as a crime, even in the period leading to separation and retaining the waiver of prosecution sanction if perpetrators are army personnel. “The Justice Verma recommendations are a landmark report that understands the impunity with which many assaulters get away but the government hiked the punishment in one or two provisions just as a trick to keep the main issues — immunity granted to people in power, the police, army personnel — away. “But we’ll make sure that it doesn’t happen. This ordinance is an act of bad faith and is a political card for diluting the whole purpose,” said noted human rights lawyer Vrinda Grover, Director of Multiple Action Research Group. According to executive director, Partners for Law in Development Madhu Mehra, there is an attempt to scuttle the Justice Verma committee’s recommendations that envision a transformational change in justice for crimes against women. “Until the Justice Verma recommendations, the whole process was participatory. But we are alarmed at the way the ordinance was cleared within hours of its issuance. We call on the President not to promulgate the ordinance,” she stressed.
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Deserters foment trouble for Reddy govt
Hyderabad, February 2 The Congress has 155 MLAs in the 294-member Assembly, just seven more than the magic figure of 148 to stay in power. Of late, the ruling party has been facing steady desertions from its camp. Five legislators have already submitted their resignations to the Speaker while four others announced their intention to join the YSR Congress Party. State Congress president B Satyanarayana hinted that the party would take disciplinary action against the defectors. “Those nine MLAs have sold their souls for the sake of money. They are indulging in anti-party activities and are as good as expelled from the party,” he said. The PCC chief’s remarks assume significance as they reflect a new sense of aggression by the ruling party which has been facing flak for not taking any punitive action against the rebels. “There has been no response from any of them to the show-cause notices sent by us,” Satyanarayana said. In the event of the expulsion of the nine defectors, the strength of the Congress will be reduced to 146, two short of the simple majority. Technically, the government will be reduced to a minority. However, the Congress leader asserted that there would be no threat to the government. The ruling party circles argue that if Speaker N Manohar, accepts the resignations of five rebels MLAs, then the effective strength of the Assembly, for the purpose of a floor test, would come down to 289 and the magic figure needed for the government’s survival will be 145. Recently, the seven-member Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a long-standing ally of the Congress, had pulled the plug after accusing the government of failing to “rein in the communal elements” in the city. The MIM is said to be gravitating towards YSR Congress as part of its political strategy to expand its base beyond the borders of Hyderabad, its traditional stronghold. The Kiran Kumar Reddy government could be in trouble in the event of a no-confidence motion supported by the entire Opposition. However, the 86-member Telugu Desam Party appears reluctant to join the move to destabilise the government because it is not prepared to face the mid-term polls. Moreover, the regional party has been struggling to keep its flock together in the face of migration of its MLAs to YSR Congress Party and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The nine Congress MLAs facing disciplinary action are S Vijaya Krishna Ranga Rao, Alla Nani, P Venkata Ramiah, D Chandrasekhara Reddy, M Rajesh Kumar, B Siva Prasada Reddy, G Ravi Kumar, Jogi Ramesh and P Ramachandra Reddy.
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Yadav’s plea seeking copies of records dismissed
Chandigarh, February 2 The court has fixed February 22 to begin arguments on framing of charges against the main accused and others. Hearing the matter on the application moved by the defence counsel on January 16, the court observed that there was no provision under the law that allowed release of photocopies of records to the accused at the time of framing of charges. “The accused is only entitled to copies of documents as filed by the prosecution along with the charge-sheet or challan,” the court stated. The court, however, said the accused were at liberty to inspect the records of the Government of India, whether personally or through their counsel. They can also take notes upon such inspection, whether by themselves or through the assistance of the stenographer, the court added. The augments today saw special public prosecutor opposing the defence counsel’s application seeking photocopies of the records. The defence counsel argued that the record was voluminous and thus needed the copy. The court said under Section 207 of the CrPC, the accused only had the right to inspect the record even if it was voluminous. The public prosecutor said the application was aimed at dragging the case interminably. Meanwhile, Justice Nirmal Yadav again failed to appear before the special court on medical grounds.
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Juvenile laws adequate, says Justice Kabir
Sidhuwal (Patiala), Feb 2 “The age at which one knows the consequences of what he/she is doing was set after a lot of deliberations,” he said, adding that the juvenile age for boys was initially 16 and girls 18, which was subsequently changed. Justice Kabir was here to attend the First Convocation of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law. On reports that the juvenile allegedly involved in the Delhi gang rape case could escape with a lighter sentence despite his brutality, as mentioned in the Delhi Police charge-sheet, Justice Kabir said it was for the court to establish during evidence hearing “who did what”. “How do you know he was the main culprit? People are just talking about it. Let the court decide the case on evidence,” he asserted. Kabir further said the case served as a wakeup call for people. “I could not join the protests due to constraints, but the case shook the entire nation and people felt they needed to do something,” he said. The CJI promised to set up two separate courts in the Supreme Court to decide “criminal and civil cases” where persons involved are already dead but the cases still stand.
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Onion exports set to fall as prices surge
Mumbai, February 2 With prices of onions hardening exporters say they find demand in international markets softening. "Exports will fall if onion prices continue to rise since overseas buyers will source from other markets," Sunit Thakkar, an onion exporter at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee at Navi Mumbai, said. According to information available from the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation onion exports have gone up 17 per cent in the first nine months of the current financial year to 12.95 lakh tonne. Onion prices in the wholesale markets of Lasalgaon and Pimpalgaon near Nashik which account for the bulk of the produce are, however, at around Rs 2,000 per quintal. In some areas of Mumbai, retail prices of onions touched Rs 30 per kg today. Traders say that good quality onions are not available and wet onions arriving in the markets have a very short shelf life.
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Fishermen see ‘suspicious’ boats off Mumbai coast
The police said fishermen from Mumbai who were out at sea reported two trawlers moving around in a suspicious manner. "The police was informed after one of the persons on board the trawlers called out to the fishermen and asked for directions. Since the men on the boats didn't seem to know Marathi, the fishermen alerted the police," an officer at the Yellowgate Police Station said. Following the alert, police patrols were mobilised and the Coast Guard was informed to look out for suspicious boats. “However, we did not find any boats despite searching for more than four hours,” the police official said. The police is still on the lookout for any new boats arriving at the fishing villages in the area. Fishermen's associations have been asked to report new arrivals at the nearest police station. Senior police officials felt that someone could be playing a prank to keep out fishermen from outside Mumbai from entering the city with their catch. "We are questioning the fisherman who reported the suspicious boats," Deputy Commissioner of Police Tanaji Ghadge said. The Mumbai police has been working hard to rope in members of the fishing community to join its intelligence apparatus after it emerged that the terrorists who carried out the 26/11 terror attacks four years ago entered Mumbai via the sea in South
Mumbai.
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Collector revises order that exposed Gir lions to poachers
Ahmedabad, February 2 In his revised order, the Junagadh District Collector Manish Bhardwaj made it mandatory for the priests and service providers of the temples in the sanctuary area to obtain identity cards from the Forest Department. The department has been told to ascertain whether their presence overnight in the sanctuary area was required. The order also clarified that devotees would not be entitled to the identity cards and would be allowed entry in the sanctuary area only between sunrise and sunset. They would be required to clear out of the temples and sanctuary area in the night. The District Collector's earlier order instructing the Forest Department to keep the gates of the sanctuary open during the night for free movements of priests, workers and devotees of the temples had exposed the Asiatic Lions, a threatened species, to the threat of poaching. Anyone posing as a "devotee" could enter the sanctuary in the night and hunt for wild animals. After about 12 Asiatic Lions became victims of poachers in the Gir sanctuary about five years ago, entry in the sanctuary area was restricted during the night. This had caused considerable dissatisfaction among the followers of some 135 temples, many of which housed ancestral deities of the "maldharis" (shepherds) living in the Gir forest and its peripheral villages as the priests were required to complete the "puja" during daytime and close the temples without performing the evening "aarati." The District Collector issued the order last week allowing entry for priests, temple workers and devotees in the night as well.
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World Book Fair
New Delhi, February 2 Nine publishers from the bordering country have signed up for the week-long affair starting Monday and two have even set up one-on-one meetings with Indian language publishers to explore the possibility of translations of Indian books. They are yet to receive visas although the National Book Trust, principal organiser of the fair, sent them the necessary invitations much in advance. The Tribune has learnt that the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the required clearance for visa to the said applicants and the ball now is in the court of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The NBT is hopeful that the visas will be granted. Among the Pakistan publishers who have paid for stalls at the fair, to be held at Pragati Maidan here, is the famous Oxford University Press, the first British publisher in Pakistan which started operations way back in 1952. It is into its 61st year of publication in Pakistan. Also registered for the India fair is the Pakistan Government publisher, the Islamabad-based National Book Foundation, which was set up in 1972 through an Act of Parliament. The other enlisted publishers from Pakistan, who have made deposits for stalls at the fair are - Children’s Publications, Karachi; Sheikh Mubarak Ali Publishers, Lahore; Manshurat Publishers, Lahore, Taj Publishing Company, Lahore; Ilm-o-irfaan Publishers, Lahore and Royal Book Company, Karachi. The World Book Fair, which is in its 40th year, will see 28 foreign participants, maximum thus far being from Pakistan apart from France, the guest of honour country for the event. France will exhibit 2000 titles at the Fair. A Sethumadhavan, Chairman of the NBT, said the trust was hopeful about the visit of the Pakistan-based publishers who have a great market in India and have been keenly participating in the event. “We have fulfilled the necessary formalities and hope to see our friends from Pakistan here,” he said. In fact, at the first of its kind “Rights Table” which the Ministry of HRD has introduced at the World Book Fair this season, two Pakistan publishers have expressed interest in acquiring translation rights for Indian language books. It is also learnt that Royal Book Company and Children Publications have already sent their consignments for the Fair to their Indian distributors who have been asked to participate in case visas don’t come through. The Rights Table, meanwhile, has been created as a platform for publishers to facilitate one-on-one meetings and business expansion. “So far for the Rights Table, happening tomorrow and day after, we have received two requests each from Pakistan, Malaysian and Thai publishers; one each from the Caribbean Island; the US and the UK. The NBT said there was immense interest in India for Urdu literature being published in Pakistan while Pakistan can acquire from India publishing technologies especially in the wake of piracy in Pakistan. NBT officials on Saturday said they did not have any intimation on visas being issued to Pakistani publishers.
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Treat for avid readers begins tomorrow
New Delhi, February 2 For the first time, the National Book Trust, organiser of the event, will have four authors’ corners in various parts of the venue of the fair which Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor will inaugurate on February 4. Until February 10, as many as 1,070 publishers will take part in the event where 2,100 stalls have been allocated for book sales. Among invitees are 18 e-book publishers, with NBT saying today that it will go all out to promote digitised reading in order to expand the choices of readers. The NBT will soon provide 20,000 books in the electronic format. Majority participants at the fair, 325, will be Hindi language publishers followed by 100 regional language publishers; 41 government publishers; and 28 foreign publishers from 23 countries, including China, the US, Poland, South Korea, Turkey and Pakistan. Also included in this bracket are WHO, UNESCO, ILO etc. — TNS
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Finally, ‘Vishwaroopam’ row ends
Chennai, February 2 Emerging after the marathon talks lasting six hours in the presence of Home Secretary R Rajagopal at the Secretariat, Haasan said they have agreed to remove certain audio portions and hoped the government would revoke the ban imposed in the wake of protests by some Muslim outfits which considered the film offensive to their religion. "We will immediately arrange to announce the date of release after consultations, including with technical team," the actor who produced the mega-budget Rs 100 crore film told reporters ending nearly two-month long uncertainty marked by twists and turns over its release. Haasan said they would withdraw their petition in the Madras High Court challenging the two-week ban and expressed hope that the government would revoke its action that drew nation-wide criticism for stifling freedom of expression. Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam representative M H Jawahirullah, MLA, said Haasan has agreed for some cuts in the film, portions of which Muslims had deemed to be offensive. "The outcome of the meeting is fruitful," he said as the tri-partite meeting came after CM Jayalalithaa offered to facilitate it to pave the way for the release of the film though she had strongly justified the ban. — PTI
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi today extolled the virtues of the UPA’s flagship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) at the eighth NREGA Divas. Awards were presented to the best performing panchayats and districts in the country.
Women groups and lawyer activists today slammed the government’s Ordinance on sexual assault law cleared by the Cabinet last night, terming it as “eyewash” brought hastily and urged the President not to sign it.
Mumbai, February 2
