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Open to JPC probe into helicopter scam: Govt
We have nothing to hide: Antony
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Antony skips PM’s talks with Cameron
India, UK to start talks on N-deal
Illegal sale of arms
Finally, solace for Cong in Gujarat
Lokpal, anti-rape law may hit roadblock
Centre to consult states on tougher SC/ST law today
Railways may rent out land to generate funds
Finally, all clear for Mumbai elevated rail corridor project
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Open to JPC probe into helicopter scam: Govt
New Delhi, February 19 “We are open to a Joint Parliamentary Committee inquiry if this satisfies everybody,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said at a press conference ahead of the budget session due to begin on Thursday. Rejecting the charge by the Bharatiya Janata Party that Defence Minister AK Antony had misled Parliament while responding to the helicopter deal earlier, Nath retorted: “What does the BJP want Mr Antony to do? Work as per their style?” On BJP’s threat to disrupt the functioning of Parliament till Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde apologised for his “saffron terror” remark, he said the principal party in the Opposition was committing a wrong since Parliament did not belong to just one political party but all parties there. The minister asserted that the government was neither afraid nor hesitant to discuss any issue, including the VVIP helicopter scam, Afzal Guru hanging, Maoists activities, Bills such as Land Reforms and Food. He said during a meeting with the chief whips of various political parties today, he figured out the “flavour’ of issues likely to be raised in the upcoming session. On whether or not Shinde, who is also the Leader of the Lok Sabha, would apologise, Nath remained non-committal, emphasising that a discussion should be held on the issue in Parliament. The minister said besides the passage of the Union Budget, Rail Budget and the Finance Bill, the government would accord priority to bring in Bills to replace three ordinances, including the Criminal Law (Amendment), to deal with sexual assault against women. Asked if the government would refer the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, as was being suggested by some parties, Nath said normally Bills to replace Ordinances were not sent for scrutiny by a committee. However, he said, a decision would be taken after obtaining the sense of the House. CBI team reaches Italy The CBI team which reached Italy on Tuesday to probe role of Indians in the alleged VVIP helicopter deal scam met its lawyer and described the meeting as "useful."
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We have nothing to hide: Antony
On his quitting the post, Antony said: “I will do my duty. I am now getting ready for the Parliament session. We will explain everything to Parliament. We have nothing to hide. Our hands are very clean.” Addressing a press conference at a BrahMos Aerospace function, in obvious reference to media reports of differences between the MoD and the Ministry of External Affairs, he said there were no differences between different ministries on the process to scrap the deal and the government was working together. Antony said he was “sad and upset” over the controversy despite all precautions having been taken. The minister said he was upset over the alleged scam as despite blacklisting six firms in one scam for which he was accused of slowing down modernisation, such an incident has happened. “There was no end to human greed and greedy people were working around the world,” said Antony. “The government”, he said, “has decided that we must get to the root of the controversy to find out the truth. We must find out the culprits and whosoever is responsible, must be brought to justice at the earliest and then ensure maximum punishment. It is the resolve of the entire government… we will show no mercy,” he added. “When the report came that the CEO of the company (Finmeccanica) was arrested, we decided to refer the matter to the CBI,” he said. On February 12, Finmeccanica CEO Giueseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini were arrested by Italian investigators.
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Antony skips PM’s talks with Cameron
New Delhi, February 19 Amid speculation about differences within the Union Cabinet over the proposal to cancel the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, Antony was attending a BrahMos Aerospace function in the capital when the two PMs were discussing allegations of corruption in the chopper deal. No reason was forthcoming for Antony’s absence at the all-important talks with the British side. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid sought to dispel the impression that he had expressed reservation over the cancellation of the deal while Antony favoured scrapping it.
— TNS
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India, UK to start talks on N-deal
New Delhi, February 19 Cameron said Britain was in favour of transferring high-technology to India.
The two leaders also expressed interest in cooperation with regard to India in the Global centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership. India and Britain have been considering entering into negotiations for a civil nuclear pact for quite some time. One of the contentious issues between the two sides is their respective positions on the Fissile Material Cut off Treaty (FMCT). India insists that Britain should recognise its stand that the proposed treaty should be universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable. The British nuclear industry reportedly exports nuclear goods and equipment worth over 700 million pounds and can supply almost 70-80 per cent parts of a nuclear reactor. What has also come in the way of a pact between the two countries is the fact that India restricts nuclear cooperation to public sector entities while most potential British suppliers of technology for generation of nuclear energy are in the private sector. India has already signed civil nuclear pacts with a number of countries including the United States, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia and Canada. It is also negotiating nuclear pacts with Australia and Japan. thrashing out issues
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Illegal sale of arms
New Delhi, February 19 A Bench comprising Justices SS Nijjar and MY Eqbal asked Additional Solicitor General Paras Kuhad as to whether the punishments ranging from mere reprimands to a fine of Rs 500 and demotion and denial of promotion were sufficient for such crimes. The Bench put the question after the ASG acknowledged that the Army had taken disciplinary action against as many as 73 Army officers, most of them holding the ranks of Lt Colonel and Colonel, for their involvement in such sales. Some of the guilty officers had to forfeit as many as six years of their service, the ASG said. Most of them were subjected to court martial for their offences. The officers had bought the weapons and ammunition from the Army according to their entitlement but had sold them without obtaining any permission. The PIL petitioner, advocate Arvind Kumar Sharma, contended that the accused had bought the weapons for as low as Rs 500 and sold these at a whopping Rs 5 lakh each to arms dealers. It was quite possible that these deadly weapons had ultimately landed in the hands of terrorists and other anti-national elements and gangsters. The ASG said the action against the culprits were taken after due deliberations between the Defence Ministry and the Army. He also contended that reprimand or forfeiture of service was viewed as a major punishment in the Army as such actions had a cascading effect, affecting the career prospects of such personnel. Further, the punishments were given under the relevant Army rules and procedures meant for such crimes. Army personnel as a whole would be “demoralized” if the punishments had been more severe. Also, the judiciary could come into the picture in such cases only when the matter reached it in the form of appeals and not by entertaining PILs, the ASG argued. However, the Bench was not convicted. “Can we close our eyes when such glaring violations are brought to our notice? These officers were running an industry,” it remarked. Nevertheless, the Bench asked the petitioner and the government, including the Army and senior counsel JS Attri, who represented the Union Home Ministry, to file written submissions, explaining their stand on the SC’s role in such matters. The Bench said it would take up the case again after two weeks. Major concern
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Finally, solace for Cong in Gujarat
Ahmedabad, February 19 The Congress today captured both Banaskantha and Kaira district panchayats, but with narrow margins. In a neck-and-neck contest in the 54-member Banaskantha district panchayat in north Gujarat, the Congress claimed 28 seats against 26 by the BJP, while in the 41-member Kaira district panchayat in the central Gujarat, the Congress claimed 22 seats and the BJP 18, with one seat going to an Independent. In the outgoing panchayat bodies, the BJP was in control of the Kaira district panchayat, while the Congress held power in Banaskantha district. But in the taluka panchayats, the BJP had the better of the Congress, capturing nine of the 15 taluka panchayats, including the capital city taluka panchayat of Gandhinagar. The Congress could capture only five taluka panchayats with Dantiwada taluka panchayat throwing up a hung board. The BJP, the Congress, and Independents and others captured seven seats each. The Congress has fared much better in the taluka panchayat elections than it did in the state Assembly elections in December and municipal elections earlier this month. The party won 154 seats out of 349 seats in 15 taluka panchayats with 187 seats going to the BJP
and seven to Independents and others. Former Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, continued his winning spree. He won both Kapadvanj taluka and Kaira district panchayats falling within his Assembly constituency. drubbing in the past
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Lokpal, anti-rape law may hit roadblock
New Delhi, February 19 While the Opposition wants the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance to be referred to a Parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny, there are strong reservations about the need for the constitution of an anti-graft body. Both these Bills are crucial for the UPA government that wants to demonstrate that it is serious on women’s issues and fighting corruption. If the Opposition has its way, the ordinance will lapse as it has to be replaced with a Bill within six weeks after Parliament is convened. Parliament will adjourn on March 22 for the recess and will reconvene on April 22, well past the stipulated six-week period. The Bill introduced in place of the ordinance has to go through the normal law-making procedures that could include a decision to refer it to a standing committee. While the Left parties have already submitted a resolution in the Rajya Sabha disapproving the ordinance as it failed to incorporate key recommendations of the Verma Committee, other opposition parties have objected to it on the plea that it could be misused like the anti-dowry Bill. Describing the ordinance as a dilution of the Verma committee report as it has not included the provision recognising marital rape as a crime and has also not taken cognisance of the recommendation on the changes in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The Samajwadi Party, which is extending critical outside support to the ruling combine, is said to be extremely vociferous in its opposition to the ordinance and the Lokpal Bill.
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Centre to consult states on tougher SC/ST law today New Delhi, February 19 New offences the government has proposed for addition to the 1995 law includes tonsuring of head of SCs/STs; removal of their moustache and garlanding them with footwear. For the first time ever, the scope of bonded labour under the law has been expanded to mean-forcing SCs and STs to remove carcasses, forcing them to do drum beating and grave digging and committing young girls as "Devdasis". The Devdasi practice was outlawed in 1989, but it still thrives with SCs being the main victims. Though the old Act provides for punishment if SCs and STs are denied voting rights, the reworked version also penalises moves to prevent these communities from filing nominations and proposing or seconding nomination of any SC/ST as a candidate in any election. After a review of the law in 2010 revealed that SCs/STs who file cases are often embroiled in counter cases by members of dominant castes, the government has now made filing of counter cases an offence, too. The changes to the law have been proposed by the National Advisory Council's Working Group on Dalit Rights. The council was headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice AP Shah. The Social Justice Ministry will discuss the new draft with state ministers tomorrow. NEW OFFENCES
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Railways may rent out land to generate funds
Chandigarh, February 19 As per the data, the Railways is incurring 18 per cent deficit annually and the losses are likely to rise to Rs 23,000 crore in the current financial year. Stressed by the losses, the world’s largest passengers ferrying network is facing paucity of funds for annual maintenance of infrastructure. Many projects were held up due to lack of funds with the ministry. After hiking passenger fares nominally recently, the ministry is now targeting to generate more funds from the non-traffic segment. In the coming budget, the minister is likely to bring a liberal policy for renting out railway land adjoining railway stations to private realtors. As per records of the Railway Ministry, there is around 43,000 hectares of railway land lying vacant in the country. The ministry plans to come up with several commercial projects mainly by leasing out this vacant land. Recently Pawan Kumar Bansal had stated here that the proposal to invest on the non-traffic segment is in the pipeline and the ministry has maintained that the revenue generated from the passenger and freight operations is not sufficient to fund the improvement in the railway infrastructure. It is expected that in the coming budget, the Railway Minister will announce IT related industry in the northern region. A pilot project has been mooted to set up IT industry to develop latest security equipments, including signal link and anti-collision devices in Chandigarh on around 700 acres of land lying vacant adjoining to the railway station. Out of total 64,000 km tracks, just 5 km has modern equipment for signaling during fog whereas as such signals are required after every kilometre. In the next five years, the railways plans to spend Rs 1.1 lakh crore on installing modern signal mechanism and other measures for safety. Besides this, the Railways is also planning to set up green field rail coach factory for which the railway officials have already examined the sites in Haryana and Karnataka.
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Finally, all clear for Mumbai elevated rail corridor project
Mumbai, February 19 The project is expected to cost Rs 21,000 crore. While the project will be implemented by the Railways, the Maharashtra government is to acquire land, undertake relief and rehabilitation work and work out the modalities for commercial exploitation of land to recover the cost of construction. The project first mooted by former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav following which a techno-feasibilty study was conducted by Systera, a French company. The report was accepted last year and the Centre has now identified this project as one to be fast-tracked.
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Faced with an impending offensive from the Opposition on the VVIP helicopter scam in Parliament, the government today asserted it was open to inquiry by a Joint Parliamentary Committee and that it was willing to discuss any issue in both Houses.
New Delhi, February 19