The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Govt should have responded earlier: Jaitley
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
Calling the Telangana movement “one of the biggest mass movements in India in recent history,” Jaitley opined that the movement had sustained itself for a long time and the government should have responded to it well in advance. The NDA, he said, had held discussions with all stakeholders when it took the step of carving out Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. “It was part of our honest commitment. We had no political motivation…. Congress has no commitment and announced Telangana for electoral reasons,” said Jaitley.

National Green Tribunal slaps all-India ban on sand mining

New Delhi, August 5
The National Green Tribunal today banned mining or removal of sand from river beds across the country without an environmental clearance amid the uproar over suspension of an IAS officer who had cracked down on sand mafia in Uttar Pradesh. In its order, the Tribunal noted that the loss caused to the state exchequer due to illegal sand mining may run into lakhs of crores of rupees.

The order was given on a plea alleging that such activities were going on in UP with the "wilful connivance" of its state machinery.

Widening the ambit of the plea, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said its order would be applicable across the nation as the petition raised substantial environmental issues.

Initially, the bench banned illegal sand mining on the beds and banks of rivers Yamuna, Ganga, Hindon, Chambal, Gomti, amongst others, but later modified its order saying the issue of illegally removing sand has nationwide implications.

The bench said the clearance has to be obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Forests(MoEF) or State Environment Impact Assessment Authority(SEIAA). "We restrain any person, company, authority to carry out any mining activity or removal of sand, from river beds anywhere in the country without obtaining Environmental Clearance from MoEF/SEIAA and license from the competent authorities," the bench said while issuing notices to all respondents seeking their response by August 14.

The Tribunal also directed all the mining officers and police officers concerned of all the states to ensure compliance of its orders, on the plea filed by the National Green Tribunal Bar Association.

The petition alleged that those who have opposed such sand mining, including field level officers, like suspended SDM Durga Sakhti Nagpal, have been victimised which is also apparent from various news reports.

Nagpal, the 28-year-old SDM of Gautam Budh Nagar who led the crackdown on sand mining mafia in her district, was suspended on July 27 ostensibly for ordering demolition of a wall of a under-construction mosque allegedly without following the due process. Nagpal, who belongs to the UP cadre, was chargesheeted yesterday.

Senior advocate Raj Panjwani assisted by advocate Ritwick Dutta, appearing for the association, contended that "rampant" illegal mining and transport of lakhs of tonnes of sand is being carried on every year and is causing a loss of lakhs of crores of rupees to the state exchequer. — PTI

UP trigger

In its order, the Tribunal noted that the loss caused to the state exchequer due to illegal sand mining may run into lakhs of crores of rupees

The order was given on a plea alleging that such activities were going on in UP with the "wilful connivance" of its state machinery

Widening the ambit of the plea, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said its order would be applicable across the nation as the petition raised substantial environmental issues

Chinese daily questions India’s motives on Bhutan
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
While Beijing officially remained quiet over the recent tension between India and Bhutan over the withdrawal of subsidy on gas and kerosene, it used a Communist Party of China (CPC) organ to question New Delhi’s policy with regard to the tiny Himalayan nation.

“India won’t allow Bhutan to freely engage in diplomacy with China and solve the border issue. Besides, India will continue its stance on the Sino-Indian border dispute and strengthen its strategic posture,’’ the Global Times said in a commentary.

Written by Lio Zongyi, a scholar from a state-run think tank, the commentary said the timing of India’s subsidy withdrawal suggested that it wanted to influence Bhutan’s election results. ‘’Why did India, which is proud of being the largest democratic country in the world, venture to interference in Bhutan’s elections,’’ it asked.

Observing that in the 21st century when concepts like ‘protectorates’ and ‘client states’ had become outdated, the article said due to India’s influence on the election process in Bhutan, the wish of depending on democracy to maintain the sovereignty of Bhutan’s royal family and its political elites had become a failure.

The commentary also talked about former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s meeting with former Bhutan Prime Minister Jigme Yoser Thinley in June 2012 when Beijing expressed readiness to forge formal diplomatic relations with Thimphu. It also recalled that in August 2012, former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Fu Ying had visited Thimphu to discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bhutan, which aroused great concerns in New Delhi.

The commentary claimed that former Indian Ambassador to Bhutan Pavan K Verma was forced to resign due to his failure to prevent Bhutan from developing relations with China. ‘’The withdrawal of subsidies before Bhutan’s elections reflected that India never gives up its power politics which it does not need to,’’ it added.

‘Influencing’ poll results

Written by Lio Zongyi, a scholar from a state-run think tank, an article in the daily said the timing of India's subsidy withdrawal suggested that it wanted to influence Bhutan's election results

India won't allow Bhutan to freely engage in diplomacy with China and solve the border issue, it said

The article said due to India's influence on the election process in Bhutan, the wish of depending on democracy to maintain the sovereignty of Bhutan's royal family and its political elites had become a failure

The commentary also talked about former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's meeting with former Bhutan Prime Minister Jigme Yoser Thinley in June 2012 when Beijing expressed readiness to forge formal diplomatic relations with Thimphu

Military equipment with ‘made in India’ stamp set to make a splash
SELF-RELIANCE Will reduce India’s dependence on foreign countries
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
Over the next few months, military equipment built indigenously will make its debut unhinging India from expensive imports and indicating a small step towards self-reliance. After years of struggle and perseverance, the Light Combat Aircraft, the Tejas, will join the Indian Air Force fleet at the end of this year.

This will not be the only achievement for Defence Minister AK Antony whose mantra is to see a ‘made in India’ stamp on everything. On August 12, indigenous aircraft carrier, the Vikrant, a 40,000-tonne vessel with fighter jets on its deck, is slated for a sea launch at Kochi. The nuclear powered submarine, the Arihant, being built at Visakhapatnam, can slither out to sea any day.

Away from these much discussed and globally watched projects, trials to upgrade the indigenous Arjun tank starts next week while the indigenous replica of the Bofors is doing well in its trials and is slated to be handed over to the Army by early 2014.

Today AK Antony told Parliament in a written reply that for second part of the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC-2) will be done by end of 2013 and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) by end of 2014. Explaining this to officials, the minister said the IOC-2 will mean the plane will start flying in IAF fleet and the FOC will be time when all its weapons and missiles are integrated.

Antony had reviewed the status of the LCA on June 24. He has asked the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to strictly adhere to the planned schedules to ensure induction of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“LCA - Tejas is likely to be inducted in the Indian Air Force soon after the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC-2),” Antony replied in Parliament said.

Next week, the Arjun Mark-II will undergo trials in two separate phases and for different parameters. First is to test its missile firing ability and the second part will be the tank’s automotive aspects, meaning its running especially with the added load. The Army and the DRDO will conduct the trials.

The first set of trials is slated in the second week of this month and the second one will be conducted in the third week. If successful, this will pave the way for the production of the upgraded Arjun. A total of 124 tanks of the first series have been produced so far.

The upgraded version has some 89 improvements over its predecessor and these include long-range missile firing capabilities, panoramic sights with night vision, enhanced weapon penetration, digital control, a better hunter killer capability, improved Auxiliary Power Unit , better communication equipments and navigation aid will be the additions.

Telangana to revive talks with Maoists: TRS chief
Suresh Dharur/TNS

Hyderabad, August 5
In yet another controversial statement, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has said that the new Telangana state would initiate direct talks with Maoists for an enduring peace and put an end to encounter killings.

“We will hold talks with the Maoists. These talks will not be at the police level but at the highest political level, involving the Chief Minister and other key players. The agenda of the TRS is the same as the socio-economic agenda of the Maoists. We will implement it,” KCR, as the TRS supremo is called, said. KCR, whose party was in the forefront of the movement for separate Telangana state, had earlier ruffled the feathers in government circles when he said that the employees from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions would have to leave Hyderabad once the Telangana state was formed and work in the new state of Andhra Pradesh.

The TRS chief’s policy prescription on Maoists has surprised many in political and police circles. It would amount to major departure from the present policy towards Naxalites. The stated policy of the government is that no dialogue is possible with the outlawed Maoist group unless it eschews violence.

The Congress government had initiated talks with Naxalites in 2004 but the dialogue process had collapsed soon following the Maoists withdrawing from negotiations, alleging continued fake encounters.

The Telangana region was once a stronghold of Naxalites, so much so that the ultra left extremist units were in a position to run parallel administration in their bastions. However, over years, the Maoist movement witnessed significant erosion in its support base, apart from the sustained police pressure. Several of their top leaders were eliminated in police operations and many more surrendered to the police. The success in anti-insurgency operations was largely due to the “greyhounds”, raised in 1989 to specialise in executing intelligence-led precision strikes. “The success has been achieved because of the two-pronged strategy adopted by us. It involved modernization of the force to execute intelligence-led precision strikes and massive development in the remote areas particularly focusing on roads, infrastructure, communication, schools and hospitals,” a top official involved in the anti-Maoist operations said.

As a result, the residual Maoist leadership has shifted its base to Chhattisgarh and Orissa. According to a top police official, the Maoists were now having a free run in the so-called “liberated zone of Dandakaranya” and Chhattisgarh. They are now keen on reviving their activities in Telangana districts.

Cong wants Ashwani on PAC
Pawan Bansal favours nomination to panel on Home & HRD
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
The Congress is learnt to have proposed former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar as its nominee to the all-important Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament. The PAC is an influential body among the finance committees of Parliament, the others being Estimates Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.

Former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is learnt to have written to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister indicating his preference to be nominated to the department related parliamentary standing committee on Home and the parliamentary consultative committee on HRD.

Ashwani Kumar, a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, has also been proposed by the party high command as its representative in the crucial Department Related Standing Committee on Defence, it is learnt. Parliament sources said his name is also proposed as a member of parliament's consultative committee on foreign affairs.

Kumar had quit on May 10 as the Law Minister following an uproar over his alleged attempt to influence the CBI probe into the coal scam. He attended Parliament on the first day of the monsoon session today. He also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the latter's chamber.

In the Rajya Sabha, Kumar was seen seated in the front row meant for Cabinet ministers. Inquiries in the Rajya Sabha secretariat revealed that Kumar's seat number had not been changed even though he had resigned as Law Minister.

Considered a PM loyalist, Kumar is set to replace in PAC Congress's former member EMS Natchiappan who vacated the seat after becoming Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.

Any MP can, under rules, be a member of a department-related standing committee and a consultative committee. But once elevated as a minister, the MP has to vacate his position.

Sources said some sections in the Congress felt he had been unfairly bracketed with former railway minister Pawan Bansal, whose nephew was caught taking a bribe causing the minister's exit from the ministry.

The move to nominate Kumar to important committees is learnt to have been taken on the basis of the fact that there was no direct adverse comment against him in the Supreme Court order. The apex court had said the heart of the CBI's draft report on coal scam was "changed".

Cong’s worry: House disruption by its MPs may hit food Bill
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
Concerned over possible continued disruption of Parliament by its own MPs from Andhra Pradesh who are opposed to the creation of a separate Telangana state, the Congress today went all out to pacify the agitating members but to no avail.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel met six MPs from the Seemandhra region this evening and reportedly urged them “not to stall House proceedings, withdraw their resignations and cooperate with the party high command in the Telengana matter.”

After the meeting with Patel, some MPs also met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath to discuss their Parliament strategy tomorrow with the latter asking them not to disrupt proceedings.

While Patel and Nath cited the food security Bill to the agitating MPs to make them come around, the MPs remained non-committal on their Parliament strategy and demanded that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution on Telangana state be withdrawn.

GV Harsha Kumar, Congress MP from Amalapuram reserved segment in Andhra, who attended both meetings, said that all 11 MPs from Seemandhra, who have resigned protesting Telangana formation, will meet in Parliament tomorrow to decide whether to agitate in the House or not.

In a clear indication of further disruptions threatening Congress' own legislative agenda, Kumar said, “It is extremely difficult for us not to agitate given the ground situation in Andhra where our houses are being attacked. We will take a decision on Parliament strategy tomorrow.”

In another major development, Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh today assured agitating Central ministers from the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions that the Congress president would “soon announce” a high-level party committee to address the concerns of Seemandhra leaders who will find a representation in the panel.

Eight Central ministers from Seemandhra, including HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju, D Purandeshwari, K Kruparani, Panabaka Lakshmi, KS Rao and JD Seelam, met Digvijay today. The meeting comes a day after Andhra CM, Andhra Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana, Seemandhra MLAs and MLCs sent a signed resolution to Sonia Gandhi opposing Telangana and demanding that their concerns be addressed.

Central ministers from Seemandhra will meet the PM on the issue tomorrow.

TRS chief for talks with Maoists

Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has said that the new Telangana state would initiate direct talks with Maoists for an enduring peace and put an end to encounter killings. “We will hold talks with the Maoists. These talks will not be at the police level but at the highest political level, involving the CM and other key players,” he said.

Gorkha outfit turns down appeals to call off strike
Subhrangshu Gupta/TNS

Kolkata, August 5
On the third day of the GJM’s indefinite strike in the hills on the Gorkhaland demand, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a fresh appeal to the striking GJM today for calling off their bandh. The GJM president Bimal Gurung turned down the request.

Instead, he called upon the GJM activists and the hill people for strengthening and launching a larger movement. Gurung said they were no more interested in talking to the Chief Minister who, he alleged, had cheated and befooled them with the GTA.

After a high-level meeting at the Writers Buildings with senior officials and the police, the Chief Minister said she was ready to meet the GJM leaders if they called off the strike unconditionally. She said the government would not allow the GJM activists to disturb the peace and progress in the hills, which could be brought in after a prolonged 34 years of the Left Front rule.

She said the Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, along with the DGP N Mukherjee and other senior police officers, would be going to Darjeeling for making an on-the-spot study of the situation and taking necessary action for maintaining peace and normalcy there. The peace-loving people in the hills were opposed to the GJM’s indefinite bandh and the government was firm in restoring normal lives in Darjeeling.

The Chief Minister asked the Centre and interested political parties not to encourage and incite the GJM activists for playing with fire in the hills at the cost of the lives and properties of the local people.

According to reports reaching the state government from Darjeeling today, so far, altogether 25 GJM workers and the supporters were arrested in connection with observance of the bandh. Today, though all government offices were open, none attended. Schools, colleges and other institutions were also closed. Shops, markets and other establishments were also shut down.

Excepting the movement of the CRPF jawans in the vehicles and the ambulances, all public transports including buses and taxis were also off the road in the hills today.

Heavy rains lash U’khand, rivers near danger mark

Dehradun, August 5
Heavy overnight rains at most places across Uttarakhand left major rivers and lakes flowing close to the danger mark. The state capital which awoke to light showers in the morning after heavy overnight rains witnessed a downpour in the afternoon, which left major roads in the city waterlogged causing disruption of traffic.

With the MeT department forecasting heavy rains in parts of the state in the next 48 hours, all schools in Dehradun were closed for two days. Dehradun and Uttarkashi received the highest degree of rain in the past 24 hours recording a maximum of 91.5 mm and 77 mm of showers respectively.

A cloudburst occurred in Manalipatti area of Barkot in Uttarkashi district early this morning. However, no damage was caused as it occurred in a forest area devoid of human settlements, District Disaster Management and Mitigation authorities said.

Major rivers in the state are in spate and flowing close to the danger mark following heavy rains. The Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi was flowing at 1,120.77 metres, less than three metres below the danger mark, whereas the Mandakini in Rudraprayag district was flowing at 623.70 m, a little over three notches below the danger mark.

Almora SDM Ajay Arora, who slipped into Alaknanda river from a makeshift bridge on Wednesday, is yet to be traced with a 14-member team of PAC divers assisted by NDRF personnel still scouring the river in search of him, Rudraprayag District Disaster Management and Mitigation authorities said. Efforts are on to search for the missing official from Kedar valley to Shrinagar, they said. — PTI

SDM still missing

A cloudburst occurred in Manalipatti area of Barkot in Uttarkashi district. However, no damage was caused as it occurred in a forest area devoid of human settlements
The Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi was flowing at 1,120.77 metres, less than three metres below the danger mark, whereas the Mandakini in Rudraprayag district was flowing at 623.70 m, a little over three notches below the danger mark.
Almora SDM Ajay Arora, who slipped into Alaknanda river from a makeshift bridge on Wednesday, is yet to be traced

Landslips claim nine lives, Kochi airport runway closed

A flooded area after heavy rains in Kochi on Monday. — PTI

Idukki/Kochi, August 5
Nine persons died and several others were reported missing as a string of landslips triggered by heavy downpour battered the high range Idukki and adjoining districts of Kerala today.

The Cochin International Airport has been temporarily closed and two flights diverted as the runway got water-logged. Periyar river and canals are overflowing after the downpour lashed the area since yesterday.

The deceased included two children and two women as their houses on the slopes of the hills in Idukki district were swept away by flash floods, police said.

A district where most people are small and marginal farmers, Idukki also suffered heavy crop and property loss.

Several persons were reported missing as a huge mound of rock and rubble came crashing down at Chiyyappara in Idukki while relief work was on in the area where landslip occurred in the wee hours.

Several vehicles were trapped in the debris and rescue work hampered as roads the district got blocked by rubble spawned by landslide and flashfloods.

"Cochin International Airport has been closed till 2.30 PM as water entered the runway as the Periyar river is overflowing after shutters of the Edamalayalar dam were opened," Airport Director ACK Nair told PTI.

The sandbanks of the Periyar river in Aluva, where thousands are to converge to perform the Balitharpanam ritual tomorrow on the day of Karkitakavavu, is flooded and the Shiva temple there almost submerged.

Ernakulam District Collector Sheikh Pareed said possibilities of making alternative arrangements for the conduct of the ritual were being explored and the help of Navy sought to tackle the situation.

People in affected areas have been shifted to relief camps.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has called an emergency cabinet meeting in the state capital to review the serious situation and gear up the relief operations.

The IMD has cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea in the next 48 hours as strong winds of 45-55 kmph could lash coastal areas along with heavy rains. — PTI

BJP attacks Uttarakhand Govt for failure during floods
Girja Shankar Kaura/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
Even as two TDP MPs created ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over the creation of Telangana, the Congress government in the state of Uttarakhand came in for strong criticism from the BJP over its failure to take appropriate and timely steps to prevent loss of lives.

As the two MPs from TDP, CM Ramesh and YS Chowdary, continued to create a din over the issue despite Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who was in the chair, repeatedly asking them to return to their seats, the BJP raised the issue of the Uttarakhand Government’s failure to tackle the situation arising out of the flash floods through its former chief minister of the state, Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Amid the din, Kurien asked Koshyari to raise his point of order. Koshyari attacked Vijay Bahuguna-led Congress government saying it neglected Met department’s repeated warnings and did not take necessary action which could have averted heavy loss of lives. Saying over 10,000 people had either died or gone missing in the flash floods that hit Uttarakhand in June, Koshyari said, “The incident happened on June 16 and 17. Before that, the Met department had warned the state in advance of the impending danger. The state did not pay any heed.” Koshyari also accused Bahuguna of overlooking the grave situation in his state to be in Delhi on June 18.

He said Bahuguna came to Delhi on June 18 to congratulate a top party leader without paying attention to the ravaged state. He demanded that the tragedy be declared a “National Disaster”.

“Had the CM called the military on June 18, many precious lives could have been saved,” he said. Koshyari also raised the issue of national security while pointing out that with over 3,000 devastated villages yet to be connected and rehabilitated, there was a chance of them getting infested with Maoists if their problems were not addressed at the earliest. LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan also spoke on the issue, but he could not be properly heard in the din being raised by the TDP MPs over Telangana. As the ruckus continued, the House was adjourned till tomorrow.

Delay in action

Former CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari said the government neglected Met department’s repeated warnings and did not take necessary action which could have averted the heavy loss of lives
He said CM Bahuguna came to Delhi on June 18 to congratulate a top party leader without paying attention to the ravaged state, which was hit by floods on June 16 and 17
He added that with over 3,000 devastated villages yet to be connected and rehabilitated, there was a chance of them getting infested with Maoists if their problems were not addressed at the earliest

Antony: Army officials illegally transferred land in Jodhpur

AK Antony

New Delhi, August 5
An inquiry has prime facie found that Army and defence estates officials allegedly colluded to illegally transfer defence land to a charitable trust in Jodhpur after which a Central Bureau of Inverstigation inquiry has been ordered, Defence Minister A K Antony informed the Lok Sabha today.

The 4.84 acres of piece of land was handed over Major Maharaja Hari Singh charitable trust by the local military authorities on August 23, 2007.

"An inquiry by Army authorities has revealed that Army officers at Jodhpur allegedly in collusion with Defence Estates Organisation (DEO) officials illegally transfered defence land to benefit the trust. The matter has, therefore, been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation for further investigation," the Defence minister said in reply to a query.

He said the Central Bureau of Inverstigation has filed a preliminary enquiry in to the case on May 14. The Defence Minister said about 12,634 acres of defence land has been under encroachment and "action for removal of encroachment is taken" under the provisions of various acts.

"Detailed instructions emphasising the need for ensuring vigilance, detection and prevention of new encroachments have been issued to the ministry," Antony said.

After several land scams such as Sukna and Adarsh, the Defence Minister took away the right of the local military authorities to issue No Objection Certificates (NOC) to private individuals or organisation for use of defence land or use of land near defence establishments. — PTI

Rising Tehri water level causes concern
Umesh Dewan/TNS

Jalandhar, August 5
With incessant rainfall in Uttarakhand for the past 24 hours, the water level in the Tehri dam has touched 816.5-metres. The level is just 8.5 metres short of reaching the dam reservoir’s filling limit of 825 metres.

With weather forecast by the meteorological department predicting that heavy rain will continue for the next 24 hours too, it is learnt that the Uttarakhand Government has started controlled spillage from the Tehri dam.

Concerned with the matter, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has requested the Union Power Ministry to increase the filling limit of the Tehri dam to 830 metres against the present limit of 825 metres. In an urgent letter sent to the Union Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia, the AIPEF chairman Padamjit Singh has stated that considering the present water level of the Tehri dam, there is acute risk of heavy spillage in case the Uttarakhand government revises the filling capacity to 830 metres.

Padamjit said the water level in Tehri on July 31 was 812.5 metres, while at present, the water level is 816.5 metres. Speaking to The Tribune, Padamjit said, "As per the present trend, the water level in the Tehri dam is going up by 0.8 metres per day. Since the Uttarakhand government has restricted the filling to 825 metres, there is acute risk of spillage in case the limit was not revised to 830 metres, which is the rated full reservoir level of the Tehri dam."

The AIPEF letter, a copy of which is with TNS, reads, "In the wake of the fact that margin of only 8.5 metres in the dam is left (as per the filling limit of 825 metres) for the remaining 45 days of monsoon, there is an urgent need that the filling be allowed up to 830 metres." Padamjit said that in case the filling limit was not increased, the spillage will pose risk of flooding of the downstream Koteshwar.

Maoists have ‘enough’ funds to run operations
Shaurya Karanbir Gurung/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
Battling the militants in the red corridor with all its funds is not something the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is responsible to curb the ‘menace’, finds easy to handle. But on the other hand, the Maoists, led by the Communist Party of India (Maoist), seem to have enough funds not only to manage their overground operations in the city, but also to procure arms, build cadres, create training infrastructure and so on.

In its bid to find out how the Maoists, who are said to have spread across 203 districts across 20 states manage their funding, the government had commissioned a study that was completed earlier this month.

Defined as the most lethal Maoist outfit in India, the CPI (Maoist) which has been involved in several violent killings of security forces personnel and civilians, the study finds has its war machinery well-oiled.

According to the findings of the study, the CPI (Maoist) has been annually collecting Rs 140-crore from big and small businesses, contractors and “corrupt government officials and political leaders”.

The study states that “the largest and principal sources of income for the Maoists are the mining industry, Public Works Department (PWD) works and collection of tendu leaves”.

The report, prepared by a defence and strategic think-tank, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), reads that the Maoists are utilising the money to acquire arms, ammunition and explosives.

Some portions of the money are also used for the daily expenses of the armed cadre and in “running and expanding the war machinery”.

The CPI (Maoist) has also been investing its finances in propaganda and developmental works in its base areas, where they are running a parallel government. The Maoists have termed this parallel government as “Janatana Sarkar”. In villages which are being run by the “Janatana Sarkar”, the Maoists have been collecting “revolutionary taxes” from the people.

Protesters breach Rahul’s security cordon again
Shahira Naim/TNS

Lucknow, August 5
There was a major lapse in the security of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi yet again in Allahabad today. BJP and Yuva Morcha activists virtually slowed down his cavalcade and waved black flags at him. One BJP activist, Pintoo Mishra, has been arrested in this connection. The incident occurred during Rahul’s day-long visit to Allahabad for the inauguration function of a 20-bed indoor facility at the Kamla Nehru Memorial Rural Hospital at Newada.

As Rahul's cavalcade was moving towards the venue of the function in Jhunsi in the Trans-Yamuna area, the protesters waving black flags and shouting anti-UPA slogans slowed down the cavalcade. They were reportedly protesting over Congress leaders making statements about Rs 5 meals.

However, NSUI activists later retaliated and clashed with the BJP activists and the police had to intervene to stop the scuffle.

Blaming the district administration for being lax in Rahul’s security, the NSUI supporters staged a sit-in on the main Allahabad-Varanasi highway which was later lifted with an assurance by the district administration to be more vigilant in future.

On November 14, 2011, Rahul was similarly ‘greeted’ with black flags by Samajwadi Party workers who had managed to breach his security cordon and move towards him at the Jhusi airstrip, moments after he had arrived to address a public rally there.

MP to introduce Gita in madrassas

Bhopal, August 5
The Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to introduce Bhagavad Gita even in the curriculum of Urdu schools from academic session 2013-14, inviting rebuke from Opposition Congress which accused the government of diverting attention of people from overall "misgovernance".

Slamming the government move, Opposition Congress on Monday alleged that the decision was taken at the behest of RSS and is aimed at dividing society on communal lines to drive political mileage in the election year.

"In order to divert people's attention from basic issues and to spread tension in the state in an election year, the BJP government, led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has taken a refuge under the religion by introducing lessons on Gita in school syllabus," said Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh.

He said that all religions have their own set-ups in the state to impart religious-based education and they are discharging their responsibilities in a proper manner.

"But with an aim to polarise votes, the chief minister is including lessons only from a particular religion in this secular state," Ajay alleged. — PTI

Sachin steals limelight in RS
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, August 5
Sachin Tendulkar hogged the limelight as he made a surprise entry into the Rajya Sabha on the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament today. Tendulkar, who is a nominated member of the Upper House, looked cheerful even as his wife Anjali watched the proceedings from the visitors’ gallery. Wearing blue striped shirt and black trousers, the ‘Little Master’ entered the House in the company of Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla before it was called to order.

After shaking hands with some members, he occupied his seat and attentively heard Chairman Hamid Ansari’s opening remarks. He thumped the desk when the Chairman congratulated the Indian cricket team on winning the Champions Trophy in England in August. He was also seen engaged in some discussion with noted lyricist Javed Akhtar, also a nominated member, who was seated next to him.