The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Legal experts flay Bill on tribunals Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 23 A Bill has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha to streamline the functioning of tribunals as directed by the judiciary, but the same apparently seems to have missed the real point of ensuring judicial independence. Instead, it seeks to make a few superficial changes in the rules and regulations governing these tribunals. The Tribunals, Appellate Tribunals and other Authorities (Conditions of Service) Bill 2014 was moved in the upper house last week, ostensibly to implement the judgements rendered by the constitutional courts, including constitution Benches of the Supreme Court (SC). Some legal experts associated with the matter contend that what this Bill proposes is at variance with what has been directed by the courts. The biggest issue of concern at present has been the lack of independence of the tribunals since these are functioning under the control of the very ministries against which these tribunals are expected to pass orders. Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that it was the Department of Justice in the Ministry of Law and Justice which should oversee the functioning of tribunals.
	BJP slams Pawar’s ‘U-turn’ on Modi New Delhi, February 23 Irked by NCP chief Sharad Pawar's attack on Narendra Modi over Gujarat riots, BJP on Saturday accused him of doing a "U-turn" before every election and said the party does not need a certificate from him. "The U-turn by Pawar on Modi is part of the typical politics played by him ahead of every election. The BJP does not need any certificate from Pawar," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told PTI. Asserting that the Maharashtra leader's statement was "not at all surprising", Javadekar said, "People in Maharashtra know that for four years and nine months, Pawar is a secularist and above caste but, three months before elections, he becomes absolutely casteist and communal. "That is the politics of Pawar we see in every election. He targets caste of opposition leaders and makes communal appeals despite his opinion to the contrary ... That is what has happened now." The remarks come a day after Pawar attacked the BJP's prime ministerial candidate over the 2002 riots, saying that the entire country had seen the "mass murders" which took place in Gujarat. Pawar had also questioned Modi's development model and his claim about changing the face of the country. Earlier this month, Pawar had said that there was no need for a debate on the matter once courts had cleared Modi in 2002 riots cases. There were also reports of Pawar having met Modi, but the NCP leader dismissed them. Pawar had on Friday also alleged that the Gujarat Chief Minister had ignored certain sections of society in his quest for power. Pawar's NCP is an important constituent of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and also an alliance partner in the Democratic Front government in Maharashtra. — PTI
	Mumbai to have seaplane service Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, February 23 Mumbai’s first seaplane flight will take off from the Juhu airport tomorrow. The service will link Mumbai with places like Lavasa, Aamby Valley and Nashik. The Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) has announced that it will begin booking for the service shortly. Seaplanes are small amphibious aircraft fitted with water-skis that let them land on and take off from water surface. The operator will begin the service with two seaplanes: A piston-engine, four-seat Cessna 206 and a turboprop, nine-seat Cessna 208. Seaplanes are small aircraft that The company is yet to obtain permission to operate seaplane from Juhu to Girgaum Chowpatty in central Mumbai. Its officials had earlier announced that they would be able to ferry passengers from suburbs to central Mumbai by seaplane at Rs 750 per head. The flight would be of seven-minute duration. With the state-owned Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, which is backing the project, a number of tourist destinations like Lonavla, Murud-Janjira, Tarkali and Sindhudurg will be opened to this form of transport. The state Irrigation Department that owns several major dams in the state is also evaluating their tourist potential. Since seaplanes can land in water bodies, officials say the picturesque dams can be opened to tourists as well.
	M’rashtra nod to high-rises in Mumbra Tribune News Service Mumbai, February 23 Residents of illegal buildings in the neighbourhoods of Mumbra-Kausa on the outskirts of Mumbai are all set to reap an election-eve bonanza with the Maharashtra government allowing high-rises in the area. “We have to increase the floor space index (FSI) to four so that developers show interest in redeveloping the illegal buildings in the area,” an official of the Maharashtra government’s urban development department said. With an FSI of four, a developer will be legally allowed to build four times the area of a plot. At present, only FSI of one is permitted in the area. Most of the buildings in the area which fall under the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) are illegal and have exceeded the FSI of one. Officials say, entire neighbourhoods will be divided into clusters so that the developers can accommodate residents living in the existing buildings while leaving enough space for civic amenities.
	Antony: No compromise in Italian marines’ case Kochi, February 23 Defence Minister AK Antony today said there was no question of any compromise with regard to the case relating to the two Italian marines who had allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in February 2012. "The government policy is that as per Indian rules the case will go ahead. There will be no compromise. We are not going back in any way in the case. We are going ahead with the case as per Indian laws," he said. The minister was replying to a query on whether there was a softening of India's stand on the issue after the Law Ministry concurred with the External Affairs Ministry on the non-applicablity of the anti-piracy law. The Law Ministry is of the view that the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) should not apply in the case of the two marines. Antony said the Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs are handling the matter. On criticism against the Indian Navy over recent mishaps, including the Sindhurakshak tragedy, Antony said all such incidents have been taken seriously. He said he considers his ministry as a family. "In a family, we discuss every issue. It doesn't mean I am pulling up anybody. In the Army, Navy and Airforce we consider safety of operations. Sometimes accients happen. But for me, even one incident cannot be ignored. All incidents we take seriously." He said the Navy has ordered a court of enquiry, based on which corrective action was being taken. "There is no alarming situation. But at the same time, Indian Navy is a growing organisation. Indian military is a growing military and one of the best in the world," he said. Army coup impossible Seeking to put a lid on a fresh controversy over the movement of two Army units near Delhi in 2012, Defence Minister AK Antony today said Indian military was a responsible force which obeys the civilian government’s decisions and, in no circumstances, there would be a military coup in the country. — PTI 24x7 maritime vigil * Antony stressed the need for a 24x7 vigil, coordination and pro-active approach from all agencies in the maritime domain * The Defence Minister said the Indian Coast Guard has a 'pivotal' role to play in building synergy and cohesion of efforts between all stakeholders responsible for ensuring the safety and security of Indian waters
	Saudi Crown Prince, Iranian FM to visit India Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 23 Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the UPA government is playing host to important leaders from key Islamic nations. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Defence Minister Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be in New Delhi this week to hold talks with Indian leaders on bilateral issues as well as international developments, particularly the worrisome situation in Afghanistan. The two significant visits are taking place days after King of Bahrain Hamad Al Khalifa’s trip to India. The Saudi Prince will be accompanied by a high-level delegation on his three-day visit, beginning February 26.
	DRDO to tap wind energy in Ladakh to produce power Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 23 The with spiraling costs of fossil fuel and adverse environmental impact of convectional power generation becoming a major challenge, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is exploring the feasibility of exploiting wind energy to produce electricity in remote high-altitude areas. A feasibility study undertaken in Ladakh’s Nubra Valley by the Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) has indicated that by using a wind-diesel hybrid generating system, the annual consumption of diesel can be reduced by about 25%. There are many locations and border outposts in Ladakh and Kargil sectors where there is no power grid available and electricity is obtained through diesel generators. The field observatory where the study was carried out had an annual diesel consumption of 1.42 lakh liters for three generators having a combined capacity of 326 KW. The daily requirement in winters was 110 KW to cater to about 25 persons, with the major load being that of heating. “Using diesel generators is very expensive, given the ever rising cost of oil and transportation. Supplies and storage is also a major issue, especially during winter months and the adverse environmental impact of burning fossil fuel also has to be considered,” Ashwagosha Ganju, SASE Director said. “The DRDO is undertaking major programme to tap renewable energy sources,” he said. Wind speed in cold desert areas and along barren slopes is quite high during specific hours of the day. Statistical data collected by SASE showed the available wind energy resource in the region is high and wind energy can easily be exploited for providing cheaper and emission-free power. SASE’s studies have indicated that the cost of one KW electricity produced through the wind-diesel generator hybrid consisting of ten 10KW wind turbines and a 82KVA generator would be 0.16 dollars as compared to 0.25 dollars for convectional power generation when the price of diesel is taken an done dollar per litre. Reducing diesel dependency * A feasibility study undertaken in Ladakh's Nubra Valley by the Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment has indicated that by using a wind-diesel hybrid generating system, the annual consumption of diesel can be reduced by about 25% * There are many locations and border outposts in Ladakh and Kargil sectors where there is no power grid available and electricity is obtained through diesel generators
	Australia hopes to finalise nuke deal with India soon Ashok Tuteja Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 23 Australia has reiterated its commitment to exporting uranium to India once a civil nuclear deal was signed between the two countries. “We are making good process in our negotiations and hope to finalise the deal soon,” Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling told a select group of journalists here. He noted that the two countries have already held four rounds of talks on the accord. The fourth round was held in Canberra just last week. Asked by when the deal was expected to be wrapped up, Suckling said, “ We never put a time line on such agreements...we must ensure that the agreement is for our mutual benefit.” He said Australia has already made it clear to India that it wanted an agreement which gave his country an assurance that uranium exported by it would be used only for civilian purposes and not military purposes. Pointing out that the Tony Abbott government was committed to the pact, the Australian envoy said there was a strong support across the political spectrum in his country for the accord with India. On whether his country also had reservation about India’s Civil Nuclear Liability Law like some other nuclear partners of India, he said: “We are not in the business of making nuclear reactors...so it’s (law) is not applicable to us.” Australia possesses nearly 40 per cent of the world’s known uranium reserves and is already exporting the metal to the US, China, Japan, Russia and Taiwan. For years, India has been seeking uranium from Australia to feed its nuclear reactors. However, Australia had taken the stand that it would not sell uranium to India or any other country, which is not a signatory to the NPT. New Delhi kept on pushing successive governments in Australia to have a re-look at the policy, particularly after India was granted a nuclear waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) in September 2008. In December 2011, the then Julia Gillard government reversed that position and since then the two countries have been holding talks on the nuclear deal. Uranium export * The Australian High Commissioner said the two countries have already held four rounds of talks on the accord. The fourth round was held in Canberra just last week * On being asked when the deal was expected to be wrapped up, Suckling said, “We never put a time line on such agreements...we must ensure that the agreement is for our mutual benefit.” * He said Australia has already made it clear to India that it wanted an agreement which gave his country an assurance that uranium exported by it would be used only for civilian purposes and not military purposes
	Nirmal Baba gets notice for Rs 3.5-cr tax evasion New Delhi, February 23 ‘Daswand’ — or the receiving of donations of one-tenth of a devotee's earning — has landed self-styled spiritual guru Nirmal Baba in trouble with a notice having been slapped on him for alleged service tax evasion of Rs 3.5 crore. The central excise department issued the notice on the grounds that 'Daswand' amounts to charging devotees attending a 'Samagam' (congregation) an entry fee for a 'service', official sources said. The activities of Nirmal Darbar came under the excise department's scanner after July, 2012, when a negative list was brought in to cover more areas under 'service'. A tax demand of about Rs 3.58 crore has been raised against Nirmal Baba since July, 2012, over the collection of Daswand, they said. An email sent to 'Nirmal Darbar' seeking their comments did not yield any response. Phone calls made to them also failed to get any reaction. "We do not have any person for (handling) the media. Please send us an email (at the address) mentioned on our website," an employee, who refused to identify herself, told PTI. It is learnt that Nirmal Baba is contesting the tax demand raised by the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI). DGCEI had also raised a service tax demand against Nirmal Darbar over the fee for 'Samagam' charged by Nirmal Baba. A per head registration fee of Rs 3,000 (including taxes) is required to be paid for attending the Samagam while Rs 5,000 per person (including taxes) is the cost of attending the 'Show', according to information available on Nirmal Baba's website. A demand for about Rs 3.08 crore as service tax liability was raised on Samagam which was paid along with an interest of Rs 80 lakh. Service tax is levied at the rate of 12.36 per cent. — PTI Mounting troubles * It is learnt that Nirmal Baba is contesting the tax demand raised by the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) * DGCEI had also raised a service tax demand against Nirmal Darbar over the fee for 'Samagam' charged by Nirmal Baba
	Maoist killed in encounter Raipur, February 23 A Maoist was gunned down in a fierce encounter with security forces in Naxal-affected Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh today, the police said. The face-off took place in the forests in the Dhaudai police station limits of the restive Abhujmad region, Narayanpur Additional Superintendent of Police OP Sharma said. — PTI