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RSS influence on govt decisions on the rise
There may be no Opposition leader, indicates LS Speaker
Work out sale of 3 hotels: SC to Sahara chief |
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Rahul
insisted Sonia to decline PM’s post in 2004, says Natwar
Work out sale of 3 London hotels: SC to
Sahara chief
Get documents from Italian court, MoD tells Indian embassy
Govt speeds up evacuation of Indians from Libya
Arup Raha is new CoSC chairman
US Special 301 process a unilateral measure: Govt
Sonia, Rahul move HC over I-T notices
Rain unleashes fury over western India
16 UPA ministers get eviction notices
Delay in OROP: Ex-servicemen doubt govt move
MATTERS MILITARY
HP mulls recalling IAS officers from Centre
Armed forces: Punjab slashes funds for welfare schemes
Lapses in procurement of
aero-engines costs IAF Rs 227 cr
10-yr jail for BSF suspended officer
Tension spills over neighbouring Y’nagar
Parts of India’s largest telescope reach Ladakh
Days after riots, UP sends officials to douse flames
Gujarat former minister Maya Kodnani gets bail
Court holds 10 guilty for TN school fire tragedy
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RSS influence on govt decisions on the rise
New Delhi, July 30 Sources say the government and the RSS have already put in place a mechanism - an informal coordination committee - to push through various agenda of the Sangh parivar. While the RSS’ increasing influence on decisions of its political arm - the BJP - started showing up during the run-up to the Assembly elections, some new developments point towards the fact that the NDA government has also started implementing its agenda. While the government is working on a comprehensive plan for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, recently, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had announced setting up of Gokul Grams for protection of desi cows, one of the top priorities of both the BJP and the RSS. Incidentally during the previous NDA government, no such mechanism existed between the government and the RSS. “Earlier, all RSS dealings with the government were through the party. BJP leaders would visit Nagpur or Jhandewalan - the Sangh headquarters in Delhi - but there was no direct dealing between the government and the RSS,” they say. Now, it seems the Sangh is dealing with the government directly. According to sources, the “informal committee” has been mandated to monitor implementation of the Sangh agenda. Its members include senior BJP leaders and top Sangh functionaries such as Bhaiyaji Joshi, Suresh Soni, Dattatreya Hosbole and Indresh Kumar, who is dealing with the Ayodhya issue. Sources say he is also engaged in discussion with “all stakeholders” to strike an agreement on the issue. The BJP seems to have also start working on steps to abolish Article 370. Sources say the comprehensive plan for Kashmiri Pandits and creation of job opportunities for Muslim youth and bringing them into the mainstream are all part of the effort. However, the sensitive agenda will not be implemented immediately. During the first three years of the NDA rule, there will be spadework along with creating the “right environment” for their execution. “It will be only around the fourth year of the government when the business of implementation will begin,” they say. Apart from traditional poll planks, there are also some recently acquired issues. It seems the Swadeshi Jagran Manch - the economic wing of the RSS -also wants the government to curtail business with China and unleash a new renaissance in the field of education.
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There may be no Opposition leader, indicates LS Speaker
New Delhi, July 30 The indications came today from Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who said she would take a call on the matter of the LOP in four days. She recalled several old instances where the House of the People functioned without the LOP on account of none of the parties commanding 10 per cent MPs of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. “The first LOP was recognised only in 1969 as no party beforehand had 10 per cent strength of the House. Later in 1980 and 1984, there was no LOP... Even this time numbers are not adequate for LOP,” Mahajan said on being asked when she would respond to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s letter staking claim on LOP’s post. “I will study the rules and the letter of the Attorney General. Within four days I will take a decision.” Mahajan said, in the first indirect indication that the Congress may not get the post since it falls short of 10 pc strength of the House (55 MPs) which is a necessity to claim the LOP’s post as per AG’s opinion. AG Mukul Rohatgi had earlier in his letter to the Speaker cited the 1956 ruling of then Speaker GV Mavalankar who had coined the 10 per cent requirement as an eligibility for any party seeking Speaker’s recognition for the post of an LOP. The Congress, meanwhile, is debating whether to move court on the LOP issue with the party divided on the matter. A section of leaders like Capt Amarinder Singh and Anand Sharma are in favour of moving court, while another section maintains the move would not help as courts don’t prefer to interfere with the Speaker’s rulings. Congress parliamentary affairs committee will soon meet to discuss the issue following which Sonia will take a final call after the Speaker’s ruling comes formally. The Congress had in its petition to the Speaker cited fulfillment of the 10 pc strength to stake claim for LOP’s post. It had presented itself as a pre-poll UPA alliance with the petition signed by 60 MPs, including 44 of the Congress and the rest of its allies. The Congress has been saying that existing laws related to the appointment of CVC, CBI Director and Lokpal mandate LOP on the selection panel. It adds that the 1977 Act on LOPs is superior to the Speaker’s 1956 ruling and this is the sole Act which defines LOP as “leader of the single largest party in opposition to the Government and recognised by the Speaker as such.” The definition of LOP was never changed though the Act was amended twice later.
Congress all set to lose Dy Leader post too
* The Congress has also reconciled to the fact that it would not get Deputy Speaker’s post in Lok Sabha with the AIADMK set to get it. The party would have to settle for chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee, an important finance committee, with former Food Minister KV Thomas almost certain to head it.
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Work out sale of 3 hotels: SC to Sahara chief
New Delhi, July 30 A Bench passed the order as Roy’s advocate Harish Salve pointed out practical problems in restricting the negotiation hours between 6am and 8pm. Talks with prospective buyers in New York would have to be held at night due to time difference, he said. Appearing for the Delhi Government, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar submitted a few proposals, suggesting videoconferencing for negotiations could be arranged in Tihar Jail, where Roy and two of his directors are lodged, or at a guest house within the jail. But Roy and his directors could use facilities only upto 8pm. — TNS
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Rahul insisted Sonia to decline PM’s post in 2004, says Natwar
New Delhi, July 30
In an interview to a news channel, Natwar Singh claimed that Rahul had given his mother 24 hours to decline the PM’s post after the Congress’ victory in the 2004 General Elections. He also said Sonia’s close aide Suman Dubey, Manmohan Singh and Priyanka Gandhi were present when Rahul asked his mother to decline the post.
This is the first major revelation Natwar Singh has made in the run up to the release of his much-anticipated book, which may embarrass the Congress further. Singh, a long time Congress insider, had to quit from the party amid disgrace in 2005 when he was embroiled in the Volcker report controversy. Singh was named as a beneficiary in the report which dealt with Saddam-era oil-for-food programme. The report had named Singh as a non-contractual beneficiary alongside the Congress.
While the Congress officially slammed the interview, Natwar said Rahul played a good son. “I give full marks to Rahul as a son,”
Reacting to the interview this evening, Ajay Makan, Congress general secretary in charge of communications said, “What is being said is ridiculous. These days it has become fashionable to sensationalise the contents of a book with the sole aim of ensuring better sales and free publicity. This is yet another such exercise. Any comment on it will be a futile exercise.”
Natwar Singh’s book would be the second in the series after former media advisor to the PM Sanjaya Baru’s work which had painted Sonia Gandhi in an unfavourable light vis-ŕ-vis Manmohan Singh.
Natwar Singh also told the news channel that leaders Lalu Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan wanted Sonia and not Manmohan Singh as PM and that in 1991 when the Congress came to power, Sonia wanted Shankar Dayal Sharma to be the PM.
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Work out sale of 3 London hotels: SC to
Sahara chief
New Delhi, July 30 A Bench headed by Justice TS Thakur passed the order as Roy’s senior advocate Harish Salve pointed out the practical problems in restricting the negotiation hours between 6am and 8pm. The talks with the prospective buyers in New York would have to be held in the night because of the time difference, he said. Appearing for the Delhi Government, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar submitted a few proposals, suggesting that videoconference facilities for the negotiations could be arranged in a conference hall in Tihar Jail, where Roy and two of his directors are lodged, or at a guest house within the jail complex. But Roy and his directors could use the facilities only upto eight in the evening under the jail rules. At this, the Bench asked the two parties to work out viable modalities for the negotiations before the next hearing on August 1 to enable the court to pass the necessary order. Roy and the directors are in jail since March 4 for their failure to return about Rs 25,000 crore to the investors, who had subscribed to the fully convertible debentures floated by two Sahara group companies, through market regulator SEBI. The market appellate tribunal had declared the debentures as illegal which was upheld by the SC.
In jail since March 4
* Sahara chief Subrata Roy and the directors are in jail since March 4 for their failure to return about Rs 25,000 crore to the investors
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Get documents from Italian court, MoD tells Indian embassy
New Delhi, July 30 Sources in the Defence Ministry said the Embassy had been asked to procure papers from the Italy court. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley cited the ongoing session of Parliament to avoid commenting on the issue. The ministry declined to comment on the issue, saying it will speak only when it gets a complete picture of the actual position. India scrapped the deal worth US $ 751 on January 1 this year on the basis of alleged breach of pre-contract integrity pact and alleged payment of kickbacks to Indian agents by the firm to secure the contract. The firm has denied the charge. Prosecutors in Italy have stated that Finmeccanica has nothing to do with the offence, Finmeccannica said in a statement issued in Italy. The Italian firm said its two subsidiary companies had agreed to pay a fine in the contract but not admitted to any wrongdoing.
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Govt speeds up evacuation of Indians from Libya
New Delhi, July 30 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the process set in motion by her ministry to evacuate Indians from the Arab nation. Swaraj directed that funds be immediately transferred from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in the UAE to assist Indians in difficulty in Libya. A Joint Secretary-level official from the ministry has been asked to rush to Libya to facilitate the return of Indian nationals from there. The official would reach Libya shortly, the spokesman added. The government has also decided to deploy consular staff at the Tunisia-Libya border to assist Indian nationals returning home from Libya due to the unsettled situation there. The Indian envoy in Libya has also secured permission from the Libyan Labour Ministry for expeditious departure of Indian nationals. At least one company in Libya has agreed to allow 450 of its Indian workers to return home. The company has also agreed to bear the air fare. Some other companies in East Libya were also looking at the option of allowing Indians to return home.
Facilitating safe return
* The Indian envoy has secured permission from the Libyan Labour Ministry for expeditious departure of Indians * Govt has decided to deploy consular staff at the Tunisia-Libya border to assist safe return of Indians * One company in Libya has agreed to allow 450 of its Indian workers to return home; other companies may follow the suit * The government would purchase the air tickets of those wanting to return, including 58 Indians nurses stranded in the Arab nation
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Arup Raha is new CoSC chairman
New Delhi, July 30 Had Admiral Joshi continued, he would have taken over as the CoSC chairman today and continued till August 2015 following which Air Chief Marshal Raha’s turn was scheduled. The CoSC chairman is the senior-most military officer in the country. Raha was handed over the baton of the COSC by General Singh at a ceremony in South Block this morning. The CoSC chairman is mandated to bring about joint-manship among the three services at the cutting-edge level. The existing tri-services command at Andaman Nicobar Islands is headed by a three-star (Lt General) officer by rotation from the three services. Air Chief Marshal Raha will need to guide on the creation of three new tri-services commands, including space, cyber and special operations.
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US Special 301 process a unilateral measure: Govt
New Delhi, July 30 The government says it is an extra territorial application of the domestic law of a country and is not tenable under the overall WTO regime. The information was given by Minister of State (Independent), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today. Sitharaman said India had a well-established legislative, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard Intellectual Property Rights which met its obligations under the agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) while utilising the flexibilities provided in the international regime to address its development concerns. The government in its reply said the USA on April 30 this year brought out the Special 301 Report for 2014 which classified India as a “Priority watch list country”. The concerns identified in the report are based on the inputs provided by the US industry on their perception of the level of protection provided by India to intellectual property. The minister said the issues that had been flagged in the report include concerns over the provision of Section 3(d) of the Patent Act which relates to non-patentability of inventions involving chemical forms that do not show increased efficacy and compulsory licences by the Controller General of Patent, Designs and Trademarks under Section 84 of the Patents Act among others. According to the government, Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act 1970 (as amended in 2005) does not allow a patent to be granted to inventions involving new forms of a known substance unless it differs significantly in properties with regard to efficacy. Thus, the Indian Patent Act does not allow evergreening of patents. This is a cause of concern for the US pharma companies.
Law not tenable
* The Special 301 process is a unilateral measure taken by the US under their Trade Act, 1974, to pressurise countries to increase Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection beyond the TRIPS Agreement *
The government says it is an extra territorial application of the domestic law of a country and is not tenable under the overall WTO regime *
It said India had a well-established legislative, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard Intellectual Property Rights
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Sonia, Rahul move HC over I-T notices
New Delhi, July 30 Swamy has alleged that Gandhis misappropriated Herald funds in a bid to claim its properties, including the office building. The National Herald newspaper was closed down by Sonia in 2008 long after India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru founded it. Swamy’s petition says the Congress violated I-T exemption laws by loaning Rs 90 crore to a firm called Young Indian in which Gandhis hold major shares. Political party funds are exempt from taxes and Swamy alleges that the Congress broke the law by loaning funds to a firm owned primarily by Gandhis. Young Indian later acquired Associated Journals Limited, the publisher of three newspapers, including the Herald.
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Rain unleashes fury over western India
New Delhi, July 30 Meanwhile, according to the IMD the southwest monsoon has been vigorous over west Rajasthan and Gujarat Region and active over east Rajasthan, Odisha, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Over the next days, heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur over the Gujarat region, Saurashtra, Konkan and Goa, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, east and south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Kutch and Madhya Maharashtra. Between August 2 and 6, heavy rainfall has been predicted over isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, east Madhya Pradesh, at most places along west coast, western Himalayan region, IndoGangetic plains, east and adjoining central India and northeastern states.
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16 UPA ministers get eviction notices
New Delhi, July 30 Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu told Parliament today that the former ministers owed around Rs 21 lakh in damage charges for one month of unauthorised stay till July 26. The charges vary according to the type of accommodation. Responding to a query by Anurag Thakur, PC Gaddigoudar and Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, the minister said other former ministers who continued to hold unauthorised possession of such bungalows include Pallam Raju, Sachin Pilot, S Jaipal Reddy, Ajit Singh, Beni Prasad Verma, Girija Vyas, Krishna Tirath, Shrikant Jena, Jitendra Singh, Pradip Jain Aditya, Porika Balram Naik, Killi Kriparani and Manikrao Gavit. Naidu said another 21 former ministers, staying in general pool bungalows, were given 15 days to shift to their entitled accommodation to be provided by respective House Committees. These former ministers who are members of either Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha have been advised to obtain accommodation from their respective pools. They include AK
Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjuna Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, Vyalar
Ravi, Oscar Fernandes, Jairam Ramesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, KV Thomas, K Ranhman Khan, KH
Muniyappa, Shashi Tharoor, K Chiranjivi, Mullappally Ramachandran, Rajiv
Shukla, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, AH Khan Choudhury, Ninon Erring, EM Sudershan
Nachiappan, KC Venugopal and
JD Seelam. In all, 683 flats ranging from Type I to Type VII are under unauthorised occupation of former employees and others for a period ranging from one month to 21 years. The defaulters have been issued eviction notices. These included three Type VII houses, 15 Type VI, 34 Type V, 108 Type IV, 140 Type III, 176 Type II and 207 Type I houses. One Type I accommodation is under unauthorised occupation since March, 1993 against which total damage charges of over Rs 21 lakh is due.
Overstaying their welcome
* UPA government's 16 ex-ministers who have overstayed at government bungalows include Farooq Abdullah, Kapil
Sibal, Sachin Pilot, Jaipal Reddy, Ajit Singh, Beni Prasad Verma, Girija
Vyas, Krishna Tirath and Jitendra Singh * Another 21 ex-ministers who have been asked to shift from 'general pool' bungalows include AK
Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjuna Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, Jairam
Ramesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shashi Tharoor, K Chiranjivi and Rajiv Shukla.
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Delay in OROP: Ex-servicemen doubt govt move
New Delhi, July 30 IESM chairman Maj Gen (retd) Satbir Singh today sent the letters reminding Jaitley and Shah about the pre-poll promise of giving OROP to retired veterans. “The implementation letter is being strongly resisted by the bureaucracy,” said the ISEM. Separately, a delegation of the IESM called on outgoing Army Chief Bikram Singh to laud his efforts in upgrade of the veterans’ cell at Army headquarters into an effective interface for the ex-servicemen. The delegation members included Maj Gen (retd) Satbir Singh, Col (retd) KM Joshipura, Group Capt VK Gandhi and Sub Maj (Hony Lt) Kameshwar Pandey. Meanwhile, in its letter to the Defence Minister, the IESM has raised suspicion on variation in figures for the OROP. The MoD said in 2011 the expenses for OROP had been calculated at Rs 3000 crore. The Army Headquarters pay cell has calculated the expense to be Rs 5,000 crore. The CGDA has a figure of Rs 9000 crore, said the letter. The definition of the OROP has been approved by the government, it needed to be implemented as such, stated the letter. “Rajnath Singh (the then BJP president) had promised to give OROP and Narendra Modi as PM candidate at various rallies confirmed that full OROP would be given to ex-servicemen.” The IESM said veterans voted en-block for the BJP and the delay of over five months in issuance of implementation letter for OROP was a cause of concern and the goodwill earned by the party was slowly eroding.
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Post-retirement, Gen Bikram Singh may settle in Mohali
Chief of the Army Staff General Bikram Singh, who hangs up his boots on Thursday (July 31), will have a post-retirement home in Mohali, Punjab. The General owns a 500 square yards residential plot in the township adjoining Chandigarh. Though the plot is vacant, construction is expected to begin soon. For the first six months after his retirement, he will stay in a government house in Delhi Cantonment, where retired chiefs, who fall in the Z-Plus category, move to from the Army House for security reasons. Chandigarh and its vicinity is a home to many senior retired Army and Air Force officers, including General VP Malik, who stays in Panchkula. It will take at least a year before General Bikram Singh finally arrives to live in Mohali, if he is not offered some post-retirement appointment as an ambassador or a governor. Oldest Sikh battalion
The first battalion of Sikh soldiers was raised 168 years ago. Now designated as the 4th Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry (1 Sikh), the battalion was raised on July 31, 1846, as the 14 Ferozepore Sikhs by the British soon after the First Ango-Sikh War. A day later another Sikh battalion —-15 Ludhiana Sinks —- was raised. Impressed by the martial skills of the Sikhs, the British had decided to induct them into the British Indian Army. In 1922, 14 Ferozepore was re-designated as 1/11 Sikhs and post-Independence became 1 Sikh, the senior battalion of the Sikh Regiment. The battalion became part of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, when it was expanded and reorganised in 1979. At present commanded by Col Faisal Ahmad, the battalion is deployed in the deserts of Rajasthan. A highly decorated battalion, it has one Victoria Cross, two Param Vir Chakra, five Maha Vir Chakra and 27 Vir Chakra along with 28 Battle Honours to its credit.
Reviving 1965 war memories
The Indian Air Force is planning to revive the memories of the 1965 war with Pakistan and has asked veterans to send their experiences and photographs to mark 50 years of the war next year. The northern and western sector had seen fierce battles. The IAF flew 3,937 sorties in the western sector alone. Vintage photographs of the war along with an introductory write-up can be mailed at samarseva@nic.in. The Gnats were the mainstay of the fighting arm, but the MiG 21 had just been inducted and were then based at Chandigarh with No. 28 Squadron that was deployed at Adampur and then on to Pathankot. Also it was from Pathankot that the No.1 Squadron ‘Tigers’, then flying the Dassault Mystere IVA, launched the daring daylight raid on Sargodha – a feat acknowledged by the Pakistani air force.
Online petition for OROP
Even as ex-servicemen continue to vent ire over the delay in implementation of the promised One Rank One Pension (OROP) formula and inadequate budgetary allocations thereof, an online petition addressing to the Prime Minister has been launched seeking immediate implementation of the formula. The petition, launched by Vijay Tiwari, a resident of Vadodara, contends that even five months after its announcement, the plan has not been implemented because bureaucrats and accountants in the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare and the Controller General of Defence Accounts have succeeded in putting a spanner in the works. The petition has received 3,770 signatures so far against a target of 5,000 signatures. — Vijay Mohan and Ajay Banerjee
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HP mulls recalling IAS officers from Centre
Shimla, July 30 The Chief Minister indicated this while defending the move to appoint an IPS officer as Resident Commissioner (RC) in Delhi. “We are considering calling some of the officers back to the state from Central deputation as we do not have enough senior IAS officers to take care of various departments,” he said. While other states have from time to time posted IPS and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers as their RC in Delhi, this is the first time that Himachal has posted an IPS officer as RC in Delhi. Virbhadra said RC was not a cadre post and was linked to pay scale. As such, an IAS officer from any other state could be posted there. He admitted that some senior officers at the Secretary-level were overburdened and were holding the charge of four departments. “There are no senior officers available for appointment as Divisional Commissioner, so under the present circumstances we decided to appoint an IPS officer as RC,” he said. The CM also made it clear that there was no question of targeting officers through Vigilance inquiries. “I do not believe in unleashing political vendetta, but if any officer has wilfully connived in a wrongful act to give undue benefit to anyone then he must be ready to face the consequences,” he cautioned.
Bureaucratic puzzle
* While HP has 147 IAS officers in its cadre, 26 are on Central deputation, leading to shortage especially at the senior level * Currently, only 109 are serving in the state with some going on study leave or other assignments with international agencies * To make matters worse, some more officers are keen to proceed on Central deputation
Don’t believe in vendetta
I do not believe in unleashing political vendetta, but if any officer has wilfully connived in a wrongful act to give undue benefit to anyone then he must be ready to face the consequences~ Virbhadra Singh, chief minister
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Armed forces: Punjab slashes funds for welfare schemes
Chandigarh, July 30 The drastic cut in funds comes in the wake of a similar situation last year when the approved financial outlay at the start of the year was not only significantly reduced later but funds under several heads were simply not released. This is despite the fact that the state government had recently hiked several allowances and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had promised veterans that in public forums their interests and welfare would be given due care. While expenditure under the planned outlay has been slashed, some recurring expenditures under the non-planned outlay, too, have taken a hit. Prominent among them is the monthly allowances being paid to gallantry award recipients. Sources said while no such allowances have been paid for the last quarter so far, there are cases where the payments have been outstanding for several months, with funds for such allowances and other grants and benefits being released 0piecemeal by the state government. Under the budgetary provisions, Rs 20 lakh have been allocated for providing Rs 1 lakh incentive to those from the state getting a commission in the services. Last year, Rs 2.5 crore were approved under this head, which was revised to Rs 1.78 crore, though only Rs 1.18 crore were actually spent. Sources said the allocation implies that only 20 persons would get the incentive this year, even though there are around 270 cases pending for payment. The cut for this incentive comes at a time when intake into the services from Punjab, both for officers as well as the rank and file is at its lowest. Five important heads under the planned outlay — financial assistance to gallantry awardees, war widows and scholarship to their children, financial assistance to parents of martyrs, provision of monetary grant in lieu of plots for widows of martyrs, grant-in-aid to Paraplegic Rehabilitation Center (PRC), Mohali and grant-in-aid to Sainik School, Kapurthala (SSK) — have not been allocated funds. Last year, Rs 2 crore was approved for SSK, which was revised to Rs 75 lakh, while Rs 13 lakh was approved for PRC. But no funds were released for either of the two. Similarly, Rs 40 lakh approved for providing financial assistance to gallantry awardees and war widows was reduced to Rs 10 lakh, but nothing came through. This year, the government has approved an outlay of Rs 1.5 crore for undertaking training schemes for wards of ex-servicemen for entry into the armed forces and paramilitary forces. Last year, Rs 4 crore had been approved, which was revised down to Rs 1.75 crore, with Rs 1.12 crore being finally spent.
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Lapses in procurement of
aero-engines costs IAF Rs 227 cr
Chandigarh, July 30 In September 2005, the IAF held 292 aero-engines for the AN-32, which were completing their stipulated lifespan of 6,000 hours by August 2008. The IAF worked out a requirement of 17 aero-engines and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) procured the same from Ukraine at a cost of Rs 53.85 crore in June 2007. The contract had an option of procuring 13 additional engines by June 2008 at the same rate. Immediately after the conclusion of the contract, a special review of the entire assets of aero-engine was carried out by the IAF and a requirement of 130 engines up to 2011 was worked out for sustaining the fleet till its technical life of 25 years that ended in 2011. After deducting 17 engines already procured and the 13 engines procured under the option clause, the net requirement was 100, which were procured by the MoD in 2009. “As procurement of aero-engines was an inescapable requirement, the IAF should have placed the order for the entire long-term requirement for sustaining the fleet up to 25 years instead of placing the order for only 17 aero-engines in June 2007,” the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) observed. The IAF claimed it could not enter into a long-term agreement in June 2007 for buying 130 aero-engines as the case for life extension of the engines from the existing 6,000 hours to 9,000 hours was under deliberation with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Rejecting the IAF’s contention, the CAG remarked that the OEM had already informed the IAF in July 2004 that the life of the engines could not be extended beyond 6,000 hours. Pointing out that the IAF should have reviewed the position for life extension of engines in 2005 itself for meeting its long term requirement, the CAG revealed that the IAF had paid Rs 3.16 crore per engine in 2007, but had to shell out Rs 5.43 crore per engine in 2009, thereby incurring an extra expenditure of Rs 227 crore.
Sudden jump in demand
* In September 2005, the IAF worked out a requirement of 17 aero-engines for its fleet of AN-32 aircraft * The IAF and the Ministry of Defence procured the same from Ukraine at a cost of
Rs 53.85 crore in June 2007 * But soon after the conclusion of the contract, a special review recommended requirement of 130 engines up to 2011 * While the IAF paid Rs 3.16 crore per engine in 2007, it shelled out
Rs 5.43 crore per engine in 2009, incurring an extra cost of Rs 227 crore.
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10-yr jail for BSF suspended officer
Amritsar, July 30
The court of Additional Session Judge Harpreet Kaur Randhawa handed down the sentence besides imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict. Harpreet Singh was arrested by the State Special Operation Cell
(SSOC) for allegedly possessing 1 kg heroin worth Rs 5 crore in the international market in 2010. He was apprehended while waiting to deliver the consignment near Pingalwara in
Amritsar. He had been in jail ever since.
In 2005, Harpreet along with his driver was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
(DRI) for possessing 23 kg heroin in Delhi. He was then posted in
Gurdaspur.
He was later released on bail after spending over four years in Tihar jail. In 2012, the court had acquitted him of all charges for lack of evidence.
The latest sentence comes close on the heels of the arrest of a BSF constable for his alleged involvement in the illicit trade.
He was arrested by the BSF after a tip-off from the Tarn Taran police. His name had figured during the interrogation of two smugglers nabbed by the police.
DIG BSF (Amritsar sector) MF Farooqui said Suresh would be handed over to the police for further interrogation and trial.
BSF personnel arrested by the force for illegal and anti-national activities usually face trial in a special court of the force. But in this case, we have decided to hand him over to the police for proper investigation. Simultaneous proceedings on charges of sedition and under the Prevention of Corruption Act would continue against him in the special court,” he said.
Preliminary investigations suggested Suresh had facilitated two drug consignments while being posted along the Indo-Pak border near Mahawa village. The battalion was later shifted to Chhana Bidhi
Chand.
Farooqui said the BSF had inputs regarding the involvement of a jawan in smuggling activities. “We were about to zero in on the accused when the Tarn Taran police shared information regarding his involvement. We corroborated it before making the arrest,” the DIG said.
Chequered past
* Suspended BSF Deputy Commandant Harpreet Singh was arrested by the State Special Operation Cell from Amritsar for allegedly possessing 1 kg heroin in 2010
* In 2005, Harpreet was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for possessing 23 kg heroin in Delhi
* He was released on bail after spending over four years in Tihar jail. In 2012, the court acquitted him
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Tension spills over neighbouring Y’nagar
Yamunanagar, July 30 Members of the Hindu Jagran Manch assembled at Fountain Chowk and blocked road to lodge their protest against the “failure” of the UP Government in controlling the clashes in Saharanpur. Gagan Parkash, member of the state executive body of the manch, and district coordinator Nitin Gurjar alleged that the violence broke out due to negligence of the UP Government. They said the miscreants went on rampage in the presence of police officers but the state government did not take any action against the officers at fault. They demanded that the Union Government should sack the UP government and impose President’s rule in the state. Meanwhile, volunteers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in front of Gurdwara Sant Pura and held a protest march passing through various colonies of the town. The march concluded at Kanhaiya Sahib Chowk, where they burnt the effigy of Akhilesh Yadav. Ajay Aggrawal, district vice-president, Udey Vir Shastri, Vaibhav Garg, Devkinandan and Shyam Mehandiratta said the UP Government should take strict action against those responsible for triggering violence in Saharanpur. They said people whose shops were set on fire should be compensated and the government should take steps to ensure security of life and property of Sikhs and Hindus. Members of Vyapar Mandal led by Sanay Mittal also joined the protest. Meanwhile, a meeting of Guru Manyo Granth Seva Society chaired by general secretary Harkirat Singh Khurana was also held. Khurana alleged that the violence was politically motivated. “Miscreants tortured innocent Sikhs and burnt their shops. The Central and the UP Government should compensate those affected,” he said.
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Parts of India’s largest telescope reach Ladakh
Jammu, July 30 “The first truck carrying some parts of 180-tonne gamma ray telescope and other equipment to set it up have reached Hanle in Ladakh. We are hoping to send more consignments by mid-August,” Ramesh Koul, head of astrophysical sciences’ division at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, told The Tribune. The first truck load was dispatched from Hyderabad on June 28. From mid-August to early September, BARC would send another 10 truckloads of telescope’s parts and we hope to embark on installation work by early September, added Koul. He informed that the installation work would continue till November 15 before the cold weather conditions turn harsh in Ladakh. — TNS
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Days after riots, UP sends officials to douse flames
Saharanpur, July 30 State minister Rajinder Singh Rana along with former minister Sanjay Garg met Sikh leaders at Gurdwara Singh Sabha and listened to their grievances. They also appealed them to restore communal harmony so that closed business establishments could be opened. “If the administration wants us to open our establishments than it should conduct a search operation to recover goods looted from our shops. Country-made pistols, bombs and chemicals were used by miscreants,” the Sikh leaders told the representatives. Satwinder Singh and Randhir Singh Dhir said they demanded the immediate arrest of the masterminds the riots and adequate compensation for the damage. They said the government representatives were expected to meet members of the other communities too. A team of BJP leaders headed by Thana Bhawan MLA Suresh Rana and former MLA Amit Garg also met members of the Sikh community. They assured them to take up their issues with the Central government. Sources said a Sikh delegation headed by Narinder Singh Kohli, secretary, Gurdwara Singh Sabha, was scheduled to meet Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi tomorrow. The curfew was today lifted in two phases in the town. However, people could not muster courage to step out of their houses and preferred to stay indoors. Tension prevailed, but no untoward incident was reported from any part of the town since last night.
Delhi SAD chief briefs Punjab CM
Delhi Shiromani Akali Dal president Manjit Singh (GK) briefed Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal on the Saharanpur violence. He told him that the local administration was biased against the Sikh victims while assessing damages to their properties. — TNS.
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Gujarat former minister Maya Kodnani gets bail
Ahmedabad, July 30 Kodnani, a close aide of Modi till she was forced to resign in March 2009 following her arrest in connection with the 2002 Naroda-Patiya massacre case, was serving 28 years jail term. She was among a few high-profile accused in the communal riot related cases. She was twice granted interim bail on health grounds but a division bench of the High Court comprising Justices VM Sahai and RP Dholakia today granted her regular bail and ordered her release from Sabarmati Central Jail. Medical reports showed that she was suffering from tuberculosis and an extended bout of acute depression. The trial court considered 59-year-old
Kodnani, a gynecologist, as the kingpin of the Naroda-Patiya massacre in which 95 Muslims were killed, many of them burnt alive, had sentenced her to an extended life imprisonment of 28 years in August 2012 along with Babu
Bajrangi, who was sentenced to imprisonment till death. The High Court also took cognisance of her plea that there were contradictions and revisions in the statements of witnesses whose depositions implicated her. Kodnani’s appeal on these grounds against her conviction is also pending in the High
Court. Kodnani had filed her application seeking bail on two grounds, her health as well as the merits of the case against her. Her counsels had contented that evidence against her, in the form of 11 witnesses, was absolutely inadequate and that the statements of the witnesses were contradictory, many times revised and not credible. The hearing on her revised application would come up later.
The case
*
The court had named
Kodnani, a minister in the former Gujarat Chief Minster Narendra Modi's cabinet, as 'a kingpin of riots' in the Naroda area *
In her bail application, Kodnani said she has been suffering from tuberculosis and depression *
She had to resign after her arrest in the case in March 2009
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Court holds 10 guilty for TN school fire tragedy
Thanjavur, July 30 The judgment comes a decade after the accident at the Sri Krishna Middle School July 16, 2004. Members of the school management are among those convicted. Reacting to the judgment, a parent told a news channel: “We have been waiting for the verdict for the past 10 years. We had expected punishment for all the 21 accused.” The fire broke out in the school’s thatched noon meal centre at the first floor. There were around 200 students in the classrooms when they caught fire. Some other schools also functioned from the same premises, like the Sri Krishna Aided Private School, Saraswathi Nursery and Primary School, and the Sri Krishna Girls High School. The school building had inadequate exit routes for the children to escape and the gates were locked when the accident happened. The burning thatch and the bamboo poles fell, blocking the exit routes. The fire raged for an hour and killed 94 children. Though the accident shook the nation and cases were lodged against officials of the school management and the state government, the case moved from one court to another for years. The case started to gather pace when charges were framed against 21 accused in 2012 and trial began soon after that. The voluminous charge sheet in the case has around 4,000 pages. The accused included Palanisamy, designated school correspondent, his wife Saraswathi, daughter Santhanalakshmi, the then municipal commissioner Sathyamurthy, the then town planning officer K Murugan, three school teachers and officials of the state education department. The headmaster of Sri Krishna Girls High School Prabhakaran turned approver. Later, charges against C. Palanisamy, then chief educational officer at Thanjavur, S.Paramasivam, then tehsildar of Kumbakonam, and A. Kannan, then director of elementary education, were dropped. Around 230 prosecution witnesses were examined. The Tamil Nadu government has constructed a memorial park in Kumbakonam in memory of the 94 children who lost their lives. — IANS
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The 16th Lok Sabha is likely to go without a Leader of Opposition (LOP) for the first time since 1984 when the Congress Government led by former PM Rajeev Gandhi denied the position to the TDP, the then single largest party in the Opposition.
New Delhi, July 30
IAF Chief Arup Raha today took over as the chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC) – a body of the three service chiefs, from General Bikram Singh, who is retiring tomorrow. The IAF Chief will have 29-month tenure till December 2016.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi have moved the Delhi High Court challenging the orders of a lower court summoning them in the National Herald case. A Delhi court hearing the matter filed by BJP’s Subramanian Swamy had earlier issued summons to Sonia and Rahul for appearing before it.
As monsoon unleashed fury over western parts of the country the rainfall deficiency reduced to 23 per cent. There are also reports of the El Nino threat having been withdrawn by an international weather agency, indicating thereby that the monsoon would not be as affected by the phenomenon—a Sea Surface Temperature variation—as was being thought earlier.
The Union Government has served eviction notices on 16 former ministers of the UPA government, including Farooq Abdullah and Kapil
Sibal, for overstay in government bungalows.
The Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) today shot off a letter to Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and also the Chiefs of three Services, saying the delay in implementing the ‘one-rank, one-pension’ (OROP) was a cause concern. A copy of the letter has also been sent to BJP president Amit Shah.
Representatives of the state government today reached the violence-hit town to hold talks with members of different communities to bring peace in the town.
A Thanjavur court on Wednesday held 10 persons guilty and acquitted 11 others in the Kumbakonam school fire accident in Tamil Nadu that killed 94 children and left 18 injured in 2004.
* Maya Kodnani was convicted and sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment in the 2002 Naroda Paitya riots case in which 97 people were killed