The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Sena suffers from Modi phobia: BJP Mumbai, October 7 The BJP today hit back at Shiv Sena for its remarks against the Prime Minister, saying its former alliance partner seems to be suffering from “Modi phobia” and also sought to know why it was not attacking the NCP and the Congress during the campaign for the Assembly polls. In a virulent attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had yesterday compared him and other central party leaders in Maharashtra to the assault by Bijapur general Afzal Khan's army on Shivaji's dominion in the 17th century. “We had been all along thinking that political parties will be laying down their agenda for the future of Maharashtra and will be discussing water, electricity, development and toll issues. “But they (the Shiv Sena) have left all that aside and are concentrating on targeting Modi. This is because they are suffering from Modi phobia," BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said. — PTI
	Battle among kin, old allies promises photo finish Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, October 7 The only leaders campaigning extensively across Maharashtra for next week’s Assembly polls are those not contesting from any seat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and MNS front man Raj Thackeray are the only ones flitting one part of the state to another. Everyone else has hunkered down in his constituency mobilising every single vote in what promises to be an exciting photo finish in most of the 288 seats. Those sweating it out in the October heat include former chief ministers, sugar barons, co-operative czars and education tycoons. Almost all of them are fighting tough battles from close relatives, former associates and old allies who were wooed and won by the plethora of political parties in the fray following the break-up of the saffron and secular alliances. It is a make-or-break election for Congress and NCP leaders like Amit Deshmukh who has donned the mantle of his father late Vilasrao Deshmukh; Amita Chavan, wife of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan; Praniti Shinde, daughter of Sushilkumar Shinde; Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh Rane; Chaggan Bhujbal and his son Pankaj; etc. The BJP and the Shiv Sena wooed close associates of the dynasts in order to attempt a regime change in their home turfs. For example, Amit Deshmukh is facing former aide Shailesh Lahoti contesting on a BJP ticket. The saffron party also won over Bhaskar Khatgaonkar, brother-in-law of Ashok Chavan. Adding to Chavan’s troubles is the presence of the NCP candidate in Nanded where his wife Amita is the Congress candidate. Besides working for his wife, Chavan has been given the responsibility of canvassing in the entire Marathwada region. Congress sources said Chavan forayed just once to Mumbai and Pune and was working for his wife. In Solapur, Sushilkumar Shinde, who faced a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, is slogging for his daughter, Praniti. The Shiv Sena got Shinde’s old family friend Mahesh Kothe to switch sides and now there is a question mark over Praniti retaining her seat. Other tough challenger here is the CPM candidate Narsayya Adam who organized housing for 10,000 landless labourers. Senior Congress leader Narayan Rane is fighting a tough battle in Kudal in addition to campaigning for his son Nitesh in neighbouring Kankavli seat. In the Lok Sabha polls, his other son Nilesh was trounced by the Shiv Sena.The saffron party has made it a prestige issue to get the Rane duo defeated. Make-or-break polls for many * Almost all candidates are camping in their respective constituencies, mobilising every single vote. Those sweating it out in the October heat include former chief ministers, sugar barons, co-operative czars and education tycoons * It is a make-or-break election for Congress and NCP leaders like Amit Deshmukh who has donned the mantle of his father late Vilasrao Deshmukh; Amita Chavan, wife of former CM Ashok Chavan; Praniti Shinde, daughter of Sushilkumar Shinde; and Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh Rane
	With assets worth Rs 72 cr, Jaitley is richest minister in Modi Cabinet New Delhi, October 7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assets worth Rs 1.26 crore while Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stands out as the richest minister with assets totalling Rs 72.10 crore. Other BJP leaders like Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu are among the Union Ministers who have the least assets of Rs 20.45 lakh, according to the Assets and Liabilities declared by the Prime Minister and other 44 members of the Council of Ministers made public today. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has assets to the tune of Rs 37.68 crore. Minister of State for Coal and Power Piyush Goyal has assets of Rs 31.67 crore and is closely followed by Minorities Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla with assets to the tune of Rs 29.70 crore. As many as 17 out of 22 Cabinet Ministers are crorepatis, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The five Cabinet Ministers who are not crorepatis are Naidu with assets worth Rs 20.45 lakh, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan with Rs 39.88 lakh, Labour and Employment Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has assets worth Rs 44.90 lakh. Health Minister Harshvardhan has assets of Rs 48.54 lakh, while Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar with Rs 60.62 lakh worth of assets. — PTI Crorepati club * As many as 17 out of 22 Cabinet Ministers are crorepatis, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaitley is the richest with assets worth Rs 72.10 cr * The five Ministers who are not crorepatis include Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu with assets worth Rs 20.45 lakh, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan with Rs 39.88 lakh and Labour and Employment Minister Narendra Singh Tomar with assets worth Rs 44.90 lakh
	Doubts over Indo-Pak biannual border meet Shaurya Karanbir Gurung Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 7 A peacekeeping meeting between the border guarding forces of India and Pakistan is under doubt, following the flare-ups along the 198-km International Boundary in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting, which is supposed to be held bi-annually between the Director Generals of India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers, has elicited no response from Pakistan so far this year. India is the host this time. Sources in the security establishment say the meeting has not been called off or postponed, however, the prevailing scenario along the border does not look conducive for such a meeting. Senior officers of both sides meet either in India or Pakistan by rotation. Their wives also accompany them in their peace mission. Following the cross border firing between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers in August, the BSF in September had asked their Pakistani counterparts on fixing a date for the DG level meeting. "Pak said it will respond, but they never did," said a source.
	Why is Twitter-happy PM silent, asks Cong Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 7 As Pakistan continued to violate the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition Congress today questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his silence over the matter. “Why is there such a deafening silence on the matter? Why is the PM not speaking now? He has not said a thing about the ceasefire violations and killings even once in the recent days when he has addressed so many rallies. Before he became PM, Narendra Modi used to say one needs a 56-inch chest to deal with errant neighbours. We think his chest size has reduced considerably,” Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad said today. He also recalled tweets of Modi beginning August 6 last wherein the latter had accused the then UPA government of sleeping over border violations by Pakistan. “Our civilians are being killed but the Twitter happy PM is neither tweeting nor speaking. Why?” Ahmad added.
	acceptance of PM Modi’s ‘Clean India’ invite Kerala Cong to decide Shashi Tharoor’s fate Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 7 The Congress today said the fate of its MP Shashi Tharoor, who recently accepted the invitation of PM Narendra Modi to clean India, will be decided by its Kerala unit. Miffed with former Minister of State for Human Resource Development Tharoor, the Congress has decided to stay silent on the future of the MP while asking its Kerala unit to take a decision. Responding to a question on whether Tharoor, by accepting PM's invite to join the "Clean India Mission", was being pro-BJP, Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad said, "Since Tharoor is our Thiruvananthapuram MP, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is discussing this matter and will take a call on the issue. We are in touch with the Kerala unit which will send its report and recommendations to us." Tharoor had yesterday clarified that acceptance of certain statements of Modi did not imply he had become pro-BJP.
	Patna stampede: MS suspended, action against 7 doctors Patna, October 7 The Bihar Government suspended the hospital superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and took action against seven other doctors for allegedly remaining unavailable when stampede victims were brought there on October 3. PMCH superintendent Lakhinder Prasad was suspended and its principal S N Sinha was given his duty as additional charge, health secretary Anand Kishore said. Four doctors of assistant professor rank of surgery, urology and orthopaedics were transferred outside Patna, Kishore said. Besides, the heads of department of orthopadics, surgery and urology were served show-cause notices, he said. The suspension and other actions have been taken after the approval of Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Health Minister Ramdhani Singh, he said. Kishore said departmental inquiry would be carried against the doctors of the hospital. Manjhi, during a surprise visit to the PMCH on Sunday evening to meet Dasehra stampede victims, had found the doctors unavailable in the emergency ward which also wore a filthy look. Besides, several medicines were said to be unavailable. When Manjhi had sought to meet the hospital superintendent Lakhinder Prasad, he was not around. Altogether, 33 people were killed and 29 injured in a stampede outside the Gandhi Maidan after the Dussehra festival on October 3. — PTI Acting tough * The suspension and other actions have been taken after the approval of Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Health Minister Ramdhani Singh * A departmental inquiry will be carried against the doctors of the hospital
	Curfew in Kishanganj town of Bihar Patna, October 7 Curfew was imposed in a Bihar town on Tuesday following communal tension after the chopped head of a cow was found near a temple, officials said. Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in Kishanganj town, about 400 km from here, to check communal tension. “Curfew is a precautionary step,” said Kishanganj DM Animesh Kumar Parashar. Parashar said the situation was under control after angry protestors blocked roads and damaged a few vehicles early Tuesday. “We are monitoring the situation closely,” he said. Kishanganj Superintendent of Police Dipak Barnwal said that as news spread that a part of a slaughtered animal was thrown near a temple, some people protested against it Monday night itself but police defused the situation and convinced them to go back to their homes. “A group of people angry over the incident again protested Tuesday morning, forced shops to shut down, damaged some vehicles and set them ablaze. — IANS
	Pvt players get go-ahead for defence tie-ups Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 7 The Central Government has okayed a proposal from leading Indian industrial houses that have assured international tie-ups or have the necessary “deep pockets” to invest in the defence equipment manufacturing sector. The Licensing Committee of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion last week cleared 19 proposals for grant of industrial licence. These included applications for defence production from major players like Reliance Aerospace Technologies Ltd, Bharat Forge Ltd, Mahindra Telephonic Integrated Systems Ltd, Punj Lloyd Industries Ltd, Mahindra Aero Structure Pvt Ltd and Tata Advanced Materials Ltd, a statement of the Ministry of Commerce said. These are related to niche manufacturing, including guns and other equipment. Many of these proposals had been pending for the past many years. It has been possible to approve these cases as a result of a raise in the foreign direct investment cap in defence from 26 per cent to 49 per cent. In case of another additional 14 pending defence manufacturing applications, the applicants were informed that licences were not required anymore as a vast number of defence items have been de-licensed. A large number of parts/components, castings/forgings have been excluded from the preview of industrial licensing. Similarly dual use item, having military as well as civilian application (unless classified as defence items) do not now require industrial licence from defence angle. This has enabled domestic and international companies to undertake manufacturing without going through a lengthy process. The applicant company now only needs to file an industrial entrepreneur memorandum for these items and implement his project through the automatic route. Govt clears 33 long pending projects * Government has cleared 33 pending defence projects, including those of Reliance Aerospace, Bharat Forge, Mahindra Telephonic Integrated Systems and Tata Advanced Materials, a move that is expected to boost advanced manufacturing and attract huge investments * The 33 projects include 14 cases whose applicants have been informed that licences were not required anymore as a vast number of defence items have been delicensed * The Licensing Committee cleared these applications last week and granted industrial licences to them
	New Assam BJP president faces resentment Bijay Sankar Bora Tribune News Service Guwahati, October 7 The composition of the new executive committee formed by the newly appointed Assam state BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharjya has created resentment within the state party unit given that many popular senior leaders of the party have been removed from key party positions while making way for a new set of leaders. A party source said most of the state BJP leaders, who were working closely with the former state party president and incumbent Union Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Skill Development, Sarbananda Sonowal, in ensuring the victory of the BJP in seven out of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam in the last parliamentary polls, have been sidelined by the new party president. Sources said Sonowal has expressed his displeasure before the party leaders about the composition of the new state BJP executive committee. Sonowal said, “The next Assembly elections in the state scheduled for early 2016 will be a different ball game. The party will find it tough to win the polls if it chooses to sideline popular leaders during the Assembly polls.” He said the Assembly polls were fought on local issues and the BJP’s organisation strength and network was yet to match that of the ruling Congress in the state as on date. The BJP aims to win 87 seats in the 2016 Assembly elections in Assam that has a 126-member House. The new state BJP president has a tough task at hand if the resentment within the party over composition of the new executive committee persists till the polls.
	India’s first mental health policy on cards Agra, October 7 Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said the government was in the process of developing India’s first mental health policy to curb the country’s mental illness burden. “Looking at the growing mental illness burden, the government is developing a ‘National Mental Health Policy’ that will involve the country’s best experts in the field and cover the full range of complex issues linked to this branch of medicine,” he said. The minister was on a visit to the Institute of Mental Health and Hospital in Agra. He said the government is also planning to set up institutions replicating the National Institute for Mental Health and Neurological Sciences in Bangalore, so people suffering from mental illness can avail treatment. — IANS
	Inmate killed in ‘gang war’ Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Gurgaon, October 7 The ongoing “gang war” in the Bhondsi jail today took an ugly turn when an inmate was murdered on the premises after two rival groups came to blows over a new entrant. At least 10 inmates attacked each other with spoons and glass pieces, leaving one dead and three injured. The police has lodged an FIR and handed over the body to the relatives after postmortem. It was around 7 am today when a heated argument started between two rival groups over who would take a new inmate in their group. The ‘Menpal Badli gang’ allegedly started the argument and its 10 members attacked three inmates — Monu, Kushalpal and Mukesh — who were sleeping in barrack number-2 and injured them seriously. Jail authorities and the police intervened and rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital, Gurgaon. “Monu died while being taken to the civil hospital. He was stabbed on the neck and chest with a sharpened spoon and glass pieces. The other two were shifted to Paras Hospital after their condition turned critical,” said the police. Monu, 24, was arrested in a murder case in 2013. Monu and the other two injured were members of the ‘Kaushal Gang’ and had a brawl with the ‘Badli gang’ three days ago. Jail Superintendent Harender Kumar said he was on leave. “Both gangs have been in jail for almost a year and have constantly been fighting to gain supremacy over each other. A case has been registered and we are investigating the matter. The accused, Menpal, Vikram, Vikrant and others, are already in jail and we will take them on production warrant for questioning,” said Vivek Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Gurgaon.
	India ranks 18th on most desirable place to work; US tops the list New Delhi, October 7 India has been ranked 18th globally on the list of most desirable destinations to work, even as 70-80 per cent of Indians are willing to work in an overseas location, says a new report. The US has been ranked on the top, followed by the UK, Canada, Germany and Switzerland, making them the five most desirable countries to work on the list compiled by the Boston Consulting Group, total jobs.com and The Network. The other countries in the top 10, where foreigners said they would like to work include France (6th), Australia (7th), Spain (8th), Italy (9th) and Sweden (10th). As a desirable work destination, India was ranked 18th among G20 nations. The Asia Pacific region does not generate as much interest as a possible work destination as the US or Europe, largely because of the perceived difficulty of learning Asian Language, the report said, but noted “some fast growing Asian countries are starting to reclaim workers they have lost.” Globally, one in every five participants already has international work experience and almost 64 per cent said they would be willing to go to another country for work. According to the survey, around 70-80 per cent of Indians are already living abroad or are willing to move to a foreign country for work. Some of the most important workplace attribute in India include good work life balance, job security, learning and career development and appreciation for your work. The report noted that most people are willing to uproot themselves and head for a foreign country for work mainly because they want to broaden their life experience and that of their families. “The proportion of people willing to work abroad is particularly high in countries that are still developing economically or are experiencing political instability,” the survey said adding that more than 97 per cent of Pakistanis say they would be willing to go abroad for work. Around 94 per cent of survey respondents in Netherlands said they would consider moving to another country for work. In France, where the economy has been showing signs of stagnating, the same proportion (94 per cent) is willing to leave home. On the other hand, people in the US, Germany and the UK — three economies that have rebounded more convincingly — are not as willing to go abroad for work. Barely a third of US respondents say they would consider the idea and only 44 per cent of those in the UK and Germany say they would be interested in taking a job in another country, the report said. — PTI The top five * The US has been ranked on the top, followed by the UK, Canada, Germany and Switzerland * The other countries in the top 10, where foreigners said they would like to work, include France (6th), Australia (7th), Spain (8th), Italy (9th) and Sweden (10th) * Some of the most important workplace attribute in India include good work life balance, job security, learning and career development and appreciation for your work
	Northwest India sees above normal temps Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 7 After battling a poor monsoon season this year, northwest India is experiencing another variation in the weather pattern — above normal temperatures. The usually pleasant month of October has almost become a scorcher with maximum and also minimum night temperatures riding three to four notches above the normal. The departure of the southwest monsoon has seen day and night temperatures across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and western UP settling three to four degrees above the normal range. According to the IMD, on Monday maximum temperatures were above normal by two to five degree Celsius even in hill states — in fact “many places in HP and a few places in J&K”. Maximum temperatures in the plains (around Delhi) usually hover around 33-34 degrees Celsius and minimum 22 -23 degree Celsius at this time of the year. The temperatures have maintained their positions as no substantial variations have been noticed in the levels they acquired in the past few days. So far as Punjab and Chandigarh are concerned, IMD’s former Director General Ajit Tyagi said maximum temperatures were close to normal, primarily because of their proximity to the hills, though minimums continue to be at three to five notches above the normal. Tyagi said one of the main reasons behind this pattern in the northwest was that after the retreat of the seasonal rains no major western disturbance had hit the region. “The air mass has settled at a particular temperature. Since there has been no major WD, there has not been much change in temperatures,” he said. The high temperatures’ pattern is also being observed from other parts of the country — from where the southwest monsoon has not officially withdrawn. The withdrawal line of monsoon is passing through Forbesganj, Gaya, Rewa, Hoshangabad, Malegaon and Dahanu. Unusual temperature in October * October, usually a pleasant month, has seen maximum and minimum temperatures ride three to four notches above normal * Not much change is expected in temperatures in the coming few days. These temperatures are likely to prevail till October 11 * The situation may change around October 13 or 14. In the meantime, leftover monsoon moisture and a weak western disturbance may cause some clouding