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Power Ministry for long-term plan to meet power deficit Law Ministry wants states to hasten preparation of poll I-cards BJP parliamentary board meeting on Uma’s resignation advanced |
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Govt rules out vesting CJI with more powers New Delhi, August 22 The Union Government has no plans to vest the Chief Justice of India with more powers to deal with erring Judges as suggested by the latter some time back owing to the difficulty in handling such cases.
CVC raps
CBDT, CBEC for not punishing corrupt Bangla PM’s key aide behind reign of terror
With an eye on the October Assembly elections, the Maharashtra BJP today adopted a “Charter of Women’s Rights” promising to offer women various sops in the health and education sectors as well as protection against any kind of atrocities, if voted to power. M’rashtra Assembly poll schedule soon The schedule for the Assembly poll in Maharashtra is likely to be announced this week by the Election Commission. Sources said the poll may be held by the second week of October to give some time to the political parties to get into the election mode after the Ganesh Festival in the state.
Confessions of Telgi ruffle Reports of alleged confessions by Abdul Karim Telgi about payoffs to Mumbai police officials have sent top politicians and police officials in the city scurrying for cover. Telgi is believed to have named several police officials who were paid off to let him peacefully run the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket in Maharashtra. Zaheera’s brother rang up MLA ‘many times’ In a new twist in the Best Bakery case, investigations have revealed that key witness Zaheera Sheikh’s brother had repeatedly telephoned ruling BJP MLA Madhu Srivastava on May 9, 2003, the day when trial began in a fast-track court here. Mock hanging costs girl her life While 12-year-old girl, Manti Malakar “killed” herself at Ranaghat, Nadia, about 55 km from here, by playing a mock hanging of Dhananjoy Chatterjee, Kolkata high court judges and lawyers at a meeting last evening unanimously resolved to abolish the system of death penalty by hanging. Operation on wrong foot puts doctor in the dock The Delhi State Consumer Court has issued notice to a senior doctor of Chiranjiv Clinic and Sama Nursing Home in South Delhi for operating on the wrong foot of a polio-stricken girl, who eventually lost her walking capabilities. Dehradun, August 22 Over 800 pilgrims are left stranded in Uttarkashi district following mudslides after incessant rain in the region. Over 400 pilgrims to Yamnotri are trapped near Nalupani after a mudslide blocked the road between Dharasu and Uttrakashi today, Disaster Management Department officials said. Kolkata, August 22 Several shops were gutted when a major fire broke out early today at Babubajar market in the Khidderpore area here. The police said the fire broke out just before dawn and ripped through the congested market housing hundreds of shops.
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Power Ministry for long-term plan to meet power deficit New Delhi, August 22 The ministry has claimed that lack of investment by
successive state governments in the power sector and mismanagement in the state power utilities besides power pilferage have further perpetuated the power crisis, particularly during the peak season. According to the Power Ministry estimates, the power deficit in Punjab during the peak period of April-July was as much as 21.9 per cent, showing a deficit of 1563 MW this year. The state has not made any major investment in the power sector over the years, but with urbanisation and industrialisation, the power demand during the peak season had reached 7122 MW, though it could meet the demand for 5559 MW only. Officials in the Power Ministry say the state government has, though, proposed to set up 500 MW Guru Hargobind thermal plant during the 10th Plan, but it will not meet the increasing power deficit in the state. The 168 MW Shapurkandhi hydro project is likely to be shifted to the 11th Plan. In a written reply, Union Power Minister P.M. Syeed has
informed the Rajya Sabha that in view of the power deficit in the country, the government has planned to add 41,110 MW capacity during the 10th Plan. It will include 22,832 MW in the Central sector, 11,157 MW in the state sector and 7,121 MW in the private sector. He claimed that as against the peak demand of 4037 MW during April-July, Haryana was able to supply 3545 MW, registering a 12.2 per cent power deficit, but there was no deficit of power in Chandigarh even during that peak season. The peak demand and supply for the UT was 224 MW during April-July. The power situation in Himachal had also improved with the setting up of various hydel projects. The peak demand in the state was just 559 MW during the peak season. Interestingly, the power situation has also been relatively better in other northern states like Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, which faced a power deficit of 6.6 per cent, 4.8 per cent, 1.9 per cent and 11.5 per cent respectively. Uttar Pradesh is also facing a serious power crisis, especially during the peak season, since the state has failed to add even a single MW capacity over the past 15 years. The Union Power Minister said the government was targeting to supply power on demand by 2012. To bring reforms in the power distribution, he said, “The
government will provide funds to the states under the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) for the upgradation of sub-transmission systems.” He urged the state governments to check power theft besides investing in transmission, generation, power conservation and upgradation of the present infrastructure. |
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Law Ministry wants states to hasten preparation of poll I-cards New Delhi, August 22 This has been indicated in the annual report of the ministry released recently. According to the report, only 65.9 per cent of the 65 crore voters in the country had been provided with the photo I-cards and said the desired result could not be achieved due to the failure of major states. The idea of making the cards a compulsory poll document was conceived for the first time by former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan in 1993. According to the report, the progress in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttranchal, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and various Union Territories was not encouraging as they had so far been able to achieve a target ranging between 50 and 70 per cent only. It said the slow pace of work in this regard by the states had compelled the Election Commission to accept other documents like passport, driving licence, PAN card, post office pass book, pension book, kisan credit card and rural health card for establishing the identity of a voter at the time of the polling. The ministry, however, had appreciated the good work done by Haryana (for issuing I-cards to 87.47 per cent voters), Karnataka (89.68 per cent), Kerala (95.22 per cent), Manipur (80.70 per cent), West Bengal (83.82 per cent) and Pondicherry (99.46 per cent). It has also acknowledged the sincere efforts by Goa, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tripura and Union Territory of Chandigarh in this direction by issuing the identity cards to more than 70 per cent electorate. The Union Government had been making substantial budgetary provisions for preparing the identity cards and had allocated Rs 100 crore for the purpose this year. The report said there were strict instructions from the Election Commission for mandatory use of the photo identity cards during the next general election to check bogus voting completely.
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BJP parliamentary board meeting on Uma’s resignation advanced New Delhi, August 22 The meeting, which will be attended by party President M. Venkaiah Naidu and senior leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, will be held tomorrow morning. Party sources said the meeting, which was slated for the evening, has been advanced in the wake of reports of a Karnataka police team reaching Bhopal to execute the arrest warrants issued by a Hubli court against Ms Bharti in a rioting case. The Parliamentary Board will also deliberate fast changing developments in Madhya Pradesh, where over 20 ministers have resigned following resignation submitted by Ms Bharti to the party president. Sources said a meeting of the BJP legislative party has been called in Bhopal tomorrow afternoon which will be attended by party general secretary Arun Jaitley. The meeting will elect a new leader if Ms Bharti steps down. The sources said Ms Bharti had called up Mr Advani to convey her decision to send her resignation to the state Governor before the Karnataka police team executes arrest warrants against her. Ms Bharti had said earlier that she could consider withdrawing her resignation only if the Hubli court acquits her or the Karnataka Government withdraws case against her. The BJP today described resignations by Madhya Pradesh ministers as an outburst of anger against “those forces who see
hoisting national Tricolour as a crime” and said Ms Bharti has asked them to take it back. The ministers have quit as a mark of solidarity with Ms Bharti who sent her resignation to BJP chief M. Venkaiah Naidu yesterday in the wake of a non-bailable warrant issued against her over the hoisting of the Tricolour at Idgah Maidan. Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said there was anger among BJP workers and other nationalist forces that “hoisting of national flag is being treated as a crime as is reflected by what has happened in the case of Bharti. The resignations are an outburst of the anger.” He said there was no need for these ministers to resign and this has been conveyed to them by the Chief Minister. Mr Naqvi accused the Congress of having forgotten the importance of National Flag despite being in the forefront of freedom movement. “It is for the first time in the history of independent India that hoisting of National Flag has become a crime,” he said, adding that the issue concerns the prestige and honour of the Tricolour which we all have to preserve. BJP leaders have rallied behind Ms Bharti, saying she had committed no sin. They said whatever be the outcome of the Hubli court hearing tomorrow, Ms Bharti has already demonstrated “courage” by resigining unlike the “tainted ministers” in the Manmohan Singh government. The BJP is likely to raise the developments surrounding Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti in both Houses of Parliament tomorrow.
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Cong ups the ante for Bharti’s ouster New Delhi, August 22 “We do not need Uma Bharti to teach us what sacrifice means to us and Sonia Gandhi. Our party president does not do any petty politics,’’ Ms Vyas said, referring to Ms Bharti asking Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to follow her model of “sacrifice” and get the resignation of “tainted” ministers from the UPA government. Suggesting that the case against Bharti was “far more serious” than the one against JMM chief Sibu
Soren, whose resignation BJP had demanded vociferously, Ms Vyas said the BJP “loses its balance when it is put in the dock”. Asked about Ms Bharti’s plan to take out a yatra from Hubli to Amritsar, Ms Vyas said Congress was not unduly worried because despite Mr L.K. Advani embarking on a yatra in all directions, the BJP was voted out of power in the last Lok Sabha polls. Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the MP Chief Minister, who had been issued a non-bailable warrant and was proclaimed as an offender, was misleading the public by linking her arrest warrant with the National Flag. “The two issues are different. Everyone has a right to unfurl the National Flag, but nobody can do that by assaulting people. Ms Bharti is facing regular FIR offences,” the Congress leader said. He said it was for the first time in the history of independent India that a Chief Minister was not only facing an arrest warrant, but was also a proclaimed offender.
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Govt rules out vesting CJI with more powers
New Delhi, August 22 The government replied in the negative to a question in Parliament as to whether it proposed to make amendments in the law to give more powers to the CJI in the wake of recent incidents relating to Punjab and Haryana High Court where Judges had gone on a mass protest leave. Three months back, the then CJI, Justice V. N. Khare, had expressed his helplessness in dealing with corrupt and indisciplined judges of the higher judiciary. He had said that the Constitution should be amended to confer more powers on the CJI or a collegium headed by him to help him deal with the “errant” Judges. The CJI had reportedly chastised Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for taking en masse leave over differences with their Chief Justice. However, the present CJI, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti, feels that more powers were not required as the CJI, being head of the judicial family, has the moral authority.
— PTI |
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CVC raps
CBDT, CBEC for not punishing corrupt
New Delhi, August 22 In its annual report presented in Parliament, the CVC also pulled up the Revenue Department under the Finance Ministry for not penalising one of its official, who was charged with misappropriating a huge sum of money. The CVC said it was disturbing to note that for over two years both the CBDT and the CBEC did not prepare the Agreed Lists that give an indication about corrupt officials, “Delays result in allowing guilty to escape punishment, thereby sending wrong signals in the organisation,” the CVC said, referring to “systemic slackness” in the CBDT to take preventive vigilance management. The perception that transfers and postings of officials are not done on time-tested rules but more on “other considerations” has gained ground, it said. Asserting that proper tax collection and its accounting depends entirely on the credibility of taxmen, the CVC said that there has been considerable public apprehension about proper income tax collection and management. On the operations of the CBEC, the CVC said “the thrust on exports has resulted in the government announcing various incentives like Drawback and Duty Exemption Entitlement Certificate for exporters. Correspondingly, there has been an increase in misuse of these provisions in connivance with dishonest officials of the department.” Referring to spurt in cases where irregularities were detected involving huge revenue losses, the CVC said the penalties imposed on guilty officials were “not commensurate with the misconduct”. The CVC also said that the CBEC had a very large number of complaints where investigation had been inordinately delayed.
— PTI |
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Bangla PM’s key aide behind reign of terror
New Delhi, August 22 A spate of death threats against secular and progressive elements in Bangladesh continues as another Islamic militant outfit named Mujahideen-al-Islam has issued death threats to 10 distinguished politicians, intellectuals and journalists. Reporting this, Voice of America said that university professors, journalists and other intellectuals are these days passing through a very tense phase. These included Awami League MPs Abdur Razzaq and Tofail Ahmed, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, JSD leader Hasanul Haq Inu, Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, freedom fighter Abir Ahad and intellectuals like Prof Muntasir Mamun and Shahriar Kabir. The threats were issued in the form of a letter which stated that they would be executed in public. The threat letter also declared the outfit’s aim to hoist the flag of Islam and Pakistan soaked in their blood. Besides this, 22 journalists, 16 based in Sylhet, five in Barguna and one in Dhaka also received threats from Islamic militants. The intellectuals have blamed Begum Zia’s Government for failing to control the Islamic extremists. These intellectuals have also made a serious charge that behind these letters are those elements who want Bangladesh to become a part of Pakistan. Meanwhile, according to a report received here, a meeting of the Islamic extremists was held at Krishi College at Shere-Bangla Nagar of Dhaka on July 31 where Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury, Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs to Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, appointed a shooter to kill Shahriar Kabir, acting President of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, Dr Kazi Faroque Ahmed, President of Awami League-linked Proshika and Kazi Mukul, a freedom fighter. Since the beginning of this year, Islamic militants have created a reign of terror by killing two prominent journalists Manik Chandra Saha and Humayun Kabir Balu, both based in Khulna. They also made an abortive attempt to kill Prof. Humayun Azad of Dhaka University who was critically injured in an attack by unidentified assailants in Dhaka University on February 27, 2004. Diplomats in Bangladesh who are closely monitoring the developments put the entire blame on Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury who after his defeat for the post of OIC Secretary-General has created a reign of terror in Bangladesh by eliminating his opponents. Chowdhury was reportedly involved in the biggest ever arms haul in Chittagong on April 22 this year in which arms worth four $ 4 million which could well equip an entire Bangladesh Army Brigade were seized. Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury in collaboration with Pakistan occupying forces in 1971 had killed student leader Farooq, Principal Nutan Chandra Sinha and Dayal Hari Biswas in Chittagong. The Chowdhury family was affiliated to the Muslim League and Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury’s father Fazlul Qader Chowdhury was a known Pakistan collaborator during the liberation war of 1971. |
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BJP promises sops to women
Shegaon (Maharashtra), August 22 Death sentence for a rape convict, amendment in the existing laws making it mandatory for a convict to deposit a certain amount in the court as financial compensation to rehabilitate the victim, stringent laws to curb sexual exploitation at workplace, hiking of the honorarium to “anganwadi” workers, free education to all girls till graduation, free travel facilities to girls till 12th standard, technical education for girls, construction of “ashramshalas” and compulsory education till seventh standard are some of the assurances given by the party.The charter was adopted at the “mahasammelan” which was attended by more than 50,000 delegates in this town.
— UNI |
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M’rashtra Assembly poll schedule soon New Delhi, August 22 A new House in Maharashtra is to be constituted before October 20 when its term comes to an end. The commission is also likely to announce the schedule for poll in Arunachal Pradesh where the Assembly has been dissolved. However, the polling date for the two states may be different, the sources said. The commission has brought out revised electoral rolls in Maharashtra in view of the several complaints about missing names during the last Lok Sabha poll. |
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Confessions of Telgi ruffle Mumbai cops Mumbai, August 22 Telgi is believed to have named several police officials who were paid off to let him peacefully run the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket in Maharashtra. Police officials and senior state government officials were meeting on the weekend holiday to discuss damage-control measures, according to state government
sources. Telgi reportedly told CBI sleuths that he had paid Rs 25 lakh to former Crime Branch DCP Pradeep Sawant near Mumbai’s Haji Ali shrine. The forged stamp dealer is also said to have paid Rs 30 lakh to Joint Commissioner Shridar Vagal at the Police Headquarters
itself. Sawant, Vagal and former Mumbai Police commissioner Ranjit Singh Sharma, are being held at the Yervada jail in Pune. These reports come after the withdrawal of a Bombay High Court Judge from the fake stamp paper case after he was allegedly approached by a go-between representing Sawant for a favour. |
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Zaheera’s brother rang up MLA ‘many times’ Vadodara, August 22 Investigations into an FIR lodged by Zaheera’s brother Nafitullah have revealed that while Mr Srivastava, who had allegedly threatened Zaheera Sheikh and her family members to turn hostile in the case, called up Nafitullah only once from his cellphone, he received eight calls from the brother of the prime witness between May 9 last year to June 27, 2003. On June 27 last year, the court of Justice H U Mahida acquitted all 21 persons accused in the case for lack of evidence after 37 out of 73 witnesses, including Zaheera Sheikh, turned hostile. — UNI
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Mock hanging costs girl her life Kolkata, August 22 Instead, they propagated the administration of a lethal injection as a civilised method for execution of the death penalty. Manti had read newspapers and saw the detailed television coverage on Dhananjoy Chatterjee’s hanging episode which “inspired” her to re-enact the scene of hanging of Dhananjoy with her brother, Bittu, acting as hangman, Nata Mallick. They did the mock trial in their bedroom while their parents, Govinda and Monju, were away at work. Manti took a piece of cloth for using it as the hood while her mother’s silk sari was turned into a noose, which was tied to a long rope attached to the bedpost. As per the mock trial shown on TV, the hood was placed on Manti’s head and the noose tied around her neck. But the noose got tightened so hard that she got suffocated and started gasping for breath. “Hangman” brother Bittu got panicky and rushed out of the bedroom calling for help. But it was too late. Manti was soon taken to hospital but she collapsed on the way due to suffocation. |
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Operation on wrong foot puts doctor in the dock
New Delhi, August 22 President of the State Consumer Redressal Forum Justice J.D Kapoor directed orthopaedic surgeon Dr P.S Maini to reply by September 24 to the complaint filed by Mr Avtar Singh, father of 19-year-old Harpreet of Kampara Bazar at Malout in Punjab. “From perusal of the reports of investigation, clinical examination and records of surgery, it is prima facie a case of negligence. Instead of performing the operation on the right foot, it was done on the left foot resulting in permanent disability to the girl,” the order said. Dr Maini had performed the operation on the right foot of Harpreet at the nursing home on May 30, 2003, even though she was polio-striken on her right leg. After the operation, Harpreet lost use of her left leg as well resulting in loss of her capability to walk. The complainant has demanded Rs 20.5 lakh and the operation cost as compensation from the doctor.
— UNI |
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Mudslides
leave 800 stranded Dehradun, August 22 The rescue teams have been sent to the site and road clearance efforts are on, the officials said. Uttarkashi District Magistrate K.K. Pant along with other district officials had left for the site, the officials said. If weather remains favourable, the roads would be cleared by tomorrow, officials said. Another 400 pilgrims, on their way back from Gangotri, were stranded near Rishikund after a 500-metre-patch of the road caved in following landslides, Uttarkashi SP G.S. Martolia said. Meanwhile, Uttarkashi District Magistrate K.K. Pant denied any serious threat due to the artificial lake formed near the Yamnotri shrine. Water in the small lake has found its way out naturally, he said. About 70 per cent of the water had receded and the rest was fast doing so due to the steep slope, he added. Due to its proximity to the shrine there was speculation that the lake could pose a serious threat to the main shrine and the shops surrounding it if it burst. The lake came into being after landslides redirected the flow of the Yamuna, towards a small gorge which turned into a temporary lake. |
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Kolkata market gutted
Kolkata, August 22 Ten fire engines were pressed into service and the blaze was doused after a couple of hours. Fire brigade sources said a short circuit was suspected to be the cause of the accident. No casualty had been reported so far, the police said.
— UNI |
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