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Kalam highlights Vision 2020 in goodbye speech
Pratibha to take oath today
Remarks
against Naidu
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Left to review UPA’s performance
Goa govt shaky as Cong MLAs threaten to quit
Assam students block rail traffic
CCPA to discuss N-deal today
VP’s post reserved for a Muslim, says VHP
Tata Motors controversy shifts to HC
Nominations of 3 candidates found valid
27, Mall Road waits for him
Top militant leader surrenders
Land Case
Byelection for 2 LS, 4 Assembly seats on Aug 29
Monica Bedi granted bail
Bagchi is member of Centre-State panel
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Kalam highlights Vision 2020 in goodbye speech
New Delhi, July 24 Kalam said his mission in life would be to bring connectivity between billion hearts and minds of people in the multicultural society and to embed the self-confidence that “we can do it”. “I will be always with you, dear citizens, in the great mission of making India a developed nation before 2020, Kalam said in an emotional tone. Calling his stay in Rashtrapati Bhavan as five beautiful and eventful years, he said today it was indeed a thanksgiving occasion. The missile scientist said he enjoyed every minute of his tenure with his wonderful association with people from different walks of life, including politicians as also those associated with business, judiciary, academics, youth and especially children. Outlining a 10-point vision for making India a developed nation, the President said a developed India should have the divide between urban and rural population reduced to a thin line and there should be equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water. A nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption-free, a nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership were among the 10 points listed by Kalam. In the pursuit of economic growth, Kalam emphasised that care needed to do be taken for preserving the rich and diverse treasure of the culture and civilisation of the country. In his earlier speeches, he has contended that the economic growth rate should be measured against the poor becoming prosperous and suggested a national prosperity index (NPI) whose three components were annual growth rate of the GDP, improvement in the quality of life of the people, particularly those living below the poverty line, and the adoption of a value system derived from the civilisational heritage in every walk of life, which is unique to India. Bringing out various experiences during his tenure, he asked people to resolve to work for realising the mission of a developed India by 2020. The missile man, whose popularity evolved him into being a people’s President, highlighted that eradication of poverty should be addressed to and envisaged a society free of illiteracy, crimes against women and children, and no one felt alienated as important elements in taking India in the category of developed nations. Stressing on a sustainable growth path for a prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy country, he said a developed nation should be the best destination for talented scholars, scientists and investors. The developed nation, according to Kalam, should also include ensuring health care to all, education with a value system to the meritorious candidates irrespective of societal or economic stature and where agriculture, industry and the service sector work together in symphony. Kalam said empowering of over six lakh villages for development in the country and establishing nearly 7,000 (PURA) providing urban amenities in rural area centres across the country would help in bridging the rural and urban divide. Kalam, as the supreme commander of the armed forces of the country, did not forget to mention about the forces in his farewell address. Our defence forces are in a beautiful mission. When the nation sleeps during night, members of our defence teams are awake to guard us and remain vigilant to counter any threats. Kalam did not forget to mention the 100-million dollar pan-African e-network project, designed to help bridge the digital divide in Africa, a project considered as his brainchild that was cleared by the union cabinet earlier this month as a parting gift. As part of the project, 12 universities (seven from India and five from Africa), 17 superspecialty hospitals (12 from India, five from Africa), 53 tele-medicine centres and 53 tele-education centres in Africa would be connected. While concluding his speech, Kalam said, “I was touched by the variety of Indian panorama, emotional content to the tune, cultural diversity and unity of minds in the vast land of ours. With the ignited minds of the 540 million youth below the age of 25, which I consider is the most powerful resource on the earth, under the earth and above the earth, we have to empower the youth through value-based education and leadership.
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Pratibha to take oath today
New Delhi, July
24 Chief Justice of India
K.G.Balakrishnan will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the
new President at a function in the Central Hall of Parliament. The
function will be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his
cabinet colleagues, Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi, governors, chief ministers, heads of
diplomatic missions and MPs. Outgoing President A.P.J.Abdul Kalam and
President-elect Pratibha Patil will arrive in the Central Hall in a
ceremonial procession. After the president-elect takes the oath of
office, she will be presented a 21-gun salute. On the conclusion of the
ceremony in the Central Hall, she will leave for the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to her.
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Andhra CM eats humble pie
Ramesh Kandula Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, July 24 The apology came after the entire opposition condemned his personal remarks made against Naidu in the assembly yesterday and demanded their withdrawal. “I did not mean to denigrate Naidu’s mother. I have respect for all mothers. But if he still feels aggrieved, I am tendering my unconditional apology,” Reddy said in his reply to a stormy debate in the House over the alleged illegal mining activity in Anantapur district by a private company owned by Chief Minister’s family friend and Karnataka MLC G. Janardhan Reddy. Earlier in the day, 34 TDP members were suspended from the House for obstructing the proceedings after they squatted in the podium and raised full-throated slogans, demanding an apology from the Chief Minister. The slanging match between Reddy and Naidu had reached a new low yesterday when, during the course of acrimonious exchanges over the illegal mining issue, the former made a no-holds-barred attack and said “I will expose you today in such a way that you will regret having been born to your mother”. Naidu, who said he was deeply hurt by the humiliating personal attack, decided to stay away from the assembly proceedings for the rest of its monsoon session, scheduled to conclude on Friday.
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Left to review UPA’s performance
Lucknow, July 24 “The four left parties had extended outside support to the UPA government as per the CMP. We would sit after the vice-presidential election to evaluate if the UPA is performing on the basis of the principles laid down in the CMP. If it is found to be unsatisfactory, the Left will redefine its support,” Bardhan told reporters at the CPI state headquarters. Clarifying “redefinition” he quickly added, “I am not saying that the support will be withdrawn. It would be redefined.” Substantiating his point, Bardhan said a law for workers in the unorganised sector was a part of the CMP. However, the Left was not satisfied with the draft bill circulated for the unorganised workers that is to be tabled in the monsoon session of parliament. “It is a complete mockery...we are not happy with it and shall oppose it if it is brought to Parliament in its present form.” The CPI general secretary also expressed displeasure over the EPF interest rate of 8.5 per cent, saying that nothing less than 9.5 per cent was acceptable. Commenting on the Indo-US nuclear agreement, Bardhan said the draft had not come. “Let it be presented in the Parliament. If there is anything we do not approve of, we would not accept it.” He also recommended a constitutional amendment to make it mandatory for all international treaties to be ratified by Parliament. “Just a cabinet approval is not enough. All international agreements should get approval in parliament.” Bardhan underlined that there were many points on which the UPA had moved away but came around when the Left allies put pressure on them. Critically assessing the newly formed UNPA, the CPI chief said it was an eight-party alliance of regional parties but fell far short of presenting itself as a viable non-Congress and non-BJP alternative, as according to Bardhan, the understanding was not based on any ideological understanding.
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Goa govt shaky as Cong MLAs threaten to quit
Mumbai, July 24 The rebels led by urban development minister Joaquim Alemao, Shyam Satardekar and Victoria Fernandes held meetings with their supporters today after being sounded out by the BJP, sources said. Alemao accompanied by brother Churchill, who is also an MLA from the Save Goa Front, said he wanted Kamat to handover the State Urban Development Agency to his ministry as a condition for staying loyal. The sources say the two-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party may break away from the ruling coalition. PWD minister Sudhin Dhavalikar of the MGP has been promised the post of Chief Minister with the BJP supporting the new government from outside, the sources say. Should the three Congress MLAs quit, the Congress would have 13 MLAs while the BJP would have 14 in the smaller 37-member House. The three-member Nationalist Congress Party is aligned with the Congress. But the lone United Goans Democratic Party MLA, Babush Monserrate, and the two-member Save Goa Front have promised to back the new government, sources say. At present, the Congress party headed by Digambar Kamat has 16 MLAs while ally NCP has three. Another Indpendent, Vishwajit Rane, son of Speaker Pratapsinh Rane, is backing the government. The two-member MGP is also part of the government. Though the Assembly is in session, there was more action outside with several MLAs holding conclaves inside and outside the house. Kamat held a meeting of his own group of MLAs which did not have Satardekar and Fernandes attending. Urban development minister Joaquim Alemao attended Kamat’s meeting hours after raising the flag of rebellion in support of elder brother Churchill. A shaky Kamat put on a brave front saying, he will tide over the crisis. But he has been touch with senior party leaders in Delhi. Governor S C Jamir is also at present in the capital. Observers say Kamat’s future has come into doubt ever since he decided to sideline the controversial Monserrate who pushed a controversial development plan that would have turned the whole of Goa into an urban zone. Monserrate is close to several real estate companies that had mobilised hundreds of crores of rupees from the stock markets in the past few months. Adoption of the regional plan would prove to be a windfall, since several of these real estate companies have purchased forest and agricultural land under fictitious names, well-placed sources in the government told The Tribune.
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Assam students block rail traffic
Guwahati, July 24 The students’ body called for the railway blockade demanding action on the state and central governments to resolve the burning inter-state boundary disputes between Assam and neighbouring states including Nagaland. AASU spokesman Bipul Rabha informed that the students’ body took a grave view of the vexed boundary disputes of Assam with neighbouring states that occasionally led to flare up along the inter-state boundary areas putting lives and property at stake. In saying so, the AASU spokesman referred to what happened along Assam-Nagaland boundary at Geleky in Sivasagar district on the night of July 5 when three Assam villagers were killed by armed raiders from Nagaland. The AASU demands that the state and central governments must find early solutions to boundary disputes and provide protection to lives and property along the disputed inter-state boundaries of Assam with other neighbouring states - Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The 4-hour rail blockade by the AASU brought railway traffic in the state to a grinding halt.
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CCPA to discuss N-deal today New Delhi, July 24 As the first step, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
(CCPA) will meet tomorrow morning, Prime Minister’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru told The Tribune tonight. Apart from ministers like P Chidambaram, Arjun Singh and Shivraj Patil, the CCPA also has allies like Lalu Prasad Yadav (RJD) and Sharad Pawar (NCP). National security advisor M K Narayanan, the key man in the July 16-19 Indo-US nuclear deal negotiations in Washington where a 30-page draft agreement was finalised, is likely to brief the
CCPA. This will be the first time since the two countries agreed upon the draft text of the 123 agreement when the government will be briefing senior ministers. Baru dismissed as “wrong” a television channel’s report that the Prime Minister today presided over a meeting of the Union Cabinet where the nuclear deal was discussed. The Prime Minister yesterday briefed UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the nuclear deal after he himself got an in-depth briefing from Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, one of the key Indian negotiators. Tomorrow’s meeting of the CCPA will decide the government’s road map of consultations with other allies and Opposition parties. The Prime Minister intends to have a series of meetings with the Left parties, the main Opposition alliance NDA and other political parties before he makes a suo motu statement in Parliament during the Monsoon Session which begins on August 10. Besides, the government is also thinking of arranging a briefing for its allies on the nuclear deal. Narayanan and Menon would give the presentation. This correspondent talked to a wide spectrum of political leadership - Prakash Karat (CPM), D Raja (CPI) and former national security advisor Brajesh Mishra - on the nuclear deal today. Karat and Raja made it clear that they would not comment on the nuclear deal until they see the draft agreement. Both said the government was obliged to share with them the draft agreement. Brajesh Mishra voiced the same sentiments and added that he would be happy to meet the Prime Minister on the issue if such an invitation were to come. Mandarins in South Block are confident that the government will be able to bring the Left parties as well as the BJP on the same page on the 123 agreement. Hawks in the BJP camp, however, are already busy sharpening their knives for attacking the government on the nuclear deal in and outside Parliament. |
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VP’s post reserved for a Muslim, says VHP
New Delhi, July 24 After 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh in government jobs and schools and colleges, the post of the Vice-President has also been reserved for a Muslim by all political parties, VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia alleged while addressing the media here. “Preference for a person’s religion than his ability, character and public standing while selecting a candidate for the post of Vice-President exhibited the decadence of the Indian political class. And both the NDA and the UPA by choosing a Muslim candidate have virtually endorsed ‘reservation’ for the post of the Vice-President,” he claimed. “These were ominous signs for times to come and we all must resist such moves where a person was chosen because of his religion than abilities,” he added. Congratulating President-elect Pratibha Patil on her becoming the 13th President of the Indian Republic, Togadia said he expected her to live up to the true spirit of Marathas and Rajputs and send Mohammad Afzal to the gallows immediately. “We all expect that she will sanction the hanging of Parliament attack accused Mohammad Afzal at the earliest and prove that the nation was more important than anything else.”
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Tata Motors controversy shifts to HC
Kolkata, July 24 Renowned barrister Ray alleged that all legal norms and democratic methods had been flouted in the forcible acquiring of farm lands at Singur in the name of public interest and transferring them to Tata Motors. He did not know what relations Bhattacharjee was maintaining with Ratan Tata considering Tata Motors could be allotted lands at Singur free of cost, when over 20 per cent of the Tata Motors's shares had been bought by foreign companies. The PIL case, which was filed by Jaideep Mukherjee, general secretary of LASA, in the Supreme Court some time in May last year had been referred to the Calcutta High Court in last June where several other cases relating to Singur and Nandigram controversies and Tapasi Malick's murder had been already pending. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.S.Nirjjar and justice Pinaki Pinaki Chandra Ghose held the first hearing of the referred case yesterday and today.
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Nominations of 3 candidates found valid New Delhi, July 24 Nomination papers of all others were rejected on different grounds, Rajya Sabha sources said. In all 46 sets of nominations had been filed of which six sets belonging to the candidates of three major political groups were found valid. While Ansari had filed three sets of papers on Monday, Heptulla had filed two sets of papers. Masood had filed his nomination last week. Rajya Sabha secretary general Yogendra Narain is the returning officer for the vice-presidential election. While a triangular contest is in the offing, Ansari is considered way ahead of his rivals with numbers being in his favour. The electoral college for the election comprises members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. While the Lok Sabha has 545 members, there are 245 members in the Rajya Sabha. The ruling alliance along with its supporting parties commands the support of over 425 members. The stand of two NDA allies-the Shiv Sena and the Trinamool Congress-is still not known. While the Shiv Sena voted for UPA candidate Pratibha Patil in the presidential election, the Trinamool Congress had abstained. |
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27, Mall Road waits for him
New Delhi, July 24 Workers are giving frenzied finishing touches to the military guesthouse located in tree-lined Delhi Cantonment area at the edge of south Delhi. This, however, will be an interim arrangement before Kalam finally shifts to his eight-bedroom bungalow at 10, Rajaji Marg in the very heart of the capital. “Work is still going on (at the guesthouse),” said a rather stern-faced guard at the gates as several labourers, with shovels in their hands, huff and puff on either side of the short stretch of road leading from the gate to the house. Kalam is expected to stay in this house for a short duration before he heads to Chennai where he will be taking up his teaching assignments. Besides Anna University in Chennai and University of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, he will be teaching in various other universities. After his return, he will shift to 10, Rajaji Marg.
— IANS
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Top militant leader surrenders Guwahati, July 24 Presenting the self-styled chairman of the banned
HNLC, Julius Dorphang, and four other militants, who were escorted by a special team of the Meghalaya police to the chief minister’s office, before the media, Mr Lapang hailed the ‘coming overground’ by the militant leader as a very positive development in respect of peace initiatives undertaken by his government. The four other HNLC militants who came overground along with the chairman were identified as Teilang
Wanniang, Salongsar Thongi, Bima Suting and Rit Lakashiang. The HNLC was formed in 1992 and has been involved in a bloody conflict with the police and other security forces since then to press for its main demand for a ‘sovereign homeland’ for the Khasi tribe, one of the three major tribal groups in
Meghalaya. The HNLC has been very active in the state’s East and West Khasi Hill districts dominated by the Khasi tribe. The outfit has been involved in killings and rampant extortion in the hill state over the years. However, few other top leaders of the HNLC including its military wing’s commander-in-chief are still at large. The move made by the chairman of the outfit could be beginning of a defining peace process between the outfit and the government.
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Land Case
Lucknow, July 24 Justice S.M. Srivastava of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court made this observation when the chief standing counsel Devendra Kumar Upadhyay drew the attention of the court to the news of Big B proposing to donate the land to the gram sabha. On June 7, Bachchan had got a breather from the high court when it had admitted his writ petition, challenging Faizabad additional commissioner’s order quashing the allotment of the 0.4-hectare farmland in Barabanki district.
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Byelection for 2 LS, 4 Assembly seats on Aug 29 New Delhi, July 24 As per the poll scheduled issued by the Election Commission, the issue of notification would be done on August 3, last date for filing nomination would be August 10 and the scrutiny of nomination would be taken up next day. The last date for withdrawal of nomination would be on August 13.
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Monica Bedi granted bail
Hyderabad, July 24 Special judge for the CBI, who had refused to accept surety bond executed by Bedi, Bollywood starlet, on July 19, granted bail after the Supreme court relaxed her bail
conditions. — PTI
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Bagchi is member of Centre-State panel New Delhi, July 24 The commission, headed by former Chief Justice of India M.M.Punchhi, was set up in April this year to redefine the Centre-State ties and examine the possibility of giving sweeping powers to the central government, including suo motu deployment of central forces in states and investigation of crimes having inter-state linkages. |
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