Excelsior... Nation

Cattle smuggling into Bangladesh continues unabated

KISHANGANJ, BIHAR, Oct 5: The special para-military force or the "Seema Suraksha Bal"(SSB), which has been deployed along the 114-km long Indo-Nepal border in the state since the spurt in Maoist insurgency in Nepal, has stepped up its campaign against international gangs of cattle lifters carrying cattleheads into Bangladesh through Indian territory.

SSB officials disclosed here yesterday that in all 80 cattle heads were seized by them during a recent crackdown.

Such gangs operating both in Bihar and Nepal not only spoiled the good work done by the special force but also threatened to sour relations between the two friendly countries, the officials said.

Deployment of ssb beside whittling down trans border crimes like routine smuggling, drug pedlling and even trafficking in girls also thwarted any possible incursion of the ultras and Maoist insurgents, who could use the soil of as their hideouts.

"The border is conspicuously silent notwithstanding the sporadic maoist flareups in Nepal," SSB senior officials claimed.

The SSB officials recalled the recent visit of a senior Home Ministry official, who went around the SSB camps and made a thorough reappraisal of their activities.

Meanwhile, the process of acquisition of 75 acres of land for the establishment of SSB battalion in Kishanganj which could also be utilised for training of the SSB jawans might soon be completed despite bureaucratic hiccups, the SSB officials said.

"When SSB was deployed in the district a couple of years ago, there was a howl of protest generally sponsored by the criminal-politician nexus which considered them a thorn in their flesh. But considerable downslide in regular crime graph and bridling in transborder crimes has only vindicated them," the officials said.

Beside guarding the long and porous borders, the SSB also participated in national schemes like pulse polio drive and relief camps during floods. (UNI)

Birlas file criminal case against Rajendra Lodha

KOLKATA, Oct 5: In their continuing legal battle for the control of M P Birla Group, the Birlas today filed a criminal case against Rajendra S Lodha alleging that he was trying to convert some of the group’s trust property in his own name for personal gain.

Noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani appeared for the Birlas as he filed the petition on behalf of Subhas Bansari secretary of three trusts under the M P Birla Group.

After hearing the petition, additional District Judge Mumtaz Khan reserved his order.

The petitioner sought a search warrant and recovery of original documents relating to the trusts formed by M P Birla and Priyamvada Birla.

The petition against Lodha was filed under sections 420 (cheating), 120b (criminal conspiracy) and 467 (forgery of valuable security, will etc) of IPC.

Lodha was one of the four accused in the petition with three others being S L Prasad, Dr Gauri Shankar and H K Daga.

In his submission before the Judge Jethmalani alleged that Lodha was trying to convert the property of five charitable trusts and three charitable institutions, meant for public good, in his own name for personal gain.

The estimated value of the property under these trusts is Rs 2400 crore, the petition claimed.

He also alleged that the purported will of Priyamvada Birla of 1999 was executed by fraud.

The petitioner on behalf of Birlas, Bansari, was the secretary of three of the charitable institutions.

The Birla side also produced a witness, M P Sharma, in the court who was once personal secretary to Priyamvada Birla.

Lodha, a chartered accountant and former auditor of a number of Birla Group Companies, had earlier claimed that the entire assets of M P Birla group had been bequeathed to him by Priyamvada Birla, who died childless on July three this year, and sought a probate of her 1999 purported will.

The Birla family, however, challenged his claim in the Calcutta High Court, claiming that M P Birla, who had died in 1990, and his wife, Priyamvada, wanted the entire assets of the property to go to charitable trusts as per a purported mutual will prepared in 1982.

The matter is pending before the High Court. (PTI)

Six ruling BJD MLAs demand action against party MP

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 5: Six ruling BJD MLAs in Orissa today urged party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take stringent action against party MP Harihar Swain for criticising the leader in public.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, copies of which were released at a news conference here, State Energy Minister S N Patra said the six BJD MLAs had also appealed to the party supremo to permit them to boycott all functions of Mr Swain in his Aska Lok Sabha constituency.

Describing the behaviour of Mr Swain as "anti-party", Mr Patra alleged that it was a planned move to tarnish the image of the party and its leader.

The ruling party MLAs present at the news conference further asked Mr Swain to resign from the Lok Sabha seat and contest the election again if he had the courage instead of criticising the BJD president.

Asked whether they wanted any disciplinary action against the MP, the MLAs said they had left the matter to Mr Patnaik.

The signatories of the letter were Madhabananda Behera, Saroj Kumar Padhi, Ladu Kishore Swain, Niranjan Pradhan, Kishore Chandra Singhdeo and V Sugunana Kumari Deo.

Earlier BJD MLA Bikram Keshari Burma had dubbed Mr Swain’s action as "anti-party" and demanded action against him stating that other leaders would be encouraged to indulge in anti-party activities, if no punishment was meted out.

BJD MP Harihar Swain had embarrassed the party by asking party chief and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to change his attitude towards the party workers.

Mr Swain, a former Congress minister, had joined the BJD prior to the last Lok Sabha election and was elected from Aska Parliamentary constituency.

He recently aired his views at two public meetings in his home constituency, alleging that the distance between Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the grassroot workers of the ruling Biju Janata Dal(BJD) in the state was widening.

Asked whether his action of criticising the style of functioning of the Chief Minister would be considered "anti-party", Mr Swain had said, "it is simply constructive criticism to make the party stronger."

He had further said the Chief Minister, instead of following the path of his father Biju Patnaik, was totally dependent on the bureaucracy and as a result the state administration had become ineffective. (UNI)

Mulayam agent of BJP: Alvi

LUCKNOW, Oct 5: Rashid Alvi, a senior leader of Congress which is supporting the Uttar Pradesh Government from outside, today alleged that Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is the "biggest agent of BJP and other communal forces".

"If there is one agency which is implementing the agenda of the RSS and BJP in a big way it is Mulayam Singh Yadav, Alvi told newspersons here.

Accusing Yadav of serving the interests of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra by fielding its nominees for the coming Vidhan Sabha elections, Alvi said that the aim of the Samajwadi Party was not to win elections but to upset the Congress by ensuring defeat to its candidates.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded 96 nominees in Maharashtra out of which 30 are Muslims and their main aim is to defeat the Congress and instal a Shiv Sena man as the Chief Minister, Alvi said adding that SP has chalked out its Maharashtra strategy in tandem with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

Alvi recalled as to how the SP had also adopted similar tactics for the Gujarat elections and ensured that Narendra Modi romped home victorious.

Alvi, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, claimed that he had concrete information that Mulayam Singh and his associates were hatching a conspiracy to dislodge the Manmohan Singh led UPA Government at the Centre and instal a new Government with the help of BJP.

Alvi said Congress would continue to expose Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Government and if things do not not improve in near future it could consider withdrawing support.

"There is no Government worth its name in the state and the situation is so bad that the Government needs to be dismissed or better if the Chief Minister stepped down on his own," he added.

He accused the Government of discriminating against the minorities and cited instances where people of the minority community had either been harassed, tortured or killed in police encounters.

On the forthcoming by election in the state, Alvi expressed serious doubts over free and fair elections saying that administrative and police officials have been posted with an eye on these elections and the official machinery would be misused by the ruling party as was done in the last Lok Sabha polls.

But despite all pressures, the vote percentage of the Congress will go up and by the next Assembly polls, Congress will be in main fight in all the constituencies as the people of the state were fed up with other parties, he said.

Alvi asked Yadav not to blame the Centre for the power crisis in the state and assured that if the state fulfilled the NTPC conditions, the Congress will ensure that it was allotted its quota of power. (PTI)

‘Dhruv’ to be star of the air during Air Force Day

NEW DELHI, Oct 5: The IAF’s newly-inducted ‘Dhruv’ Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), participating in the Air Force day flypast for the first time, seem certain to give the ‘Surya Kirans’ — the IAF aerobatics team — tough competition.

The "Sarang" display team comprising three ALHs will be exhibiting a spot of formation flying during the flypast on October 8. Performing today in the dress rehearsal, they indulged in the most intricate and daring aerial manoeuvres, often with inches to spare, that made viewers temporarily forget that they were helicopters, not jet aircraft.

The team, led by Wing Commander Hari Nair, ably showcase the flexibility and precision flying the ALH is capable of, an ability that would be the envy of Jet-engined fighters.

"A prime reason behind setting up this unit was to demonstrate the capabilities of the ALH," the senior Air Staff Officer of the IAF’s Western Air Command (WAC) Air Marshal A K Singh today said after the rehearsal.

"It also seeks to demonstrate that the country is capable of designing and manufacturing world-class aircraft," he observed, adding that the versatile multi-role and multi-mission ALH has proved itself to be a reliable performer in varied terrains, and has been inducted in the service of all the three wings of the armed forces.

Air Marshal Singh, who was earlier the IAF’s Inspector General (flight inspection safety) before taking over as the Saso at WAC, said there was no doubt about these helicopter manoeuvres being safe.

"There is no chance of any unfortunate eventuality ocurring during the alh’s manoeuvres," he averred, pointing out that apart from meticulous training, the ‘Sarang’ team prepares computer simulations of their intended manoeuvres to study all aspects.

Speaking about further attractions of the coming event, which marks the IAF’s 72nd anniversary as well the golden jubilee of taking-over by the first Indian Chief of Air Staff — Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, Air Marshal Singh said it would mark the first appearance of IAF’s elite ‘Garud’ commando force, raised last year. Their effectiveness can be gauged from the fact that barely six months after the first batch passed out early this year, these were selected to form part of the IAF contingent forming part of the peacekeeping force in Congo.

The flypast, comprising over 50 aircraft, will be led by the Jaguars, which have earned accolades for their participation in the recently-held multinational air exercise "co-operative cope thunder" in Alaska, and include other top-of-the-line aircraft including Su-30, MiG-29, MiG-23, Mirage, Mi-35, Mi-17 and even the much-pilloried MiG-21. (UNI)

Act against those indulging in pre-natal sex determination: NCW

PONDICHERRY, Oct 5: National Commission for Women Chairperson Poornima Advani today called upon the Pondicherry administration to ensure that the pre-natal Diagnostic Technique Act, prohibiting sex determination of foetus, was not violated.

Inaugurating a self-help group fair at Gandhi Thidal here, Dr Advani said the police should file cases and punish those encouraging termination of pregnancy.

The administration should also ensure that 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, she said.

She regretted that the problem of bonded labour problem still existed despite the legislation prohibiting it.

Dr Advani complimented the administration for the provision of 50 per cent rebate on stamp paper duty to women while registering property in their name in the Union Territory.

Later participating in a state-level meeting and inaugurating an interactive session between NGOs, self-help groups and women’s organisations, Dr Advani called upon NGOs to strive hard to strengthen the State Women’s Commission. She wanted them to support the Commission to ensure better deal for women.

She expressed happiness over certain provisions in the Pondicherry State Women’s Commissions Act making it mandatory to consult the Commission while formulating the policies and providing for prosecution of those involved in offences against women and added that they did not find a place in the National Women’s Commission Act.

She also made it clear that the purpose of the Commission’s visit was to draw up an action plan to strengthen and empower women in the Union Territory and not to find any fault with the Government machinery.

Speaking on the occasion, Women and Child Development Secretary B V Selvaraj said that out of the 2.26 lakh students enrolled, 1.09 lakh were girls and the drop out among the fair sex was very low. . Last year, it was reported that 31 girls left their studies. Schemes like free bicycles to students and incentives to the parents of the sc students had contributed for low drop outs.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister N Rangasamy categorically stated that his Government would hold local body elections as announced and called upon women to get themselves prepared for the same. He also promised that the post of a nominated member to the territorial assembly would be given to a women. (UNI)

Victory in backward Vidarbha key to conquest of Maharashtra

NAGPUR, Oct 5: Victory in Vidarbha, a backward region in east Maharashtra, with 66 Assembly seats spread over 11 districts, is seen as crucial for the major parties in order to form the Government in Mumbai.

In terms of seats, Vidarbha which has 13,801,481 voters, including 6,648,393 women, is second only to western Maharashtra, which sends 74 Legislators to the 288-member state Legislative Assembly.

Congress had won 55 Assembly seats in 1957 in Vidarbha, 45 in 1962, 48 in 1967, 55 in 1972, 45 in 1978, 55 in 1980 and 45 seats in 1985. The party received its first major jolt in 1990 Assembly polls, when it could bag only 25 constituencies in the region.

The party’s base got further eroded when it had to rest content with only 17 MLAs in 1995, a year when the Sena-BJP formed their first Government in the state.

The Sonia Gandhi-led party won 26 seats in 1999, when the Sharad Pawar-headed NCP was also in the fray after the Maratha strongman had walked out of the Congress.

The split in the Congress and large-scale rebellion have played a major role in the dwindling fortunes of the party in the region. This time too, the Congress is facing rebellion in at least 30 to 35 constituencies in Vidarbha.

The BJP, which won three seats each in 1980 and 1985, had failed to consolidate its position in a big way in the region. But slowly the party expanded its base in late 1980s and early 1990s. The BJP captured 13, 22 and 21 seats in 1990, 1995 and 1999 respectively.

BJP’s ally Sena, which could make its presence felt only in 1990 when it bagged nine Assembly seats, won 11 and eight segments in 1995 and 1999 respectively in Vidarbha.

BJP is facing rebellion in 15 to 20 constituencies and Sena’s dissidents are in the fray in a few places.

In such a situation, Congress-NCP and Sena-BJP alliances are fearing that rebels might give a tough fight to their official nominees. However, the leaders of all these parties are down playing rebellion in their ranks and putting up a brave face.

The Congress has fielded candidates in 49 Assembly constituencies, while its major ally NCP has put up nominees in 13 seats and the rest has been left for their smaller partners.

The Sena-BJP alliance has fielded 62 candidates and left four seats for its ally Shetkari Sanghatana, headed by well-known farmers’ leader Sharad Joshi.

Vidarbha has been divided into two revenue divisions - Nagpur and Amravati. Six districts, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gondia, Bhandara, Gadchiroli and Wardha fall under Nagpur division, while five districts, Akola, Washim, Amravati, Yavatmal and Buldhana come under Amravati division.

Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, is also called orange city. There are 11 Assembly segments in Nagpur district, which has a total electorate of 27,36,588, including 13,05,182 women.

The Congress could win only one of the 11 Parliamentary seats in the last Lok Sabha polls, when the Mayawati-headed BSP played spoil sport in at least half a dozen constituencies. Vilasrao Muttamawar was the lone Congress MP elected from Vidarbha.

BJP had bagged six Lok Sabha seats - Akola, Bhandra, Chimur, Chandrapur, Wardha and Yavatmal, while Sena won four seats - Buldhana, Ramtek, Amravati and Washim.

Buoyed by their performance in Lok Sabha election, the Sena-BJP is hoping to corner a major chunk of seats, while the Congress is banking on the ‘sacrifice’ of Sonia Gandhi and the party’s return to power at the Centre after almost eight years.

Several key fights are on the cards in Nagpur district, where four ministers in the Congress-NCP-led DF Government are in the fray.

The ministers are Satish Chaturvedi (Nagpur east) and Anees Ahmed (Nagpur central) of the Congress, Anil Deshmukh (NCP-Katol) and Sulekha Kumbhare (RPI-Gavai from Kamptee).

Former MPCC president and a controversial figure in Vidarbha on the statehood issue, Ranjeet Deshmukh, is contesting from Nagpur west where sitting BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis is seeking re-election.

Mr Deshmukh is facing infighting within the party over the issue of ticket distribution.

Nagpur, Bhandra, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur are paddy producing districts, but due to scanty rainfall over the last few years, most of the crop has been severely affected, resulting in financial losses for farmers.

During the legislature session held in Nagpur last year, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had declared financial assistance of Rs 20 crore to the affected paddy producers in these districts.

However, the aid has not reached most of the farmers, who are unhappy with the DF Government.

A special package of Rs 750 crore was also announced by the Chief Minister during the same session for development of irrigation projects in Vidarbha. The people are unhappy that only half of the promised amount has been released so far.

A large number of orange producers in Narkhed, Katol and Kalameshwar areas in Nagpur district suffered heavy losses when the trees dried up due to paucity of water. The Government promised help to orange producers, but it has remained only on paper.

In Kalameshwar, Zilla Parishad president Sunita Gawande is contesting against NCP candidate and sitting MLA Ranmeshchandra Bang as she was denied party ticket. Ms Gawande has been expelled.

Kalameshwar was the domain of Congress leader Sheshrao Wankhede in the 1950s and 1960s and since then the Congress has dominated the constituency.

His political career ended in the 1978 election, when the Congress split and Congress (I) nominee Bhagwantrao Gaikwad defeated Mr Wankhede, who bagged merely 8,210 votes against Mr Gaikwad’s 55,202.

The demand for separate Vidarbha is still existing and more than 20 regional outfits, including Vidarbha Rajya Party (VRP) led by former MP Banwarilal Purohit, have united under one banner and fielded candidates in all the 66 seats. These parties are seeking vote on single issue - statehood for Vidarbha.

The Jambuwantrao Dhote-led Vidarbha Janata Congress (VJC) has also put up candidates separately and he himself is contesting from Yavatmal constituency.

The contentious issue of Vidarbha statehood is likely to take a backseat once again as major political parties like the Congress, NCP, Sena and BJP are not too keen on taking up the matter in polls.

Taking into consideration earlier results, the Vidarbha issue is unlikely to have any major impact in the Assembly election and political observers say this time also the matter would not affect the fortunes of major political parties.

The presence of Bahujan Samaj Party has added a new element in the contests and political quarters will keenly watch the performance of the Dalit outfit, which has emerged as a new force in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Naxal outfit the People’s War Group (Marxist-Leninist) operating in Bhandra, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts has given a call to boycott the elections.

In this backdrop, police are gearing up to thwart any attempt by the Naxalites to disturb the election and ensure a free and fair polling on October 13. (UNI)

Indo-US joint naval exercise begins off Goa coast

MORMUGAO, GOA, Oct 5: A five-day, multi-dimensional, low-intensity Indo-US joint naval exercises codenamed ‘Malabar 2004’ began off the Goa coast in the Arabian Sea today as part of the anti-terrorism operation to protect maritime interests of both the nations.

The sixth in an on-going series of exchanges between the two countries, one of the significant aspects of the exercise is training in Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operation, vital for checking suspect vessels on high seas. Extensive VBSS operations were carried out in the Gulf in the wake of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist threats.

Malabar 2004 had started on October 1 involving rendezvous of the two forces south of Cape Comorin, at elementary levels of communication checks and basic manoeuvres. The exercise which began today comprises eight operations.

Besides anti-terrorism Manoeuvres, the joint exercises would cover advanced communications using digital technology, sea-control, air defence and anti-submarine warfare with the participation of frontline ships.

The joint exercises are being held under the leadership of Captain C S Patham of the Indian warship INS Mysore and Captain J Sorce of US warship USS cowpens.

The advantage of such exercises is, the Captains said, evolution of "standard operating procedures" which could be tested and enhanced to face real-time situations of terrorist threats.

With terrorist outfits becoming more active all over the world, it is the immediate need of the navies to forge international alliances to combat such threats before they strike, besides checking piracy and smuggling in the vast maritime zones, they said.

The US navy ships USS cowpens and USS Gary and nuclear submarine USS Alexandria and Indian navy ships INS Brahmaputra, INS Mysore, submarine INS Shankul and oil tanker INS Aditya are participating in the exercises.

The exercise will focus on contraband control and maritime interdiction operations, sea control operations, gunnery shoots and naval gunfire support, air defence exercise and underway replenishment round the clock.

The last phase of the exercise, which culminates on October 9, will have a "maritime interdiction operation in a graduated exercise" enabling the two forces to engage in various multi-threat scenarios involving sub-surface, surface and air threats.

The combatants include destroyers and frigates with integral helicopters, both nuclear and diesel submarines, carrier-borne fighter aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft.

The exercises and operating procedures are being conducted under the UN convention of laws of the sea to protect the maritime interests of nations.

Advanced anti-submarine warfare employing India’s diesel-operated conventional vessels and US nuclear submarines such as the USS Alexandria would be one of the highlights of the exercises.

"This is one of the significant part of the event because India had returned the USSR-made nuclear submarine after completion of the lease and had to acquire the nuke subs at one point or the other to compete with times," Capt Patham said.

The advantage of the nuclear submarine is that it does not require fuel for long days of stay as against the diesel-run submarine. It also has a bigger platform for operation as against the conventional submarine, he added.

Underscoring the significance of such operations, both the commanding officers maintained that 97 per cent of the maritime trade was through India and choking of the routes would endanger the interests of any nation as such routes are vulnerable to terrorists and pirates alike in the evolving security scenario. (UNI)