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Badal objects to issuance CHANDIGARH, Oct 28: The Shiromani Akali Dal president and leader of opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Parkash Singh Badal today strongly ...more Films from 60 countries to be screened at ninth IFFK THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 28: More than 150 films from 60 countries will be screened at the week-long ninth ...more Ensure
speedy development of rural NEW DELHI, Oct 28: To check migration from villages to cities, states should ensure speedy development in . .....more Tourism minister moots NEW DELHI, Oct 28: The long queues at the immigration counters at international airports of the country will soon be ....more |
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Bio-diesel a viable alternative for crude oil AHMEDABAD, Oct 28: With prices of crude oil skyrocketing, India should focus on developing bio-fuel as a cheaper alternative, said Chhattisgarh ......more Kanshi’s kin seek PM’s help to tackle Mayawati CHANDIGARH, Oct 28: The family of ailing Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Kanshi Ram has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get him ......more India not to send observers and trainers to Iraq NEW DELHI, Oct 28: India will send neither its observers nor any officials to train the election staff for conducting general elections in Iraq.. .....more States need to streamline PDS to eliminate malnutrition: Pawar NEW DELHI, Oct 28: Union Food Minister Sharad Pawar today in principle agreed to ......more |
| Advani should not mix religion with
politics: Bharadwaj ..... India to gain from service liberalisation, says UNCTAD ...... Asia’s biggest diameter twin diversion tunnels in HP ............. |
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Badal objects to issuance of ordinance CHANDIGARH, Oct 28: The Shiromani Akali Dal president and leader of opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Parkash Singh Badal today strongly objected to the issuance of ordinance by the Punjab Government to declare the office of the Chief Parliamentary Secretary as an ‘office of no profit’ by amending the Punjab State Legislature (prevention of disqualification) Act, 1952 and urged Governor O P Verma not to approve it. Badal sent a detailed telegram to the Governor in this regard. In this telegram Badal said, "this is a matter of serious concern and I would request you to return the said ordinance because it would be wholly illegal, unconstitutional and a colourable exercise of power, contrary to public interest and designed only to shield the wholly illegal and wanton action of the Chief Minister in doling out lucrative offices and berths not sanctioned by the constitution to this party MLAs so that he can save his chair, irrespective of the huge financial burden to the state." Badal said, "after the enactment of Constitution 91st Amendment Act, restricting the size of the Council of Ministers to not more than 15 per cent of the size of the State Assembly, all the states in the country downsized their ministers. But Punjab is perhaps the only state where a constitutional fraud was enacted by inducting an army of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries, besides appointing many ruling MLAs as Chairman of Boards and Corporation thus creating a situation where virtually every ruling party MLA is holding an office of profit with the privileges and perks of a minister." He also brought to the notice of the Governor that the appointment of the Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Parliamentary Secretaries had been challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and faced with a situation where they were likely to face disqualification as MLAs. "Since the matter is before the court any attempt at issuing such an ordinance would be wholly improper," said Badal. He urged the Governor that in view of the seriousness of the matter ordinance should be returned to the Government. (PTI) |
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Films from 60 countries to be screened at ninth IFFK THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 28: More than 150 films from 60 countries will be screened at the week-long ninth International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), beginning here on December 10. The annual event, being organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, would feature a competitive session in which films from Asian, African and Latin American countries produced between September one, 2003 and August 31, 2004 would be included. French Director, scriptwriter and Jazz Musician Asian Corneau would be the jury Chairman. The Suvarna Chakoram (golden crow pheasant award) and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh would be equally shared by the Director and Producer of the best feature film. The best Director would get a Rajata Chakoram (silver crow pheasant) and Rs three lakh. The best Debut Director would be given a Rajata Chakoram and Rs two lakh, while the Director of the most popular film voted by the festival delegates would get a Rajata Chakoram and Rs 100,000. Besides, there would be an award for the best film by the FIPRESCI (Federation Internaationale De La Presse Cinematographique). The films would be screened at seven venues, Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister A P Anil Kumar said here. The main section of the festival would feature a selection of ‘world cinema,’ a window of quality film production the world over. There would be a retrospective of major filmmakers, contemporary Indian cinema and short films and documentaries. In connection with the festival, a film market and seminars on important issues concerning cinema would also be organised. (UNI) |
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Ensure speedy development of rural areas: Azad NEW DELHI, Oct 28: To check migration from villages to cities, states should ensure speedy development in rural areas, including providing urban amenities, Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here today. "It is essential to focus on the development of rural areas since most of the migrants to Delhi are from these areas. Instead of having a restrictive policy to stop the flow of migrants from rural to urban areas, it will be better to consider accelerated development of the rural areas," Azad said in his speech at the 2th meeting of National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). The NCRPB should facilitate the development of rural area through the cluster based approach of provisions of urban amenities in rural areas in consultation with the state, Azad said. The meeting was attended by Central Ministers and Chief Ministers from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Stressing on creation of economic liberalisation and development of information technology sectors, he said these settlements could emerge as new growth centres and attract investment both from within the country as well as board. "I take this opportunity to request each Chief Minister to identify such areas which could be developed in an integrated manner so as to become Centre of economic growth in the entire region," Azad said. Laying special emphasis on economic activities in the region, he asked states to facilitate growth of small industries. Azad said that implementation of the integrated rail-cum-bus transit system project, which was discussed at the last meeting, needs to be taken up at the earliest by various agencies of the Centre and State together. The Urban Development Minister made it clear that the UPA Government would like to place special emphasis on the development of national capital region so that it can achieve the purpose for which the NCRPB was set up two decades back. Azad also asked the Chief Ministers of the NCR region to take urgent steps in developing a strategy for creating urban forests. "While the ownership of land of such city forests may remain in the State Governments, NCR planning board may assist in the development of these city orests," Azad said. "While some towns and cities have taken initiative in developing green areas and urban forests in the available open land, a concerted effort needs to be made so that every urban area has well managed city forests andgreen cover," the minister said. (PTI) Tourism minister moots ‘fast immigration clearance’ service NEW DELHI, Oct 28: The long queues at the immigration counters at international airports of the country will soon be a thing of past once a proposal mooted by Tourism Ministry for ‘fast immigration clearance’ gets the go ahead. "Under the proposal, it is suggested that a nominal fee should be charged from those who wants to avoid long waiting in the queues and won’t mind paying a fee to get the fast immigration clearence," Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhary told reporters here today. Expecting that the proposal, which is being discussed with Home and Civil Aviation Ministries, will be cleared in six months time, the minister said already capacity building programmes were on under the proposal. This will be done at all the international airports in the country, she said. Choudhary, who is leaving tonight on her second leg of "incredible India" road-shows in east Europe countries including croatia to promote the country as a tourism destination, also briefed the reporters about various projects being undertaken by the ministry including developing the `world heritage sites’ in the country starting with Hampi and Mysore palace, promoting cruise tourism and developing Buddhist circuit. Giving the details of the attractions at Hampi and Mysore palace, Choudhary said where else can you find elephants roaming and playing freely.....Look at the grandeur of Mysore palace. These are products in themselves which needs to be marketed outside the country, she said. The first and foremost steps to be taken to promote these places are better air connectivity, better roads and alternate residential arrangements, she said adding "we have also proposed to stop vehicular traffic in and around the Hampi." Emphasising on the need for tapping the in-bound tourism potential in the small countries with high GDP, the minister said the country needs to create awareness about India as a tourism destination in the east European countries such as Croatia and Bosnia, which has good GDP. The ministry will also open-up four tourism promotional offices in Spain, China, Korea and Thailand with the help of the locals there for the period of one year, Choudhary said. Talking about the project to develop ‘world heritage sites’, which has national and international appeal, she said the ministry will start souvenir shops and develop the area around these sites. At present, the ministry was also conducting a survey on the existing facilities at the ‘world heritage sites’, what all was required and how that could be done, she said. (PTI) |
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States need to streamline PDS to eliminate malnutrition: Pawar NEW DELHI, Oct 28: Union Food Minister Sharad Pawar today in principle agreed to the states’ suggestion of allowing them to go in for decentralised procurement of foodgrains to meet their requirements for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families under the Public Distribution System (PDS). At a national conference of state Food and Civil Supplies Ministers, Mr Pawar asked the states to ensure that "decentralised procurement is made a success so that the grains for consumption of the state under PDS and other welfare schemes is available within the state itself". Participating in the one-day deliberations on ‘Strengthening of PDS’ that puts a subsidy burden of Rs 25,000 a year on the national exchequer, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other foodgrain growing states objected to the existing system wherein the Food Corporation of India (FCI) releases same foodgrains back to those states from which it had earlier procured for the Central pool. "It is an obvious anomaly and getting the allocation from FCI for PDS, unnecessarily, puts an extra cost on those states that had earlier contributed the foodgrains to its Central pool," Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Secretary B C Gupta said, adding that they wanted to end the existing practice. Emphasising the same point, Mr Pawar said his ministry had already written to the states that were losing additional revenue accruing from procurement and the additional income, thus created, could be extended for the farmers’ benefit. Moreover, the Central Government pays nearly Rs 100 a quintal as freight charges to the railways for moving the BPL foodgrains from the FCI godowns, Mr Pawar said. "This amount could be saved and railways can use its capacity for other infrastructural needs," he added. Mr Pawar asked states to take three immediate steps for strengthening the PDS. He said the states should appoint a nodal officer to compute the state’s requirements of subsidised foodgrains under PDS, Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and other welfare scheme to reduce competing demands under each programme from the FCI. Secondly, they should submit a monthly plan for movement of grains through Railways and thirdly, ensure that no stock older than two years is supplied to Fair Price Shops (FPS) operating under PDS. Besides, they should ensure monitoring of the utilisation of subsidies for foodgrains to avoid overlapping of beneficiaries under SGRY, PDS and other welfare schemes. Under the PDS, a universal programme for eradication of malnutrition and hunger, the Centre issues around 20 million tonnes of rice and wheat annually. Around 33 per cent country’s population falling under BPL category is stipulated to get foodgrains from Fair Price Shops at half of the economic cost incurred by the FCI in procurement. Under Antyodya Anna Yojana, one crore ‘poorest of the poor’ families are entitled to get 35 kg of wheat every month at Rs two a kg and rice at Rs three a kg. But, according to official sources, around one third of the subsidised BPL foodgrains get diverted to the open market and rarely reach the beneficiaries. Admitting a large scale diversion, Mr Pawar asked the states to make the monitoring and vigilance on the PDS more effective with involvement of the panchayats in villages and local committees in urban areas. Mr Pawar also suggested that states appoint external agencies for better evaluation of reasons for diversion and poor offtake of states’ allocations of foodgrains. Another suggestion that came from the states and was concurred by the Centre that FPS should be made economically viable by allowing them to open STD booths, have LPG outlets, kerosene dealership, distribution of ORS and other utility items to plug the diversion. Besides this, the FPSs be allocated on priority basis to women and ex-Armymen cooperatives. Mr Pawar also asked the states to go in for proper identification of beneficiaries and issuing of temporary cards to the migrant labour. Union Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution Dr Akhilesh Prasad Singh said the Self-Help Groups created in the southern states for distribution of the PDS foodgrains was a successful experiment and should be replicated in other parts of the country. States such as Tirpura and Kerala sought the convergence of all foodgrain-based schemes. Sikkim wanted enhancement of the allocation to the states and Jammu and Kashmir asked for revising for the allocation of foodgrains and sugar as per the 2001 population census and increasing of the quota for BPL to 35 kg. Maharashtra asked for gradually shifting of PDS meant for providing food security to nutritional security and make the availability of edible oils, soyabean, fortified and iodised salt at the FPS.(UNI) |
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Advani should not mix religion with politics: Bharadwaj NEW DELHI, Oct 28: A day after BJP president L K Advani declared his party’s commitment to build the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Union Law Minister H R Bharadwaj cautioned him not to mix religion with politics. "I am firmly of the opinion that no political party should be allowed to mix religion with politics. Moreover, it is always a corrupt practice under the electoral laws," he told PTI today. Warning that mixing religion with politics would prove "disastrous" for the country, he said religion was meant for self-purification and not for anybody’s political end. Questioning the former deputy Prime Minister’s assertion yesterday that work on Ram Mandir would have commenced had BJP got the mandate in the last Lok Sabha elections, Bharadwaj wondered "is Advani a priest to take up the Ram Mandir issue every now and then!" "Advani is not a priest. We expect senior leaders like him to indulge in politics that is based on economic and social issues confronting the poor of the country," he said. Bharadwaj said "Advani should be suggesting methods to ameliorate the condition of the poor and downtrodden rather than attempt to divide them on the lines of religion." Each time the BJP loses election, it comes back to the Ayodhya issue, which they had failed to fulfill during the time they were in power, the Law Minister said. Advani, while addressing BJP national council which approved his apointment as party president yesterday, said "BJP’s growth is reflective of the national will and desire of crores of people of this country that a magnificient temple be constructed at the Ram Janamsthan at Ayodhya in the place of the existing makeshift temple. Our desire is to ensure that the temple is built." "If the NDA had been re-elected, the construction of the temple would have begun by now", he had said. Reminding the BJP president that secularism was part of the basic features of our constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court, Bharadwaj said it was expected of everybody to respect and abide by the core guiding principles of governance in India. Turning philosophical, the law minister said "secularism is like pure honey, which is not produced from the nectar of a single flower. Honey is made by the bee by collecting nectar from several kinds of flowers." Comparing secularism to honey, he said it meant equal respect to all religions, howsoever small in number their followers were, he said. (PTI) India to gain from service liberalisation, says UNCTAD NEW DELHI, Oct 28: India will gain significantly from liberalisation of world trade in services in the negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since it has offensive interests in liberalisation of this employment-oriented area. Export of services from India is growing 2.2 times faster than other export sectors. "However, domestic reform priorities must inform liberalising commitments and these would constitute the defensive negotiating interests of India". These are among the major recommendations of the consultation on the STO July 2004 Framework: The Way Forward which was organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The recommendations were released by Ms Lakshmi Puri, Director, Division of International Trade in Goods, Services and Commodities, UNCTAD/Geneva at a news conference here this afternoon. On non agricultural market access (NAMA), Ms Puri said the consultation had noted that tariff peaks and tariff escalations in major markets for India had hindered its exports and therefore, these would have to be addressed. Further, adjustment cost to the industry following elimination of tariffs under NAMA could be significantly higher for certain products, in particular for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Hence, flexibilities would be needed to address adjustment costs which would vary from sector to sector. On agriculture, discussions emphasised the need to identify the watch points, or concerns, of developing countries with respect to the upcoming negotiations on the modalities for agricultural liberalisation. In terms of offensive interests, it was necessary to clear up the backlog of liberalisation on the part of developed countries. On the defensive side, it was for developing country Governments to maintain sufficient policy space in selecting measures to meet their long-term development goals. In the agricultural market access, the concern of developing countries was the selection of tariff cut formula, which would achieve elimination of tariff peaks and tariff escalation in developed countries. The current ambiguity in the July framework as regards tariff capping, and the introduction of sensitive products, suggested that developed countries would be trying hard to maintain high tariff barriers on their sensitive products, which coincided with range of products that exhibited tariff peaks. In order to restrain this flexibility, developing countries could request an exclusion of products of export interest to them from sensitive products of developed countries. There is a potential difficulty in selecting tariff bands, under a single approach with tiered formula, given the disparities in tariff structure (for example the distribution of bound tariff rates) among developing countries, the report says. There was also a need to account for implications for export due to concessions in imports, and a need to look into the costs of securing market protection. "Too much protection for developing countries could go against India s export interests in the area of South-South trade. Less than 40 per cent of India’s exports were destined to OECD countries, and most of post-ur competition for India was in developing country markets." Further, the report notes that what hinders India’s exports to OECD countries were Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPs) measures and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), that need to be seriously addressed. In his inaugural speech, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath underlined the need for genuine agricultural reforms on the part of the developed countries. He hoped for genuine liberalisation of the services sector and for a development-friendly Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) framework. On trade facilitation, better management of trade and an enabling environment is required for promoting trade. However, some felt that this was an issue which could be implemented provided necessary technical assistance and capacity building was provided. Harmonisation of procedures should be sought through cooperation with agencies such as WCO (World Customs Organisation).There is a need to ensure certainty, uniformity and transparency in trade facilitation.(UNI) Asia’s biggest diameter twin diversion tunnels in HP MANDI, Oct 28: The 800 mw Kol dam hydro-electric project, where round-the-clock work is in progress on river Sutlej about nine km upstream of 990-mw Dehar power plant of Bhakra and beas management board on the border of Mandi and Bilaspur districts, has achieved yet another landmark by completing the construction work of Asia’s biggest diameter twin diversion tunnels. The project General Manager R B Pathak said here today that the entire water of Sutlej will be diverted through the two diversion tunnels of 14 meters diameter and length of 900 and 934 meters respectively on October 30 next. He said these tunnels will divert the water of Sutlej to a point about one km downstream to facilitiate the construction work of 163 meter high rock-cum gravel fill dam with impervious clay core. He said this is the first hydro project being executed by the National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) as its diversification plan, yet it is a pioneer in power generation and produces 26 percent of country’s total generation. He said that the company is vigorously marching to achieve its goal of over 40,000 mw by the year 2012. Earlier last month the project had achieved a breakthrough by installing two hydrolic gates of 7x14 meter size weighing 350 tonnes at the inlets of the diversion tunnels which had been inaugurated by NTPC Project Director Mr T Shankar Lingam, at a simple function held at the project site. The foundation stone of the gigantic project had been laid by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, on June,2000. The cost of the project has been estimated, according to then price index, at Rs 4493 crore. The project had been conceived way back in mid-sixties as a major hydro-electric venture. The first project report of 600 mw capacity had bheen submitted to the Central Electricity Authority in 1976. Later it was revised and modified to 800 mw run-of-the-river-scheme in May 1987 and techno-economic clearance granted to HPSEB in August 1988. The project is being executed by the National Thermal Power Corporation. The ntpc has embarked upon its first foray in hydro from Himachal Pradesh. A visit to the site revealed that despite odds the work was going on in full swing. The project site was humming with activity. The work on the two 1 km-long parallel horseshoe-shaped tunnels of 16.4 diameter, one of the largest in asia has been completed in a record time despite odds like flood scare and labour trouble. Work on other components and packages is also in progress. The other components are crest spillway, coffer dams, de-silting chambers, power intake and penstock tunnels. A sprawling 40 km long reservoir will emerge upstream of the dam axis submerging over 1500 hectares of land in Bilaspur, Mandi, Solan and Shimla districts. This lake will extend upto Tatapani. Another place of great tourists attraction will come up linking four districts and would provide immense potential for the development of fisheries in the state. The lake will prove a boon in promoting tourism for the state and it will also charge the water sources unlike other projects which had dried up them. Another important feature of the Koldam is that it will enhance the life of Bhakra reservoir by another 18 years. It will also serve as a mega watershed for the state and will raise the ground water level charging the springs and streams. At the toe of the dam a surface power house will be constructed. Four vertical francis turbines of 200 mw each would be installed. The project is basically a run of the river scheme. A direct drop of 140 meter from the 163 meter-high dam itself would be utilized for generating power. Mr Pathak said the project, which will generate 3054 million units of power, would be a big boon for the northern states of the country currently reeling under acute power crisis. Of the total power generation, he said, Himachal Pradesh would get 27 per cent including 12 per cent free of cost and the balance 15 per cent bus bar tariff. The remaining power will be sold to the state electricity boards of the northern states as per power purchase agreements. The power will be evacuated through 400 kv integrated transmission system, he added. (UNI)
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