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Cabinet approval soon for NHDP-3: T R Baalu

CHENNAI, Jan 29: The third component of National Highway Development Project to provide connectivity to important ports in the country will be cleared by the cabinet soon, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping T R Baalu said here today.

"We have almost finalised the NHDP-3 project, which will connect the important ports with arterial national highway network. National infrastrcuture committee has already shown the proposal to the Prime Minister. We hope to get the cabinet’s approval in the next couple of weeks," he said at a press conference.

NHDP-3 will be a five year project which will cover about 10,000 km. Investment for this project has been estimated at Rs 55,000 crore and the project is proposed to be implemented mostly on Build-operate-Transfer (BoT) basis. The gap in funding will be filled by the Government, he added.

Under NHDP-3, places with high economic activities will be connected to ports. Historic places like Mamallapuram are also likely to be connected. "We are also planning to connect the Hinterlands under NHDP-3," he said.

As a next major step, the ministry was proposing NHDP-4, covering 20,000 km, to connect the district headquarters and places strategically important. "Planning Commission has already given the approval for this," he said.

The ministry was also working on NHDP-north eastern region project, covering about 6500 km. Under this programme, all state capitals in the north-east will be connected through four-lane roads.

Baalu said total investment proposed for these projects was Rs 172,000 crore for the next seven years.

On funding, he said external assistance and market borrowings were expected to provide Rs 30,000 crore each, private sector about Rs 75,000 crore and Rs 37,000 crore was expected to come from budgetary allocations.

The NHDP, which is the largest highway project ever undertaken in the country, has two components.

The first one is 5846 km Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) covering national highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and the second is 7300 km north-south and east-west corridors, connecting Srinagar in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and Silchar in the east to Porbandar in the west. (PTI)

Bhajan Lal looking forward to eighth victory from Adampur

ADAMPUR MANDI (HARYANA), Jan 29: The confidence in the Congress camp in this traditional party bastion is palpable. After all, its candidate and Chief Ministerial-hopeful Bhajan Lal has not lost an election from here in almost four decades. Hundreds of supporters mill around the Congress poll office in this small town in Hisar district while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) office a few hundred metres away is almost deserted.

"This will be a very one-sided election," grumbles a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker as he goes around the business of setting up an Assembly poll office for his party.

The writing on the wall seems to be clean to Lal’s opponents in this constituency of about 1,40,000 voters. Lal has won seven times from Adampur and his wife Jasma Devi once, when he was in the Rajya Sabha and a Union Minister.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, his younger son Kuldeep Singh Bishnoi defeated Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala’s son Ajay from Bhiwani constituency, within which most of Adampur falls.

So sure is Lal of a landslide victory this year too that while his opponents are spending upto 14 hours every day in the villages, he has decided to dispense with door-to-door campaigning in the last few days leading upto voting on February three.

"We have never campaigned in Adampur. We just go to the people and meet them over some tea and coffee," says Bishnoi.

Lal says he has visited all 62 villages in the constituency in the last few weeks. "Now the party agents are fully active in every nook and corner. People know about my work, thousands have got jobs during my tenure and many dispensaries and schools have come up in Adampur," he adds.

Exudes Bishnoi, "my father had defeated Ganeshi Lal, the combined BJP-INLD candidate, by over 40,000 votes in the 2000 Assembly elections. He got nearly 70 per cent of the total votes and the margin of victory will be even more this time."

Their confidence does not seem misplaced. Lal may belong to the Bishnoi community, who number only about 16,000 in the constituency, but the 50,000-strong Jat community is backing him to the hilt.

Says Vijender Singh of Hindwan village: "Chowdhury Sahab (Lal) does not need to come to ask votes from us. Everyone in this constituency wants him to become the Chief Minister again."

If this happens, it will be the fourth time that Lal will take oath as Chief Minister of the state and though he is not saying it openly, his candidature for the post seems to be the only item on the electoral agenda for the Congress here.

Though a host of names are being thrown up for the top post from within the Congress itself - including those of O P Jindal, Birender Singh, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda - Lal is clearly one of the prime contenders.

As Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president, Lal has succeeded in getting tickets for his supporters in over 50 of the 90 constituencies.

"When the next Assembly meets to decide the Chief Minister, Chowdhury Sahab’s supporters will outnumber everyone else’s," Ramvir, a Congress worker, says.

This is the promise party workers are carrying to the voters and this, Lal’s main contender Rajesh Godara of INLD hopes, will prove to be the Congress stalwart’s downfall.

"The people are not fools. They know that the Congress can never win these Assembly elections and voting for Lal will mean only electing an opposition leader," Godara says between campaigning in Siswala village.

The last time Godara had contested against Lal in 1996, he had finished a distant third. But this time will be different, he says.

"Eight years have passed since then and I have spent all my time with the people. Lal, meanwhile, has become more arrogant and does even deem it necessary to campaign anymore. If Indira Gandhi can lose, who is Bhajan Lal," asks Godara.

The falling prices of cotton and rising prices of LPG and sugar since the Congress Government came to power at the Centre will also work against Lal, he believes.

Godara is even looking at the merger of Bansi Lal’s Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) with the Congress in a positive light, claiming it will only benefit him.

"HVP leaders and workers are not happy with the merger. They are not campaigning for the Congress and are infact, telling people to vote for us," Godara says.

For the other two main candidates, Dalbir Singh Dhiranwas of BJP and Rajinder Singh of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), even the campaigning has not yet begun in earnest, though less than a week remains for the polls.

"I will attempt to meet all the voters before the polling date ... Already, there is a clear wave in my favour, you can expect an upheaval," says Dhiranwas.

His hope, however, seems misplaced as a local BJP leader herself says that Dhiranwas is not likely to get more than 5,000 votes.

Adds Godara, "the BJP had got some votes last time because INLD workers campaigned ceaselessly for it. It will not have that luxury this time. The BSP, on its part, will only cut into a few hundred votes of both INLD and Congress."

The common people, meanwhile, are hoping for a peaceful election. In 2000, Congress and INLD workers had clashed during polling and a vehicle torched. Security is expected to be very tight on February three with forces being requisitioned from adjoining states. (PTI)

Keen battle on in Narwana between Chautala, Surjewala

NARWANA, Jan 29: The Narwana Assembly constituency bordering Punjab is all set to present a keen contest between Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala and working president of state Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala in a repeat of the 2000 battle.

Five years ago, the INLD president had wrested the seat from Surjewala by a narrow margin of 2,194 votes.

The former youth Congress president has this time mounted a stiff fight for Chautala, who is also contesting from Rori Assembly constituency, falling in his home district of Sirsa. In 2000 also Chautala had contested from both the constituencies and gave up the Rori seat.

Incidentally, the Chief Minister is the only candidate who is contesting simultaneously from two constituencies.

Chautala had tasted a humiliating defeat in the 1996 elections when he finished third behind Randeep and Jai Parkash (Haryana Vikas Party) failing to retain the Narwana seat won by him in the by-election in 1993 when Randeep’s father resigned on being elected to the Rajya Sabha.

In the six elections since 1977 the Surjewala family has represented the seat on four occasions - Randeep in 1996 and his father Shamsher Singh Surjewala in 1991, 1982 and 1977. Surjewala senior has been shifted to the nearby Kaithal constituency for the February three Assembly poll.

In between in 1987, the constituency was represented by Tek Chand of Lok Dal, who made it to the State Assembly after finishing runners up in three successive elections in 1982, 1977 and 1972. Earlier in 1972, 1968 and 1967 the constituency was represented by Indian National Congress (O), INC and RPI.

Besides Chautala and Randeep, there are 11 other candidates in fray. But none of them is anywhere near to the stature of the two key contestants.

The other candidates include Sita Ram (BJP), Birbal Dass (BSP) and nine others, including eight independents.

Except for the 1987 elections when Tek Chand of Lok Dal, which today is INLD, won by a margin of 27,839 votes, the victory margin in this constituency has ranged between low of 836 in 1977 and high of 7,161 in 1991.

Incidentally, on both the occasions, Randeep’s father Shamsher was the winner defeating Tek Chand, who contested as an independent,in 1977 and Gauri Shankar (HVP) in the 1991 election.

The Narwana Assembly constituency comprises of 46 villages and Narwana town having a total electoral roll of 1,22,792. It is primarily a rural constituency having about 47,000 Jat voters, 46,000 Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, 8,000 Brahmin, 8,000 Mahajan and 7,500 Sikh voters.

Since the two main contenders belong to the Jat community, the Jat votes are likely to be divided among them. The Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes would also play a significant role in the constituency.

The supporters of Randeep are confident of his victory in view of the massive victory of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections last year when the party won nine of the 10 seats in the state.

The tenth seat went to the BJP as the 10 candidates of the ruling INLD, including the two sons of Chautala - Ajay and Abhay - lost.

Randeep and the Congress workers claim that there is Congress wave in the state.

The strong anti-incumbency factor against the Om Parkash Chautala led INLD Government would also benefit the Congress nominee, party men claim.

The support announced by the BKU has also boosted the morale of the Congress workers in the constituency.

Randeep has organised several election meetings in Narwana town and the rural areas of the constituency.

In the election meetings he alleges that the Chautala Government had failed on all the fronts and was pursuing the anti-people policies.

Randeep alleged that the law and order situation was very bad and there was shortage of irrigation water and power.

Randeep alleged that the people of the state were fed up with the style of functioning of the Chautala Government and wanted to get rid of the five-year rule of the INLD Government.

On the other hand the supporters of Chautala claimed that there had been all round development in the Narwana constituency after the INLD president started representing the constituency in the State Assembly.

The INLD campaigners further claim that the people of the constituency are satisfied with the development works undertaken by the Chautala Government and criticize the Congress for spreading misinformation among the people.

Chautala’s supporters point out that the Congress led UPA Government, which came to power after the Lok Sabha election last year, had failed on all fronts, including price rise as the prices of essential commodities, including sugar, were sky rocketing.

The Narwana constituency is not going to be cake walk for either of the two main contenders as Chautala and Randeep are locked in a neck to neck race for representing the constituency in the State Assembly.

Both would incidentally be facing each other four the fourth successive time since 1993 by-election (Chautala won), 1996 (Randeep won) and 2000 (Chautala won). (PTI)

Kalam invites Prabhakar for a today meeting

NEW DELHI, Jan 29: A day after noted Gandhian author Vishnu Prabhakar decided to return his Padma Bhushan Award upset over the treatment he received at the hands of security personnel in Rashtrapati Bhawan, President A P J Abdul Kalam has invited him for a meeting tomorrow.

Rashtrapati Bhawan sources today said that Kalam had taken note of media reports and asked Prabhakar to see him tomorrow to get a first hand report.

The 93-year-old author had decided to return the Padma Bhushan Award given last year after he was not allowed to enter Rashtrapati Bhawan along with his son to attend "at home" function on the occasion of Republic Day.

The noted Hindi writer said that his decision was not because of any personal insult to him but because of insult to national language Hindi.

He said that he would raise the matter during his meeting with the President.

Prabhakar said that he had written five letters to the President during the past one year, but he did not receive reply to even one of them. He wanted to know whether the letters were not answered because they were in Hindi.

Asked if his decision to return the award was not related to the treatment meted out to him by security personnel, he said the question was not Padma Bhushan, it was Hindi. "At this ripe age how does it matter whether the Padma Bhushan remains with me or not," he said.

To another question whether he would reconsider his decision after meeting Kalam, he said "this (return of award) is not important but what is important is what the President thinks about Hindi."

Prabhakar said that after stories appeared in the newspapers about his decision, he got a telephone call from Rashtrapati Bhawan informing him that the President wanted to meet him on Sunday.

During the President’s "at home" on January 26, securitymen had refused to allow Prabhakar to take his son inside Rashtrapati Bhawan as the invitation was in his and his wife’s name. Since his wife has died, he took his son along as he felt it was not wise to move alone at this age.

Prabhakar said he had informed Rashtrapati Bhawan at the time of being invited for the Independence Day function that his wife had died and had also requested the authorities to invite his son or daughter in future so that he could take part in the functions.

He had written a similar letter to Rashtrapati Bhawan regarding the Republic Day invitation but there was no response, said Prabhakar, who had earlier declined to accept Padma Shri.

He rued that while during the days of first President Rajendra Prasad, writers and litterateurs had easy access to Rashtrapati Bhawan, it was indeed sad that these days even letters written by them were not replied to. (PTI)

‘Rs 10,000 should be paid for every Hectare of farm land lost’

PONDICHERRY, Jan 29: The Rangasamy-led Congress Government should pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 for every hectare of farm land lost in the Pondicherry and Karaikal regions due to the Tsunami, PCC president V Narayanasamy said today

He told reporters here that the administration had already announced an amount of Rs 3,750 for one hectare of farms lost. Since the land had become virtually unfit to raise crops and reclamation would take some years, steps should be taken to raise the compensation to Rs 10,000, he said.

Stating that the fishermen’s wing of the party has been revived in Pondicherry and Karaikal regions, he said the office bearers of the Pondicherry unit would be formed soon.

These units would act as a moitoring cell to ensure that relief measures reached affected families.

Narayanasamy urged fishermen to resume fishing activities, taking the cue from neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The Government should also create a situation conducive enough for the fishermen to put out to sea.

He said steps should also be taken to avoid delay in disbursement of cash relief to catamaran owners.

The PCC leader also said he would meet the Union Home Minister at Delhi soon and place before him the current trend of officials in the territorial Government functioning ‘haphazardly’ without taking the ministers concerned into confidence.

Narayanasamy said he had spoken to the Lt Governor and the Chief Minister on the issue. (PTI)

Sonia seeks votes for the development of Haryana

BHIWANI (HARYANA), Jan 29: Continuing to target the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Government in Haryana for its "all round failure", Congress president Sonia Gandhi today promised "better governance" and "welfare" of all sections of the society under her party. Addressing an election meeting here on the second day of her campaign in the state, she said that after the February three Assembly elections "a Congress Government would be there to ensure all round development of the state", adding that Haryana was at present witnessing "family rule".

Sonia alleged that there was no development in the state, there being "no administration worth its name and corruption being rampant".

Coming down on the BJP-led NDA she said that before the Lok Sabha elections last year the NDA Government at the Centre was "directionless".

"As compared with that our party-led UPA Government came to power not on the foundation of sticking to power, but with a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which was finalized immediately after the Lok Sabha poll", she added.

The Congress president, who said the biggest problem before the country was tackling unemployment and ensuring social unity, said that the UPA Government under the Prime Ministership of Manmohan Singh had initiated a number of programmes for the upliftment of rural areas.

"Without social unity the nation can not be strengthened", she said.

Sonia said that the national employment bill has been presented before the Parliament to ensure 100 days of employment to at least one member of each family.

She also promised that the Congress Government would fully look after the interests of women and would provide them with equal opportunities.

Expressing concern at female feoticide, the Congress president said steps would be taken to check it.

Sonia said that it was former Prime Minister Indira gandhi who had carved out Haryana in 1966 and ensured it’s all round development, adding that non-Congress Governments in the state "took it backward due to their wrong policies".

She also thanked the people for voting out the NDA government last year and ensuring the win of Congress nominees in nine out of 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

She also introduced party nominees, including Surender Singh and BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, Dharambir and Maj Narpender Singh, all contesting from different seats in the constituency. (PTI)

Jaya announces Rs 396 crore package to Tsunami victims

CHENNAI, Jan 29: The Tamil Nadu Government today announced a massive Rs 396 crorerehabilitation package to help the Tsunami affected fishermen to purchase fishing boats and nets and re-start their livelihood.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, in a statement here, announced a series of assistance to help the affected fishermen to replace their vallams, catamarans, fibreglass and mechanised boats and nets and restore their livelihood, which was shattered after the killer Tsunami struck the coastal districts on December 26.

Under the fresh package, the Government would give Rs 32,000 to those who want to buy new catamarans and offer 35 per cent subsidy to those who wished to replace their damaged catamarans and vallams with fibreglass boats and purchase motor engines and nets, with a maximum subsidy of Rs 52,500.

For replacing the fully damaged mechanised boats also, the government would offer 35 per cent subsidy with a maximum subsidy of Rs five lakh, Ms Jayalalithaa said.

Ms Jayalalithaa, who had earlier announced an assistance of Rs 5,000 for repairing the partly damaged catamarans, today ordered doubling of the assistance following representations from the affected fishermen. The Government would offer 60 per cent subsidy with a maximum of Rs three lakh for repairing mechanised boats.

The rehabilitation package was in addition to Rs 65 crore worth reliefs distributed by the State Government to the affected people, taking the total amount of relief and rehabilitation measures announced by the State Government to Rs 461 crore, she said.

Pointing out the subsidy offered by the State Government for fishermen, Ms Jayalalithaa said, the Centre instead of arranging bank loan facility, should come forward to bear the balancing amount, so that fishermen could repair and purchase new catamarans, vallams, fibreglass and mechanised boats with 100 per cent subsidy.

The Centre had announced that fishermen could avail bank loans at five per cent interest and repay the loans in seven years, after a one and a half year moratorium period, but it was better, it gave the amount with full subsidy to ensure that the fishermen were not suffered by debt burden.

Ms Jayalalithaa expressed confidence that the rehabilitation package announced by her would give a new impetus to the affected fishermen to start fishing activity.

She said the State Government had sought an assistance of Rs 1030.93 crore, including Rs 907.53 crore for rehabilitation of fishermen but the Centre had announced only Rs 346 crore towards rehabilitation, stating that the balance amount would be given as loans.

When the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar called on her on January 23, she had reiterated her demand that the Centre come out with a 100 per cent subsidy package, she added. (UNI)