Govt mulls amending IT Act

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Government is planning to amend the Information Technology Act to prevent bpos leaking out data and information, Minister for Communications and IT Dayanidhi Maran told the Rajya Sabha today.

"A bill has been prepared to amend the Information Technology Act, 2000 to provide framework to strengthen the provisions pertaining to data protection, privacy and unlawful disclosure of sensitive personal information," he said in a written reply to a question.

He said while some media reports had stated that certain persons had secured and offered to sell database with credit card, passport, driving license details and other personal information like mobile number, "so far, no customer or business process outsourcing/information technology enabled services (BPO/ITES) unit has reported any such case or financial loss."

The amendment would address new forms of crimes like publishing of material containing sexually explicit act in electronic form, video voyeurism, breach of confidentiality and leakage of data by service providers, e-commerce frauds through impersonation commonly known as phishing, identity theft and offensive message through communication service.

It would also "impose duties and liabilities upon service providers including internet service providers and intermediaries," he said. (PTI)

Ash-Abhishek marriage talk in filmdom

MUMBAI, Nov 30: Bollywood is agog with talks of the impending, marriage of top actress Aishwarya Rai with Abhishek Bachchan, son of mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan, probably in February next year, but the families of both the stars have not come out openly either confirming or denying the alliance.

It all started when a section of the press reported that Amitabh’s brother Ajitabh came over from London for a family function and later took the horoscopes of Aishwarya and Abhishek to the family astrologer in Bangalore earlier this year.

It was found that both have "Mangal" in their horoscopes. The astrologer had said that 2006 would not be auspicious for marriage as 2+6 totals 8, which is not good for them. But 2007, 2+7=9, will be a good time for marriage.

It is believed that due to the "Manglik" aspect, Amitabh and his family members along with aishwarya offered prayers at the Sankatmochan Mandir in Varanasi a few days back, to ward off the planetary influences. However, the Pandits at the temple were not much forthcoming about the marriage part, but confirmed that special poojas were performed.

Moreover, in a recent television programme ‘rendevous with Simi Garewal’, Aishwarya was asked by Simi about the talk of her marriage with Abhishek, to which she quipped, "talks are rife. When the time is right I will make an announcement." But the actress has still not made any announcement to this affect even though she has lately attended a number of family functions at the Bachchan bunglow ‘Jalsa’ in Juhu.

The couple have been romantically linked after the pre-release functions of the film ‘Umrao Jaan’ co-starring them and during the shooting schedule of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Guru’, it became evident that she had developed a liking for Abhishek, film industry sources said.

The former "Miss World" and Abhishek had paired in ‘Dhai Akshar Prem Ke’ and ‘Kuch Na Kaho’. But the box office failure of the films, probably did not fuel any rumours about their alliance.

Abhishek gained popularity after the success of ‘Yuva’ and ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, and was acknowledged in film circles as Bollywood’s ‘’Most Eligible Bachelor’. Industry sources said both Aishwarya and Abhishek had developed rapport and closeness that made media speculate about their marriage.

Aishwarya’s business manager Hari Singh when asked about the marriage plans, said "this question is not under my jurisdiction. It is a personal matter and the job of the secretary is only to manage the dates and other dealings of the star." (UNI)

Centre asks states to hike incentive
for inter-caste marriages

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: The Centre has asked all Chief Ministers to consider increasing the incentive money for inter-caste marriages to Rs 50,000 with 50 per cent of the amount being paid by it as assistance, Government told the Lok Sabha today.

"I addressed letters to Chief Ministers in February this year to consider increase in the incentive amount for inter-caste marriages to Rs 50,000 of which 50 per cent would be by way of Central assistance," Social Justice Minister Meira Kumar said during question hour.

At present, the incentive amount in 16 states varies between Rs 2,000 and Rs 50,000 and "it is not sufficient," she said.

Observing that incentive marriages were an efficient instrument of combating the evil practice of casteism, kumar said the provisions of Civil Rights Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act were being implemented by State Governments and Union Territory administrations.

Under the Centrally-sponsored schemes, assistance was being provided mainly to strengthen administrative and judicial machinery and for inter-caste marriages where one of the spouses belongs to the scheduled castes, Kumar said.

While the State Governments are given 50 per cent Central assistance, the Union Territories are provided 100 per cent funding. (PTI)

AP forest for "King Cobra project"

MACHILIPATNAM, Nov 30: The Andhra Pradesh Government is contemplating to demarcate the Saluru forest area of Srikakulam district for the "King Cobra project", an official said today.

Speaking to UNI on condition of anonymity, the official spokesman of the Forest and Environment Department here said the area has been found suitable for breeding ‘King Cobras’ as some of the species had been sighted there.

The Government will also procure snakes from other areas and release them into the Saluru forest in a bid to increase the population of the reptile.

Largest of the poisonous land snakes, the ‘King Cobra’, can deliver enough venom to kill a full grown Asian elephant in three hours.

It is the largest of its kind growing up to 18.5 feet in length and weighing up to 20 kg.

With a life span of 20 years, the ‘King Cobra’ is peculiar in the sense it feeds almost exclusively on other snakes, including pythons.

While its population has dropped due to destruction of forests, it does not face extinction, the spokesman said. (UNI)

Bharti Yadav concludes deposition in
Nitish Katara murder case

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Bharti Yadav, key witness and sister of the prime accused in the Nitish Katara murder case, today concluded her deposition in a local court here with her lawyer claiming she has denied any love affair with the victim while the prosecution indicated she has turned hostile.

In the in-camera proceedings held in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur, Bharti had also denied she had any plans to marry Katara saying it was only a friendship, her lawyer S C Bhuttan told reporters.

"Bharti had also denied having given any statement to police under section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) saying she only had conversation with police officials," the counsel said.

Asked about her photographs with Katara, Bharti was quoted as having said she had only posed with him as a friend.

Meanwhile, prosecution sources said its key witness Bharti had "turned hostile" during her testimony but would not disclose the points on which she had retracted from her original statement to the police.

Special Prosecutor B D Jhoon declined to go into Bharti’s deposition but remarked he was satisfied with her testimony.

"I am satisfied with Bharti’s statement and I am thankful to her for helping the prosecution case," he said.

Vikas Yadav, son of a controversial Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav are the prime accused in the killing of Nitish Katara, who was allegedly kidnapped by them and done away with in February, 2002, because they did not like the intimate relations between Bharti and the victim.

Bhuttan said the prosecution did not ask anything about Nitish allegedly leaving a marriage party attended both by her and Katara on the night of the murder with Vikas and Vishal.

He said she also denied having exchanged any e-mails with the brother of the victim, Nitin Katara, after the murder.

The mother of the victim, Neelam Katara, was present in the court today when Bharti made her testimony for the second day today.

Remaining elusive for over three years, Bharti, who is said to be studying in London, arrived last week in India for the deposition marking the end of a legal battle over her reluctance to come here.(PTI)

Sanjay pleads for leniency from TADA court

MUMBAI, Nov 30: Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who faces a prison term of up to 10 years following his conviction in the 1993 blasts case, today sought leniency from the TADA court here saying he was the sole earning member of his family.

Sanjay, who was convicted on Tuesday under the Arms Act for illegally possessing a 9mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle, told Judge P D Kode that the burden of his family had fallen on his shoulders after the death of his father Sunil Dutt 18 months ago.

"I have a young daughter aged 18 studying in New York and I am supporting her as her grandparents are old. Her future depends on me," said the actor who was cleared by the same court of charges of terrorism and conspiracy.

"I love the country and the people of the country. Please show mercy and leniency on me," Sanjay told the Judge, adding he had personally raised funds for the Prime Minister’s relief fund for Tsunami.

Sanjay also said his father had started a cancer foundation 23 years ago after the death of his mother, actress Nargis, and he had now taken up its work.

The foundation is based in the US and Canada and it purchases equipment and sends them to India to help cancer patients who cannot afford treatment.

Admitting he was slightly nervous, he told the court that he was in custody for 16 months before his release on bail in October 1995.

"I was on bail for 11 years and there was no complaint of misuse of liberty when I travelled within the country and abroad. I abided by the conditions imposed by the court."

Sanjay said he had no (repeat no) other case pending against him. (PTI)

Govt taking steps to get Hindi
official language status in UN

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: The Government has been actively taking measures for adoption of Hindi as one of the official languages of the United Nations but a formal proposal is yet to be made in this regard, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

At it also entails a substantial increase in the expenditure of the UN, necessitating an enhanced contribution by every member, most of the countries remain reluctant to support such a proposal, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said in a written reply.

A high-level committee under chairmanship of External Affairs Minister was constituted on February 26, 2003 followed by a sub-committee under MoS External Affairs in August 2003 to look into this matter and take necessary measures.

A core group headed by the Additional Secretary in the MEA was also formed in September 2003 in this regard.

However, recognition of any new official language has huge financial, procedural as well as legal implications and it needed the approval of more than half of the members (98 out of 192) of the General Assembly, Sharma said. (PTI)

Jabbar for separate DD channel for art films, culture

PANAJI, Nov 30: Veteran filmmaker Jabbar Patel today made a forceful plea for Doordashan having a separate channel for art films and Indian culture.

He lambasted the Government for forcing the Prasar Bharati to compete with private channels like Star and Sony for becoming financially self-sufficient.

"Once Doordarshan and the All India Radio are forced to woo advertisers, then how can they have a place for artistes like Ravi Shankar and Shiv Sharma," he said.

Today, the coverage these artistes get on TV channels is just a 30 second video clip of their concerts.

"Is that enough for our young generation to know about them?" he asked.

Mr Patel’s remarks came while interacting with the media along with other directors of the films produced by the films division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and screened at the International Film Festival of India here.

He said he once discussed the matter for having a channel exclusively devoted to art and culture films with the then Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley, but was told that the cost for starting such a channel was prohibitive.

Mr Patel said he did not buy this argument when the Government could spend crores on so many different things, then why not on such an important task for preserving the country’s art and culture.

Replying to a question, he said the Censor Board had been interfering in their films produced but the films division had given them maximum freedom in their work.

Mr Patel’s "Hans Akela", a film on Kumar Gandharva, was screened today.

He said the films division had a wonderful catalogue of rare films which no other agency has, and the filmmakers and researchers should utilise this treasure house.

Mr Arun Gongade, U B Mathur, Vinay Vairale and Ravi Kumar, directors of "Kati Patang", "Hrishikesh Mukherjee", "Br—Har Daur Mein Naya Daur and "Sthapati" , the other films division productions screened at IFFI, also spoke about their works. (UNI)

Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Bill (amedment)
bill passed by LS

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: The Lok Sabha today passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) bill 2006, which provides for new trustees and for audit of its accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, by voice vote.

The bill, which was supported by all the members cutting across party lines, also provides for laying the audit report before each house of Parliament.

Moving the bill, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said the composition of the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, as provided under the Jalliawanwala Bagh National Memoral Act, 1951, included three trustees appointed for life, who were no more. These included former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew, and the Government could not appoint trustees in their place without making necessary amendments in the act.

‘’therefore, in order to fill up the vacanices caused by the passing away of the life trustees and to make the trust functional, it had become necessary to amend the said act through the bill,’’ she said.

According to the amendment, the new trustees will include the prime minister as chairperson, the congress president, the union culture minister, leader of the opposition in the lok sabha, the governor and chief minister of punjab and three eminent persons to be nominated by the central government.

Members, participating in the discussion on the bill, welcomed it as a move to revive the memories and contribution of the hundreds of freedom fighters who laid down their lives in the agitation against the "black" Rowlatt Act, and was the worst massacre during the freedom struggle. They regretted that ever since the death of Pt Nehru, no Government considered it necessary to reconstitue the trust until the present bill was brought, and also came out with suggestions for the upkeep of the memorial.

Those who participated in the discussion included Rasa Singh Rawat (BJP), Preneet Kaur (Cong), Dr S Chakraboroty (CPI-M), Dr Ratan Singh (SAD), Shailendra Kumar (SP), Ganesh Prasad Singh (RJD), Prof K M Kader Mohideen (DMK)and Prasanna Acharya (BJD). (UNI)

SC directs probe in financial credentials of contractors

NEW DELHI, Nov 30: Taking serious note of slow progress in the completion of western peripheral Expressway costing about Rs 3000 crores, the Supreme Court today directed the Monitoring Committee (MC) to hold a meeting forthwith to examine the financial capacity of the three members of the consortium who are reportedly involved in some litigation among themselves.

The three members of the consortium are M/S Madhucom, Apollo and DSC and the land measuring about 3500 acres is to be acquired for the project which is also called Kundli- Manesar-Palwal Expressway project which was under the control of the state of Haryana.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, and Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia in its order said the decision of MC will be final on the issue of taking steps for ensuring timely completion of the project.

The court also rejected the plea of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HSIDC) for a week’s time to file an affidavit to place on record all the relevant facts on record. The bench told HSIDC senior counsel Raju Ramchandran to go to the MC and let it take final decision and if the HSIDC is aggrieved by the decision of the MC it can always come to this court.

State of Haryana was against any direction to examine the financial credentials of the contractors after amicus curaie senior counsel Harish Salve contended that financial wherewithal of the members of the consortium were under cloud and repeated extension have been granted to them for submitting Detailed Project Report (DPR) and initial deadline of June 30,2006 was extended till November 30,2006 which has again been extended till December 31,2006.

Justice Arijit Pasayat at one stage indicated that the apex court may direct the contractors to deposit Rs. 550 crores as security.

Following due process a concessionaire namely M/S KMP Expressway Ltd was appointed and the concession agreement was also executed on January 31,2006. Land measuring 3282 acres has already been acquired and handed over to the concessionaire. According to HSIDC design reports prepared by the concessionaire have already been submitted to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for formal approval covering NH-I,NH-8 and NH-10 for joint examinaion and the project was progressing ahead of the schedule.

According to Harish Salve the state of Haryana has already incurred a loss of Rs. 573 crores due to delay in the project.

The land cost of Rs. 1307 crores is to be shared by Delhi Government ( Rs.653.5 crore), Uttar Pradesh Government (Rs326.75 crore) and state of Haryana (Rs. 326.75 crore).

The court in its order said," it is evident that even up to the extended period of time, the financial provision has not been achieved. We feel that present financial credentials / financial capacity of the contractors deserve to be examined by the MC. The MC can also examine the extension of time granted up to January 30,2007.

It can also examine whether acquisition date for acquisition for traffic interchange requires to be preponed and steps if any required to be taken. We are also told that possibly litigation is going on between the members of the consortium, the MC will also look into this aspect and its impact. The reason for rescheduling the date and fixing end of November for draft DPR , MC to look into these issues keeping in view the requirement of timely completion of the project." (UNI)

False cases cannot affect popularity of BSP: Mayawati

JALANDHAR, Nov 30: Alleging BJP’s game plan behind the CBI probe in the Taj Corridor case, BSP president Mayawati today said "false cases" would not help her political adversaries in arresting her party’s growth and popularity.

Speaking at a rally at the Tajpur on the outskirts of the city here, Ms Mayawati said that in the last Lok Sabha elections she had refused to succumb to the BJP’s pressure to leave 60 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in seat adjustment and this made the saffron party "unhappy".

However, in a bid to exert pressure the BJP, which was leading the Government at the Centre at that time, managed to get Supreme Court order issued for a CBI probe against her in the case.

She said the BJP alleged that her Government had committed Rs 175 crore scam in the case but the fact is that her Government had released only Rs 17 crore for the project.

Her political adversary — "pro Manu parties" — could not tarnish her image or arrest the rising popularity and support base of BSP by implicating her in false cases, she claimed.

"Let them file many more fake cases like the Taj Corridor case against me. It will not tarnish my image in fact my party will emerge stronger as it did in the last Lok Sabha elections by gaining five more seats as compared to previous parliamentary elections," Ms Mayawati said.

She said even during Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, BJP led Government at the Centre had tried to damage her party’s image in the election by conducting CBI raids at her premises just before the polls. (UNI)

Talks must continue with ULFA: Expert

GUWAHATI, Nov 30: Talks with the ULFA must continue with a compromising spirit even under violent conditions for politically resolving the insurgency in Assam, an eminent American political scientist said today.

Negotiations were vital for dealing with militancy even if peace talks continued for a long time as is the case in Sri Lanka, said Paul Wallace, a Professor Emeritus of Missouri University in the US.

Delivering a lecture on "terrorism and a comaparative approach towards conflict resolution" here last evening, he said the Government must find out what was in the mind of the extremists through talks to ultimately resolve the situation.

There has to be a spirit of compromise on the part of both negotiating groups if a solution is to be evolved, he asserted.

Insisting that the Government should be transparent in its dealings with terrorism, he warned the state could itself become a vehicle of terrorism.

Violation of human rights by the state while dealing with terrorism gives militants a situation for increasing their support among the masses as well as their cadre base, he said.

Close interaction between the people and police and sensitising security forces on issues concerning the local people and their culture is essential for preventing such a situation, Wallace said.

Restraint is also essential on the part of the state so that provisions of special anti-terror laws are not misused, frustrating their aims and objectives, he added. (PTI)