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AFSPA
must not come in the way
of the amrmed forces:
GOC-in-C
KOLKATA,
Dec 16: The
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was an
‘absoulte imperative’ for the Army to
operate in troubled areas, but some amendments to
it were acceptable as long as these meet the
requirements of the armed forces, GOC-in-C
Eastern Command Lt Gen Arvind Sharma said today.
"The act is
an absolute imperative because without legal
support the forces will find it difficult to work
in the troubled areas," Sharma told newsmen
after the wreath-laying ceremony at the Vijay
Smarak on the occasion of Vijay Diwas.
Referring to the
demand for amendments to the AFSPA now
implemented in Manipur, he said "certain
amendments to the act had been recommended and
those are under consideration of the Government.
As long as those keep to our requirements, we do
not have any problem."
To a question, he
said that there was a need for a change of
ceasefire ground rules in Nagaland.
"Recommendations on these have been given to
the Government and are being considered."
On the recent
explosions by the ULFA in Assam, Sharma said
these have been carried out by the outfit which
is under pressure by the armed forces to prove it
was "alive and kicking" too much should
not be read into this, he added.
Asked whether the
Army wanted more roads along the Chinese border
in the wake of the neighbouring country’s
infrastructure build-up on its side of the
border, Sharma said that on the Indian side, the
infrastructure was adequate.
A group of
Bangladeshi ‘Mukti Yoddhas’ led by
Major Rafiqul Islam was also present at the
ceremony. (PTI)
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Carpet
company bags 2nd prize at national
exhibition
SRINAGAR,
Dec 16: A local carpet unit
has been awarded second prize at a national level
exhibition organised by Khadi and Village
Industries Corporation (KVIC), Maharashtra, an
official spokesman said here today.
The unit,
Madeena Carpets of Anantnag district, financed by
Jammu and Kashmir KVIC won the prize at the
exhibition which concluded yesterday, the
spokesman said.
He said the
unit is providing employment to more than 150
skilled workers of the district.
Meanwhile, a
carpet exhibition-cum-sale opened at Murran in
Pulwama district today.
Inaugurating
the exhibition, District Development Commissioner
Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo said there was a need to give
boost to the handicrafts industry which would not
only provide income to the people but also
provide employment avenues.
He said
Kashmir is known for its handicrafts and the
skillful designs have given a unique identity to
the handicrafts items of the state. He said a
good number of people are associated with
handicraft industry in the state.
A spokesman
of handicrafts departement, meanwhile, said 18
advanced training centres and 23 primary training
centres are functioning in the district in which
about 1000 people are provided training and Rs
15.85 lakh were provided as stipend to them.
The
exhibition cum sale will remain open for the
public during working hours for next few days,
the spokesman said. (PTI)
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25
pc energy can be saved through conservation
measures: Experts
HISAR,
Dec 16: There
is a lot of potential of saving more than 25 per
cent of the total available electricity in
Haryana by adopting conservation measures.
This was revealed
by the power engineers on the second day of the
four-day Electricity Conservation Fair organised
by the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN)
here today.
According to the
engineers, the Haryana Power Utilities are making
all efforts to add installed generating capacity
and strengthening power transmission and
distribution system, involving huge cost, so as
to solve the chronic inadequacies in power
supply.
Energy efficiency
can contribute considerably to reduce the gap
between supply and demand, as for every unit of
energy saved an equivalent to 1.3 unit of energy
is generated, they said.
Haryana is
predominantly an agricultural state and farming
is largely dependent on electricity run
tubewells, the engineers pointed out. Inspite of
the issues related to depletion of ground water
table, Haryana has highest density of
agricultural pump-sets that is about 10 tubewells
per sq km.
As per the
statistics, there are over 4.6 lakh irrigation
pump-sets in Haryana. Around 40 per cent of the
total available electricity in the state is being
used for running of these pump-sets.
Studies have shown
that significant energy saving (25 to 30 percent)
could be achieved through correct design and
operation of irrigation pump-sets, the engineers
observed during the discussions.
Efficient use of
domestic and commercial electrical gadgets, use
of non-conventional energy for lighting, cooking
and water heating can lead to saving of electric
energy to a considerable extent, the engineers
felt. The Energy Conservation Act has provision
for mandatory minimum efficiency standards and
energy star labeling for equipment and
appliances, following which the Union Government
has launched a scheme of labeling of electric
gudgets and equipment.
Energy efficiency
labels and standards for appliances, equipments
and lighting offer a huge opportunity to improve
efficiency and energy labels empower consumers to
informed-choices about the products that would
lead to conservation of electricity, the power
engineers added. (UNI)
Homage
paid to martyrs of 1971 war on Vijay Diwas
NEW
DELHI, Dec 16: Defence Minister A K Antony today
led a grateful nation in paying homage to the
martyrs of the 1971 Indo-Pak war on Vijay Diwas
today.
Mr Antony, along
with Minister of State for Defence Production Rao
Inderjit Singh and the three Services Chiefs laid
wreaths at Amar Jawan Jyoti in India Gate in
memory of the brave soldiers who died fighting
for the country 35 years ago.
It was on this day
in 1971 that the Indian Army, the Air Force and
the Navy together won a historic victory over the
Pakistani forces, leading to the formation of
Bangladesh.
It was also on
this day that the largest military surrender
after World War II took place. About 90,000
Pakistani soldiers laid down their arms when the
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern
Command, Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora accepted the
instrument of surrender from Lt Gen A A K Niazi
of the Pakistan Army at Dhaka.
India Gate saw a
flury of activities as people thronged Amar Jawan
Jyoti to offer floral tributes to the martyrs.
A cultural
programme was presented by the NCC Cadets
followed by a Tri-Service band display at the
National Stadium.
A Tri-Service Band
concert was held yesterday at India Gate from
1730 hrs to 1900 hrs. The performance will be
repeated today and tomorrow as well. (UNI)
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‘Forensic
evidence is most onclusive form of evidence’
MUMBAI,
Dec 16:
The Forensic evidence is the best and the
most conclusive form of evidence that the law
machinery depends on for investigating a crime
and to nail the guilty, Mumbai joint commissioner
of police (law & order) Mr Arup Patnaik said
here today.
He was speaking at
a seminar organised by St Xavier’s college
at Mahapalika Marg in south Mumbai.
The students
questioned Mr Patnaik on various procedures of
law and he patiently explained the importance of
narco analysis, finger print analysis, DNA
analysis and the latest lie-detector test.
"When a
person is questioned on a subject unpleasant to
him, there is a reaction in his body, like a
change in the rate of heart beat, pulse, dilation
of the pupils etc. This is what we detect by
attaching various electronic nodes to his body
and determine if he is lying," he explained.
But the lie
detector test, narco analysis and brain mapping
tests, just give a lead to the investigation and
are not conclusive in nature. Whereas, forensic
tests are conclusive and undisputable unless
tampered with, he noted.
"In case of
narco analysis test, chemicals have to be
injected into the subject’s body and crooks
have been avoiding it by taking relief in some
provisions of the Constitution that provides that
a person cannot be forced to be a witness against
himself. Therefore the findings of these tests
are disregarded in Court," Mr Patnaik
lamented.
But the Courts
have now become more supportive and a section of
the Criminal Procedure code provides that the
accused has to go through certain tests necessary
for the investigation, whether he likes it or
not, he pointed out.
"Forensic
tests also bring to light realities in cases of
custodial deaths and police encounters", he
observed.
While confessions
recorded by a police officer are not admissible
as evidence before a Court of law, forensic tests
can vindicate the findings of the investigations
and nail the guilty, Mr Patnaik concluded. (UNI)
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Chandraswamy
charged with illegal
acquisition of foreign
exchange
NEW
DELHI, Dec 16: A City Court has ordered framing of
charges against tantrik Chandraswamy and two
others of illegal acquisition of foreign
exchange.
The prosecution
alleged that during the year 1992 Chandraswamy
and Vikram Singh had acquired foreign exchange
worth US dollars 10,500 from a person other than
authorised dealer, without the previous or
special permission of Reserve Bank of India. It
is alleged that Chandraswamy and Vikram Singh
illegally acquired the foreign exchange
equivalent to Rs 30 lakh transferred to them by
one Prakash Chandra Yadav.
The Patiala House
Court has gone through the various documents and
also the pre-charged evidence to show that all
the persons did not furnish any general or
special permission of the RBI despite being given
an opportunity.
The Court said
there is a sufficient material on the basis of
which it can be proved that the accused persons
have violated the provisions of Section 8 (1) of
Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) punishable
under Section 56 of FERA. (UNI)
IGP
declines to comment on rape victim turning
hostile
CHANDIGARH,
Dec 16:
Chandigarh Police Inspector General of Police
(IGP) S K Jain today declined to make any comment
on the rape victim, who had accused SAD MLA
Gaganjit Singh Barnala of raping her, turning
hostile in a local court yesterday.
Answering
questions at his year-end press conference here
today, Jain declined to make any comment saying
the case is sub-judice.
Deposing before
Additional Sessions Judge R K Sondhi here
yesterday the woman told the court that she was
never raped by Gaganjit, who is a son of Tamil
Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, and that she
sustained injuries after she fell from a bicycle
on her way to the MLAs residence here.
Declining to make
any comment on newsmen’s observation that
the investigations had not been done in a proper
manner or the rape victim was not given adequate
security, Jain said that Chandigarh Police would
do its best to take the case to its logical end.
The court had adjourned the case to January 29.
Jain said that he
would not disclose to the media the future course
of action in the case. "We will present all
available evidences in the case before us to the
court," the IGP added.
On the question of
security to the rape victim, he said that
Chandigarh Police had no role in it as the Punjab
Police provided the security cover to the woman.
The woman, a
resident of Naya Gaon in Punjab near here, who
worked as a maid at the Akali leader’s
residence, had alleged that the MLA raped her in
August. (PTI)
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Students
adopts ‘Gandhiri’ to press for their
demand
RANCHI,
Dec 16:
Peeved over holding over university polls, a
students’ union of the Ranchi University has
adopted "Gandhigiri" to press for th
elections.
The
representatives of Jharkhand Student Vikas Morcha
met the Vice-chancellor Prof A A Khan yesterday
and presented him bouquets with a request to
convene early elections.
Some members
sporting the Gandhi cap, made famous by
politicians, even garlanded Khan.
The union leaders
said they would continue with
‘Gandhigiri’ till the elections were
held.
The university was
serious to hold early elections and an amendment
proposal to the students union elections had been
sent to the human resources department, sources
said. Elections would take place as soon as the
university received the clearance, the sources
added. (PTI)
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Subsidised
lamps for villagers who consume less power
SRINAGAR,
Dec 16: The
State Government has decided to provide lamps on
subsidised rates to villagers who consume less
electricity in the frontier district of Kupwara
in an effort to encourage people to utilise power
judiciously.
Kupwara District
Development Commissioner Abdul Majeed Khanday
made the announcement today while addressing a
meeting of district advisory committee for
renewable energy sources.
He said one
village from each block which consumes less
electricity would be provided lamps on subsidised
rates.
Khanday also said
three micro-hydro projects would be constructed
at Kupwara by the department of science and
technology to augment power supply in the
district.
He said money to
the tune of Rs four lakh is being spent for
providing compact fluorescent lamps to 11
villages of the district by the Science and
Technology department. (PTI)
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India
needs $60 bn for housing in urban areas: Montek
NEW
DELHI, Dec 16: With more people moving to
cities to partake in the economic growth feast,
pressure is likely on dwelling space for which
India needs to put together USD 60 billion to
build housing facilities in urban areas.
"There is a
shortage of 25 million houses in the urban areas
and in order to fill this gap, there is a need of
60 billion dollars," Planning Commission
Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said,
while addressing the concluding session of the
Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing
and Human Settlements here.
He said not much
efforts were made in providing services in the
past 50 years to enable the nation cope up with
growing urbanisation.
The Deputy
Chairman made it clear that huge investment
required to ensure infrastructure in the rural
areas cannot be met by the Centre alone and as
such there was an express need to secure funds
from the states.
"However, a
faster growth rate would mean that pressure would
be there on the system to provide a more
inclusive growth."
Ahluwalia warned
that the Asia-Pacific region was experiencing
rapid growth and a larger number of countries
joining this region would have to face increased
urbanisation problem due to the pace of
structural change.
According to data
compiled by the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation, the country would face a
shortage of 26.53 million dwelling units during
the 11th Plan period, while in the next year
the shortage has been estimated at 24.71 million.
(PTI)
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Over
1000 villagers displaced due to indiscriminate
firing
IMPHAL,
Dec 16: Over
1000 villagers have been displaced due to
indiscriminate firing at some hill area in
interior Chandel district of Manipur during the
ongoing combing operation to flush out
insurgents, official reports from the district
said today.
Reports said over
1000 inhabitants of Dingpi, Khengjoi and
surrounding villages bordering Myanmar fled to
nearby Molcham village where they were being
given shelter at Molcham community hall, about
150 kms south-east of here.
A team of
mediapersons who visited Molcham were told that
the villagers left their homes due to random
firing of mortar and artillery in different
villages in the interior hilly areas by security
forces who have intensified search operation in
the past few days.
Villagers who
spoke to the mediapersons said they feared
casualties because of indiscriminate firing by
security men if they continued to stay in their
villages. Photos of villalgers with their
belongings on their backs were splashed in all
major dailies in Manipur today.
Official sources
said security forces had intensified the search
operation to flush out insurgents of Manipur
People’s Party (MPA), armed wing of the
United National Liberation Front (UNLF), in the
past few days from interior Khengjoi hill range
in the district.
Running gunbattles
between MPA and security personnel had been
reported from the area since December 6, sources
said, adding the UNLF had set up some camps in
the interior areas bordering Myanmar.
Sources said India
had earlier urged the Myanmar forces for a joint
operation but whether the present combing
operation involved Myanmar army personnel was not
known. (PTI)
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Five
arrested in connection with Papiya Ghosh murder
PATNA,
Dec 16: Police
today claimed to have cracked the high-profile
murder case of Patna university professor Papiya
Ghosh and her maid with the arrest of five
persons in the wee hours.
The culprits, who
were arrested from Balupar locality in Digha
police station limits of the state capital, have
confessed to their crime, the police told PTI.
Ghosh, a spinster,
and her septuagenarian maid servant Malti were
found murdered with multiple stab injuries at the
professor's residence at Pataliputra colony area
on December 3.
When contacted, IG
(Patna zone) Rajwardhan Sharma confirmmed the
arrest of five persons but refused to disclose
their identities, saying they were being
interrogated.
Around 15 suspects
were rounded up for interrogation, including the
five who have been arrested.
The car of the
slain professor, computer and clothes were
recovered during the night-long raids conducted
by the police for arresting the culprits.
Sources said
finger-print experts have reached the Pataliputra
police station to collect samples from the car in
order to match them with those taken from the
place of occurrence.
The killing of
Ghosh, daughter of an IAS officer, who too had
died of poisoning some 50 years ago, have
triggered widespread public outrage with students
and teachers taking out candle light processions
and her sister Tuktuk Ghose, an IAS officer on
special duty to Lok Sabha speaker Somnath
Chatterjee, had taken up the issue with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
The matter led to
the boycott of proceedings of the state Assembly
by the opposition on December 11. (PTI)
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