Assam Rifles bill will give more strength to force

SHILLONG, May 18:The new law to govern the functioning of the Assam Rifles will enhance the ability of the country's oldest paramilitary force to guard the Indo-Myanmar border and to act against erring personnel, its Director General Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh has said.

Expressing satisfaction at the passage of the Assam Rifles Bill 2006 in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Singh said the new legislation would also increase the "level of satisfaction" of jawans by facilitating "quick and impartial" justice.

In an interview to PTI here, Singh elaborated how his force's border guarding role would be strengthened, saying the current act of 1941 did not give the Assam Rifles some powers needed for effectively manning the frontier.

"Although we are guarding the Indo-Myanmar border, certain privileges like searching or detaining an intruder are not there in the present act," said Singh, who worked on drafting the new bill over the past two years.

The bill, which will now go to the Lok Sabha, is meant to replace the 1941 act, he said.

Stating that the new bill was modeled on the lines of acts governing other border guarding forces like the BSF and ITBP, he said the salient features of the proposed legislation would be the constitution of the Assam Rifles as an "armed force of the union" and provisions for setting up separate courts to try offences committed by its men and officials.

The force traces its origins to the Cachar Levy, which was set up by the British in 1835 to guard settlements and tea estates in the north east from marauding tribals. It was renamed the Assam Rifles to honour the contributions of its men in World War I.

Singh said the bill enacted in 1941 comprised 13 clauses mainly meant to "protect the interests of the British Government" and included provisions outlining the action to be taken in cases of desertion, absence without leave and mutiny.

Unlike the acts enacted after independence to govern other "forces of the union", it did not cover the present day requirements of the force, he said.

The new act would empower jawans and officers with privileges like appealing against their confidential reports, postings, promotions, pay and allowances through statutory and non-statutory complaints that would be handled by their commanders at various levels.

In the present act, there is no provision for taking departmental action against Assam Rifles cadre officers. The ranks of director general, additional director general, inspector generals and other senior officers were "not specified" in it.

The 1941 act defines "heinous offences" like mutiny and abandoning of posts in the face of the enemy but the personnel can be tried for such offences only by a Sessions Judge and not their higher-ups. Offences peculiar to an armed force like conduct unbecoming, absence without leave and fraudulent enrolment do not find mention in the act, he said.

The new bill has provisions for retention, custody and trial of offenders, confirmation, revision and execution of sentences, pardons and deduction of pay. It also has provisions for law officers to attend every general or petty Assam Rifles court.

Singh said the new bill, however, would not change the operational and administrative commands of the Assam Rifles, which are currently with the ministries of defence and home affairs respectively. The force is currently led mainly by officers deputed from the Army while funds are allocated to it by the Home Ministry.

He said the bill was first introduced in the 13th Lok Sabha on May 8, 2003 and referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs for examination.

The committee presented its report on the bill in Parliament on December 19, 2003. The bill was adopted with certain recommendations that were examined and considered by the government. However, the bill lapsed on the dissolution of the 13th Lok Sabha and it recently re-introduced in Parliament. (PTI)

Review pattern of funding to Central schemes: Committee

NEW DELHI, May 18:A Parliamentary Committee has recommended that the funding pattern of various Centrally-sponsored schemes should be reviewed at the earliest and an action plan formulated to provide 100 per cent grants for them during the 11th Five Year Plan.

In its 17th Report presented to the Parliament, the Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Ministry of Tribal Affairs) noted that some of the states are finding it difficult to provide 50 per cent matching grant under the CSS.

It felt that implementation of the CSS is greatly hampered when the State Government do not come forward with proposals under the scheme or find it difficult to provide their matching share.

The Committee endorsed the steps taken by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in finalising the approach paper for the 11th Five Year Plan based on their assessment of various issues pertaining to the overall development of STs as also the commitments made by the UPA Government under its NCMP.

However, the Committee desired a holistic view while formulating the approach and strategy keeping in view the fact that other Central Ministries/Departments, as well as the states and UTs are implementing the sectoral programmes and schemes pertaining to the development of the STs.

It, therefore, recommended that the Tribal Affairs Ministry should utilise the service of experts in the field of tribal development as well as from concerned Central Ministries/Departments, so that focussed attention to the needs of the tribals may fully be addressed.

The Committee also expressed concern over slashing down the budgetary allocations under plan schemes of the Ministry during the last three years and requested the Ministry to plan their expenditure in an proportionate manner so that it is evenly spread throughout the year.

It also suggested that the states/UTs should send their proposals right at the beginning of the financial year, release funds to their Tribal Welfare Departments in time, furnish quarterly progress reports as well as utilisation certificates of funds as per the provision and minimise administrative and procedural delays in releasing grants.

The Committee noted that utilisation of funds under the schemes of the Ministry during 2005-06 has been quite high with the percentage of expenditure reaching 99.5.

However, it was also concerned at the huge amount of unspent balances lying with the ministry. Out of the releases made prior to March 31, 2004, the unspent balances was Rs 868.71 crore as on March 31, 2005 which came down to Rs 484.91 crore as on December 31, 2005.

The cumulative unspent balances with states made upto December 31, 2005, was Rs 1522.90 crore as on first January, 2006, the Committee said and desired that since 2006-07 is the last year of the 10th plan, the Ministry should make sincere efforts and impress upon the State Government to utilise all the unspent balances lying with them.

It also suggested that the Ministry should pursue the Ministry of External Affairs to send the bills of overseas scholarships of ST students in time so that they could be disposed of within the financial year thereby avoiding cut at the Revised Estimate and adhering to strict fiscal discipline. (PTI)

Working group to meet in Islamabad

NEW DELHI, May 18:The working group of three nations -- India, Iran and Pakistan -- will meet in Islamabad from May 22-24 to further work out modalities for Indo-Iran gas pipeline project.

This information was given by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

The issue is being discussed by the three nations at bilateral and trilateral levels, he said adding the bilateral joint working group has met thrice and the trilateral once in this regard.

On the reported agreement between Iran and Pakistan for higher off-take of gas by Islamabad, the Minister said Iran has denied any such agreement between the two.

Replying to another question, Deora said there was no shortage of bulk LPG in the country.

However, due to shortage of LPG cylinders in some states, a wait list of new LPG connections has emerged recently in these states, he said.

As per information from Oil Marketing Companies, Deora said this wait list was expected to be liquidated in a month's time. (PTI)

Buddhadev: A new generation Communist leader

KOLKATA, May 18:Buddhadev Bhattacharjee - a new generation Communist leader - is widely regarded as the CPI-M's 'poster boy' for reforms for taking initiatives to woo capital for the rapid industrialisation of West Bengal.

The 62-year-old Bhattacharjee has been candid enough to even say that what he was doing was nothing short of Capitalism.

Assuming office after the 2001 Assembly election formally for the first time, Bhattacharjee gave the 'Do it now' slogan to improve work culture in the state.

Bhattacharjee, who had joined the first Left Front Government in the state as the minister for Information and Public Relations which was subsequently renamed as Information and Cultural Affairs, was elevated to the post of deputy Chief Minister in 1999 to share the workload with Jyoti Basu, who was getting on in years.

He succeeded Basu in the following year and had a brief stint as Chief Minister between November 2000 to May 2001 before the Assembly elections.

His hard work for the industrial rejuvenation of the state by inviting capital from home and abroad and pro-reform policies paid off in this election.

Bhattacharjee was not hesitant to admit that this was a verdict for reforms and policy of industrialisation.

He also openly expressed reservations against strikes in the fledgling IT sector in the state which faced opposition from Left trade unions.

Bhattacharjee is equally held in high esteem by the city's intelligentsia for his love for art and culture. He often spends his evenings at the state-run auditorium 'Nandan' watching his favourite films and holding absorbing discussions.

A honors graduate in Bengali from the Presidency College, Kolkata, Bhattacharjee, often quotes from the works of Tagore to contemporary poets and has authored a collection of poems and plays and translated foreign literary pieces into Bengali.

He is also a member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and the Politburo.

He was given the charge of Information and Cultural Affairs and Urban Development in the third Left Front Government.

Bhattacharjee had quit the Government in 1993 after raising the bogey of corruption during the fourth Left Front government, but rejoined it next year as Minister for Information and Cultural Affairs.

In 1996, the Home (Police) portfolio was also given to him. (PTI)

Sikhs in Haryana battle for separate Gurudwara panel

CHANDIGARH, May 18:Despite the Congress promising in its election manifesto to consider the demand for a separate Gurudwara panel, several Sikhs in Haryana are battling it out to constitute separate Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee for the state, much to the annoyance of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC).

Several members of the Sikh community in Haryana, who have already constituted Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (HSGPC-ad hoc), are leaving no stone unturned in their battle to constitute a separate Sikh committee for managing the affairs of Gurudwaras in the state.

However, SGPC chief Avtar Singh was not in favour of separate Sikh committee for Haryana. He had accused the Congress of dividing the Sikh community in the garb of a separate Gurudwara panel.

Joining issue, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Parkash Singh Badal had also supported the SGPC for opposing the demand made by Sikhs in Haryana.

The Congress Government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana had constituted a committee to decide the issue of separate Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee for the state.

The eight-member committee is headed by Agriculture minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha, an official spokesman said here.

Interestingly, the Chatha committee had been given neither a budget nor the supporting staff.

A number of those who are demanding the creation of a separate Gurudwara panel for Haryana had blocked the GT road at Kurukshetra a few days ago to protest the "indifferent" attitude of the state Government towards their demand.

Members of the state SGPC were on a chain hunger strike for over 75 days in front of the residence of Chatha to press for their demand.

HSGPC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda alleged that the state Goverment was not keen on forming a separate Sikh committee.

The State Government had passed a bill to grant Punjabi the status of second language, but the same had not been implemented, he said.

The members of the Committee of HSGPC (ad hoc) will pose questions to the ministers in the state on the issue of constitution of a separate body for the state so that by December end this year, the Chatha committee submits its report on the issue and assembly passes the bill to this effect, Jhinda, who is spearheading the battle for separate Gurudwara panel, said.

"We will ask the ministers whether they agreed that the Congress election manifesto promised constitution of a separate SGPC for Haryana", he said.

Jhinda said the issue would also be raised with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi soon. (PTI)

Vultures under the threat of extinction

NEW DELHI, May 18:Efforts to save the vultures have finally begun.

The fast dwindling vulture population received the much needed gasp of fresh air after intervention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, when he called for banning the drug diclofenac, which is responsible for the steep decline in the number of the giant birds.

To save the birds, thus started an awareness campaign among the local communities, decision-makers and veterinarians.

"Taking the problem to the grass-root level, there are TV and radio spots in local languages, educating people about the problem and ban on the drug," says Shripad Kulkarni, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) official.

Vultures are on the brink of extinction and if they continue to decline at an alarming rate, soon they may go off the ecological radar, he says.

Although, their absence from the ecosystem was felt of late, death of some forty vultures in Kaladeo National Park near Bharatpur in 1997 caught the Environmentalists unaware.

What came up in the surveys was a steep decline in the population of the giant birds in India by some 97 per cent since early 90s and in many areas, where they were abundantly and easily spotted, birds were missing altogether.

Acting to the clarion call to protect vultures, BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) with Wildlife Institute of India(WII), Poultry Diagnostic Research Centre(PDRC) and Indian Veterinary Research Institute(IVRI), initiated projects for recovery and protection of birds.

And the much needed help came from the international organisations like the Worldwide Fund for Nature(WWF), Royal Society for Protection of Birds(RSPB), Birdlife International, Zoological Survey of London(ZSL), in the form of financial support, capacity building trainings and research facilities and Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, himself.

With as many as six varieties of Vulturs, India is the biggest home to the birds.

Out of the six types namely Indian White-backed (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed (Gyps Indicus), Eurasian-griffon (Gyps fulvus), Red-handed, Cineruous and Egyptian vultures, first three are the most-affected or critically endangered now.

"Vulture deaths can occur due to many other reasons, including some natural reasons. However, these reasons did not cause sudden and rapid 'decline'. The cause of fastest decline of vultures is diclofenc," says Kulkarni.

Environmentalists agree that diclofenac, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory veterinary drug in use for decade or so has set in the destruction of the natural scavangers.

"The drug makes them suffer from visceral gout, dehydration and kidney failure. They become lethargic and die within few days of catching the infection. They can be seen with their heads hanging almost down to their feet," adds Kulkarni.

"Vultures get injected by the drug when they eat the meat of cattle that were treated with it, shortly before they die. There is good evidence that upto 10 per cent of dead cows in India have some diclofenac in their system and vets do treat large number of cows for Mastitis, limps and other problems with this drug," says Chris Bowden, Vulture Programme Director, RSPB.

Since, wiping out the drug from ecosystem will take some time, to provide safer environment to the birds, 'captive breeding centres are made, with natural conditions for thriving and breeding. Two such centre are in Pinjore (Haryana) and Buxa Tiger reserve (West Bengal).

"Conservation Breeding of these birds is very essential to save them from extinction. Simultaneously, we must create diclofenac-free environment for them in their natural habitats. And once diclofenac is banned, and wiped out from the ecosystem, birds will be reintroduced from captive breeding centres into the natural habitats," says Kulkarni.

Despite a ban been placed on the drug and an alternative safer drug 'Meloxicam' been discovered, use of cheaper diclofenac continues unabated much at the cost of environment, the consequences of which we have already started facing.

The efforts to conserve the species are not merely resting at scientific studies or surveys but there are steps taken to boost public awareness by environmental groups.

"A Vulture film titled "Vanishing vultures" has been made and is reaching people through various charity shows, there are puppetry shows organised in rural communities, but participation of people is still very low," says Kulkarni. (PTI)

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Literacy in Bihar: UNICEF paints grim picture

PATNA, May 18:Painting a grim picture of literacy level in Bihar, UNICEF assisted by the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC) has decided to launch a massive campaign to make over four lakh girls literate in one month.

UNICEF sources told PTI that the BEPC together with UNICEF would launch a massive campaign next month to teach both out-of-school grils and academically weak girls studying in schools.

"The campaign will use the accelerated learning strategy developed by Pratham, an NGO", sources said.

According to UNICEF, research has suggested that if children do not not learn to read by their first three years of schooling, they may never learn and may eventually drop out from school.

Both BEPC and UNICEF feel that these learning camps will improve enrolment and retention of girls in schools.

In all, 15,000 accelerated learning camps will be set up in over 7400 villages spread over 37 districts in the state and there will be 50-60 learners in each centre.

"Each Centre will run for four hours per day for 30 days in June and Panchayat Siksha Mitras (PSMs) who have been trained on accelerated learning strategy will be instructors", they informed.

A training for 320 master trainers from various districts would be organised from May 18 to May 21 here and these master trainers, in turn, will train 15,000 Panchayat Siksha Mitras in schools to run the accelerated learning CAMPS.

Although the learning achievement of elementary stage students in Bihar is much better than that of children in many other states, a recent study carried out by UNICEf revealed that about 41 per cent of children of 7 to 14 years can not read a simple sentences and 56 per cent of children can not read a story text.

Another UNICEF study in nine districts of Bihar in December 2005 found that only 13 per cent of the children were able to read simple sentences without any mistake.

The rest 87 per cent were not able to read anything at all or committed many mistakes.

An earlier UNICEF study has also painted extremely grim picture of all the three spheres-- primary, secondary and higher education, revealing that a teacher barely spends two months of the year in the classrooms in Bihar.

While there is no mechanism for the moniroting of teachers' performance, they are mostly involved in non-academic work, like government duty, which leads to poor attendance.

Another major factor is the huge shortage of class rooms. Against the requirement of 3,79,089 class rooms, as per the national norm (40:1), there are just 1,43,027 available- 1,99, 014 less, the report says.

Though there was some improvement in the quality of primary education due to the introduction of Bihar Education Project, District Primary Education Project, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and mid-day meal schemes, the Government could not not execute most of the Central schemes.

It had failed to get the second installment of the grant an any year due to non-utilisation of funds. (PTI)

Oppn questions Govt's rejection of Mukherjee panel's report

NEW DELHI, May 18:Questioning Government's rejection of the Mukherjee Commission's report on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's disappearance in 1945, Left parties and the Opposition today demanded reasons for turning down the panel's finding that he was not killed in a plane crash.

Responding to the plea, also made by UPA allies RJD and SP, in the Lok Sabha for a full discussion on the Commission's conclusions, Government made it clear that it had no objection to a structured debate on the issue.

The main contention of these parties was that the Government had failed to give any reason while disagreeing with the findings of Justice M K Mukherjee Commission which also inferred that the ashes in Japan's Renkoji Temple were not that of Netaji, who had fought the British during World War II.

Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said the Government was of the view that a structured discussion should take place during which it would give its reply to issues raised by the members.

"Two Commissions had been established earlier but this (Mukherjee) Commission was set up as the earlier (NDA) Government rejected their findings...This is nothing new.. All points will come up during the discussion which should be a structured one," Mukherjee said, regretting that allegations were being made against the Government without hearing its views.

Forward Bloc member Subrata Bose, a nephew of Netaji, wanted "detailed reasons and explanation" from the Government for its "cryptic one line" Action Taken Report (ATR) disagreeing with the findings of the panel.

"Netaji was my uncle but he belongs to the whole of India and whether he is alive or dead does not matter. He lives in the heart of the people," Bose said.

He demanded, along with other Left members, that the House may be extended by a day beyond May 23 for a debate on the issue.

Raising the matter after Question Hour, Samajwadi Party's Ramjilal Suman said the Government, without taking the House into confidence, had rejected the report of the panel, which was set up by the NDA regime in 1999, and demanded a full discussion on it.

Joining him, BJP's Deputy Leader V K Malhotra, CPI-M's Basudeb Acharia and Rupchand Pal, RJD's D P Yadav, SP's Mohan Singh, Prubhunath Singh (JD-U), BJD's B Mehtab, BSP's Ilyas Azmi and Anant Geete (Shiv Sena) were all of the view that a detailed discussion on Government's stand and the panel's report should be held.

Malhotra said Netaji had problems with the Congress at that time and rejection of the Mukherjee Commission's report by the UPA regime was "an injustice" to the Indian National Army leader.

"The curtain on how Netaji disappeared should be lifted," he said asking the Government to throw light on whether Bose was there in Russia.

Hitting back at the Opposition, which charged the Government with creating "more confusion" on Netaji's disappearance, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi questioned why the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had gone to Renkoji Temple and paid tributes to the ashes if he did not not believe that these were of Netaji.

At the same time, Dasmunsi made it clear that Government had no problem on a discussion in the House on the panel's conclusions.

The BJP-led Opposition wanted the Government to provide information to the House and full facts on Netaji's disappearance.

Azmi claimed that Netaji had lived in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh as a sadhu known as "Gumnami Baba" and he had seen him in the railway station there.

The Commission's report, tabled by the Government in Parliament yesterday, has stated that Bose "is dead", "he did not die in the plane crash, as alleged", "the ashes in the Japanese temple are not of Netaji" and that "in the absence of any clinching evidence a positive answer cannot be given" to the terms of reference.

The views of the Government were given in an Action Taken Report (ATR) along with the three-volume report of the Commission to inquire into the circumstances concerning departure of Bose from Bangkok in August 1945, his reported death in an air crash and subsequent developments connected therewith.

The ATR said the Government has examined the Commission's report submitted to it on November 8 last year "in detail and has not agreed with the findings that -- Netaji did not die in a plane crash and the ashes in the Renkoji Temple were not of Netaji".(PTI)

170 airports non-operational in country

NEW DELHI, May 18:As many as 170 out of the 454 airports and airstrips available in the country were non-operational, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Replying to a written question, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said as per the records available with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), there are 454 airports and airstrips in India out of which 170 airports are non-operational.

Of the non-operational airports and airstrips, 87 belonged to various State Governments, 44 to defence and five were private airports while 34 belonged to the AAI, he said.

Indian Airlines cargo: Indian Airlines proposes to convert five boeing B-737 aircraft, at present operated by the Alliance Air, into cargo planes at an average conversion cost of approximately 1.5 million dollars, patel said in reply to another question.

He said the Indian Airlines planned to operate these freighter services with Nagpur as the hub and Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai as originating stations.

AAI: The value of the gross block of AAI as on April one, 2005 was Rs 5265.35 crore and the total value of gross block of Delhi and Mumbai Airports as on April one, 2005 was Rs 847.22 crore and Rs 911.47 crore resepectively, he said.

Pilots: While there was no proposal to recover the training cost from the pilots joining Air India or Air India Express, the international flag carrier had accepted post-dated cheques of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 16 lakh respectively from the pilots in case they failed to serve the organisation for a period less than five year, Patel said. (PTI)

BJD MP donates salary for potable water in his constituency

NEW DELHI, May 18:Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Brahmananda Panda has donated his salary to facilitate provision of potable water to the people of his constituency in Orissa.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has approved the request of Mr Panda to divert his monthly salary of Rs 12,000 till the end of his term to the District Magistrate of Jagatsinghpur in coastal Orissa.

As desired by Mr Panda, his salary might be sent to the District Magistrate of Jagatsinghpur for making provision of potable water and good health care for the poor and needy, said the letter from the LOk Sabha secretariat.

Jagatsinghpur is prone to cyclone and floods due to its proximity to the sea. Most of the people are poor and the economy had been crippled since the super-cyclone hit the district in 1999, he said in a letter to the Speaker.

Mr Panda, a first timer in Lok Sabha, is an advocate at Orissa High Court in Cuttack. (UNI)

UP failed to popularise birth control measures: CAG

LUCKNOW, May 18:The latest report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Uttar Pradesh Government for failing to implement permanent birth control measures and blamed the low level of participation of politicians and community leaders for the poor show.

The Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme in the state —a fully centrally funded scheme — was implemented in April, 1998. "the major reasons for short achievement were slack financial management, failure to popularise permanent birth control measures and promote safe and institutional deliveries, shortage of auxiliary nurses and midwives and low level participation of political and community leaders," the report tabled in the ongoing session of the State Legislature pointed.

The report said while the monitoring mechanism was not effective, the efforts to create awareness among the target population were also inadequate.

The CAG also slammed the State Government for the failure to implement properly the integrated child development services iii programme which was launched in UP in 1999-2000.

"Establishment expenditure constituted 56 per cent of the project expenditure on the three key services: nutrition, health and education to children. The servies suffered as a result of this." (UNI)

Setting up of consular general office in Karachi mooted

NEW DELHI, May 18:New Delhi today asked Islamabad to reciprocate its policy of providing easy visa facilities to Pakistani citizens.

Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said India had already made it easy for Pakistani citizens to travel to India by allowing private agencies to undertake collection of visa forms in Lahore and Islamabad.

"It is for the Pakistani authorities to do that as we have made it easy for the people of Pakistan to visit India," he said replying to supplementaries during question hour.

Pleading helplessness in providing easy visa access for pilgrims going to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, Ahamed told Nirmala Deshpande (nom) that it was for Pakistan to look into the matter.

"I share the concern of the member," the minister said

The member wanted that pilgrims travelling to the Sikh shrine in Pakistan be provided visa at entry points.

Ahamed said as per existing visa procedures, nationals of India and Pakistan are required to possess valid visas for visiting each other’s country, which are to be obtained before departure.

In India, visas are issued only by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, he said adding the two countries were considering setting up of consular general office in Karachi and Mumbai. (PTI)