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SC issues notices to all states medical councils on doctors’ strike...........

One in every five arrested is a habitual offender

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: One in every five arrested in the national capital have been caught committing crimes more than once, government statistics revealed.

Bigger states like Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had very less habitual offenders among those arrested in 2006 while the union territories of Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli did not have any such arrest.

Out of the total 54,198 persons arrested in Delhi under various charges of the IPC, a whopping 43,674 were new to the ‘world of crime’ while 10,524 had committed offences more than once.

According to the statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2006, there were 1,249 arrested persons in the capital who were convicted at least three times or more than that.

While 6,443 (11.9 per cent) of the arrested were convicted once, 2,832 (5.2 per cent) were convicted twice, the statistics revealed.

Other cities which have a higher number of habitual offenders were Jamshedpur(592), Bhopal (399), Hyderabad (385) and Jabalpur (269).

Around 68.8 per cent of those arrested in Jamshedpur were habitual offenders followed by Indore (58.3 per cent) and Jabalpur (50.2 per cent).

"The fight between haves and have-nots is one of the causes for relapsing into crime by criminals. Consumerism and the existing socio-economic scenario are the cause for increasing crimes," psychologist Sameer Parekh said.

While 1,80,446 persons in Bihar were arrested under various charges of the Indian Penal Code, only 5,121 were convicted earlier and this included 56 people who were convicted thrice or more.

In Maharashtra, out of a total of 2,90,546 arrested persons in 2006, only 10,884 (3.7 per cent) were habitual offenders. Among the 10,884 offenders, 378 were convicted thrice or more.

Uttar Pradesh had arrested 5,950 habitual offenders which included 215 who were convicted thrice or more. The total number of those arrested in the state is 2,17,758.

There was a decline of 8.7 per cent in the number of habitual offenders in 2006, with 2,32,182 such arrests compared to 2,34,219 in 2005, the data said.

Out of the total 26,53,683 arrests, 24,21,506 (91.3 per cent) were first time offenders while 1,73,421 (6.5 per cent) were convicted once.

Only 0.5 per cent, that is 14,453, were convicted three times or more. The figure for 2005 is 16,534.

Mizoram has reported the highest recidivism (habit of relapsing into crimes) of 46.2 per cent of the total 2,215 arrested being habitual offenders.

Among those arrested in the state, 320 were convicted once, 407 twice and 297 convicted thrice or more.

The statistics revealed that in 2002 and 2004, there was an increase in the number of habitual offenders, the next two years showed a decline in the trend. (PTI)

Vidya Stokes elected CLP leader

SHIMLA, Jan 10: Senior state leader Vidya Stokes, who enjoys good rapport with AICC president Sonia Gandhi, was today elected leader of Congress Legislature Party in Himachal Pradesh state assembly.

Stokes has been elected CLP leader in Himachal Pradesh, Congress working committee member and party in-charge of the state R K Dhawan told reporters after a meeting of the 23 newly elected party MLAs here.

Congress general secretary Mohsina Kidwai was present at the meeting as an AICC observer.

Dhawan said veteran Congress leader and outgoing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had declined to shoulder the responsibility of the CLP leader.

Stokes, who is in late 80s, is considered a rival of Singh. She was power minister in the last cabinet.

Stokes, who won from Kumarsain assembly constituency in Shimla district by a small margin of over 1000 votes this time, had given tough challenge to Singh to become Chief Minister of the state after Congress’ victory in 2003. But, since Singh enjoyed support of majority of MLAs, she lost the race to the latter.

Stokes had earlier served as CLP leader during Prem Kumar Dhumal’s first tenure as chief minister from 1998 to 2003.

Though Dhawan claimed Stokes’ election was unanimous, party insiders on condition of anonymity said majority MLAs were in favour of Singh’s confidant Kaul Singh Thakur as CLP leader. But they had to give in due to strong directives of the high command in favour of stokes. (PTI)

CIC asks ONGC to respond for not providing job

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked ONGC Chairman to give reasons for failing to stand upto the company’s assurance to employ a member of a family whose land was acquired by the company way back in 1983 for a project.

Concerned over allegations raised by a Mumbai-resident Ramakant P Naik, Information Commissioner M M Ansari asked the oil PSU to re-examine the case and observed: "a public authority like ONGC ought to exercise utmost care in carrying out its socio-economic responsibilities."

Naik invoked his right to information to know from ONGC reasons for not providing his son employment, despite a promise made to him. While compensation in lieu of the acquired land was given to him, the job was not given despite interviews being conducted for the same.

The CIC said "In a democratic society like ours, a breach of confidence between individuals and Government or its instrumentalities may lead to mass resentment against public policies. It may even incite violence, which would retard the process of development and even destabilise democratic setup."

Rejecting ONGC’s contention that the matter was pending before a court of law as the applicant had preferred a PIL on the matter, the Commission said that merely approaching the court to seek a legal relief could not be made out a reason to deny the information to an aggrieved person.

In a similar case, a person from Murshidabad in West Bengal whose land was acquired, had approached the CIC over NTPC’s refusal to provide him a copy of field survey report conducted by it, to look into grievances of 42 persons who were promised employment by the company.

The NTPC had promised jobs to those persons in lieu of their lands being acquired by the company for their Farakka project that commenced in 1979.

While NTPC had denied any knowledge of such reports, the applicant brought before the Commission’s notice relevant documents to claim that such a survey report was prepared in 2005 at the instance of the Government.

Information Commissioner Ansari has directed NTPC to make fresh attempts to search for the report and furnish its copy to the applicant within a month failing which a high powered inquiry could be instituted to unearth the truth. (PTI)

Amarinder appears in court

LUDHIANA, Jan 10: Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh appeared before a court here for the first time in connection with the multi-crore Ludhiana City Centre scandal (LCC) that rocked the state ahead of the last assembly polls.

Amidst tight security arrangements, the former Chief Minister and other accused appeared before the District and Sessions Judge G K Rai. Scores of Congress workers were also present in the court premises.

Singh and others were provided the copy of chargesheet by the court under section 173 of CrPC (code of criminal procedure).

The court read out the 106-page copy of chargesheet filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau against the beleaguered Congress leader and others.

Besides Singh, his son Raninder Singh, son-in-law Raminder Singh and former local bodies minister Choudhary Jagjit Singh received the copy of police chargesheet filed against them.

Out of the total 37 people accused in the LCC scandal, one Parmajit Singh Sibia, who is former chairman of Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) had already been declared proclaimed offender by the court.

Some officials of Delhi-based company Today Homes are also among those figuring in the chargesheet filed by police. The company had to execute the project in Ludhiana.

The accused in the case are facing alleged charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, forgery for valuable security, forgery for purpose of cheating and using as genuine documents, criminal conspiracy and prevention of corruption act.

After Badal assumed charge, Singh along with others was booked by the state vigilance bureau with in three weeks for allegedly violating all norms in patronising and abetting the dilution of terms and conditions for favouring a particular party in executing the city centre project at Ludhiana.

However, Amarinder got interim bail from the Punjab and Haryana high court at Chandigarh with condition that he was on bail till filing of chargesheet by police. The court had also directed Amarinder to move the trial court at Ludhiana to seek bail. (PTI)

Rajnath takes out Kisan Yatra from Bapu’s soil

SEVAGRAM, MAHARASHTRA, Jan 10: A resurgent BJP, on a high after the poll victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, today questioned the Congress’ commitment towards ‘aam aadmi’ as its president began a ‘Kisan Yatra’ in Maharashtra’s farmer-suicide hit Vidarbha region.

Kickstarting his two-day yatra from Bapu Kuti, Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in this town near Nagpur, Singh held the Congress squarely responsible for the lack of development in the country and the distress in agricultural sector.

In his address that sounded more like an election speech, the BJP chief promised series of sops to farmers, including implementation of the farm income insurance scheme, if the party comes to power at the Centre in the next Lok Sabha elections.

"A wave of change is sweeping the country. It was evident when BJP won four states in 2007. Everybody now knows the mood of the people. BJP will come to power after the next Lok Sabha elections," he said.

The ‘Yatra’ seeking to highlight the plight of peasants criss-crossed through Vidarbha and will cover farmer-suicide hit districts of Wardha, Akola, Washim and Amaravati before concluding in Yavatmal tomorrow.

No leaders of Shiv Sena, the party oldest ideological ally, attended the launch of the BJP chief’s yatra.

Singh lashed out at Congress-led UPA Government saying, "the country is not safe under the rule of those where farmers, poor and downtrodden section of the society and labourers are committing suicide."

Invoking the Father of the Nation’s name, he also attacked the Gandhi-Nehru family on the Ram Setu issue.

"Gandhiji used to chant ‘Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram’ and believed in the concept of ‘Ram Rajya’. Even his last words when he fell to an assassin’s bullet was ‘Hey Ram’. If Lord Ram does not exist, was Gandhiji wrong?" Singh asked.

"There are so many leaders in the Congress who have Gandhi as their surname. But these people are questioning Lord Ram’s existence," he said.

The BJP chief said he decided to launch the yatra from Sevagram because Mahatma Gandhi was of the view that India lives in its villages and the country cannot fulfill its dream of becoming a developed nation unless farmers are empowered.

"This Government is only bothered about the rise in sensex while the chasm between the rich and the poor is widening. Congress is solely responsible for India not becoming a developed nation even after 60 years of independence because it had ruled the country for the majority of the years.

We followed the Russian model of planned economy initially and are now trying to emulate the American model of liberalised economy," Singh said.

He demanded that agricultural loans be provided to farmers at four per cent interest and implementation of farm income insurance scheme, conceived by the previous NDA Government, and promised to implement these if BJP returns to power at the Centre.

Singh also promised to include irrigation in the concurrent list which is presently in the state list so that Centre can frame policies that will benefit the farming community.

He also trained his guns at Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for importing wheat at higher prices and demanded that loans of farmers in distress be waived. (PTI)

Jharkhand, 4 NE states not covered
under delimitation:Cabinet

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: The Centre today decided to go in for an Ordinance to enforce the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission on the redrawing of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in all the states, except Jharkhand and four North-Eastern states-Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

In the North-Eastern states, the delimitation exercise could not be completed because of local resentment and a court stay, while in Jharkhand the number of reserved constituencies was being sought to be reduced which was against the Government policy, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Ordinance, which would have to be approved by the President, would cover 24 states where the exercise had been completed.

Asked whether Karnataka would have Assembly elections, expected in about five months, in redrawn constituencies, he said the Election Commission had the authority in this regard.

The Cabinet also approved another Ordinance proposal to enable the Railways to acquire land expeditiously for railway projects. A Bill would be introduced in Parliament during the Budget Session of Parliament to replace the Ordinance, Mr Dasmunsi said. (UNI)

Uphaar case: HC issues notice to Ansals

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: The Delhi High court today issued notices to convicted Ansal brothers and three others, including the CBI, on a petition filed by families of the victims of the Uphaar tragedy.

Justice H R Malhotra, admitting the revision petition of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), seeking enhancement of punishment awarded to theatre owners Gopal and Sushil Ansal, two MCD officials S S Sharma and N D Tiwari and Delhi Fire Service staff H S Panwar, asked them to respond to the notices by January 21.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for AVUT, submitted that there was enough evidence for convicting Ansal brothers and three others under Section 304 Part II (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC, which attracts maximum punishment of 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

On Tuseday, AVUT had approached the High Court seeking enhancement of punishment of two-year jail sentence awarded to Ansal brothers and three others in the fire tragedy case.

A trial court had convicted all the 12 accused under various provisions of the IPC for causing death of 59 cinegoers who were asphyxiated during the screening of the Hindi blockbuster ‘Border’ inside Uphaar cinema on June 13, 1997. (PTI)

Modern techniques to be adopted for water resources

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved several schemes to promote research and development in the water sector with an outlay of Rs 295 crores for the 11^{th
plan.}

^{Speaking to
reporters after the CCEA meeting, Finance
Minister P Chidambaram said that this will help
undertake and promote research activity for
addressing challenges in the water sector by
adopting modern techniques and technology and
upgrading the exisiting}

^facilities.

^{This will
involve the research institutions of the State
Governments and various academic instituions and
other research centres in the water sector.}

^{The move will
also benefit the development of technology to
improve the efficiency of the water resources
systems, reduce risk in water resources projects
and adopt economic design of water resources
projects.}

^{This will
also help in preparation of manuals, guidelines
and updation of BIS codes in the light of
research findings, Mr Chidambaram added. (UNI)}

Submarine collides with merchant vessel

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: A submarine of the Indian Navy collided with a merchant vessel off the Mumbai coast on Monday in which the aerial radar tower of the undersea vessel was damaged.

But there was no human casualty, defence sources said.

The submarine ‘Ins Sindhughosh’ collided with merchant vessel ‘M V Leeds’, 140 nautical kms off Mumbai coast in which the submarine’s aerial radar tower suffered superficial damage, defence sources said here.

There were 53 sailors on board the submarine but there was no casuaty in either vessel, the sources said. (PTI)

SC issues notices to all states medical
councils on doctors’ strike

NEW DELHI, Jan 10: The Supreme Court today issued notices to the medical councils of all the states on a petition seeking action against doctors who go on strike, violating the oath taken by them at the time of joining the profession for never neglecting the patient.

A bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam issued notices following the statement made by counsel for Medical Council for India (MCI) that only State Medical Councils can take action against the doctors for violating the oath as the latter are enrolled with their respective State Councils.

Petitioner organisation, ‘people for better treatment’, represented by senior counsel Dr Rajiv Dhavan as Amicus Curaie, also sought directions from the court that emergency services in hospitals must be exempted from the strike and must remain functional during the strike.

The counsel for the petitioner also contended that doctors in Government hospitals have been fast developing a tendency to go on strike at the drop of a hat, leaving the patients in the lurch which was brazen violation of the oath taken by a doctor at the start of his career. No action has been taken against any doctor till date for violating the oath, he said.

The petitioner also submitted before the court that strike by doctors must be discouraged as it involved the survival of patients who were legally entitled for immediate medical aid and treatment. (UNI)