Sir,
Refer news item, ‘Drug cartels’ hell bent to spoil young generation in J&K ‘DE March 24.
There are two sides of the news item. And both-these are quite disturbing to us the people of this State. First, drug addiction among youth is a great threat to social set up of the society. The youth whether males or females fall prey to this addiction.
These drugs not only inflict damage on the minds and souls of youth who consume it but breaks families.
According to a survey conducted by an NGO which runs a de-addiction centre at Khanyar in Srinagar, Kashmir has around 4000 female drug addicts.
The other side is the inability of law and order enforcing agencies to come down upon those involved in the trade. It is a matter of great concern that acquittals under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotrophic Substances Act cases out number convictions. It only reflects that police and investigating agencies show lack of concern towards this serious issue.
In cases society has be get rid of this social evil, police has act tough against the offenders. Otherwise a social disaster is in the making.
Yours etc…..
Manish Sethi
Jammu
Drug cartel
Hope and despair in Bihar
On The spot
Tavleen Singh
For me the saddest sight I saw in Bihar last week was the magnificent building of the 19th century Khuda Baksh library rising like some unbowed sentinel out of the unspeakable squalor of a Patna Street. A later addition to it was the Curzon Reading Room and on its high, yellow washed façade was imprinted 1905 in black as if to remind passersby that Patna was once not just a city of books and refinement but in even older times the cradle of Indian civilization. Travelers from other lands who saw Pataliputra at its zenith marveled at its architecture and the sophistication of its people. Megashtanes who visited in the late 3rd century BC describes this city built on the Ganga this way. ‘It is the shape of a parallelogram, and is girded with a wooden wall, pierced with loopholes for the discharge of arrows. It has a ditch in front for defense and for receiving the sewage of the city.’ The Chinese monk, Fa Hein, was so dazzled by the palaces and temples of ancient Pataliputra that he wrote that they could not have been built by human beings. It is hard not to remember these descriptions and weep when you visit Patna today. In a country replete with unsanitary, ugly cities Patna would still win first prize.
As I was returning after an absence of more than fifteen years I rang my old colleague, Shankarshan Thakur, to ask his advice on what to look out for. Shankarshan has just written a book on Bihar’s chief minister called ‘Single Man: the life and times of Nitish Kumar of Bihar’. It is a sympathetic biography of the man who has at least succeeded in bringing Bihar back from the edge of the abyss upon which it stood by the time Mr. and Mrs. Laloo Yadav finished their long, lawless reign. Nitish Kumar has restored law and order in the state and this is no small thing if you remember that under Laloo and Rabri Yadav people were afraid to step out of their homes for fear of being kidnapped or killed by the gangs of thugs who were the real rulers of Bihar. So let me begin by praising Nitish Kumar for bringing back the rule of law in a state which not just investors but even ordinary travelers were afraid to go near.
Sadly, he has done little else in the eight years he has been chief minister. And, you can see this without leaving the city limits of Patna. On my first afternoon I visited places where new residential apartment buildings have been built and where land prices have gone through the ceiling. Shankarshan had given me a list and I faithfully followed it only to find that the apartment buildings have come up in a disorderly, shoddy way without any effort having been made to provide the parks and aesthetic public spaces so necessary for modern living. But, at least the newer parts of Patna are relatively clean.
It is when you drive into the older parts of the city where there is the Patna Sahib gurudwara and other historical buildings that the true horror of the city’s decay hits you. The deeper I went into the old city the more it felt as if I were driving through a city of garbage dumps and open drains. Under Nitish’s Government flyovers have been built over the older parts of the city but they conceal neither the squalor nor the crumbling buildings but seem almost to acquire that same depressing decay that you see everywhere in Patna except where the high officials live.
The next day I drove out of Patna towards Bodhgaya. Other Indian states have a vast treasure of old temples, forts and palaces to tempt foreign travelers but Bihar has only Bodhgaya where Shakyamuni, Gautam Buddha, achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. I expected that at least on this route I would see a fancy new highway and the restaurants and hotels without which foreign travelers rarely come. But, whatever Nitish Kumar’s other qualities he seems not to have understood how tourism can become an important pillar of economic growth. How it can bring the infrastructure, services and employment opportunities that transform economies. So the road to Bodhgaya was a broken strip of tarmac that at some places disappeared altogether. A bridge over a wide, dry river looked as if it could collapse at any moment. If Bodhgaya itself has become a town of beautiful Buddhist temples and relatively modern hotels it is because of investment that has come from Buddhist countries like Japan and Thailand. The Bihar government’s contribution is a very basic airport in Gaya that at least spares foreign pilgrims the drive I took from Patna.
When I got back to the city I spent an hour or so wandering about that part of the city where the political leaders and high officials live and it was salubrious and clean and in this season there were pavements carpeted with the velvety fallen flowers of Red Silk cotton trees. It felt as if I had accidentally left Patna and wandered into another city altogether. As I drove around the wide, tree-lined streets of this part of Patna I found myself growing more and more despondent because I realized that the state of Bihar’s capital city and its other towns is not because people do not wish to live better but because those who have governed Bihar realize that there is no point in bothering about such things as civic services, cleanliness or anything else for that matter as long as they can remain cocooned in their sanitized enclaves and hide behind the high walls of their vast houses.
Everywhere in India we see that colonial attitudes to governance are the main reason for why people are so angry with their elected representatives but nowhere do you feel this more than in Patna. The divide between the enclaves where the people live and where they rulers live is stark and scary. Yes Mr and Mrs. Laloo Yadav are to blame for the mess they left behind but neither Nitish Kumar nor his coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party, can be absolved. The overwhelming impression I left Patna with was that Bihar has fallen fifty years behind the rest of India. If today Narendra Modi is viewed as some rock star magician in Bihar, at least by Hindu voters across caste lines, it is because people want desperately to see their lives improve.
Conservation of forests
Dr. Vishiesh Verma
“Plants are the basis of all life on earth, providing clean air, water, food and fuel. All animal and bird life depends on them and so do we”, said Stephen Hopper, one of the scientists.
A few years ago UNO’s Food and Agricultural Organization, on the occasion of World Food Day to highlight the importance of forests in solving the food problem, published the saying of Nund Rishi (the saint of Char-e-Shrief) “Food will last so long as the forests do”. This saying of the saint has become the catch-word for human survival. Nund Rishi lived in his ashram near Gulmarg in the midst of dense forest from where he could see the fertile valley down below and realize that miracle was due to fertile soil produced by hill forests. These hill forests were the source of the prosperity of the valley. It is not true only of Kashmir Valley but true of whole of India. Himalayan forests are the basis of fertile valleys of Indus, Ganga, Brahamputra, Krishna and Cauvery. The process of fertilizing the valley is a slow one that had taken place for millions of years; the simple transfer of land to agriculture purposes provides no guarantee for its being fertile.
The main sources of surface water in our country are rivers. The rivers originating from the Himalayas have their sources in the glaciers, but in keeping these flowing regularly the catchment area forests play an important role. Forests absorb the rain water, filter it, and then release it gradually. That is why rivers flow all the year round. Forests are the mothers of the rivers in South India as well as Western and Central India. The direct impact of deforestation may be seen on the flow of rivers. Cherrapunji town in North-East India, which receives the maximum rainfall in the country, has a problem of water shortage because forests have been destroyed over there. Deforestation has led to greater run off of top soil. The mountain slopes bare of vegetation or top soil can’t hold the generous supply of water that comes in the form of rains. Instead the water cascades down in landslides, taking with it more soil and rocks. When the forests were untouched the rain water would percolate and replenish the plentiful mountain springs that was a perennial source of water. Modern science too recognizes that forests are mothers of rivers and factories of soil manufacturing. With this in mind, the World Forestry Day is celebrated annually on 21st March to raise awareness about the importance and conservation of forests all over the world.
The forest is a biological unit having a vast social organization of living communities at work. This special organization includes not only trees but many other living organisms from the plant world viz shrubs, herbs, mosses, lichens, algae, fungi, bacteria and animal organisms including the mineral complex on which they thrive. The Flora and fauna of the forest are interdependent on each other.
India is extremely rich in its ecology which is varied with genetically diverse forest resources and is one of the world’s top twelve nations having mega diversity in terms of biological resources. The plant wealth found in India’s forests is made up of 45,000 species of trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers which account for about 12% of the global plant wealth. The flowering plants alone number 21,000 species.
India’s forests are the home of over 75,000 species of animals of which about 372 are mammals, 2,000 birds, 1,693 fishes and as many as 60,000 insect species. For the Britishers, Indian forests were an in exhaustible source of durable timber and other forest products. Teak forests along with the Malabar Coast were over-exploited by them. Forests contribute substantially to the social and economic development of the country. They have major role to play in enhancing the quality of our environment. The history of forests is linked with the history of civilization. The 4,000 years old Agnipurana mentions that a man should protect trees to ensure material prosperity and religious merit; 2,500 years ago Gautama Buddha preached that a man must plant trees.
According to one estimate the real value of a 50 tonne medium sized tree, by adding the prices of all items of its produce and social benefits, tendered during the 50 years of its life time; economic benefits of around Rs 15,70,000 is generated to the community in the form of generation of i) oxygen valued at Rs 2.5 lakh (ii) controlling of soil erosion and improving soil fertility by Rs 2.5 lakh, (iii) Recycling of wastes to the tune of Rs 3 lakh (iv) controlling of air pollution valued at Rs 5 lakh and other secondary benefits to the tune of Rs 3.5 lakh. Thus one can visualize how much economic benefits trickle down silently to the community through a single tree over its life span of 50 years.
In the modern society the utility of forests is very poorly understood. Our agrarian society is inextricably linked to the survival of forests. Loss of forests due to human encroachment has caused serious ecological damage to the long-term viability of India’s rivers, soils, agriculture and biodiversity resources that form the basis for survival of human society itself. Therefore, conservation of forests to protect and secure food, water, medicine and other life supporting resources for the present and future generations is essentially a utilization necessity.
The Frontiers of forests have been among the first casualties as human population exploded. It is estimated between 1950-80 more than 45 lakh hectares of forest land was diverted for various non-forestry activities, consequent on this, defacto forest cover has shrunk to around 19% of the total land area. The national forest policy requires a tree cover of 33.3 % for the country and not 33.3 % of reserved forest. Dreadfully now the forest cover is less than 16% of the land. The tree cover in J&K state has been reduced to less than 11% of the total area in the past 20 years. The main reason for this mass destruction of forests has been human pressure on forests and their thoughtless use. On the other hand World Wide fund reported, between 1970-2002 forests cover has dwindled 12 % and human race is plundering the planet at a pace which outstrips its capacity to support life. Afforestation is often proffered as a painless substitute for the natural forests we are losing. Nature alone makes forests, man makes only plantations. A three tier canopy may come about on vacant land but only if it is left alone for ten thousand years, all other conditions remaining favorable. For all practical purposes, a natural forest is non-renewable resource whose loss should be minimized.
Franklin D Roosevelt said, “Forests are the ‘lungs’ of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people”.
(The writer is a former Reader Coordinator of University of Jammu.)
Under throes of change
Vijay Hashia
Politicians who cut their teeth on insecure nationalism, identity and socialism are fading. Seniors have been relegated to hind. The PM Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Sharad Pawar and AK Antony will not be contesting LS 2014 polls. PM though honest but is accused of a puppet running plundering dispensation, Chidambaram is accused of economic slowdown, Sharad Pawar is accused of having close ties with some of the most dangerous criminals of the country and involved in wheat, pulses and Lavasa scams, A K Antony is accused of ignoring the evidence in VVIP chopper scam and report into 51 million euro payoff. The old stalwarts’ have earned blots for CWG , 2G, Coalgate, Tetra truck, Agusta Westland chopper, Antrix Devas and Adarsh scams. Sensing public mood and outcry, they are scary of losing 2014 LS elections. Congress has been uncomfortable with the slew of electoral defeats in the five assembly polls and policy paralyses despite desultory attempts not yielding much resurrection. The party is still banking on hypocrisy and loyalty and the recent example is, shielding Ashok Chauhan involved in Adarsh scam.
Recent surveys attest to a change in voter behavior. Thanks to the information boom. If one was to count, its more than a billion users, face book could be considered the third largest nation in the world. Twitter’s more than 200 million monthly active users communicate instantly with one another about any subject at any time. In this era of social media dominance, citizens, businesses, journalists and government officials use social media in a variety of ways: to praise or voice concern about their Governments, to spread news, to engender action, and to make Government work smarter and better. During this time of unprecedented use, political communications, interaction between Governments and citizens, modern day governance is under constant watch by public and under throes of change.
For any country in the world, economic issues matter much more than other issues and so is the case with India. Politics of caste and religion, the issues that played dominant role, is under transformation in 2014 LS election. In 2009 LS elections, voters rewarded UPA for five years of high growth by pro incumbency i.e. by giving more seats to UPA than it did in 2004, which means economics played a more dominant role. The electorate has begun to think in terms of future and not on historical figures. Ostensibly, there is a generational shift as the mix of new and old politicians that is changing with the change in attitudes and aspirations of 21 century different from fading identity and socialism. These are no longer important issues in present politics but have been relegated to hind. People have aspirations and they need better economy, jobs and development which are the key issues and the main plank politicians have chosen for distribution of tickets to their candidates. It seems common man is fed up, as it is accused, the UPA 2 is wholly responsible for the economic slowdown and plundering of nation’s wealth. In comparison to UPA I, it is also accused for the false choices favouring subsidies in expanding welfare than creating jobs and slow growth in the manufacturing sector, the causes for slowdown. And now to push reservation in private sector, the congress once again would be dividing votes on quota systems shunning merit which is going to bounce. The reservation in private sector has escalated further furore among young meritorious voters.
On the other hand, internal spats within BJP are growing and this could put hurdles to BJP’s forecast of winning largest chunk in the forthcoming LS elections. There are organizational confusions also. The party had been battling serious infighting in its regional strongholds such as Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat and there were leadership conflicts between two factions of Advani and Modi. One faction within looks Modi’s rise with envy and accuse the party’s tradition is replacing with one man autocratic rule. Jaswant Singh, a senior BJP leader and former finance minister is now miffed turncoat though the party president cracked the whip by saying, “the nation first, party second and individual third.” For both, Barmer has become a prestigious issue between the CM and the rebel. L K Advani had to stand somewhere else than what was offered to him after prolonged and hectic persuasions. His Rath Yatras and Ayodhya issues are seen no relevant issues in the changing political scenario. Murli Manohar Joshi made his displeasure for being asked to vacate Varanasi for Modi. Fielding Modi from Varansi, is a calculated gamble aimed at maximizing impact among voters across most seats in UP and parts of Bihar where the party expects a Modi wave to propel to achieve more than 220 seats. Though, the challenge in Varanasi would be a tough gamble for any party to field a candidate against Modi, it is presumed Digvijay Singh will show better resilience than Kejriwal & Co. who are prone to black flags, eggs and ink assaults in the BJP bastions. Shifting of President Rajnath Singh to Lucknow and moving UP BJP Chief Kalraj Mishra to Deoria, gives clear indication that Modi authority is prevailing within. Though some erratic ticket distribution for Retired General VK Singh and Kirron Kher escalated to burning of effigies of senior leaders including Modi, there is no doubt that BJP is in the throes of generational shift as the Modi camp has found resonance among the country’s youth. While Advani camp is stuck on the old theme, Modi promises development and jobs. In this milieu, romping up new team for Modi is seen marginalizing senior leaders. A huge number of young over 65% under 35 years, who scan politicians and political parties every now and then through the prism of news, social media and mobile technology have outgrown caste, creed and gender prejudices but eye on effective governance, economic development, jobs and corruption free India. They are more aware of bullying, ultra conservatism and narrow minded views of politicians’ lofty addresses.
The moment of change is conspicuous of electorate awareness through information boom, political reform of parties and AAP’s coming into being. To accomplish complete change, may take few more years but the present political whiff is ominous sign of elimination of crony capitalism for a new political era.
Discrimination with Jammu
The see-saw game of discrimination between the Jammu region and the State Government is as old as the independence of India. The common factor of this melodrama is that neither Jammu region has been able to support its claim of discrimination with non-violent mass uprising nor has the Government been able to provide conclusive and decisive proof of it maintaining parity among the regions and sub-regions of the State in terms of plan allocations and other developmental enterprises. In this game of accusations and counter accusation, Jammu leadership of whatever hue it may be, become the laughing stock. How strange that Jammu regional leadership cannot forge unity on a common issue of allocation of funds to the region on the basis of justice and equity. They are unable to rise above party politics and personal likes and dislikes and speak in unison in favour of the people of the region. After all we have the democratically elected Government in the State. Agreed that numerically the valley sends more MLAs to the assembly than Jammu region does but population alone cannot be the only criterion for vast gaps in allocations. Economic, educational and physical backwardness have to be the main criteria for allocating funds for development.
Whenever hard pressed in the past on the issue of discrimination, the Government, at the end of the day, comes out with statistics which show that there is no discrimination. The data provided by the Government is placed on the table of the house. With this the opposition is silenced even if takes some time tor their murmur to subside. Nobody challenges the statistics with dependable counter statement. This is possible only when thorough research and study are conducted on the issue item by item and over a long period of time. No researcher has so far produced any credible record in this connection.
Here we have the official data of the Planning and Development Department about the additional funds released under District Sector during 2012-13 and 2013-14 (ending January). It reveals that during these two years, districts of Kashmir valley received a total of Rs 1429.26 lakh additional funds while as merely an amount of Rs 446.96 lakh was provided under the head “additional” to the districts of Jammu region. Plan funds are allocated to districts on the basis of various parameters. These could be like geographical area, population of the district, level of backwardness/availability of infrastructure in the district, requirement as assessed and projected by the line departments/District Development Commissioners etc. Two points need to be elucidated in this context. One is that these parameters will admit variation in results obtained and that will naturally have bearing on the amount of funds allocated. The second point is have the additional allocations been made on the basis of settled criterion or is it arbitrary. Now in terms of area, Ladakh is the largest district and in terms of backwardness Ladakh, Kargil, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Ramban and Kupwara are among the backward districts. Obviously these districts should have been favoured with more allocations whether normal or additional. Incidentally except Kargil and Ladakh, all the other above mentioned five districts fall in the category of backward districts of Jammu region. The question, therefore, arises why during 2012-13 financial year the districts of Kashmir valley were provided Rs 1047.82 lakh additional funds while as Jammu region’s districts received only Rs 334.22 lakh additional funds. It is one third of what Kashmir valley received. What justification is there for the Government providing no additional allocations to Rajouri, Kishtwar, Doda, Kathua and Samba districts, all falling in Jammu region whereas substantial additional allocations were made to all districts except Kupwara in Kashmir region.
We have full district-wise details of these allocations provided by the Planning and Development Department. Comparative study brings us to the conclusion that either parameters for allocation were not strictly adhere to or were intentionally ignored. Government’s approach was unfair, which in simpler terminology means discrimination.
It is the responsibility of political leadership of Jammu to take up this issue with the Government. It is irrespective of party affiliations and this is an issue that concerns the people of the State and of Jammu region, whom we do not divide on the basis of party politics. Instead of trying to bring the onus to the doorsteps of the Government, hold Jammu political leadership responsible for allowing the Government to adopt discriminative policy towards Jammu region.
horoscope
Friday Mar 28-03-2014
Aries : You already feel deeply connected to the universe. But today, you may want to particularly thank God for all His small mercies. You cherish your loved ones even more today, says Ganesha, and you may spend lavishly on people dear to you.
Taurus : Anxiety will keep your nerves swollen for most part of the day, feels Ganesha. On the work front, you will face success later in the day. You will be a role model for business efficiency and people will try to follow in your footsteps. Your efforts will be validated with generous profits.
Gemini : You will ponder over religious and social issues and discuss and debate the issue with your family members and make your opinions known to them. This apart, you will probably discuss on issues like law, education, social obligations, and culture with those close to you, says Ganesha.
Cancer : It is high time you paid attention to your family. You have been so lost in work and in making money that you have almost forgotten the very people you have been slogging for. Your spouse has been trying hard to improve the relationship. Ganesha feels it is time you respond to your partner’s needs.
Leo : Today may not be the best time to mess with you, considering the aura of invincibility that you possess. Be it a game, a competition, or an argument, you will have the edge over others in every sphere, says Ganesha. Also, you may come across people with whom you will have personal differences, and those who will try to change your fortunes. The best way to deal with them, according to Ganesha, is to be patient and play the waiting game.
Virgo : Give people a word of encouragement and motivate them to achieve bigger things, advises Ganesha. Don the thinker’s cap and you may find yourself in contemplation. Criticism will hurt you, but be as unflappable as you can and proceed to your target, says Ganesha.
Libra : Get a bigger wallet, since it is very likely that today shall prove to be a money-making day for you. It might be through some sort of a partnership deal that this may happen, predicts Ganesha. Destiny lends you a helping hand and guides you in your goals. But it is your sentiments that may darken your thoughts today. Don’t stress yourself out too much, and try and keep your expectations under control. The hen that laid the golden eggs laid only one egg a day!
Scorpio : It is high time you diverted all your energies towards your object of love, advises Ganesha. Research-oriented work could well be an option too. Ganesha says you are likely to find someone special to talk about those good old times and have a great time.
Sagittarius : Wisdom in words and hero in deeds – this may well be your avatar today. Expect good news at work, especially related to a thicker pay package or an increase in office floor area. Accountants and franchisees – expect to crunch good numbers today!
Capricorn : After running about helter-skelter for getting your work done, you will sit back and spend the day planning the course of future action. Sudden and unexpected profits are on the cards, but you will need to be mindful of how best you utilise it. You can expect a few good opportunities to knock at the door, but open the door before they turn to look for shelter elsewhere.
Aquarius : Some days, you crave to know everything. Today is one such day. You will also prove a worthy opponent. You may upset your adversaries’ plans, much to your own advantage. You have it in you to be a scholar. You will also prove the strength of your character, especially when the going gets tough.
Pisces : Your business associates will marvel at your business acumen, and will respect the insights you provide for them to work with. Meanwhile, you will be busy spending quality time with your family and showing them how much they mean to you today, says Ganesha.
Completing nuclear triad
Successful test firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile launched from an underwater platform in the Bay of Bengal helps our country complete the nuclear triad, meaning capability to fire nuclear missiles from surface, air and underwater. This is another feather in the hat of our space scientists of whom the country is very proud. The missile has been indigenously built and its successful firing takes India into the group of advanced countries like USA, France, Russia and China. On April 19, 2012, India had taken a giant leap in the missile field when it test-fired nuclear-capable Agni-V Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile that has brought China within its reach with a strike range of over 5000 km.
Our leadership has often stated that India is a peace loving country and does not believe in sword-rattling. We want disputes to be resolved through peaceful negotiations, which is the right thing to do. But unfortunately we are surrounded by hostile neighbours who have now developed a nexus and are working in tandem against our interests. There are talks of encirclement of India which means that these neighbouring countries have nefarious designs against our security and sovereignty. Therefore, the Government of India is duty bound to provide adequate defence capability that can meet any exigency. We have to keep our armed forces in full preparedness and equipped with latest weaponry and war machine to deter the enemy from making any foolhardy adventure.
Ashok Chavan not named by CBI in Adarsh Housing benami case
NEW DELHI: CBI today did not name former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the benami property related to purchase of flat in the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai.
CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against 23 financiers, including Sancheti Group and 22 co-conspirators which included members of the housing society.
CBI was looking into the nexus and quid pro quo angles in 33 benami properties out of the 103 flats in Adarsh society and the matter was being probed under the Benami Transactions Prohibition Act.
A Maharashtra government inquiry panel had said 22 cases of purchase of flats were found to be benami.
The agency did not name Chavan, who had to resign as Chief Minister after the scam relating to the housing society came light, contending there was no money trail linking him to the purchase of the flats and there was no evidence to prove his connivance.
It was alleged that two of Chavan’s relatives were given flats in Adarsh for favours granted to the society.
CBI’s decision to clear his name for lack of evidence in the probe into benami properties will come as a relief to the beleaguered leader who is contesting from Nanded Lok Sabha seat.
Among the co-conspirators were Major General (retd) T K Kaul. The case against K L Gidwani and Lt Col Amarjit Singh, named as accused, was abated as both of them died.
CBI probed the role of some other politicians and businessman during its investigations.
The agency has already chargesheeted Chavan and 22 others in connection with the alleged irregularities committed in building the housing society.
CBI had accused Chavan of approving additional floor space index for Adarsh Society in return for two flats for his relatives.
He was also charged with illegally approving, as the then Revenue Minister, allotment of 40 per cent of the flats to civilians when the Society was allegedly meant only for Kargil war widows and defence personnel.
However, the agency has now sought to drop the name of the former Chief Minister from the charge sheet after CBI failed to secure a sanction of prosecution from Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranaryanan. (AGENCIES)
Govt notifies hike in dearness allowance to 100 pc
NEW DELHI: Centre today notified its decision to raise dearness allowance (DA) to 100 per cent, from 90 per cent, benefiting its 50 lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners.
The Union Cabinet had decided on February 28, to release an additional instalment of DA and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from January 1, 2014.
Thus, the Central government employees as well as pensioners are entitled for DA/DR at the rate of 100 per cent of the basic with effect from January 1, 2014.
“…The President is pleased to decide that DA payable to central government employees shall be enhanced from existing rate of 90 per cent to 100 per cent with effect from January 1, 2014,” a Finance Ministry’s office order said.
According to the official order, the additional instalment of DA payable under these orders shall be paid in cash to all central government allowance and payment of arrears of DA shall not be made before the date of disbursement of salary of March 2014.
In regard to armed forces personnel and railway employees, separate orders will be issued by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways, it said.
The government has estimated that the combined impact on exchequer on account of both DA and DR would be Rs 11,074.80 crore per annum. For a period of 14 months, from January 2014 to February 2015, the impact will be Rs 12,920.60 crore in the next financial year, 2014-15. (March salary gets paid in April, the first month of the new fiscal).
It is the second double digit DA hike in a row. The government had announced a hike of 10 per cent taking it up to 90 per cent in September last year, effective from July 1, 2013.
The increase in DA is in accordance with the accepted formula based on the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission. (AGENCIES)
Court rejects plea seeking lodging of FIR against Geelani
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today dismissed a plea seeking lodging of an FIR against hardline separatist Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and three others for allegedly instilling “hatred” among the people of Kashmir and other parts of India.
Metropolitan Magistrate Vijeta Singh Rawat turned down the plea for a police probe against Geelani, Tehreek-E-Hurriyat general secretary Mohd Ashraf Sahrai and Hurriyat Conference members Masarat Alam Bhat and Ghulam Nabi Sumji saying the alleged offences were committed within the state of J&K itself.
The court said the offence did not fall in its jurisdiction and the probe cannot be carried out under Indian Penal Code (IPC) as it is not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) where the penal provision is under RPC (Ranbir Penal Code).
“…The complainants were especially asked to address the court on the applicability of IPC to the allegation made. In reply thereto, the complainants stated that the videos have been viewed in Delhi. (This contention being more applicable to the alleged offences in the virtual world does not have much implication)…
“However, in considered view of this court, there is no doubt on the aspect of non-application of IPC on omission and commission in the state of J&K which has been accorded special status by virtue of Article 370 of the Constitution and has limited the power of Indian Legislature…,” the court said.
The court further said “the arguments led by counsel for the complainants does not hold any ground that the IPC would extend to the facts and circumstances of the present case”.
The court order came on the plea filed by two complainants who had claimed Geelani had on several occasions “threatened the safety and security of the government of India and its citizens” by delivering hate speeches.
The two complainants had contended the court has the jurisdiction to order registration of FIR as the alleged statements given by Geelani and three others have been heard in Delhi as well.
On the issue of special status and applicability of RPC in J&K, the petitioners had argued these four persons were Indians and therefore, the penal provisions under IPC and other acts were applicable to them.
“Further, it has been alleged that by depicting only upper part of India’s map on their webiste, Gellani and other have insulted the national honour. However, as per the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971, disregard to national honour like the national flag, constitution of India and the national anthem have been made punishable,” the court said.
“There is no pictorial map of India in the constitution as such to invoke the aforesaid Act in the facts and circumstances of the presenr case,” it said.
On the issue of the video, the judge said there may be substance in the allegation made, “yet no satisfactory reasons have been elucidated to order police investigation”.
The judge took cognizance under the IT Act and directed the complainant to record pre-summoning evidence on July 7.
Meanwhile it also said that at the relevant stage, if the court feels it can exercise power under section 202 CrPC.
The complaint had sought lodging of FIR for offences under various sections of IPC, including 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against country) and 153A (promoting enmity between classes). (AGENCIES)