NEW DELHI/BANGALORE, Mar 13: The Enforcement Directorate has begun a “preliminary enquiry” into the financial transactions that took place in connection with the Antrix-Devas deal.

The Directorate’s zonal office in Bangalore has begun the probe to ascertain if any contraventions with regard to foreign exchange or anti-money laundering laws in the deal have occurred.

The investigation, which the agency will conduct with the help of the RBI and the Income Tax department, will also check the authenticity of the alleged stake of few Mauritius based entities in Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd which executed the controversial S-band deal with the ISRO.

“A preliminary enquiry has been started after consultations and directions from the ED headquarters in Delhi,” sources in the agency said.

They, however, added that a case will only be registered in the deal once any irregularity with respect to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) or the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is detected.

Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO, had signed a deal with Devas in January 2005 to provide it with crucial S-Band wavelength which is primarily kept for strategic interests of the country.

The ED probe will also look at the financial dealings of individuals involved in the deal and detect if ‘benami’ or fictitious properties were purchased from illegal proceeds.

The spectrum was meant for running digital multimedia service by leasing 90 per cent transponders on two satellites – GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A.

Following complaints of massive irregularities, the government scrapped the contract in 2010 and ordered an enquiry by the high-powered review committee last February.

Based on the committee’s findings, the government had on May 31 constituted high-level team under the chairmanship of former Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha to further examine the facts and circumstances of the agreement.

The team has found uneven share holding patterns and rise in capital in Devas between the time of its inception in December 2004 and March 2010. The company was established by M/s Forge Advisors-USA with a share capital of Rs one lakh.

According to the report, soon after the signing of the agreement the ordinary share capital had increased to over Rs 5 lakh with 12 shareholders including three members of the FA-USA team who held 60 per cent of the ordinary share capital and the two Mauritius-based entities who held one ordinary share and 50 per cent of the preferential shares each.

It noted as “unusual” the rise in its share capital from Rs one lakh to about Rs 18 lakh in 2010 “with no asset base and no Intellectual Property rights or patent in the relevant technology, and which has been making losses since inception, to collect Rs 578 crore as share premium from foreign investors.”

“In order to get a clear picture of the changing pattern of ownership of Devas, the economic interest of various individuals in Devas and the extent to which the increase in share value has been encashed by individuals, the shareholding pattern of the company and of the Mauritius-based entities needs to be looked into by an appropriate investigative agency,” the high-level team had said in its report made public recently. (PTI)

GHAZIABAD, Mar 13: A special CBI court here today remanded former UP Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and former BSP MLA Ram Pratap Jaiswal in judicial custody for 14 days in the multi-crore rupee NRHM scam in the state.

The two politicians, arrested on March 3, were produced in the CBI court after the expiry of their 10 days custody with CBI.

The agency sought the extension of their custody for another four days. However, the plea was turned down by the CBI court, which remanded the duo in 14 days judicial custody.

The court also declined CBI plea for the custody of another accused Saurabh Jain, who too had been produced before the court by it after the expiry of his police remand.

Kushwaha and Jaiswal were later taken to Dasna district jail.

Dasna district jail Superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said Kushwaha and Jaiswal will be lodged in the high security barrack number 7A, where other accused in NHRM scam are also kept. (PTI)

BHOPAL, Mar 13: The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced that his government would recommend a CBI probe into the killing of young IPS officer, Narendra Kumar Singh on Holi in Morena district.

The Chief Minister told a press conference soon after the State Assembly was adjourned that the CBI probe was being recommended at the instance of the slain IPS officer’s wife, Madhurani Tewatia.

Chouhan said there was no question of Madhurani who is herself an IAS officer posted in Madhya Pradesh, changing her state cadre.

“I have accepted Madhurani as my sister and as a daughter of Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

The Chief Minister said Opposition Congress had behaved in a very shabby manner in the state assembly earlier in the day while demanding a discussion on an adjournment motion about the officer’s killing.

Chouhan said his government was ready to discuss the motion but the Opposition had fled from the House as it was interested only in cheap politics and maligning the fair name of Madhya Pradesh.

He said such a thing had never happened before in the history of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and he strongly condemned it.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh said the state government had decided to recommend a CBI probe into the killing of Narendra Kumar Singh under pressure from the Congress.

“The demand for a CBI probe into the killing of young IPS officer was being made for the last few days but it was only after Congress put pressure on the state government that it announced recommending a CBI probe into the incident,” Ajay told.

He said that normal courtesy demanded that either the Chief Minister or the State Home Minister attend the funeral of the slain IPS officer but both had failed to do so. (PTI)

ALLAHABAD, Mar 13: The Allahabad High Court today asked Ghaziabad’s Special CBI court to expeditiously decide the bail plea of Nupur Talwar, being tried along with her dentist husband Rajesh in the May 2008, twin murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic aide Hemraj.

Justice Balakrishna Narayana gave the direction to the Ghaziabad court on a petition by late Aarushi mother, pleading for a direction to the trial court that her bail plea should be decided “on the same day” it is filed.

Though Justice Narayana gave no formal judgement on Nupur Talwar’s plea, he disposed of her petition observing that the trial court should “expeditiously” decide her bail plea.

The hearing in the four-year-old, twin murder case is scheduled to resume tomorrow.

The Supreme Court had recently struck down the Noida-based dentist couple’s plea for transfer of their trial to a Delhi court from that of Ghaziabad.

While opposing the Talwars’ plea to the apex court, the CBI had said there were “hidden motives” behind the plea, which might have been filed as Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code (relating to anticipatory bail) was not applicable in Uttar Pradesh. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Mar 13: The states have been asked to put in place a robust social audit mechanism to improve implementation of projects under MNREGA and reduce the irregularities found in it, the government told the Rajya Sabha today.

Replying to a question on corruption in MNREGA projects, Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain Aditya said the Ministry has been reminding state governments to investigate and take necessary action against cases of misappropriation and embezzlement of government funds.

“… Not only disciplinary action should be taken against the guilty officials, but simultaneously criminal prosecution should also be initiated under Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act, besides recovering the amount involved from the persons concerned,” Aditya told the House.

In consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General, MNREGA Audit of Scheme Rules, 2011 have been notified and all states have been asked to put in place a robust social audit mechanism as outlined in these rules, he said.

To strengthen institutional outreach for wage disbursement, it has been decided that state governments should roll out Business Correspondent Model to make wage payment through banks with bio-metric authentication at village levels, Aditya said.

On providing bio-metric cards to the workers, the Minister said, “The implementation of bio-metric cards for MNREGA depends on enrollment to be completed by Unique Identification Authority, issue of smart cards by Registrar General of India and technology to be employed for enrollment and payment.”

Replying to a question on the number of people being given jobs under the MNREGA projects, Aditya said, “In 2009-10, 5.26 crore households were provided employment under MNREGA against cumulative number of 11.25 crore households issued job cards.”

He said under MNREGA, employment allowances become payable in case an applicant is not provided employment within 15 days of receipt of his application seeking employment or from the date on which employment has been sought in case of an advance application, whichever is later.

The liability for payment of umemployment allowance rests on the State Governments, he added. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Mar 13: The Rail Budget to be presented tomorrow may continue with the practice of not raising the fares and freight rates but the possibility of imposition of a safety cess may not not be ruled out, at least on the higher class fares.

As Trinamool Congress leader and Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi rises to present his maiden budget he is expected to carry on with the practice of not not tinkering with the second class fares like his predecessors, including Mamata Banerjee, over most part of the last decade.

There is speculation that the budget could bring in a safety cess following a recommendation by the Kakodkar Committee report which went into issues relating to safety over the huge railway network.

The Committee had suggested a cess to realise money to the tune of Rs. 5,000 crore, to fund projects especially for safety upgradation of signalling and telecommunication systems.

As he does the tight ropewalk, Trivedi may also introduce a mechanism to provide cushion for meeting costs on account of any spike in fuel prices. There is a suggestion for introducing a fuel adjustment component (FAC) in the basic fare to insulate railways from fuel price hike.

Railways shell out Rs 19,000 cr as part of its fuel expenditure to run its huge fleet of diesel locomotives adding to the total expenditure placed at Rs 70,000 cr in the current financial year.

Indications are that the Railways have got only Rs 25,000 cr as gross budgetary support from government despite its demand of Rs 50,000 cr to tide over its financial crisis. Railways had got Rs 20,000 cr as GBS in the current fiscal.

Trivedi could also spell out plans for internal generation of fund from additional resources like commercialisation of stations.

Since railways have already increased the freight rate on March 6 for all commodities ahead of budget, there may be no further hike in any freight on goods, say highly-placed sources in the Ministry.

The budget would strive to allocate a substantial amount of fund for the depreciation reserve fund and safety fund which have suffered in recent years in the wake of railways focus on other priority areas.

The Rail Budget could announce two new coach factories in Kolar in Karnataka and Kutch in Gujarat. Incidentally, both the Ministers of States for Railways K H Muniyappa and Bharatsinh Solank come from these two states.

While the thrust of the Budget would be on upgradation of infrastructure on 19,000 km of trunk route, Trivedi could announce introduction of ‘train sets’ for the busy Delhi-Mumbai corridor to reduce travel time.

A train set comprises single rake with locomotive and coaches attached together. The venture may take more than four years to fructify but the budget announcement will set the ball rolling.

The Budget is expected to have a proposal for introducing bullet train for Rajasthan on Delhi-Jaipur-Jodhpur corridor. This corridor could be linked to the proposed Pune-Ahemedabad high speed corridor.

Unlike previous years, less number of new passenger trains could be announced.

Trivedi could announce some measures to improve passenger amenities including the catering service in trains and stations and proposals for manufacture of ‘green’ toilets to improve on the current system.

Railway Minister is likely to unveil an action plan for upgradation of signalling and telecommunication system to prevent accidents. Installation of train protection warning system (TPWS) and In-cab signalling system are likely to be announced in the Rail Budget 2012-13.

The budget will focus on manufacturing of modern LHB coaches as railways intends to replace all conventional coaches in all types of trains.

There will also be proposals for manufacturing of high horse power (5500 HP) locomotives in the next fiscal.

The Railways freight loading target of 993 million tons in the current financial year is unlikely to be met, according to available indications. Till February, the national transporter has carried 875.60 MT. (PTI)

AYODHYA, Mar 13: A 28-member delegation from Korea today arrived at this religious spot, which happens to the birth place of Lord Ram, reviving its age-old long association with the city.

The delegation led by Kim Mun Sek came here to pay floral tributes at the memorial of their royal ancestor Queen Huh Wang Ock.

According to a senior official, one Korean delegation would visit Ayodhya every year to commemorate Queen Huh, which would further strengthen the relation between India and Korea.

The association of Ayodhya and Korea dates back to 2000 years.

A 16-year-old princess from Ayodhya, accompanied by her brother, had sailed from India for Korea.

Her Korean name was Huh Wang-Ock and she had wedded King Kim Suro, founder of the ancient Korean kingdom of Karack.

The King had built a temple at the place where they had first met.

Her memorial was built at Ram Katha park in Naya ghat at the banks of river Saryu on March 6, 2001. (UNI)