AMETHI, UP, May 1: Undeterred by the poll debacle in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today advised party workers to shun groupism and strengthen the organisation.

“You all should shun groupism and work unitedly to strengthen the party. Some changes are in the offing to strengthen the organisation…I want to see the strong organisation at village level”, Rahul told party workers while reviewing the party’s performance in Amethi constituency.

Rahul was apprised by party workers about groupism, neglect of grass root workers and poor selection of candidates on which he asked them to prepare for future challenges.

On demands of development and employment, Rahul, according to party workers, announced opening of a national paper mill in the constituency providing job opportunities to over 8,000 persons.

He also assured them that problems related to departments like railways, agriculture and electricity would be looked into.

Despite Rahul’s sister Priyanka solely dedicating herself for the ten Assembly seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli campaigning extensively. The party had managed only two seats in Amethi, drawing a blank in Rae Bareli.

In the last elections, the party had bagged seven seats here.

During the review meeting of Amethi, former MLA Amita Singh, who lost elections and her supporters were conspicuous by their absence.

Singh is wife of party MP from Sultanpur Sanjay Singh, against whom some of the candidates alleged non-cooperation during elections.

Earlier, miffed at being denied a meeting with Gandhi, activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) raised slogans outside the Munshiganj guest house where he was staying and alleged anomalies in development works in the constituency.

Rahul, however met and heard their grievances and assured them of all possible help.

Rahul, according to one of the activists, assured that hand pumps would be installed in all the villages and he would look into the anomalies, if any, in Rajiv Gandhi rural electrification project. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 1: The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on BSP supremo Mayawati’s plea challenging a CBI probe against her in an alleged disproportionate assets case.

A bench headed by P Sathasivam reserved its order after two-hour-long hearing during which the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister accused the CBI for “fixing” the disproportionate assets (DA) case against her, a charge refuted by the agency.

Mayawati had filed a petition in May 2008 seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against her in the DA case lodged by the CBI over eight years ago, alleging it was an act of political vendetta.

Mayawati’s counsel had said the bench should direct the CBI to consider the aspect of order passed by the Income Tax Tribunal holding that her income was genuine. The order had also been upheld by the Delhi High Court, he had pointed out.

The CBI, during earlier hearings, had said there was “ample evidence” to show that she had amassed wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income.

She had claimed she had received the money through donations from party workers.

Questioning Mayawati’s assets, the CBI had said that her declared assets of Rs one crore in 2003 had gone up to Rs 50 crore in 2007.

The CBI, in its last affidavit filed on September 13, 2011, had alleged there was a “criminal nexus” between Mayawati and her relatives and the disproportionate assets case against her cannot be closed on the basis of conclusions arrived at by the Income Tax Department.

The agency had rejected Mayawati’s stand that the DA case should come to an end after the income tax authorities had accepted her income tax assessments. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 1: Deeply concerned over incentive- based population policies framed by some State Governments, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is mulling to frame guidelines and has sought details from states.

The NHRC has written letters to all states earlier this month seeking details of their population policies by May 31.

“The Commission has been deeply concerned about population policies framed by the State Governments. It has been observed that some of the State Governments have adopted the method of incentives/disincentives for adopting small family norms…,” the letter said.

The letter written by J S Kochher, Joint Secretary (Training) in NHRC, noted that small family norms were a “gross violation of human rights, particularly women’s reproductive rights.

It is mandatory for India to abandon targets and come up with programme that moved away from incentives and disincentives as New Delhi is a signatory to International Conference on Population and Development in 1994.

“We want to collect some details from the states. We will study it. Then we will make some policy,” NHRC Chairperson K G Balakrishnan told.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month sought the stands of the Centre and various state governments on a plea alleging sterilisation surgeries on women under torchlight, in various places, specially in Bihar, in gross violation of the medical and ethical norms.

A controversy had also broken out in Madhya Pradesh last month when an unmarried youth was subjected to vasectomy during a public camp held in Rewa district.

Balakrishnan also said the 2011 Census has thrown out alarming information about declining sex ratio. “There are widespread allegations of female foeticide.This is a very unfortunate situation. These things are done in a clandestine manner.

“It is very startling that the economically weaker sections are into such things. The most affluent sections of society are also into such things. It is not that the child could not be reared. So very sad situation. We should change the mindset,” he said.

To examine the population policy and chalk out a better strategy keeping in human rights, the NHRC had in 2007 constituted a Working Group which devised a reporting format to collect information from all states.

“In the meantime, the new Census has been carried out, which reveals that the child sex ratio has decreased from 927/1000 in 2001 to 914/2011 in 2011 which is a matter of great concern.

“Besides, during a span of more than four years, a number of developments might have taken place related to population issues in the states,” the letter said pointing out the need for the exercise to find out the existing policies adopted by various states. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 1: The Delhi High Court today reserved its verdict on a plea of a pilots’ body of erstwhile domestic carrier Indian Airlines seeking parity with their counterparts at Air India.

“The order is reserved and will be pronounced on Friday (May, 4), Justice Suresh Kait said after hearing arguments on behalf of lawyers of ICPA (Indian Commercial Pilots Association), Air India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation on the petition of the pilots’ body.

Earlier, ICPA had moved the high court alleging that it has not been dealt with “at a par” with Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), an association of pilots of Air India.

Seeking parity in training, the pilots body, in its plea, alleged the commanders (head pilot) of basic aircraft of former Indian Airlines have not been considered by Air India management for training of commander of advanced aircraft like Boeing 747, 787 and 777.

However, even co-pilots of Air India were considered for the training of advanced aircraft ahead of Indian Airlines commanders, ICPA said.

Lalit Bhasin, counsel for Air India, said the management of the national carrier was willing to impart training for flying advanced aircraft to pilots of both ICPA and the IPG.

“One each from ICPA and the IPG can be trained at a time for flying Boeing 747 and 787 aircraft. However, the pilots of ICPA cannot be trained to fly Boeing 777 as the training process for this category was over,” Bhasin said, adding that these are policy decisions and cannot be interfered with by the courts.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation told the court that it may implement the recommendations of the Justice Dharmadhikari Committee, instituted in November last to look into grievances of ICPA, within 45 to 60 days.

During the hearing, the counsel for pilots’ body said the courts cannot be asked to keep away on the grounds that these (training of pilots) issues are policy matters.

“The Air India management is not waiting for the recommendations and implementation thereof of the Justice Dharmadhikari committee and is going ahead with the training programme. But it (Air India) wants that the courts should keep away from such issues,” the ICPA said.

Recently, a three-member committee has been formed to look into the implementation aspect of the Justice Dharmadhikari committee report on the issue.

Earlier, the court had asked the Aviation Ministry to file a report detailing actions taken to address the grievances of the ICPA.

Air India, which operates flights to offshore destinations and India Airlines were merged into one entity in 2007.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Ministry had objected to the plea of ICPA saying the government has decided to invest public money to revive Air India and “the carrier cannot be allowed to suffer because of the pilots’ bodies (ICPA and IPG)”.

On May 6 last year, ICPA had called off a 10-day strike after the government had assured them that their demands of pay parity and other grievances would be considered by the Justice Dharmadhikari Committee by November. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 1: The Government is drafting a policy aimed at providing better security to Indian sailors and other seafarers in the wake of several incidents of hijacking of ships by pirates off the Somali Coast.

“The ministry is drafting measures for security of the seafearers, but we cannot disclose any other information now as the proposal at a preliminary stage,” a Shipping Ministry official said.

Around 500 Indian seafarers have been held hostage by Somali pirates off the Caribbean Coast in the past four years.

Some of the hostages were crew members of the ships—MV Iceberg-I, MV Rak Afrikana, MV Suez, MV Asphalt Venture, MV Savina Caylyn, and MV Sinin—which were hijacked by the pirates in 2011.

Meanwhile, as per the latest report on the pirate activities released by the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) in March this year, Somali pirates around the Horn of Africa are holding 236 crew members as hostage from eight vessels.

According to EU NAVFOR, of the 236 sailors now held hostage by the pirates in the region, 32 are Indians and includes seven members from the ship ‘Asphalt Venture’. The ship was, however, released.

Asphalt Venture was hijacked on September 28, 2010, in the Somali Basin and was released after intervention by anti-piracy forces on April 15, 2011. However, the pirates took 15 of the vessel’s crew as hostage, demanding more ransom.

Shipping Minister G K Vasan had earlier said that India and US could explore the possibility of working together to counter piracy on the basis of the 2006 Indo-US Framework for Maritime Security Cooperation. This provides for expanding cooperation in areas such as counter-piracy and littoral security. (PTI)

AMETHI, UP, May 1: Miffed at being denied a meeting with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) today raised slogans outside the Munshiganj guest house where he was staying and alleged anomalies in development works in the constituency.

“We want to apprise the MP about anomalies in development work in his constituency. There are poles in the villages but no electricity wire…The villages have no arrangement of hand pumps”, Rita Singh, a local BKU activist said.

Over two dozen activists gathered at the guest house to meet Rahul, who was scheduled to meet workers of Amethi constituency to analyse the poll debacle.

They also raised slogans against him to press for the meeting.

Later, when Rahul came to know about the protest, he called the activists, heard their grievances and assured them of all possible help.

Rahul, according to one of the activists, assured that hand pumps would be installed in all the villages and he would look into the anomalies, if any, in Rajiv Gandhi rural electrification project.

Later, Rahul met workers of Amethi Assembly constituency but former MLA Amita Singh, who lost elections and her supporters were conspicuous by their absence.

Singh is wife of party MP from Sultanpur Sanjay Singh, against whom some of the candidates alleged non-cooperation during elections. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 1: The Supreme Court today decided to adjudicate itself the pleas of Rajiv Gandhi killers against their death penalty due to the delay of over 11 years in deciding their mercy petitions by the President.

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi directed that their petitions, pending with the Madras High Court, be sent to it and listed the case for hearing on July 10.

The court passed the order on a petition by one L K Venkat seeking transfer of their pleas out of Tamil Nadu on his fears that the free and fair hearings would not possible in the state due to the surcharged atmosphere, favouring the death row convicts.

The Tamil Nadu government earlier on October 10, 2011 had opposed the plea to shift the case out of the Madras High Court denying the allegations that the atmosphere in the state was too “vitiated and surcharged” to hold a free and fair hearing in the case.

Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, appearing for the three death row convicts – Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan alias Arivu, too had opposed the transfer plea on the ground that Article 139A (relating to transfer of certain cases) gives power only to the Attorney General of India or the aggrieved parties to file a petition for transfer.

Venkat’s counsel had, however, submitted that a free and fair hearing of the proceedings cannot be held in the Madras High Court owing to the “surcharged, hostile and vitiated” atmosphere prevailing there.

On a petition by the three death row convicts, the Madras High Court had earlier stayed their hanging and had issued notices to the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government.

The three convicts had challenged before the high court, the sentence despite the same having been upheld earlier by the apex court and the President having rejected their mercy pleas subsequently.

Venkat subsequently had moved the apex court seeking transfer of their appeals out of the state high court and the apex court had issued notices on his petition to the state.

Venkat had alleged in his plea that the convicts’ appeals challenging their death sentences cannot be heard in a free and fair atmosphere in the state as several supporters of the banned LLTE were interfering with the functioning of the judiciary by raising slogans in support of the convicts.

Venkat had told the apex court that on August 30 when the Madras High Court took up the convicts’ appeals for hearing, about 5,000 people had gathered in the court premises and had disturbed its proceedings.

He had alleged that soon after the high court stayed the executions, people raised slogans in joy inside and outside the courtroom.

The transfer petition has alleged that the state government, besides various political leaders, were also directly or indirectly supporting the cause of the convicts.

In their plea to the high court, the three death row convicts had challenged their sentence saying that the 11-year delay in deciding their mercy plea was inhuman.

Their main contention was that the delay in disposal of the mercy petitions by 11 years and four months made the execution of the death sentence “unduly harsh and excessive,” amounting to violation of their right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

On the trio’s plea, the high court had stayed their execution slated for September 9. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 1: Rules aimed at reduction in use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment by putting the onus of e-waste management on manufacturers today came into effect with the Central Pollution Control Board issuing guidelines in this regard.

As per the guidelines of Hazardous Waste Management Division of Central Pollution Control Board, an arm of the Union Environment Ministry, there is a need to encourage recycling of all useful and valuable material from e-waste so as to conserve the ever depleting natural resources.

Putting the onus of environmentally safe e-waste disposal on the manufacturers, it said, the producer is responsible for “setting up collection centres or take-back (electronic) systems either individually or collectively”. The decision about the mechanism for collection can be decided by individual producer in accordance with their company policy.

However, such details shall be specified while obtaining authorisation from State Pollution Control Boards.

The e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 was notified in advance in May last year to give various stakeholders adequate time to prepare themselves and also to place the required infrastructure for its effective implementation.

“These rules shall apply to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection centre, dismantler and recycler of e-waste involved in manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment,” the guidelines said.

However, the rules will not apply to lead acid batteries as covered under the batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001, Micro and small enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 and radio-active wastes as covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. (PTI)