NEW DELHI, May 2:
Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor, who re-united with director Priyadarshan in “Tezz” after a gap of 14 years, says the filmmaker has a lot of potential in him but hasn’t realised it yet.
The 52-year-old actor worked with Priyadarshan first in the 1997 film “Virasat” and thinks that the filmmaker is one of the best directors in the country.
“The problem with Priyadarshan is that he doesn’t even know how good he is. I recently told him that he is not just one of the best directors in the country but also a filmmaker of international calibre. There are certain directors who just want to work and he is one of them who just goes on and on making movies,” Anil told.
The actor also said he doesn’t mind that Priyadarshan made quite a few films sans him after “Virasat” and is happy that they have worked together again.
“He did come to me after ‘Virasat’ as well. There were certain films that he had offered to me but we couldn’t work together for certain reasons. However when he narrated me the idea of ‘Tezz’ and also a little bit of its story, I felt that I should do it,” he said.
“Moreover he told me that I didn’t have the choice of saying ‘no’. He categorically said me that only I could do this role. He was of the view that with any lesser actor, the film won’t work so naturally I went ahead,” he added.
“Tezz” released on April 27 but failed to create magic at the box office. The film also starred Ajay Devgn, Zayed Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Sameera Reddy in lead role.
Anil has been in Bollywood for more than two decades now and has given hits like “Ram Lakhan”, “Mr India”, “Tezaab”, “No Entry” and “Race”.
The actor, whose Hollywood career took off after the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”, was recently seen in Tom Cruise starrer “Mission Impossible 4”. Anil’s role in the film was too short leaving his fans disappointed.
“You don’t know how things would shape up when you consent to doing a film. These are chances that you have to take on an instinct. Sometimes you think that things would be right and director would deliver what he had promised.
“Then you start hoping that its action and overall production would go as per plans. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” Anil said. (PTI)
Priyadarshan is unaware of his calibre: Anil Kapoor
Nupur Talwar moves SC for bail
NEW DELHI, May 2:
Dentist Nupur Talwar today moved the Supreme Court seeking bail in the case of twin murder of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj four years ago in Noida.
Nupur, who is in judicial custody, filed a fresh plea for bail in the pending petition before the apex court in which she has sought review of its decision giving a go ahead to criminal prosecution against her and her dentist husband Rajesh Talwar.
Talwars’ lawyers clarified that they have not challenged today’s order of a Ghaziabad court denying bail to Aarushi’s mother.
“In fact, an application for bail has been filed in the pending review petition which is likely to be listed for hearing on Friday,” their counsel said.
The apex court had on March 15 decided to hear in open court the petition filed by the dentist couple seeking review of its January 6 order in which it had cleared the decks for the couple’s trial in the murder case by dismissing their plea to quash criminal proceedings against them.
In between, a non-bailable warrant was issued by the Special CBI Court in Ghaziabad after the Allahabad High Court had withdrawn the protection given to her.
After that Nupur had approached the apex court seeking bail and protection from arrest.
However, the apex court had on April 27 directed her to surrender on April 30 before the trial court in Ghaziabad.
After the CBI cou
‘No plans to evaluate RTI Act: Govt
NEW DELHI, May 2:
The Government today said it has “no” plans to conduct a detailed evaluation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy said that a study was conducted in 2008-09 to assess the key issues and constraints in implementation of the RTI Act. Based on the report, the minister said, “The Government has taken initiatives to build the capacity of the demand and supply side through trainings, an on-line certificate course, and publication of guides on the Right to Information Act”. (UNI)
Emphasis on laying roads along China, Pak borders: Govt
NEW DELHI, May 2:
A lot of emphasis is being given to speedy construction of quality roads along the borders with China and Pakistan, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Of the 61 roads on borders with China, work on 16 roads spanning 58 km has been completed by the Border Roads Organisation while work was in progress on 43 other roads, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said during Question Hour.
“We are taking all measures to speed up construction of roads,” he said, pointing that the terrain and weather on Indian side was much more difficult than those on the Chinese side which has seen several roads being constructed during recent times.
“The terrain across the border is lot friendlier,” he said adding calamities like earthquake in Sikkim and downpour in Ladakh had washed away lot of construction work.
Raju said the contractor, whose recently constructed bridge on a border road in Himachal Pradesh had collapsed, as been ordered to build the bridge afresh at his own cost.
He said the 45-mt single span Nauti Khud bridge on Dhami- Kingal road in Himachal Pradesh, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.48 crore, had collapsed due to “oversight in design” and “supervisory error”.
“A Court of Inquiry into collapse of Nauti Khud Bridge has been held, disciplinary action against concerned officers initiated and contractor directed to construct the bridge afresh at his own risk and cost,” he added. (PTI)
25 pc plan utilization
Finalizing of J&K annual plan 2012-13, which is to the tune of 7300 crore rupees, could not be done as scheduled and may now come off in June instead of April. The reason for delay is the assembly session and other preoccupations of the Planning Commission in New Delhi. Obviously delay in finalizing causes financial hardship in the way of completion of projects now underway. Conscious of the situation likely to take shape, the Chief Minister who is also holding the charge of the State Planning Department, took the intermediary step of authorizing 25 per cent of the amount of annual lay out to all departments. It is irrespective of whether these Departments are connected with the incurring of capital expenditure or not. This may be called an emergency but a necessary step failing which the normal work on projects in hand would have been hampered. The CM expects that the twenty-five percent authorized amount will be met from home resources till formal release of plan amount is in sight. Letters have been sent to district development commissioners to utilize the twenty-five per cent of amount in projects that are in the pipeline though they have been instructed not to commit the Government to any new projects before the finalization of the annual plan. According to knowledgeable sources the Government is able to meet the 25 per cent from its own resources because the financial year 2011-12 had recorded all time increase for the State.
Our state is financially a deficit state and depends on large scale financial assistance from the centre. In particular, the State has to bear the big expenditure on purchasing power from other states. This is despite the fact that we are having sufficient water to generate electricity. Bad planning, delayed funding, and other bottlenecks have left us with big problem of power supply. No substantial progress is possible in the face of power cuts and sick industries. The Government has already announced a large number of big and small projects. As we know generally these projects get delayed either because of paucity of funds or red-tape hindrances. Corruption and mismanagement are also contributing to delayed projects. Policy planners will need to give due importance to the need of formalizing J&K State annual allocations in proper time. In a mostly mountainous and snow bound state, actual developmental work on the ground is done in summer months only. We have only six to eight months of summer to complete projects in the valley, Ladakh region and the winter zones in Jammu region like Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and upper reaches of Rajouri and Poonch districts. As such we would like that the States annual plan is taken up on priority basis by the Central as well as the State Planning Commission/department. Though deliberations for annual plan 2012-13 finalization had begun as early as December, and ever since, twice the teams of state planning department met with their counterparts at the Planning Commission in New Delhi, yet the process has run into postponement for one or the other reason. There is regular communication between the Chief Minister and the top leadership at the Union Planning Commission and there appears to be good understanding between them. Obviously the CM will be meeting with the PM, Finance Minister and Vice Chairman Planning Commission before the formal meetings among the bureaucrats to discuss the annual plan in all its dimensions. We are aware that all policy planners at the centre who are directly or indirectly connected with the State’s annual plan are more than willing to give the State the maximum of support but the delay happens because there is more business to attend and that takes the time of the authorities.
It may be mentioned that the State had projected 7300 crore worth annual plan and 700 crore as Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) for 2012-13. The project plan was 10 per cent over and above previous year’s plan of 6000 crore. However the PMRP amount of 1200 crore during last financial year has been pegged at Rs. 700 crore this year as some of the schemes taken up under PMRP have been completed. However in the matter of State’s annual plan, the State Government had forward to the Planning Commission details of targets of Own Tax Revenue in the State, reforms in different sectors and expenditures of current financial year’s plan and this was approved by the Planning Commission. It may be mentioned that J&K Government was given 1300 crore worth annual power reform grant for three years from 2006. The grant was later stopped because the government did not make significant power reforms. Thus power sector remains badly affected item. In final analysis we hope that the much delayed but crucial meeting of the State delegation with the Planning Commission will not be delayed once again as the state cannot afford to run on ad-hoc basis.
Mailbag
Harassment of pensioners
Sir,
Many unsavoury, unexpected and odd things are happening in our State. The authorities plan, with utter lack of imagination and reasonableness, policies which earn the wrath of the people. The recent order, requiring pensioners to prove that they are living, is a case in point. Without being conscious of the devastating impact of this order on the pensioners, especially those who have been subjected to crippling and life threatening diseases, the Govt is following its policy of harassment relentlessly. These unfortunate people are physically and mentally on the decline. Some, with rickety legs and tottering knees, can hardly walk, not to speak of going through the torturous process of visiting their respective Banks for the procurement of their PPOs which they get only after paying many more visits. Finally they go to their respective treasuries and there they join the thick crowds of their fellow sufferers, to prove before the Treasury officers that they are still living, and with great difficulty get their PPOs verified.Their or deal does not end here. It is hell of on job to go again to their Banks and deposit their most important documents there.
At the top of all this, the patent stupidity of the order is that the PPOs are to be verified every year. How disgusting this idea of adding insult to the injury.
In the normal course, there is an unrealistic and fantastic order in vogue at the J&K banks, according to which a pensioner has to present himself before a Bank official and at the same time give a self written certificate that he is living, when his particulars and especially his photograph, are already existing in the system of the computers.
Theoritically speaking, if a dead person is asked to prove that he is living, it may make sense. But to ask a living person, standing before you in flesh and blood to prove that he is really living, is really something that belongs to the realm of stupidity.
The authorities will do wall to stop this cruel practice of treating the pensioners of the State like subhuman beings.
Yours etc…
Prof. M L Raina
Jammu
II
Sir,
I would like to plead that :-
* No doubt, according to the J&K Treasury Code-I, rule Nos. 5.79 to rule No. 5.82, the periodical verifications of the pension pay orders and the disbursement details are a statutory exercise, for the purpose of overseeing the justified payments to the pensioners. But, it is clearly mentioned under these rules that the Treasury Officers/Additional TO’s should depute authorised members of their treasury staff to the residences of the pensioners who cannot appear in person before them, due to physical disability, and age problems. But, these instructions are never followed by the treasury authorities of J&K state.
* Since the year 2004, most of the pensioners of the state Govt; have been authorised by the State Finance Department to draw their pensions through respective branches of the J&K Bank Ltd. Thus, the Branch Managers of the J K Bank branches have been using the authorities of the Treasury Officers for verifications of the credentials and physical fitness of the pensioners who present themselves every month before the Branch Managers or their representatives for receiving their pensions.
* The State Government (Accounts & Treasuries Directorates) should inculcate faith and trust on the verifications and entries made by the J&K Bank Managers in the PPO Books of the pensioners, and do not devise excuses and pretensions to physically harass and mentally torture the ageing and ailing pensioners every now and then, in the name of invigilation of the disbursement, honesty and integrity.
For the sake of the sanctity of the purpose, let the Branch Managers of J&K Banks be authorised to send some medical graduates (who are un-employed for many years) to the homes of senior citizen-pensioners for medical as well as physical check up of them, and give their report to the Bank Managers. This will also solve the un-employment problem if such medicos are employed on contract basis on our whatever mechanism.
Yours etc…
A K Komal
Vikram Nagar, Jammu
III
Sir,
The ‘‘Elders Day” is celebrated every year witty great pomp and show to highlight the importance and the vibrant role the elders have performed during their green years whether in capacity of employees, professionals and in other vistas of life. Big speeches tree delivered and persons of eminence are invited to preside over various functions while celebrating the day. But I think such hectic activities and functions remain only confined to four walls. When we come to reality, a callous attitude comes to fore which has shown its ugly face in the shape of recent Govt order in pursuance of which every pensioner, irrespective of his ailing health, age and other unavoidable circumstances, has to be paraded before the treasury officer concerned after undergoing so many hardships in respect of getting PPO, financial statement and other forms from the banks concerned. The ordeal which such hapless pensioners undergo can more be imagined rather than described when they have to stand in long queues facing humiliation, jostling each other, braving sultry weather. I am myself witness to a certain heart rending incident when an old man, supporting himself on sticks, pointed to me to help him in coming down the steps which I did but wondering whether he could stand for hours together to get his turn. No doubt, something might have gone wrong and undue amounts might have been drawn by some selfish persons but there were other ways of finding out such persons by the concerned bank/treasury employees but no, the pensioners have been put to trouble enmasse for the reasons best known to the concerned.
Dwarika Nath Raina
H No. 131 Upper Muthi
Jammu
Yet another scam
This time the object of corruption on a big scale is the Principal of Government Dental College in Srinagar. A written complaint has been made by an interested party in the court of the Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Kashmir alleging that misappropriation of funds on a large scale in purchase of Dental College medical equipment has happened in which the Principal of the College is directly involved. On the basis of this complaint, the Special Judge has ordered enquiry into the matter. Senior Superintendent Vigilance has been directed to take up the investigation of the case under Section 156 of Criminal Procedure Code. The complaint says that the principal of the Dental College accepted supply of certain machines at almost double the actual price, thus causing crores of rupees loss to the state exchequer. The difference between the actual price and the alleged price paid in the case of certain X-Ray machines is to the tune of over 26 lakh rupees. Now that the special judge has ordered the conduct of enquiry, it is hoped that the Senior Superintendent of Police will take up his job seriously and make an expeditious enquiry to fix the onus in case the allegation is proved. Exemplary punishment under rules should be handed out to the culprits so that others take a lesson from it. The Health Department of the State has been in focus for some time in respect of many irregularities. Despite that the authorities in the Health Ministry seem to be unmoved and even the Minister appears unphazed. This is not acceptable.
Manufacturing growth inches up in April: HSBC PMI
NEW DELHI, May 2: After three months of decline, India’s manufacturing sector grew slightly in April as new orders poured in, but the rate of expansion was limited by power shortages and was weakest so far this year, an HSBC survey said.
The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) – a measure of factory production – inched up to 54.9 in April, from 54.7 in March.
A reading above 50 shows that the sector is growing, while a reading below 50 means the segment is contracting.
India’s manufacturing sector has witnessed an uptrend after falling for three months.
“Activity in the manufacturing sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in April. While output growth moderated, partly on the back of power outages, new orders continued to pour in, including for exports,” said Leif Eskesen, HSBC Chief Economist for India and ASEAN.
The report further noted that although manufacturing output increased, the rate of expansion slowed fractionally, and was the weakest in 2012 so far.
The survey respondents indicated that higher new orders had led to the rise in output, but power cuts had prevented firms from increasing production at a faster rate.
Capacity remained tight for the manufacturing sector in India during April as backlogs of work increased and inflationary pressures strengthened owing to rise in both output and input prices, HSBC said.
“This suggests that upside risks to inflation remain and that the RBI’s rate cut could turn out to have been premature and too aggressive,” Eskesen added.
In its annual monetary policy statement for 2012-13, RBI, after a gap of three years, had cut interest rate by 0.50 per cent making credit cheaper.
RBI had hiked policy rates 13 times between March 2010 and October 2011 to control persistently high inflation.
Meanwhile, there was a modest increase in employment in the manufacturing sector in April.
“The latest increase in staffing levels was only modest. Where job creation was recorded, this was mainly linked to higher workloads,” HSBC said. (PTI)
GM proposed taking over one-third of Isuzu -source
TOKYO, May 2: General Motors Co first proposed taking a controlling stake of more than one-third in Isuzu Motors Ltd – an investment worth some $3 billion – but is now seeking a smaller holding after the Japanese truck maker said it wanted to remain independent, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said.
GM is seen as eager to tap Isuzu’s strength in Southeast Asian markets and its diesel technology, and a deal would in many ways be a foray back to well travelled ground as the two companies were once equity partners for 35 years.
The U.S. Automaker at one point owned as much as 49 percent in Isuzu before selling the holding down, disappointed with red ink spilled by Isuzu at the time and later strapped for cash of its own. Its last remaining 7.9 percent stake was sold in 2006 for $300 million.
Since emerging from its government-funded bankruptcy restructuring in 2009, GM has begun to forge some new alliances in efforts spearheaded by GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky.
In March, GM agreed to pay $423 million for a 7 percent stake in French automaker Peugeot SA. Last August, Girsky negotiated a tie-up with Korean conglomerate LG Corp to develop electric cars together.
The current talks are, however, still very much preliminary, said the person who declined to be identified because the discussions are private.
The re-emergence of GM as a strategic partner would help Isuzu share the burden of developing hybrid and other technologies as environmental regulations around the world tighten. The two firms also still cooperate in sales in Latin America and South Africa.
A stake of 33.4 percent in Japan gives the shareholder veto powers over boardroom decisions and would be worth about $3.2 billion at Isuzu’s current share price. The Nikkei business daily has said that GM is seeking a holding of about 10 percent.
Isuzu said in a statement on Tuesday it was considering a wide range of partnerships, including but not limited to GM, adding that it had made no decision yet.
GM declined to comment. ‘While we do not comment on rumour and speculation, we routinely speak with other (automakers) on a range of issues,’ spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin said.
Toyota Motor Corp currently owns 5.9 percent of Isuzu in addition to a majority stake in rival truck maker Hino Motors Ltd and it remains unclear how Toyota will respond to GM’s overtures to Isuzu.
Toyota bought its stake in Isuzu with a view to jointly develop small diesel engines – a forte of Isuzu’s – but that project was shelved after the global financial crisis. Toyota recently signed a deal to use BMW AG’s diesel engines in Europe.
GM last year reclaimed its title as the world’s top-selling automaker from Toyota thanks to rapid growth in China, but it is a minor player in fast-growing Southeast Asian markets, where Toyota and other Japanese brands dominate.
Isuzu had been discussing a possible tie-up with Volkswagen AG with little progress.
Japan’s other truck makers are all aligned with strategic partners: UD Trucks, formerly called Nissan Diesel, belongs to Sweden’s Volvo AB and Mitsubishi Fuso belongs to Daimler AG.
Isuzu’s top shareholders are trading houses Mitsubishi Corp and Itochu Corp, with 9.2 percent and 8.0 percent, respectively, followed by Toyota.
Shares in Isuzu were trading up 1 percent on Wednesday morning in Tokyo, in line with the transport sector index. (AGENCIES)
Punjab & Sind Bank cuts lending rate by 0.25 pc
MUMBAI, May 2: State-owned Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) has reduced its lending rate by 0.25 per cent to 10.50 per cent from 10.75 per cent per annum.
With the reduction in the base rate, all kinds of loans would be
cheaper by at least 0.25 per cent, as release said.
The new rate would be effective from May 1, the bank informed BSE.
The bank had trimmed its fixed deposit rates across various maturities in line with the market trend last week.
Following the Reserve Bank’s decision to cut key interest rates by
0.5 per cent, several banks including IDBI Bank, Punjab National Bank and ICICI Bank have reduced both lending and deposit rates. (UNI)
China allows foreigners full access to auto insurance market
SHANGHAI, May 2: China has given foreign insurers full access to its $32 billion auto insurance market, allowing them from this month into a segment of the business that was earlier reserved for domestic players in the world’s biggest automobile market.
Foreign insurers had been lobbying for access to the third-party liability auto insurance market, arguing that being kept away from that business was a major handicap because most car-owners buy both commercial and compulsory insurance policies from the same insurer.
The full opening up would likely attract more foreign non-life insurers to the market, although any impact on the dominant local players would likely be limited, given their vast sales network, analysts said.
China’s state council, or the cabinet, published the revised auto insurance rules, which took effect on May 1, on the government’s website on Monday. Official papers reported on Wednesday that the move had effectively opened up China’s third-party liability automobile insurance market to foreign players.
The announcement comes as U.S. And Chinese leaders are due to start the Strategic and Economic Dialogue on Thursday in Beijing.
China has long promised to open its mandatory auto insurance market. During his February visit to the United States, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping vowed to give foreign access to this market.
MARKET DOMINATION
Chinese insurers, such as PICC Property and Casualty Co and Ping An Insurance, have dominated the insurance business in China by leveraging their vast army of salespeople and geographical reach.
There are currently 21 foreign insurers operating in China, including Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co, Chubb Corp and RSA Insurance Group, but they own just 1 percent of China’s 477.9 billion yuan ($75.73 billion)non-life insurance market.
‘With the rule changes, some foreign insurers are expected to start making strategic investments in this area, possibly through acquisitions because auto insurance is too big of a market to ignore for a non-life player,’ said Li Cong, analyst at Changjiang Securities Co.
He added that smaller Chinese players could feel the heat of competition from foreign players, but top local players such as PICC and Ping An will continue to dominate the market.
Auto insurance is a major portion of China’s non-life insurance, consisting of mandatory third-party liability insurance and commercial insurance.
The mandatory insurance policies were introduced five years ago, in line with similar practices used in other countries such as the United States and Japan.
Every car-owner must sign up for a third-party liability insurance and most often choose to join commercial insurance policies as well to cover any damages to their own vehicles or other needs.
($1 = 6.3102 Chinese yuan)
(AGENCIES)