ISLAMABAD, May 2:
Pakistan’s efforts to secure an apology from the US for a cross-border NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year has run into rough weather, with the issue emerging as the biggest hurdle in resetting ties between the two sides.
A resolution passed by a joint sitting of the two houses of Pakistan’s parliament on April 12 had urged the Government to seek an “unconditional apology” from the US for the attack.
US Special Envoy Marc Grossman’s talks with his Pakistani interlocutors during a visit to Islamabad last week broke down on the issue of the apology.
The issue has now become a “major hurdle” in the negotiations for re-engagement between Pakistan and the US and Western diplomats put the blame squarely on Islamabad, the Dawn newspaper reported today.
The diplomats said “serious miscalculations” were made by Pakistan in the run-up to the start of formal talks with the US.
The first round of formal Pakistan-US talks since the NATO air strike in November, which were held last week during Grossman’s visit, ended “without any progress because of the American refusal to apologise and their refusal to discuss the demand by the parliament that Washington cease the drone attacks” in Pakistan’s tribal belt, the Dawn reported.
During a meeting with Grossman on April 27, President Asif Ali Zardari had said the US should “help Pakistan in reaching closure” on the issue of the NATO air strikes.
He even offered to set up a mechanism to find “mutually acceptable alternatives” to US drone attacks.
Pakistan and the US have struggled to put their relationship on an even keel since the beginning of last year.
A series of crises – including the gunning down of two men by a CIA contractor in Lahore, the unilateral US military raid that killed Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad and the NATO air strike – took bilateral ties to a new low and affected counter-terrorism cooperation between the two sides.
Following the air strike, Pakistan closed NATO supply routes to Afghanistan and forces US personnel to vacate Shamsi airbase, considered a hub for CIA-operated drones.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered a parliamentary review of Pakistan-US ties, which culminated with the resolution passed by the joint session of parliament on April 12.
Since then, the two countries have still been unable to resolve their differences. This has also affected their cooperation on the endgame in Afghanistan.
Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s address at a military function on Monday reflected the tensions between the two sides.
Kayani said the unilateral US raid against bin Laden, the NATO air strike and a “a campaign of mistrust” by “some foreign elements” had forced Pakistan to review its “relations with others”.
He added: “We think that others will have to keep in mind our sovereignty, pride and honour.”
However, the Dawn quoted its sources as saying that the US had agreed at one point to offer an apology for the NATO attack.
A US delegation had conveyed Washington’s readiness to tender an apology during a meeting between Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in London in February.
According to the plan, Clinton was to make an apology in a statement during her interaction with the media, and this was to be followed by US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen Martin Dempsey’s call to Gen Kayani.
The daily quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying that the Pakistan Army was ready to accept the apology at that stage while President Zardari and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh were very keen to get the relationship back on track.
However, Pakistan subsequently told the US to wait till the completion of its parliamentary review of the bilateral relationship. (UNI)
Pak, US talks run into rough weather
Army chief reviews new concepts of warfare exercise Shoorveer
NEW DELHI, May 2:
Army chief General VK Singh reviewed the conduct of exercise ‘Shoorveer’ somewhere in the Western Sector in Rajasthan today.
The Army chief was received by Lt General Gyan Bhushan, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South western command in the exercise area.
According to Army sources, Gen Singh was briefed on the training aspects, new concepts of warfare being tried and the conduct of the exercise by Lt General Ashok Singh, General Officer Commanding 1 Corps, and Lt Gen Sanjeev Anand, General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps.
The Army chief witnessed the exercise that entailed launch of theatre offensive by Sapta Shakti Command spearheaded by 1 Corps and Chetak Corps.
Exercise Shoorveer is being conducted under the backdrop of study on transformation of Indian Army for which the Army Chief is the main proponent of the doctrine.
The exercise displayed synergy of Army and Air Force in launching air land battle and the capability to orchestrate battle in networkcentric environment with integration of reconnaissance, surveillance and electronic warfare and communication assets to provide real time battle situational awareness to commanders.
The Chief of Army Staff commanded Sapta Shakti Command on the battle readiness of the formation and validation of new concepts of warfare. (UNI)
Services lost 1,426 men in suicide, fatricide cases in 12 yrs
NEW DELHI, May 2:
In the last 12 years, the three Services have lost 1,426 officers and men in incidents of suicides and fratricides, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
In written repply, Defence Minister A K Antony said 1,426 personnel have died in incidents of suicides and fratricides since 2000.
The reply said that the Army, the largest of the three Services, registered over 1,150 deaths due to these incidents in he 12-year time frame. It has lost 27 personnel in these incidents so far this year.
Antony said the possible reasons for the soldiers committing these acts included stress and personal and financial problems.
“The physical and mental well-being of personnel is factored in while planning deployment of personnel for counter-insurgency operations,” he said.
He said the Government has taken several steps to prevent such incidents including counselling, improvement in quality of food and clothing, married accommodation, facilities for movement of troops from border areas and establishing a grievance redressal mechanism in states. Replying to another query, Antony said six defence firms including two Indian companies have been blacklisted in connection with the Ordnance Factory Board scam and have been debarred from any business dealings for a period of 10 years. (PTI)
Priyadarshan is unaware of his calibre: Anil Kapoor
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)
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)