DEHRADUN, Mar 25:
With BJP fielding its nominee for the Uttarakhand Speaker’s election, the stage was today set for the Congress Government to face its first trial of strength in the Assembly tomorrow.
Congress MLA Govind Singh Kunjwal, a close confidant of Union Minister Harish Rawat, and BJP MLA Harbans Kapoor this morning filed their nominations for the post of Speaker in the Assembly.
It will be the first time that elections for the post of Speaker will be held tomorrow in the 12-year-old hill State.
Congress has already claimed the support of 39 MLAs in the House of 70 where the BJP has a strength of only 31.
Congress is banking on the backing of seven non-BJP MLAs, including three Independents, who had already given their letter of support to Governor Margaret Alva.
Congress has attempted to woo the MLAs of the faction led by Rawat by putting a candidate from his camp.
During the filing of nominations before Principal Secretary in the Assembly D P Gairola, Kunjwal was accompanied by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and all Congress MLAs besides Rawat, who made his first appearance in the State ever since he lost the race for Chief Ministership to Bahuguna.
Earlier, except S S Negi, 10 remaining Congress MLAs were administered oath by protem Speaker Shailendra Mohan Singhal in his chamber giving much-needed relief to the Bahuguna Government ahead of the election of the Speaker.
Talking to reporters, Bahuguna later said there are no fissures in Uttarakhand Congress and all MLAs are united.
He also expressed confidence that Kunjwal would comfortably win the election to become the Speaker.
“Our (Congress) candidate would comfortably win the elections tomorrow as we have the support of a total of 39 MLAs in the 70 member House,” Bahuguna said. Rawat also expressed similar views and said the Government would complete its five year term.
Rawat, however, called for review of the Congress’s performance in the recent Assembly elections in Uttarakhand where it fell short of majority and said the Chief Minister should take remaining steps to fulfill the aspirations of his supporters.
“There were lots of apprehensions. The Chief Minister has taken some steps to fulfill the aspiration of our supporters and some more steps have to be taken,” HE told reporters when asked whether he has resolved all issues within the party.
Referring to his stand on creation of two posts of Deputy Chief Ministers, Rawat said he still stands by it the election results were “unexpected”.
But, he said, the decision regarding the posts of Deputy CM has to be taken by the party high command and not by the Chief Minister.
However, BJP leaders remained sceptical about the outcome after filing the nomination papers of Kapoor, a former Assembly Speaker.
“This Government is not running due to internal crisis in Congress,” said BJP leader and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, who was accompanied by another former Chief Minister B C Khanduri. (PTI)

BHUBANESWAR, Mar 25:
One of the two Italians abducted by Maoists, tourist Claudio Colangelo, was today released unharmed by ultras, 11 days after being taken hostage in Kandhamal district, while his compatriot was still held captive by the rebels.
A visibly relieved 61-year-old Colangelo, who was handed over to a group of media personnel by the Maoists, told reporters, “it was frightening”.
Colangelo said he has spoken to his wife and his entire family has heaved a sigh of relief over his being freed by the left-wing extremists.
He denied reports that photographs of tribals were being taken by them when the Maoists captured them. “No photographs were being taken.”
On reports that police had warned them against entering the jungles, he said on the contrary, “we went in only after police allowed us”.
He said the other Italian, 54-year-old Puri-based tour operator Paolo Bosusco, was with him in a Maoist camp this morning. “We have to pray for him and see that he too returns safely,” he said.
Colangelo’s release was confirmed by Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj.
Kandhamal Superintendent of Police, J N Pankaj said Colangelo was handed over to journalists in Tanjingia area near Daringbadi town in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district from where he was taken away on March 14.
He was taken to Sorada in Ganjam district from where the tourist is likely to be brought here.
Home Secretary U N Behera said Colangelo called him up and spoke to him soon after being released by the Maoists.
“Colangelo told me that he was set free and that he was in good health and unharmed,” Behera said.
Bosusco was still being held captive by the Maoists, the Home Secretary said.
A top leader of the Odisha State Organising Committee of Maoists told a private TV channel that the release was made as a goodwill gesture.
Colangelo said, “They have treated us the best they could. I don’t want to get into politics … I leave it to the professionals.”
He said he and Bosusco were bathing in a river when four persons came and seized them.
There was, however, no information on tribal BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka who was abducted by armed Maoists near Toyaput in Koraput district in early hours yesterday at Laxmipur while returning home from Koraput.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hoped that the abductors of the 37-year-old, first time legislator would get in touch soon so that the Government could start discussion on his release.
DIG (Southern Range), R K Sharma said, Colangelo was resting as he was tired at Sorada in Ganjam district.
The other Italian still held captive by the abductors was also in good health, he said.
Colangelo, said, “It was frightening. Today finally there was a solution. Let us hope Paulo will be released very soon.”
The two Italians were taken hostage by the Maoists while trekking in the forest areas in Daringbadi in Kandhamal district.
The release came a day after talks between the Maoist and the Odisha Government negotiators to end the hostage crisis were suspended with the Maoist mediators B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty quitting after the kidnap of the BJD MLA in Koraput district yesterday.
Appeals had been made by the Chief Minister, the Maoist mediators and members of the Odisha Assembly for the release of the Italians.
The abductors of the Italians had made 13 demands for their release including release of some rebels like Subhashree Das, wife of top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, and halt to anti-Maoist operations by security forces.
The kidnap of the MLA was preceded by the gunning down of a police sub-inspector in Malkangiri on March 22 and the killing of two policemen in a landmine blast in Koraput on March 18, which police and intelligence sources said pointed to factionalism among the Maoists.
The developments were being interpreted by security agencies as the outcome of factional rivalry between Odisha State Organising Committee (OSOC) and Andhra Odisha Border Zonal Committee (AOBZC), the two groups of Maoists in Odisha seeking dominance.
A senior Intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that top Maoist leader, Sabyasachi Panda, who appeared to have been sidelined in the higher hierarchy of rebel leadership, might be behind the abduction of the two Italians in a bid to assert his authority in the region.
In an attempt to counter Panda’s move and expose his limited control, the AOBZC probably may have engineered the abduction of the legislator.
The same group , active in undivided Koraput and adjoining areas of Andhra Pradesh, was also believed to be behind the killing of sub-inspector K C Rath at Khairput in Malkangiri district on March 22, he said.
While OSOC has claimed responsibility for the abduction of the two Italians and conveyed their demands through the media, no outfit has so far owned responsibility for the kidnapping of the MLA though it is suspected to have been enacted by AOBZC. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Mar 25:
Senior BJP leader L K Advani today said while the US Government had refused a visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the US Congress has “praised” Mr Modi for his governance.
The US Government had denied visa to Mr Modi in 2005 in the wake of post-Godhra riots.
Mr Advani, in his latest blog, said after Father of the Nation Mahatama Gandhi and Sardar Patel, Mr Modi features on cover of the Time magazine.
“This year, this US periodical reputed to be the world’s largest circulated news weekly carried on the cover of its issue dated March 26- Gujarat’s Narendra Bhai Modi. The caption given to the cover is: Modi Means Business,” he said.
Mr Advani added that in 2008, he had raised the matter of denial of visa to Mr Modi during the visit of then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to India.
Mr Advani stated that he had said to her that this may be the first time that an elected Chief Minister of a State in the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy has been denied a visa and what really surprised all was that the denial of visa had been announced by the US without Mr Modi having sought it (visa).
“The irony is that while the US Government has refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the US Congress has in a 100-page report assigned very high marks to Modi for his governance,” he further said in the blog.
Mr Advani said this report says: “Perhaps India’s best example of effective governance and impressive development is found in Gujarat (population 60 million), where “controversial” Chief Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the State a key driver of national economic growth.”
Mr Modi figures on the cover of the forthcoming issue of Time magazine which praises him in an article for development of Gujarat where the BJP has been in power for over a decade.(UNI)

NEW DELHI, Mar 25:
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will tomorrow launch a website for J&K youths who are looking for opportunities in education and employment.
The project, Special Industry Initiatives for J&K ‘Udaan’, will upgrade skills and enhance employability of 8,000 youths every year, for a period of five years, in key high growth sectors, official sources said.
The Government will work along with the corporate sector to bring about a positive change in their skills and employment space in J&K through collaborative approach, they said.
‘Udaan’ is targeted at providing well-paid jobs to the trained manpower. The scheme is being implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the corporate sector in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
The scheme will cover graduates, post graduates and professional degree holders.
‘Udaan’ intends to provide exposure to the youths of J&K to corporate world and also provide access to the corporate India to the rich talent pool available in the State, they said, adding it targets the youths who are educated but do not have marketable skills.
This talent pool in the absence of job opportunities becomes highly alienated and their potential in turning around the State economy is wasted. By providing them jobs, the scheme proposes to channelise their energies into creative pursuits.
Identified companies will screen and select students from the State. After assessing the skill gap of the trainees, a training module will be finalised, the duration and nature of training being decided by the companies, the sources said.
Trainees will be relocated to the facility where intensive job oriented training will be provided by the corporate.
An Expert Group was constituted by Prime Minister’s Office under the chairpersonship of C Rangarajan, to formulate a job plan for J&K.
It had suggested a two pronged approach to employment generation: (a) identify sectoral initiatives for growth and employment generation and (b) increase employability of youth by improving skill sets.
To improve the skills of the youth and create employment, the Expert Group suggested a number of initiatives.
The scheme, ‘Special Industry Initiative (SII) in J&K’ is one such important initiative.
It was approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in July, 2011.
Several leading business groups have shown keen interest in participating in the ‘Udaan’ skills training programme for graduates and post graduates of J&K. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Mar 25:

Reviving his Lokpal agitation with a day-long hunger strike in the national capital, Anna Hazare today launched a scathing attack on the Government saying it should either bring a strong anti-graft legislation or prepare for a defeat in 2014 elections.
“Bring Jan Lokpal or go out of power in 2014 general elections,” Hazare, who returned to hunger strike to demand justice for slain IPS officer Narendra Kumar and a strong law to protect whistleblowers after his flop show in Mumbai three months ago, said.
Accusing the Government of lacking political will to bring an effective legislation to contain corruption, he said peoples’ power will force the Centre to legislate a strong Lokpal Bill one day.
Before starting his fast, Hazare, 74, said many people have sacrificed their lives while fighting corruption and the Government has not conducted any probe despite some incidents which happened three years ago.
“Their (whistleblowers’) mothers, their children, their fathers, their wives are crying for justice. But this Government has gone dumb and deaf. It is not listening to the cries of people.
“This Government neither has any intention nor does it have any political will to bring a strong Lokpal Bill. We will not relent. We will have to keep struggling. I am confident that one day they will have to bring the Jan Lokpal Bill,” said Hazare.
Asking his supporters to keep up the pressure on the Government, he said people of the country have woken up and they will not allow corrupt politicians to “loot” the resources anymore.
“We will have to bring real democracy in the country by ensuring rights of the common people who are supreme and send their representatives to Parliament and State legislatures,” he said.
Hazare said from now onwards his supporters will work in cooperation with Baba Ramdev’s movement against blackmoney to wipe out corruption in the country.
About land acquisition, Hazare said there should a law which should make permission of gram sabha mandatory before selling land to anyone.
“There should be a law to ensure that permission is given by the gram sabha before selling land to anyone,” he said.
On protection to whistleblowers, he said, “There will be a big struggle. Then the Government will listen. The Government came up with MGNREGA but these people were killed for trying to improve it.”
His return to staging protests comes after the Congress performed poorly in the recent assembly polls.
Former Karnataka Lokayukta and Team Anna member Santosh Hegde, who had expressed some reservations with regard to the Team recently, was present along with other members like Shanti Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia.
Earlier Hazare, after his usual visit to Rajghat before any such protest in Delhi, came to the capital’s dharna hotspot Jantar Mantar at around 11 AM to loud cheers from tricolour-wielding supporters and chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
Family members of some of the whistleblowers who were killed while fighting corruption, including that of IPS officer Narendra Kumar, murdered allegedly by mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh, were also present.
During the Assembly elections, Team Anna had campaigned for a strong Lokpal though it had not named any single party. However, Congress leaders had claimed that the tone and tenor of their campaign was anti-Congress.
Team Anna said while the Jan Lokpal ensures security to the whistle blowers, the proposed bill on the issue floated by the UPA Government is “inadequate and gives the responsibilities without powers to CVC”.
At least 15 people, who tried to blow the lid on scams or fought the menace of corruption in other ways, have been killed since 2010, according to Team Anna.
This is the first hunger strike undertaken by Hazare after he called off his three-day fast for a strong Lokpal Bill in Mumbai last December owing to failing health and poor response. This is the fifth time he is sitting on a fast in the past one year, of which four of them have been in Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal attacked some of the prominent UPA Ministers claiming that cases could have been registered against 14 Ministers if there was a Lokpal.
Kejriwal took the names of around 25 politicians, including Ministers Sharad Pawar, S M Krishna, P Chidambaram, Praful Patel, Kapil Sibal, Kamal Nath, Farooq Abdullah, Ajit Singh, Sri Prakash Jaiswal, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh, MK Azhagiri and G K Vasan.
“If Lokpal Bill comes into force, FIRs will be lodged against 14 Ministers of the Union Government,” he said.
“Who will punsih people like them? Delhi Police or the CBI? No one knows because these people will never pass Lokpal Bill,” Kejriwal said. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
R S PURA, Mar 25: PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said that his party has scripted a new chapter in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir by challenging the hegemony of the National Conference (NC) and provided an alternative to the people of the State.
“NC leadership has never allowed democracy to flourish in the State because this political party has brazenly used undemocratic means to remain in power”, Mr Sayeed said while addressing an impressive public meeting in R S Pura.
“Formation of PDP in the year 1999 was turning point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir because, in short span of time, it has earned credibility of the people and the party has emerged as biggest political force of the State”, he said, adding, “I don’t want to praise ourselves but it a historical fact that it was PDP that had revived confidence of the people of the State in the democratic institutions”.
“From 1947 to 2002, NC had never allowed strengthening of democratic institutions in the State because instability in the system as well as in the State suits this party”, he observed and asserted that PDP has challenged domination of NC and changed political discourse of the State through its visionary and pro-peace policies.
He recalled that when PDP was formed there was a sense of fear and insecurity among the people. “Through its pro-peace agenda, PDP had not only created a sense of security among the people but also restored dignity of the common masses by pioneering and implementing peace and reconciliation policies”, he said and added that the healing touch policy implemented by PDP led regime in the State had given encouraging results.
“Although we had just 16 members in the Assembly, our party had convinced successive Governments at Delhi, through our convictions, to take some bold peace initiatives”, he recalled, adding, “PDP had entered into alliance with Congress by formulating a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) in which wishes of all people were incorporated and pro-peace agenda was given first priority”.
“During our regime we have not only restored peace in the State but also created atmosphere for accelerating developmental activities”, he said and regretted that present regime has derailed the process of peace and development in the State. “During the last three years, alienation among people has been increasing due to governance deficit because this regime has failed to connect itself with the people.
“During the last three years this regime has eroded and undermined all prestigious democratic institutions be it Assembly, Urban Local Bodies or Panchayati Raj Institutions”, he said adding that almost one year has passed after elections but no decision has been taken so far to conduct elections of the Block Samities and Zila Samities of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
“Civic bodies elections were scheduled to be held in the month of February 2010 but the Government has been delaying the elections without any reason”, he observed and regretted that Government was not interested in delegation of powers at grass root level.
Trilok Singh Bajwa, Hussain Ali Bafa, Bhushan Dogra, Chatter Saini, Jagjeet Singh Jagga, Som Nath, Shakti Sharma, Amrik Singh Reen, Narinder Pal Singh Raja, B D Gorkha, Choudhary Chuni Lal, S S Sodhi, Sartaj Singh Rana, Capt Hazara Singh, Surinder Singh and others also spoke on the occasion.

From Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Mar 25: The Cooperatives Department has thrown all the rules to the wind as it has promoted a non-feeding employee to the position of Deputy Registrar. In addition to this, three more officers of the department have been given higher charge in clear contravention of the service rules.
The illegal promotion of these officials has led to resentment among the senior officers of the department since they have been denied their right.
According to the order number 03-Coop of 2012 dated 03-02-2012, Bashir Ahmad Lone, In-charge General Manager, Super Bazar, Anantnag has been transferred and posted as In-charge Deputy Registrar, Anantnag against available vacancy in his own pay and grade.
A delegation of the officers of the Cooperative Department while talking to Excelsior said that the promotion of Lone is illegal adding that the officer did not belong to the feeding category for the post of Deputy Registrar. They demanded that promotion order with respect to Lone should be reverted and a deserving person be promoted as Deputy Registrar, Anantnag.
“The General Manager of a cooperative institution did not form the feeding category for filling the post of Deputy Registrar. The promotion of Bashir Ahmad Lone is a glaring example of misuse of powers since he was In-charge General Manager. Lone was not entitled to be promoted as Deputy Registrar, but as he is the blue-eyed boy he got the promotion,” said the aggrieved officers.
It is not for the first time that Lone has been promoted out of way. He was given the additional charge of General Manager, Super Bazar, Anantnag by virtue of order number 33-Coop of 2011 dated 14-06-2011.
Without confirming him as General Manager, Super Bazar, Anantnag, he was elevated to the Deputy Registrar cadre by virtue of the order issued on February 3, 2012. His name did not figure in the seniority list of Assistant Registrars (Gazetted) issued by the Cooperative Department from time to time.
“The senior officers of the department especially the present Commissioner Secretary have made a mockery of the service rules. Imprudent orders issued by the incumbent Commissioner Secretary during his tenure may land the department in litigations besides demoralizing the senior officials. Officials have been given charge of higher posts despite the fact that they didn’t deserve it,” said the officers.
It would be in place to mention here that Lone’s elevation to the position of In-charge Assistant Registrar (Non-Gazetted) cadre was challenged in the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting held in 1999. The DPC members observed that since Lone was only a senior supervisor he cannot be placed as In-charge Assistant Registrar (Non-Gazetted) since it did not form the feeding cadre.
The committee members in their meeting said that Lone had been temporarily promoted as Inspector in July 1998 by then Registrar, Cooperative Societies pending clearance by the DPC. His case was never cleared by the DPC and instead of retention he was elevated to the higher posts with the passage of time with the latest being elevation to the post of Deputy Registrar.
According to order number 03-Coop of 2012 dated 03-02-2012, three more blue-eyed officials have made it to the higher posts in contravention of the service rules. These officials in their respective cadre do not hold the post substantively, but still then were elevated to higher position.
The order said that Mohammad Ashraf, Assistant Registrar, Anantnag has been transferred and deputed as In-charge General Manager, Super Bazar, Anantnag is his own pay and grade, Jia Lal, Assistant Registrar, Lohi Malhar shall look after the work as in-charge District Audit Officer, Kathua in addition to his own duties as Assistant Registrar, Lohi Malhar and Kamal Singh, Assistant Registrar, Bilawar shall look after the duties as In-charge General Manager, Integrated Cooperative Development Projects (ICDP), Kathua in his own pay and grade relieving Bodh Raj Verma of the additional charge of In-charge General Manager, ICDP Kathua.