Telangana issue: Centre to involve all stakeholders

The Congress Core Group's two-hour-long discussion on Telangana on Friday evening at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence remained inconclusive, as it was felt that there was need for some more consultations at the national level.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K. Chandrashekhara Rao, who flew in to the capital on Friday night, is scheduled to meet Dr. Singh on Saturday. The government, informed sources said, wanted to take all stakeholders on board before taking a final decision on an issue that has brought a third of Andhra Pradesh to a halt.

The meeting was held a few hours after Union Health Minister and general secretary-in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to hand over a report on Telangana, based on his discussions with people from three regions of the State — coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana.

Indeed, Mr. Azad, who is not a member of the Congress Core Group, was invited to attend its deliberations. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel were present. For Ms. Gandhi, it was the first Core Group meeting she has attended since her return from the U.S., where she underwent surgery in early August.

The sources told The Hindu that Mr. Azad's report urged the government to take a swift decision on Telangana creation, unless it can draw up a strategy to quell the agitation which, in his view, was very serious. There was need for an urgent decision, the report stressed.

Friday's discussions come in the wake of extensive consultations Mr. Mukherjee had on Friday night with Congress representatives from Telangana, who reiterated to him that they cannot return home without a commitment on a new state. Mr. Mukherjee, it may be recalled, had sent a detailed questionnaire to all political parties some months back, seeking their views on the issue.

‘Trying to speed up'

J. Balaji adds: Even as Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad conveyed to the Congress leadership that there was “no unanimity, no consensus” in the consultation process he had with the party leaders of the Telangana and Seemandhra regions on the demand for a separate State, Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday said he was trying his best to speed up the process at the government level.

“I am trying to hasten the process [of consultation] as much as I can, but, as you know, these are matters concerning political parties [they have to fashion their views on the demand for a Telangana State], and only so much one can do from the government,” Mr. Chidambaram told journalists. He said four parties, including the Congress, were yet to give their views on the report of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee, which went into the demands for a separate Telangana and a united Andhra Pradesh. The others that were yet to give their opinion are the TDP, AIMIM and the YSR Congress.

On the agitation, he said: “No government will actually support a general strike. No government will actively support a bandh, a blockade or a rail roko. My appeal is that while the protesters certainly made their point, continuation of any strike or rail roko or rasta roko cripples the economic activity and enormously inconveniences the people.” Meanwhile, the leaders of the Seemandhra region reportedly urged the Congress high command and the government to rein in the pro-Telangana agitators.

Delhi Police Crime Branch clueless on cash-for-vote trail

In a supplementary charge sheet on the cash-for-vote scandal filed in a special court here on Friday, the Delhi Police Crime Branch revealed that it continues to be clueless about the money trail.

It said that for all its efforts, it found no “abnormal withdrawal” from the bank accounts of the accused Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh.

Five of his bank accounts, three of them in branches in Delhi and two in the Royal Bank of Scotland were analysed, but the charge sheet concluded: “There is no abnormal withdrawal from these accounts of accused Amar Singh. Detailed efforts have been made to link the money trail but there is no system in the banks to record the number of the currency notes at the time of payment to the customers.”

Ballot papers likely for Madurai corporation

Voters of expanded Madurai Corporation may not get the opportunity to push the buttons of electronic voting machines (EVM) in the local body election, as the State Election Commission (SEC) is mulling the option of retaining ballot papers for the city this time also.

“SEC has asked us to be ready to use both the EVMs and ballot papers, as it is considering use of ballot papers instead of EVMs,” Corporation Commissioner and Returning Officer S. Natarajan said here on Friday.

Immediately after the 2006-general elections to local bodies, the SEC took a policy decision to introduce EVMs for urban local bodies that included corporations, municipalities and town panchayats.

Though Mr. Natarajan said that the SEC was yet to take the final call on the issue, official sources said that usage of ballot papers was more likely. The reason for the sudden change in the mode of conduct of election is the likelihood of using more than one ballot unit.

More than 16 candidates

Thirty two candidates are contesting for the post of Madurai Mayor after the scrutiny of 44 nominations was taken up on Friday. (Decision on accepting one more nomination would be taken on Saturday).

In all probability, a second ballot unit has to be used for the election of Mayor as there would be more than 16 candidates in the fray — one ballot unit can have only 16 options.

Mr. Natarajan said that same was the situation in around 10 wards where the number of contestants for the post of councillor was more than 16.

However, the Commissioner said that it was not clear whether ballot papers would be used uniformly in all the 100 wards for both the posts of Mayor and councillor or a mix of EVMs and ballot papers. “Only the SEC has to make the final decision,” he said.

Not anticipating that so many candidates would contest in the election for Mayor or councillor, the Corporation officials were conducting checks on only a little over 2,400 EVMs (two each for 1,200 polling stations in the city).

Only on Thursday, the Commissioner said that efforts were being taken to move additional EVMs from Madurai Collectorate and neighbouring districts.

Pakistan arrests 48 Indian fishermen

Pakistan has arrested 48 Indian fishermen and seized eight boats on the charge of illegally fishing in its territorial waters, an official spokesman of the Maritime Security Agency stated on Friday.

‘Strayed into waters'

“The Indian fishermen strayed into our area and were warned several times to go back, but arrested when they didn't heed the calls,” said Commander Naeem, a spokesman of the Maritime Security Agency, which arrested the fishermen late on Thursday night.

Interrogated

The fishermen were interrogated and handed over to Docks Police in Karachi, he said.

This was the fourth incident of Indian fishermen having been arrested in Pakistani waters during September, he said.

21 boats seized

A total of 94 fishermen were arrested and 21 boats seized, he said.

India and Pakistan arrest hundreds of fishermen on the charge of violating the maritime boundary.

Dozens of fishermen have spent years in jail even after completing their prison terms.

Tardy peace process

In the past few years, the governments have exchanged or released fishermen as part of the tardy peace process.

“India-Bhutan relationship is of mutual cooperation”

The relationship between India and Bhutan has moved from one of donor-beneficiary to that of mutual cooperation, said Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigmy Y. Thinley on Friday. He also said that the relationship between the two countries was an example for all countries with a common border.

Talking to reporters at a press conference after addressing the annual general meeting of the Mahabodhi Society of India here on Friday, he said : “In the beginning it was a relationship as between a donor and a beneficiary, but with Bhutan reaching a good level of development, the nature of relation has moved to one of mutual benefits. ''

Citing an example, he said that India needed electricity badly and Bhutan was generating hydel-power .

Pointing out that Bhutan now aims to become a green and sustainable service economy, he said that his country invites Indian investment in the areas of education, health, tourism and IT sector.

Meeting with Mamata Banerjee

The Prime Minister said that he was very happy to have met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of whom he had heard so much. “My meeting with her affirmed my thoughts about the kind of leader that she is. Her motivation is to be of service to the people. And I am convinced by her life of austerity.”

Mr Thinley said that he also shared with Ms Banerjee his concerns on her security . He expressed confidence that West Bengal will see progress under her. He met the Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan where the Governor was also present.

Buddha relics

Mr Thinley said that he would carry back for a month three relics of Lord Buddha from India. “We are very thankful to India and consider auspicious to have these relics with us in our country at a time when we are preparing for the wedding of our King,” he said.

Cabinet approves Bill to share mining profits

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the landmark the Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Bill, 2011 that provides for mining companies to keep aside 26 per cent of their net profits for a Mineral Development Fund to be used for development and rehabilitation of project-affected people in the tribal areas of the country. For the non-coal companies, the amount will be equivalent to the royalty they pay.

The Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also approved measures to tackle illegal mining and appointed a regulatory body for overseeing the functioning of the mining sector. The Bill is likely to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.

Union Minister of State for Mines Dinsha J. Patel told reporters that in the case of non-coal miners, the new law will provide for payment to project-affected people of an amount equivalent to the royalty paid to the State government. “The regulatory body, proposed to be set up under the new mining law, will have powers to investigate and prosecute the offenders,” Mines Secretary S. Vijay Kumar said. The authority would also be empowered to look into the cases of organised illegal mining. The approval of the Bill immediately drew sharp reactions from the industry chambers and organisations which termed it “unviable” and a move that would hamper the development of the mining sector. The mining company stocks also took a beating at the exchanges after the Cabinet's approval.

The MMDR Bill will replace a 54-year-old legislation governing the sector. The Bill seeks a complete and holistic reform in the mining sector with provisions to address issues relating to sustainable mining and local area development, especially families impacted by mining operations.

Supreme Court allows export of endosulfan

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the export of 1,090.596 tonnes of endosulfan to enable the manufacturers to meet their contractual obligations, even as it made it clear that the ban imposed on May 13 on production of the pesticide would continue.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar gave this direction, taking into consideration the report of an expert committee that the manufacturers had export orders for 1,734 tonnes of` endosulfan ‘technical' and 292.5 KL of `formulation,' which could be allowed for export.

The Bench directed the manufacturers to take enough precaution in packaging the banned pesticide for its safe export to the countries concerned.

It asked the customs, Insecticide Board and excise authorities to monitor the packaging and transport of the consignment to the ports concerned.

The court, acting on a writ petition filed by the Democratic Youth Federation of India, banned the production and sale of endosulfan in the country.

It directed the statutory authorities to freeze the production licences granted to the manufacturers till further orders.

In the meantime, it appointed the committee to suggest ways and means for clearing the existing stock, which included the quantity meant for exports and measures for disposal of remaining material.

On Friday, the Bench directed that the export licences/permits that were cancelled pursuant to the ban imposed in May should be restored to enable the manufactures to export the existing stock.

The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on October 10, when it would consider alternatives to endosulfan.

Cash-for-vote: LS Speaker clears prosecution of BJP MP

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has given sanction to Delhi Police to prosecute Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ashok Argal in the cash-for-vote scam in which four other partymen are already in jail facing charges of criminal conspiracy and for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Parliament sources said Ms. Kumar’s nod came after Delhi Police approached her seeking sanction for prosecuting the BJP MP from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh for his alleged role in the scam during the trust vote in July 2008.

Former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora, senior leader L.K. Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and a BJP worker and middleman Suhail Hindustani have already been arrested in the case.

Besides the BJP functionaries, Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and his former aide Sanjeev Saxena were also arrested in this case.

Allegations were levelled by then BJP MPs Mr. Argal, Mr. Kulaste and Mr. Bhagora that Mr. Saxena had delivered Rs. 1 crore in cash at the behest of Mr. Amar Singh to them at the 4, Ferozshah Road residence of Mr. Argal to vote in favour of government.

According to the crime branch, the three BJP MPs — Mr. Argal, Mr. Kulaste and Mr. Bhagora — have stated that on July 22, 2008, Mr. Saxena delivered money to them at Mr. Argal’s residence.

Mr. Kulaste has alleged that Mr. Saxena was introduced to him and Mr. Argal by Mr. Amar Singh as his secretary on July 22, 2008. The case was registered in 2009 on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee.

The sanction came on a day when BJP chief Nitin Gadkari questioned the arrest of two former BJP MPs and Mr. Kulkarni in the scam saying everyone knows who beneficiaries of the scam were.

Two days back, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had stated that the scam was a matter between the BJP and Mr. Amar Singh.

Occupation Certificate row: Sachin to pay Rs4.75 lakh penalty

By paying Rs 4.75 lakh as penalty to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has decided to end the controversy surrounding his illegal occupancy in his ground plus four-storey bungalow on Perry Cross Road at Bandra (West).
DNA had first reported on September 29 that Tendulkar moved in his new bungalow without procuring an Occupation Certificate (OC). Following the report, the BMC decided to take action under Section 350 (A) of the BMC Act by slapping a notice, seeking a recovery of Rs4.75 lakh as illegal occupancy charges.
While Tendulkar remained unavailable for comment, sources close to Tendulkar told DNA that he wanted to end the row by paying the BMC fine. “Sachin was expecting the OC in a week and was not aware of the norms and its ramifications. He is known as a law-abiding citizen. As soon as he realised he had erred, he decided to pay up,” the source added.
Political parties had jumped at the issue with Congress Guardian Minister Naseem Khan giving it a political hue. Khan demanded the penalty to be waived off in the light of the laurels he had brought to the country.
“Sachin does not agree with the minister’s view and doesn’t want any exceptions made for him. He also feels the controversy could erupt later if he sought a waiver today,” said sources, adding that they have received the NOC from the Garden and Storm Water Drain Department, which will be added to the OC application file.
“We are expecting the OC in a few days,” sources said.
Municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar refused to be drawn out in the controversy, saying his officials were dealing with the matter.
Rahul Shewale, Sena corporator and BMC standing committee chairman, said people shouldn’t give a political colour to an administrative decision. “It will not be right on our part to interfere into the administrative decision,” he stated.

Jodhpur: CBI begins probe in Bhanwari Devi case

New Delhi: Three weeks after Jodhpur nurse Bhanwari Devi went missing, main accused Baldev Ram is likely to be produced in court on Saturday. He was was arrested by the police on Friday.

Meanwhile, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team arrived in Jodhpur on Saturday morning to investigate the case.

The other two accused in the case Shahbuddin, the alleged key executer, and former deputy district head Sahiram Vaishnavi, are reported to be absconding.

Shahbuddin, alleged to have passed Bhanwari on to a gang from another state, called her 69 times in six days before she went missing.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Police is yet to question state Water Resources Minister Mahipal Maderna, who was seen attending a function along with Shahbuddin in a photograph.

Maderna has been accused of kidnapping and murdering Bhanwari Devi. He, however, refrained from making any statement with regard to the issue.

"The matter is sub judice. I would not like to comment," said Maderna.
Bhanwari Devi's husband on filed a complaint of kidnapping and suspected murder in Bilada's trial court on September 21.

Modi may skip BJP meet after rift with Advani

New Delhi: The National Executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is slated to kick off in New Delhi on Friday.

However, the centrestage has been captured by the crack between two big names within the party – veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi is all set to give the meet a miss, after Advani skipped his two-decade old ritual of visiting the Somnath temple in Gujarat every year on September 25 to mark the Ram Rath Yatra of 1990.

Sources close to Modi say that the reason he may miss the party's meet is the Navratri fast. However, efforts are on to convince Modi to attend the BJP conclave.

"We are expecting Narendra Modi at the meet, but there are some issues regarding Navratri," said BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

Post the perceived reprieve by the Supreme Court, Modi's grand standing has not gone done well within sections of the party. Modi's fast earlier in September eclipsed Advani's proposed anti-graft Rath Yatra against corruption.

The Yatra that was scheduled to start earlier from Karamsad in Gujarat will now begin in Bihar, and will be flagged off by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on October 11.

The BJP has however maintained that Advani's campaign is not for the 2014 Prime Ministerial race, but against corruption.
"The Yatra is not linked with prime ministership. It is aimed at clean politics and good governance. The party will support it fully and contribute to making it a success," said Gadkari at a press conference on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi forces rethink on Rs 32 poverty line

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, tipped by many in the Congress to become the Prime Minister, has sought a fresh look on the Rs 32 yardstick for poverty. Sources said the Planning Commission is now likely to do a rethink on the below poverty line (BPL) yardstick.

Sources said the Congress General Secretary is seeking answers on the affidavit filed by the Planning Commission in the Supreme Court which said an individual must earn Rs 32 a day to be above the poverty line in cities and Rs 26 in villages.
. The Planning Commission will meet on October 3 to rework its affidavit and it may even consider submitting a fresh affidavit in the apex court.
But it's not just Rahul Gandhi, several Union ministers including Jairam Ramesh and Ambika Soni have criticised the low cut-offs.
National Advisory Council (NAC) member and social activist Aruna Roy has also come out lambasting Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia over the affidavit. She had also challenged him to live on such a meagre amount.

Active Sonia takes charge of party in crisis

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is trying her best to put the house in order ever since she returned from the US after a surgery. After having brokered a truce between Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P. Chidambaram over the 2G note to the PMO, the Congress president has now turned her attention to organisational matters.
On Friday, she attended the party's core group meeting at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence, nearly two months after she underwent surgery.
The meeting discussed the Telangana crisis, relief operations in quake-hit Sikkim and the strategy to counter BJP propaganda on the 2G controversy.
For Sonia, the main priority appeared to be the worsening crisis in Telangana as well as the disturbances in the Congress-ruled states.
The Congress president met Union Health Minister and AICC general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad, who submitted a report on the demand for a separate statehood for Telangana and briefed her about the volatile situation in the region amid speculation that the report may favour separate statehood.
This was the first meeting between Sonia and Azad on the Telangana issue after her return from the US on September 8. Sources said even in the midst of the 2G crisis, Sonia had asked Mukherjee to monitor the Telangana situation and help resolve the tangle.
She is also reported to have told the ace trouble shooter to keep a watch on the situation in party-ruled Goa where the chief minister is facing charges of illegal mining.
Sources said Sonia also summoned Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot to express displeasure over the handling of the land dispute between Meos and Gujjars in Bharatpur a fortnight ago which led to communal clashes killing nine people.
A party delegation that visited the trouble-spot submitted a report to the Congress president, indirectly blaming the state home minister for his failure to stem the riots.
The party is also worried over the embarrassing situation the Gehlot government appears to have landed in after a case was filed against state water resources minister Mahipal Maderna for having abducted and raped Bhanwari Devi, the midwife-nurse in Jodhpur who is missing for more than three weeks.

 

India's 2010 nuclear liability law not consistent with CSC: US

India's 2010 nuclear liability law not consistent with CSC: US

India's 2010 nuclear liability law is not consistent with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) on Nuclear Damage, the US has said.
"There continue to be serious concerns that India's 2010 nuclear liability law is not consistent with the CSC," the State Department said.

"The IAEA is an appropriate venue for clarification on issues related to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation on Nuclear Damage, which deals with international nuclear liability. The Agency can be helpful in assisting countries in evaluating their compliance with the CSC," it said.

Such a statement from State Department comes after top US officials this week urged India to take steps to ensure that its nuclear liability bill is in tune with international standards.

The issue was first raised by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New York when she met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Monday; and then followed by Deputy Secretary of State William J Burns and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake.

India warns against hurry in troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

India warns against hurry in troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

Expressing concern over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, India today warned against any ''hurry'' in withdrawing troops from the country, saying such a move should be done keeping in mind the ground realities and not just to meet any deadline.
"For peace, stability and security in Afghanistan, it is imperative that the ongoing transition must be linked to the ground realities rather than rigid timetables. This, the international community in its hurry to withdraw from a combat role in Afghanistan, will ignore at its own peril," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said.

Pointing out that extremist groups continue to attack high-security targets and assassinate important political figures such as former president Burhanudin Rabbani, Puri said gains on the security front cannot be consolidated unless the international community is able to firmly deal with safe havens for terrorist groups outside Afghanistan's borders.

He said the "syndicate of terrorism" including Al Qaeda, LeT and other extremist groups operating from within and outside Afghan borders must be rooted out for stability in the country.

"For security and stabilisation of Afghanistan, it is important to isolate and root out the syndicate of terrorism which includes elements of the Al Qaida, Taliban, Laskar-e-Taiba and other terrorist and extremist groups operating from within and outside Afghanistan's borders.

"These groups are ideologically and operationally fused and their bonds have strengthened over the years," he said.

Citing the UN Secretary General's report on Afghanistan, Puri said the average monthly number of security incidents this year is up 39 per cent as compared to the same period in 2010.

While the process of transition of security responsibilities to Afghan National Security Forces has commenced since July, 2011, it is "indeed worrisome that there has been no let up in terrorist violence."

These attacks point to a dangerous "osmosis of ideologies, ambitions, training and operations" among the syndicate of terrorism in the region with suicide terrorism as its main technique and targets not limited to Afghanistan, Puri added.

He reiterated India's commitment to partnering with the government and people of Afghanistan in building a peaceful, stable, democratic and pluralistic nation.

"We support further strengthening of the Afghan National Security Forces. We fully support an Afghan-led inclusive and transparent  process of reconciliation."

It must be accompanied by an inclusive political process and intra-Afghan dialogue" which includes renunciation of violence, cutting of ties to terrorist groups and protections of human rights, including the rights of women, Puri said.

India's two billion dollar assistance to Afghanistan spans a plethora of economic and social development activities.

Indian companies have expressed interest in tapping into Afghanistan's iron ore reserves and India is also participating in the TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) gas  pipeline project.

"We have always considered Afghanistan as a South Asian country with natural complementarities and synergies with other countries of South Asia and one which is uniquely placed to build bridges even beyond it.

"India's rapidly growing economy and its large market make it a natural destination for Afghan exports."

At the same time, India can also be a cost effective and efficient source of Afghan imports, Puri said.

Addressing the meeting, US envoy to the UN Susan Rice said even as the security situation in Afghanistan continues to present challenges, "our goal remains to shift gradually to a supporting role."

She said Rabbani's tragic assassination has only strengthened US' resolve to work in support of the Afghan government, end the insurgency and pursue justice against those who fund, direct and carry out violence.

UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura stressed the need to seize the window of opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation that exists, despite the recent killing of Rabbani.

"There is no alternative to a political solution...The priority must continue to be a dialogue among Afghans themselves, led by them, with non-Afghans like all of us playing a supportive role." 

Afghanistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Zalmai Rassoul told the meeting that despite efforts to stabilize the country, Afghans still suffer from an  endless campaign of terror carried out by Afghanistan's enemies.

"To help end the conflict, and meet the demands and aspirations of the Afghan people for a durable, dignified and inclusive peace, we will work to bring back to social, economic and political life all members of the armed opposition willing to renounce violence, sever ties with terrorist groups, and  accept our constitution," he said.

As Afghanistan moves towards the 2014 transition, nations have to get together to create an environment that attracts private-sector investment in  the country, Rice said.
In this context, Afghan-led venture 'New Silk Road' will help the country and its neighbours to maximize the value of their natural resources, build human capacity, create jobs, generate revenue to pay for needed services, and capitalize on the region's economic potential, Rice said.

"The New Silk Road initiative will reinforce the search for diplomatic solutions to end the war in Afghanistan," she said.

Puri said India too supports the New Silk Road initiative, which will be an important step for the economic development of Afghanistan.

Pak making error by supporting terror groups against India: US

Pak making error by supporting terror groups against India: US

Washington, Oct 1 (PTI)
Stating that Pakistan has used terror groups in Kashmir against India, the US has cautioned Islamabad that it is making ''a serious, grievous, strategic error'' by supporting these outfits.
Pakistan believes that it can keep a "wild animal in the backyard" and it will only go after its neighbour, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

But, there are too many stories where that doesn't turn out like that, she said.
"We are pressing and pushing on every lever that we have in the relationship, and we have to be effective in trying to achieve our strategic goal, which is to prevent any attacks against us emanating from Pakistan, as well as to try to help stabilise Pakistan against this internal threat, and to create the best possible circumstances for Afghanistan to be able to have control over its own future," Clinton said.

"Those are all extremely difficult and we are learning it, each piece of that, every single day," she said in response to a question after she delivered her remarks at the "Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series" here.

Clinton said Pakistani people are trying to navigate through a very difficult security environment.

"And I like to remind myself and my colleagues of that because they have a great stake in trying to end terrorism against themselves, but they bring to their fight against terrorism deep concerns about the relationship with India, about what happens in Afghanistan after US and coalition troops draw down, what happens in the greater region that could destabilise them further," she said. Referring to the support US provided to these insurgent groups during the fight against the Russians in Afghanistan, Clinton said when she meets Pakistani officials, they rightly say, "You're the ones who told us to cooperate with these people. You're the ones who funded them.

"You're the ones who equipped them. You're the ones who used them to bring down the Soviet Union by driving them out of Afghanistan. And we are now both in a situation that is highly complex and difficult to extricate ourselves from."

That is how they see it, she noted. "They also have used groups in the past to support their ongoing conflict with India over Kashmir. And when I became Secretary of State, they were trying to basically appease the Pakistani Taliban who were attacking them. So they were trying to draw a distinction between the good terrorists and the bad terrorists, because we had funded the good terrorists together."

"So they were dealing with this network of terrorism that had been better organised and directed because of al-Qaeda, which brought a lot more funding into the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan and much more of a sense of mission, because (Osama) bin Laden and those who worked with him had a very highly developed idea about how to inflict damage on the United States and others," Clinton said.

So, one of the US' first rounds of discussions with the Pakistanis was how it was not in their interest to permit terrorists to take over territory, something they thought would appease them, which obviously did not and could not, she said. "So they began moving troops off their Indian border. They began going after the Pakistani Taliban."

"So I think it's important that we appreciate their perspective about where we both are right now. That in no way excuses the fact that they are making a serious, grievous, strategic error supporting these groups, because you think that you can keep a wild animal in the backyard and it will only go after your neighbour? We have too many stories where that doesn't turn out like that," Clinton said.

India aware of Dawood’s presence in Pak, says PC New Delhi, September 30, DHNS:

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said India is aware of the fact that underworld mafia Dawood Ibrahim has been staying in Pakistan.

The minister said he was not surprised that the United States has now discovered Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence’s (ISI) links with terror groups, including the Haqqani network.

Asked whether India’s most-wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim has been staying in Karachi where he recently hosted a grand marriage of his son Moin at his mansion White House, Chidambaram said he was aware of the fact and he had already raised the issue with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik.

“We know where Dawood lives. We have raised it with Pakistan... they deny he lives there. What is it we can do? Some day that will also be exposed. I have raised it with my counterpart,” Chidambaram said.

On the clemency petition of death row convict Afzal Guru, Chidambaram said the President was yet to make a decision. He refused to comment on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s resolution on the Parliament attack convict.
On the Telangana stir, the home minister said there are four parties, including the Congress, which are yet to articulate their views on the issue. He said the government should be given some time to work out a solution.

Femicide is part of corruption Anna is fighting

CHANDIGARH: Raman Magsaysay awardee and an IIT teacher-turned social worker Sandeep Pandey bracketed femicide in Punjab in the category of violations of human rights of the weak saying the "menace" needs to be termed a corrupt act.

Anna Hazare's appreciable fight focused on corruption in government sector and at higher levels, will now be expanded to other areas, such as denial of human rights to the poor and weak and procedure to decide the people below poverty line (BPL).

Pandey said a conglomeration of NGOs, led by Medha Patekar, met at Anna Hazare's village Ralegan Siddhi this month to decide the immediate issue to be taken up for curbing corruption, which is a 'silly' BPL defining 'poor' as ones living on less than Rs 26 per day in rural areas and less than Rs 32 per day in urban areas.

The social worker, now teaching at IIM Ahmedabad, was in the city to promote an idea of barrier free India-Pakistan to allow visa-free movement between the neighbor countries, at a global peace and friendship gathering of around 1,000 students from 25 countries. The programme was organized by a local NGO, Yuvsatta, which promotes Gandhian values.

Pandey supported people's movement in Fatehabad, Haryana, against setting up a nuclear power plant saying land of farmers can not be snatched.

Live on Rs 32 a day: Aruna Roy to Montek Ahluwalia

NEW DELHI: Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander, members of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, have joined Right to Food campaigners in demanding that Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia withdraw the poverty line affidavit filed by the panel before the Supreme Court or resign.

In an open letter by the two prominent members of the UPA think-tank National Advisory Council in their capacity as members of the Right To Food Campaign, they publicly blamed Ahluwalia particularly for the affidavit.

They wrote, "The affidavit filed by the Planning Commission in the Supreme Court skirted the two major issues that were raised by the highest court in the country: why there should be a poverty line that determines the BPL 'caps' and, a request by the bench to the Planning Commission to reconsider the poverty line. That the affidavit chose to repeat the stand taken by the Planning Commission in its last affidavit in May 2011 is, we believe, an affront to the poor of this country and also the Supreme Court."

"The affidavit is a document, no less historically significant than the 'India Shining' campaign that brought the downfall of a previous regime, because it reflected arrogance and contempt for the poor comparable to the views held by the Planning Commission," it said. "If Rs 25 for rural areas and Rs 32 for urban areas per capita expenditure was 'adequate' then it is not clear to us why Planning Commission members are paid up to 115 times the amount (not counting the perks of free housing and health care and numerous other benefits that is enjoyed by you)."

Targeting Ahluwalia, the activists noted, "After years of terming the IMF and World Bank as the sources of all knowledge for how this country's economy is to be run, you have, we believe misinterpreted the FAO to suggest that the poor need less food than what government norms state."

Villagers raise slogans against solid waste management project

JALANDHAR: In a public hearing on the proposed project of solid waste management plant in Jamsher village and a dozen others nearby expressed strong opposition on Friday. Officials and consultants appeared in dock as they faced tough questioning by the public. Villagers compared the production of harmful gases from the proposed plant to toxic chemicals used by the US forces during the Vietnam war.

A large number of women had also turned up at the hearing and they raised slogans against the proposed project. The consultants also failed to satisfy the people or simply fumbled for right answers during the hearing.

Successful bidder Jindal Urban Infrastructure Limited has proposed to generate power by burning the waste at this plant. PPCB executive engineer S S Matharoo made it clear that the plant was proposed to manage 700 metric tons of solid waste daily.

Former Jalandhar cantonement MLA Jagbir Brar, who started the questioning from public side said the environment impact assessment report (EIA) was not made available in Punjabi to the panchayats and people were not in a position to completely understand the fallouts of the project.

Brar said it was basically a power generation plant from urban waste and least care had been taken of the environmental issues.

Villagers alleged that they were already living along the dirty water flowing in the Jamsher drain, foul smell emanating from the sewerage treatment plant at Pholriwal and this plant would make their life more hellish.

Gopal Krishna, convener of NGO Toxic Watch Alliance, raised the issue of dioxins, an organic pollutant, which would be generated from combustion of the waste, but there was no satisfying reply to it.

Avtar Singh of Pholriwal village said, even their underground water was polluted due to flow of untreated water in Jamsher drain and now their air would also be badly polluted due to this project.

The villagers also did not get a satisfactory reply if any plant like the proposed one here was running successfully anywhere in the country. The Punjab Pollution Control Board which organized the hearing made it clear that no plant like this was operatiing in Punjab as of now.

After the situation turned chaotic with villagers angrily arguing with PPCB officials and representatives of two consultant companies, ADC (Development) Sarojani Gautam Sharda, who was present along MC commissioner B S Dhariwal managed the situation and questioning session continued.

Godhra commission stalls IPS officer Bhatt's cross-examination

AHMEDABAD: The Godhra inquiry commission on Wednesday stalled the cross-examination of IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in connection with his affidavit filed before the Supreme Court.

Sanjiv Bhatt, a 1988-batch IPS officer and head of the State Reserve Police Training Centre at Junagadh, in his affidavit said that during a meeting on February 27, 2002, Narendra Modi issued instructions that Hindus be allowed to express their anger and that Muslims be taught a befitting lesson so that incidents such as the Sabarmati train burning, which occurred earlier that day, are never repeated.

The Godhra inquiry commission on Wednesday stopped the proceedings till June 8 on the basis of an application filed by Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind objecting that Bhatt could not be questioned, since he had not administered oath.

At the time of the riots, Bhatt, an IIT-Mumbai graduate, served as the deputy commissioner of intelligence in the State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar. Bhatt becomes the second IPS officer to make these allegations in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, after the former Gujarat Director General of Police, R B Sreekumar.

Gujarat IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt who took on Narendra Modi arrested

AHMEDABAD: IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who had filed an affidavit in Supreme Court against the Gujarat government and chief minister Narendra Modi on the 2002 riots, was arrested on Friday by cops from his own force who later raided his Ahmedabad home.

The arrest comes two days after Bhatt filed an affidavit in the Gujarat high court linking Modi and former home minister Amit Shah with the murder of BJP leader Haren Pandya.

Bhatt was held on a complaint filed by constable K D Pant accusing the IPS officer of abducting him and forcibly recording his statement. The officer was detained at 4.15pm from his house in Memnagar in the heart of Ahmedabad.

The story so far
In April, DIG Sanjeev Bhatt (pic) files affidavit in SC, alleging CM Narendra Modi called a meeting on Feb 27, 2002 following the burning of Sabarmati Express at Godhra station, and asked top officials to let "Hindus teach a lesson to Muslims". Bhatt was deputy commissioner of the State Intel Bureau at the time On Aug 8, Bhatt suspended for unauthorized absence from duty as principal of training school in Junagadh. Also accused of not appearing before an inquiry and for misuse of official car On Sept 18, Guj home ministry chargesheets Bhatt. State govt goes on to oppose his plea for relief in a 1990 case of alleged police atrocity.

No apex court action before Dussehra

The FIR on which Bhatt was arrested on Friday had been challenged by him in the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam had also issued a notice on Bhatt's petition to the Gujarat government.

The arrest appears to have been strategically timed to prevent any immediate intervention from the Supreme Court in the matter, as it will be shut next week for Dussehra.

PMO panel to take fresh look at NAC’s food bill draft

In signs of growing friction between the PMO and the National Advisory Council (NAC) over the fiscal burden of the National Food Security Act, the former has set up a committee under chief economic advisor to the PM C Rangarajan to review the draft bill prepared by the Sonia Gandhi-chaired think tank.
The development has come as a surprise to NAC which is veering close to including the entire SC/ST population as mandatory recipients of subsidised foodgrain.

The PMO committee will have Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, chief economic advisor to the finance ministry Kaushik Basu, agriculture secretary and expenditure secretary as members. The choices are significant in view of their known concerns about the fiscal repercussions of an ambitious NFSA. For months, NAC members have been pushing for a more expansive bill that would covers as large a population as better foodgrain supply and procurement can handle.
Some members of the PMO panel would prefer conditional cash transfers and a smaller beneficiary list instead.
The naming of the committee could restart the debate on the contours of the bill. Though it was touted as the Planning Commission for UPA-2's social agenda, NAC members have found their influence over government policy clipped by a strong set of defenders of `fiscal prudence'.
The PMO had earlier intervened just before a crucial meeting of NAC to lay down the upper limit of additional food subsidy that the government would be willing to provide for in the NFSA. This had forced the NAC's hand and made them cut down on some of the proposals in the bill as well as substantially prune its declared ambitions of providing near-universal coverage to at least one-fourth of the country's districts.
Earlier too, the Planning Commission had pushed for a minimalist bill suggesting that issue prices for APL be kept high enough to bring down the number of those who could claim benefit. It also stuck conservative estimates of those living below the poverty line.
At the last meeting of the NAC, it was decided that a sub-committee of the council would draft the bill based on principles approved in a meeting presided over by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The draft was supposed to be circulated within the government.
While NAC members did not comment on the development in the meeting on Friday, sources said the significance of a committee set up by the PMO to review their draft had caused consternation within the council.

Poor get less food from Sonia's NAC

The National Advisory Council, headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, on Saturday settled for a much less ambitious National Food Security Act than it had previously agreed to.
Scaling down its recommendations, it decided to recommend subsidised foodgrains for 46% of the rural Indian population and 28% of the urban population.

The pruning of the recommendation had an immediate fallout, with the NAC member Jean Dreaze, face of the right-to-food security campaign, submitting a dissent note. He accused the government of pressuring the NAC pressure to accommodate its demands, and turn the Bill into a minimalist proposal.
"Constraints imposed by the government that do not leave scope for anything like what is required to address the problem of hunger and undernutrition. The NAC proposals are a great victory for the government -- they allow it to appear to be doing something radical for food security, but it is actually more of the same," Dreaze said in his note.
The NAC has recommended that 48% rural and 28% urban population will get 35 kg of food grains every month. Rice will be given at Rs 3 a kg, wheat at Rs 2 a kg and millets at Rs 1 a kg.
The reverse flip came after the Congress chief was convinced by the PM of limiting the subsidy burden and expanse of the scheme, and she also expressed her reservations about the difficulty of justifying why those living above the poverty line would get the same benefits as the poor.
The NAC also recommended that those living above the poverty line but not well off -- 44% and 22% in rural and urban areas, respectively -- will be entitled to 20 kg a month at half the price that the government pays for the foodgrains -- less than the APL prices at the moment.
If one were to club both the categories, roughly 90% of rural India and 50% of urban India would be able to enjoy the benefits of the UPA-II's flagship scheme.
The government, led by the Planning Commission and the PMO, played a crucial role in whittling down the earlier recommendations of the NAC members who had wanted a more expansive, though not universal, extension of the food bill across the country.
Reducing the entitlements provided to those living above the poverty line and sticking to Tendulkar's figures for the population living below the poverty line will now ensure that the overall additional food subsidy remains below Rs 18,000 crore annually.
The PM, sources said, had stepped in, to put an upper limit on the amount of additional funds the government would provide for the scheme. Sources said, after initially suggesting the government would be able to afford an additional Rs 22,000 crore annually, the suggested amount was further reduced to Rs 18,000 crore annualy, which forced the NAC to reduce the entitlement for APL from 35 kg to 25 kg per month.
The NAC had to also back off from its earlier proposal that the government select the poor on the basis of their social groupings -- SCs/STs, single women households and other vulnerable groupings being selected automatically. While the NAC wanted the selection criteria to be also built into the provisions of the law, this would now be decided by the government separately with the artificial cut-off percentages of the beneficiaries being mandated by the Planning Commission for every state on the basis of Tendulkar report computation.

The NAC also had to backtrack on the other benefits it had earlier recommended under the NFSA with the PM opposing the inclusion of pensions and child development services and removing any reference to even future entitlements to clean water and sanitation.
"The non-PDS entitlements, for their part, have been diluted beyondrecognition. Entire fields of intervention that are crucial for food security (such as child development services and old age pensions) have been left out of the final proposals," Dreze said.

NAC may take U-turn on food security Bill

The National Advisory Council will meet on Friday again to discuss the National Food Security Bill but the basic tablet of principles could be substantially changed with the Sonia Gandhi-led group taking a U-turn away from its earlier demand for universalisation of the public distribution system.
The proposal supported by the Planning Commission, suggesting that the Tendulkar committee figures for those living below the poverty line be the cut off for providing foodgrains at Rs 3 per kg, could now get greater weightage.

This is seen as a reflection of the changed dynamics between the Congress president who chairs the NAC, the council's members and the government -- especially the PMO and the Planning Commission.
The favoured proposal also recommends that only 33% of the urban population be provided subsidized grains.
Earlier, a larger number of NAC members were in favour of a near universalisation option with 80% of rural population getting the subsidized grains.
But in the previous meeting, the Congress president had not accepted the idea of universalisation of PDS, pointing out instead that it would be difficult for the poor to comprehend why the government provided the same amenities to the rich as to the poor.
She had asked the NAC members working on the Bill to consult the government and come back with a clearer proposal along lines that provide differential services to different income segments.
The meeting on Friday is expected to see greater focus being given now to the proposal that allows for the rural population living above the Tendulkar poverty line -- or Above Poverty Line beneficiaries -- to get only 25 kg of foodgrain, that too at a higher rate.
Though this may not be the last of the turns the debate goes through as it moves through NAC and government circles, the step away from universalisation of the PDS scheme, if accepted, would radically reduce the number of beneficiaries of the proposed Act as well as pare down the government's annual subsidy bill by Rs 15,000-20,000 crore.
The Right To Food campaign has spoken out against the move away from universal PDS even though two of its key members -- Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze -- are also members of the NAC.
For the Congress party too, it would require political will to keep 67% of the urban population out of the social security net. The impact of this would be seen more in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh where PDS is already extensively servicing the urban population.
Most of the NAC members were earlier seen advocating a process where an artificial cut off line for identification of poor would not be imposed by the Centre and instead identification of beneficiary vulnerable and needy groups should be undertaken. But the proposal now would require such an imposed cut off which has always been opposed by the state governments.

NAC members protest against plan panel's move for new poverty line

NEW DELHI: A spoon, 25 grams of dal, half a slice of bread, some washing powder and a torn piece of kurta, in total worth Rs 20. That is what three key National Advisory Council members -- Jean Dreze, Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander -- brought for the deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday protesting against the Rs 20 per day person expenditure poverty line it has decided upon as a cut off.
The three NAC members led a group of about 60-70 noisy protestors carrying dozens of packets – all worth Rs 20 – and asked the Planning Commission members to survive a day in Delhi on the contents and shouted slogans waving placards mocking the poverty line

The presence of the trio, who have been locked in an argument against the 'fiscal prudence wallahs' in the government while pushing for an expansive food security bill, marked a scaling up of the battle between the two sides.
They were leading the Right To Food campaigners protesting against how the Planning Commission defines poverty in the country.
The storm had been brewing since the Planning Commission impleaded itself in the case in the Supreme Court and claimed that an expenditure of Rs 20 per day on essentials for those living in urban areas and Rs 15 for those living in rural India was enough to keep them out of poverty and, therefore, out of government's social safety net.
The poverty line of Rs 20 works out from the Rs 578 per month per capita expenditure Planning Commission considers ample for a city dweller to survive on. This, as per their report, includes Rs 31 a month on rent and conveyance, Rs 18 a month on education, Rs 25 a month on medicines and Rs 36.5 a month on vegetables. Anyone spending a paisa more than this is officially not poor.
The three would have been well aware that their presence at the protest would mark a public declaration that they were not backing off from the confrontation with the Prime Minister's Office and the Plan panel, the latter being as determined that food subsidies have to be kept low despite the food security bill.
Earlier the apex court too had suggested to the government to relook at whether spending Rs 20 kept people well fed and above the poverty line.
When the protestors gathered at Yojna Bhawan they were whisked away by the police and later released. The Plan panel members refused to meet them but later in the evening the deputy chairman met 15 of them which included Jean Dreze.
Montek got his packet of goodies. The gathering handed over the Rs 20 packets -- including combs, a little dal, some rice grains, a band aid, and other essentials -- for his colleagues as well. But he stuck to his position, said one of the protestors who got to meet Singh. He instead suggested they meet Kaushik Basu, the chief economic advisor to the finance ministry. Basu has made a strong pitch for dismantling the grain distribution system and shift to cash transfers.
The meeting only produced one result – both sides came out sure that the other is not going to budge from its position anytime soon.