Lang barrier adjourns Lok sabha for 15mins

There was peace in the Lok Sabha on Friday with no protests from opposition MPs, but a technical problem that hampered English translation led to a minor commotion and disruption of the house.

SpeakerMeira Kumar adjourned the house for 15 minutes at 11.30 am when some MPs from southern states complained that they were not receiving the English translation of minister of state for power Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki's speech in Hindi.

DMK member T R Baalu was the first to raise the issue and asked the speaker to "adjourn the house, suspend the question hour" if the problem could not be resolved.

Rotting food grains in Govt Godowns

Even as tonnes of foodgrains are rotting in Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses across the country, little has been done by the union agriculture ministry to address the issue, an RTI activist said Friday.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had last year promised the Lok Sabha that his ministry would set up a panel to probe the issue and take corrective action, according to a Right to Information (RTI) finding.

Between 1997 and 2007, 1.83 lakh tonnes of wheat, 6.33 lakh tonnes of rice, 2.20 lakh tonnes of paddy and 111 lakh tonnes of maize were damaged in various FCI warehouses, revealed Dev Ashish Bhattacharya, who filed the RTI query on the issue.

CWG financial scandal widens as CAG investigates 60 bids

It’s not just the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) that is being investigated for financial irregularities. For the first time, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has named Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennel and CEO Mike Hooper, besides OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, as party to a dubious selection process for consultants for international broadcasting rights.

This, the national auditor says in its internal report, led to a loss of R24.6 crore for the OC. It has also come across fresh cases of financial wrongdoings by the OC, resulting in a total loss of R66.49 crore.

Dubious appointment

The CAG report, based on a February-April audit, says the OC skipped a detailed technical evaluation of bidders before picking a consultant for international broadcast rights. “The OC executive board in principal approved M/s Fast Track Sales Ltd only on the basis of suggestions made by the CGF president and CEO and the OC chairman,” it says.
  
Not only did the OC pay Fast Track a higher commission than the other bidders, resulting in a loss of R5.20 crore, the firm’s failure to finalise a broadcasting rights agreement on time led to a further loss of R19 crore.

Hooper, however, told HT: “We recommended Fast Track on the basis of its record. They have also performed and brought revenue for the Games. OC was the agency that decided on the deal, not us. Fast Track also exceeded the revenue target. We stand by the decision.”

Law minister says he's concerned over compulsory voting bill

Observing that people cannot be forced to vote till they have a choice to elect candidates with a clean image, the government on Friday expressed its inability to enforce compulsory voting in the country.

“Till the time people have a choice to vote for candidates with clean image, they cannot be forced to vote. It would be fatal for democracy and lead to disillusionment,” Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said in the Lok Sabha.

He was replying to a private member’s bill on compulsory voting tabled by J.P. Agarwal (Congress), who later withdrew it.

Mr. Moily said while he was not against the idea of compulsory voting, “a stand alone law won’t take us anywhere.” He said enacting another law was not a remedy. “It should not be ornamental. We have to add flesh and blood to it,” he said.

CWG OC defends on Broadcast rights issue

Stung by the CAG's interim report which has found discrepancies in some deals, the CWG Organising Committee on Thursday defended its broadcasting rights deal with Fast Track despite a high commission paid to them, saying the UK company had doubled the revenue target. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its interim inspection report has pointed out that Fast Track was preferred over Sports  Marketing and Management (SMAM) despite a high comission and thus OC lost on revenue generation.

SMAM had offered its services for 12.5 per cent while OC gave 15 per cent to Fast Track.

OC secretary generalLalit Bhanot said it was a well thought out decision to award the deal to Fast Track as they did not want to give too many contracts to SMAM, which already had bagged the sponsorship contract.

CWG financial report irregular -- CAG

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its interim inspection report on Thursday, has found that some large scale of financial irregularities in deals handled by the Suresh Kalmadi led-Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

The report found discrepancies in choosing consultants for broadcasting rights and sponsorship deal with the Melbourne-based firm, Sports Marketing and Management (SMAM), which was awarded the deal at a very cheap price.

Sonia asks Jaiswal to probe in Boy's death in Kanpur

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked Minister of State for Coal, Statistics and Programme Implementation Sriprakash Jaiswal to make inquiries into the death of an 8-year-old Kanpur boy Aman Khan.

The parents have blamed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's security for their son's demise and alleged that he died due to roadblocks erected during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Kanpur.

They claimed they were not allowed to take the shortest route to the hospital to give their son medical treatment on time.

Y.S.R. Jagan Mohan slams state Congress Leadership

Hitting out at the Congress leadership, party MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday alleged that Andhra Pradesh's ministers and legislators were being prevented from joining his yatra.

In the first open attack on the leadership since resuming his yatra on Thursday, the young MP claimed that ministers and legislators wanted to accompany him but were being prevented from doing so.

"What crime I have committed? I am asking you if it is justified to ask ministers and legislators not to accompany me," said Jagan, without naming Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who asked his cabinet colleagues and legislators not to join the yatra.

Tension in Srinagar following death of Youth

Angry youths clashed with security forces here in Jammu and Kashmir Saturday following the death of a teenager they allege was killed in a street protest a day earlier.

The young men hurled stones at police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in several areas including Narwara, Rainawari, Nawa Kadal, Bimina, Batmaloo, Sonawar, Natipora, Abi Guzar and Hari Singh High Street.

Police used batons and tear gas to disperse the mobs, which would repeatedly run into the narrow streets and reappear to again attack the security personnel.

Warren Anderson, now refocused on Bhopal issue

Perhaps the biggest fallout of this week's verdict in the Bhopal gas tragedy has been the refocusing of attention on Warren Anderson, and the fact that he has not been tried for his role as the senior-most executive of the company that caused the world's biggest industrial disaster.

Anderson, who was Chief Executive Officer of Union Carbide Corp in 1984, flew into India after the gas leak from a Carbide plant choked Bhopal on the 2-3 of December. He was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Yet, just four days after the tragedy, Anderson flew out of Bhopal on the official plane of Arjun Singh, who was at the time the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Sharad Pawar another victim of IPL

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday demanded resignation of the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, alleging that he had misled the nation about his interest relating to the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“He should resign forthwith. If (he does) not, we demand stern action against Pawar from Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh),” BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

A media report on Friday said Mr. Pawar and his family members had 16 per cent share in City Corporation which was one of the bidders for Pune IPL franchise.

PMK re-joins with DMK again

Ruling Party of Tmail Nadu & the partner of the ruling UPA Govt DMK announces its candidates for Rajya Sabha election. Party chief Karunanidhi nominates the candidates. The candidates are as follows:

1. P.Ramalingam
2. Thangavelu
3. Selva Ganapathy.

He also hinted about the possibility of PMK in the alliance. He told that a Rajya Sabha seat will be allocated to PMK after the assembly election in TamilNadu.


DMK & PMK will jointly face the assembly elections in 2011.



PMK rejoins DMK after its defeat in Parliment elections, during which they were in ADMK alliance after breaking its alliance with DMK. PMK lost all the seats.

Mayawati has assests value over Rs.88 crores

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati's total assets are valued at around Rs. 88 crore. This has been revealed in the sworn affidavit filed by her at the time of filing her nomination for the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) elections in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Ms. Mayawati's worth was around Rs. 52.27 crore in 2007 when she contested the Council byelection after becoming the Chief Minister.

In three years, her assets have grown by about Rs. 35 crore.

Ms. Mayawati filed her nomination before the Returning Officer and the Principal Secretary of the Vidhan Sabha, Pradeep Kumar Dubey in the Purshottam Das Tandon Hall of the State Legislature.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who is also the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party, has Rs. 12.95 lakh in cash and bank deposits of Rs. 11.39 crore, and is also the owner of five sprawling commercial properties and bungalows in prime locations in New Delhi, Okhla and Lucknow.

College student turned to a cooli in TamilNadu as bks refuses Edu loan

Praveena scored 72% in HSc in the yr 2007. In counselling she chose BDS in reputed Medical college in Kancheepuram. During admission the College administration have told her father about the Fee structure.

Her father, a Cooli, thought of applying education loan, approached Indian Bk in Panruti. The officials forwarded the application to Lakshmi Vilas Bk, where the officials demand security worth 10 lacs. As he can't afford , the application was rejected by the officials.

Praveena was debarred from the college for not  paying Fees. Her father have sent appeals to TN Chief minister , Prime Minister & the concerned officials. The respective offices have sent a reply saying that steps have been taken to ensure loan sanction process. Despite their reply nothing changed. The dream of a student has blown away. Now she is Working with her family.


Finance ministry directive says that Education loan should be granted without demanding Guarantee documents . But that directive is only in use for politician in every stage to publicise themselves. The future of the young students is in peril.


Published in Dinamalar(Kalvimalar) dated 25-05-2010.

"I have been given a work and it is incomplete yet; and till I complete it, there is no question of my retirement"

Ruling out retirement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday forecast an economic growth rate of 10 per cent in mid-term and underlined his resolve to improve relations with Pakistan, saying better ties with neighbours were necessary to realise India's development potential.

Six years into the top job, the 77-year-old economist-prime minister said he was ready to make way for younger people like Rahul Gandhi, the Congress general secretary who is widely considered to be a prime minister-in-waiting, but added that the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition remained a work in progress and could do much better in the coming years.

WestBengal Govt ordered CID probe in Tamang Murder

West Bengal Government on Monday ordered a CID inquiry into the brutal murder of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang, as ten top members of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), spearheading the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland, resigned from the party in protest against the killing.

Director-General of Police Bhupinder Singh said a CID probe had been ordered into the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president's killing on Friday. He said Special IGP Pankaj Dutta has been sent to Darjeeling and IGP (CID) NN Pande will leave on Tuesday in connection with the probe.

In a setback to the GJM, ten central committee members, including Morcha press secretary Harka Bahadur Chhetri resigned over the killing.

BJP withdraws its support in Jharkhand Govt.

Frustrated over JMM backtracking on its power-sharing deal in Jharkhand, the BJP has decided to withdraw support to the Shibu Soren Government tomorrow that it will plunge the state into another spell of political crisis.

"The BJP will withdraw support to JMM Government on Monday," state BJP spokesman Sanjay Seth said, a day after a defiant Soren asserted that he will continue as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand and was in touch with the Congress.

A BJP delegation led by Jharkhand deputy chief minister Raghuvar Das will meet Governor M O H Farrooq at 11.30 AM on Monday and hand over the letter of withdrawal of support to the JMM Government, Seth said.

RSS oppose caste-based census

RSS flag

Even as its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is rooting for counting of the other backward castes (OBC), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday came out strongly against caste-based census.

Its general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said here on Sunday that any move to classify people on caste lines would deal a blow to social harmony and fabric.

"Since its inception, the RSS is striving for establishing a casteless society. But the recent demand for identifying people on caste basis, especially with a view to ascertaining OBCs strength, will cause social friction and nullify all efforts of RSS and other social organisations to bring about social harmony in the country," said Joshi.

Allahabad HC refuses to revive Babri Masjid Demolition case

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani and 20 others got a reprieve on Thursday with the Allahabad High Court rejecting a plea to revive criminal cases against them in the 18-year-old Babri Mosque demolition case.

The Lucknow bench of the court dismissed a plea of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to revive criminal cases against the accused.

In his 44-page judgement, Justice Alok Kumar Singh of the Lucknow bench of the high court said, "...Nothing is found against the correctness, legality, propriety or regularity in respect of any of the findings of the lower court".

Maoists are 'our own people' --- Narendra Modi

BJP's forthright poster boy, Narendra Modi, today embarrassed his senior party leaders by calling Maoists "our own people" and urging the government to sit down for talks with them. His statement came as a surprise to the top brass of the party that has been insisting on dealing with the Maoists with an iron hand. While defending the Gujarat CM, the party spokesperson blamed the media for misquoting him and said the issue was unnecessarily being blown out of proportion.

BJP later clarified that Modi was just responding to a question posed by a student on what his message was for the youngsters who are picking up arms. The statement by the Gujarat government's spokesperson read: "Narendra Modi was not asked about what the government must do to tackle Maoism and he has not responded to any such question... However, he is of the view that the government should not bow to the Maoists and strong action should be taken against those who are involved in killing innocent civilians."