CMYK

MARCH
MONDAY
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2013

website: www.thestatesman.net email: thestatesman@vsnl.com

.lyover collapses, 3 injured

press trust of india

Chidambaram hints at non-legislative steps to promote growth

The flyover after a portion of it collapsed and fell into the Kestopur Canal on Sunday. dilip dutta (MORE REPORTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ON PAGES 5 AND 13)

statesman news service KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: A portion of a three-yearold flyover connecting Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani with Eastern Metropolitan Bypass off Ultadanga collapsed this morning, leaving three persons, who were travelling in a "heavily loaded lorry", injured. The state government has ordered a probe into the collapse of the flyover by experts from the civil engineering department of Jadavpur University. The urban development minister, Mr .irhad Hakim, visited the spot. He held the erstwhile Left .ront government responsible for forcing the authorities to complete the bridge before the stipulated period. The former chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, had inaugurated the flyover before the 2011 Assembly elections. Mr Hakim said: "Experts from Jadavpur

University inspected the flyover one and a half years ago after a crack was detected at the Salt Lake end and necessary precautions were taken." Experts questioned as to why an inquiry was not conducted to check the condition of the entire flyover. Experts from Jadavpur University's Civil Engineering department, including Prof. Dipankar Chakraborty and Prof. Arup Guha Neogi, visited the spot and claimed that there was no problem with the structure of the flyover, which was constructed by Mackintosh Burn, but a detailed study of the design and the overall construction is needed to know the exact reason behind the collapse. Other civil engineers felt that the bearings connecting the upper part of the flyover with the pillars got dislodged when the overloaded lorry took a sharp turn at the curve on the fly-

over at a high speed. "The PT.E bearings that were used in the flyover have a certain capacity. But, in this case the bearings got damaged with the increase of the centrifugal force," said a civil engineer. Locals woke up to a thud around 4.30 a.m. today. They rushed out of their houses to see a portion of the flyover lying in the Kestopur Canal. The 12-wheeler lorry from Rajasthan, which was carrying around 28-ton marble slabs, was damaged and got entangled between the collapsed portion of the flyover and a pillar. Local people rescued the driver Khalek Mohammad and helpers Sheikh Majid and Sheikh Saifuddin. Khalek, who received severe injuries on his head and chest, and Majid, who sustained minor injuries, were admitted to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital while Saifuddin was first taken to Bidhannagar Sub Divisional Hospital

and later shifted to a private hospital near EM Bypass. Officers of the disaster management group, fire and Civil Defence department initiated a search to find out whether any one had drowned. State fire minister Javed Khan said an under-water search operation with the help of special cameras confirmed that there was no one else had fallen into the canal. Mr Janardan Thakur, a local resident, said some youths went to the VIP Road end of the flyover to stop other vehicles. Later, both the flanks were closed. EM Bypass-bound vehicles were diverted through Hudco More. A case has been initiated in the Lake Town PS under various sections of the IPC. Mr Rajeev Kumar, Bidhannagar CP, said a case has been started against the firm which constructed the flyover. "We are also trying to ease the flow of traffic keeping the Madhyamik examination in mind."

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: A number of non-legislative decisions covering customs, excise, service tax, insurance and banking to promote growth will be announced in Parliament before the passage of the .inance Bill. Disclosing this here today, .inance Minister P Chidambaram said that the Budget presented by him on 28 .ebruary focussed on the legislative areas and the broad agenda. The government was now working on non-legislative decisions. These decisions would involve customs, excise, service tax, insurance and banking, he said. During a comprehensive postBudget interview, Mr Chidambaram said that he was satisfied with what he had done in the Budget with a view to restarting the growth engine. My party appears to be happy. The Opposition, of course, would have to be critical. That is the role of the Opposition to expose, oppose and depose as it is said. I am not perturbed by the criticism. The media, as usual, magnifies certain things and ignores certain other things, he said. Asked why the Budget was not 'populist' as was expected because of next year's elections, he said the Congress clearly understands that economic space is restricted today and that the foremost challenge before the country is to re-start the growth engine. He ruled out any populist measures between now and the Lok Sabha polls due before May 2014. To a question on what would be the objective of the new set of decisions that will be taken, Mr Chidambaram said, I can't say it now. Parliament is in session. Objective is to promote growth. He said the tax concession for investment of Rs 100 crore in plant and machinery was a step to promote manufacturing. Manufacturing is the only way economic growth can be accelerated. Manufactured exports, exports of

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: .inance Minister P Chidambaram will take questions on Budget 201314, which he presented in Parliament on 28 .ebruary, tomorrow on Google Hangout ~ a multi-person online video chat ~ at 8.00 p.m. tomorrow. Mr Chidambaram will be joined by a select group of panelists, including top JP Morgan economist Jahangir Aziz, JP Morgan, Mahindra & Mahindra CMD Anand Mahindra and Mr Amit Singhal, Senior V-P, Google Inc. Netizens can submit their questions by uploading a video, commenting on the YouTube channel or through the Google India Page and tagging text or a video with the hashtag #askthefm. pti manufactured goods is the only way to enable foreign exchange and pay for our imports. Therefore in order to revive manufacturing, which is not doing well we have announced the investment allowance, he said. He also expressed confidence that the government would be able to get the insurance and pension Bills passed in the current session of Parliament.

PC on Hangout today

India on top

HYDERABAD, 3 MARCH: Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara recorded India's highest second-wicket partnership against Australia, putting their team on top in the second Test here today. Vijay, not out on 129, and Pujara (162, batting) ended day two unbeaten in a 295-run stand with their team sitting pretty on 311 for one, implying a healthy 74-run lead so far. Virender Sehwag, the lone batsman to be dismissed during the day, departed cheaply after India had resumed on their overnight score of five for no loss. Australia ran out of ideas after their fast bowlers had curbed India's scoring rate till lunch. ians details on page 12

Pranab would have been a better PM: Modi

nirendra dev NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Narendra Modi came, Modi saw and Modi conquered. That was the single big take-away from the threeday national executive and national council meeting of the BJP here. As the Gujarat chief minister pitched himself firmly on to the national stage and the party readily allowed his emergence in a natural evolution, backed by a groundswell of support, party veteran L K Advani played the minority votes and NDA-plus cards and gave mixed signals by comparing Mr Modi with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. But the spirited anti-Nehru-Gandhi sermon of Mr Modi and the manner in which it was lapped up by the 2,200-strong delegates and top party leaders, could be easily taken as an acceptance speech of a Prime Ministerial candidate. Mr Modi pitched himself as the first among equals by taking on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, calling him a nightwatchman and giving the party workers and second-rung leaders the direction to oust the Congress. BJP works with a mission, Congress works with a commission, he said, coining what may well be a potent slogan. NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: At a time when Mr Narendra Modi is being seen by some as the BJP's Prime Ministerial face, party leader L K Advani today chose to shower praise on Mrs Sushma Swaraj and equated her oratorial skills with that of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Addressing the concluding session of the three-day BJP conclave here, Mr Advani said he regrets that he does not have oratorial skills like Mr Vajpayee but Mrs Swaraj had such traits. Sushma gives me the same complex that Vajpayee used to give me. I tell Sushma that you create this complex in me, he said. As he began his speech, Mr Advani said he could not say anything better than what Mrs Swaraj had said before him. She has explained everything eloquently. She has even analysed why we lost in some states, where there was a hat-trick, where there is likely to be a hat-trick and where we could not win, Mr Advani noted. sns Mr Modi also flayed Sonia Gandhi for preferring Manmohan Singh to Mr Pranab Mukherjee as prime minister in 2004 and said, Had Pranab Mukherjee become the prime minister of this country, the situation would have been perhaps not so bad. Connecting well with the party's foot soldiers, Mr Modi said at times even the interest of the Congress party was sacrificed for the family. Congress is destroying this country like termites, Mr Modi said. Hamare hotey desh mein aisa sarkar ho, yeh humey manzoor nahi (To allow such a government continue is not acceptable to us), he said adding the country has already made up its mind to oust Congress and now it was for the BJP to do the needful. .or the BJP to accept Mr Modi's emergence on the national stage as part of a natural evolution goes well with the political context as the party's highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board, need not break heads on passing on the mantle to Mr Modi formally. This would also spare the party any displeasure from JD-U leader Nitish Kumar. Moreover, Mr Modi need not resign as Gujarat chief minister. (see also page 2)

Advani praises Sushma

Govt panel finds drug irregularities

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: A government panel has found irregularities in the approval of 38 drugs without clinical trials on Indians with nine of them cleared by the drug controller without reference to any expert and said the exemptions appear to be due to pressure from pharma companies. The expert committee, set up by the government to look into irregularities in approving drugs, has recommended that all 38 such approvals, shall be reviewed by the newlyconstituted New Drug Advisory Committees. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health had in its 59th Report pointed out that 38 drugs were approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) without conducting clinical trials on Indians between 2001 and 2010. Such approval was sporadic till 2007 (only four drugs given exemption in 7 years). The spurt started in 2008 when six drugs got exemption and the number has risen to 14 each in 2009 and 2010. The reasons are not clear but appears to be due to pressure by the pharmaceutical companies, the Expert Committee, headed by Secretary, Department of Health research and Director General ICMR V M Katoch, observed in its report. pti

DSP shot dead

LUCKNOW, 3 MARCH: DSP Zia Ul Haq and another man were killed by a mob in a village in Pratapgarh district where he had rushed to control the situation after a 'gram pradhan' was shot dead following a land dispute, police said. pti details on page 4

Chopper probe

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Officials from the Indian Air .orce (IA.) and Defence Accounts Department will join a special CBI team formed to probe the allegation of payment of kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal. pti

Surprise and disappointment during Prez visit

simran sodhi DHAKA, 3 MARCH: President Pranab Mukherjee today arrived (afp photo) in Bangladesh to a red-carpet welcome and a 21-gun salute on his first trip abroad as Indias head of state. However, the leader of the Opposition in Bangladesh Ms Khaleda Zia sprung a last-minute surprise by cancelling her scheduled meeting with the President. The surprise and disappointment over this was evident despite India sticking to protocol and merely stating that the President was in fact looking forward to meeting her and that the meeting had been fixed well in advance. Ms Zia's party cited security concerns as the reason for the cancellation. Briefing the media later, .oreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said that, "we had fixed a time, well in advance" for the meeting between the

Posco stir

JAGATSINGHPUR, 3 MARCH: With the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), spearheading the antiproject movement since last eight years, on the back foot after yesterdays explosion that killed three of its activists, the Odisha administration managed to resume its land acquisition process for the project at Gobindpur today. sns details on page 4

The leader of the Opposition in Bangladesh, Ms Khaleda Zia, on Sunday sprung a last-minute surprise by cancelling her scheduled meeting with the President. Ms Zias party cited security concerns as the reason for the cancellation

President and Ms Zia. He pointed out that Ms Zia had met External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid when he visited Dhaka about two weeks back. Ms Zia had also paid a visit to India last October when she had met a number of Indian leaders and had called on the President then. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Vice Chairman Mr Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury informed the Indian High Commission in the morning today about the cancellation. The party spokesperson said, There are security

issues during the strike. The Jamaat-eIslami, a former party ally of the BNP, has called a strike from March 3-5 to protest the conviction of JI leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee for 1971 war crimes, including rape and genocide. The courtesy call is scheduled to be held at a time when the Jamaat is enforcing a shutdown, Mr. Chowdhury said. We have informed the Indian High Commission that Khaleda will not be able to reach Sonargaon Hotel due to security reasons. The situation in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh

showed no sign of calming down as 21 more people were killed today, taking the toll to around 80. Dhaka has been rocked by violent protests and there were some apprehensions in India whether this was the right time for a Presidential visit. Meanwhile, .inance Minister Ama Muhit and .oreign Minister Ms Dipu Moni paid a visit to the President in the evening. Later, Bangladesh Prime Minister Ms Sheikh Hasina held delegation-level talks with the President and the two leaders also had a restricted meeting which lasted about half an hour. While talking to the media after her meeting with the President, Ms Dipu Moni expressed optimism over the signing of both the Teesta water agreement and the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA). Ms Moni said that she is hopeful that the Teesta turn to page 5

CMYK

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INDIA Despite Moditva, BJP vows to expand NDA

statesman news service NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: The BJP today geared up itself to take on the UPA government, which it described as a coalition of the corrupt and passed a political resolution by projecting itself as the sole alternative, while vowing to expand the NDA. It is time to awaken the country, expand the NDA and generate a hope for decisive change whenever election is held, the political resolution passed in party's national council meeting said. The saffron party, which lately has faced pressure from Sangh Parivar fountainhead RSS and other organisations like VHP to revive its hardliner stance like the temple issue, was mindful of the minorities and other sections and pitched for an India where there is all round progress which is inclusive and pervasive. The NDA plus factor is also seen as an attempt by BJP to keep other allies in humour. The political resolution especially aiming at NDA expansion was strongly backed by party veteran L K Advani, who spoke about the Goa elections where Christians had voted for the BJP. Intervening during a discussion on the political resolution, former BJP President Venkaiah Naidu also dismissed the so-called Third .ront as a disgruntled house and said such parties are bailing out UPA alliance on regular basis. They talk differently in Parliament and stage a walkout, but bail out the UPA the same evening. They should be knocked out in elections, he said, charging the Samajwadi Oarty and the BSP with being responsible for all acts of omission and commission of the UPA government. The Leader of the Opposition, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, called upon party leaders to draw lessons from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the party lost due to lack of unity and coordination, despite the fact that the BJP

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

BJP wants Raja as witness in 2G case

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Backing former Telecom Minister A Raja's plea to be summoned as a witness before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), the BJP today said a meeting of the panel should be called at the earliest to take a final call on summoning the key player in the 2G scam. Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who is a member of the JPC, has written to panel Chairman P C Chako asking him to call a meeting at the earliest to decide on summoning Mr Raja as witness. Sri Raja was a key player in the 2G scam...he should have been called before the JPC even otherwise, but now that he has himself sent the request for deposing before the JPC, it is absolutely imperative to provide him with an opportunity to do so, Mr Sinha said in his letter. CPI-M member in the committee, Mr Sitaram Yechury has already supported Mr Raja's plea to be called as witness. The more witnesses the merrier, he said adding that his deposition would help JPC reach closer to the truth. DMK members in the JPC, Mr T R Baalu and Mr T Siva have been pressing Mr Chacko to call Mr Raja as a witness. Recently, Mr Raja wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Mr Chacko in which he made a strong pitch for his appearance before the JPC as a witness, claiming he has been condemned unheard. The DMK members also demanded calling Attorney General G E Vahanvati again before the panel after he told the JPC last month that the controversial press note regarding 2G licences was changed at the last minute by Mr Raja in 2008 using a different pen. Mr Vahanvati was then the Solicitor General. Mr Raja has also been blamed for the 2G scam by other witnesses before the special CBI court. Mr Chacko is apparently against calling Mr Raja as witness. He has told the committee members that as an accused, Mr Raja has legal protection and cannot make fresh revelations before any committee. Therefore, there was no point in calling him. Congress members in the JPC are against calling Mr Raja as witness as his deposition could be used by Opposition members, including the BJP and the Left, in cornering the government. Mr Raja has maintained that he had kept the Prime Minister's Office and others informed about his decisions on the 2G licencing issue.

governments there gave good governance. We should not repeat what happened in Himachal and Uttarakhand and draw lessons, as we lost the governments there due to absence of unity. We should not allow that to happen again. We should present unity and display active involvement in the coming elections, she said. Mr Naidu also hit out at the Congress saying terrorism was flourishing due to the inaction of

the UPA government. You are encouraging terrorism in the country by not acting tough against the perpetrators. Don't dare to accuse nationalist organisations like BJP and RSS instead, he said. Taking a dig at UPAs direct cash transfer scheme, the BJP leader said, This cash transfer scheme will finally end with regime transfer. Earlier, moving the resolution, party's chief spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad listed out a series of scams under the UPA and said the governments intent looks suspect in ordering a JPC probe in the recent VVIP helicopter scam. The political resolution also highlighted the issue of womens security on the backdrop of the Delhi gang-rape and the Bhandara rape incidents, besides the barbaric attack on Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops. The party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Mr Gopinath Munde, while seconding the resolution charged the UPA with attempting to cover up all the scams. Raking up the copter scandal, the resolution demanded that if the names of those who gave the bribe are known, in what transaction it was given is known, then prompt investigation, arrest, interrogation and prosecution of all those must be done who have received the bribe money including their patrons who influenced the deal. It also said: the institution of an effective Lokpal and an autonomous and accountable CBI are important institutions to check corruption.

Minister of State Sports and Youth Affairs, Mr Jitendra Singh, along with BS. officers during the guard of honour at the Wagah border on Sunday. He was there to inspect the newly constructed Integrated Check Post. afp

rc rajamani

Budgets, blasts, phone tapping, Shindes faux pas mark proceedings

Opposition, Mr Arun Jaitley said Mr Shinde should not have named the Bhandara rape victims, pointing out that as per the Criminal Law Ordinance, 2013, the identity of rape victims is never to be revealed. Marxist member Sitaram Yechury said: It was shocking and unfortunate and should not have happened. The names were later expunged by the chair. Over another embarrassing issue for the government, the treasury Benches came out in defence of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien in the 1996 Suryanelli rape case with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath asserting that inquiries had cleared him of charges. He said the allegations against Kurien might be politically motivated. Earlier Mr Yechury said it would be unfair for the government to defend the deputy chairman since it would affect independence of legislature. The objection was overruled by On a tricky diplomatic issue for the government, the AIADMK demanded a change in its Sri Lanka policy and branded Colombo as an enemy of the Tamils. It is time the Lanka-centric approach of the external affairs ministry is changed to a Tamil welfare-centric approach, AIADMK leader V Maitreyan said in the House. He also displayed photographs of the 12year-old son of the late Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran who is said to have been captured and shot dead in cold blood by the Sri Lankan military. His reference to the DMK's failure to put pressure on the Congress-led government to end the punishing Sri Lankan military offensive against the Tigers drew a howl of protests from the rival Dravidian party

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Tabling of the budgets, both the general and the railways as well as the annual economic survey, forming the financial grand slam event of the year and uproar and adjournments over the Hyderabad blasts, the phone tapping issue and home minister naming rape victims on the floor of the House marked proceedings of the Budget session of Parliament that began on 20 .ebruary. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde ran into a messy situation in the Rajya Sabha as he named the three minor girls who were raped and murdered in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, drawing flax from opposition members, especially women. Leader of

Chairman M Hamid Ansari, after which Kamal Nath gave details of the series of events and said it was proved that Mr Kurien could not have been physically present at the place of the incident.

members. All that you have to do, Mr Maitreyan said, looking at the DMK members, is to force the UPA government to act, and to act firmly in Sri Lanka. During the week, Parliament accorded approval to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill 2012, with the Rajya Sabha passing the measure, already adopted by the Lok Sabha. The Bill covers under its list of offences sexual remarks, demand for sexual favour, or any act of physical advance or an unwelcome touch. Women and Child Empowerment Minister Krishna Tirath said the Bill will cover both organised and unorganised sectors and will include domestic workers.

CLASSI.IEDS
PUBLIC NOTI.ICATIONS
up and no further claim shall be entertained and our client shall proceed with the transaction. Pankaj Shroff & Company. Advocates, Olisa House, 8th floor, 4, Government Place (North), Kolkata-700001. (B0011) C17512 PUBLIC NOTICE It is notified that one of our clients intends to purchase 2 plots of land admeasuring 0.04 acres and 0.05 acres aggregating to 0.09 acres both situated within Mouza Kandua, J.L. No. 5 in R.S. Dag No. 291 (L.R. Dag No. 275), Khatian No. 329, Block & P.S. Sankrail, District Howrah, West Bengal from Suravi Mondal. If anybody has any right or claim in the aforesaid sale, he/she shall lodge written objection with supporting documents to the undersigned within 7 days from the date of publication of this notice, failing which, no claim will be entertained and the aforesaid 2 plots of land shall be treated as free from all disputes and encumbrances and transaction shall be completed with owner Suravi Mondal. R.L. Auddy, Advocate Sandersons & Morgans 5, Netaji Subhas Road Kolkata-700001 Dated: 04-03-2013 C17514 (B0005) Gobindapara High School EDUCATIONAL (HS) on a scale of pay of the Govt. of West Bengal. Interested candidates may SANSKRIT S.S.C., C.S.C., apply by post to the Secretary with attested Training available by great copies of documents relating translator in India. Pandit to age and qualification as Kalisankar: 9831671739. C17510 per old Recruitment Rules 2005. Application should UNIVERSITY invariably reach to the OF CALCUTTA School Office on or before 14-03-2013. Secretary Walk-in Interview on 15Gobindapara High School 03-2013 for one Project (HS), Malatipur, MaldaFellow or Senior Project 732123. Fellow in DST sponsored (B0006) C17509 project Studies on 2013. .or details visit website: www.wbphed.gov.in / applications / tender / Burdwan. (B0012) C17524 TENDER Sealed tenders are invited by the Teacher-in-Charge, Bhangar Mahavidyalaya, P.O. Bhangar, Dist. South 24Parganas, Contact No.: 03218-270460 from bona fide suppliers for the supply of Public Address System, LCD Projector, Computer Accessories, Software etc. .or details see website: www.bhangarmahavidyalaya.in
C17518

Credential of similar nature of work. Last date of application: 08-03-2013 up to 3-00 p.m. Date of issue tender paper - 12-03-2013 up to 300 p.m. Cost of tender paper: Rs. 1,000. Submission of tender: 14-032013 up to 3 p.m. Date of opening tender: 16-03-2013 at 2-00 p.m. .or details please visit our Notice Board. Sunil Singh Chairman Garulia Municipality
C17519

15-00 hrs. Last date and time for purchase of tender paper is 2503-2013 upto 13-00 hrs. Last date and time for dropping and opening of Tender paper is 26-03-2013 upto 14-00 hrs. & 15-00 hrs. respectively .or further details please visit the website: http://kit.gov.in or http://www.kmdaonline.org Chief Engineer, KIT (B0001) C17516 E-TENDER NOTICE P . W . ( R O AD S ) D E T T E GOVT. O. W.B. Superintending Engineer, State Highway Circle No. V, Purta Bhavan, Burdwan invites e-Tender (Online) from bona fide outsiders, vide tender Reference No. WBPW(R)D/18-SE/SHC -V / 2012-2013 for the works: 1) W & S of Bhatar - Samanti Rd. (0 to 9 Km.) of Rs. 6,55,99,925.00, I.D. No. 2013_SH_7342_1 & 2) W & S of Bhatar - Banpass Rd. (8.5 to 14.5 km). of Rs. 4,49,34,807.00, I.D. No. 2013_SH_7342_2 in the District of Burdwan. Bid submission end date: 22-032013 up to 5-00 p.m. Details information will be available from the website: http:etender.wb.nic.in (B0004) C17515 THE SUPERINTENDING Engineer, North Circle, P.W. (CB) Dte., P-12, C.I.T. Road, 1st floor, Kolkata-14 on behalf of the Governor of West Bengal invites e-tender on line on percentage rate basis vide NIT No. WBPWD / CB / SE / NC / NIT-66 (e) / 2012-2013 for the work of Construction of 48 (fortyeight) seated Girls Hostel alongwith construction of R.C.C. retaining wall and plum concrete works with the financial assistance from Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India at Darjeeling Polytechnic at Kurseong in the District of Darjeeling. Estimated Amount: Rs. 1,16,76,860 and Earnest Money deposit: Rs. 2,33,537. Last date of submission of Bid on line is 07-03-2013 up to 2-00 p.m.

BUSINESS & PRO.ESSIONAL

MULTICUISINE Chefs Cook at your residence for parties get togethers and also teach you. Contact: 9831192825.
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M u l t i f u n c t i o n a l Semiconductor Nano-heterostructures under Dr. Govinda Gopal Khan. For details visit: www.caluniv.ac.in Secretary UCSTA, C.U. (B0008)
C17511

PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the following sub-broker is no longer affiliated as subbroker of INDIA INFOLINE LTD. registered trading member of BSE and NSE Ltd. bearing SEBI Reg. No. BSE: INB011097533 and NSE: INB 231097537 having the Registered Office at IIFL House, Sun Infotech Park, Road No. 16V, Plot No. B-23, MIDC, Thane Industrial Area, Wagle Estate, Thane-400 604. Any person henceforth dealing with below mentioned sub-broker should do so at their own risk. India Infoline Ltd. shall not be liable for any dealings with them. Sub-Broker Trade Name: Koushik Mondal. SB SEBI Reg. No. & Date: BSE: INS018077714 Dated: 14-09-2009. NSE: INS238134618 Dated: 2509-2009. Reg. Office Address: 117/1/1, Sree Ram Dhang Road, A S Alkia, Howrah711106, West Bengal. Authorised Signatory India Infoline Ltd. Date: 4th March, 2013 Place: Mumbai

Shivaram Kurva, shall henceforth be known as Shivam Kurva, vide affidavit sworn before the Court of Ld. 1st Class Magistrate, Howrah on 11-01-2013, both are same and identical person.
C17513

TIME to get your carpets / sofas cleaned on the spot. Call Delstar: 9831005144.
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TENDERS
N .I.T . N O . 2 3 / EE/ 2 0 1 2 1 3 / R CD - I/ P H E D T E. Sealed tenders are invited by the Executive Engineer, RC.A Divn.-I, PHE Dte., Vivekanandapally, Asansol, Ph.: 0341-2284210 for 9 Nos. different works. Last date of application: 08-03-

NOTICE is hereby given to all concerned that one of our clients intends to purchase all that piece and parcel of land measuring 09 cottahs 02 chittaks 38 square feet more or less comprised in portion of R.S. & L.R. Dag No. 3423 recorded in R.S. Khatian No. 364 and L.R. Khaitan Nos. 959, 970/6, 1016/1, 1670 and 3738 in Mouza Gopalpur, J.L. No. 2, P.S. Airport, Ward No. 3 of Rajarhat Gopalpur Municipality, in the District 24 Parganas (North), from its owner Hari Sagar Construction Private Limited. Any person having any claim share right title interest, tenancy, occupation agreement and / or contract in respect of or relating to the said landed property or portion thereof or any objection whatsoever to the sale or otherwise transfer thereof is requested to notify the undersigned thereabout with supporting documentary evidence, within 10 days from I, SRABANI Ghosh, wife of this date, otherwise the Sri Anil Kumar Kurva, hereby same shall be deemed to declare that my son have been waived or given

WANTED Old Coin (Copper / Silver), Medal, Watch, Pen, Ironsafe, Camera, Shawl & fully tenanted commercial building. Call: 9874486200. C17471 (B0001)

GAR U LIA M U N ICIPALIT Y P.O. Garulia North 24 Parganas No. NIT/JNNURM/BSUP/ GARULIA/8 Date: 01-03-2013 Sealed tenders are invited for supply, fitting, fixing street light within the slum areas of different Wards under BSUP of JNNURM Programme. Total Estimated Amount Rs. 40,54,000 (50 Nos. x 4). Earnest Money 2%, Eligible criteria - Bona fide resourceful contractors having minimum 30%

Kolkata

SITUATION VACANT
CALL letters for written test (to be held on 10-032013 at Bishnupur High School) for selection to the non-teaching posts have been despatched. Non-recipient may collect duplicate call letter personally on 0703-2013 from the College. A list of ineligible candidates is displayed in the College Notice Board, they will not get any call letter. Secretary, Swami Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa Mahavidyalaya, C17482 Bhara, Bankura. WANTED a Clerk against normal vacancy unreserved having qualification MP with Typewriting knowledge for

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B ALM ER LAW R IE & CO. LTD. ( A Go v t . o f India Ent e r pr is e ) P-3/1, Transport Depot Road Kolkata-700088 Ph . N o.: 2 4 5 0 6 8 1 1 & 8 1 6 Online tenders are invited for engagement of contractor for the following jobs: 1) Engagement of Surveyor for monitoring and tracking of containers and cargo and survey during destuffing & delivery of LCL containers at our C.S - Kol. 2) Crane hire services at W&D Sonapur - Kol. Both the tenders are due on 20th March at 3-00 p.m. Also refer that the tenders are through online bidding on C-1 Indias e-Proc portal vide Companys website. .or details visit: www.balmerlawrie.com or contact at above address. (B0002) C17521 KOLKATA IM PR O VEM EN T T R U S T P- 1 6 , India Ex c h ang e Plac e Extn. Kolkata-700073 ABRIDGED N.I.T. NO. K.I.T.67 / 2012-2013 Sealed offers in duplicate are invited for the following work: Repairing of surface drain, boundary wall and sewerage line including making brick pavement and allied works at 28, D.P.S. Road in KIT Scheme No. 107. Estimated Amount: Rs. 4,26,632. Last date of application enclosing documents for permission for issue of Tender Paper is 18-03-2013 upto

Delhi

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: Mr. Yogesh Kumar D-Sector-294 Nehru Nagar, Kotra, Bhopal, (M): 9424242664 : Mr. Manish Saluja 53, Sahid Samarak Complex Bombay Market, G.E. Road, Raipur 492001 Tel.: 5035985, (M): 9425202097

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AIR-SURCHARGE; Kathmandu 15 Paise, Eastern Region 10 Paise All other stations in India 15 paise

All other terms and condiAll documents can be obtained from the website tions of above NIT will https://wbtenders.govt.in remain unchanged. and office notice board. Sd/Regarding e-tender bidder Project Manager may contact PWD help desk (B0010) C17523 Ph. No. 033-2223-6236. Sd/WEST BENGAL Superintending Engineer HOUSING BOARD North Circle, P.W. (CB) Dte. Abr idg e d S h o r t T e nde r C17522 (B0009) Notice NIT NO. 07 O. 2012-13 JADAVPUR O. J.D. / E.W.-III / SLG., UNIVERSITY WBHB Sealed tenders in Applications are invited from the reputed suppliers / Prescribed Printed .orm of manufacturers and interestWest Bengal Housing Board ed vendors for empanelment are invited by the Joint of their names at Jadavpur Director (E.W. - III/SLG, West University in the identified Bengal Housing Board, 105, eight categories of S.N. Banerjee Road, KolkataSuppliers during 2013-14. 700014 for the following For details visit the JU webwork from eligble tenderers site: www.jaduniv.edu.in Interested parties / venas per particulars given dors may submit applicabelow. tions in prescribed format 1) Name of work: (separately for each categoConstruction of Semi ry, duly filled-in along with Undergound Reservoir with documents sought for Pump House, balance work including non-refundable in C type building and application fees of Rs. 1,000 and a self-addressed Culvert, Grill gate, etc. at envelope [affixing a stamp of Himalayakanya H.P. Ph - III Rs. 5] to the office of the Siliguri under West Bengal Finance Officer within March Housing Board. (2) 22, 2013. Estimated Amount put to All existing enlisted parties tender: Rs. 7,85,688. (3) need also to apply for renewCost of tender documents: al / consideration, based on the performance. The Rs. 1,000 (Rupees one thouUniversity reserves the right sand) only per set (nonto accept or reject any applirefundable). (4) Initial cation. Earnest Money: Rs. 15,714 Registrar (Rupees fifteen thousand (B0003) seven hundred and fourteen) C17520 only. (5) Date & time of sale of tender paper: 12-03-2013 N AT IO N AL PR O J ECT S & 13-03-2013 from 12-00 CONSTRUCTION Noon to 2-00 p.m. Tender C O R P O R AT IO N LT D . papers will be available from (A Govt. of India Enterprise) the office of the JD (E.W.)Ref. No. 70071/IGNOU/864 III/SLG after depositing the Dated: 02-03-13 money in the cash section of housing board. (6) Date and CORRIGENDUM - I NIT No. 70071 / IGNOU / time limit for receipt and 833 dt. 23-02-13 published opening tender: The tenders on 25-02-13 in Daily Desher will be received on 18-03Katha, Agartala and The 2013 upto 1-30 p.m. and Statesman Kolkata for the shall be opened on the same work: Construction of day, after 1-30 p.m. Other will be Boundary Wall for IGNOU particulars Regional Centre Building at available in the office / Maloynagar, Agartala is Notice Board of the Joint hereby extended for sale of Director - (E.W.)-III/SLG, tender up to 30-03-13, sub- W.B.H.B. and in Boards mision on 01-04-13 upto 4- Website: www.wbhousingboard.in 00 p.m. and opening on 01(B0007) C17517 04-13 at 4-30 p.m.

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statesman news service

3 INDIA Honest police officer quits over murder probe

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013
The dramatic decision to quit as soon as he was assigned to investigate the Loharia murder case has jolted the Mumbai police force. It apparently suggests that even a nononsense officer like Mr Mahale, too, was apprehensive about a certain pressure from the top which may force him to let off the the conspirators. The 56-year-old senior inspector heading the Mumbai Crime Branch's Unit I was specially assigned the probe by city police commissioner Mr Satyapal Singh under home minister, Mr RR Patil's instructions. So far all persuasions to deter Mr Mahale from quitting have failed as he appears to be stubborn on his personal decision to quit the force. Credited with being remarkably professional in his investigations into the 26/11 Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba terror attack on the city, the 26 July 2006 six suburban train explo- Emmanual Amolik, notorious for his consions, blasts at the Opera House, Zaveri troversial staged encounters, has confessed Bazaar and Dadar in 2011 ~which was later to hiring two shooters, Vynkatesh Shettiyar transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad ~ and Wajid Qureshi to kill Loharia outside his and several other sensitive criminal sector 28 office in Navi Mumbai's Vashi offences, Mr Mahale was acclaimed as one township. All three are now in police cusof the finest Crime Branch officers who tody as the Crime Branch are hunting for at always least three stayed away missing MURKY UNDERWORLD from pubdeveloplicity. ers/builders The case was taken away from Navi suspected for their complicity in the murMumbai police within one week after der. The key suspect, Mr Suresh Bijlani, a Loharia's family members complained to Mr known name in the construction sector, Patil that they also suspected Navi Mumbai who failed to secure a pre-arrest bail from police's involvement in the daylight killing. Bombay High Court is believed to have fled The subsequent three arrests give some cre- the country on a tip-off for his contacts in dence to this suspicion. police and politics. A former retired assistant inspector, Mr Using the RTI, Loharia had managed to IRON LADY ARRIVES build a dossier on his unscrupulous rivals within the construction industry as well as their power political backers. He openly spoke to the media about massive violations of the .SI or the floor space index in Vani Mumbai where the property rates, in a few select areas like plots surrounding the proposed new international airport, are more than in the commercial capital of the country. He had vowed to expose the nefarious nexus or syndicate, just days before he was killed. Mr Mahale's instinct alerted him about a possible complicity of important politicians and cops in the murder, say his colleagues in the Crime Branch. Not used to work under pressure or on extraneous considerations, the Crime Branch officer went to the commissioner's office last week to submit his papers. The news broke out, although the CP was initially reluctant to confirm that he was losing a competent officer of high integrity. The investigation by the Crime Branch's special investigation team is still on but without a head. The SIT has collected CDRs or call detail records of Amolik, Shettiyar, Qureshi as well as some builders of Navi Mumbai. The suspected conspirators had been in constant touch through their cell phones until Loharia was gunned down on 16 .ebruary. The absconding developer Bijlani, past records show, has several criminal offences registered against him that include at least two murders. The Crime Branch is keen on slapping stringent sections of Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act against all conspirators.

MUMBAI, 3 MARCH: Acknowledged for his competence and professional skills, Mumbai Crime Branch's most accomplished detective Mr Ramesh Padmanabh Mahale has quit the force one day after he was asked to head the investigation in the daylight murder of Navi Mumbai developerbuilder Sunilkumar Loharia, who was killed by two shooters outside in Sector 28 office in Navi Mumbai's Vashi township on 16 .ebruary. The killing that has shaken the building and construction sector, according to police sources, involves some politicians. The criminal nexus between politicians and builders/developers is known to influence and thwart or derail proper investigation in such high profile offences.

Answers in question paper

press trust of india IMPHAL, 3 MARCH: Students appearing for their class XII board exams in Manipur were taken aback when they found answers printed on the back side of their question papers. Hundreds of students were given question papers and blank answer sheets during the 'engineering drawing' examination conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CHSEM), yesterday. After some of the students pointed out the mistake, invigilators immediately collected the question papers back and soon the examination was cancelled. CHSEM controller Sagolsem Kiran said they were surprised that answers of the questions were also printed on the question papers and it did not look like a printing mistake. An enquiry into the incident has been ordered, he said, adding that re-examination of the subject would be conducted on 25 March. Mr Arambam Thoithoi, secretary general of the Democratic Students' Alliance Manipur condemned the carelessness of the CHSEM authorities. The students' body demanded that full marks be given to students appearing in the paper instead of re-conducting the examination.

~ Social activist from Manipur, Irom Sharmila, who has been on a fast for 12 years demanding the repeal of the controversial Armed .orces Special Powers Act (A.SPA), at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the Capital on Sunday.

press trust of india

Stop dumping rubble in the Yamuna!

rajat gupta

Siblings murder case cracked, Delhi Police say

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Delhi Police today claimed to have solved the killing of two siblings with the arrest of their 22-year-old uncle and his two friends who were eyeing the Rs 30 lakh the victims' family had got in a property deal. The bodies of Mansij (7) and his sister Yashbi (5) were found near Pragati Maidan yesterday morning, four days after they were kidnapped from their school in east Delhi's Mandawli area. The gang had tried to kidnap the children on a previous occasion on 23 .ebruary but could not do so, as they

KIN CULPRIT
did not go to school that day. They even allegedly planned it to be that perfect that they locked the door of the victims' house so that their mother

could not go out to pick them up from school. They allegedly strangled the children and smashed their heads with rocks on the same day they kidnapped them after they found that it was difficult to keep the siblings with them. We have arrested Amit Singh (22), the uncle, Shivam Gupta (19) and Pankaj Kashyap (19), Mr Prabhakar, DCP (East), said. Another accomplice Abhilash is on the run.

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Central Public Works Department have been directed by the National Green Tribunal to explain why they are dumping debris on the banks of the Yamuna despite its order banning such activity. An NGT Bench headed by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued show cause notices to the DMRC, the CPWD and the Department of Horticulture, New Delhi, after the court commissioners appointed by the tribunal in their report said fresh debris was being dumped on the river's banks by the agencies. It has also been pointed out that the DMRC is throwing debris in the river bed of the Yamuna. It has been brought to our notice and, in fact, it is a publicly known fact that the CPWD as well as the Horticulture Department also throws different kinds of debris, including the construction material, on the river banks of the Yamuna through various contractors. This certainly needs to be stopped. Notice shall be issued to the managing director of DMRC, the director general of CPWD and to the director of the Horticulture Department. The notice shall issue, without process fee, requiring these authorities to show cause, as to why they are throwing debris on the river bank of Yamuna, the Bench, also comprising judicial member Mr Justice P Jyothimani, said. The tribunal has also directed the Commissioner

Trucks were entering into the Yamuna from different places where the wall was found punctured despite the fact that there are police posts

of Police, New Delhi and the DGP of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that no vehicles enter the area and dump debris. It also ordered police to not only stop the vehicles carrying rubble to be dumped there, but to also seize them. The commissioners appointed by the NGT had submitted in their report that debris removal was going on only at one site. Their report further said trucks were entering into the Yamuna from different places where the wall was found punctured despite the fact that there are police posts. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by one Manoj Mishra, who has opposed the dumping of rubble on the banks of Yamuna.

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statesman news service

INDIA Odisha govt resumes land acquisition for Posco project

Police on Sunday reached Patana village fifteen hours after the bomb explosion that killed three anti-Posco activists and retrieved the bodies for post mortem
demned it. It is inhuman to restart acquiring land or demolish betel vines when people are mourning the death of three persons, decried a section of the villagers at Gobindpur today. Police today reached Patana village fifteen hours after the bomb explosion that killed three anti-Posco activists, and retrieved the bodies for post mortem. Sabita Mandal who lost her husband in a clash between pro and anti-Posco activists in 2008 said: I have lost everything in the project-related violence. My brother-in-law was killed in the explosion yesterday, my husband died five years ago. The government is acquiring land over dead bodies of innocent villagers, she charged. The secretary of PPSS Mr Sisir Mohapatra denounced the government for resuming land acquisition even before the funeral of the dead had taken place. Hired goons have killed anti-Posco activists to pave the way for land acquisition and project related work, he alleged. Even the pro-Posco leaders were dismayed that the administration had started land acquisition work today. Village Chief cum pro Posco leader of Gobindpur Mr Prafulla Mohanty said it is very unfortunate that work should resume on a day when the dead were being cremated. The administration ought to have been more

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

JAGATSINGHPUR, 3 MARCH: With the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), spearheading the anti-project movement since last eight years, clearly on the back foot after yesterday's explosion that killed three of its activists, the district administration managed to dismantle three betel vines and resume its land acquisition process for the project at Gobindpur today. The acquisition took place without the help of police, said district collector Mr Satya Kumar Mallick while insisting that it was done as per the request of the concerned land/betel vine owners. We resumed the process and it will continue tomorrow, he said. But the move by the administration drew sharp reactions from all quarters both pro- and anti-Posco groups con-

sensitive and deferred the work on humanitarian considerations, he added. The district administration had made elaborate arrangements to restart the land acquisition process in Gobindpur village from today while other construction work of peripheral development work in Nuagaon and Gadakujang panchayats had started over the last two days. The plans for resumption of land acquisition work had prompted the anti-Posco activists to meet and discuss their strategy at Patana village yesterday when the bomb explosion took place. The local police allege that the bombs went off accidentally when the anti-project activists were making them to attack and stall the land acquisition process today. The PPSS, however, counter-charged that the bombs were hurled at them to pave the wave for resumption of land acquisition.

LI.ES A SWIM ~ In Allahabad on Sunday. afp

NCP asks Nitish to take a call on continuing with NDA

press trust of india PATNA, 3 MARCH: Observing that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's projection as the BJP's national face in the run up to the next general election was a near certainty, the NCP today asked Chief Minister i Nitish Kumar (in file photo) to take a call on his party JD(U)'s association with the BJPled NDA. It is time that Mr Kumar must take a call on continuing ties with the BJP-led NDA amid near certainty that Mr Modi will be the saffron party's national face in the run up to the next general elections, NCP national general secretary Mr Tariq Anwar told reporters. Time has come for the Bihar Chief Minister to deliver on his promise to severe ties with the BJP and NDA if his Gujarat counterpart is projected as BJP's prime ministerial candidate, he said referring to the latter's rising graph in the main opposition ranks. The people of Bihar looked upto Mr Kumar to clear the air about his party's association with the BJP vis-a-vis Mr Modi's projection as a national leader by the BJP leadership, Mr Anwar said and extorted the former to take a call at the earliest to live upto his credentials as a secular leader. The NCP leader said that the Telegu Desham Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu too was faced with similar predicament and he should also make his position clear about association with the BJP. Mr Anwar, who is the Minister of State for Agriculture in the UPA government, claimed there was desperation in BJP to project Mr Modi as its national face ahead of the next general elections as there was shortage of natinonal leaders in the party. Mr Modi has never been a player in national politics nor he has a pan-India image and yet the BJP was striving hard to brand him as the national leader despite its impact on stability of the NDA, he said. The senior NCP leader said that the BJP was desperate for power at the centre at all costs and has thrown its last dice in Mr Modi to win popular votes, but it has misunderstood resilience of the secular people who will unitedly defeat the communal forces in their endeavour for power. Mr Anwar said UPA will return to power at the centre in general elections next year as the secular forces will unitedly stand in the way of the NDA in the next elections too. Meanwhile, the NCP general secretary announced the appointment of senior leader Nagmani as its state unit chief. A seasoned politician, Mr Nagmani has recently switched over to the NCP after decades long association with the RJD and JD(U).

DSP killed by mob in UP, wife blames minister Raja Bhaiya

press trust of india LUCKNOW, 3 MARCH: A DSP was killed by a mob in Pratapgarh where he had rushed after a village head was shot dead over a land dispute, with the slain officer's wife today alleging the hand of controversial UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh, 'Raja Bhaiya'. DSP Zia-ul-Haq suffered gunshots and succumbed to wounds late last night, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar told PTI. In a complaint to police, the DSP's wife, Ms Pravin Azad said: On the directions of Raja i Bhaiya (in file photo), Nagar Panchayat Chairman Gulshan Yadav, minister's representative Hari Om Srivastava, his driver Rohit Singh and supporter Guddu Singh first assaulted my husband with sticks and rods and later shot him dead. She filed the complaint in Kunda police station this evening, where her husband was posted. When contacted, .ood and Civil Supplies Minister Raja Bhaiya told PTI, Anyone who is undergoing mental trauma could be misguided. This is an unfortunate incident. The accusation is being levelled with malafide intention. Truth will prevail in the investigation." Haq, posted as Circle Officer at Kunda town, had rushed to Balipur village after getting information about the murder of the village head yesterday. Gram Pradhan Nanhe Yadav was shot dead by unidentified men last evening in the village, about 160 kms from here. When the police officer reached the village on the outskirts of Kunda, he was attacked by some men, police said. Haq and the village head's brother Suresh received serious injuries in the attack and both died later, police said. Several policemen and villagers were also injured in the clash. The officer's wife said: My husband was held captive there and was told that they won't let him return alive. The accused used to threaten him of dire consequences ever since his posting there and he (Haq) used to tell this to me frequently. In front of reporters in Kunda, the ADG told the DSP's wife: You give me a complaint and its copy to the police station. Irrespective of the status of the accused, whether he is Raja Bhaiya or anyone else, stern action will be taken against the guilty. The BSP, the BJP and the Congress attacked the Akhilesh Yadav government alleging that law and order situation has collapsed as the incident took place in an area represented by a Cabinet minister (Raghuraj Pratap Singh). The BJP state chief, Mr Laxmi Kant Bajpai while condemning the incident alleged that there was complete anarchy in the state. He demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the incident. BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya alleged that the situation has deteriorated so much that even police officers were being killed in the state. PCC chief Nirmal Khattri alleged that during the SP rule even those entrusted with the task of providing security to people were not safe. He alleged that yesterday's incident proved the government has lost control over administration in the state.

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: About 20,000 colleges across the country would be soon connected through a video conferencing software which will enable students to attend lectures of well known faculties through online classes. The decision by the Central government was followed by a meeting recently between Higher Education Secretary Ashok Thakur and 60 vice-chancellors of colleges and universities from across the country to acquaint them about the software A-view'. The software has been developed by Kollam-based Amrita University under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology programme. The e-learning platform would help in conducting live distance education classes by enabling trainers and teachers to reach out to multiple remote classes and participants using the Internet. It would also address the shortage of highly-qualified and experienced teachers at institutes by providing all students and teachers access to the best teachers and trainers. The software would provide a platform for social collaboration among teachers and students using information and communication technology, officials in the ministry said. At present, about 450 universities including Mumbai University, NITTTR Calcutta, Pondicherry University, IIT Hyderabad are using the platform, connecting 2,000 colleges. sns

20,000 colleges to be linked through video conferencing

Top cops of Maoist-hit states to meet today

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Top police and civil officials of Maoist-hit states will attend a high-level meeting here tomorrow to review the anti-Maoist operations and discuss steps to improve the efficacy of strategies. The chief secretaries and directors-general of police of the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will take part in the meeting convened by the Union home ministry. The meeting, to be chaired by Union Home Secretary R K Singh, will review the development programmes being carried out in Maoist-hit districts and ways to speed them up to reach the maximum number of people. Among other key issues that are likely to come up for discussion is setting up of mobile telephone towers in Maoist-hit areas where the rebels often target and destroy the communication network and improvement of road connectivity. The meeting was earlier scheduled on 20 .ebruary, a home ministry official said. It would also deliberate on the issue of coordination among states and central police forces and decide on a strategy to tackle Maoists who are known to flee from one state to another after carrying out offensives. Maoist violence has been reported in areas falling under 270 police stations in 64 districts of these states. A total of 170 people have been killed in incidents of Maoist violence in the last six months. While 127 civilians were killed between the period August last year and January, 43 security force personnel lost their lives in the same period which saw 533 such incidents in various parts of the country. Thirty Maoists were killed and 871 were arrested during the period.

CIC faces govt criticism for poor data-keeping

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: .ounded as a transparency and information dissemination watchdog, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has received flak from the government for apparently publishing wrong data on RTI appeals and complaints which were to be used in Parliament questions. The department of personnel and training (DoPT) has raised the issue of discrepancy between the figures published by CIC on its website and actual figures of disposal of RTI appeals and complaints received at the commission. The DoPT needed these figures from the CIC to furnish response to a Lok Sabha starred question on 5 December 2012 raised by BJP MPs Mr Virender Kashyap and Mr Virendra Kumar on implementation of RTI Act. Officials handling the matter were left stunned when they found that as per the receipt and disposal shown on the officials website of the CIC as on April 2012 a total number of 28,136 appeals and complaints were pending for disposal. However, if the appeals and complaints pending with individual registry of all the nine commissioners and chief information commissioner were summed up the number was 16,319 as on 31 May 2012, the official said on the file. The file notings were furnished in response to an RTI application filed by Hyderabad-based activist C J Karira. When contacted over phone, chief information commissioner Satyananda Mishra said he was not aware of the matter but would react after seeing all the related documents on Monday. The figures of receipt of appeals and complaints in the Central information commission and their disposal have been a matter of debate between this department and the CIC, the official noted. In the note sheet it was pointed out that regarding the data on total number of RTI requests filed with central public authorities during 2011-12, though the total number of receipt in 2010-11 was 4,17,955, the carry over in 2011-12 was 4,30,425. Therefore, the figure 10,85,997 as total applications received during 2011-12 is debatable. These issues have been taken up with CIC a number of times since June this year. However, the issue is yet to be settled with CIC. The reply to parliament questions is based purely on data provided by the CIC, he said. On the data related to RTI applications received by various ministries, the CIC had explained to DoPT that correctness and authenticity of reported figures is the responsibility of ministries and public authorities concerned under their control.

Central ministers spar over MNREGS in Cgarh

statesman news service RAIPUR, 3 MARCH: With two Chhattisgarh districts winning awards for the best implementation of the UPA's flag-ship MNREG programme, battle-lines have been drawn between Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh (file photo) and Union minister of state for agriculture Dr Charandas Mahant. Unease among the state Congress leaders have reached such an extent that Mr Ramesh is facing an informal boycott by his own party during his trips to the state. However to aggravate the discomfort level of local party leaders, Mr Ramesh who was on his way to Odisha, made it clear today that his ministry would not stop funding the MNREGS in Chhattisgarh. Echoing the chorus that MNREGS figures are being doctored by the state government, Dr Mahant had demanded immediate stopping of MNREGS funds to the state. Paying no heed to such demands, Mr Jairam Ramesh continued showering praise on the performing state, causing more woes to the divided Congress in the state. Dr Mahant along with PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel and Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey have even complained to the Congress high-command about the Central ministers praising the state government, making it difficult for them to attack the ruling BJP. Given the rapport that Mr Ramesh enjoys with the Gandhi family, the state leaders finally gave up and started neglecting Mr Rameshs visits to the state. What made the state Congress leaders pout further was the fact that the central ministry had awarded Sarguja district in 2011 and Kanker and Rajnandgaon districts in 2012 for their outstanding performance in the MNREGS. All three regions are Maoist-affected, which makes the awards more special to the state government. This apart, Rajnandgaon is the home district of Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh.

Private detectives body had rejected CSIR to provide indigenous Anurags licence application technologies in villages
press trust of india NEW LICENCE, 3 MARCH: Anurag Singh, the alleged main conspirator arrested in connection with the attempt to access call details of BJP leader Arun Jaitley, had unsuccessfully tried to get a licence from the country's only recognised private detectives association a couple of years back. The association said it had rejected the private detective's application as his credentials were not proven. Anurag approached us for accreditation sometime after the Amar Singh phone tapping case came to light in 2005-06. We refused him a licence as we were not sure about his credentials. He had done MBBS and was into the hacking domain. Our association gives licence to firms run by ex-security and service personnel and similar proven experts in the intelligence and information gathering domain, the president of the Association of Private Detectives of India (APDI), Mr Kunwar Vikram Singh, told PTI. The APDI conducts full inquiry before inducting a member into the body, he said. The Licence Police have arrested Anurag and three others in the case. All four are in judicial custody till 6 March. Mr Singh said the 1,500-odd detective agencies registered under this all-India banner do not indulge in providing Call Data Records (CDRs) to their clients and they refuse if someone approaches them for such service. "We are very clear about what is legal and illegal," he said. We will conduct due-diligence, shadow a person, generate humanly gathered information but not CDRs. Also, the CDR never tells you what was discussed between the parties but it is simply a log that tells you that an individual is in touch with how many people. The APDI members are not in the CDR supplying business, he said. Such instances bring a bad name to our profession and hence we want that a Bill that is pending to monitor the private agencies involved in detective work should be passed and enacted. This would weed out illegal operatives in this domain, Mr Singh said. Once passed, the Private Detective Agencies Regulation Bill would make it compulsory for every private detective and the firm to obtain a licence from the Union Home ministry. The Bill was first tabled in Parliament in 2007 but it was returned back to the Union Home Ministry after the Parliamentary Standing Committee, then headed by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, raised questions on some of its contents. Last year, the Union Home Ministry made some changes in the Bill and it is likely to be introduced during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Rural folks may soon be able to earn some supplementary income using technology interventions from the country's leading laboratories. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is sending its scientists to villages to identify technologies that would help people earn some extra income. Under the CSIR-800 program, the TechVill initiative will make technologies developed at CSIR's 37 laboratories available to the villages. We have some amazing technologies like extracting oil from aromatic flowers, encouraging Tulsi cultivation in areas of water shortage, simple techniques to delay ripening of fruits, Mr Samir Brahmachari, DirectorGeneral, CSIR, told PTI. The CSIR plans to set up 25 TechVills to begin with and later take the initiative to at least 100 locations. Mr Brahmachari said similar technology interventions were already benefiting horticulturists in Kashmir, who were now exporting lavender oil, extracted using CSIR technologies, instead of flowers.

TECH BENE.ITS
At the beginning, five TechVills are coming up at two locations in West Bengal, one each in Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Students pursuing doctoral research at CSIR academy will be posted at TechVills for a period of eight weeks as part of their program, Mr Brahmachari said. Students will be posted at a TechVill, an

outreach centre of CSIR, where they will identify technologies beneficial for the people there. Each technology will be adopted by a maximum 200 families so that each one gets a decent remuneration for their produce. We plan to reach 200,000 families through this initiative, Mr Brahmachari said. Last week, .inance Minister P Chidambaram had said in his budget speech that not enough attention was being paid to take science and technology to the common man. Mr Chidambaram had favoured using S&T innovations in manufacturing products and make them available to the people. CSIR has 37 laboratories and 39 centres across the country and hopes to utilise them is servicing the 100 TechVills which it plans to set up.

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uday basu

Collapse triggers blame game

causes of the collapse, he clearly hinted at negligence by the previous government for reaping electoral dividends. The former urban development minister, however, dismissed Mr Hakims baseless allegation and said: On the contrary, there was delay in completing the flyover as the Steel Authority of India supplied steel eight months behind schedule. He insisted there couldnt be structural flaws because a government agency and a jointventure firm were involved in the construction. Instead, Mr Bhattacharya alleged, the new government had apparently done nothing even after tell-tale cracks had been detected at one section of the flyover about 14 months back. He claimed to have information that neither the contract for maintenance of the flyover given during the L. regime was renewed nor any new firm engaged by the Trinamul Congressgovernment for the past one year. Mr Hakim announced in December 2011 that he had ordered inquiries into the cracks and claimed technical experts were being sent to examine them. We have no knowledge whether any inquiry was at all made or experts engaged. The third-

INDIA/BENGAL

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

Funds crunch stalls opening of KVs

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Despite the ambitious target set by the Planning Commission of opening 500 Kendriya Vidyalayas during the 12th .ive Year Plan period, the human resource development ministry has failed to open a single one in the initial year of the 12th Plan on account of funds constraints, the HRD minister, Mr MM Pallam Raju, informed the Lok Sabha this week. The first financial year of the 12th Plan, 2012-'13, has already elapsed but the HRD ministry could not sanction a single Kendriya Vidyalaya. Currently 1,087 KVs are functioning in the country and the Planning Commission had fixed the target of adding another 500 by the end of 1217, the terminal year of the 12th Plan. However, it is believed that the economic crisis of 2008 constrained the finance ministry to scale down funds allocations to the HRD ministry during UPA-II. Mr Raju told the Lok Sabha that 119 requests have been received from various state governments and Union Territories for setting up new KVs since January 2012. During the 11th .ive Year Plan (from financial year 2007-8 to 2011-12), 138 KVs were sanctioned and opened. The minister also informed the Lower House that there is no proposal to increase the tuition fee in KVs but there is a proposal to enhance the Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi (VVN) contribution and the computer fund fee. KV students belonging to families living below the poverty line category are exempted from payment of tuition fees and VVN fund contribution up to two children per family. The additional funds collected from VVN will be ploughed back to improve the level of education in the KVs by establishment of e-classrooms, improvement in sports infrastructure and modernisation of science laboratories, the minister said. sns

KOLKATA, 3 MARCH : The state urban development minister .irhad Hakim has done it again. Just as he had blamed the CPI-M for the shoot-out and violence outside a Garden Reach college last month, he also put the CPI-M-led previous government on the s dock for todays flyover collapse (sns photo) at Ultadanga. This triggered an immediate reaction from his counterpart of the Marxist government, Mr Ashoke Bhattacharya, who demanded a probe into the quality of maintenance of the flyover under the new dispensation. Technical experts expressed dismay at the political blame game when the collapse has caused widespread panic among the people about the status of scores of other bridges and flyovers throughout the state. Mr Hakim squarely blamed the previous government for the collapse and accused it of hurrying through the construction so that it could be inaugurated towards the fag end of the Left regime. Even though he iterated a third-party investigation was required to ascertain the

party probe the minister is now talking about must go into this aspect as well, since maintenance appears to have been grossly neglected that probably led to the shocking collapse, Mr Bhattacharya said. On the other hand, state fire services

minister Javed Khan went a step further and said: The previous L.-government wasnt interested in the states development, but in pocketing peoples money. Mr Bhattacharya suggested instead of playing politics the new government

should seriously undertake a technical survey of bridges and flyovers in the state to prevent recurrence of accidents, especially in north Bengal, in the wake of last years earthquake which might have destabilised the bridges in the region.

Teesta: India ready for Constitution amendment

press trust of india .ARRUKHABAD (UP), 3 MARCH: External Affairs Minister Salman Khursid has said if needed, India is ready for an amendment in the Constitution to resolve the Teesta river water dispute with Bangladesh. The .arrukhabad MP, who was speaking here yesterday, also expressed hope that the border dispute between the two countries will be settled soon. Sharing of Teesta waters has been a contentious problem between the two countries and due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, an agreement on the same could not be reached during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September 2011.

TENDER

HEALTHY, WEALTHY N WISE ~ At a health walk and check-up programme at Lodhi Garden. In New Delhi on Sunday. vikas choudhary

DPL labour union leader faces fresh challenge from rebels

statesman news service DURGAPUR, 3 MARCH: Within a fortnight, rebel Intuc executives today again challenged the General Secretary of the labour fronts unit at the state-owned Durgapur Projects Limited, demanding an immediate union election. They complained that Mr Umapada Das ~ a retired employee of the plant ~ has grabbed the post of the General Secretary with the help of a tampered court direction. At a Press conference Mr Dibyendu Banerjee, a leader of the Durgapur Projects Workers Union, said: The Court never ordered in favour of his continuance as the General Secretary of our union. It has only vacated the injunction previously imposed on the post out of a different prayer and contention. Mr Das and his legal consultant Mr Binoy Panda, had earlier said: The injunction has finally been vacated which has come as a final relief to Mr Das and he is now allowed to continue as the General Secretary with the DPWU. Mr Das also said the DPWU had expelled the membership of Mr Banerjee due to his litigated and disturb-

PRESIDENT:
(Continued from page 1) agreement will be signed soon. She said the President had informed her that India intends to bring the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) Bill into the present session of the Parliament and is hopeful that it will be passed in this session itself. The Teesta treaty and the LBA are the two important components of the India-Bangladesh bilateral relationship. During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh in 2011, the signing of the Teesta water was cancelled at the last minute due to objections by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The .oreign Secretary, however, was more cautious on Teesta saying that in a federal system, we need to talk with all stake holders. Ms Moni's comments with reference to the LBA are significant given recent political developments. The BJP recently said the 2011 India-Bangladesh Boundary Agreement is flawed and the government cannot count on its support when the Constitution Amendment Bill to facilitate implementation of the pact comes up in Parliament during this session. Last month, the Cabinet cleared the Bill to amend the IndiaBangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, 1974. a Mr Mukherjee (afp photo) is accompanied by his wife Ms Suvra Mukherjee and an official delegation, including Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, .oreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and four MPs.

Rebel executives complained that Mr Umapada Das ~ a retired employee of the plant ~ has grabbed the post of the General Secretary with the help of a tampered court direction
ing nature. Mr Banerjee today raised a counter charge saying: Under no circumstances was I issued an expulsion letter and Mr Das and his coterie are trying to malign the prestige and dignity of countrys largest trade union even by tampering the Courts directives. He added: The Court order dated 6 .ebruary suggested the trial Judge to dispose the suit and this clearly substantiates that the matter is still under the purview of the Court and Mr Das has just manipulated the interim order, which is unbecoming of a leader. Mr Das rejected all charges.

Company manager arrested for cheating customers

BARASAT, 3 MARCH: Barasat police today arrested Mr Gobinda Das, manager of an alleged chit fund company after raiding his office. Police said the owner of the company, Mr Nimai Dey, escaped from the spot. The office, Dey Group and Sons, was situated on the third floor of a building in Bijoy Das colony, Mayna. Customers of the company had blamed that they did not return their invested money. They had also lodged a complaint against the company accusing it of misappropriating money to the tune of seven to eight crore rupees. sns

English Bazaar victory bolsters Trinamul

manas banerjee SILIGURI, 4 MARCH: The bypoll result of the English Bazaar Assembly seat won by the Trinamul Congress has bolstered hopes for the party to do well in the coming panchayat election and even capture the Malda Zilla Parishad. The main reason is that victorious MLA and state minister Krishnendu Chowdhury ~ a former Congress MLA who defected to the Trinamul ~ has virtually smashed the citadel of ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury and his family members in Malda. Since the Trinamuls victory in the 2011 Assembly poll, party chief Mamata Banerjee has successfully made inroads into the vote bank of the Congress and the Left .ront with the help of Mr Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury keeping an eye on the Malda zilla parishad. There is no doubt the Trinamul Congress has the advantage as two state Cabinet ministers ~ Sabitri Mitra, MLA from Manikchak and Mr Choudhury ~ are going ahead with their plan to win over Congress supporters and bring to the party's kitty a decent number of seats in the three-tier rural poll. Political observers say Mr Chowdhurys

Newly-elected MLAs to be sworn in today

KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: The three newly-elected MLAs, including state Tourism Minister Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, Congress MLAelect from Rejinagar Mr Rabiul Alam Chowdhury and .orward Bloc MLA-elect from Nalhati Mr Deepak Chatterjee will be sworn in as members of the state Assembly tomorrow. The Speaker will administer oath to the three newly elected MLAs on the Assembly premises. The three were elected in the bypolls held on 23 .ebruary. sns main aim is first to capture the Malda zilla parishad and then contest the Lok Sabha poll in 2014 from South Malda constituency based on the results of the rural polls. At a time when the Congress is reportedly projecting Ms Sabina Yeasmin, former minister of state and former sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad, as zilla parishad chief, the Trinamul Congress is trying to project Ms Shehnez Quadery, a rebel niece of South Malda MP Mr Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury who joined hands with Mamata Banerjee. The post of sabhadhipati of the MZP has been reserved for women. Mr Krishnendu Choudhury is known to be a habitual turncoat. In the past he been suspended from the Congress on charges of allying with the BJP to come to power in the English Bazaar municipal board before the formation of the Trinamul Congress. Thereafter, he joined hands with Miss Mamata Banerjee to campaign against Ghani Khan Chowdhury. Mr Choudhury was Miss Banerjees party president in Malda since its inception and carved out a stronghold in a part of English Bazaar municipal area despite Mr Ghani Khans presence and CPI-Ms organisational force after the formation of the Trinamul Congress. Again, to become an MLA from English Bazaar, Mr Choudhury joined hands with Ghani Khan Chowdhury. Soon after, he returned to the Trinamul fold getting a ministerial berth.

When asked Mr Choudhury said: People have realised they need an alternative leadership in Malda and the Trinamul is emerging as the party of their choice. It is too early to comment. But my party would do better in the rural poll for the simple reason that the existing board has failed them." Out of 34 seats in the Malda Zilla Parishad, three seats are vacant. Two members ~ Ms Sabina Yeasmin, MLA from Mothabari and Mr Rahim Bakshi, MLA from Malatipur, had to resign rom MZP. Another member died. No bypoll was conducted to elect new members. At present 14 members belong to the Left .ront, 15 to the Congress, and two members ~ Mr Mohan Tudu, who was elected on the BJP ticket and Mr Arup Das, who won on the Congress ticket ~ have already joined the Trinamul Congress. .our more seats would be added in the upcoming rural polls. Of 15 panchayat samitis, the Congress controls seven and the L. also controls seven. Only Old Malda panchayat samiti is under the control of the BJP. The Congress controls Manikchak panchayat samiti with the support of the BJP.

BORDER ROADS ORGANISATION NOTICE INVITING TENDERS (NATIONAL COMPETITIVE BIDDING)

1. The Chief Engineer Project Vartak, C/O 99 APO invites tender(s) from the eligible contractors for the following work: PARTICULARS OF WORK RISK AND COST CONTRACT FOR "SUPPLY AND STACKING OF STONE CHIPS 19 MM & DOWN, STONE CHIPS 10 MM & DOWN AND SAND AT KM 12.000 (HMP SITE) ON ROAD LUMLA TASHIGAON FOR BM & SDBC WORKS BETWEEN KM 0.00 AND KM 19.350 ON LUMLA - TASHIGAON ROAD UNDER 763 BRTF SECTOR OF PROJECT VARTAK IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH: NIT NO. CE/VTK/40 OF 2012-13 COST / TIME OF WORK (a) Cost: Rs 69.86 lakh (b) Period of: 142 days (c) Earnest Money : Rs 1,04,790.00 (d) Cost of tender : Rs 1,000

CRITICAL DATE SHEET Published Date Bid Document Download / Sale Start Date Clarification Start Date Clarification End Date Pre bid meeting Bid Submission Start Date Bid Submission End Date Bid Opening Date 26 04 08 12 18 23 28 28 Feb., 2013 at 1400 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 1430 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 0830 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 1400 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 1100 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 1200 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 1150 Hrs. Mar., 2013 at 1230 Hrs.

Note: Full notice of tender any change in above details tender document (including eligibility critera) and other details may be obtained from BRO web site www.bro.gov.in For any query please contact on Telephone No. 03712-230501 / 221513, Fax No. 03712220706
davp 37102/11/0734/1213

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EDITORIAL
Vol. CXXXXVII 54

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

6
A member of the Asia News Network

Incorporating and directly descended from THE .RIEND O. INDIA ~ .ounded 1818. n Printed from Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar

SETHUSAMUNDRAM PROJECT
Designed to line politicians pockets

IT is most unfortunate that the UPA government of Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh has decided to reject the report of the Supreme Court-appointed RK Pachauri Committee on the Sethusamudram shipping channel project, aimed at linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar, the narrow patch of sea between India and Sri Lanka, by creating a shipping channel through the shallow waters. The Pachauri panel has found the project economically unviable and ecologically disastrous. Even the benchmark rate of return of 12 per cent set by the Planning Commission could not be met, the report said. The committee members, who studied all aspects of the project for over a year, found the governments assumptions of the rate of return and other economic parameters far too optimistic. Given the doubts raised by the detailed analysis, the report concluded, it is unlikely that public interest would be served by pursuing the project, and warned against other variables such as risk of oil spills, cyclones, tsunamis and other natural threats. There was a massive cyclone at the very spot in 1964. One has to take into account the impact of such natural phenomena. When the project was first mooted a century and a half ago, ocean going ships were smaller and the channel would have helped reduce sailing time between the east and west coast ports by about 28 hours. But the British government of the day found it economically unviable and abandoned the idea. Todays oil tankers, bulk carriers and container vessels would not be able to navigate the proposed shipping channel which would permit ships of 30,000 tonnes or less. Even the coal ships to Tuticorin from the east coast will have to navigate around Sri Lanka. The shipping industry has little use for the project. The Pachauri committee report is based entirely on science and has got nothing to do with any religion. But the government could not ignore the religious sentiments of the majority community. The project would entail dredging across Ram Setu, also known as Adams Bridge, believed by Hindus to have been built by Lord Ram to cross over to Lanka to rescue Sita. The bridge is one of the most important religious sites for Hindus and plays a significant role in Ramayana. The Supreme Court in 2007 restrained the government from dredging Ram Setu and suggested it examine alternative routes. Demolition of Ram Setu will amount to a criminal offence under Section 295 IPC which says: Whoever destroys, damages, or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment up to two years, or with fine, or with both. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha has taken a clear and unequivocal stand in the Supreme Court calling for cancellation of the Sethusamudram project and declaring Ram Setu as a national monument. The project has also drawn widespread opposition from the BJP, environmental activists, Hindu religious heads and the fishermen community. The losses to the fishing industry would be hundreds of millions of rupees annually. The breeding grounds and hatching areas would be severely impacted and the priceless bio-diversity of the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar would be destroyed. The only persons who stand to benefit by the project belong to the political class. It will be foolhardy to persist with a project that will destroy a national heritage and wound the religious sentiments of a majority of the people.

The Economics Of Road Transportation

achintya ray late, the Central government has been contemplating an increased level of taxes for dieselrun vehicles. But how much of an increase will that be? Some media reports seem to suggest that to buy a diesel vehicle one might have to pay taxes amounting to several lakhs of rupees right out of the gate. The logic is deceptively simple and it might actually make sense for some. It goes something like this. Diesel is heavily subsidised in India. Presumably this is because of the fact that the cargo transportation sector is heavily dependent on diesel vehicles. As the argument goes, subsidising the diesel cost factor of cargo transportation would be within manageable limits and would eventually benefit the common people. Never mind that public life is also heavily dependent on vehicles that run on petrol; the price of petrol is artificially high in India. But that may be the subject matter of another essay. However, the fact remains that the cheap diesel does not end up only in the tanks of cargo-carrying vehicles. Subsidised diesel is also a boon to the owners of diesel-fuelled passenger vehicles. A large percentage of passenger vehicles are also run on diesel. This translates to a sizable windfall for the owners since they use a heavily subsidised fuel. The government wants to address this distortion by increasing the tax on diesel passenger vehicles so much so that the windfall would practically disappear and it may not be lucrative to opt for a diesel vehicle. In the process, the government will collect the expected amount of subsidy upfront and it will not be effectively subsidising passenger vehicles that are run on diesel. Understandably, the manufacturers of the diesel vehicles have criticised the governments logic. This might please the green lobby. The diesel automotive sector has gained substantially in the recent past. This can partly be attributed to the lower cost of government subsidised diesel that is available at the gas stations. This keeps the cost of driving per kilometre artificially low. A higher price of diesel vehicles can lessen or eliminate some of those gains. And if higher taxes are added to the cost component, it will certainly reduce the demand. This will hurt the bottomline of the manufacturers. In turn, the diesel automotive sector might experience a reversal of its fate, lower employment, and reduced profitability and hence, lower shareholder equity. The automobile manufacturing sector is a not trivial part of the overall economy because of its upstream and downstream linkages. There is thus a legitimate reason to be concerned about the economic growth which is anaemic as it is. While the reason for the resentment of diesel automakers can well be imagined, it is quite difficult to rationalise the governments perceptions and policies. If the government collects right at the point of sale, the full amount of savings that a diesel vehicle owner is supposed to accumulate over the lifetime of the vehicle by using subsidised fuel, then the price of the vehicle goes up dramatically. If diesel passenger vehicles are considered as any other standard commodity, then this enhanced price is expected to decrease the demand for such a vehicle. The producers may in turn cut down their production, lay off workers, and liquidate excess productive capacity. .urthermore, the buyers will be saddled with less money and that in turn will reduce their demand for other commodities. In other words, there may be a cascading effect on the economy. But there is more to the story.

Run it on diesel
If the buyers finance their purchase of a diesel vehicle by taking loans, then they will also have to pay additionally by way of interest while repaying the loan. Besides, they will be left with less money for other investment. Hence, we will have to add the loss from the lack of other investments to our equation. Thus the actual cost to the buyer after factoring in the attendant opportunity costs is going to be much higher than the sale-price tag on the vehicle. But that too is not the end of the story. The government actually collects far more over a long period of time than what is charged at the point of sale by way of increased sales tax. Remember that the government can invest the money in acceptable to a naive government since it wont have to pay subsidies amounting to lakhs as now. Makes sense, right? Actually, it does not if one looks deeper. When a vehicle is sold, the companies, dealers, part suppliers, workers and investors all make money. What do they do with that money? They pay taxes, spend a part of that and save the rest. When earners spend money, then that becomes somebody elses income. And they in turn pay income tax, spend some and save some. The cycle goes on and on and the government collects money at every stage. The successive rounds of sales also generate more sales tax and potentially more income

PERSONAL
ear Promod, we all know that change is inevitable in everyones life but my respect and love for you will never change. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday. Sanjeev.
(PL4535)

O.

Distinctive Hawaii Sign Language Documented For The First Time

press trust of india WASHINGTON, 3 MARCH: Researchers in Hawaii, US President Barack Obama's birth place, have documented for the first time a sign language which deaf people across the islands' diverse ethnic groups have used for decades. Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa said that they had documented for the first time Hawaii Sign Language, or HSL, which deaf people have used for long. While there is written evidence dating back to 1821 indicating that such a language existed, beginning in the 1940s it started to get largely phased out in favour of American Sign Language. Researchers identified about 40 Hawaiians who still use it ~ interviewing 19 of them, plus two adult children, on four islands for their study. But they are all 80 years of age or older, making it imperative to act now in order to preserve it before it is too late. Researchers are committed to a long term study of HSL with the goals of producing... a dictionary (and) archived videotaped data, said James Woodward, an Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Mano. It is also hoped that an effort can be made to revitalise HSL, so that it can be taught in high schools and universities in Hawaii, CNN quoted Prof. Woodward as saying. While the now-prevailing ASL or International Sign Language has rubbed off some, Prof. Woodward said it's been relatively minimal among those practicing Hawaii Sign Language. Specifically, at least 80 per cent of its signs are distinct, while the rest come from American Sign Language ~ which he said is enough to characterise it as its own language, rather than a dialect. .or example, the HSL word for father is to wag your finger ~ whereas in ASL, it's an open hand with fingers spread and a thumb to the forehead. Want to say that someone is telling a lie? Then put an index finger in the middle of your throat. The grammar structure in Hawaii Sign Language also differentiates it from ASL, Prof. Woodward noted. Sign languages ... evolve in a community of users, and are not signed versions of spoken languages, the University of Hawaii said in a press release, adding that The full history of Hawaii Sign Language is yet to be told.

The Centre does not seem to have made any serious effort to quantify the relative magnitudes of gains and losses, let alone calculate the resultant effect on society as a whole... This may be the right time to conduct a serious, rigorous cost-benefit analysis that results in a scientifically-backed conclusion, as opposed to wishful thinking and a sloppy exercise in generating numbers
several ways, such as infrastructure investments, building human capital, clearing the public debt or simply buying money-yielding assets from domestic or international sellers. Thus the enhanced tax provides the government with a lump sum endowment whose actual long term value may far exceed the amount that the government collects upfront. In a nutshell, there are certain gains that society can look forward to. But the present government at the Centre does not seem to have made any serious effort to quantify the relative magnitudes of gains and losses, let alone calculate the resultant effect on society as a whole. The lack of sophistication in the governments thinking may be quite understandable if one considers a simple example. Suppose you levy Rs 2 lakh worth of sales tax on a diesel passenger vehicle. Suppose that the amount is equal to the expected amount of subsidy the vehicle owner is supposed to receive over the lifetime of the vehicle. Now assume that as a result of the tax increase, the demand for that vehicle comes down to zero. In other words, nobody buys that vehicle anymore. What then is the volume of tax that the government collects? The answer is zero. If there is no sale, then there is no sales tax revenue. It might be tax for the government. .urthermore, the accumulated savings become the capital base for the economy from which others can borrow to buy houses, finance cars, afford medical care, invest in education, set up factories etc. These activities create many more rounds of income generation and cycles of savings in the economy. The basic question is ~ Does the eventual income of the government exceed the subsidy paid at the beginning of the cycles? This indeed is the fundamental concept behind the multiplier and cost-benefit analysis which John Maynard Keynes grasped nearly a century ago and forcefully advocated deficit financing to get out of a recession. It seems that the government has conveniently bypassed that important chapter of human progress. But this may be the right time to revisit that concept and then conduct a serious, rigorous costbenefit analysis that results in a scientificallybacked conclusion, as opposed to wishful thinking and a sloppy exercise in generating numbers.
The writer is Associate Professor of Economics and .inance, College of Business, Tennessee State University, USA

ONE-ALL

More to reflect on than to rejoice

IT is only a by-election. Yet seats have changed hands. Three

by-elections would normally not have excited much interest; not so, however, in West Bengal where the honours have been shared by the Left, the Congress and Trinamul. It might be tempting to conclude that the result is a shot in the arm for the Opposition. Not quite. The message is stark across the divide ~ Nalhati, Englishbazar and Rejinagar present a casestudy of how the electoral strategy of ploughing a lonely furrow can come a cropper. Small wonder that the ruling partys ratings at Nalhati (Birbhum) and Rejinagar (Murshidabad) have plummeted to the third slot. The .orward Blocs success at Nalhati ~ a seat vacated by Abhijit Mukherjee after he became an MP ~ is embedded primarily in the split in the nonLeft vote, though it is an unnerving thought that the Lefts vote share has dropped by six percentage points if 2011 is deemed to be the benchmark of electoral change. Strikingly, the turncoat from the Congress, minister Humayun Kabir, has been trounced in Rejinagar, part of the MoS (railways) Adhir Chaudhurys fiefdom in Murshidabad. A by-election had to be held in Rejinagar precisely because Kabir had joined Trinamul. Clearly, the voter has rejected the defector though he is unabashed enough to continue as minister. In the season of setbacks, Trinamul has gained a foothold only in Englishbazar, where another turncoat, Krishnendu Chowdhury, has now made it to the Assembly. Though the .orward Bloc has won in Nalhati and the CPIM ranks in the second slot in Englishbazar and the RSP in the second rung in Rejinagar, the psephological swing cannot but be unnerving. The Lefts vote-share in Nalhati has declined from 39 per cent (2011) to 33 in this by-election; in Rejinagar from 44 per cent (2011) to 32 per cent; and in Englishbazar from 39 per cent (2011) to 29 per cent. All three parties have more to reflect on than to rejoice. It redounds to the credit of the Congress that it has fared better than Miss Banerjee had imagined it would. The results have reaffirmed that it would be premature to craft its obituary just yet in West Bengal. What is referred to as Mamata magic in popular imagination hasnt worked. Trinamul had entered the by-election fray with what Mukul Roy calls a 3-0 deficit. The victory in one seat is weak beer. A pie-chart would be of tremendous importance to the three parties ~ Trinamul and Congress need to take a call on the parting of the ways; the Left on why its vote-share has declined despite faltering governance. Unmistakable is the paribartan in the electorates mood since Trinamuls heady triumph two summers ago.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The leak at Koodankulam

SIR, ~ This is with reference to
Sam Rajappas article, Siege of Koodankulam (17 .ebruary). He has furnished very important data on the poor quality of the equipment supplied by Russia for the Koodankulam nuclear thermal plant. Apparently, the leak developed as the newly-installed valves could not be plugged by the Russian engineers. But since this plant is a prestige issue for the Prime Minister, NPCIL had to bring in engineers from Croatia and Germany to repair the leak at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore. But why should India pay for the repair? The defect was detected before the plant was put on load. .urther, the cost of the plant is escalating. The protestors ought not to be blamed for the delay in execution. yours, etc., dk choudhury, howrah, 19 february. wife and I received our passports in 1999. They were valid for ten years. When we applied for re-issue at the Regional Passport Office, Kolkata, I was told that our original passports had been issued without police verification. I was simply bewildered. How could the RPO issue the passports without ascertaining our bona fides as Indian citizens and the fact that there are no criminal cases against us. It is not the duty of the applicant but of the police station concerned to verify the antecedents. This rule was grossly flouted. However, we did receive the two new passports by registered post. Subsequently, an officer from the local police station came to our residence. I was told that police verification would be necessary for our new passports. A friend had once cautioned me that this is a police tactic to extract a bribe from the gullible public. I did nothing and the matter stands at that. yours, etc., pc majumdar, birbhum, 19 february. of the Sikhs after Indira Gandhis assassination in October 1984. Nor did Mrs Gandhi apologise for the Emergency and the gross violation of human rights. Rajiv Gandhi never visited the homes of those who died in the anti-Sikh riots that were masterminded by Congress leaders. Narendra Modi, who aspires to be Prime Minister, is tarred with the same brush. He neither visited the Muslim families nor apologised to them for the pogrom. There is a misconception that tendering an apology will demean ones dignity and position, especially if he is a politician. I fully agree with Ms Mustafas concluding comment: The list of political offenders is so long that every single leader who has been or is in power in the states or at the Centre should be ideally spending all of their time apologising for the crimes against Indians committed on their watch. In fact, an apology makes the present less taxing by making amends for errors of the past. yours, etc., narayan chandra ghosh, nadia, 25 february.

Hanging of Guru SIR, ~ This is with reference to Seema Mustafas article, Behind

the Curtain (10 .ebruary). It is a reaction to the hanging of Afzal Guru for the outrage on Parliament in December 2011. She has criticised the Government as well as a section of the electronic media that supported the hanging. The spontaneous response in favour of the death penalty has been described as cacophony. Guru was charged with the attack on Parliament, a crime that is tantamount to treason. .or such a convict, any sympathy is misplaced. There might well be certain queries pertaining to the execution. These have been addressed in your brilliant editorial, Guru hanged ~ Little reason to fault Government (10 .ebruary). You have hit back at the critics of Gurus execution. Thank you. yours, etc., jagat bandhu chakraborty, nadia,12 february.

Cameron on Jallianwala Congress and BJP SIR, ~ This is with reference to Seema Mustafas thought-pro- SIR, ~ The article, Organised ambivalence, is well-balanced.
voking article, Organised ambivalence (22 .ebruary). The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited Jallianwala Bagh to pay his tribute to the martyrs of 1919. He described the incident as deeply shameful but stopped short of a public apology. Mr Camerons gesture disappointed the country, especially Punjab, because the victims families had for long been waiting for an apology. But to say sorry would have been meaningless as the present Prime Minister of Britain was in no way responsible for the massacre. However, the tragedy that prompted Rabindranath Tagore to renounce his knighthood is still very much an emotive issue. Regretfully, political leaders in India, cutting across party lines, have never apologised for the genocides that have occurred in the last century, notably the pogrom in Gujarat in 2002 and the killing

Verification for passport SIR, ~ I would like to recount my experience in the context of
Mihir Kanungos letter, Police and passport (18 .ebruary). My

There is no denying that the Congress brand of competitive politics has rarely served its interests. As often as not, it has helped the BJP in the elections. The thoughtless statements and actions of some Congress leaders have strengthened the BJP in the Lok Sabha ~ from two seats in the early Eighties to more than 100 in the early Nineties. Currently, the BJP appears to be going through a rough patch, and damagingly enough in Karnataka where the problem of dissidence is acute. Home minister Sushil Kumar Shindes statement on Hindu terrorism was tactless. Terrorism knows no religious affiliation. His subsequent expression of regret has not been able to shore up his standing. yours, etc., arun kumar bhaduri, kolkata, 23 january.

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VIEWPOINT
ISSUE 1

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

7
ISSUE 3

Police reform, NCTC urgently needed

Track sources

A farcical routine
BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron should have been more apologetic and not merely regretful. Mr Cameron has described the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as shameful and has emphasised that one must not forget what had happened there nearly a 100 years ago. But he definitely did not tender an apology for the inhuman killing of 1,000 peaceful protesters. Long back, Winston Churchill described the killings as monstrous but it is also on record that General Dyer ~ on whose orders the shots had been fired ~ was duly rewarded right after the massacre in 1919. The purpose of Mr Camerons visit is to build economic ties with India and to appease Indians living in the UK as elections are nearing. Some years ago, former British PM Tony Blair too visited the site and expressed a similar regret. Mr Cameron has simply followed in the footsteps of his predecessor. His visit to the site was a matter of formality. What the British had done in 1919 is utterly condemnable for which Rabindranath Tagore rightly renounced his Knighthood. It was a brutal lesson that the British wanted to teach Punjab. If British Premiers, even a hundred years after the tragedy, do not think that an apology is in order, mere visits to the site and describing the killings as a deeply shameful event in

ly inappropriate in dangerous times such as these. arun kumar bhaduri, 25 february, kolkata

The Hyderabad blasts prove that the government will never take internal security seriously

THE bomb blasts in Hyderabad has

once again brought to the fore the governments inability to fight terrorism. In the aftermath of the executions of Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru, the Intelligence wing should have remained extra-sensitive to subversive activities. One cannot rule out the role of terrorist sleeper cells in the bomb blasts. Without Indian operatives, such acts of terror cannot be perpetrated. The time has come to seriously consider setting up the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). State governments by themselves are ill-equipped to tackle the menace of terrorism. Chief ministers of different states must sit down with the Union home minister to work out a mechanism that suits all. If there is a will to tackle terrorism, it can be done provided there is robust Centrestate cooperation. Also, police reforms are long overdue. Unfortunately, politicians in India are not agreeable to it. My suggestion is that citizens issue an ultimatum that no voting will be done if police reform find a mention in the 2014 general election manifesto of all political parties. ps ponnuswami, 25 february, kolkata

Mumbai carnage. This terror strike betrays an extreme lack of coordination between federal and state Intelligence agencies. Apart from this, dearth of surveillance equipment, inadequate forensic technology and a sluggish bureaucracy must be blamed for the countrys vulnerability. Politics of federalism has made a victim out of the proposed NCTC. A lone security agency is not enough to curb the menace of terrorism in a country with a billion-plus population. Also, the government needs to follow the money trail very closely to ascertain how terrorism is funded in this country. Precautionary measures must be taken in spring itself to prevent disaster in monsoon. Our Intelligence agencies must search out and ruthlessly destroy the sleeper cells operating in India to destabilise it. It is a collective fight and all political parties as well as civil society and security agencies should be in it together. The citizens deserve to lead a life without fear. aranya sanyal 28 february, siliguri

Dangerous times
THE recent Hyderabad blasts that claimed 16 lives and injured many rocked Parliament on 22 .ebruary with the government facing flak for failing to forestall such terrorist strikes. The home minister promised more firm action to counter terror but the Houses

Life without fear

THE recent twin blasts in Hyderabad that claimed more than a dozen lives and injured many confirm that India is yet to learn a lesson from the 26/11

adjourned repeatedly with MPs clearly remaining unconvinced. Intelligence inputs had suggested the possibility of terror attacks in five cities, including Hyderabad, particularly in the wake of execution of Afzal Guru and police chiefs of respective cities had been alerted at least five or six days before the blasts were triggered. Why was no preventive measure taken then? Despite the claim of the home minister that incidents of terror had declined from 10 in 2008 to two last year, the fact remains that even the carnage in Mumbai terror attack (26/11) has failed to galvanise the countrys internal security apparatus. What took place in Hyderabad on 21 .ebruary was the fifth major strike since terrorism brought the countrys financial capital to its knees less than five years ago. Though it may be premature to conclude as to which terrorist outfit was responsible for the Hyderabad attack, the authorities concerned ought to have been monitoring their activities seriously since Hyderabad routinely figures in the list of cities facing terrorist threat. To claim that the alerts issued by Central Intelligence units had been vague is no excuse for inaction. The countrys police forces are incompetent and misused politically. No wonder they lack the motivation to conduct diligent probes. Engaging in turf war over the role of the National Investigation Agency or stalling the creation of NCTC is gross-

THE CCTV footage from the Hyderabad blast site has not yielded any definite clue to the identity of suspects, yet a Somalian national and a Hyderabadi were arrested in Raxaul town of Bihar while trying to cross over to Nepal. Somalian national Abdullah Umram Makran and Mahammad Adam of Hyderabad were arrested when they were trying to sneak into Nepal without valid papers. Preliminary investigations have not established conclusively if they were involved in the blasts. But why does not the government also track how explosives used in terrorist acts are sourced? Terrorists are mostly dependent on ammonium nitrate to put together a bomb and it is a proven preference. There should be an effective mechanism to assess how money and technology move in this country in the aid of terrorists. pijus kanti sarkar, 25 february, narendrapur

British Prime Minister David Cameron could have been more unstinting with his Jallianwala Bagh regret
British history will be always construed as farcical. indranil sanyal, 26 february, kolkata

100 YEARS AGO

THE WATER SUPPLY AT DORANDA To The Editor Of The Statesman SIR, ~ Doranda is a desert. It might have originally been the intention of the new Government of Bihar and Orissa to make it fit for habitation for all people, but experience shows it is really an unsatisfactory place for Indian clerks to live in. Water and housing difficulties are the two things which the authority has to face: the dry bed of Harmu cannot be a source of constant supply and the insufficient numbers of wells in the station can hardly meet the prospective difficulty in March, April, and May. .our out of six wells which were sunk at the Doranda family quarters are already dry and the seriousness of the situation is being aggravated by the gradual drying up of the other wells. It is to be hoped therefore that the Government will take the earliest opportunity to direct the Public Works Department to adopt immediate measures for giving a constant supply of pipe water to the Indian clerks at Doranda. THIRSTY. AN ENGINE DRIVERS CASE To the Editor Of The Statesman SIR, ~ A driver on a railway in the Bengal Presidency was dismissed after doing some years good work, no reason being given for his dismissal, and this I am sure will bar him from getting engine driving on any other railway. He appealed to his officers but no satisfaction is forthcoming. The question is, is this driver with his family to go to the dogs, and perhaps become a criminal, or will the Government see into his case and have satisfaction given him? Unfortunately he is not a member of any society, and neither has he sufficient money to take the matter into Court. Will any of your readers kindly give a hint as to how this driver, who is a poor man, can obtain redress? SEEKER O. JUSTICE. HINDU MUSIC To The Editor Of The Statesman SIR, ~ My attention has been drawn to an extract which recently appeared in your paper, from which I learn that a German musician has constructed a keyboard which gives fifty-three notes to the octave. The music of the Hindus recognises only twenty-two intervals (known as srutis) in an octave. Even this subdivision is considered unmusical by the musicians of Europe. At the request of the Government of India made to me in December, 1885, I forwarded a set of twenty-three tuning forks, representing the 22 srutis and the note representing the first one of the next higher octave, to Mr. A.J. Ellis, Member of the Music Committee of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition held in London in 1886. The ancient Sanskrit authorities on music seem to be of the opinion that the niceties of gradation of an octave consisting of more than 22 intervals would be undistinguishable to ordinary musical ears. I need hardly say that I await with considerable interest an examination of this newly invented keyboard. SOURINDRO MOHUN TAGORE.
4 March, 1913

Depth of callousness
THE Hyderabad blasts expose the depth of callousness of the Central and the state government in handling terrorism, especially in the days after the death by hanging of two terrorists. Apparently, a high alert was sounded in all states but no preventive blueprint was prepared. The state Intelligence unit was asleep and the police force disinterested. Whenever an explosion is triggered anywhere in India, we are given to understand that security has been beefed up. But in reality, nothing is done to discourage terrorists. Has the government forgotten that human life is precious? saswato gupta, 25 february, kolkata

Urgent reforms
INTERNAL security was never a priority in our country. Knee-jerk reactions determine our containment and preventive policy and citizens have to pay with their lives for such callousness. What is appalling is the lack of initiative in our Intelligence bosses and the apathy of their political masters. We need urgent reforms. anindya sen, 26 february, kolkata

CROSSWORD

NO 25769

ISSUE 2

A hackneyed protest policy

CALLS for bandhs issued mainly by the Left parties at the drop of a hat have earned India the reputation of a laggard. Recent experience makes it clear that shutdowns

TOPICS O. THE WEEK

1 Despite one major fire after another consuming scores of lives, the Bengal government refuses to take implementation of fire safety norms seriously 2 The UPA governments railways and general budgets are not exactly confidence-inspiring 3 The Chennai Test win has come as a big boost for Team India

an effective mechanism to tame inflation or deliver good governance. But the Left parties and the Opposition remain unfazed. They continue to follow a hackneyed protest policy. This government needs a bigger jolt than bandhs to see the light. arun gupta, 25 february, kolkata

ACROSS
1 Non-physical position, mostly no, it involved being hugged (8) 5 Throwing up name hidden from unbeatable rival (6) 9 Jambazis dashed second off having made mark (9) 11 Saw special one, Jose ulti mately, with director (5) 12 Diss second character in True Romances sad moves they might need hankies? (6,6) 15 Expression of disapproval from cashier oddly missing money (4) 16 One investigating hit left to regret coming back (10) 18 Papers backing intern, Lewinksy gutted about person

Totally indifferent
THE Congress-led government at the Centre is totally indifferent to the common mans plight and has little interest in rejuvenating the economy of the country. Repeated bandhs observed to protest against the Centres anti-people policies seem to have made the Congress-led government even more indifferent and blind to realities. The states where normal life comes to a standstill bear the brunt of untold economic losses. If the Centre has to be brought to its senses, the Opposition, cutting across party lines, should take the fight to Parliament. ranjan gupta, 26 february, kolkata

Bandhs mean little when the Centre has lost the will to resuscitate the economy
dont exactly inspire the government to change its antipeople ways. On the contrary, the Centres policies have of late become more removed from reality despite its inability to revive the countrys economy. Both diesel and petrol prices are on the rise as are that of other essential items. Bandhs add to economic hardship but cannot persuade the Congress-led government to evolve

al problems (like the infamous dress?) (5,5) 19 Rings in middle of Jackie Brown? (4) 21 Where to change bandage, tie up back (8,4) 24 The thank you letter from Argos? (5) 25 Want to take out daughter having more than fifteen years before redemption (45) 26 First in series of the same ori gin (6) 27 Game is off top inventor and

DOWN
poet (8) 1 Dance move from end of Pulp Fiction (4)

2 Range of American records (4) 3 Crying singers forgotten book of prayer (6) 4 Final bit of Quentin Tarantino lie damages Universal (13) 6 Kill Bill following mob about (8) 7 Informal US variation in kinky erotic show (10) 8 Technique for pools: mark with pen next to team (10) 10 Princesss image fading (13) 13 Entrants open an exam, finish ing early (10) 14 See 20 17 Some abuse? Yes had edi tors screen for lookers in The Sun (8) 20/14 Gent led criminal having joined Reservoir Dogs (6,10) 22 Regularly contains lift? (4) 23 European borders haunt PM

NOTE: .igures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)

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NORTH-EAST PAGE
patricia mukhim

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

Change... who wants it?

THE entire country and media were
agog with the UPA-2 governments Budget presentation on 28 .ebruary. Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland missed their date with the much-touted presentation by Union finance minster P Chidambaram because their election results were announced the same day. This is indicative of the Centres complete unconcern about which way the election results in these three states go. Had the results been that of Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh, the two dates would not have coincided. Just goes to show over again that the North-eastern states continue to be the forgotten and least-important peripheries. So long as there is no bloodshed and violence in the region, the Centre prefers to forget the North-east even exists. Its just an accidental part of the Indian map. No wonder groups like the Khasi Students Union have raised the slogan, Khasi by blood, Indian by accident. Well, the election results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya show that people prefer the known devil over untried, untested angels. Not that the people of Nagaland have not had more than a glimpse of the Congress under SC Jamir and experienced the corruption, nepotism and clannish and communal demeanour of the government at the time. Jamir was an Ao Naga and the Aos dominated every government department and institution you can think of. But things are no different under Neiphiu Rio of the Nagaland Peoples .ront. He is an Angami and the Angamis actually rule the roost today. Politics in Nagaland resemble a private limited company. You buy shares in the party and you get your returns. That equity comes in the form of unquestioned loyalty to the NP. and its undisputed leader. If you remain a non-dissenter, you can make a killing from the different businesses the government doles out to you. Nagaland is not a democracy. It is a limited democracy with its own model and the Centre has very little say. Its only task is to pay the annual budget to the state government. Period. Interestingly, the two women candidates in Nagaland predictably lost. Those who are not with the NP. are assumed to be against it. Those who are against the NP. and are women at that will get the drubbing of their lives so that they will never dare pick up the gauntlet ever after. Nagaland is indeed a strange kingdom. The Naga Mothers Association, which had given the historic call, Shed No More Blood, and which later led to the cessation of hostilities between the insurgent groups and state forces in 1997, was silent about women candidates contesting elections. The NMA never called for women voters to support the women candidates in a show of solidarity and also

Rallying on, safely

yambem laba

to challenge the state government which deprived women of 33 per cent reservation in municipal bodies. So what does that make the NMA? Is it a purely non-political body or an apolitical one, as most organisations would like to claim? Is there anything apolitical in this world? Is there any domain today which is beyond the purview of politics? That would be a wrong reading of the word politics. Politics is not just about power but more about conducting human affairs. Is the NMA caught in a sort of schizophrenic bind and trying to find its calling beyond the call of not shedding any more blood? So, Neiphiu Rio is comfortably poised to be Nagaland chief minister for the third time. He has the goodwill of the insurgent NSCN (IM) and this is important for his survival. Lets step over to Tripura where the CPI(M), led by undisputed leader Manik Sarkar, is back in the reckoning. This, too, was predictable simply because the Congress is in such a decrepit state in Tripura. It is correctly said that the Congress is often its own worst enemy. The people who head the Congress in Tripura are essentially self-servers who are completely disconnected from their constituents. Nor do they represent the minority tribal aspirations and the divide within the party is

glaring. The young Maharaja, Pradyot Debbarma who holds an important post within the Youth Congress, has been unable to work in tandem with the Tripura Congress Committee. At the height of the election campaign, the brother of the Tripura Congress chief was caught with arms and letterheads of some insurgent outfit meant for sending out extortion letters. This surely is not a very good sign at all for a party struggling to regain its foothold in the state. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress star campaigners went to Tripura, said their piece and made outrageous promises but that did not cut any ice with the people. That Manik Sarkar is the poorest chief minister is a badge of honour for him. The region is known for corruption in high places. All state chief ministers are involved in their wealth accumulation projects. Their position is similar to that of a corporate head honcho whose sole aim is profiteering from the states resources. In this murky scenario, Manik Sarkar comes out as an angel of deliverance. Of course, there are allegations at the lower rung of the ladder but that is probably to keep the party machinery functioning. Coming to Meghalaya, the vote for the Congress this time (29) is the highest ever in the states political history.

There were some unpredictable upsets, such as the loss of South Shillong constituency to the NCP. Here the fight was between Manas Chaudhuri, a twotime legislator and former editor of The Shillong Times, and Sanbor Shullai of the NCP. According to the non-tribal voters of this constituency, they were intimidated that if they did not vote Shullai he would create problems for them. In the non-tribal dominated constituencies, this was the ploy adopted. Candidates promised to protect nontribal residents if voted to power. Some of the candidates in the fray were known ruffians without an inkling of what it is to be a legislator, yet they were voted for only because they can cater to the needs of Below Poverty Line families in that constituency. The choice of representatives has nothing to do with his/ her legislative skills but whether he/ she can be present at funerals, weddings and sundry social functions. And voters have a morbid fear that if these ruffians are defeated they could create more problems from the outside. In Meghalaya, the Congress with 29 members is well placed to form the government with the help of independents who, in any case, were all former Congress members denied a party ticket. The young and dynamic Mukul Sangma is all set to lead the government for a second

term. In fact, many believe that the vote for the Congress this time was a vote for Sangma and his initiative to create livelihoods through the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihoods Programme, for which he was given a substantial sum by the Planning Commission. Sangma has shown very impressive leadership qualities and appears to be the only chief minister with a strategic roadmap for development. In the past, chief ministers acted on ad hoc plans and programmes. Many did not even have the intellectual stamina to think of Meghalayas socio-economic growth. No wonder the state now has a recorded 68 per cent of people living below the poverty line. At the end of the day, the people of the three states decided to play it safe and not opt for change. Change is possible if there are better alternatives, not when the alternatives are far worse than the known imperfect situation. Change is possible if there are better alternatives, not when the alternatives are far worse than the known imperfect situation. Meanwhile, government formation is now in the process in the three states. The rest is all predictable. It will be back to business as usual! The writer is editor, The Shillong Times, and can be contacted at patricia17@rediffmail.com

THE Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar car rally navigated its way through to Southeast Asia via Moreh in Manipur and this despite a threat from the militant-backed Kuki State Demand Committee which had sworn to block the rally with a come what may call. It had called for a public blockade in what it described as Kuki-inhabited areas and had categorically stated that it would oppose the rally from entering its area. It had threatened as much during an Asean car rally last year, demanding that New Delhi enter into a political dialogue with Kuki militants currently in a suspension of operations with both the governments of India and Manipur. It withdrew that threat following and assurance from the Union home affairs ministry that its demands would be met soon after the winter session of Parliament, but since this was not forthcoming the Kuki body had said that any attempt to use force will be met with equal measure of resistance. Start political dialogue with the KSDC, including Kuki militants the only panacea that will redress the greivances of Kukis in Manipur in all spheres were the famous last words of the Kuki body. The Kolkata-Kunming rally, comprising 25 cars and 80 participants, was flagged off from Kolkata on 22 .ebruary by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and after traversing Bangladesh it entered Assam through Karimganj district and was later flagged off at Silchar in Assams Cachar district by Bidyut Bordoloi, state power minister, on 26 .ebruary, after which it entered Manipur at Jiribam and was received by additional deputy commissioner Y Iboyaima Singh, who later emphasised that the rally would usher in a better relationship between India and Southeast Asian countries the sole essence of Indias Look East Policy. Kuki saboteurs, however, managed to remove two iron plates from a Bailey bridge connecting Jiribam with the rest of Manipur, but this was discovered in time and the bridge repaired. On 27 .ebruary, the Manipur leg of the rally was flagged off by chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh from the historic Kangla .ort in Imphal. Speaking at the ceremony, he expressed confidence that the Confederation of Indian Industry-initiated rally would not only revive historical ties and links among the peoples of the Southeast Asian region but would also provide a new impetus in the implementation

prasenjit biswas

Politics of brinkmanship
Set-ups like the Rabha National Security .orce mooted the idea of separation from India as well as from Assam until the Autonomous Council Act was passed in the Assam assembly in 2000. After that, the All Rabha Students Association persisted with the demand for increased autonomy for the Rabha Council by earmarking territorial jurisdiction within which the RHAC would have absolute power in local governance. The creation of panchayats under the 73rd amendment in Rabha areas remained as a parallel and omnipotent institutional framework that negated much of what the Rabhas wanted to achieve through their own autonomous council. Clashes that erupted over the panchayat elections took a communal turn as the ordinary Rabha populace was caught in the crossfire between the call to boycott elections and other communities determined to participate in the voting. Media footage showing Rabha men and women armed with lathis and machetes to resist any electoral activity acted as justification for the indiscriminate police atrocities that killed 11 men and sent thousands of displaced people to relief camps is a bloated version of a growing ethnic cauldron. Areas such as Rakasani, Maijonga and Pontipara, which witnessed arson following strained inter-ethnic relations between Rabhas and non-Rabhas, do not entirely belong to the autonomous council area. Seemingly, there are extra-territorial factors such as a shifting of sites of conflict beyond the contested terrain of the Rabha council. Within the council areas, non-Rabhas could not vote and there was a backlash in areas where Rabhas are not a strong entity. The displacement of a large number of Rabhas, estimated at some 20,000, including women and children, portray both a security threat and an ethnic backlash. The governments claim that in certain areas within the council there was almost 60 per cent voting in the panchayat polls also

THE killing of some 11 people at various places within the Rab-

ha Hasong Autonomous Council area by security forces reinvigorated the memory of earlier Rabha-Garo clashes in the same areas two years back. This time, a call given by the Rabha Hajong Joint Movement Committee to boycott the panchayat polls in the RHAC areas led to a volatile situation in many polling stations across Rabha-dominated areas of two Assam districts, namely Goalpara and Kamrup. Largely, the Dhudnoi and Krishnai areas of Goalpara district and the Mirza and Chaygaon areas of Kamrup district were affected by arson and the punitive measures by security forces. Police firing accounted for most of the victims and Rabha groups have alleged that the police attacked innocents. The call to boycott polls is a sequel to the Rabha tribal bodies larger demand for full autonomy for Rabhas in line with other tribal councils such as the Bodoland Autonomous Council. Panchayat polls that are supposed to be held in local bodies falling under the areas included within the RHAC come into conflict with the Rabha demand for exclusive economic and political rights. The demand for autonomy and the drawing out of non-overlapping jurisdictions of local bodies and councils became a complicated political issue. With the setting up of a Rabha Hajong Autonomous Council in almost all of Goalpara district and in Rani subdivision of Kamrup district in 2001, inter-ethnic relations between Rabhas and non-Rabhas witnessed on and off tension. Many Rabha-minority areas made a part of the Rabha-Hasong Council remained largely affected by such inter-ethnic tension. Tension manifested itself for the first time during the panchayat polls of 2008, when Rabhas largely felt that panchayats stood in direct conflict with the autonomous council. After the 2008 polls, Rabhas were alienated because of their minuscule representation in various local bodies. As electoral politics assume an ethnic colour, more powerful ethnic groups such as the Garos, KochRajbongshis, Bengali Muslims, Bodos and Assamese could have a larger share of representatives in various local bodies in Goalpara and Kamrup. Compared to this, Rabhas as a singular group couldnt muster much support in the 2008 panchayat elections. If one takes a closer look at the articulations of Rabha resistance and an affirmation of identity-based rights, one can locate a certain amount of exasperation among them in terms of state apathy in the comparative context of reliability of power and rights of similar groups such as the Bodos.

of Indias Look East Policy. He also said the Union ministry of external affairs has agreed to provide visas on arrival for Myanmarese citizens to enter India at Moreh. This would prove to be a great boon for Myanmarese citizens, who had been looking at Manipur as a major health care centre. He also hoped the Centre would make things easier for people to travel to Bangladesh and China and viceversa to promote healthier contact .He also emphasised that ensuring a harmonious movement of goods and services to people across borders would provide the much-needed boost in improving relations between the neighbouring countries. To ensure smooth passage to Moreh, Ibobi Singh had his deputy commissioner of Chandel district clamp Sec 144 of the CrPC to thwart any move by Kuki agitators to put up even a semblance of protest against the rally. Also present at the flagging off ceremony were RK Agarwal, CII eastern region chairman, and Tata Motors managing director Karl Slym. The writer is The Statesmans Imphal-based Special Correspondent shows a coercive presence of the state machinery that could effectively suppress the boycott call. Such a repressive attitude provoked violence. The governments failure to address issues such as full autonomy through the Sixth Schedule for Rabhas, especially when Bodos enjoy similar protection, made the Rabha claim seem so much more hectorial. The Rabhas, historically, are similar in many ways to the Bodos and Garos. Hence, their claims of autonomy cannot be shelved in an isolated manner the way the present Assam government is trying to handle matters. Treating it as a law and order problem for the smooth conduct of elections displayed an avoidable high-handed approach on the part of the Congress, which must take the blame for imposing an election in council areas when the most vocal segment of the population did not want it. Rabhas, being a minority, can otherwise claim their constitutional rights on a priority basis rather than through the routine panchayat elections every five years. The Centres insensitivity to the autonomy claims of Assams plains tribes is equally deleterious. A constitutional framework needs to be evolved keeping in mind the aspirations of smaller groups in the entire North-east to save the region from the ongoing social and political disorder. The writer is associate professor, Department of Philosophy, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong

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BUSINESS RBI Governor worried over low growth

& Finance
Mistry, Tata pay tribute to Jamsetji
JAMSHEDPUR, 3 MARCH: Mr Cyrus Mistry today made his first public appearance here after taking over the reins of Tata Sons as chairman in December last year by participating in the 174th birth anniversary celebrations of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the founder of the country's biggest conglomerate company. Mr Mistry, accompanied by his predecessor Mr Ratan Tata, Tata Steel managing director HM Nerurkar and a host of senior officials, paid floral tribute to the great visionary. Mr Mistry and Mr Tata also interacted with the company workers. pti press trust of india

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

Videocon to enter banking business

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: With the Reserve Bank of India issuing guidelines for new bank licences, diversified group Videocon Industries today said it will enter the banking sector with a foreign partner and has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore for the purpose. Already, we have entered the financial sector through our joint venture with Liberty Mutual Insurance. Now that the guidelines for new banking licence have come, Videocon will definitely apply for it, Videocon Industries chairman Venugopal Dhoot said. He said the company meets the criteria set by the Reserve Bank of India for new banking licence and would use its experience of collaborations with foreign partners. We have the credentials and track record of more than 10 years. We are the one who brought the likes of Toshiba, Panasonic and others to India. So, we have the experience and expertise for collaborations with foreign partners, he said. When asked how much fund Videocon has earmarked for the planned foray into banking, Mr Dhoot said: The minimum requirement as per the RBI is Rs 500 crore, but we have set aside Rs 1,000 crore. There is a big market in rural and semi-urban areas. Although the company will also focus on urban areas, he said: Videocon brand has a strong equity in rural and semi-urban areas. We intend to exploit that. Moreover, we have over 500 offices across India at present and we will leverage on that as and when we enter the banking sector. When asked if the firm would foray into banking on its own, he said: No, We are talking to an American bank now. Our idea is to start with us as majority partner and then dilute stake to public to meet regulatory norms in future. Videocon formed a 74:26 joint venture ~ Liberty Videocon General Insurance Co. Ltd ~ with Liberty Mutual Insurance in India. The JV received licence to carry on general insurance business from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) in May 2012. Last month the RBI had issued the muchawaited guidelines for new bank licences, allowing corporates and public sector entities with sound credentials and a minimum track record of 10 years to enter the banking business. As per the guidelines, the minimum paidup capital for setting up a bank has been pegged at Rs 500 crore. The cap on the foreign investment, including .DI/.II and NRI, has been set at 49 per cent. On receipt of licence, a promoter has to start operations within one year and list the company within three years of commencement of the business. Also, the new banks should open at least 25 per cent of their branches in un-banked rural centres. Those seeking to set up a bank would have to submit applications by 1 July 2013, according to RBI guidelines.

HPL stand-off

KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: The stand-off between Haldia Petrochemicals Limited and the consortium of lenders continues as the promoters are yet to commit on the margin money as demanded by the latter. Stand-off between HPL and the lenders is continuing as the promoters are yet to make any commitment on the margin money sought for a release of Rs 1,000crore term loan, a source in HPL said. He said that for Rs 1000crore loan sought by HPL, the lenders were insisting on a margin money of Rs 200 crore from both the promoters ~ WBIDC and TCG of Purnendu Chatterjee. pti

Sebi warning on Sahara

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: After cautioning general public against dealing with two Sahara group firms and their top executives due to an order for attachment of their assets, the Securities and Exchange Board of India has asked hundreds of institutions, including banks, other financial services firms and even government departments, to be cautious in their business with these Sahara entities. pti

Air Asia appeal

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Air Asia and Tata Group, which have proposed to set up a domestic airline along with Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace, have sought approval for renting and leasing of aircraft, besides carrying of air freight. According to sources, in its application to the .oreign Investment Promotion Board, the partners have also sought permission for engaging in ancillary activities. pti

Coal panel

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: .ollowing a direction from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the coal ministry has set up an interministerial panel to look into the coal linkage of power plants, having aggregate capacity of 16,000 MW, which are at the advanced stages of commissioning. pti

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Dr D Subbarao, today said a growth rate of five-six per cent is not sufficient for the economy, which has the potential to achieve double-digit growth, provided some issues are addressed. If we do the right things, we can get back on the track of the double-digit growth, he said at the IIT Kanpur Alumni meet here. Pointing out some of the long-term challenges for the growth, Dr Subbarao said there is a need for stable and predictable macroeconomic environment, removal of infrastructure deficit, skill improvement and job creation. He said there is also need for raising agriculture productivity and improvement of social sector outcome. We are quite happy that India is growing at five-six per cent, but I must tell you that is not sufficient. That is much less than our potential ... unless we grow at 9-10 per cent year-on-year for about 10 years, we cannot pull hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, he said. India consists of the largest number of poor people in the world. India has more poor people than the entire economy of South Africa, Dr Subbarao, who is also an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, added. Citing examples from the past, he said Indian economy grew by 9.5 per cent on an average for three years before the global crisis of 2008. But today, the story has reversed, growth is moderating. This year we are going to grow at five per cent (2012-13), which is the lowest in a decade. Inflation is still high and stubborn. Balance of payments is under stress. Decline in investments is a worry. Investments not taking place today, that's a worry, he said. So people worry whether we have got derailed from the high-growth trajectory. My short answer to all those questions is that the India story is still intact and India's growth story is still credible, he said. The long-run drivers of India's growth story is still intact, he added. However, growth slipped to a decade low of 4.5 per cent in the third quarter of the current fiscal. As per the CSO esti-

Eurozone crisis

mates, the economy is expected to grow by five per cent in the entire fiscal, against 6.2 per cent in fiscal 2011-12 and 9.3 per cent a year before that. The latest Economic Survey, released last week, said Indian economy is likely to grow at a rate of 6.1 to 6.7 per cent in the next fiscal, claiming that the downturn is more or less over and economy is looking up.

If RBI Governor D Subbarao's prediction is anything to go by, the Eurozone crisis is likely to be over with expiry of his term in September this year. The global crisis and Eurozone crisis will end with the expiry of my term as RBI Governor, Dr Subbarao told his fellow alumni of IIT Kanpur in a lighter vein here today. People ask me when is this global financial crisis that is reeling for the last five years will be over. I have never answered the question but I am going to give the answer today, he said. The RBI Governor, a 1972-batch IAS officer, said: I was appointed Governor on 5 September 2008 and two weeks later the Lehman Brothers collapsed ... so there was an association with Subbarao becoming the Governor and the world economic crisis. Dr Subbarao further said: So my term was initially for three years. So people thought when my term will be over, the crisis will be over because there was a co-relation between Subbarao and financial crisis. And then in August 2011, he said the government renewed his term for two more years. And two days after that Eurozone crisis happened. So again it established a co-relation. So, that is why Eurozone crisis and the global crisis will be over when my term comes to an end, he said. Among group of friends and well-wishers, I thought I should give exclusive answer (on when the global economic crisis will end), he added. Dr Subbarao's term as the Governor of the RBI comes to an end on 4 September 2013. .inancial services firm Lehman Brothers had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 15 September 2008, triggering the global financial meltdown.

Jet Air seeks to buy six Kingfisher slots

MUMBAI, 3 MARCH: With We have applied the government withdrawto the ing Kingfisher Airlines' international flying rights government to and domestic slots, Jet acquire six slots Airways has approached the aviation ministry to acquire from Mumbai. six of the vacant slots, Of these, we are according to sources. looking at four We have applied to the government to acquire six domestic and slots from Mumbai. Of these, we are looking at two international four domestic and two routes international routes, Jet Airways sources said here. Out of the six slots from Mumbai, Jet has sought three morning slots and the remaining three are evening ones, they said, adding, the destinations are being worked out. Last week, the government had withdrawn all domestic and international flying slots of Kingfisher Airlines, which remains grounded since 1 October last year, with immediate effect and decided to allot them to other domestic airlines. The Vijay Mallya-promoted carrier's flying licence also expired last December, which though can be revived. Besides operating on domestic routes, Kingfisher also used to operate to Britain (seven flights a week), the UAE (21), Thailand (21), Nepal (7), Bangladesh (14), Sri Lanka (35), Hong Kong (14) and Singapore (7). The withdrawal of these slots has made available approximately 25,000 seats per week for other carriers to these eight countries. Interestingly, Jet Airways is seeking these slots after selling its all three slots at London's Heathrow airport to the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad for $70 million last week, in a move that may bring its ongoing discussions with the Gulf carrier for stake sale closer to fruition. pti

MMTC stake sale likely to fetch `300 crore

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: The government's offer for sale for offloading 9.33 per cent stake in trading giant MMTC is likely to hit the markets on 14 March, which could rake in about Rs 300 crore for the exchequer. The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on disinvestment, headed by finance minister P Chidambaram, is scheduled to meet on 12 March to decide on the floor price for the proposed stake sale, the source said. The government has shortlisted three merchant bankers, including ID.C, for selling over 9.33 crore shares or 9.33 per cent of its stake in MMTC in the current financial year through offer for sale (O.S) route. Since the public float of the company is very less, the merchant bankers are in the process of evaluating the valuation of the shares which will be acceptable to investors. We are expecting somewhere between Rs 250 and Rs 300 crore through the stake sale, another official said. Shares of MMTC were trading at around Rs 406 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange on .riday The stake sale would also help the company meet minimum 10 per cent

public holding norms. The DoD has initiated the process of investor meet for selling shares in the miniratna PSU, whose current public float is very less and hence the market valuation is too high. The roadshows for the stake sale were held in Mumbai and Pune, an official said, adding that the roadshows focused mainly on domestic investors. Of its shareholding of 99.33 per cent in MMTC, the government is considering divesting 9.33 per cent paid-up equity share capital. The market capitalisation of the company is Rs 40,660 crore, of which the public free float is Rs 2,033 crore. Stake sale in MMTC in the current fiscal will help government inch towards Rs 24,000 crore disinvestment target as per revised estimates, lower than Rs 30,000 crore as estimated in the Budget. The government has so far raised over Rs 21,500 crore through stake sale and plans are afoot to expedite the process of stake sale in the remaining weeks to meet the target. Apart from MMTC, the government is likely to divest stake in SAIL, Nalco and Rashtriya Chemical and .ertilisers (RC.) in fiscal ending 31 March 2013.

Jindal Steel hikes product prices

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) has increased prices of its products by up to Rs 1,000 per ton for the current month, a top company official said. .or steel plates and coils, the company has increased the prices by about Rs 1,000 per ton, while prices of its long products have gone up by about Rs 500 per ton, JSPL's deputy managing director and CEO (steel business) VR Sharma said. The prices of plates and coils were low because of selling pressure and there were no margins. That's why we have corrected the prices, he said. He further said that input costs have increased substantially in the last one month due to $20-per-ton increase in coking coal rates internationally, realignment in fuel prices and its resultant impact on freight charges.

NMDC cuts ore prices

Price Watch
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Rice Gobind Bhog Sugar Moong Dal Chana Dal Masoor Dal Arhar Dal Mustard Oil Sunflower Oil Potato Onion

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Members of Harley Owners Group participate in a ride, organised to mark the launch of Turtles limited range of Khadi apparel, in Kolkata on Sunday. sns

So we had to correct the prices, it can not be kept low for long, Mr Sharma said. The Naveen Jindal-led company currently has a total steel production capacity of three million tons per annum (MTPA) at its Raigarh plant in Chhattisgarh. .or the October-December quarter, the company had reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 867 crore and a marginal growth of 7.55 per cent in net sales at Rs 4,684 crore.

Aiming to increase its flagging sales, sate-owned miner NMDC has reduced prices of higher grade iron ore (lumps) by about 2.5 per cent for the current month, according to sources. This is the fourth reduction since October in iron ore lump prices by NMDC. Its sales had dipped over 27 per cent (at Rs 2,047 crore) and profit by over 30 per cent (at Rs 1,293 crore) during the October-December quarter. The company, however, has not changed the prices of iron ore fines (lower grade) for March, a source familiar with the development said. The company board, in its meeting yesterday, decided to cut the lumps prices by about Rs 100-110 per ton or 2.5 per cent for the current month. It, however, kept the fines prices unchanged. The changes were done to improve the availability of the ore and align the prices with the global levels, he added.

press trust of india

Bosch reports 38% decline in profit

Main contributors were the starter motors and generators division, automotive aftermarket as well as the non-automotive business, Mr Berns said. On the outlook for the new year, he said: We are approaching 2013 with cautious optimism and tight cost-control until we see clear signs of improvement. We are convinced of the strong growth perspectives of the Indian market in the medium and long term and therefore continue our investments into new technology and capacity expansion for the future. The company said its board of directors, in a meeting, has recommended a dividend of Rs 60 per share for 2012 as compared to Rs 50 per share declared in the previous year.

Computer sales grow 3.5%

press trust of india NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Domestic computer market grew 3.5 per cent to 11 million units in 2012 compared to the previous year, driven by projects like ELCOT and spurt in consumer demand for notebooks. The growth in consumer PC market was driven by growing shift in enduser demand towards portable PCs, which grew by 20.2 per cent in 2012 over 2011, IDC said in a statement. In the face of ongoing challenges from a slowing economy and high inflation, the rise in consumer optimism is a welcome sign for the India PC market, IDC research manager Kiran Kumar said. This is reflected in the improved retail footfalls, particularly among large format retailers, which continue to act as a catalyst in driving consumer demand, Mr Kumar added. On the other hand, commercial PC business outside special projects like ELCOT, witnessed continued instability as the commercial desktops crumbled to a three-year low in the second half of 2012. The overall confidence of enterprises took a back seat as they were trying to cope with adverse business conditions and rupee volatility, Mr Kumar said. Lenovo claimed the top spot with a 15.9 per cent market share in 2012, supported by Tamil Nadu's ELCOT project. The staterun Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) had issued a tender seeking rate contract for over nine lakh laptops to be supplied. HP gained the second spot with a shipment share of 15.2 per cent, followed by Acer and Dell at 13.2 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. Outside ELCOT, HP registered a significant growth, driven by their continued focus on product mix, price positioning and strong partner engagement, IDC market analyst Manish Yadav said. Similarly, Lenovo recorded a substantial growth in the consumer PC market, driven by sustained investments on marketing and expanding channel presence, Mr Yadav added.

NEW DELHI, 3 MARCH: Auto component maker Bosch Ltd has reported a 38.79 per cent decline in net profit for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2012 at Rs 172.06 crore. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 281.14 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, Bosch Ltd said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. Net sales of the company during the period under review stood at Rs 2,055.69 crore as against Rs 1,946.41 crore in the same period of the previous year, it added. Commenting on the company's financial results, Bosch Ltd managing director Steffen Berns said: The economic downtrend continued in the fourth quarter. The overall automotive production increased marginally and the heavy, medium commercial vehicle and tractor segments, which contribute significantly to our business, declined sharply. Exports too declined due to the Eurozone crisis. Despite these challenges, the company has still been able to achieve a 6.4 per cent growth over 2011, he added. .or the full year 2012, net sales stood at Rs 8,510.75 crore as against Rs 7,997.18 crore in the previous year. Net profit during the year stood at Rs 958.17 crore as against Rs 1,222.56 crore in the previous year.

ing programme, Strides Arcolab vice-chairman & group CEO Arun Kumar said. The company said it's pharma business will continue to show growth through launches of new products in the US market. The company has 14 manufacturing facilities across six countries, it added.

RINL turnover

Strides Arcolab net down

Drug firm Strides Arcolab has reported a 10.55 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 61.19 crore for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2012. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 68.41 crore for the quarter ended 31 December 2011. Consolidated net sales of the company stood at Rs 597.27 crore for the quarter under consideration as against Rs 683.38 crore for the same period a year ago, Strides Arcolab said in a statement. 2012 has been a satisfying year magnified by operating leverage in both Agila and pharmaceutical businesses with continued compliance across all manufacturing facilities globally and a profound regulatory fil-

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), the corporate entity of shore-based Visakhapatnam Steel Plant ( VSP), has registered an all-round improvement in its .ebruary performance this year. VSP registered a growth of nine per cent over the sales of last month (Rs 1341 crore) by achieving a turnover of Rs 1,465 crore, the highest turnover in .ebruary since inception, according to a release issued by the company. Saleable steel sales registered a growth of five per cent over the corresponding month last year. Pig iron sale of Rs 199 crore through exports in .ebruary this year was 246 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. Special steel sales constituted 85 per cent of the total saleable steel in .ebruary, representing a growth of 13 per cent. Several initiatives were taken by the company to boost rural market and the total rural dealers appointed by the plant reached 526 in the country, the release added.

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Bdesh on the boil, 21 killed in fresh clashes

the daily star/ann & pti DHAKA, 3 MARCH: Bangladesh today deployed army in its north as a fresh wave of violence claimed 21 lives, taking the toll to about 80, in clashes that have rocked the nation since the conviction of Islamist leaders for 1971 war crimes. Violence in the country escalated on Thursday when a death sentence was handed down to 73-year-old Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), by International Crimes Tribunal. A two-day strike called by Jamaat starting today coincided with President Pranab Mukherjees maiden visit to the country. Another shutdown has been called by the fundamentalist outfit's alliance partner and main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Khaleda Zia on the last day of the visit by Mukherjee on 5 March. The authorities called army troops in north-western Bogra as JI activists attacked a police station with homemade bombs and guns at the cantonment area. Two platoon troops were deployed on request from the local administration as the violence erupted at the cantonment area, an army spokesman said. The toll in the clashes over the war crimes verdicts has risen to over 75 since the first conviction was made on 21 January. Nineteen people, including a

WORLD

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

10

Islamist activists vandalise shops during clashes in Dhaka on Sunday. afp

police constable, were killed today and about 50 others were injured in the violence that rocked the first day of the strike called by Jamaat. Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir clashed with the police in the districts of Bogra, Joypurhat, Jhenaidah and Rajshahi districts throughout the day. Of those killed, nine died in early morning clash in three upazilas of Bogra while six in two upazilas of Joypurhat during Jamaat-called 48hour shutdown. Two, including a young boy, were killed in a gunfight between Jamaat-Shibir men and police in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi while a police constable was killed in clash with Jamaat-Shibir in

Jhenidah. A Jamaat man died when Border Guard Bangladesh personnel opened fire on marauding JamaatShibir activists after being attacked in Satkhira, the Daily Star reported. A constable was killed and three were seriously injured as Jamaat-eIslami and Islami Chhatra Shibir men clashed with police in Harinakunda upazila of Jhenidah. Jamaat activists overnight torched a train and attacked several police installations in northwestern Bangladesh as they enforced a nationwide 48-hour stoppage to halt ongoing trial of their leaders. Sayedee was the third JI politician to be convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal since the trial of war

crimes suspects, mostly belonging to the Islamist group, began three years ago. In the first verdict of the tribunal on 21 January, former Jamaat leader Abul Kalam Azad was sentenced to death on similar charges. In another development, the government today moved the Supreme Court seeking death penalty for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah, who escaped with life imprisonment from a court here for committing crimes against humanity during the country's independence war in 1971. The attorney-general's office submitted the 484-page appeal to the section concerned of the SC this morning. Main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) extended its support to its crucial extreme rightwing ally, which was opposed to the countries 1971 independence siding with the then Pakistani junta, questioning the neutrality of the war crimes trial. BNP, however, did not extend its moral support for the 48-hour JI shutdown unlike previous such occasions. Reports said suspected extreme right-wing activists also set ablaze a Hindu temple and attacked two local leaders of ruling Awami League who were followers of Hindu faith at southwestern Bagerhat and ransacked another temple at suburban Gazipur district yesterday.

DISPLAY O. .AITH ~ A Buddhist devotee during the Hi-watari, or fire walking ceremony, to herald the coming of spring at the .udoji temple in Nagatoro town, Saitama Prefecture on Sunday. Thousands of people watched and joined the fire walking ritual to purify the mind and body and to pray for safety. afp

Beijing kicks off power transfer

press trust of india BEIJING, 3 MARCH: Chinas new advisory legislative body began its annual session today commencing the once-in-adecade power transfer to a new leadership headed by Xi Jinping from the outgoing government led by Hu Jintao. The 2,200-member Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) comprising, perhaps for the first time with majority of non-ruling Communist Party members, began its annual session kicking off China's yearly political event during which its legislators meet. The CPPCC, an advisory body unlike the National People's Congress (NPC), has in its ranks top film stars and literary personalities like Jackie Chan and last year's winner of Nobel Prize for literature Mo Yan besides top sportsmen and religious personalities. Outgoing President Hu followed by the newly-elected Communist Party leader Xi Jinping along with a mix of old and new leaders took the podium of the CPPCC inaugural session telecast live from the Great Hall of the People. Mr Xi, 59, who took over as the Party and Military Chief would be formally nominated as President when NPC begins its session on 5 March marking the end of the era of Mr Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao who steered the country for a decade during which

Assad offers talks with Opp, refuses to quit

press trust of india LONDON, 3 MARCH: Embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected suggestions of stepping down, while offering conditional talks with the Opposition even as he accused Britain of planning to arm terrorists in the war-torn country. In a rare interview with a UK newspaper, Mr Assad accused the British government of bullying and of playing a famously unconstructive role in the region. We are ready to negotiate with anyone, including militants who surrender their arms. We can engage in dialogue with the Opposition, but we cannot engage in dialogue with terrorists, 47-yearold Mr Assad told The Sunday Times in a videotaped interview conducted at his Damascus residence, the Al-Muhajireen palace, last week. The Syrian government had said it is ready for talks with its armed opponents earlier this week. However, Syrian rebel leader Selim Idris said there could be no negotiations unless Assad stepped down and leaders of the army and security forces were put on trial. Asked if he would consider stepping down to improve prospects of peace, Assad said, If this argu-

Mubarak retrial date set

CAIRO, 3 MARCH: Hosni Mubarak, serving a life-term for his role in the killing of Egyptian protesters during the revolution that toppled his nearly three decade-long dictatorial regime, will face a retrial from 13 April. The Court of Appeal, headed by Judge Samir Abul-Moaty, announced the trial date today. In January, a court had accepted retrial appeals by the 84-yearold ex-Egyptian President, his interior minister Habib al-Adly and the prosecution, cancelling all previous rulings by the Cairo criminal court. pti ment is correct, then my departure will stop the fighting. Clearly this is absurd, and recent precedents in Libya, Yemen and Egypt bear witness to this. The UN says that the raging civil war in Syria, which has been going on for nearly two years, has left nearly 70,000 dead and the West has been calling for Assad's resignation to kick-start a peace process. British foreign secretary William Hague promised to increase support for the Syrian Opposition, including equipment supplies and

humanitarian assistance, as US secretary of state John Kerry announced 39 million pounds in funding for rebel forces last week. The British government is currently bound by an EU arms embargo which European foreign ministers decided not to lift at a meeting in Brussels last month. In a scathing attack, Mr Assad claimed the West was sacrificing peace talks to push for an end to EU arms embargo, which would allow rebels to be armed. Warning that such a move would accelerate the road to war, the Syrian President rejected the possibility of help from Britain to end the conflict. We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter. To be frank, Britain has played a famously unconstructive role in our region on different issues for decades, some say for centuries...The problem with this government is that their shallow and immature rhetoric only highlights this tradition of bullying and hegemony, Mr Assad said. How can we ask Britain to play a role while it is determined to militarise the problem? How can we expect them to make the violence less while they want to send military supplies to the terrorists? This government is acting in a naive, confused and unrealistic manner, he said.

China emerged as the second largest economy after the USA. While the power transfer which began with the election of Mr Xi as Party leader last November went on smoothly so far, the next week was regarded crucial as all top government appointments including the new Cabinet would be announced. While Mr Xi's deputy, Li Keqiang, was tipped to take over as the new Premier, the present .oreign Minister Yang Jeichi is speculated to take over as the State Councillor succeeding Dai Bingguo, the top Chinese diplomat who acted as China's chief negotiator for India, USA, Korea and Russia. The new regime is eagerly awaited as

the Chinese government has been virtually paralysed for the past four months due to impending political changes. After taking over power, the new leadership would decide the fate of disgraced party leader Bo Xilai who is in custody facing a host of charges including sex, sleaze and corruption. Quake in China, 30 hurt At least 30 people were injured and 3,200 houses damaged as a 5.5 magnitude earthquake today hit quake-prone south-west China. It hit Yunnan Province bordering Myanmar, state-run Xinhua news agency said. The report said the quake left a trail of destruction, with at least 700 houses collapsing.

Seven killed in Malaysia clash

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 MARCH: At least seven people, including Malaysian police officers, have died in fresh armed clash with gunmen in eastern Sabah state amid fears that .ilipino followers of a self-proclaimed sultan have slipped into other coastal areas. pti

ANN logo contest

Algeria hostage mastermind killed

N'DJAMENA (Chad), 3 MARCH: Chad has said its troops in northern Mali killed the one-eyed Islamist leader who masterminded an assault on an Algerian gas plant that left 37 foreign hostages dead in January. The Chadian army, whose troops have been at the forefront of the hunt for Al Qaida-linked fighters hiding in northern Mali, said Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed during an operation in the Ifogha mountains yesterday. The Algerian national, a ruthless Afghanistan veteran, had broken away from Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) weeks ago to form a group called Signatories in Blood. afp

BANGKOK, 3 MARCH: The Asia News Network (ANN) has launched a logo contest with the theme Emerging Asia to reflect the region's expanding role on the global stage. The logo contest is the first of its kind undertaken by the worlds largest newspaper network and will award the major winner US$3,000. The first round of the contest will involve an Online voting where 20 finalists will be chosen for the final round. Editors and select art directors from ANN will comprise the judges for the final round, to be held at the annual board meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in late April. The winner will be announced on 30 April, 2013. Entries can be submitted between 1 and 31 March, 2013; details of the contest can be had at www.asianewsnet.net/logocontest. ANN, an alliance of 22 newspapers in the region, was launched in 1999. Aside from its website and news services, it also publishes AsiaNews magazine, which will go digital later this year. ann

press trust of india

Twin blasts leave 48 dead in Karachi

injured and an emergency was declared at hospitals across Karachi. Several young children were among the seriously injured. Police said the first blast was apparently caused by explosives hidden in a car that was parked near the entrance of Abbas Town. The bomb was packed with ball bearings, which caused widespread damage. The blasts caused a power outage and triggered panic in Abbas Town, which has a large Shia population. The explosions destroyed the facade of two apartment blocks and damaged about 20 shops and several cars. Locals used car headlights to help rescuers who searched for survivors in the rubble of apartments and shops that were destroyed by the blasts. Many complained that rescue teams and the fire service took an inordinately long time in reaching the site of the blasts. The toll is expected to increase as some of those injured are critical. Local media reports said security forces and senior officials were engaged in providing protection for the engagement ceremony of a senior aide of the Sindh Chief Minister and this hindered rescue operations. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. The banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed a string of recent attacks on Shias in other parts of Pakistan, including the southwestern city of Quetta. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Ashraf condemned the blasts. Mr Ashraf has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Chavez working during chemotherapy

CARACAS, 3 MARCH: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is still in charge and mulling political, social and economic policies even as he receives a new round of chemotherapy, his vice president said. VicePresident Nicolas Maduro said that the 58-year-old socialist leader, who is convalescing in seclusion at a Caracas military hospital, sent guidance to his Cabinet as recently as .riday. afp

KARACHI, 3 MARCH: .orty-eight people, including women and children, were killed and about 140 injured when two blasts ripped through a Shia-dominated area of the Pakistani port city of Karachi today, the latest in a string of attacks targeting the minority sect. The first blast occurred outside an imambargah (Shia prayer hall) in Abbas Town at about 7 p.m. as people were leaving after prayers. The second explosion went off in the same area within 10 minutes, locals said. Rescue officials said 48 people were killed in the blasts which caused extensive damage to residential buildings and destroyed several shops in the area. About 140 people were

More Nazi camps than estimated

press trust of india NEW YORK, 3 MARCH: The number of Nazi concentration camps and ghettos that existed during Hitler's reign of terror between 1933 to 1945 actually amounted to a shocking 42,500, six times more than the previous estimate of 7,000. Researchers from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum catalogued some 42,500 Nazi ghettos and camps throughout Europe, spanning German-controlled areas from .rance to Russia and Germany itself. The total is far higher than most historians had previously estimated, The New York Times reported. The Museum team also created maps of the sites, which were scattered across Europe, and which imprisoned or killed between 15 and 20 million people. Geoffrey Megargee and Martin Dean, the lead editors of the project, have compiled the thousands of sites in a multi-volume encyclopedia that is being published by the Holocaust Museum. The documented camps include thousands of forced labour camps, where prisoners manufactured war supplies; prisoner-of-war camps, sites euphemistically named care centres, where pregnant women were forced to have abortions or their babies were killed after birth. The

WASHINGTON, 3 MARCH: A computer glitch on Nasa's Mars rover Curiosity has forced the scientists to put the robot in 'safe mode' while engineers try to fix the problem. The intentional swap put the rover, as anticipated, into a minimal-activity precautionary status called safe mode, Nasa said. The team will shift the rover from safe mode to operational status in few days and is troubleshooting the condition that affected operations. The condition is related to a glitch in flash memory linked to the other, now-inactive, computer. pti

Curiosity put in safe mode

Iran frees 14 journalists: Report

TEHERAN, 3 MARCH: Iran has freed 14 journalists working for reformist papers who were arrested in January and accused of cooperating with a Western-linked network, the reformist Shargh newspaper reported today. The newspaper said the journalists were released from jail after posting bail, while four others were still behind bars. afp

Lech Walesas anti-gay shocker

WARSAW, 3 MARCH: Lech Walesa, the Polish democracy icon and Nobel peace prize winner, has sparked outrage in Poland by saying that gays have no right to a prominent role in politics and that as a minority they need to adjust to smaller things. ap

numbers are so much higher than what we originally thought, Hartmut Berghoff, director of the institute, said. We knew before how horrible life in the camps and ghettos was but the numbers are unbelievable, the paper quoted him as saying. Over the years, many scholars have worked to uncover the lost or unknown victims of the Holocaust, and some have insisted the toll is higher than what the textbooks say. The number of Jews killed is often listed at around six million. During the war, the Nazis used the network to systematically imprison, enslave and

murder millions of homosexuals, Gypsies, Poles, Russians and many other ethnic groups in Eastern Europe, the report said. An estimated 15 to 20 million people died or were imprisoned in the camps, Megargee and Dean said. The existence of many individual camps and ghettos was previously known only on a fragmented, region-by-region basis. The researchers, using data from some 400 contributors, have been documenting the entire scale for the first time, studying where they were located, how they were run, and what their purpose was.

LONDON, 3 MARCH: No Twitter and .acebook for Titanic II passengers! Social media and other Internet facility including e-mails will be banned on board the replica of the doomed Titanic liner to give passengers a chance to relax and talk to each other. It will be a chance for people to return to a different age, when there was a whole different social fabric. Its no bad thing to take some time with your family and friends, Australian Mining tycoon Clive Palmer, who has unveiled the blueprints for a successor ship to the ill-fated Titanic, said. In 1912 things were simpler, the 58-year-old billionaire tycoon, said. Mr Palmers Blue Star Line has agreed a deal in principle with China's state-owned CSC Jinling Shipyard to build Titanic II to the original design, but with modern safety improvements, Express.co.uk reported. Around 40,000 people have already expressed an interest in booking one of its 835 first, second or third-class cabins for the historic voyage planned to begin in late 2016. The report said passengers will be issued with a wardrobe of 1912 clothes and this time there will be more than enough lifeboats available for safety of the passengers. Mr Palmer is using his own money to build an exact copy of the liner that hit an iceberg and sank off the coast of Newfoundland during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912 with the loss of 1,502 lives, the report said. pti

Internet banned aboard Titanic II

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Suarez shines
Luis Suarez netted a hat-trick on Saturday as a rampant Liverpool beat Wigan 4-0, putting the Uruguay forward atop the Premier League scoring list. After Stewart Downing had put the visitors ahead in just the second minute, Suarez effectively decided the game by making it 3-0 by the 34th - his second goal coming with a stroke of luck as he slipped when taking a free-kick but the ball deflected off the defensive wall and into the net. He then completed his hat-trick shortly after the break for his 21st league goal of the season, putting him ahead of Manchester United's Robin van Persie on 19. He joins Robbie .owler and .ernando Torres as the only Liverpool players to score at least 20 goals in a Premier League campaign. Suarez has now scored 15 goals in as many matches in all competitions, making him one of the top contenders to be crowned Player of the Year, along with Van Persie and Tottenham's Gareth Bale. "He's such a pleasure to work with," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said.

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Barcelona rage over Real favouritism

But Pique and his teammates were left aggrieved after Ramos appeared to fell Adriano inside the box with Barca keeper Victor Valdes even receiving a red card for his protests after the final whistle had been blown. We said to the referee that it seemed clear to us, but we already know how these things go. Against Real Madrid, if the game is close, just by chance things tend to go in their favour, said Pique. We are left with the feeling that a draw would have been a fair result if we had been given the penalty, but we cannot make this excuse because this team has too much quality to depend on refereeing decisions to win games. The defeat was Barca's third defeat in four games and Pique admits they are struggling to find their best form. You can't maintain this level for 12 months. In the last four years we have always had moments in which our level of performance has dropped. However, it is clear that we have had three of four bad games and this is serious because Barcelona always have to win. On the other hand victory came as even more of a welcome surprise for the hosts after manager Jose Mourinho made seven changes to the side that had beaten Barca 31 in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday with starman Cristiano Ronaldo starting only on the bench. However, even without their talisman they made the perfect start as Benzema tapped home Alvaro Morata's cross before Messi brought Barca level with a trademark left-footed finish 12 minutes later. Ronaldo's introduction after the break though sparked the game into life and after

.ifa task force

.ootball's world governing body .ifa has appointed new Caribbean football strongman Jeff Webb to spearhead its anti-racism task force in the latest move aimed at tackling the ugly issue facing the sport. Webb, elected Concacaf president and .ifa vicepresident last year, will act as chairman of the body which will oversee all matters related to the highly contentious issue. Over the last year, racism has plagued football with pressure being piled on administrators to deal with the problem. Lazio were recently fined and forced to play two European matches behind closed doors following acts of racism from their supporters and AC Milan's Ghanaian international Kevin Prince Boateng also created an uproar earlier this year when he walked off the pitch because of racist chants from the crowd.

Barcelonas Victor Valdez argues with the referee.afp

MADRID, 3 MARCH: Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has claimed that Real Madrid tend to get the big decisions from referees

after his side were denied a last minute penalty in their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid. Sergio Ramos' header nine minutes from

time proved to be the winner after Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi had exchanged goals in the first-half yesterday.

Valdes had produced fine saves to beat away the Portuguese's free-kick and deny Morata when he was clean through, Ramos left the Barca keeper helpless as he rose highest to power home Luka Modric's corner. Madrid's victory keeps their very slim hopes of retaining their title alive as it cuts Barca's lead over the champions to 13 points, but as Mourinho's team selection indicated of more immediate importance is Tuesday's make or break Champions League tie with Manchester United with the tie level at 1-1. And Ramos believes that two victories against Barca is the perfect way to prepare for their trip to Old Trafford.It's clear that these victories are great for the confidence of the group because now we face a difficult match in the Champions League, he said. After the two Clasicos we are going to Manchester convinced that we can win, although with a lot of respect for the opponent who are a great team. Elsewhere, Valencia missed the opportunity to move into fourth as Jose Barkero's late equaliser gave Levante a share of the spoils as the Valencia derby ended 2-2. Vicente Iborra had headed Levante into an early lead before Jonas and Roberto Soldado replied for the hosts, but a slip by Jeremy Mathieu three minutes from time allowed Barkero in to salvage a point for Juan Ignacio Martinez's men. Deportivo la Coruna remain rooted to the foot of the table after they could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to Rayo Vallecano, but Athletic Bilbao eased their relegation fears with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Osasuna half strike.

Chidi clinches victory

statesman news service SILIGURI, 3 MARCH: Holders East Bengal squeezed past Pailan Arrows 1-0 in the first Group A match of the 117th Indian .ootball Association Shield .ootball Tournament at Kanchenjungha Stadium here today. The goal was scored by their Nigerian forward, Edeh Chidi, in the 35th minute. In the cool afternoon before a sparse crowd, the Arrows dominated the first 10 minutes but then fell apart. Edeh Chidi and Baljit Sahni were constant sources of threat, along with Penn Orgi, Naoba Singh and Robert Lalthalma. The goal-producing movement started with a forward pass from skipper Sanju Pradhan through the heart of the Arrows defence, setting up an easy opportunity for the 25-year-old striker. Baljit and Chidi missed two golden opportunities in the 14th and 17th minutes. After the lemon break, though the red-and-gold brigade had the lions share of the exchanges, they could not find the net, with Chidi and Sanju missing sitters in the 49th and 51st minutes. .ights broke out between the teams in the middle of the ground after the referee had blown the final whistle. Team officials and organisers brought the situation under control. East Bengal coach Trevor James Morgan said he was happy because his boys had won the first match of the competition. Arrows assistant coach Aaron Symons said his boys had put up a good showing against a very strong East Bengal team.

Services retain Santosh Trophy

Services today defended their Santosh Trophy title after they defeated the hosts Kerala 4-3 in penalty shootout in the summit clash of the 67th edition of the National .ootball Championships in Kochi. The two sides were locked in a goal-less draw in the regulation and extra time and Services players held on their nerves to emerge champions in front of 35,000 crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. Kerala right-back Surjith's shot hit the horizontal and the Services players erupted in unbridled joy to the disappointment of the home side supporters who turned out in large numbers. .or Services, Dhanji Singh, Sharwan Kumar, M Dileep and Kiran K Varghese scored while two shots were saved by Kerala custodian Jean Christian.

Real Madrid ready for United clash: Pepe

agence france-presse MADRID, 3 MARCH: Real Madrid defender Pepe has said they are perfectly prepared for the Champions League clash with Manchester United on Tuesday after they secured a second win over Barcelona in less than five days on Saturday. The Spanish champions even had the luxury of resting a number of key players as Jose Mourinho made seven changes from the side that had beaten Barca 31 in the Copa del Rey in midweek and Pepe believes that only goes to show the incredible wealth of options Mourinho has to choose from. "We have hit our best form. Apart from (Iker) Casillas we have everyone available and the manager has great solutions on the bench as today showed," he said. "We have achieved two important victories given the form and quality of the opponent we were playing and that gives us great motivation for the Manchester United game. We are happy and now we need to rest and think about the game on Tuesday." Sergio Ramos' header proved to be the winner nine minutes from time after Lionel Messi had equalled Alfredo di Stefano's record of 18 goals in meetings between the two in the first-half to cancel out Karim Benzema's opener. But Barca were left furious at the end when Messi wasn't given the chance to salvage a point for his side when referee Miguel Perez Lasa turned down strong penalty claims in stoppage time after Ramos appeared to have felled Adriano inside the area. The appeals were so ferocious that goalkeeper Victor Valdes was shown a red card after the final whistle had gone and Pepe was quick to point out that the Barca players had let themselves down by the way they reacted towards the referee.

Nadal wins Mexican Open

ACAPULCO (Mexico). 3 MARCH: i Rafael Nadal (in photo) destroyed David .errer to win the Mexican Open on Saturday, losing just two games as he claimed his second title in three events since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. The former world number one, who has never lost to a fellow Spaniard in a final, kept his perfect record intact by routing reigning three-time champion .errer 6-0, 6-2 to win his 38th clay court title. Since returning from a sevenmonth absence with a left knee injury in .ebruary, Nadal has won 12 of his 13 matches, finishing as runnerup in Vina del Mar, Chile, before triumphing in Sao Paulo last month. "I have had some difficult months, especially during my time away from tennis. But I take with me fond memories of returning to Acapulco," said Nadal, cur-

Off-side rule

.ootball's rule-makers have agreed to amend the off-side law in a bid to reduce uncertainty for referees. In a change to take effect from 1 July, the International .ootball Association Board has attempted to clarify when attackers are influencing play. The change states that an attacker should be considered off-side when "gaining an advantage by being in that position." This will include receiving the ball from a rebound or deflection from the goal frame or a player in the defending team attempting a tackle, block or save. The I.AB, which comprises officials from .ifa and the four British football associations, also agreed on Saturday that its decision-making would be improved by consulting more people within football.

India v Guam

On a high after a win against Chinese Taipei in their first match, a confident India will take on Guama in their next match of the Asian .ootball Confederation Challenge Cup qualifying tournament in Yangon on Monday. India recorded a 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei in the opening match by an injury-time goal by striker Robin Singh on Saturday and Wim Koevermans' men would look to repeat the performance. We needed three points in the first match. That set the ball rolling. We are prepared for the next challenge, said skipper Sunil Chhetri. Guam lost 0-5 to hosts Myanmar in their first match.kk

rently ranked fifth in the world. "I feel good being back on court," the Spaniard added. "I have to thank my family and everyone involved in my rehabilitation. It has been a difficult time over the last few months." The 11-time Grand Slam winner needed just 65 minutes to clinch his 52nd ATP Tour title, serving brilliantly throughout and winning 81 percent of his firstserve points. He saved both break points he faced. "I am sorry about this result but I know .errer will be back and I consider him one of the great players of today," Nadal said of the world number four and top seed, who won the title in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Nadal, 26, never allowed .errer to get into the contest, winning the first eight games and breaking his countryman five times. afp

Tintinnabulation wins Invitation Cup

statesman news service KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: It was bay gelding Tintinnabulation who produced amazing acceleration down the short Kolkata straight to collar Ocean And Beyond and Onassis to claim the inaugural running of the Indian Turf, Invitation Cup (Grade I) in its new format. Jockey PS Chouhan rode the Desmukh-trained winner. The Intikhab-Tourmalet son may, prima facie, have saved the face of those who brought about this change of allowing older horses, but the performance of three of four older horses in the pack, who took all the three other places on the board, could have been embarrassing. Indeed, Onassis or Dandified could hardly have any claim as stayers. Tintinnabulation had run in the Kolkata Derby about eight weeks back and finished a tame second to Snowscape. After that, Tintinnabulation had won the Golkonda Derby with ease. The geldings transformation was evident from the fact all others in his age group gave a poor show today. In hindsight, the decision of not running him in the Indian Derby clearly helped his cause, since all the runners coming from that showing, save Hemisphere, failed to make any mark, which poses a serious question if at all this race ought to be run after the Indian Derby in March. Clearly, if at all, the present attempt is persisted with then the Bangalore Summer Meeting could be the ideal option to stage this event. Arktouros kept the Kolkata flag flying in the Major PK Mehra Memorial Super Mile Cup (Grade I). It was indeed a great sight to see an eight-year-old giving youngsters a lesson in galloping and the Vijay Singh-trainee did exactly that in the hands of C Alford. There was course record for 1,400-m made by Kliopspringer in the Suresh Mahindra Multi-Million Trophy (Grade III). In a thrilling finish, Martin Dwyer kept Plenipotent at bay. S Padmanabhan trains the winner. Results & dividends:m 1st race: ALACRITY (Imran Chisty) 1, Hurricane Andrew 2, Piaffe 3. (W) 91 (SHP) 94 (P) 17,26,12 (Q) 516 (T) 2,167; 2nd race: CYNOSURE (B Sreekanth) 1, Luck Luck Lucky 2, Conquest 3. (W) 26 (SHP) 219 (P) 14,66,27 (Q) 438 (T) 6,389; 3rd race: SECRET GLOSS ( Vikash Tamang 1, .ankaar 2, Ijlal 3. (W) 50 (SHP) 42 (P) 17,13,18 (Q) 57 (T) 472; 4th race: REMBRANDT 1, Combined Operation 2, Stiling Veil 3. (W) 32 (SHP) 38 (P) 14,19,32 (Q) 72 (T) 1,161; 5th race: WILD CARD (P Kamlesh) 1, Sreedhan 2, .ireback 3. (W) 112 (SHP) 214 (P) 29,64,37 (Q) 1,368 (T) 25,676. 6th race: ARKTOUROS (C Alford) 1, Ranthambhore 2, Immense 3. (W) 101 (SHP) 56 (P) 25,14,24 (Q) 161 (T) 2,494; 7th race: KLIPSPRINGER (Martin J Dawyer) 1, Plenipotent 2, Optimus Prime 3. (W) 185 (SHP) 67 (P) 40,23,16 (Q) 473 (T) 11,224; 8th race: The Indian Turf Invitation Cup (Grade I): 2,400m: TINTINNABULATION (PS Chouhan) 1, Ocean And Beyond 2, Onassis 3. Won by 1.5l, sah hd; 2m 30.064s (W) 154 (SHP) 181 (P) 35,38,80 (Q) 941 (T) 84,441; 9th race: SERENA (P Trevor) 1, Snow Princess 2, Haddock 3. Not run: Incanto Bliss. (W) 62 (SHP) 46 (P) 19,16,19 (Q) 63 (T) 592. Jackpot: 7,59,301; (con) 1,33,994 Trebles: (1st) 992 (2nd) 5,374 (3rd) 22,806.

Woods comes to McIlroys rescue

paul mahoney PALM BEACH GARDENS, 3 MARCH: Oscar Pistorius: guns. Lance Armstrong: drugs. Tiger Woods: sex. Rory McIlroy: err, toothache. The latest PR disaster for the Nike .amily after McIlroy's bizarre withdrawal from the Honda Classic could hardly be called a scandal no lives were lost or ruined and once all the tooth gags have been extracted, this strange episode in the life of the 23year-old world No 1 may amount to little more than making a mountain out of a molar hill. But, for now, McIlroy (right) is the hot topic of conversation among the players, spectators and golf channel analysts here in .lorida as well as golf fans around the world many offering support; many calling McIlroy a quitter via Twitter. That's comes with the territory of being world No 1, golf's bright young spokesman and ambassador, and Nike's newly unveiled $125m global superstar. That's enough pressure to give a kid more than toothache to worry about. The pressure of the ever increasing spotlight has clearly been whizzing around McIlroy's head since he signed up with the swoosh in Abu Dhabi in January. It was his `Hello World' moment, just as Tiger had the original in 1996. How must Rory be feeling right now and what does it feel like to have everything you do and say analysed to death? That was a question put to Woods, Rory's new best buddy. `I don't know how he's feeling,' Woods said. `But I do understand how that last part is, yeah.' take it that way. I believe he would finish if he could.' It was left to McIlroy's long-time pal Graeme McDowell to bring some sanity to the proceedings. `I'm sure the guy has a lot on his mind,' McDowell said. `When you start trying to prove things to other people and you stop playing for yourself it is a very dangerous place to be. `He is playing to prove things to you guys (the media), playing to the naysayers and people who said he shouldn't have done what he has done. Everyone is saying he can't do it with Nike equipment. It is early in the season. He's rusty. He is a superstar, a global superstar at that. The pressure can only be magnified. But he will get over it. `Once he starts believing in himself again he will be back. To me he is not swinging the club the way he was late summer last year. To me it is not equipment; it is all technique and a little bit of belief inside his head. You don't write that kid off. He has got the X-factor and he will be okay.' McIlroy is due in Miami next week to compete in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He has a press conference scheduled for Tuesday morning where he will have to explain in rather more detail what the heck was he thinking when he walked off the course mid-round last .riday. He's a smart lad and his charm and honesty will no doubt save the day. But it might also help his cause if he turns up with a bandage wrapped around his face and head looking like an outpatient in Carry On Doctor. the independent

Singh misses cut

.ive dropped shots in a matter of three holes saw Jeev Milkha Singh plummet from being a contender to missing the cut in the second round of the Tshwane Open on the European Tour in South Africa. Singh, who had a five-under 67 in first round went to four-over 76 and missed the cut by one shot as the cut fell at two-under.

Jailed for theft

Another week, another international sprint star embroiled in courtroom drama. Vassilis Papageorgopoulos might not be as big a name as Oscar Pistorius in the metaphorical sense these days, but in the 1970s he was one of the fastest men on the planet, joint-holder of the European 100m record and twice a medallist behind double Olympic champion Valeriy Borzov at the European Indoor Championships. Now 65, he suffered a legal backlash recently after being sentenced to life imprisonment for being found guilty of embezzling almost $18m (12m) in state funds.

Woods's own struggles continued here. He is way off the pace at even par after three rounds. `You know what, I've been through it for a long time,' he said. `But also this is a slightly different era, as well. It's even faster than what it was when I came out. Things are instantaneous around the world. We were still in fax machines; things were a little bit slower. But still, Rory's just got to be,' Woods paused while his brain computed the right words to say, or the words that Woods wanted to say. A further illustration of a life lived under constant scrutiny. It can eat away at a man's sanity. McIlroy has joined that celebrity planet where everything is free yet has a price to pay. Woods continued: `You've got to think about it a little bit more before you say something or do something. It can get out of hand, especially when you get into social media and start tweeting and all those different things that can go wrong, jokingly saying something doesn't always come off

as saying that, even though the intent was different. It could be perceived as something else.' A perfect example of this was provided by David Duval. The 41-year former world No 1, who has not won a tournament since the 2001 Open, took to Twitter after missing the cut and struggling through rounds of eightover-par 78 and an even-par 70. `You never know who came to watch you play that day. How far they drove or from where they flew. That's part of why I never quit,' Duval tweeted. There was more. `Illness or injury are the only reasons not to finish your round. As a pro you should always post your score. It's your responsibility. Bad days and bad scores are part of golf. Don't tee off if your ego can't take it.' Duval had to return to the social media site to explain that he was talking about himself and not Rory. But the comparison was impossible to ignore. `I am not in any way digging on Rory,' he tweeted. `Please don't

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SCORECARD
CRICKET
.IRST DIVISION RELEGATION PLAY-O.. MATCH MATCH : NETAJI SUBHAS INSTITUTE VS SUBURBUN CLUB NETAJI SUBHAS INSTITUTE 428 RUNS 10 WICKETS 85 OVERS SUBURBUN CLUB 232 RUNS 10 WICKETS 60.1 OVERS RESULT : NETAJI SUBHAS INSTITUTE WON BY 196 RUNS MATCH : CALCUTTA PORT TRUST S.C. VS CALCUTTA RANGERS CLUB CALCUTTA PORT TRUST SPORTS CLUB 317 RUNS 10 WICKETS 82.3 OVERS CALCUTTA RANGERS CLUB 302 RUNS 10 WICKETS 85 OVERS RESULT : CALCUTTA PORT TRUST SPORTS CLUB WON BY 15 RUNS A.N.GHOSH MEMORIAL TROPHY TOURNAMENT SEMI .INAL MATCH : BHOWANIPORE CLUB VS SPORTING UNION SPORTING UNION 278 RUNS 10 WICKETS 79 OVERS BHOWANIPORE CLUB 279 RUNS 3 WICKETS 66 OVERS .IRST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYO.. MATCH MATCH : TALTALA EKATA SANGHA VS SHIBPUR INSTITUTE SHIBPUR INSTITUTE 242 RUNS 10 WICKETS 68 OVERS TALTALA EKATA SANGHA 245 RUNS 4 WICKETS 61.1 OVERS SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE TOURNAMENT MATCH : ALBERT SPORTING CLUB VS SATYA SANDHI SATYA SANDHI 464 RUNS 9 WICKETS 85 OVERS ALBERT SPORTING CLUB 218 RUNS 9 WICKETS (ALL OUT) 61.4 OVERS RESULT : SATYA SANDHI WON BY 246 RUNS MATCH : CENTRAL CALCUTTA S.C. VS HIGH COURT CLUB HIGH COURT CLUB 219 RUNS 10 WICKETS 70.2 OVERS CENTRAL CALCUTTA SPORTING CLUB 223 RUNS 1 WICKET 59.4 OVERS RESULT : CENTRAL CALCUTTA SPORTING CLUB WON BY 9 WICKETS MATCH : SAHAPUR SPORTING CLUB VS CRICKET CLUB O. DHAKURIA SAHAPUR SPORTING CLUB 179 RUNS 10 WICKETS 65.2 OVERS CRICKET CLUB O. DHAKURIA 180 RUNS 3 WICKETS 54.5 OVERS RESULT : CRICKET CLUB O. DHAKURIA WON BY 7 WICKETS MATCH : BURNPUR CRICKET CLUB VS INDIAN BOYS ATHLETIC CLUB INDIAN BOYS ATHLETIC CLUB 377 RUNS 9 WICKETS 85 OVERS BURNPUR CRICKET CLUB 99 RUNS 10 WICKETS 25.1 OVERS RESULT : INDIAN BOYS ATHLETIC CLUB WON BY 278 RUNS AMBAR ROY SUB-JUNIOR (UNDER-14) CRICKET TOURNAMENT MATCH : BADAL BOSE VS SARAT SMRITI BADAL BOSE 169 RUNS 10 WICKETS SARAT SMRITI 170 RUNS 2 WICKETS RESULT : SARAT SMRITI WON BY 8 WICKETS MATCH : BULAN CRICKET AND .OOTBALL ACADEMY VS MAINLAND SAMBARAN C.A. MAINLAND SAMBARAN CRICKET ACADEMY 241 RUNS 9 WICKETS 40 OVERS BULAN CRICKET AND .OOTBALL ACADEMY 95 RUNS 10 WICKETS 27.5 OVERS MAINLAND SAMBARAN CRICKET ACADEMY WON BY 146 RUNS MATCH : SUBHAS INSTITUTE (BARASAT) VS BELGHORIA A.C. SUBHAS INSTITUTE (BARASAT) 86 RUNS 2 WICKETS 20.2 OVERS RESULT : SUBHAS INSTITUTE (BARASAT) WON BY 8 WICKETS MATCH : DURGAPUR CRICKET CLUB VS SUBHAJIT MITRA MEMORIAL SUBHAJIT MITRA MEMORIAL (DANU) 120 RUNS 7 WICKETS 40 OVERS DURGAPUR CRICKET CLUB 122 RUNS 2 WICKETS 26.5 OVERS RESULT : DURGAPUR CRICKET CLUB WON BY 8 WICKETS
Cheteshwar Pujara in Hyderabad on Sunday. photo from bcci

Registration No.KOLRMS/55/2013-2015 MH/MR/South-67/2012-2014

KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

12

Pujara, Vijay hit centuries

ingly not very sure he had got rid of the Indian, Wade and the Australian slip cordon were quite confident and umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger belatedly. Sehwag managed only 6. In his past six Test innings, he has scored 23, 49, 0, 2, 19 and 6. Vijay, meeting the Press, said he had been determined to make up for the mistakes he had committed in the first Test. I made mistakes in the last Test. I should have finished the game in the second innings there. That hit me hard. I just wanted to stay at the wicket as long as possible. I didn't want to give my wicket away, Vijay told reporters. Vijay had scored 10 in the first innings of the Chennai Test and six in the second when India were chasing 50 to win. About his unfinished partnership with Pujara, he said: Something like this doesn't happen all the time. I must say Pujara batted really well. Meanwhile, Australia's head coach Mickey Arthur did some plain talking to his batsmen and said he expected them to score big. "We had a pretty tough chat with our batsmen this morning because we thought that probably they wasted a little bit of opportunity yesterday," he said.

press trust of india HYDERABAD, 3 MARCH: Opener Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara decimated Australia's bowling attack with scintillating centuries as India took complete control of the second Test here today. Pujara (162, batting) notched up his fourth Test hundred and Vijay (129, batting) scored his second as a record second-wicket partnership worth 294 runs took India to a very comfortable 311 for one at close on the second day. The previous record, of 224 against Australia, was set by Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath in 1986 in Sydney. Having already gone ahead by 74 runs, India will aim at a huge lead to take batting fourth on this track out of the equation. India had scored only 49 runs in the 27 overs bowled in

today's opening session but the two Indian batsmen showed a more positive approach as they gathered 257 runs in the next two. If the first session was about consolidation, the next two were about attacking the bowlers. Both Pujara and Vijay hit a flurry of boundaries with Australia's bowlers dishing out pedestrian stuff. Once they went off the boil, there was no looking back for the Indians. As the day progressed, the Australian bowlers seemed clueless. Vijay, having played 288 deliveries so far, struck 17 boundaries and two sixes. Pujara hit 25 boundaries and a six while facing 251 balls. The Saurashtra boy cut rising deliveries outside the offstump with a lot of ferocity and it was a delightful sight. Vijay's safety-first approach succeeded too.

Peter Siddle got the only wicket that fell, removing an out-of-form Virender Sehwag. But the Australian pace trio of Siddle, James Pattinson and all-rounder Moises Henriques kept things under control as India went in to lunch at 54 for one. Just 23 minutes into the second day, Sehwag was dismissed by Siddle with a rising delivery. The ball also moved a little, brushing the edge of Sehwag's bat and Matthew Wade took the resultant catch. While the bowler was seem-

SCOREBOARD
Australia first innings 237/9d India 1st innings (overnight 5/0) R B 4 6 Vijay not out 129 288 17 2 Sehwag c Wade b Siddle 6 19 1 0 Pujara not out 162 251 25 1 Extras: (b 1, lb 11, w 2) 14 Total: (1 wicket; 93 overs) 311 .all of wickets: 1-17. Bowling: Pattinson 18-7-56-0, Siddle 19-5-51-1, Henriques 19-738-0, Doherty 26-7-85-0, Maxwell 10-1-55-0, Warner 1-0-14-0.

Murali Vijay celebrates his century. In Hyderabad on Sunday. photo from bcci

Chand helps Delhi clinch Vijay Hazare Trophy Hafeez, Gul demolish South Africa
press trust of india VISAKHAPATNAM, 3 MARCH: India's under-19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand cracked a brilliant 116 to help Delhi clinch the Vijay Hazare Trophy after convincingly defeating Assam by 75 runs in the summit clash here today. The 19-year-old blasted eight boundaries and three sixes in his 133-ball innings and was engaged in a 97-run opening partnership with Puneet Bisht (52) as Delhi posted a mammoth 290 for nine after being put into bat. Chasing the challenging target, Dheeraj Jadhav top-scored with 87 off 114 balls and his knock was studded with five fours and one six, but Assam could not get the momentum going and folded for 215 in 44.2 overs. Delhi skipper Rajat Bhatia emerged as the top wicket-taker, snapping three in his seven overs, while Parvinder Awana and Varun Sood scalped two each. Sumit Narwal accounted for one wicket. .or Assam, Pritam Das of Silchar and Arup Das took three and two wickets each while J Syed Mohammad, G Sharma and Tarjinder Singh contributed by taking one each at the VDCA cricket stadium. Earlier, Chand showed why he is considered as one of the most promising upcoming batsmen as he anchored the Delhi innings and set the foundation for a huge score. He was dismissed in the 45th over by Arup but by then, Delhi were already close to the 250-mark. Gautam Gambhir, who was dropped for the ongoing Test series against Australia, failed, scoring just five. However, Jagrit Anand scored a 50-ball 48, consisting of four boundaries and a six. The next best score was by Milind Kumar, who stroked a 22-ball 31 -- his knock was laced with two fours and a six. It would have taken a mammoth effort for Assam to reach the total but their chase failed to take off as they were reduced to 64 for three in 14.1 overs. Assam batsmen got starts but with the asking rate going up all the time, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Brief scores: Delhi 290 for 9 (Chand 116, Bisht 52, Pritam 3-54), Assam 215 (Jadhav 87, Bhatia 3-36). agence franec presse CENTURION, 3 MARCH: Mohammad Hafeez put a poor Test series behind him to lead Pakistan to a crushing 95-run win in the second and final Twenty20 international against South Africa at SuperSport Park here today. Hafeez hammered 86 and took three wickets for 25 runs, while fast bowler Umar Gul took five for six as South Africa collapsed to 100 all out in reply to Pakistan's 195 for seven in what was effectively a series decider after the first match in Durban was washed out. Appointed Pakistan's captain in the shortest form of the game, Hafeez thrashed four sixes and nine fours off 50 balls and when he reached 73 became the first Pakistani to reach 1,000 runs in T20 internationals. His innings was in dramatic contrast to his struggles in a threematch Test series which ended last week, in which he could score only 43 runs in six innings at an average of 7.16 A second wicket partnership of 83 off 48 balls with Ahmed Shehzad (46) set Pakistan on target for a massive total but the innings lost momentum when Hafeez was out off the third ball of the 17th over, with the total on 170. Hafeez slipped as he stepped

back in his crease to hit Rory Kleinveldt to the cover boundary and he dislodged his bails. South Africa made a flying start, with AB de Villiers batting audaciously as the home side reached 48 for one in four overs. But Gul then took four wickets in six balls, spread across two overs, as the match swung irrevocably in Pakistan's favour. In between, De Villiers was bowled by Mohammad Irfan for 36, made off 22 balls with two sixes and four fours. Brief scores: Pakistan 195 for 7 (Hafeez 86, Kleinveldt 2-27), South Africa 100 (De Villiers 36, Gul 5-6). facility extended to them to take their wives on tour once in a year at SLC expense. The previous contracts ended on .ebruary 28 and among those who refused to enter new contracts were the 23 top players, including all of the international stars. All of them except, Mahela Jayawardene who is outside the country now, turned up for the meeting. Sangakkara, who was to play in the three-day tour opener against the visiting Bangladeshis in Matara, was not allowed to play due to the non-signing of the contracts. The players maintain that they would fight for due payments and privileges and it was unfair on the part of the SLC to deny them.

Simmons leads Windies to easy victory

NORTH SOUND, 3 MARCH: Lendl i Simmons' (in photo) third half-century and an unbroken 85-run third-wicket partnership with Dwayne Bravo guided the West Indies to an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in first T20 international. Replying to Zimbabwe's 130 for eight, the opening batsman smashed six sixes, the last ending the match at the start of the 17th over, in finishing on 63 not out and taking the man of the match award yesterday. Bravo (38 not out) benefitted from a missed run out opportunity at the start of his innings to ensure that the early strikes of medium-fast bowler Chris Mpofu did not result in an upset win for the visitors. It was a clinical result because we did just what we wanted to do, said West Indies captain Darren Sammy, acknowledging that his team wanted to make a statement in their first home T20 match since lifting the world title last October in Sri Lanka. Mpofu trapped Johnson Charles legbefore after the opener had taken five consecutive fours off fellow opening bowler Kyle Jarvis and then removed Darren Bravo without scoring to a miscued pull off a short ball. Brief scores: West Indies 131 for 2 (Simmons 63*, Dwayne Bravo 38*) beat Zimbabwe 130 for 8 (Waller 49, Ervine 34, Best 3-18. agencies

Islanders end contract dispute

press trust of india COLOMBO, 3 MARCH: A row between Sri Lanka Cricket and its centrally contracted players, which had threatened to turn into a major crisis, ended today following talks, according to chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya. The matter has been resolved. Captain Angelo Mathews and ViceCaptain Dinesh Chandimal have informed me that all the players have agreed to sign the contracts, Jayasuriya told reporters here. Players were called to meet Jayasuriya in a crisis talk after they had defied SLC's extended deadline today to sign new contracts.

However, SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said that players have been given time till 10 am tomorrow to sign fresh contracts. We have been told not to say anything to the media, senior player Kumar Sangakkara told waiting reporters outside SLC offices after emerging from the talks. The players were angered by SLC's decision to deny them 25 per cent of the guarantee money received by the Board from ICC events Also, the SLC wanted to slash payments to the players for the time they play in the IPL away from doing national duty. The third point the players objected to is the scrapping of a

England need focus, Kiwis grapple with Taylor

stephen brenkley

IN Ross Taylor's first Test innings against

.IBT World Cup, Cesana: Leading positions after the 2-Men Bob: 1 Simone Bertazzo & Matteo Torchio (Ita 1) (1st Run: 55.43secs & 2nd Run: 55.53secs) 1min 50.96secs 2 Beat Hefti & Thomas Lamparter (Swi 1) (55.65 & 55.45) 1:51.10 3 Thomas .lorschuetz & Kevin Kuske (Ger 3) (55.58 & 55.53) 1:51.11.

BOBSLEIGH

England he made 120 and was dismissed by Kevin Pietersen. That is not, of course, the only improbable link between these two outstanding cricketers: both, in different ways, have managed to bring their national team to its knees. The Pietersen imbroglio seems to be behind England now, initially treated in a series of autumnal home-counties chit-chats and laid to waste in the Wankhede Stadium when both man and colleagues must have realised how they needed each other. Whether the returning Taylor can reach a similar dressing-room rapprochement with his team-mates and management in the next month may determine whether New Zealand compete with any decency in the Test series which begins in Dunedin on Tuesday night (UK time).

The unexpected victory of a New Zealand XI in the tour match against England yesterday was heartening for the entire country. But it was not a Test match, and if it has not stiffened the tourists' resolve, it ought to have done. On the other hand, it might be the fillip that the longer game in this country needs. You never know. Taylor's dispute with his employers at New Zealand Cricket is being judged by cricket followers as symptomatic of a sport in turmoil and a team in perpetual struggle. In some ways, it has been seen as the nadir. The Kiwi cause is additionally under-mined by a chronic injury to their most experienced player, Daniel Vettori, and the continuing voluntary absence of the volatile and mercurially gifted batsman Jesse Ryder. Taylor fell out with New Zealand Cricket when he was unceremoniously dumped from the captaincy. His removal was handled clumsily at best, for which the New Zealand board

publicly apologised. At the heart of the issue is Taylor's relationship with the team coach, Mike Hesson. Taylor is by a country mile his nation's leading batsman, and if there was general surprise when he was elevated to the captaincy, that is frequently what happens to a side's best player. He was hardly given much time at the head of a weak team (13 Tests, of which four were won, including one against Australia) but it was the manner of his departure that rankled. Taylor was told on the eve of a series in Sri Lanka last year. He was then asked to stay on as Test captain while shedding the limited-overs roles, but declined. Subsequently, he missed the tour of South Africa, where the Kiwis were humiliated in the Test series bowled out for 45 in the first innings of the .irst Test but somehow recovered under Brendon McCullum to win the one-dayers. There is no doubt where public sympathy

lies. Taylor returned to the side for the limitedovers matches against England and was accorded a standing ovation every time he walked to the crease. When he recovered some form at last by making a hundred in the second ODI in Napier, the non-existent roof almost came off the stadium. Taylor describes as `a work in progress' his current relationship with Hesson, who has the backing of the board. When they appointed him last July, it is generally presumed that they were extremely keen to have a New Zealander in the role, even one who had not played first-class cricket. The appointment of the former Australia coach John Buchanan as the country's director of cricket has been divisive. Buchanan, who recommended Taylor's continuation as captain, has admitted to a frosty relationship with NZ Cricket's chief executive, David White, and talked of the need to have integrity, trust, honesty and accountability.

Taylor demonstrated what he was made of in Sri Lanka. Knowing that he was to be dismissed as captain and that he did not have the backing of the coach, he went out at Colombo and scored 142 and 74 to secure his team a series-levelling victory. England's difficulty may be more tangential apart, that is, from the minor bowling crisis that has begun to afflict them. Try as they might to deal with the matter in hand, their whole year is directed to two Ashes series. The two series against the Kiwis three matches in New Zealand and two at home in May are distractions along that road. Every man who plays for England will have the Ashes in mind. But whether it is Joe Root or Nick Compton who opens the batting on Tuesday, or Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes who is the third seamer, they have to find a way quickly of dealing with the here and now. the independent

Printed and published by SANDEEP KUMAR AGRAWAL on behalf of THE STATESMAN LTD and printed at The Statesman Printing Press, 6 Munshigunge Road, Kolkata - 700023. Published from 4, Chowringhee Square, Kolkata - 700001 t Editor: RAVINDRA KUMAR The Statesman Ltd RNI No. WBENG/2708/57

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W E A T H E R
Mainly clear sky Rainfall Nil Yesterdays readings Max temp up to 5.30 p.m. was 31.5 (-1) Min temp up to 8.30 a.m. was 17.0(-3) Relative humidity Max 82%; Min 26% Relative humidity at 8.30 a.m.: 57% (-10) and at 5.30 p.m.: 45% (-3) Hooghly river tides at Garden Reach Mar 4: Low water 1.50 a.m. 1.46 mt l Mar 4: High water 5.22 a.m. 4.56 mt Mar 4: Low water 1.57 p.m. 1.19 mt l Mar 4: High water 5.55 p.m. 4.49 mt Moon rises today at 12.00 a.m.; sets at 10.24 a.m. Last quarter today Sun sets today at 5.41 p.m.; rises tomorrow at 5.56 a.m.

KO L K ATA
again ~ 16
THE STATESMAN KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

Together

.aultily designed flyover has a great fall

statesman news service KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: .aulty design, coupled with lack of maintenance, might have led to the collapse of the bridge off Ultadanga, said senior engineers of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Top engineers of KMDA, it is said, had allowed the design because of their allegiance to the party and to please the CPIM bosses including the then Urban development minister Ashok Bhattacharya and chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Mr Ananda Ganguly was the chief engineer when the construction of the bridge began. He is now one of the consultants of the Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco). Mr Anup Ghosh who succeeded him became the director general of the traffic and transportation wing of the agency had superseded four engineers, including one who had a Masters degree in structural design because of his closeness to the political bosses. Mr Ghosh was the head when the Dum Dum underpass developed problems within a week after it was inaugurated. Mr Biswajit Chowdhury was the superintending engineer when the construction began and later he was succeeded by Mr Ashis Sen. The KMDA sources said that to please the then Urban development minister, the then CEO, Mr Vivek Bharadwaj, had put pressure on the engineers to complete the bridge. The engineers did not raise their voice fearing punishment. The construction was not allowed the stipulated settling time and was completed in haste. Because of the sharp turn, the bridge was a perennial problem from the engineering point of view but the engineers did not raise any objection when it was cleared by the KMDA. When the proposal to set up the bridge to avoid traffic congestion at Ultadanga was mooted local CPI-M leaders had said they would not allow removal of shanties and the odd design had to be executed. The pampering of mediocrity by the erstwhile Left .ront regime in KMDA had become disastrous. Two bridges built in the last leg of the Left .ront regime have already developed trouble. The Dum Dum underpass had developed trouble within a week after it was inaugurated by the chief minister last year. The bridge off Wipro in Salt Lake had to be closed last monsoon due to massive waterlogging at the Nicco Park end as there is no proper drainage system. The bridge at Ultadanga had developed cracks near the Salt Lake end. The crack was repaired. After the Trinamul Congress government came to power it did not take the trouble of conducting a thorough inquiry and fix responsibility of the persons whose lack of supervision had created the crack. Instead the bridge was painted in blue and white, the favourite colours of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The engineers suggested that an inquiry into the condition of the bridges built by the KMDA in the past five years should be immediately conducted to avoid major disaster in near future. There is a project management unit of the KMDA that inspects Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission ( JnNURM) project and this unit also did not raise any question over the faulty design of the the bridge.

Slum-dwellers live in fears shadow

statesman news service KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: Hundreds of slum dwellers in the vicinity of the flyover off Ultadanga, a portion of which collapsed early this morning, are living in fear apprehending they may lose their lives any moment if the sections of the construction, close to their shanties, collapse. A major disaster was averted as it was the portion of the flyover that was above the canal which collapsed. If the portion which is just above the Sri Krishna Colony collapsed then it would have claimed at least 50 lives, said Mr Kamal Das a resident of the colony. He said they cannot sleep at night due to the shaking that occurs when a heavy vehicle passes on the flyover and often accidents take place at the sharp turn on the flyover. We heard engineers and some officials discussing that the portion of the flyover collapsed as some bolts

and bearings tore off. They were saying that bolts of bigger diameter should have been used in such constructions, he said, adding, the state government should do a thorough inspection of the flyover before opening it for further use. Three persons were killed in October 2012 when they fell from the flyover after their motorbike collided with the railing. Mr Rajeev Kumar, commissioner of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate said, the driver of the truck that fell into

the canal when the flyover collapsed told police that the vehicle did not collide with the railing of the flyover. The driver suddenly felt that the flyover is overturning. Mr Sanatan Maity, a 65-year-old resident of Sri Krishna Colony said: It seems there is no value of common people's lives. The driver's statement proves that the flyover collapsed before any collision had taken place. Thus, the portion, which is just above the shanties may collapse any time. A senior police officer said the speed limit near the turn on the flyover is only 20 km per hour. Drivers ply vehicles at high speed on both Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani. "It is quite impossible for drivers to reduce the speed of their vehicles soon after getting on to the flyover. So, it is quite impossible for police to avert accidents even after putting up signboards indicating speed limits, he said.

Childs body found, neighbour suspected

statesman news service CHANDITALA 3 MARCH: Police today found the body of a student at Dakhin Panchgera Jalapara under the jurisdiction of Chanditala police station. On 26 .ebruary, Subojit Haldar, a Class VI student of Janai Training High School went out to play with his friends in the neighbourhood after coming back from coaching. He did not return home. A missing diary was lodged at the Chanditala PS by his father Gokul Haldar. Mr Gokul Haldar said that he had been receiving messages on his mobile demanding ransom till yesterday. He said that the mobile belonged to Mr Uttam Biswas, his neighbour. He demanded a ransom of Rs 50,0000. Mr Biswas has been absconding since 27 .ebruary. The wife and a child of Mr Biswas were taken into safe custody by the Chanditala PS. Today at noon when some children were playing in a ground adjacent to the house of Mr Biswas, they saw a hand jutting out of a thick bush. Police, when informed, rushed to the spot and brought out the decomposed body of a child. Subhojit's parents identified it as his body. The neighbours attacked the house of Mr Biswas. A police picket has been posted to prevent any untoward incident. Mr Subhas Haldar, the brother of Mr Gokul Haldar, however, said that the latter had been operating as a middle-man between Altatech, an industrial unit, and the villagers for their land sale, which might have earned him enemies and cost him his son.

Row over Sugata Marjits name in WBSU prospectus

poulomi ghosh KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: The prospectus of West Bengal State University (WBSU) claims that Professor Sugata Marjit, chairman of the West Bengal State Council of Higher Education is a member of the university council. According to university officials he was never a member of the university council but attended a few meetings of the council. University authorities have finally admitted, it was a printing mistake that resulted in his name being listed as a council member. In the absence of the court and executive council which are supposed to oversee the functioning of the university, WBSU is being run by a university council with nominated members since it was set up in 2007. After the Trinamuil Congress came to power, the older members of the council were replaced by new members. "But Professor Sugata Marjit was not there in the new list," said a teacher of the university. Otherwise, as the chairman of the higher education council Professor Marjit is an exofficio member of the court of all state varsities, according to the new varsity Acts. Either he himself or his nominee can attend these meetings of the varsities. But as WBSU does not have any statute yet, the new Act is not applicable to the university. "Though universities do not generally have any prospectus, but WBSU authorities have come up with one detailing the available courses. Prof. Marjit's name was mentioned there as a member of the university council. We were confused when his name was included in the list," said an official of the university. Other members of the university council too are not sure whether Professor Marjit is a member of the university council. "As far as I know, he is a government nominee in the council," said another member. Confirming that Professor Marjit is not a member of the university council, ViceChancellor Professor Koushik Gupta said: "He was invited in a few meetings to discuss on some specific agendas. It was a mistake to print his name as a member of the university council in the prospectus. I have already clarified this matter to our university teachers."

VU yet to take action on former V-Cs funds misappropriation case

INDOMITABLE WILL ~ More then 28 years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, children there are still born maimed. But this child has not lost his jest for life. .ive survivors of the tragedy gathered at the Press Club to tell their tale. In Kolkata on Sunday. dilip dutta

Goons rape minor

biswabrata goswami MIDNAPORE, 2 MARCH: The authorities of Vidyasagar University have failed to take any action against the former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Swapan Kumar Pramanick, accused of misappropriating Unassigned Grants .unds of University Grants Commission. In the last executive committee meeting held yesterday, the VU authorities discussed the matter but failed to take any decision. The UGC had asked the VU authorities on 22 July 2012 to refund Rs 60, 976 misappropriated by Prof. Pramanick. In a meeting held on 6 May 2004, Prof. Pramanick, then the chairman of UGC Unassigned Grants Committee, sanctioned his own travel grants amounting to over Rs 60,000 to attend an international congress in Sociology. This was against the guidelines as the V-Cs are supposed to apply directly to the secretary of the UGC under the Travel Grant Scheme for college teachers/VCs/Commission members. When contacted, Dr, Ranajit Dhar, Registrar, VU said: The matter was discussed by the EC members during the meeting. No concrete decision, however, was taken. A senior teacher of VU said on condition of anonymity: If this process continues and VU authorities try to suppress the matter, different heads of the university will deliberately draw funds for their own purposes from different Grant .unds without ever refunding these funds to the varsity. When any one raises their voice, these teachers either try to influence the EC members or take shelter under the ruling party. According to reports, Prof. Pramanick did not submit his round-trip air-tickets and boarding cards as proofs of his expenditure which is a must in every public institution. Interestingly, Prof Jing Tian Kui, Director of Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in an e-mail to Prof Pramanik on 11 November 2003, had invited him as the V-C to attend the Congress from 7 to 11 July 2004, although Prof Pramanik officially had taken charge as V-C on 1 December 2003. The matter came to the fore when several RTI applications were filed by Mr Abhijit Guha, a teacher of the Department of Anthropology at Vidyasagar University in 2010. Based on the replies to his RTI queries, Mr Guha complained to Mr Bratya Basu, the state Higher Education Minister, on 1 August 2011 and also to the UGC Chairman on 16 March 2012. Responding to Mr Guha's complaint, the deputy secretary of UGC sent a letter dated 27 July 2012 to the Registrar, of VU to refund the Rs 60,976 spent by Prof. Pramanick.

DURGAPUR, 3 MARCH: .our armed goons forced their way into a house and raped a minor girl in Katwa last night. The goons also beat up the house-owner and father of the girl and looted cash worth Rs 5000. One of the hoodlums caught hold of the house-owner's 15 year-old daughter and allegedly raped her in front of him. The others were on guard to prevent anyone from interfering, the victim's father told police. The local residents went to the police station demanding immediate arrest of the goons. The girl was taken to the Katwa SD Hospital for medical examination and a case has been initiated against the culprits but the accused are at large, said Mr S M H Meerza, SP, Burdwan today. He added: The statement of the girl will be recorded judicially tomorrow.

Decentralisation focus of Purulia workshop on PRIs

by spjs students PURULIA, 3 MARCH: Understanding the policies of decentralisation for better implementation of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) was the topic of discussion at the workshop on Evaluation of the Curriculum prepared on Panchayati Raj Institution, held at Bhandarpuara - Chipida Gram Panchayat Hall in Purulia district, West Bengal, between 26 .ebruary and 1 March, 2013. Jointly organised by the Centre for Environmental and Socio-economic Regeneration (CESR) and the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and Technical Education (CREATE), Lucknow, and supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), New Delhi, the workshop saw local representatives of PRI interact with trainers, mainly local body leaders and civil society functionaries, for the effective functioning of local self-governance. The 73rd amendment to the Constitution of India has empowered the Panchayats to take decisions on local problems. However, awareness, knowledge and education are still below standard in rural India. In this context, the decision to design a curriculum to guide the trainers on effective implementation of PRI programmes and activities, was taken during the annual Joint Staff Development Programme (JSDP) in 2007, organised by KALYAN, Ramakrishna Mission and KAS at Darjeeling. The purpose was to include even people from the grass-root level to participate in the decision making processes affecting their daily lives. After nearly five years of meticu-

CPM party office set on fire

BARRACKPORE, 3 MARCH: The CPI-M party office of Barrackpore was allegedly set on fire by some local hooligans today. Titagarh police said that the incident occurred at the office of the CPI-Ms No 2 local committee of Sibtala in Barrackpore. Two fire engines were pressed to service. Like on other days, yesterday, local CPIM supporters came to the the party office as usual and locked it around 10 p.m. after the day's work was done. Local residents said that at around 2 a.m. they noticed smoke billowing out of the office. They immediately informed it to CPI-M supporters, who rushed to the office. Mr Ajay Barman, the zonal leader said that they suspect that local goons was behind the fire. In another incident, fire broke out in four shops of Gadamar in Amdanga. Three engines were sent to the spot to control the fire. .ire brigade authorities suspect that a short circuit in the inverter may have led to the fire.

(On the dais, from left to right) ~ Mr Swapan Mullick, SPJS, Mr A K Pati, CESR, Mr Tandon, CREATE. In Purulia.

lous research, countless discussions and deliberations with partners, other NGOs and experts in the field, a training manual was finally scripted. The workshop in Purulia began with a brief introduction by Mr A K Pati, Chairman, CESR, and followed by a unique interactive session between the participants. The following sessions were based on the 15-module training curriculum designed by Vishwa Yuvak Kendra. Some of the modules discussed over the course of the workshop were on the evolution of PRI as a Constitutional entity, thoughts on Panchayati Raj by eminent leaders like M K Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and others, democratic decentralisation,

present status of decentralisation of power, social and gender justice and local body finance. Each of the sessions of the workshop was followed by a question and answer round where the feedback of the participants, divided among four groups, were collected and evaluated for future use. A series of pilot workshops has already been conducted by KAS and CREATE, on PRI Curriculum Implementation and Evaluation, in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, with West Bengal being the last stop. The collective evaluation and feedback from these workshops will be analysed and interpreted as to what extent has the workshops benefited the participants.

Marwari Relief Society praised

KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: Governor Mr MK Narayanan today praised the Marwari Relief Society hospital for offering medical service to the economically-challenged people at an affordable price. While addressing a meeting celebrating the centenary of Marwari Relief hospital, at Kala Mandir this morning, Mr Narayanan said, the hospital was providing services without taking any financial support from either the Central or state government. There are generous donors who have kept the ball rolling for the past 100 years. He lauded those noble souls who had dreamt of setting up the hospital over a century ago and then translated their thoughts into action. sns

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LEISURE
6:55AM Crazy, Stupid, Love 9;15AM Kindergarten Cop 11:25AM IP Man : The Real Fighter 1:35PM Johnny English Reborn 3:38PM Conan The Destroyer 5:32PM The Frighteners 7:25PM Cobra 9:00PM Stomp The Yard 11:35PM Armageddon 2:15AM Born On The Fourth of July 4:25AM For Love of the Game 1:55AM The Mask of Zorro 4:29AM Ratatouille 6:10AM Big Daddy 7:36AM The Legend of Zorro 10:18AM Immortals 12:25PM Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl 2:43PM Salt 4:52PM Spy Hard 6:46PM City Hunter 9:00PM E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 11:30PM Fast & Furious 1:30AM Hellraiser 3:05AM Most Wanted 6:00AM Batman: Gotham Knight 7:23AM Body Snatchers 8:55AM It's a Boy Girl Thing 10:34AM Grease 12:30PM Bloodsport 2:10PM Sphere 4:35PM Lethal Weapon 6:40PM Romeo Must Die 9:00PM Cop Out 11:13PM Cabin Fever 1:20AM Keeping the Faith 3:25AM The Puppet Masters 5:05AM Hot Lead and Cold Feet 8:00AM The Return 9:50AM Stealth 1:00PM Mutant Chronicles 2:55PM National Treasure 5:45PM Girl, Interrupted 8:35PM Mr. Magoo 10:30PM Arlington Road 12:40AM Obsessed 1:50AM Knowing 4:40AM Paycheck 6:50AM The Prince of Egypt 8:40AM Bram Stoker's Dracula 10:55AM Angels & Demons 1:15PM The Smurfs 3:10PM Resident Evil: Extinction 4:40PM Hostage 6:50PM StreetDance 3D 9:00PM Undisputed III: Redemption 11:05PM True Legend 1:30AM Follow that Dream 3:15AM Garbo Talks 7:00AM The Favor 8:45AM High Spirits 10:30AM The Falling 12:00PM Follow that Dream 1:45PM Garbo Talks 3:30PM The Favor 5:15PM The Falling 6:45PM The French Lieutenant's Woman 9:00PM Charge of the Light Brigade 11:15PM High Spirits 00:00AM Partner 3:00AM Kiss Kis Ko 6:00AM Gangster 8:05AM Masti (starring Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Vivek Oberoi) 11:15AM Sheshnaag (starring Jeetendra, Rekha) 2:25PM Tere Sang 5:35PM Ziddi (starring Sunny Deol, Raveena Tandon, Anupam Kher) 9:00PM Kacche Dhaage 12:00AM Teleshopping 9:00AM Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa 12:00PM Paagalpan 3:00PM Anu 6:00PM Apna Khoon 9:30PM Mawaali 4:00AM Meri Jung Ka Elaan 7:00AM Laughter Station 8:00AM Buddha Mil Gaya 11:00AM Laughter Station 12:00PM Punaah 3:00PM Laughter Station 4:00PM Fida 7:00PM Laughter Station 7:30PM Kaminey 10:30PM Laughter Station 1:10AM Gundaraj 4:00AM Mohabbat 7:15AM Shera 10:35AM Apaharan 2:15PM Bichhoo 5:30PM Anari 9:00PM Sharaabi 6:00AM Afsana Dilwalon Ka 8:55AM Movie Fare 9:00AM Teleshopping 9:30AM Mehbooba 12:30PM Teleshopping 1:00PM Isi Life Mein 5:00PM Tu Hi Durga Tu Hi Kaali 7:55PM Movie Fare 8:00PM Aarzoo 10:55PM Movie Fare 11:00PM Teleshopping 11:45PM Rafoo Chakkar : Fun on the Run 2:00AM Telemart 3:00AM Hui Buh 5:00AM Telemart 6:00AM Son of Alladin 7:35AM Hero Hindustani 11:20AM Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaye 2:45PM Yamraj Ek Faulad 5:55PM Jodi No.1 9:00PM Ghar Ho To Aisa

THE STATESMAN KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

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7:00AM Tada 9:55AM Movie Fare 10:00AM Teleshopping 10:30AM Adharm 1:25PM Movie Fare 1:30PM Dhartiputra 4:25PM Movie Fare 4:30PM Teleshopping 5:00PM Music Blast 5:30PM Dalaal 8:25PM Movie Fare 8:30PM Patthar Ke Phool 11:25PM Movie Fare 11:30PM Teleshopping 9:00AM Jamuniya 9:30AM Ramayan 10:30AM Nancy 11:00AM Question Hour Live from Parliament 1:00PM Bin Bitiya Swarg 2:00PM Aashiyana 8:00PM News Headlines 8:30PM Krishnkali 9:00PM Hum Phir Milenge 9:30PM Gora 10:00PM Tehreer 10:30PM Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar 11:00PM HFF : Haqeeqat - Part-I 2:00PM Midday News 3:30PM Film Song 4:30PM Parikshar Tips 5:30PM Bhalo Theko 6:00PM Khabarer Aakash 6:30PM Radhuni 7:00PM Aaj Bangla 8:30PM Khabarer Akash 9:00PM Garmagaram10:00PM Biswa Barta 10:15PM Khelar Aakash 10:30PM Aakash Barta Live 11:00PM Ulto Palta 12.30PM Sadhak Bamakhyapa 1.00PM Cine Dupure ~ Khelaghar 6.30PM Annapurna 7.00PM Ranga Mathae Chiruni 7.30PM Swayangsiddha 8.00PM Sholoana 8:30 Satin Kanta 9:00PM Binni Dhaner Khoi 9.30PM Ashar Alo 10.00PM Shubho Bibaha 11:00PM Ranga Mathae Chiruni 6:30AM Puber Alo 7:00AM Aaj Sakaler Amontrone (Live) 9:00AM Chirantani 10:00AM Gaan Aajkal 11:30AM Aaj Sakaler Amontrone 2:30PM Bhalo Achi, Bhalo Theko (Live) 5:30PM Chirantani 6:00PM Chirantani 7:30AM Take a Break Live 9:00PM Amar Shahar 9:30PM Playback 10:30PM Tara Club 9:00AM Ek Mutho Asha 9:30AM Duo Rani 10:00AM Pasher Barir Meye 12:00PM Ek Mutho Asha 2:00PM Pasher Barir Meye 2:30PM Duo Rani 5:00PM Olympicnic 6:00PM BFF 9:00PM Ek Mutho Asha 9:30PM Duo Rani 10:00PM Pasher Barir Meye 10:30PM Janmantar 11:00PM Noti Binodini 11:00AM BFF : 2:10PM Aajker Ranna 2:30PM Cinemar Gaan 3:00PM Panchali 3:30PM Musical Programme 4:00PM Aami Garbo Aamar Desh 6:00PM Gaaner Adda 7:30PM Sustha Bharat 8:00PM Jukti Takko 9:30PM Eto Sur Aar Eto Gaan 10:15PM Camera Cholchhe

2:00PM Barclays Premier League 2012/13 : Reading vs. Everton 4:00PM Australia Tour of India 2013 H/ls : 2nd Test Day 2 4:30PM KFC Twenty20 Big Bash League 2012/13 H/ls 5:00PM Global Football 5:30PM Football Asia 6:30PM Ranji Trophy 2012/13 H/ls 9:00PM Hockey India League 2013 H/ls 9:30PM Australia Tour of India 2013 H/ls : 2nd Test Day 3 10:00PM Bpl Express 1:00PM ICC Cricket 360 1:30PM UEFA Champions League Magazine Show 5:00PM WWE: Experience 6:00PM WWE: Vintage 7:00PM Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2013 H/ls : 2nd T20 9:00PM WTA Magazine Show 2013 9:30PM ICC Cricket 360 10:00PM UEFA Champions League Magazine Show 10:30PM WWE: Experience 11:30PM WWE: Vintage 11:00AM Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2013 H/ls : 1st Test Day 4 1:00PM Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2013 H/ls : 2nd T20 3:00PM Cricket Classics : India vs. Zimbabwe: November '98 4:00PM Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2013 H/ls : 1st Test Day 4 6:00PM Zimbabwe Tour of West Indies 2013 H/ls : 2nd T20 8:00PM Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2013 H/ls : 1st T20 10:00PM Pakistan Tour of South Africa 2013 H/ls : 2nd T20 1:00PM Crickshetra 2:00PM Chilli Factor 3:00PM Play back the Highlights Show 2012 : 3rd ODI: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka 4:00PM Gendbaaz 4:30PM Chilli Factor 5:00PM Bundesliga : Borussia Dortmund vs. Hannover 7:00PM Sportszone 7:30PM Bundesliga H/ls 8:30PM Sportszone 9:00PM Cricket Central 9:30PM Dial C for Cricket 10:30PM Bundesliga H/ls 7:00AM Chilli Factor 7:30AM PGA Tour 2013 : The Honda Classic 1:00PM PGA Classics 2:00PM PGA Tour 2013 : The Honda Classic 7:00PM Chilli Factor 8:00PM Bundesliga H/ls 9:00PM Bundesliga : Bayer Leverkusen vs. VfB Stuttgart 11:00PM Chilli Factor 9:30AM Australia Tour of India 2013 : 2nd Test Day 3 5:00PM Champions League Twenty20 2012 H/ls 5:30PM Australia Tour of India 2013 H/ls : 2nd Test Day 2 7:00PM La Liga 2012/13 8:00PM Australian Open : 2011 H/Ls 8:30PM Australia Tour of India 2013 H/ls : 2nd Test Day 3 10:00PM La Liga 2012-13 9:30AM Australia Tour of India 2013 : 2nd Test Day 3 5:00PM Australia Tour of India 2013 H/ls : 2nd Test Day 2 5:30PM Ranji Trophy 2012/13 H/ls : Match 6 Day 5 6:00PM Hockey India League 2013 H/ls 7:00PM Australia Tour of India 2013 H/ls : 2nd Test Day 3 10:30PM Hockey India League 2013 H/ls

.ILMS & SPORTS

1:00AM Nayee Padosan 7:00AM Rakhwala: One Man Army 10:00AM Virasat 1:00PM We are Family (starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Aanchal Munjal, Nominath Ginsburg, Diya Sonecha) 5:00PM Kishen Kanhaiya 9:00PM Tezz

6:00AM Deedar 8:25AM Movie fare 8:30AM Teleshopping 9:00AM Pyar Mohabbat 11:55AM Movie fare 12:00PM Teleshopping 12:30PM Ram Bharose 3:25PM Movie fare 3:30PM Teleshopping 4:00PM Flashback 4:30PM Black Mail 7:30PM Saudagar 11:15PM Daal Me Kala

12:00PM Modern Family 12:30PM How I Met Your Mother 1:00PM Packed to the Rafters 2:00PM One Tree Hill 3:00PM Last Resort 6:00PM One Tree Hill 7:00PM Dexter 8:00PM Modern Family 8:30PM How I Met Your Mother 9:00PM Packed to the Rafters 10:00PM One Tree Hill 11:00PM Dexter 1:00PM Come Dine with Me : Isle of Wight 2:00PM Saved by Dolphins 3:00PM The Secret Millionaire : Emma Harrison 5:30PM Elephant Diaries 6:00PM Come Dine with Me 7:00PM Extreme Makeove r: Home Edition 8:00PM Doctor Who : Army of Ghosts 9:00PM Planet Earth Live 10:00PM Top Gear 11:00PM The Secret Millionaire 12:00PM The Quick And The Dead 2:30PM Criss Angel Mindfreak 3:00PM C.S.I. 5:00PM The Long Way Down 6:00PM Guinness World Records Smashed 7:00PM Wipeout 8:00PM BBQ Pit Wars 9:00PM The 10m LiL Grifters Job 2 1`0:00PM C.S.I. 11:00PM Most Shocking 1:30PM America's Funniest Home Videos 2:00PM Numb3rs 3:00PM American Dad IV 3:30PM The Big Bang Theory 6:00PM Gossip Girl 7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos 7:30PM Samantha Who? 8:30PM The Big Bang Theory (Season 4) 9:00PM Numb3rs 10:00PM Gossip Girl 11:00PM The Middle 1:00PM Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 1:30PM Parvarish 2:00PM Amita Ki Amit 7:00PM Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 7:30PM Dil Ki Nazar Se 8:00PM Anamika 8:30PM Amita Ki Amit Marriage 9:00PM Hongey Juda Na Hum 9:30PM Parvarish 10:00PM Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 10:30PM Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 1:00PM Vicky Goes Veg 1:30PM Gadget Guru 2:00PM Ten Things to Do Around The World 3:00PM Vicky Goes Foreign: Canada Tadka 6:30PM Gourmet Central 7:30PM Olive it Up 8:00PM Highway on My Plate 9:00PM Gadget Guru 9:30PM Tech Grand Masters 10:00PM Great Drives 10:30PM Yogacity 11:00AM Uberguide 12:00PM The Great Food Truck Race 1:00PM Chew 2:00PM Ultimate Shopper 3:00PM Kylie Kwong: My China 6:00PM Get Inked 7:00PM Indian Food Made Easy 7:30PM What NOt To Wear India 8:00PM Flavours 9:00PM Just Travel 10:00PM Around The World in 80 Plates 10:00AM Rescue Me 11:00AM Desperate Housewives 12:00PM The Simpsons 12:30PMTraffic Lights 1:00PM Rescue Me 2:00PM Desperate Housewives 3:00PM the Simpsons 7:00PM Rescue Me 8:00PM Desperate Housewives 9:00PM The Simpsons 9:30PM Community 10:00PM Rescue Me 1:00PM Smash Cuts 1:30PM Candid Camera 2:00PM Rules of Engagement 2:30PM Benidorm Pranksters 3:00PM America's Got Talent 6:00PM Chaos 7:00PM Frasier 7:30PM Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00PM King of Queens 8:30PM Benidorm Pranksters 9:00PM America's Got Talent 10:00PM Rules of Engagement 12:00PM American Idol 1:00PM Greatest American Dog 2:00PM Excused 2:30PM 90210 3:30PM Melrose Places 6:00PM Excused 6:30PM Kids Say The Darnest Things 7:00PM American Idol 8:00PM Greatest American Dog 9:00PM The Defenders 10:00PM Melrose Places 11:00PM Excused 7:00AM Rise Up 10:00AM Spark Pod 2:00PM SPLike 4:00PM Spark Pod 8:00PM SPLike 10:00PM Thank God its Rock on Friday 10:30PM Spark Pod 11:00PM Hot Hitz

5:00PM Tapur Tupur 5:30PM Bidhir Bidhan 6:00PM Bhasha 6:30PM Ishti Kutum 7:00PM Bodhu Kon Alo Laglo Chokhe 7:30PM @Bhalobasha.kom 8:00PM Maa 8:30PM Tapur Tupur 9:00PM Aanchal 9:30PM Jal Nupur 10:00PM Care Kori Naa 10:30PM Sakhi 11:00PM Tapur Tupur 11:30PM Ishti Kutum 12:30PM Soti 1:00PM Keya Pata Nouka 1:30PM Swapath 2:00PM Saat Pake Badha 2:30PM Kanakanjali 5:00PM Rannaghar 5:30PM Didi No 1 6:30PM Agni Pariksha 7:00PM Raashi 7:30PM Keya Patar Nouko 8:00PM Swapath 8:30PM Soti 9:00PM Saat Pake Bandha 9:30PM Mirakkel Akkel Challenger 9:00AM Chhota Bheem 10:00AM Hagemaru 11:00AM Chhota Bheem 12:00PM Mr. Bean: The Animated Series 1:00PM Chhota Bheem Marathon 5:00PM Chhota Bheem: Science Vience 6:30PM Chhota Chintu Bada Feku 8:00PM Hagemaru 9:00PM Chhota Bheem 10:30AM Phineas and Ferb 11:00AM Jake and the Never Land Pirates 11:30AM Art Attack 12:00PM Doraemon (6) 2:00PM Hamesha Doraemon 4:00PM Phineas and Ferb 4:30PM Doraemon (6) 5:00PM Art Attack 5:30PM My Friend Doraemon 7:30PM Disney Q 8:00PM Best of Luck Nikki 8:30PM Phineas and Ferb 9:00AM Ninja Hattori 10:00AM Little Spirou 10:30AM Ninja Hattori 11:00AM Shaun the Sheep 11:30AM Motu Patlu 12:00PM Ninja Hattori 5:30PM Biriken 6:00PM Motu Patlu 6:30PM Ninja Hattori 8:30PM Biriken 9:00PM Zig and Sharko 9:30PM Shaun the Sheep 10:00PM Miniscule 9:00AM Oggy and the Cockroaches 9:30AM Adventure Time 10:00AM Ben 10 : All That Glitters / Dark Star Rising 11:00AM Tom and Jerry Tales 12:00PM Oggy and the Cockroaches 12:30PM Obocchama-kun 5:00PM Ben 10 Omniverse 5:30PM Obocchama-kun 6:00PM Oggy and the Cockroaches 8:00PM Roll No. 21 10:20AM Fimbles 10:50AM Charlie and Lola 1:40PM Boogie Beebies 2:50PM Charlie and Lola 4:45PM Everything's Rosie 5:20PM Boogie Beebies 6:50PM Charlie and Lola 8:45PM Everything's Rosie 9:20PM Boogie Beebies 9:45PM Finley the Fire Engine 10:20PM Fimbles 10:50PM Charlie and Lola 1:00PM Packed to the Rafters 1:45PM The Environment Quarter 2:00PM Costa's Garden Odyssey 2:30PM Giggle and Hoot 2:35PM The WotWots 3:00PM Giggle and Hoot 3:40PM English Bites 6:30PM The Seed Hunter 7:30PM Grandstand 8:30PM Newsline with Jim Middleton 9:00PM Q&A 10:00PM Tonic 12:00PM Ugly Betty 1:00PM Saturday Night Live : Jamie Fox 2:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos 2:30PM Popcorn Tv 3:00PM Key and Peele 6:00PM Ridiculousness 6:30PM Punk'd 7:00PM Web Therapy 7:30PM The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 8:00PM Dharma & Greg 9:00PM Ugly Betty 8:00AM Tales Of Tatonka 9:00AM Maya The Bee 10:00AM Adiboo Adventure: Inside The 11:00AM Tales Of Tatonka 12:00PM Maya The Bee 1:00PM The Amazing Spiez 2:00PM Adventures Of Tintin 5:00PM The Green Squad 6:00PM Sally Bollywood 8:00PM Adventures Of Tintin10:00PM Finding Stuff Out 7:30AM Big Bang Mornings 12:00PM Roadies X Auditions 1:00PM Music Xprs 3:30PM M for Madness 4:00PM Sayitwithasong 5:00PM Music Xprs 6:00PM Roadies X Auditions 7:00PM Roadies X Auditions 8:00PM Music Xprs 9:00PM Roots 9:30PM M for Madness 10:00PM Music Xprs 11:30AM World Report Playing Now 1:00PM Talk Asia 1:30PM World Business Today 2:30PM Amanpour 3:00PM CNN Special 3:30PM World One 6:30PM World Business Today 7:30PM Amanpour 8:00PM International Desk 8:30PM Global Exchange 9:30PM World Sport 10:00PM Inside Africa 1:00PM Lunchtime News 2:00PM News 2:30PM Night Out 3:00PM Afternoon News 5:00PM The Evening News 6:00PM 6 PM Prime 6:30PM Turning Point 7:00PM Sports Top 10 7:30PM Prime Time 8:00PM Left, Right & Centre 9:00PM India Decides @ 9 pm 10:00PM The Buck Stops Here 8:00PM Breakfast with India 1:00PM Good Afternoon India 2:00PM IBN News 2:30PM Southern Stars 4:30PM DEvils Advocate 6:00PM Good Evening India 7:00PM IBN at 7 7:30PM Sports Tonight 8:00PM The Last Word 9:00PM India at 9 10:00PM Face the Nation 10:00AM HARDtalk 10:30AM BBC World News 11:00AM World Business Report 2:00PM World Business Report 3:00PM HARDtalk 4:15PM Sport Today 5:30PM GMT with George Alagiah 6:30PM Impact Asia with Mishal Husain 8:00PM HARDtalk 8:30PM Global with Jon Sopel

NEED TO KNOW
HOSPITAL/NURSING HOME l The Apollo Gleneagles 2320-2003, 2320-5211 l AMRI (Salt Lake) 23357710 (Dhakuria): 66260000 l Belle Vue Clinic 2287-2321/6925 l B M Birla Heart Research Centre 24567777 l Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre 22815000/22817444 l CMRI 2456-7368 (Enq): 30903090 l Columbia Asia 39898969 l Calcutta Medical College 22414901/2/3/4 l Calcutta Heart Clinic & Hospital 22358735 l Cancer Centre & Welfare Home (Thakurpukur) 2453-2781/3 l CFI Cancer 2405-131/6161 l Chittaranjan Hospital 22897122 l Capitol Nursing Home 23507272 l City Clinic 2454-6762 l Daffodil Nursing Home 25346649 l Eastern Diagnostic Research Centre 2217-8080 l ILS Hospitals, Salt Lake 4020-6500/ 9830400441 l Kasturi Medical Research Centre 2467-6870/2609 Kothari Medical Centre 24567050 l Mayflower Nursing 22171001 l Mission of Mercy Hospital & Research Centre 30217703 l Medica Ent Institute 24264901-03 l Nilratan Sirkar Hospital 22274001 l National Neurosciences Centre 2432-0777/0999 l Park Clinic 2280-1986/1987, 22817600/7664 l Peerless Hospital 24622394 l Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences 24363000 l RK Mission 24862494 l Ruby General Hospital 24426091 l RG Kar Hospital 25557676 l Silverline Eye 24720836 l Suraksha Hospital, Salt Lake 23357710 l Sri Aurobindo Seva Kendra 24733601 l SSKM Hospital 22234658 l Westbank Hospital 26445516/8888 l Wockhardt Hospital 2463-3320 l Woodlands Nursing 24488067 HELPLINE l Alcoholics Anonymous 24191174 l Al-Anon Information Service (for families and friends of alcoholics) 8420738682 (2 pm to 6 pm, Monday-Saturday) l Helpage Elders 1800-345-1253 l HIV/AIDS Ask 22267195, 2458340 l Swayam Tele-helpline on Violence against Women 24863367 l Dhanwantary Medical 2449 3734 AMBULANCE/NURSE l Anandamoyee Seva Kendra (Nurse) 2464-7294 l FD Block Association (Amb) 9830452536, 9830181286 l Happy Calcuttans 24400160 l City Point Nurses Centre 25674113, 9831142623 l Peoples Relief Committee 22804943/9444 l Health Care Nurses Bureau 24164675 l Meera Seva Kendra (nurse) 24119400/0968 l Nightingle Nurses Centre 2436-4997/9433230149 BLOOD BANKS l Ashok Laboratory 24720333 l Central Blood Bank 23510619 l Life Care 2284-6940 l Peoples Blood Bank 2455-5164/ 5557 l RK Mission Seva Pratisthan 24753636/39
24 hrs MEDICAL OXYGEN DELIVERY l BOC India Ltd. 9831277777 HEARSE SERVICES l Hindu Satkar Samity 2241-3849 l Meera Seva Kendra 2411-9400 l Brahmo Social Service Organisation 9830479456 l Tridiv Pushpak 2435-1349, 9831779665
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E.T. ~ The Extra Terrestrial on STAR MOVIES; 9p.m.

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MUSIC, KIDS & ENTERTAINMENT

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IN.O & NEWS

CAR BREAKDOWN l Exide Battery Mobile Service

SOLUTIONS TO YESTERDAYS CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Stuck, 4 Owed (Stuccoed), 8 Epoch, 9 Ocarina, 10 Lord Privy Seal, 11 Always, 13 Nettle, 16 Graham cracker, 19 Legible, 20 Tap-in, 21 Jeer, 22 Mocha. DOWN 1 Spoor, 2 Unhappy, 3 Kaolin, 4 Ovary, 5 Evident, 6 Hells Angels, 7 Ball bearing, 12 Wrangle, 14 Elastic, 15 Scream, 17 Amber, 18 Kappa.
By arrangement with The Independent NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required.

BEETLE BAILEY

Mort Walker

SUDOKU

RED EYE

Bill Yates & Mel Casson

10 MINUTE CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Phantom (5) 4 Whirl (4) 7 Role (4) 8 Cut-off (8) 9 Insensitive to criticism (5-7) 11 Very recent, eager (3-3) 12 Incendiary liquid (6) 14 Hard sweet (12) 16 Young feline (5,3) 18 Crafty (4) 19 Biblical garden (4) 20 Chasm (5)

DOWN 1 Very large tree (5,7) 2 .lightless bird (7) 3 One who deceives (9) 4 Self-image (3) 5 Waste pipe (5) 6 Californian city (7,5) 10 Large venomous snake (4,5) 13 Narrow track (7) 15 Woollen cloth (5) 17 Defraud (3)

HENRY

Dick Hodgins

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that no row, no column and no 3x3 box contains the same number. The difficulty level increases through the week.

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THE STATESMAN KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

15

K O L K ATA

HE mood in Kolkata last week consisted of a mixed bag of economic, political and disastrous developments. On all these fronts, the revelations could be related to experiences of the past. What surprises, for instances, could the Union Budget offer to citizens who had got accustomed to the reality of fuel price hikes at frequent intervals which, they were told, could have a chain effect on prices of daily necessities? If there was good news for the middle class that was left untouched by additional taxes on luxury cars and five-star dining, it didn't affect lakhs who had to survive on daily earnings. .or the bazar babu, it hardly mattered what long-term perspectives the Union finance minister offered to put the economy on what was believed to be the reformist track as long as it did not compel him to dig deeper into his pocket while picking up fish and vegetables needed for the kitchen that day. It was business as usual for the masses who might not have shown much interest in fine calculations made by experts in live telecasts and elsewhere on profits and losses to be made in the coming months - no organised protests, no murmurs in roadside tea stalls. It was much the same with by-election results that coincided with the presentation of the Budget. Whether or not the outcome was anticipated, it didn't seem to matter to a city that might have been

more unnerved by the mishaps in the Madhyamik examinations or speculated on how much longer it would be spared a hike in Metro fares after the latest reprieve offered by the Union railway minister.

Whatever the result of the by-elections, the energy witnessed in the past on public thoroughfares now seems to have been transferred to political battles in prime time television slots.

The real shock came on Wednesday when the city woke up to the disaster of another market going up in flames. The horrors of a hospital fire were still fresh in people's minds. Going by that experience that had

seen life virtually come to a standstill at least in parts of south Kolkata, followed by administrative action that was the subject of animated discussion, could the flames at Sealdah engulf life in other sectors? Not really. Those with a cynical bent of mind may have suggested that the city is so accustomed to everything from show business to shutdowns that it manages to take another disaster in its stride. A busy railway station not more than a mile from the disaster zone recorded the same traffic of paan-chewing babus arriving in local trains and making their way to BBD Bag. The wholesale fish market not too far away was open as usual. But there were tragic stories of personal loss to be sure and telling comments on how thousands eke out a livelihood in congested markets such as this one where the struggle to survive in a cramped environment had to be seen in the context of disasters only waiting to happen. Leaders were around to console families of victims and fresh promises were heard on how fire hazards needed to be tackled in all earnestness. But if the overall mood didn't witness any dramatic changes, it was perhaps because Kolkata had seen it all with rapidly receding hopes of the city being compared, even symbolically, to London.

Leela Majumdar
THE world of children's literature was poorer ever since ill health came in Leela Majumdar's way and stopped her from putting pen to paper and creating magical fiction. Incidentally, her stories and novels were lapped up with greater interest by the adults than the children. .or Goopir Gupta Khata, Halde Pakhir Palak, Podi Pishir Bormi Baksha, Pakhi, Pakdandi, Nepor Boi to name a few gave the adults a breathing space when they were on the point of giving up under the onslaught of sales targets moving away from them and deadlines looming larger. Coming out of graduation and post graduation courses in English at the Calcutta University with flying colours never prevented her from making her presence felt in the world of Bengali letters. .or the language and the craft of creating memorable fiction from it were in the genes of Majumdar, a niece of Upendra Kishor Roy Choudhury and a cousin of his son Sukumar Roy, both of whom need no introduction. She learnt to pen magical prose writing in Sandesh, a children's magazine founded by Roy Choudhury. Having taught at Visva Bharati at Tagore's invitation and later at Asutosh College after being interviewed by a smiling Shyamaprasad Mookherjee whose father Ramaprasad had been her teacher, Majumdar had no reverence for the high and mighty. Little wonder, she never minced her words. Only she could say without hesitation, "It is a pity that Sukumar Roy is referred to only as Satyajit Ray's father these days." Ray agreed with her aunt and invited her to contribute to Sandesh. Majumdar carried with ease the stature which family ties and popularity as an author bestowed on her. Her talks on radio endeared her to a large cross section of women in the state some of whom dropped in at her Santiniketan home seeking suggestions to solve their domestic problems. If Kolkatans mourned her passing away a few years ago, there was not much initiative to observe her birth anniversary which went by last week.

Government College of Art and Craft, adults outnumbered children in showering praise on Raj Kahini, Buro Angla, Khirer Putul, Bhutpatrir Deshe and Nalak. It was none other than Rabindranath who had summed up his nephew's literary contributions saying "Aban Thakur chhabi lekhen"(Aban Thakur writes pictures). Such is the timelessness of his works that Bappaditya, a teenage love story set in the backdrop of Rajputana was staged to a packed house a few years ago. A little magazine Baisakhi has brought out its recent number on Abanindranath. A poem by Birendra Chattopadhaya and reminisces by Rani Chanda, Sunil Pal and Manindranath Tagore have enriched this special number on a multifaceted man.

a minor sacrifice. And he had a song in heart when he returned to Kolkata. Of course, the city was not in the state in which he had left it. His old neighbourhood had changed. Stately buildings with their old world charm had given way to impersonal highrises. But he had not expected the marble seats at the place of his study to disappear. .or a few minutes he stood silently mourning the absence of the lifeless structures of brick and mortar which once dotted the green lawns and then walked away from Bhasa Bhavan, the new library building standing in solitary splendour.

.ilm fest

Normandy reinvaded
IN one of the remote parts of north Kolkata, where the paara feeling is still rather dominant, he became the first person to go abroad for higher studies. So, when he returned, and his paara-school organised a lecture in his honour, to be delivered by him, the otherwise quiet, well-known 'geek' decided to flaunt his knowledge of international history, specifically .rance, where he had been. So, in front of the impressive gathering of mostly students and teachers of the school, as well as some of his former teachers and some elders of the paara, he started, in Bengali: "We have known about many a battle! But have you heard of the battle of Nor-mun-di? The reason that .rench people do not like the English ~ Nor-mundi!" He paused gravely, expecting awe. There were some gasps, mostly from elders ~ "Does he mean Noro Mundi? Human heads? The .rench don't like the English for their heads?" There was the sound of mischievous muffled laughter too, mostly young students, who had indeed read about the invasion of Normandy, but enjoyed immensely more the learned .rench pronunciation of it!

The precursor

THE Japanese film maker, Akira Kurosawa needs no introduction to a cinema buff in Kolkata. A screening of his films was recently held at Nandan Two. But as the film lovers or the city are always asking for more, Spring International .ilm .estival was held at Asutosh Centenary Hall of the Indian Museum recently. Though the city's film making scene is poorer after the passing away of Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray and with Mrinal Sen no longer making films, film buffs of Kolkata have not lost their appetite for good films. And the film festivals, be it screening the works of a master film maker like Kurosawa or a festival marking the arrival of a season, Kolkatans look forward to the occasion. Remember the times when Ray's films screened at the ice-skating rink on Amir Ali Avenue drew packed houses.

faraway land. There were also interesting revelations. In the second decade of the last century, Rabindranath visited America in the hope of collecting much-needed funds for Visva Bharati. He later confessed that what he received was far below expectations and that too from lectures he delivered aboard the ship. .ortunately, the global focus on Tagore has grown over the years and today even the young in America are taking a keen interest. Sudeshna Basu, who teaches mathematics in Washington and sings Rabindrasangeet, observed that the Tagorean awareness has grown in America. She was trained under Ashoketaru Bandopadhyay and had gone abroad with the dream of propagating Tagore's musical ideas. The programme that she and Chandana Sarkar scripted and directed revealed the mind of a committed artiste. Sudeshna has grown in confidence and brings an engaging warmth to her performance that was laced with casual exchanges with Indrani Sen, Elina Banik, Anikendranath Tagore and Anasua Mazumdar who shared her feelings. Altogether, it made the evening a pleasant experience and encouraged the audience to join Sudeshna in a collage of transcreations ranging from Hindustani classical to western that added fresh flavours to what Tagore scholars now describe as "bhanga gaan''.

In his honour
THERE may not to be too many takers for the course of action Swami Vivekananda charted out in the course of his thoughts and actions. But the celebrations around his 150th birth centenary were marked by functions in which the individuals and organisations who have selflessly engaged themselves in the process of social uplift were felicitated. One such recent programme by Kalabihar of Behala was marked by an exhibition of paintings, sit-and-draw contests, quiz and dance programme. It marked the 13th siter mela which had been a big draw for the local people many of whom came together in honour of the man who did his country proud when it was yet to take its seat among the sovereign nations.

When time flew

TIME flew as the fans whirred overhead and the fragrance of the garlands on Pijushkanti Bandopadhaya aka Dadabhai's portrait wafted in the air and poet Alok Ranjan Dasgupta spoke of the householdersaint's take on the challenge called life. It was not quite an adda session with the poet but an audience of a scribe, a columnist and eminent dentist Dr Barin Roy and his household were all ears as Dasgupta started off by asking the meaning of the word kushilab to the person nearest to him. Pat came the answer from another direction and the morning became an engrossing session in which the homespun philosophy of dadabhai whose teachings Dr Roy swears by were seen in a different light altogether thanks to Dasgupta. The street sounds of Harish Chatterjee Street, the venue of the discussion seemed to recede and then faded into silence as a song of one of his disciples called upon the audience to aspire to become more loving human beings. As the song ended Dasgupta wondered whether there had been an influence of Shelly on Dadabhai. When one of his disciples politely disagreed, Dasgupta's erudition came to the fore. There is nothing derogatory about being influenced nay inspired as Mallarme had a similar impact on some of the writings of none other than Sri Aurobindo, the academic from Heidelberg pointed out. References to Tagore surfaced during the talks and the audience asked for more after Dasgupta explained some of the unexplored nuances of the poems of the man whose 150th birth anniversary has just been observed nationwide. Remember jalte hai jiske liye composed by Sachin Dev Burman and bachpan ke din bhula na dena tuned by Naushad were takes on two well-known Rabindrasangeet. None in the audience knew they were based on Tagore's songs had Dasgupta not enlightened them. Nor did they have the foggiest idea of the poet-academic's familiarity with Hindi film songs. Devotion laced with good fellowship was the theme of the gathering which was transported during the session "not to a city of God or Marx but a place called peace of mind."

.oxed
A colleague who is a morning walker (though his waking time varies) has a keen eye for the sights and sounds around him. He almost froze in his tracks while treading along a quiet street off Southern Avenue near the Dhakuria lakes. A foreign liquor shop appeared to have come up overnight at the ground floor of a condominium. Of course, the cash-strapped state government needed to raise revenue for the development projects. The names of well-known brands of the brews that cheer and inebriate vied for the attention of passersby. But though he enjoys his drink, our colleague was far from being elated. To grant licence for a wine shop in a residential locality seems to be a desperate step to shore up the finances. Just as he was making up his mind to vent his grievances to a senior state excise department official, he decided to take a closer look. Dismay gave way to relief when he found that he had been fuming at the placards of the popular brands of some of the well known beverages. And a closer examination revealed that they were actually advertisements for soda water.

Beauty unmasked
I. some art forms are sadly dying a natural death on account of changes in lifestyles, it is also true that some amazing creations like masks dating back to prehistoric times are getting a fresh lease of life thanks to the initiative by other sections of the urban intelligentsia. Jaarok is a group of painters who have dedicated their skills to the revival of tribal art. Over the years, they have been exploring artefacts and ancient art forms in places like the coastal belt of Karnataka and the barren landscapes of Purulia. In the process, they have discovered rare and exotic masks to which they have added an elegant touch without distorting the original creation so as to adapt them to contemporary tastes. An exciting collection of these masks will be inaugurated on Monday by the Japanese Consul General at the Bengal Home Industries Association in the presence of two mask makers brought from the districts. A preview of this unique initiative revealed an inspiring blend of the classical and the contemporary. While many of the original masks had been made of metal, the ones on display come in wood and other material so as to become suitable for drawing rooms even in middle class homes in Kolkata. The old masks had inspired other art forms like dance and drama and even now there are masks used for Kathakali and Chhou. What this show will offer is a rare collection from Gujarat, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and other states. These will confirm that while the art form may be disappearing, the skills have survived. Bengal Home Industries can take credit for unmasking the deeply rooted skills and giving them the urban exposure they richly deserve. It is a welcome development on the organisation's concern for protecting and promoting the heritage of handicrafts.

Abanindranath
GROWING up in an atmosphere of art and culture where the best Indian traditions and the latest western influences left their mark on a young mind, Abanindranath Tagore grew up to be a true representative of the illustrious family he belonged to. At a time when many Indian painters were mindlessly aping western art forms, he searched for his roots and after finding them never looked back. Strangely enough, he is better known these days for his literary works for children. They are just like his works on canvas ~ simple, moving and espousing Indian values. If many a visitor including Satyajit Ray have paused to take a long and admiring look at Abanindranath's pencil portrait of a somnolent cow at the

Certainly not as engrossing as Babar nama or Akbar-nama, but nevertheless Chachnama deals with a very significant period of Indian history. The Muslim invasion of Sind can be referred to be the precursor of a rule whose benefits and fallouts were manifest even when the nation shook off the shackles of colonialism. Arati Sen, the author of this 68-page hardback was an academic from whom one cannot expect the skill of a successful novelist. But her training as a teacher of history has stood her in good stead while translating this book originally authored by H M Elliot and John Dowson. The maps accompanying the book give the readers a fair idea of the trail of an army which despite initial reverses swept all opposition before them. The book, a Setu Prakashani publication is a fair portrait of the practices of war and peace which prevailed at that time. The way the victorious general Kasim met his gory end is a pointer to the working of the mindset of the powers that be even today especially when greatness is thrust upon them. It would have been interesting to know the reasons behind the supremacy of the the Arab invaders. Did caste system play a role in sowing dissension in the ranks of the defenders as suggested by a eminent journalist in his autobiography? Sind is no longer a part of India. But the Muslim invasion centuries ago left its indelible mark on the history of postIndependence India. After all it was owing to a deep dislike to that a young man who paraded in khaki shorts in pre-Independence Sind upon reaching middle age mounted a four-wheeler which was dubbed a rath and criss-crossed a nation to muster support for a place of worship. It was the ideology he followed in Sind which sparred him on and led to the dismantling of another religious structure and created a fissure in the secular fabric of the nation. The fissure have been repaired, but the scar remains. Years later, the Sind boy who had made good in post-Partition India failed to atone for his act and cover himself with glory even while paying tribute to M A Jinnah when he visited Pakistan as an elder statesman and former deputy prime minister of India.

Theatre fest
AS a hero, Durgadas Bandopadhaya dominated the stage few other actor has done before or since. The pencil of Cyril Radcliff had not yet marked out the boundary lines that cruelly separated neighbours nay brothers forever. And Bandopadhaya's performances were looked forward to in what was then known as Calcutta as well as Dhaka. He is no more. But his performances are still spoken of in awe. Durgadas Smriti Sangha has existed for more than six decades. It had organised the eighth Durgadas Natyotsab at Madhusudan Mancha recently. It hosted Rangapat's Tathagat on the first day. It was followed by Swapnasandhani's Macbeth, Drishyapat's Oedipus and Pancham Vaidik's Achalayatan.

A misfit ?
"WHAT has happened to ghodar adda?" The query comes from an octogenarian widow who came back to Bhowanipore where she has spent her childhood in the late 1940s. She stood perplexed just beside the Deshbandhu Hawkers' Corner at the junction of Asutosh Mukherjee Road and Chakraberia Road (south). By Ghodar Adda she meant what was the resting place of horses used by the British-owned tram company for drawing the trams. She didn't see those horse-driven tram cars but several rows of cisterns where horses used to drink water from even after the electricity-driven tram cars were introduced and until it was converted into a hawkers' corner. The old lady is at odds with the present city life. Its fast pace is yet to annihilate the natural ecstasy and emotion which are part and parcel of the mental make-up of the people of her generation.

Missing them
A KOLKATAN who had grown up in Bhowanipore often visited the National Library in his college days. And it was not for reference work. He walked into the verdant compound of the library long before it had opened and immersed himself in his studies. .or living in a bustling joint family was certainly a wonderful growing up experience, but it left him very little solitude to concentrate. A hurriedly gulped breakfast followed by a brisk walk to the National Library helped him to learn his lessons well. The marble benches offered a perfect seat and the occasional bird songs added to his concentration. Little wonder, he passed with flying colours and had little difficulty in getting a good job. A posting away from his beloved city was

Tagore abroad
SOME solemn thoughts on the growth of Tagore consciousness in the West and some casual observations on how the sprawling community of non-resident artists, musicians, film-makers and writers remain connected with their cultural roots was what E Parabashe was all about. A musical adda put together by Sudeshna Basu at the Weavers Studio evoked the atmosphere of an informal gathering of Rabindrasangeet lovers. They heard established performers like Pramita Mallick, Sasha Ghoshal, and Chandana Sen Sarkar narrate personal experiences of keeping alive their artistic instincts in a

Tailpiece
AN elderly neighbour with a keen sense of humour accompanied his daughter for purchasing a laptop, suddenly told the person at the sales corner, Don't forget to load a software with viruses". His daughter whispered chidingly, say anti-virus. Unfazed, he said "Sorry, anti-virus". "It's tongue of slip, he added amidst hearty resounding laughter.

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KO L K ATA

THE STATESMAN KOLKATA MONDAY 4 MARCH 2013

16

.arooq, Deepti together after 30 years; Chasme Buddoor

press trust of india KOLKATA, 3 MARCH: Happy to be paired with old pal and actor Deepti Naval after nearly three decades in the film Listen Amaya, actor .arooq Sheikh today wondered why it took so long for directors to cast them together. Deepti and I had acted together in Chashme Buddoor, Saath Saath, Katha and .aasle among others and all the movies were well received by the audience, but can't say why it took such a long time to cast us together! .arooq told PTI over phone from Mumbai. The duo, a hit pair in the early '80s in arthouse of projects, will be again seen together in debutante director Avinash Singh's Listen Amaya precisely after 28 years. Asked if they can bring alive their on-screen chemistry all over again in the film, .arooque said: Times have changed, audience profile has changed, but something remains the same, and yes there can be the curiosity factor too. The film centres

Deepti and I had acted together in Chashme Buddoor, Saath Saath, Katha and Faasle among others and all the movies were well received by the audience, but can't say why it took such a long time to cast us together! ~ Farooq Sheikh
around a relationship between a middle-aged widow, essayed by Deepti, and her daughter, played by Swara Bhaskar of Tanu Weds Manu fame and what happens when the mother falls in love with a 60-year-old retired photographer, played by .arooq. Asked if he had any misgiving about turning up in a project of a first-time director and producer, .arooq said: We were struck by his sincerity and confidence and yes also the subject which is not wholly incredible. The film focuses on the need for a companion more than finding love at a senior age, and isn't that true? The response of the Kolkata audience to the recent Deepti-starrer Memories in March, filmed by debutante filmmaker Sanjoy Nag, was a pointer to the fact that actors and directors look towards this city for experimental works, .arooq pointed out. The Kolkata audience had always been receptive to first-time directors with fresh ideas and also liked the pair previously, the actor said. Kolkata has supported good films even if they are made with shoe-string budgets. And after Manikda's (Satyajit Ray) Shatranj Ke Khiladi in 1977, I am ready to turn up in projects of directors like Rituparno (Ghosh) and Goutam (Ghose), .arooq said. Listen Amaya was the closing film and also won the Best Director and Best .eature .ilm at the NJISAC. (New Jersey), the centrepiece film at CSA.. (Chicago), and the opening film at II.. (Tampa .lorida). It is also the opening film at the prestigious London Asian .ilm .estival due on 7 March.

GUNDAY ON THE STREETS ~ Actor Ranvir Singh during the shooting of the film Gunday. In Kolkata on Sunday. dilip dutta

parties food drink health music dance art shopping

ENGLISH MOVIE Jack The Giant Slayer 3D
Inox Forum 9:00a.m 1:25p.m 8:40p.m Inox City Centre 9:00a.m 4:35p.m 9:40p.m Inox Swabhumi 9:30a.m 3:00p.m 10:20p.m Inox Rajarhat 9:10a.m 2:30p.m 7:25p.m Inox Liluah 9:00a.m 2:10p.m 9:50p.m Fame South City Mall 11:20am, 4:25pm, 8:55pm Fame Hiland Park 9:00am, 3:50pm, 8:20pm, 10:35pm

around town
HINDI MOVIE
p.m., Paradise 12 noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m.

parties food drink health music dance art shopping

EXHIBITIONS THEATRE Gange Bhashalo Tori
Rabindranagar Natyoyudh stages Gange Bhashalo Tori on 4th March at Janan Manch at 6.30 p.m.

ENGLISH MOVIE
2:05p.m 7:30p.m 10:05p.m Inox Liluah 12:20p.m 4:35p.m 10:50p.m Fame South City Mall 9:00am, 1:10pm, 6:10pm(G), 10:45pm Fame Hiland Park 9:15am, 11:40am, 5:00pm, 9:45pm Hind Fame 9:50am, 2:55pm, 10:00pm HDIL Broadways 11.25am; 02.10pm(G); 04.00pm; 06.40pm(G); 11.10pm(G) Big Cinemas 11:15 AM 01:45 PM 07:00 PM 09:30 PM PVR Howrah 10:05am 12:10pm 2:35pm 6:50pm 9:10pm. Ashoka 4.30 p.m. Basusree 12 noon, 6 p.m. Navina 2.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. New Empire 3 p.m., 8.30 p.m. Priya 10 a.m (Fri, Sat, Sun); 9.10 p.m. Roxy 12.30 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m.

HINDI MOVIE
3:30pm, 6:40pm, 10:55pm(G) Fame Hiland Park 9:05am, 11:15am, 3:15pm, 6:05pm, 10:40pm Hind Fame 12:15pm, 7:45pm HDIL Broadways 09.45am(G); 12.00pm(G); 04.30pm(G); 06.05pm; 09.00pm(G); 11.00pm Big Cinemas 10:30 AM 12:50 PM 03:00 PM 05:15 PM 10:00 PM PVR Howrah 9:55am 12:25pm 2:30pm 4:40pm 7:50pm 10:00pm. Ashoka 2.15 p.m. New Empire 12.30 p.m., 6 p.m., Priya 12.15 p.m.

LECTURES
Dharma, Darshan O Vijnan in the Shivananda Hall of The Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture on 4th Match at 6 p.m.

BENGALI MOVIE Loveria

Indira 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 8.30 p.m. Prachi 2.30 p.m., 5.15 p.m., 8 p.m.

Special 26
Inox Forum 3:50p.m Inox City Centre 9:00a.m 4:30p.m Inox Swabhumi 12:30p.m Inox Rajarhat 4:35p.m 9:50p.m Inox Liluah 7:00p.m Fame South City Mall 7:55pm Fame Hiland Park 2:05pm Hind Fame 4:50pm HDIL Broadways 08.15pm Big Cinemas 04:15 PM Elite 3 p.m.

Dewaana
Indira 12.30 p.m.

Vivekananda ~ A visual Tribute from contemporary artists of India Today to comme-morate the 150th Birth Anniver-sary of Swami Vivekananda at Bengal Art Gallery (Second Floor) till March 14; 11 am to 7 p.m.

Anto-Aadi-Anto
Debshankar Halder directs a theatre ~ Anto-Aadi-Anto at Academy Of Fine Arts on 7th March at 7 p.m.

Satkatha
Swami Divyananda speaks on Satkatha at Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha on 4th March at 6 p.m.

Damadol
Priya 2.15 p.m.

RESTAURANTS EXHIBITIONS Poolside Sunday Brunch

Monday, March 4th, 2013 12 pm to 3 pm Fortune Select Loudon Kolkata, Fortune Select Loudon Kolkata, 21-B, Dr U N Brahmachari Road Indulge in an exhaustive brunch by the poolside at Rs. 999 + taxes.

LECTURES Dharma, Darshan O Vijnan

Prof. Pradyot Kumar Mukhopadhyay discusses on

Gita
Swami Vedaswarupananda speaks on Gita at the Vivekananda Hall on 5th March at 6 p.m.

Homelands
The Harrington Street Arts Centre, Kolkata presents an exhibition at 8, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Opp The American Consulate, next to ICCR, Suite No. 5 & 25B, 2nd Floor, Kolkata, 700071) till 14 March 2013 12pm- 7pm

Lincoln
Inox Forum 11:35a.m

Silver Linings Playbook

Inox Forum 6:10p.m Inox City Centre 11:45a.m Fame South City Mall 8:30pm(G)

NOTI.ICATION
Paschim Medinipur No.: 22/LA(Cell)/Mid/Sabong/2012-2013 Dated: 11-12-2012 LAP Case No. 39/2011-2012
Whereas it appears to the Governor that land is likely to be needed to be taken by the Government at the public expense for a public purpose, namely for Re-excavation of Rivers and reconstruction of flood Protective embankment under Kaliaghai-Kapaleswari-Baghai Project in the MouzaJagannathchak, Jurisdiction No. 405, PS. Sabong, Dist. Paschim Medinipur. It is hereby notified that for above purpose a piece / pieces of land / lands, as detailed in the schedule below and altogether measuring, more or less, 9.50640 hectares (23.49 acres) is likely to be needed for the aforesaid public purpose at the public expense, in the said Mouza-Jagannathchak. This notification is made under the provision of section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Act-I of 1894) to all whom it may concern. A plan of the land may be inspected in the Office of the Collector, Paschim Medinipur. In exercise of the powers conferred by the said section, the Governor is pleased to authorize the officers for the time being engaged in the undertaking, with their servants and workmen, to enter upon and survey the land and do all other acts required or permitted by that section. In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (4) of section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Act-I of 1894), the Governor is pleased to direct that the provisions of section 5A of the Act shall not apply to lands as described in the schedule below to which in the opinion of the Governor, the provisions of sub-section(1) of section 17 of the said Act are applicable. LAND SCHEDULE Mouza: Jagannathchak, Jurisdiction List No.: 405, P.S.: Sabong, District: Paschim Medinipur. R S Plot Nos. in Full: 235, 246, 253, 254, 269, 270, 272, 295, 297, 298, 301, 304, 307, 308, 309, 310, 312, 396, 397, 398, 400, 402, 407, 408, 409, 416, 417, 418, 317/479, 310/499, 302/504, and 487/506. R.S. Plot Nos. in Part:
R.S. Plot

Kai Po Che
Inox Forum 9:20a.m 11:00a.m 11:55a.m 2:40p.m 5:15p.m 7:50p.m 8:55p.m 10:20p.m 11:30p.m Inox City Centre 9:45a.m 11:25p.m 2:00p.m 3:00p.m 5:35p.m 7:00p.m 8:10p.m 10:45p.m Inox Swabhumi 10:00a.m 11:55a.m 2:40p.m 4:30p.m 5:15p.m 7:50p.m 9:50p.m 10:40p.m Inox Rajarhat 9:40a.m 11:20a.m 12:15p.m 2:50p.m 4:20p.m 5:25p.m 8:00p.m 10:35p.m Inox Liluah 9:45a.m 11:15a.m 2:50p.m 5:15p.m 7:50p.m 10:30p.m Fame South City Mall 9:05am, 10:10am(G), 11:40am, 2:15pm, 3:40pm(G), 4:50pm, 7:25pm, 10:00pm, 11:00pm(G) Fame Hiland Park 10:00am, 11:30am, 2:05pm, 4:40pm, 5:30pm, 7:15pm, 8:05pm, 9:50pm Hind Fame 9:45am, 12:20pm, 5:20pm, 7:55pm, 10:30pm HDIL Broadways 09.30am(G); 10.30am; 12.00pm(G); 2.30pm (G); 05.00pm(G); 06.15pm; 07.30pm(G); 10.00pm(G); 11.00pm Big Cinemas 11:00 AM 01:30 PM 04:00 PM 06:30 PM 07:30 PM 09:00 PM PVR Howrah 10:00am 12:30pm 3:00pm 5:30pm 8:00pm 10:30pm. Ashoka 11.45 a.m, 6.30 p.m. Navina 12 noon, 5 p.m. Priya 4.45

ABCD ~ Any Body Can Dance - 3D

Inox Swabhumi 11:50a.m Inox Rajarhat 11:35a.m Inox Liluah 11:20a.m Fame South City Mall 1:35pm Roxy 3 p.m.

Hangover Brunch
Monday, March 4th, 2013 12 pm to 3 pm Mythh, Hotel Hindusthan International, 235/1, AJC Bose Road Indulge in a massive buffet of Pan Asian delicacies along with beverages at Mythh.

Parama, 2013
Galerie La Mere presents Parama, 2013 ~ An exhibition of paintings and drawings by eminent artists at Sri Aurobindo Institute Of Culture till March 7; 4 p.m. to 8 p.m

A Good Day To Die Hard

Inox Forum 11:20a.m Fame South City Mall 11:10am

Bloody Ishque
Basusree 3 p.m., 9 p.m. Elite 9 p.m.; Ellora 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. Metro 3 p.m., 6 p.m.

Rakshaso Ka Vinashak
PVR Howrah 9:40am 12:05pm 4:45pm 7:10pm 9:35pm.

Zero Dark Thirty

Inox Forum 5:10p.m Fame South City Mall 12:40pm(G) HDIL Broadways 01.00pm

Highlife Sunday Brunch

Monday, March 4th, 2013 12 pm to 3 pm The Park, The Park, 17, Park Street Enjoy dishes from the Food Theatre, Sushi Bazaar, Dimsum Market and a cast buffet. Get high on life with unlimited Moet Et Chandon, Vodka or Beer. The experience comes at Rs. 2295 + taxes.

Towards Spiritual Context

Rajib Deyashi presents his Recent Paintings Exhibition ~ Towards Spiritual Context at the Eye Within Club; 27th Feb to 5th March at 6 p.m.

I, Me Aur Main
Inox Forum 8:40a.m 1:30p.m 3:50p.m 6:40p.m 10:45p.m Inox City Centre 9:00a.m 11:20a.m 2:10p.m 6:30p.m 9:45p.m Inox Swabhumi 9:40a.m 11:50a.m 3:20p.m 5:40p.m 8:00p.m Inox Rajarhat 9:00a.m 11:45a.m 2:00p.m 6:50p.m 9:20p.m Inox Liluah 9:00a.m 1:45p.m 4:00p.m 8:35p.m Fame South City Mall 9:00am,

Zila Ghaziabad
Elite 12 noon, 6 p.m.

The Giant Slayer 3D

HDIL Broadways 09.15am; 01.45pm; 08.45pm

BENGALI MOVIE Aborto

Inox City Centre 1:40p.m 7:20p.m Inox Swabhumi 5:25p.m Inox Rajarhat 5:00p.m Inox Liluah 6:15p.m Fame South City Mall 5:40pm Fame Hiland Park 1:30pm, 7:25pm Hind Fame 2:30pm HDIL Broadways 04.00pm PVR Howrah 2:30pm. Prachi 12 noon Priya 7 p.m.

HINDI MOVIE The Attacks of 26/11

Inox Forum 9:10a.m 2:40p.m 8:15p.m 11:05p.m Inox City Centre 12:30p.m 4:00p.m 8:50p.m 11:15p.m Inox Swabhumi 9:30a.m 2:05p.m 7:50p.m 10:20p.m Inox Rajarhat 9:15a.m

Renaissance of India and the World

The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture & Indian Council for Cultural Relations present Renaissance of India and the World: Life and Mission of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami

Vegetarian Food Festival

Monday, March 4th, 2013 12 pm to 3 pm Oh Calcutta, Forum Shopping Mall, 10/3, Elgin Road Experience a rare festival where fresh greens, stalks, peels and flowers intermingle with freshly grounded spices, in the traditional Bengali style, to create inexhaustible flavours.

TENDER

Final Mission
Minar, Bijoli, Chhabighar 3 p.m., 5.45 p.m., 8.30 p.m.

Flavour of the Month

Monday, March 4th, 2013 12 pm to 3 pm Gelato Italiano, City Centre - Salt Lake, DC Block, Sector-1 Treat your senses to this delectable combination of rich crema, butterscotch essence and chocolate. Garnished with chunks of rich chocolate and crunchy nuts, this perfect indulgence will delight your taste buds.

Nos. 127 128 129 130 137 138 210 231 234 236 237 238 242 244 245 247 248 249 250 251 252 267 268 271 273 283 284 293 294 296 299

A still from The Attacks of 26/11 showing at Inox, Fame, HDIL Broadways, Big Cinemas, Ashoka, Basusree, Navina, Priya, Roxy and others

Specific portion of the plot Eastern Eastern Southern Southern Western Western Mid. Portion Southern South Eastern Ent. except NW Cor. Southern SE. Corner. Southern SE. Comer. Ent. except NW Cor. Ent. Ex. S. East Cor. Mid. Portion Mid. Portion Mid. Portion NW Corner Northern NW Corner Northern Eastern Eastern Eastern Eastern Eastern Eastern Eastern Ent. Exc. NW Cor.

Area in Acres Hectares 0.600 0.24282 0.200 0.08094 0.070 0.02833 0.040 0.01619 0.080 0.03238 0.420 0.16997 0.050 0.02024 0.030 0.01214 1.240 0.50183 0.160 0.06475 0.150 0.020 0.240 0.140 0.740 0.280 0.630 0.470 0.420 0.080 0.440 0.040 0.370 0.380 0.280 0.810 0.550 0.180 0.330 0.560 0.140 0.06071 0.00809 0.09713 0.05666 0.29948 0.11332 0.25496 0.19021 0.16997 0.03238 0.17807 0.01619 0.14974 0.15379 0.11332 0.32781 0.22259 0.07285 0.13355 0.22663 0.05666

R.S. Plot

Nos. 300 311 313 314 315 317 319 348 349 386 388 389 390 393 395 399 401 403 404 405 406 410 411 412 413 414 415 419 420 430 431 395/ 508

Specific portion of the plot Eastern Ent. Ex.SE. Cor. Western Western Western Western Northern NW Corner NW Corner NW Corner Northern NW Portion NW Portion NW Corner NW Corner Ent. Ex.SE. Cor. Ent. Ex.SE. Cor. Northern Northern Northern Northern Ent. Ex. SE. Cor. Ent. Ex. SE. Cor. Ent. Ex. NW Ent. Ex. NW Southern SE. Corner. NW Portion NW Portion NW Corner NW Corner Ent. Ex. SE Cor.

Area in Acres Hectares 0.070 0.02833 0.120 0.04856 0.200 0.08094 0.330 0.13355 0.180 0.07285 0.990 0.40065 0.960 0.38851 0.220 0.08903 0.040 0.01619 0.010 0.00405 0.050 0.02024 0.070 0.02833 0.250 0.10118 0.030 0.01214 0.030 0.01214 0.210 0.08499 0.140 0.05666 0.170 0.0688 0.130 0.05261 0.290 0.11736 0.280 0.11332 0.250 0.10118 0.230 0.09308 0.140 0.05666 0.100 0.04047 0.050 0.02024 0.010 0.00405 0.200 0.08094 0.200 0.08094 0.010 0.00405 0.010 0.00405 0.100 0.04047

By the Order of the Governor, Surendra Gupta, District Magistrate & Collector, Paschim Medinipur, Joint Secretary, (Ex-Officio), L. & L.R. Department, Government of West Bengal.

C M Y K