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8 Pages Rs: 1.00 Jammu Edition www.thestudentage.com

STUdenT aGe
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013

JKENG/2012/41612 Vol. 2 No: 65

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IAEA CHIEF TO VISIT INDIA TODAY

MODI BUZZWORD ACROSS THE WORLD

Iran expresses resolve to complete gas pipeline

Police Public Mela on March 17, Rajendra finalizes arrangements
JAMMU, MAR 11: Arrangements for day long 22nd Police Public Mela, being held in Jammu, were finalized at a high level police officers meeting held at Police Headquarters (PHQ), here this afternoon. The meeting was chaired by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), K. Rajendra Kumar. Addressing the meeting, Rajendra briefed the participants that Police Public Mela was scheduled on February 24, but due to unfavourable weather the event was deferred and would now be held on March 17, 2013 at Police Sports Stadium Gulshan Ground. He disclosed that the Mela would be inaugurated at 10 a.m. and raffle draw for 5606 fabulous prizes would be held at 4 p.m. in presence of the public. He said that all required arrangements have been put in place for the grand event and the stall holders from across the state would be reaching here to establish more than 38 stalls. Seeking reports from the committees constituted for making required arrangements, Rajendra stressed upon the organizers to make the event a success. He said that the event, being contd on page 2

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IN BRIEF
Nearly 4,000 ultras still living across border: J-K Govt
JAMMU: Nearly 4,000 Kashmiri militants are still living across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). "Reportedly around 3,974 ultras are still living in PoK and Pakistan (across the border)", Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a written reply to the question of member Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta in the Legislative Assembly today.

In Bollywood style rape accused escapes in Govt chopper, arrested

JAMMU: In what could be termed as a perfect script for a Bollywood movie, a rape accused attempted to escape in a VVIP helicopter from Rajouri Town on Monday to evade his arrest. Mercifully, he was apprehended before he could make good his escape. Sources said Mohammad Pervez of Thanda Pani in Manjakote area managed to evade his arrest by the Rajouri Police by boarding a chopper that was carrying the people injured in an accident on March 8 to Jammu. "The matter is being investigated," a senior police officer said adding that chief minister Omar Abdullah had ordered an inquiry into the matter too. "A case against FIR number 18/2013 in Manjakote Police Station stands registered under relevant sections," sources said. Pervez was charged with rape of a woman at Kakora in Manjakote area on Friday. Sources said that he pretended to be an accident victim of March 8 in which 15 people were killed and over a dozen injured. The injured were being moved to Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) Jammu in a helicopter for specialized treatment. Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) RajouriPoonch range, Danish Rana when contacted on phone said that the rape accused managed to board the helicopter along with the seriously injured because his face was covered with bandages. "While committing criminal assault on the girl, he perhaps got some injuries on his face. He got the first aid (bandage) at Rajouri hospital. That enabled him to disguise himself." While not ruling out the possibility of involvement of the hospital staff for getting him enlisted in the accident file, he said, "His name was in the injured list and thus he too was airlifted to Jammu along with the accident victims." Since Pervez was not one of the accident victims, he sneaked out of the GMCH and went back to Rajouri. As soon as his absence was noticed, police launched a search hunt for him. He was arrested last night at Thandapani Manjakote of Rajouri. The DIG said that the rape case against Pervez was under investigation.

Govt soon to implement Bloeria Commission report: Sagar

JAMMU, MAR 11: Ali Mohammad sagar, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has said that Bloeria Commission Report for creation of new administrative units which also includes setting up of new blocks in the State is under examination by the Revenue Department adding that after receiving the report from the Revenue Department, the Government would implement the recommendations of the Commission. He hoped that these recommendations would be implemented this year. Replying to the supplementaries raised by several members on the main ques-

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20 TDAs set up for promoting tourism: Jora

JAMMU: Replying on the behalf of Tourism Minister to a question by Vijay Bakaya, the Minister for Urban Development, Nawang Rigzin Jora said that 20 Tourism Development Authorities (TDAs) have been set up for promotion of tourism sector in the State. He said the CEOs of the authority have been asked to maintain the tourist arrival figures in area of their jurisdictions.

tion by Abdul Gani Malik today in the House, the Rural Development Minister said that Government has already regularized 22 additional blocks in the State. He however, said that the contd on page 2

Pepper gas issue: PDP stages walkout

JAMMU: Contesting the claims of the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah that while dealing with protestors, Government was using nonlethal weapons to avoid maximum injuries to protestors, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that only heartless people can claim this as the reality is that pepper gas is being used widely all across Kashmir. Mehbooba while talking to reporters said that way these Pellet Guns and pepper Gas was brought into use, it was completely inhuman and those who value human lives will certainly term it as antipeople. "Everyone saw the photograph of a boy published in a newspaper that was bearing pellet Gun injuries. He was badly wounded. Last time an old lady died due to inhalation of pepper gas. Is it justified? People are complaining of breathing problems, nasal bleedings, what kind of justice it is? We can't bail out government on this sensitive issue," she said. When asked why did her party often resorts to disrupt the proceedings inside the House contd on page 2

JK roads turning into killer roads

13,353 road accidents claim 2885 lives in two years

ADITYA SINGH RANA JAMMU, MARCH11: With the number of road accidents ever on increase in the State despite the assurances of the government that it is serious to bring down their rising graph statistics tell an entirely different story. During the last two years if we believe the government records 13,353 road accidents in the State have claimed two thousand two hundred and eighty five lives. These gruesome statistics point to an average of about four persons getting killed every day. The loss of innocent lives in road accidents has made the roads of the State second after Nagaland when it comes to bloodletting in the traffic accidents. Despite repeated assurances of the government that they are serious to control the over loading and over speeding which result in majority of deaths on the roads of the State nothing seems to be working in this regard. The government is claiming that it has introduced strong measures like cancellation of driving licences of the habitual offenders of traffic rules and of registering criminal cases under section 304 and section 307 against drivers found indulging in repeat over loading. But the resolve of the government does not cut much ice with the common masses who believe that the government at the time accidents issues sympathetic statements and releases exgratia in favour of victims and thereafter it goes again into sleeping mode and does nothing except waiting for another road accident to occur. In the Budhal accident in which fifteen lives were lost including those of four children, it was found that the vehicle had a capacity but was carrying 39 passengers. The vehicle was challenged 25 times and despite the fact that the Traffic Department had written to RTO to cancel the road permit of the said vehicle it was being allowed to ply on the roads. The Traffic Department was made to act when Apex Court intervened and a drive was launched against violators of traffic contd on page 2

PoK resident found dead

SRINAGAR: A resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was found dead in a river along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, police said on Monday. Body of PoK resident Mohammad Ali Mir was fished out from river Kishan Ganga at Liukakar in Teetwal area of Keran sector, a police spokesman said. He said as per the preliminary investigations, Mir was a resident of Bandi village of Atmaqam tehsil in Neelam district of POK. contd on page 2

Schools reopen in Kashmir after winter vacation

SRINAGAR: Schools in Kashmir reopened on Monday after over three months of long winter vacation. Dressed in their uniforms, the students resumed schooling today after three months and 10 days of vacations. Schools in the valley close in December every year for winter vacation and reopen on March one next year. However, the vacations were extended two weeks ago as authorities felt that the weather contd on page 2

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir government has released 1,811 persons involved in cases of stonepelting in the Valley during 2010 summer unrest under its amnesty scheme, but said it will not be extended to those involved in arson and damage to public property during the period. "The amnesty will not be extended to those who were involved in arson and damage of public property (in 2010 summer unrest) in Kashmir Valley," chief minister Omar Abdullah said in a

1811 stone pelters released in Delhi rape accused commits suicide, family cries murder J&K, no blanket amnesty: Govt Shinde calls it security lapse
written reply in the assembly on Monday. After the announcement of the scheme on April 12 last year, amnesty has been granted to 1,811 stone pelters involved in 230 cases of stone pelting incidents, he said. The government has decided to take lenient view of those involved in stone pelting for the first time and also those who are not directly involved in various cases, he said. He said the scheme envisages amnesty to all those involved in stone pelting incidents during summer unrest in Kashmir Valley from March 2010. The amnesty policy was announced in the run up to Eid festival during holy month of Ramdan, he said. The scheme was introduced to to facilitate youths to pursue higher education and jobs and their involvement in these cases may not affect adversely in verification for obtaining passport, service verifications and loans for education and jobs, he said. contd on page 2 NEW DELHI: Ram Singh, one of the prime accused in the horrendous Delhi gang rape-cum-murder case, allegedly committed suicide in a high-security cell in Tihar Jail early on Monday morning, raising questions over monitoring of under-trials. Significantly 33-year-old Ram Singh, who has a slight deformity in his right hand after an accident, hanged himself from the grill of his cell in jail No.3 using his clothes, jail officials said. The news of his death immediately triggered

U
demands from his lawyers and family for a CBI probe. They alleged that he was murdered inside the jail and refused to believe that he could have committed suicide. Forensic experts have visited the jail premises to collect samples. Singh was under depression for the past couple of days and on

nion Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday said that rape accused Ram Singh's death under mysterious circumstances was a major security lapse but he refused to reveal further details as a magisterial probe is underway. "It is a major lapse in security, certainly it is not a small incident. Action will be taken," home minister Sushilkumar Shinde told a press conference contd on page 2 suspicious circumstances, Delhi government ordered an inquiry by a metropolitan magistrate. "Singh was not alone contd on page 2

Sunday evening, he even did not have food, jail sources said, a claim contested by his lawyers. Since it was a death under

Cabinet to take up Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill today

NEW DELHI,MAR 11: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, which proposes jail term to a rape convict for his entire life, will be taken up at a special meeting of the Union Cabinet on Tuesday. The Union Home Minister, Mr. Sushilkumar Shinde told this to reporters in New Delhi on Monday. Dismissing reports of any differences in the Cabinet over the bill, he said there is difference of opinion on legal points, which is being addressed. The fresh bill will replace the ordinance on crimes contd on page 2

Pakistan-Iran gas link a reality despite US disapproval

CHAHBAHAR, IRAN: Pakistan's President is traveling to Iran on Monday for a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a controversial pipeline to bring natural gas from Iran despite American opposition to the project. The Iran-Pakistan pipeline is intended to help Pakistan overcome its mushrooming energy needs at a time when the country is facing increased blackouts and energy shortages. But there are serious doubts about how Pakistan could finance the $1.5 billion needed to construct the pipeline and whether it could go through with the project without facing US sanctions, which Washington has put in place to pressure Iran over its nuclear program. Monday's ceremony comes just days before the government's term is set to expire and could be designed to win votes by making the ruling Pakistan People's Party look like it's addressing the energy crisis. It also allows the government to thumb its nose at the United States, which is widely unpopular in Pakistan despite billions of dollars in military and civilian aid. The US has opposed the project, instead promoting an alternative pipeline that runs from the gas fields of Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and then to India. The US has also championed a number of electricity-generation projects within Pakistan such as helping renovate hydropower dams. Iran says it has already finished its side of the pipeline which travels 1,150 kilometers (715 miles) from the gas fields to the IranPakistan border, where the ceremony will be held Monday. The Pakistan segment of the pipeline is expected to be about 780 kilometers (485 miles). Gas is supposed to start flowing in by the end of 2014, although few see that deadline as realistic considering the delays so far in the project. The US has repeatedly raised questions about the project. "If this deal is finalized for a proposed IranPakistan pipeline, it would raise serious concerns under our Iran Sanctions Act. We've made that absolutely clear to our Pakistani counterparts," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland contd on page 2

No one can deny Modi's Akhilesh launches free laptop popularity: Rajnath scheme for students
KOLKATA: Amid growing popularity within the BJP over naming Narendra Modi as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 general election, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Monday evaded a direct answer and said that none could deny the popularity of the Gujarat Chief Minister. "It will be decided by the central parliamentary board. I can't say anything as of now. But one thing is for sure, no one can deny the popularity of Narendra Modi," Singh said when asked whether Modi will be the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha elections. A few days ago BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said that Modi was one of the eight top BJP leaders who could be the party's prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls. contd on page 2 LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched free laptop scheme for intermediate pass students as promised in the manifesto during assembly elections last year. "There is no difference in the words and act of Samajwadi Party. We made efforts to fulfill our promises within a year," Yadav said while launching the scheme at a function here. He said when the project was being prepared; people said it would not take off. "Nobody expected from SP that it will talk about English and laptop, but the party realised the change and took an initiative," he said. "It is true that a number of people were waiting for the scheme. Opposition parties were waiting for it, but students and youths were waiting for it more eagerly," he said. Samajwadi Party in its manifesto had promised to distribute free laptops to all intermediate students. "Laptop and internet has change everything, whether it is government functioning or contd on page 2

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Organization. Children's participation in different games and painting competition would be a special attraction in the event, said the ADGP. Bumper prize has also attracted the people to purchase raffle draw tickets which have already been put for sale at different prominent places across the state, said the ADGP. Adding that special counters for sale of raffle draw tickets would be opened at the venue on Mela day, he stressed for sale of quality products on reasonable rates and rate lists displayed at each stall. He said that the children participating in the competitions would be provided refreshments. Expressing his satisfaction over the arrangements made, the ADGP stressed for making all required efforts to ensure security in and around the venue. He also discussed other arrangements related to traffic, parking of vehicles, sanitations, availability of drinking water, police bandubast. He emphasised upon the management committees for close coordination and ensure people's participation convenient. Earlier, AIG (Welfare) PHQ, Ranjit Singh Samyal, briefed the meeting about efforts made for the Mela. He said that the raffle draw tickets were put on sale at various prominent places, police establishments across the state and the people have shown great interest in purchase of these tickets. Computerizations of the counterfoils have been completed and the records updated. Among others, the meeting was attended by ADsGP, Dr. Ram Lubhaya, and Navin Agarwal, IsGP, V K Singh, Dilbag Singh, Owais Ahmed, Dr. B Srinivas, H K Lohia, Deepak Kumar, A G Mir, M Sulaiman Salaria, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Dr. K K Saini, Alok Puri and Muneer Ahmed Khan DIsGP, S S Khandre, T Punchok, S L Sharma, J P Singh, R P Resutra and Shakeel Ahmed Beig and other police officers. tration could not protect the under trial and demanded an inquiry. Former Tihar director general Kiran Bedi said only an inquiry will tell under what special watch was he and what happened to that watch. "How did this man give this watch a slip? I think we need to wait for the inquiry," she said. "It will be a tricky situation for the PML-N," said Yasar.

2
No one can deny...
Modi had grabbed the limelight at the party's recent National Council Meet with Singh lauding him for three consecutive victories in the Assembly polls. Singh also dubbed rumours of BJP veteran LK Advani being kept out of important decisions of the party, as hypothetical and baseless. "As far as Advaniji is concerned, he is the seniormost leader of our party. He is not only our leader, but also our guide (Margdarshak)," Singh said. "And, I can say one thing, Advaniji's contribution in taking the BJP to a national level cannot be forgotten. So these rumours of Advaniji being kept out of the decision making body is totally hypothetical and baseless," Singh added.

Contd. from page 1...

PoK resident....
"The matter has been taken up with concerned authorities (in PoK) for further disposal of the body," the spokesman added.

Afghan actor killed in NATO air strike

MOSCO: Prominent Afghan actor Nazar Mohammad Majnonyar Helmandi who starred in more than a dozen films has been killed in a NATO air strike in Afghanistan. Helmandi was killed along with three militants who had seized the movie star on suspicion of spying for the government in Helmand province, his brother Dilawar told Afghan News. Helmandi had gone to Khoskabi on the outskirts of Lashkargah to inquire after his ailing sister when he was captured by the armed rebels, he said. The militants were interrogating Helmandi when the NATO air strike took place, killing the actor and the rebels. Dilawar identified his brother's body which was mutilated beyond recognition. Police confirmed the air strike, saying a rebel commander, Mohammad Alam, was among those killed. Helmandi's movies highlighted the struggle against drug trafficking and terrorism in the country.

Schools reopen in ...

conditions were not conducive for students to attend schools. There was apprehension that Majlis Mashawarat (Consultative Committee), an amalgamation of separatist outfits, will call for general strike today, thereby affecting the reopening of the schools. The Majlis, which is spearheading the campaign for return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru and JKLF founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat to their families, issued its weekly agitation programme today which called for a general strike on Wednesday. Guru and Bhat were hanged and buried inside Tihar jail on February 9, 2013 and February 11, 1984. The separatists groups had come in for sharp criticism for calling frequent strikes and protests during 2010 summer agitation in the valley, which had badly affected the schooling of the students.

Shinde calls it....

in the capital. "I cannot come to the conclusion at this moment whether it is a suicide or not before inquiry, he said. Earlier in the day, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit also met home minister Sushilkumar Shinde to discuss the incident. Ram Singh, main accused in the horrific gang-rape case of 23-year-old physiotherapy student on December 16, 2012 which caused massive nationwide outrage, allegedly committed suicide in a highsecurity cell in Tihar Jail early on Monday morning, raising questions over monitoring of undertrials. Significantly 33-year-old Ram Singh, who had a slight deformity in his right hand after an accident, hanged himself from the grill of his cell in jail No.3 using his clothes, jail officials said. "Singh was not alone in the cell when he committed suicide. Other inmates were present and a guard was also posted. But nobody came to know about it. Around 5am, he was found hanging," a senior jail official said. Prone to violent behaviour and mood swings, he had suicidal tendencies and was under "suicide watch," he said. Singh, who was to be produced before court for its daily hearing, was rushed to the jail hospital where he was declared brought dead. His body was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for post mortem. The news of his death immediately triggered demands from his lawyers and family for a CBI probe. They alleged that he was murdered inside the jail and refused to believe that he could have committed suicide. "There were no circumstances which could have led to Ram Singh committing suicide. There was no mental stress. He was very happy," his lawyer VK Anand said. Lawyers for the defendants had previously accused police of beating confessions out of the men.

Akhilesh launches free....

field of education. We want that tomorrow the world should not say that we have not done internetbased progressive education," he said. "Through internet, the children will enter a new world and get the benefit of progressive education," Yadav said. He said more than the beneficiaries, SP government was happy with the implementation of the scheme. The manifesto is the most important document of any party, he said. "One party never prepared the manifesto (for assembly elections). There is one which backtrack from its promises. There is no difference in the words and act of SP," he said. Yadav said his party had never levelled allegation against anyone in case of mishaps or tragedies and alleged there were people who try to take political advantage of an incident. "If there was a riot, we made efforts to take action against the people responsible. If there was a stampede, we never level allegation on anyone, but think that how people were taken to a safe place," he said. He alleged that unemployment had increased due to wrong policies of the previous government and said his government was trying to create new opportunities to increase investment.

Cabinet to take up ....

against women promulgated last month which had prescribed life imprisonment as the maximum punishment for those committing rape. It will also replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 introduced in the Lok Sabha in December last.

Govt soon to implement...

recommendations of Bloeria Commission for creation of new blocks in the State would be implemented after approval of Cabinet. The Minister informed the House that at present there are 63 NES blocks having more than 30 Panchayats. Abdul Haq, G. M Saroori, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Prof Garu Ram, Javid Ahmed Dar, Yashpul Kundal, Jugal Kishore, A. R. Veeri, Ch. Zulfikar Ali, Syed Bashir Ahmed and Aijaz Ahmed Jan raised supplementaries on the main question and demanded early implementation of Bloeria Commission Report for establishment of new blocks in their constituencies.

Delhi rape accused....

in the cell when he committed suicide. Other inmates were present and a guard was also posted. But nobody came to know about it. Around 5am, he was found hanging," a senior jail official said. Prone to violent behaviour and mood swings, he had suicidal tendencies and was under "suicide watch," he said. Singh, who was to be produced before court for its daily hearing, was rushed to the jail hospital where he was declared brought dead. His body will be taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for post mortem. "There is already an inquiry which has been ordered by Tihar Jail on suicide of the main accused. We are enquiring into the matter," R P N Singh, minister of state for home affairs, said. The girl was raped in the bus by him and his five associates, including a minor, in south Delhi after brutally beating her and also her male friend. The girl died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. Singh, who was arrested a day after the incident, was the driver of the bus in which the girl was raped. His brother Mukesh was driving the bus when the girl was sexually assaulted allegedly by them. All the adult accused, charged with murder and gangrape, face punishment up to death. The other four accused came to the Saket court where lawyers are on strike. M L Sharma, a lawyer claiming to appear for Singh, had moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case out of Delhi on grounds that the trial would be vitiated in the capital. The court rejected it. Singh's lawyer V K Anand said after the death that again they would move the Supreme Court for shifting the trial from Delhi as they feel that the accused are not safe here. In a related development, the court hearing the case was informed about Singh's death. Additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna ordered that an inquiry be held into it. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit met Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde in the wake of the alleged suicide by a December 16 gang rape case accused. "A magisterial inquiry has already been ordered. Till the report comes, it will be difficult to comment on the issue. Let the autopsy report come, things will be clear," Dikshit said. Singh's family alleged that he was murdered and demanded a CBI probe into the incident. "He has not committed suicide. He has been murdered and then hanged. I am saying this on the basis of the fact that evidences has been erased. He could not move his hand as it have fractures. "I am also demanding that the post mortem be held in front of me," he said. Reacting to the incident, the girl's family said they were "surprised but not saddened" by the suicide and is waiting for the four others to be sent to the gallows. "We are surprised at the suicide but we are not sad. He would have been hanged even otherwise. We wanted him to be hanged publicly. He might have hanged because of shame. Now we are waiting for the four others to be sent to gallows," he said. Lawyers appearing for Singh and four others said "there is some foul play" behind the death. "There is some foul play. He cannot commit suicide. He is not such a person that he can commit suicide. He was very happy with the way the trial was going on," advocate V K Anand, who represents Singh and his brother Mukesh, alleged. Lawyer A P Singh, appearing for Vinay Sharma and Akshay Singh, said that Ram Singh was "killed by jail authorities" and that Tihar is no longer safe for undertrials. M L Sharma, who appeared for Singh initially, also alleged that Singh was killed by police. Mamata Sharma, National Women's Commission chairperson, raised questions about the functioning of Tihar Jail, saying it was "shocking" that the adminis-

India likely to test new missile

BHUBANESWAR: India may conduct the maiden test of a missile off the Odisha coast Tuesday, defence sources said Monday. Preparations were underway for the test of the subsonic, medium range Nirbhay (fearless) cruise missile from the integrated test range at Chandipur on sea in Balasore district, 230 km from here. The missile is considered to be similar to the US Tomahawk, which can fly like an aircraft and is capable of travelling up to 1,000 km, the sources told media

Govt. committed to protect life, property of people: Saifullah

JAMMU, MARCH11: Taking serious notice of the apprehensions expressed by some members in the Legislative Assembly, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah today said the Government has already directed the law enforcing agencies to be cautious while dealing with people in maintaining law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley. He added that these agencies have also been advised not to use such substances while controlling situations which are harmful to their health. Yesterday and today many members had raised the issue of prevailing situation in the Valley in the House. Cautioning people of valley against paying heed to the forces trying to exploit the situation for their petty political interests, the Minister said that these people are not peace lovers who always exploit the situation for their own benefit.Mir Saifullah said that imposition of restrictions in the Kashmir Valley was done out of compulsions to avert any untoward incident and it was not aimed to cause trouble to the common people. Appealing the people for not paying heed to those who are hell bent to disturb peace in the state, Mir Saifullah sought their cooperation in maintaining law and order for the peace and prosperity of the State.

Pepper gas....
while it has to raise issues pertaining to public, she replied that when our Chief Minister is claiming that he is helpless and cannot do anything, then how can we say that the issues raised by opposition will bear any fruit. "Government is helpless. Chief Minister is helpless. Now you can itself realize that in such circumstances what Opposition can do," she said. Mehbooba Mufti said that healing touch policy of PDP had done wonders during its tenure in bringing down cases of violence in the state and this coalition government has failed on all fronts. While blaming coalition government for ruling Kashmir gun point, she said that Omar Abdullah does not deserve to be in chair any more as its biggest failure was its own self imposed Curfew. Asserted the need of pushing Army back to borders, she said that it was the real time to revoke AFSPA. Referring to Shindhe's denial of receiving any formal letter from Omar Abdullah demanding AFSPA revocation from Kashmir, She blamed National Conference for using AFSPA revocation slogan only for diverting the attention of people from other serious issues and said it was actually never serious in revoking AFSPA from Kashmir. Meanwhile in the Legislative Council MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga and Mohammad Amin Bhat also urged to the government stop using these weapons while dealing with protestors. Senior Congress leader and MLC, Ghulam Nabi Monga said that people in Kashmir were badly suffering due to the use of such weapons. "The concentration of the pepper gas in the air was becoming frequently the cause of nasal bleedings and breathing problems," he said.

Pakistan-Iran gas....
during a press briefing in Washington last week. Under American regulations, a wide-ranging list of business-related activities with Iran can trigger American sanctions. Certain sales of technology or equipment that allow Iran to develop its energy sector are barred, as are most transactions involving gasoline or other fuels, according to a January report by the Congressional Research Report. The regulations also bar business dealings with Iranian financial institutions. Possible penalties include barring the entity violating the sanctions from receiving American military equipment or making it essentially impossible to do business with American banks. Iran also faces separate European Union and UN sanctions over its controversial nuclear program, which the West believes is geared for building nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the charge, insisting the program is purely for peaceful purposes. Rhetoric aside, it remains to be seen whether Pakistan would ever actually face American sanctions. The PPP government led by President Asif Ali Zardari likely has only days left leading the country because new elections are expected to be called by the end of the week. "That timing is very important for the People's Party because they are building their campaign on this," said Hussain Yasar, a senior energy analyst at KASB Securities in Karachi. One of the chief complaints of Pakistanis with the current government is over the widespread blackouts that have only gotten worse since it took over five years ago. The government seems to be flouting its commitment to the pipeline as a way to prove it is committed to solving the energy crisis despite its track record, and has emphasized that it is going forward with the project in the face of US opposition. Speaking on Monday morning before the president and his entourage left for Iran, a presidential spokesman said the project will have a huge economic impact on Pakistan. "We hope our friends understand our energy needs," said Farhatullah Babar in a veiled reference to the US. One of the biggest challenges for cashstrapped Pakistan is how to come up with the money needed to build the pipeline. With few countries willing to court American ire by financing the project, Iran has reportedly given Pakistan a $500 million loan to build part of it. Babar would not confirm the loan but said Iran has provided assurances that its company will build the pipeline on the Pakistani side. The Pakistanis have said they will finance the rest of the project - roughly $1 billion - through an additional fee added to customers' bills, but that is a tough proposition considering how few Pakistanis actually pay for electricity. It's unclear whether Pakistan's commitment to the project will continue if the ruling party loses the upcoming election. The PPP's main contender is the Pakistan Muslim League-N, headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who spent years living in exile Saudi Arabia. The oil-rich gulf kingdom, a Sunni Muslim country with deep suspicion of Iran's Shiite Muslim rulers, is believed to also be adamantly opposed to any deal that would benefit Iran.

Oil prices down in Asia

NEW DELHI, MAR 11: Oil prices were down in Asia today. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April eased 26 cents to 91 dollars 69 cents a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for April dipped 41 cents to 110 dollars 42 cents in late morning Asian trade.

PCI issues guidelines for overseas employment advertisements

JAMMU, MARCH 11: The Press Council of India (PCI) has issued a set of guidelines to regulate the manner and procedure to be followed by the companies for advertising the overseas vacancies in the Newspapers. The guidelines have been issued to keep a check on the unauthorized foreign employers and recruiting agents. As per PCI guidelines, such advertisements should contain registration certificate number/ Permit number (of Employer), full address with Telephone number (these could be given in addition to the full address but not as the mode of communication). Further, the advertisement must contain the name of the employer, his central registration number, telephone number and e-mail ID, along with the name of destination country, while no fee towards processing application or for any other purpose shall be charged from the applicant. The advertisement is also required to contain number of vacancies, posts in each category and also the salary offered to each category of Job.

ADMISSION BOOKING 2013

12th Pass or 12th Class studying students who are interested in Engg. / Medical fields are informed to get their seats booked in reputed colleges of Northern India under Management seats without any donation securing 50% marks in Phy, Chem, Maths/Bio for the following courses, M.D.S, B.D.S, M. Tech, B. Tech, B. Sc Nursing, B. Pharmacy, Diploma in all streams G.N.M, M.Ed, B.Ed, MBA, LLB, Hotel Management, MCA, BBA etc.

13,353 road accidents....

rules especially using black films. It is pertinent to mention here that the Traffic Department is woefully short of staff with only 1231 officers and other ranks entrusted with the responsibility of managing road traffic in the State. The government has decided to create 1496 post in the Traffic department in three phases. In first phase 633 posts were created and a proposal for the creation of 431 posts is under active consideration of the government. But whether these measures will bear fruit only future will tell. But for now the roads in the State will have the dubious distinction of being killer roads and unfortunately there is no stop in sight for the continuous bloodletting on the roads of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

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220 Polygreen houses distributed in Bandipora

BANDIPORA, MARCH 11: As many as 220 structures of Polygreen houses with a subsidy component of Rs. 19.80 lakh have been provided to the farmers under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in Bandipora district so for during the current fiscal. This was stated by the Chief Agriculture Officer, Bandipora during an officers meeting here today. He said that these Polygreen houses are being provided to the desirous farmers for which they have to deposit only Rs. 6000, while as a subsidy component of Rs. 9000 each is being provided by the Agriculture department. He said that these structures are available with the department for those farmers who want to grow vegetables round the year.

Police Public Mela....

organized by Jammu and Kashmir Police Wives Welfare Association (JKPWWA) is one of the grand events of the Organization in which people from all walks of life are participating. The Mela has assumed importance bringing police and public closer. People's large participation has encouraged the Organization to conduct the event regularly in the twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu, he added. Products of different regions of the state are put on sale for the general public at the stalls established by different units of the

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Inspects different sections, visits Media Centre
queries raised by the legislators in the House on important issues pertaining to their respective areas. Gul announced that a Grievance Cell will be constituted in the Assembly Secretariat soon to facilitate the general public in raising public interest issues. He said it will also help to register the Petitions before the Petitions Committee of the Assembly Secretariat. Threadbare discussion was held on rent balance and recoveries made during last year, details of employees deputed at the two MLA hostels, issues of promotions and vacancies. Later, the Speaker went around various sections of the Assembly complex and enquired about the nature of their working besides taking stock of the problems being faced by the employees. During inspection to medical camps established by the Health Department and Indian System of Medicines, the Speaker was informed that sufficient stock of medicines was available in these camps. He asked the concerned to organize free medical camps in the main hall of Legislature Complex in April. While inspecting the Library section, the Secretary, Legislative Assembly, M. Ramzan briefed the Speaker about its functioning. He informed that 18542 English and 7600 Urdu and Hindi text books are presently available in the Library. At Photostat branch, Gul directed the concerned to maintain stock register properly. The Speaker also visited the Media Centre established in the Assembly by the Information Department. He interacted with the officers and officials and expressed satisfaction over the timely dissemination of news about Assembly proceedings to the media. He assured all facilities to the Media Centre in the discharge of its activities. The other branches inspected by the Speaker included Account Section, Stock and Store, AQ, Reporting, H&P, Administration and Legislation. Earlier, the Speaker convened a meeting with the officers of Health Department to review the functioning of health institutions located in Eidgah area of Srinagar. Threadbare discussion was held on physical status of Maternity Centre (MC) Noorbagh, Allopathic Dispensary (AD) Sangam and AD, Palpora, requirement of staff and funds to these institutions.

IG CRPF briefs Governor

JAMMU, MARCH 11 - A. P. Maheshwari, Inspector General, CRPF, Jammu, called on N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan, here today. During the meeting, Maheshwari briefed the Governor about the overall security situation in the area of his responsibility. The Governor discussed with Maheshwari several sensitive aspects of effective internal security management in J&K. This was Maheshwari's first meeting with the Governor after he recently took over as the IG, CRPF, Jammu. The Governor wished him a very successful tenure.

NEWS IN BOX

Speaker reviews functioning of Assembly Sectt

JAMMU, MARCH 11Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul today directed the officers of Assembly Secretariat to discharge their duties with utmost zeal and dedication ensuring timely distribution of business and other materials to the Members. The Speaker passed these instructions while chairing a meeting of officers to review the working of the Assembly Secretariat during the current budget session. The Speaker expressed satisfaction over the smooth running of the House and said that maximum public interest issues are being raised in the House and Government has been made accountable in replying the Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical Education M. K. Dwevidi briefed the Speaker about the present status of health institutions of Eidgah area. Gul asked the Commissioner to streamline the functioning of Maternity Centre, Noorbagh immediately so that the people of the area get benefited. He also asked the concerned to gear up their field functionaries and speed up the pace of construction work on all ongoing health related buildings and complete them in a time bound manner. The meeting was attended by the Project Director, NRHM Dr. Yash Paul Sharma and other concerned officers.

Ashok Sharma calls on Governor

JAMMU, MARCH 11 - Ashok Sharma, former Legislator, called on N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan here today and raised attention to several important development-oriented issues. Sharma stressed interalia the importance of the early establishment and empowerment of Panchayati Raj institutions in the State, speedy issuance of Kissan Credit Cards to the farmers, provision of crop and cattle insurance to off-set the losses of farmers caused due to natural calamities and issues relating to the effective implementation of MGNREGA and PMGSY schemes. Sharma also discussed with the Governor various matters relating to the measures which need to be taken for the resolution of the difficulties being faced by the public and issues relating to secure the growth of the State. Sharma thanked the Governor for taking keen interest in the effective implementation of the Special Scholarship Scheme launched by the Central Government to enable the youth of J&K to pursue higher studies and various professional courses outside the State so that the maximum number among them could benefit from this valuable scheme.

Guru Ravi Dass birth anniversary celebrations

Follow teachings of Guru ji for egalitarian society: Dy CM
JAMMU, MARCH 11 Underlining contributions of Guru Ravi Dass Ji in promoting an egalitarian society, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand said Guru Ji was preeminent saint of Bhakti movement in the country and gave message of love, compassion and devotion to supreme lord. He said teachings of Ravi Dass ji spread the message of universal brotherhood and equality. "Great saints through their teachings fought against the social evils and dogmas prevalent in the society and have shown the righteous way of living based on mutual co-existence, love and devotion to god," he added. He was addressing a huge gathering of devotees at Ravi Dass Mandir, Khour. The function was organized to celebrate birth anniversary of Guru ji. Calling upon civil society at large to follow the path shown by great saints, the Deputy Chief Minister said that real tribute to

Ramzan reviews functioning of Divisional, District Consumer Forums

JAMMU, MARCH 11: Government is serious about effective functioning of Divisional and District Level Consumer Forums set up in the State enabling the consumers seek redressal of their grievances. This was stated by Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD), Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, while chairing a joint meeting of officers of CA&PD, members of the State Commission for Consumer Affairs and Consumer Protection Associations convened to review the functioning of Divisional and District Level Consumer Fora's in the State. The Minister directed the Directors of CA&PD of both the divisions to assign the duties to the Joint Directors of their respective divisions to look after, exclusively, the consumer affairs in close coordination with the Divisional Level Consumer Forums. He also instructed them to ask the concerned Assistant Directors to coordinate with the District Level Consumer Forums so that the complaints of the consumers, if any, shall be redressed without inconvenience. Member, State Commission for Consumer Affairs, D. K. Kapoor, suggested measures for further streamlining the functioning of the Forums. He apprised the Minister of the problems being faced with regard to derth of staff, infrastructure, and adequate funds for the Forums and enhancement of honorarium to the concerned heads of the Forums. President Consumer Welfare Association, Vikram Ghour, suggested for intensifying of market checking so that the consumers are not cheated by black marketers and profiteers who just play with the lives of the innocent people mere for petty profits. "There must be a system in place to check the quality and quantity of all consumable products before they go to the people so that they donot buy poison with their own money", he maintained. Among others Secretary CA&PD Muhammad Abbas Dar, Director CA&PD Jammu Parvaiz Ahmad Malik, Director CA&PD Kashmir Mir Mushtaq Ahmad, Joint Director (Planning) CAPD Ishfaq Pakchiwal, President, District Consumer Forum Srinagar Shakti Gupta, Member District Consumer Association Jammu D. P. Khajuria and other senior officers attended the meeting.

3.7 kg cannabis recovered, two smugglers arrested

JAMMU: Two narcotic smugglers were arrested and 3.7 kgs of cannabis was recovered from their possession in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. During checking, police intercepted a SUV, which was on its way from Srinagar to Punjab, at Mansar in Samba district late last night, police said here today. During checking of the vehicle, 3.7 kgs of cannabis was recovered and smugglers identified as Mohammad Iqbal Dar and Ali Mohammad Gojri were arrested, they said, adding a case under NDPS Act was registered against them.

Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand addressing a huge gathering of devotees at Ravi Dass Mandir, Khour. the saints is to adopt their teachings in life and work for establishing an egalitarian society. He said saints besides preaching for a spiritual way of living, also taught for establishing a class less society in which all human beings are equal before the god and nobody is supreme by birth. Listing various social sector schemes launched by the government, Tara Chand said with the active support of central government a number of welfare schemes have been launched in the state, so as to provide succor to those living below poverty line. "The government is committed to ameliorate the lot of the marginalized and all our efforts are afoot to take the development revolution to all nooks and corners of the state," he added. Stressing on upgrading rural infrastructure, Tara Chand said that road network in the area would get boosted with the completion of up gradation work of both Jourian as well as Pallanwala roads. The progress of road upgradation project for both the roads had got delayed due to technical reasons which have been sorted out and soon the roads would be completed to desired specifications, he added. He said vital bridge project of connecting Khour with Pargwal area is under active consideration of the government and objections concerned with the project have been already been cleared, thus paying way for early start of work on the long pending demand of the people of the area.

Speaker directs Govt. to ensure correct, authentic info in the House

JAMMU, MARCH 11: Speaker, Mubarak Gul, today directed the Government to ensure that whatever information provided in the House in response to the questions raised by members is authentic, correct and to the point. The direction came soon after the Question Hour when a member complained that the reply he got to his question was not based on facts. Responding to the complaint, Gul asked the Government to enquire into it and punish the officers or officials who have provided wrong information to the House. He also directed that for future it must be ensured that whatever information or details are furnished on the floor of the House, it must be correct, authentic and based on facts.

Up-gradation of PHCs of Khalsi, Nyoma under consideration: Shabir

JAMMU, MARCH 11: Minister of state for Health, Shabir Ahmed Khan today informed the House that a proposal for upgradation of PHCs of Khalsi and Nyoma to the level of sub-district hospital is under consideration of the government. The Minister was replying to a question by Nurboo Gialchan in Legislative Council today. While replying to a supplementary, the Minister said that the creation of posts/ upgradation of the same have been taken up with the Planning Department in order to honour the commitments of various legislators and in this regard a comprehensive proposal will be made and sent to the concerned.

BJP termed demand of disbanding of VDCs by Kishtwar chief cleric as bluff snubs MOS Home
JAMMU MARCH 11: A day after chief cleric of Jamia Masjid Kishtwar Farooq Ahmed Kichloo raised pitch for sanctioning of Village Defense Committees (VDCs) in favour of Muslim youths and threaten agitation in case the government fail to do the same or to disband the already sanctioned VDCs/DDCs having majority of Hindu Community youths, senior BJP leader and member State executive body Sunil Sharma termed the demand of chief cleric as bluff and politically motivated. Mr. Sharma said that Imman Jamia Masjid Kishtwar is known for his association with Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo and National Conference and said that he (Farooq Ahmed Kichloo) was acting as an agent of MOS Home. He said that MOS Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo in order to gain the sympathies of Muslims and to regain its losing ground in Kishtwar constituency is using religious heads to achieve political mileage. He blamed NC and its associates for creating communal tension and hatred in Muslim dominated Chenab valley by giving unnecessary hype to VDC/DDC issue. He said that VDC/DDCs have played an important role in fighting militancy in Chenab region beside to protect the property and life of not only Hindu community but also that off Muslims who from time to time raise their voice against Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that demanding disbanding of VDCs/DDCs by Immam Jamia Masjid Kishtwar and subsequent adjustment of Muslim youths in VDCs/DDCs is unjustified and politically motivated. He said that any step taken by the MOS with respect to disbanding of VDCs/DDCs will lead to mass scale migration of Hindu community from the area and said that BJP will oppose any such move of state government with tooth and nail. He said that MOS Home instead of playing such tactics must take measures for regularization of VDCs/DDCs within the security setup. He said that many VDCs/DDCs/SPO personals sacrifice their lives for national cause while fighting militancy. Mr. Sharma said that in 2008, NC leadership of Kishtwar plays its part in creating communal clashes in Kishtwar in which innocent peoples lost their lives, beside property worth corers of rupees were reduce to ashes after rioters went on rampage in Kishtwar. He said that after 4 years of the incident, the reality of the 2008 Kishtwar communal clashes come to the fore exposing the role of NC. He said that large number of Muslims in Kishtwar District get dejected with NC leadership and are joining BJP in large number. He said that people of Kishtwar will give befitting reply to NC leadership in 2014 state election.

132 posts of Asstt storekeepers referred to SSRB: Ramzan

JAMMU: About 554 posts of storekeeper / senior assistants are vacant in the department in the CA&PD. The information was given by the Minister for CA&PD, Chowdhery Mohammad Ramazan while replying to a question by Ghulam Qadir Pardesi in the House today. He further informed the House that 132 vacancies of Assistant Storekeepers of Kashmir Division (direct quota) stand referred to J&K Service Selection Board for selection of suitable candidates and 34 more vacancies are being referred. He said the promotion quota vacancies shall be filled up as soon as the seniority dispute among the basic cadre of employees gets settled and cleared by the DPCs. The Minister further said that internal arrangement has made in the Depots where storekeepers are not available.

House concludes discussion on Budget

Members hail ban on gutka, tobacco products; demand discouraging wine, cigarette consumption
JAMMU, MARCH 11: Members cutting across party affiliations today appreciated the Finance Minister for proposing ban on tobacco products including gutka and demanded that consumption of wine and cigarettes within the State should also be discouraged. Continuing discussion on the Budget speech, M. Y. Tarigami said Agriculture and Horticulture are potential sectors responsible for boosting the State's economy to which he sought more attention. He advocated special package for farmers so that they can contribute towards State's economy. He has asked for lowering the interest rate on loans to the farmers to give further impetus to the agricultural activities. Tarigami demanded granting financial powers to PRIs, enhancement of remuneration to Panchs, SPOs, Numberdars and Chowkidars. He also demanded early conduct of Local Bodies elections and strengthening the PSC for expeditious filling of vacant posts in different departments. Mrs. Bimla Luthra while hailing the budget said that Government has done justice with the weaker sections of the society and women folk. Banning the sale and consumption of tobacco and Gutka is a landmark decision of the Government, she said. Ashwani Sharma sought special measures for the welfare of farming community, adding that majority of people are associated with this important sector and Government should announce a package to boost this sector. He advocated introduction of Crop Insurance Scheme to guard the interests of the farmers. He also hailed banning gutka and pan masala adding the sale and consumption of cigarettes and wine should also be discouraged which he said is spoiling the younger generation. While drawing the attention of the Government towards the plight of the people living in border areas, Ashwani said that a huge chunk of land has been acquired by the army for border fencing and they have not been paid any compensation for past many years. He urged the Government to expedite compensation to the affected farmers. Ashwani also called for addressing the issues of PoK/Pak displaced persons at the earliest. Jugal Kishore Sharma said that this will add to the woes of poor sections of the society. He sought lifting of VAT on Defense Canteen goods, regularization of daily wagers in various departments who have completed seven years. He also demanded ban on wine and restriction on issuing new wine licenses. Ch. Zulfikar Hussain described the budget as a directionless document and said that Government has no roadmap for checking the price rise on essential commodities. He suggested that Government should explore its own resources to generate revenues. He also advocated exploiting new tourist destinations to give impetus to the tourism activities. Javed Dar said that Finance Minister has taken care of all important sectors which have direct impact on the day to day life of the common man. He demanded early completion of under construction projects in rural areas. He sought adequate funds to upgrade the health infrastructure in rural areas. Javed called for effective implementation of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to give benefits to the farmers. He also urged for developing cold chain to enhance the sustainability of fresh fruits. He also advocated enhancing compensation to the militancy victims from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. Charanjeet Singh demanded early completion of Toll Plaza at Nagri on the pattern of Lakhanpur. He urged the Government to explore possibilities to develop hydro-electric projects and more industrial units in Kathua. He also called for removing bottlenecks coming in the way of starting the canal on Ravi Tawi to improve the irrigational facilities in Kathua. Harshdev Singh said Government has failed to minimize fiscal deficit gap and curbing unpredictable expenditure.

No proposal to shifting of Qazigund block office: Sagar

JAMMU:Replying to a question by Mohammad Amin Bhat, the Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar informed the House that the office building of Block Qazigund is situated at Qazi Mohalla the centre place of the block. He said there is no proposal to shift the building to any other place.

Rs. 4.3 lakh incurred on Naseem Bagh-Sheikh Bagh link road: Wani
JAMMU:Minister for R&B Abdul Majid Wani while replying to a question by Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah informed the House that Naseem Bagh-Sheikh Bagh link road in Budgam district has been developed up to BT status during financial year on which Rs. 4.30 lakh have incurred under non-plan maintenance. He said blacktopping shall be taken up in a next financial year after executing G-III settlement.

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Stresses high importance of encouraging meritorious students

JAMMU, MARCH 11 - N. N. Vohra, Governor Jammu and Kashmir, today emphasized the high importance of meritorious students being suitably encouraged and rewarded so that other boys and girls are inspired to put in their best efforts to achieve excellence in their chosen fields of learning. The Governor was interacting with Ms. Mimansha Choudhary, presently a 1st year student of B. A. History (Hons) at the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi, after he and Mrs. Usha Vohra, First Lady, felicitated her by presenting to her a Laptop at Raj Division. She was a student of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Mubarak Mandi, Jammu. Ms. Choudhary had her schooling in Jammu and was putting up with her maternal grandfather who, before his retirement, had worked in the office of CDA in Jammu. Ms. Mimansha was invited to the Raj Bhavan after she wrote to the Governor that she had stood first in the XII class examination last year and complained that no incentives are provided even to the toppers in J&K, unlike as in other States. The Governor has addressed Tara Chand, Deputy Chief Minister, who is the Minister for School Education, and forwarded to him Ms. Mimansha's letter, and stressed the importance of ensuring that the best students in the State, particularly the toppers in various examinations, are duly recognized and suitably encouraged to pursue higher studies, both within and outside the State. The Deputy Chief Minister has replied to inform the Governor that a policy in this regard shall be evolved expeditiously. Navin K. Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was present on the occasion.

Budget discussion in LC
Rana advocates opening of old trade routes
JAMMU: Divender Singh Rana while appreciating the budget presented in the House said that the initiatives taken by the Government for bridging the gap between income and expenditure is quite laudable. Mr Rana said that Finance Minister has taken utmost care of every sector, adding that per capita income in the state is better compared to the previous years', besides other parts of the country. He said payment of 6th pay commission arrears to the State Government employees has also been accommodated judiciously in the budget proposal. Regarding power scenario of the state, Mr Rana said that the initiatives taken by the present Government for improving and augmentation of the power generation in the State will yield far reaching and good results in near future. He asked all the members to rise out of politics and play their role in this direction so that a policy is evolved for overcoming this issue and need is to apply constructive approach while discussing the public issues. Seeking cooperation from all the members, Mr Rana said that time has come to take tough steps and hard decisions for bringing more improvement in the power sector. While appreciating efforts of the Government for proposing the remuneration for Panchayati Raj Representatives, Rana said that the same should be increased to Rs. 1000/-. He also called for opening up of different trade routes like Jammu-Sialkote, Mendher-Tatapani, Silk route so that the economy of the state gets a boost.

N. N. Vohra, Governor presenting Laptop to Mimansha Choudhary at Raj Bhavan,Jammu. Bhavan here today. Ms. Choudhary was accompanied by her grandparents when she was invited to the Raj Bhavan to be presented a Laptop as a token of encouragement and recognition of her outstanding academic achievement. She had scored 97.4% marks in the XII class in 2012 in the humanities stream and was the topper in the Jammu

Names of Non-StateSubjects deleted from electoral rolls: Dr. Manohar

JAMMU: Minister of State for Elections, Dr. Manohar Lal today informed the House that the complaints regarding reflection of nonstate-subjects in the electoral rolls is under investigation and action as warranted under rules will be initiated adding that in district Leh 12 non-state-subjects and in Jammu names of five persons in Gandhi Nagar constituency have been deleted after continuous updating of the lists. The Minister was replying to a question by Murtiza Ahmed Khan in the House today. While replying to a supplementary, the Minister said that the mechanism is already in place to file objections, corrections and shifting of names from one constituency to other with regard to the electoral rolls. The Minister of State for Revenue, Ajaz Ahmed Khan while intervening in the discussion informed the House that a State Subject Commission has already been constituted to check the veracity of the State Subjects and has put in the recommendations action on the same will be taken. Replying to another question by Naresh Gupta, the Minister announced that 781 Cooperative Societies are functioning in the state. He said JAKFED is an Apex level institution registered under the Cooperative Society Act adding that two Committees constituted by the Government to inquire into misappropriation/embezzlements have submitted their reports in 2000. He said a special audit of JAKFED was ordered for the period 1996-2001.

Mir flagged off Potato tuber trucks for narcotic areas

Says religious scholars can play an important role in eradicating the menace of Bhung cultivation
SRINAGAR, MARCH 11: Under Rashtriya Kissan Vikas Yojana (RKVY) new initiatives have been taken to convert the areas under narcotic cultivation in South Kashmir into vegetable growing areas for which 300 quintals of Certified Potato Seed Tubers were dispatched to these areas today. Trucks carrying the Potato Seeds were flagged off from Lal Mandi by Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Ghulam Hassan Mir. On this occasion, the Minister directed the officers of department to go for door to door awareness of the said programme to involving people to propagate utility of the programme, so that the cultivation of Bhung is eradicated. He said that religious scholars can play an important role in eradicating the menace of

Employment Fair to be held at GHSS Bijbehara

Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir flagging off Potato tuber trucks for narcotic areas at Srinagar. Bung cultivation. Director Agriculture Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Lone informed that under RKVY during current year Rs. 45 lakhs have been allocated for the said purpose. He said that under the scheme in first phase Potato Seed is being distributed free of cost among farmers of narcotic areas being short duration crop, besides its cropping cycle coincides with that of cannabis (Bhung). In 2nd phase vegetable seeds & technical guidance will be provided to farmers for promoting vegetable production in these areas. SRINAGAR, MARCH 11: District Employment and Counselling Centre, Anantnag is organising a two day Employment Fair for the year 2012-13 at Government Higher Secondary School (GHHS), Bijbehara from March 13, 2013. The Employment Fair will be inaugurated by District Development Commissioner, Anantnag. All educated unemployed youth are informed to participate in the said fair and take benefits from the expert advice at the Mela for setting up of their own income generating units.

One month free ration provided to affected people of Pancheri: Wani

JAMMU, MARCH 11- Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani intervening during the Zero Hour in the Upper House informed that the District Administration, Udhampur has provided one month free ration to the affected people of Pancheri and maintained that after paying on-the spot visit to the area it was observed that various roads were washed away due to heavy rains thereby cutting off various areas from the main roads, adding the District Administration has been asked to provide 2 month free ration to the people of the affected area. The Minister was replying to an issue raised by Jugal Kishor during the Zero Hour. Dr. Shehnaz Ganai demanded early release of honorarium in favour of Anganwari Helpers and Workers working in the Social Welfare department. Expressing sympathies with the bereaved family of a person, who got electrocuted in Haveli, Poonch, she called for compensation to the next of the kin of the deceased, besides conducting inquiry of the incident to find out the facts. Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri while appreciating the role of the security forces said that the they should be asked to use minimum force while dealing with law and order situation. Ghulan Nabi Monga while drawing the attention of the Government towards shortage of essential commodities, in certain areas pleaded for removing security forces from the areas where there is no requirement. Jehangir Mir demanded for holding the meeting of Departmental Promotional Committee in Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department to fill the vacancies lying vacant under promotion quota in the department. Aga Syed Rizvi demanded additional flights for Leh and Kargil from Jammu and Srinagar, besides charging nominal fare from the passengers. Naresh Kumar Gupta demanded early declaration of results of professional colleges in the state. He also pleaded for making Bhaderwah University Campus a full-fledged. Syed Rafiq Shah drew the attention of the Government towards dilapidated condition of Trehgam Hospital whose window panes were smashed during curfew restrictions.

Govt provided uninterrupted power supply to Jagti, migrant colonies on Shivratri: Vikar
JAMMU, MARCH 11: Minister of State for Power Vikar Rasool replying to a calling attention notice by Vijay Bakaya today informed the house that Power to the Jagti Township, Nagrota is being provided from a dedicated 2x10 MVA, 33/11KV Receiving Station through four No. 11 KV feeders with load as 10 MVA transformer-I and 10 MVA Transformer-2 with power supply timing 7AM -9AM, 12 Noon- 3 PM and 7.30 PM- 10.30PM. The Minister said there are total 4224 flats, out of which 3484 numbers have been metered. Inspite of lot of persuasion by Power Development Department, none of the migrant occupants of the flats have executed any agreement with the department nor are they paying for the power they consume. He said the grievances of the migrants at Jagti Township shall be redressed if either the individual allotees of the flats pay the electric charges as per their consumption or the relief organization pays for the energy supplied to the township. Vikar said "As per record 232.195 Lus of energy has been supplied to the township, which has been billed to the tune of Rs 691.63 lakh and the said amount stands as arrears against Jagti Township". In view of request of the Relief Commissioner (Migrants), PDD has provided curtailment free power, as far as possible, to the Jagti Township and other migrant colonies at Nagrota on the occasion of Maha Shivratri from March 9th to 11th, 2013, the Minister added.

Power shutdown on March 12, 14

SRINAGAR, MARCH 11: According to Power Controller, Power Development Department, Kashmir, in order to lay conductor on second circuit, power shutdown of 132 KV Awantipora-Lassipora Transmission Line (ALTL) shall be affected on March 12 and 14, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 03 p.m. During the shutdown period there shall be no power supply to the areas fed from Grid Station Lassipora and load of 50 MWs shall remain off.

Creation of MROs for GMC Sgr under consideration: Feroz

JAMMU: Minister of state for Medical Education, Feroz Ahmed Khan today informed the House that the proposal for creation of Medical Record Officers (MROs) for Government Medical College, Srinagar is under active consideration of the department. The Minister was replying to a question by Syed Asgar Ali on the behalf of Mohammad Ashraf. Replying to another question by Ravinder Kumar Sharma, the Minister announced that 1260 posts of various category and cadre are vacant in Rajouri district while 519 posts have been referred to recruitment agency for selection of suitable candidates. The Chairman, Amrit Malhotra directed to fill up all these posts in one go. While answering a question by Syed Asgar Ali said that SSA Scheme was introduced in the State in 2001 again that 5,832 PGS have been upgraded to primary school level while 10591 primary schools have also been opened against the target of 10809. He said 6995 primary schools stands upgraded to UPS against the target of 6981. The Minister informed the House that the scheme was envisaged to bridge gender and social category gaps at primary stage by 2007 and at elementary education level by 2010. He said 18663 civil works have been completed against the target of 114827.

Awareness programme to be organized by DIC, Sgr

SRINAGAR, MARCH 11: To make the people aware about the benefits and incentives of various welfare schemes launched by the Government, District Industries Centre, Srinagar is organizing an awareness programme on Tuesday March 12, 2013 at Industrial Estate, Bagh-i-Ali Mardan Khan, Srinagar. Potential entrepreneurs in general and unemployed educated youth of the district in particular are informed to participate in the programme to acquaint themselves with the incentives being made available under State and Centrally sponsored scheme besides setting up of income generating units. Pertinently as a part of sustained awareness campaign, three awareness camps have already been conducted by the District Industries Centre at Panchayat Halqa's of Khimber, Nowgam and Panzinara.

Hail storms affects 1870 hector area in R S Pura

JAMMU, MARCH 11: Minister of State for Agriculture Nazir Ahmad Gurezi replying to a calling attention notice by B. R. Kundal said that R. S. Pura tehsil of Jammu district was lashed by heavy hail storm on February 27, 2013 which caused heavy losses to standing crops of wheat, oilseeds, fodder and vegetables. The assessment of losses was made by the concerned field staff of Agriculture department immediately and based on the preliminary assessments, the village wise losses reported in an area of about 1870 hectors. The Minister said that the losses to the extent of more than 50 per cent have been assessed in about 200 hectors, where vegetables and fodder crops are mainly affected. In the remaining area, the damage to crops has been of varying degrees in different villages ranging from 15 per cent to 45 per cent and a detailed survey is under progress. Gurezi further said that no perennial fruit crop has been reported damaged in R. S. Pura, Jammu due to hailstorm, as there is no perennial fruit crop in R. S. Pora zone. However, he said as per reports, an area of 6 kanals of strawberry was damaged. The assessment by the Agriculture Production Department is being communicated to Revenue Department for verification and further necessary action. He said as per state Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) rules, if damage is more than 50 percent, the relief will be provided.

Bhalla launches Rs 75 lakh works in Gorkha Nagar

JAMMU, MARCH 11: Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture, Raman Bhalla, today launched Rs. 75 lakh works at Gorkha Nagar cremation ground near Bagh-e-Bahu. The Minister said that this amount will be spent on up gradation of approach road to cremation ground including its widening, construction of cremation and waiting sheds besides inter-lock tiles in the premises. Bhalla asked the Jammu Municipal Corporation to complete the project within the stipulated time frame. He asked the officers to remove way-side illegally raised infrastructure so that the construction work at Gorkha Nagar cremation ground could be completed in time. He asked the executing agency to use quality material on the work. The Minister said that Government is making all out efforts to develop Gorkha Nagar, Sheikh Nagar, Pacca Talab, Kacha Talab, Bazigar Basti, Boria Colony, Shahabad and Qasim Nagar of Bahu Fort areas with all basic amenities. Bhalla said that Government has earmarked Rs. 3.5 crore for up gradation of power infrastructure in Bahu Fort and its adjoining areas. He said that focus of the Government was to develop Bahu Fort on modern lines by providing all basic amenities to the people. The Minister said UPA Government headed by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has provided liberal funding in every sector to the State Government so that all infrastructural facilities to the people of three regions would be provided equally. On the holistic development of embankments of river Tawi, Bhalla said that view points, roads and other related infrastructure at Bagh-eBahu are being upgraded and renovated with inbuilt latest facilities for the tourists. The Minister said that Government has sanctioned Rs. 75 lakh for construction of play field near Government Higher Secondary School Bahu Fort. He said the project is in progress and would be completed within stipulated time frame. For boosting tourism in Bahu Fort area, the Minister said that Government has created modern line wayside facilities for pilgrims and tourists in the area like recreational garden, aquarium, balidan stumb, landscaping, view points, tug shop, toilet blocks, fencing, illumination, drinking water besides construction of darshani deodi near Kalika colony, adding the place would become a major attraction for those visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji and other tourist spots of the State. In order to attract domestic and foreign tourists towards city of temples, the Minister said that focus is being paid on developing all the open spaces as recreational parks besides creating other necessary facilities.

No separate division for Ladakh under Govt. consideration: Ajaz

JAMMU: Minister of State for Revenue and Rehabilitation, Ajaz Ahmed Khan has said that the Government has no proposal under consideration for creating a separate division for Ladakh region adding that to ensure speedy development of the area, the Government has already created two Hill Development Councils one each for Leh and Kargil. Replying to a question by T. Namgyal, the Revenue Minister said that it is a fact that Ladakh is geographically a large area of the State and during winter season, the roads leading to Kargil and Leh normally remain closed for traffic due to heavy snow fall and landslides.

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EDITORIAL

Act speedily for rape victim

esterday one of the Nirbhaya's tormentors of Ram Singh committed suicide in the jail premises. A lengthy discussion on how he committed suicide went into air all the day with some channels even releasing the details of the rope and the modus operandi of the act. Ram Singh was a prime accused and had confessed to the commission of the crime. Perhaps a face saving way left for him was to end his life. Whether he did it voluntarily or out of disgust and in repentance is a mere conjecture. But even after three months he was not punished for the crime which had shaken the sleeping consciousness of the nation. Ram Singh ended his life and we Indians are not sure how long will it take for the process of justice in our country to galvanise into real action and mete out the punishment to the other accused in the ghastly crime in tune with the law of the land. Nirbhaya's cruel story has set the tone of discourse in the country. She has become a potent symbol of people power fighting to contain violence against women; the Union Government has done well to honour her (posthumously) with the Rani Lakshmibai Award for bravery. In the union budget the Finance Minister had announced the creation of a Rs1, 000 crore 'Nirbhaya Fund' in her memory. The award comes alongside a similar honour from the US Government, presented on Friday. However, if these awards and honours are to be a meaningful tribute to the victim and not just empty gestures, especially from State machinery that had in the first place failed in its duty to protect her, a lot more has to be done. The most important step is to ensure that she gets prompt justice. Nationwide outrage in the aftermath of the crime has ensured that her case is being heard in a fast track court. And while the public will hopefully continue its vigil, the Government also has to be proactive in pushing the case through the legal system and ensuring that justice is served. All those who perpetrated the most brutal of crimes against the victim must be severely punished. And this same punishment should have also been meted out to the juvenile accused who, make no mistake, has just as much blood on his hands as his adult co-criminals. However, under the present laws, the maximum sentence that the accused, which is already 17 years old, can possibly get is a few months in a juvenile home. This is a travesty of justice, and if the Government really intends to honour the memory of the Delhi Braveheart, it must amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, so that at least in the future, in cases such as these, the under-age accused get their just desserts. Similarly, it is also the Government's responsibility to ensure that the stringent laws it has promised with a view to tackling the rising instances of violence against women, are brought about sooner than later. While it's reassuring that the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which proposes tougher sentences for crimes against women, is already in the works, the Bill should be passed in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. As of now, law makers are divided over some of the provisions in the Bill, such as the one to replace the term 'rape' with 'sexual assault', and on whether to bring down the age of consent from 18 years to 16 years. Hopefully, these differences will be thrashed out during the special Cabinet meeting that is to be held soon. But, while these legislative reforms will go a long way in containing crimes against women, they will only be effective if they are complemented with overall systemic reforms, especially changes in police functioning. For instance, it is imperative that a standard operating procedure be codified on how police personnel must respond when they receive complaints of sexual assaults. Currently, such guidelines are virtually non-existent, making it impossible not just for the authorities to haul up poorly performing police personnel but also for the latter to perform their jobs effectively. It is only when sweeping changes are brought into the system that ensures both prevention of crimes against women and effective punishment, that we shall have paid a lasting tribute to the Delhi victim.

MODI BUZZWORD ACROSS THE WORLD

By Swapan Dasgupta India's metereological department may well have a mixed record of accurately forecasting the weather. However, when it comes to identifying changing political patterns, the well-entrenched Establishment of the National Capital is usually on the ball. The past few weeks have witnessed a remarkable churning that would have been unimaginable in 2012. The Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who had, at best, been viewed as an effective State leader who enjoyed niche support in the social media but who - or so the consensus went - was far too "rigid" and "polarising" a figure to make it to the national change, has suddenly undergone a perceptional transformation. Today, the movers and shakers are suddenly beginning to see his possible virtues and, more important, look for possible connections to him. It is not that they have joined those in the BJP and outside who have anointed him the Prime Minister-in-waiting. The Establishment is still too cautious to undertake futures trading. However, they are examining every one of Modi's moves and probing areas of strength and vulnerability. I was particularly struck by the overall adverse reaction to the cancellation of Modi's long-distance keynote address to a conference on India organised by the Wharton Business School. Even those who are neutral on the Modi question felt that Wharton was guilty of grave discourtesy and there were murmurs about American busy bodies trying to influence the course of Indian politics. Overall, I would say that Modi gained considerable sympathy

What the Wharton incident revealed, of course, is that there are people who will persist in projecting Modi as a pariah regardless of what India thinks of him. But there are others who will be a little more subtle in ensuring that an outsider from the provinces does not come to dominate the Centre. Since the BJP National Council meeting, much has been made of the fact that the party patriarch chose to compare Sushma Swaraj to Vajpayee. Commentators with very little sympathy for the BJP have suddenly discovered hidden virtues in both Advani and even the RSS. "Advani is still the man to watch out for" is often the prognosis of those who are unsettled by the prospect of a pugnacious, inspirational, OBC leader arriving in Delhi to take over the reins of power.
and that there was dissatisfaction over External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's sly endorsement of this show of liberal intolerance. What the Wharton incident revealed, of course, is that there are people who will persist in projecting Modi as a pariah regardless of what India thinks of him. But there are others who will be a little more subtle in ensuring that an outsider from the provinces does not come to dominate the Centre. Since the BJP National Council meeting, much has been made of the fact that the party patriarch chose to compare Sushma Swaraj to Vajpayee. Commentators with very little sympathy for the BJP have suddenly discovered hidden virtues in both Advani and even the RSS. "Advani is still the man to watch out for" is often the prognosis of those who are unsettled by the prospect of a pugnacious, inspirational, OBC leader arriving in Delhi to take over the reins of power. The resurrection of Advani by the commentariat has the sly approval of a section of the BJP that have a Modi allergy. However, every karyakarta in the party knows that while Advani is a figure of respect, projecting him as a possible leader of the BJP will invite ridicule from the electorate. Advani's contribution to the growth of the BJP is unmatched. Yet, it is a cruel fact that his stature within the political class isn't matched by a corresponding enthusiasm for his prime ministerial ambitions - unless, of course, for some bizarre reason the BJP is determined to spend another few years in the Opposition benches. Even the Congress, which had once assumed that Modi's rise to national prominence would guarantee a third term for the UPA, is increasingly getting nervous about the man from Gujarat. Rahul Gandhi's 'informal' chat with the media about marriage, politics and his own ambitions may well have had a note of utmost sincerity attached to it. But coming so soon after his 'coronation speech' at the AICC session in Jaipur two months - when his oratory was compared to President Obama's - it has thrown the Congress into a tizzy. The ruling party knows that it will approach 2014 with the burden of anti-incumbency, especially if the economy continues to plod along at the 5% growth level. It had hoped to offset some of that disadvantage by projecting a Rahul who believed in a 'new' politics and could relate to younger voters. The question now being asked is couched in worry: if Rahul is sending such contradictory and even defeatist messages, how will the Congress workers muster the enthusiasm for a battle against Modi next year? And, if the party is listless, how will it attract new partners? Is 2014 going to be a defensive battle to salvage whatever it can for a future day? The Congress' best hope lies in the BJP scoring a series of selfgoals and maybe, just maybe, Nitish Kumar walking out of the NDA in disgust over the projection of Modi. Nothing is impossible in politics but it is always erroneous to assume

that only one side has a monopoly of cleverness. Modi's detractors are certainly active in hoping that he can be checkmated by the party apparatchiks. But they forget that Modi too has a few reserve cards up his sleeve - some for flashing at his party colleagues and some for the battle in 2014. Most significantly, a cocooned group of apparatchiks are never able to guage the intensity and destructive powers of a groundswell from below. Two years ago, Mamata Banerjee overthrew the most well-entrenched and welloiled political machine created in post-Independent India by the CPI(M) in West Bengal. She did it purely by nurturing a revolt from below. It is still too early to identify all the forces that will come into play in 2014. The next 12 months could even see the UPA organise a spirited fightback using freebies and handouts. But the risk of over-interpretation, I will not be surprised if we are witnessing the definite beginnings of a Modi wave whose reach extends far beyond the traditional bastions of the BJP. If the momentum persists, we are likely to see an accretion in the strength of the NDA. Smaller parties invoke 'secularism' when the going is against the BJP; they re-discover antiCongressism when the mood shifts to the saffron side. Modi has become India's foremost talking point and the buzz may prove terribly contagious - and more so if Rahul continues to be engulfed by existential dilemmas. An electoral force generated by the energies of below is always an exhilerating experience for any democracy.

India's defence budget needs to match strategic expectations

BY NEIL GADIHOKE ndia's defence budget has been hardest hit, as the government scrambled to cut costs given the bleak economic growth of five percent -- the lowest in a decade. The cut came also against the backdrop of a history of under-utilisation of allocation by the defence ministry and the political hesitancy to conclude deals. Unveiling the national budget for the next fiscal last Thursday, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram proposed a defence spending of Rs.2.03 trillion ($37.45 billion). This is a 5.2-percent increase from 2012-13, when the budget stood at Rs.1.93 trillion. Since the allocation and utilisation may change in the course of the fiscal year, the revised estimates accord a more realistic estimate of funds outflow. Accordingly, the budget hike, in real terms, amounts to Rs.251.68 billion ($4.57 billion) over the revised estimates of Rs.1.78 trillion for the fiscal ending March 31, which amounts to a 14-percent increase. In 2012-13, the increase had been 17 percent. Figures also reveal that the defence ministry suffered a budget cut of over Rs.140 billion last year, a majority of which -- over Rs.100 billion -- had been marked for procurement of new defence hardware. India's annualised inflation rate of around 6 percent implies that the military has actually gained little from this year's increase. The U.S. defence expenditure amounted to $500 billion last year and China's was $110 billion. In comparison, India's defence budget of $38 billion is humble and barely 1.79 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). This is a record low for India in at least three decades, with the figure dropping considerably from 3.16 percent of the GDP in 1987. This year's allocation is also the lowest in

The allocated budget of Rs.2.03 trillion will be bifurcated into two broad sections, capital and revenue. The capital budget is earmarked and utilised for the force build-up, which includes procurement of new weapons and systems and toward meeting committed liabilities in the form of payments for contracts signed in previous years. The other part of the budget, termed as revenue budget, is meant for salaries, pension, recurring expenditure, maintenance of arms and equipment and expenditures of a repetitive nature.
terms of percentage of the total annual government expenditure. This year's defence budget is 12.23 percent of the estimated spending of the government in the upcoming fiscal year, considerably down from the 15.79 percent in 1999 -- and lower from last year's 12.97 percent. Despite this dismal allocation, Defence Minister A.K. Antony put up a brave front by saying taking into account the "difficult economic situation both at home and abroad" this was the best possible outlay. "Factoring the current economic scenario, he (the finance minister) has been fair to the defence sector also by increasing the budget and assuring that should there be any urgent need in future the same would be provided." The allocated budget of Rs.2.03 trillion will be bifurcated into two broad sections, capital and revenue. The capital budget is earmarked and utilised for the force build-up, which includes procurement of new weapons and systems and toward meeting committed liabilities in the form of payments for contracts signed in previous years. The other part of the budget, termed as revenue budget, is meant for salaries, pension, recurring expenditure, maintenance of arms and equipment and expenditures of a repetitive nature. Out of the Rs.1.169 trillion allocated for revenue expenditure, the army has been allocated Rs.818.33 billion, the navy has got Rs.121.94 billion while the air force has got Rs.182.95 billion. Out of the Rs.867.41-billion capital expenditure, the air force has the largest share of over Rs.380 billion followed by the navy and the army. The major portion of these funds would be used to procure aircraft and aeroengines. India is also in the process of finalising a contract for 126 Rafale medium multirole combat aircraft, valued at approximately $20 billion . But all such number crunching and analysis obscures two key shortcomings in India's quest for getting greater bang for the buck. The first entails a history of under-utilisation. Due to the long-winded, complicated and extremely bureaucratic defence procurement procedures, delays in procurement are endemic. Hence, a host of defence procurement funds allotted for a given financial year commencing April 1, are surrendered by the following March 31 due under-spending. The Indian Navy being an exception, utilising its full budget year after year, owing to proactive monitoring and automated funds utilisation system. Second, in spite of checks and balances incorporated into the defence acquisition process, allegations of scams are embarrassingly regular. The latest news headlines relate to alleged kickbacks for the Agusta Westland helicopters bought from Italy for use by key dignitaries, for which a former air force chief is alleged to have been involved. The investigations are yet inconclusive. Consequently, political hesitancy to conclude defence deals is substantial, especially in a juncture like the present one, where general elections are only a year away. This is certainly not a welcome scenario. Indian defence spending will require a massive boost both in terms of allocation and utilisation if the rhetoric of the country being a rising economic and military power is to be accomplished.

READERS SPACE
Weak link
Dear Sir Virender Sehwag paid the price for his inconsistent performance when he was dropped for the last two Test matches against Australia ("Axe falls on Sehwag", March 8). The team selectors and Sehwag's fans recognize his calibre as a batsman. But competition for every place on the national team is tough. New talent is regularly spotted during domestic cricket tournaments. Sehwag's exclusion from the squad should serve as a warning not only to him but also to the players who are in the current squad. They should remember that their positions in the team are safe only as long as they play well. Creating this kind of pressure on the players is good; it will keep them on their toes and motivate them to perform well. Shikhar Dhawan may be selected to replace Sehwag. But it

remains to be seen whether he becomes a worthy successor. If one were to look at the team from the selectors' point of view, it is only fair that promising players should get a chance to prove themselves, especially if someone in the side fails to perform. The openers hold the most important positions in a batting side; if even one of them does not play well, India will fare badly in the upcoming Test and ODI series against South Africa. It is an encouraging sign that of late, selectors have not been defending players who have performed badly. Sehwag must use his time now to brush up on his game and prepare himself for future tournaments. The team needs an opener of his class; when he is at his best, he spares no bowlers. If Dhawan is chosen for the last two Tests against Australia, he should use the opportunity to fill Sehwag's shoes and perform. Yours etc. Akhtar Hussain Banihal, Ramban

Wharton & Modi

Dear Sir The Wharton India Economic Forum is at liberty to decide who it wants to invite for a function it is holding. But inviting a person and then disinviting him, for whatever reason, are unacceptable. By disinviting Mr. Modi, who was invited to deliver the keynote address, Wharton has actually done him a favour. His rating is sure to increase. However, the fact that a democratically elected Chief Minister has been treated shabbily warrants the Centre's intervention. Yours etc Sudesh Khajuria Gandhi Nagar, Jammu

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NATIONAL

Karnataka local polls: Congress wins, BJP faces massive defeat

BANGALORE: The ruling BJP was Monday routed in the Karnataka urban local bodies poll, raising doubts about its prospects of retaining power in the state in elections due in two months. The Bharatiya Janata Party was a poor third, with the Congress emerging the biggest winner followed by the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS), as the votes polled Thursday were counted Monday. With results in around 4,500 wards of a total of nearly 5000 announced this afternoon, the Congress, clearly benefiting from multi-cornered contests, bagged more than 1,800 wards, while JDS of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda came second with some 870. The ruling BJP finished third with 800plus wards in it kitty. Like the BJP, its former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who quit the party in November 2012 to head the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), was also routed. His party could win only town municipal council in Bagalkote district, people boycotted the polls in protest against the Government not including the town in the newly announced Taluks, with no nominations filed in all 23 wards. Candidates had won in 85 wards unopposed, while there was no nomination in one ward in Chikkaballapur city municipal council, leading to elections in 4867 wards in all. "It's a warning bell to all political parties", Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said reacting to the poll outcome. "There was illusion in some quarters that the BJP will be wiped out. It has not happened. BJP is intact". Noting that a large number of independents have won, he said this showed that local issues weighed heavily on the minds of voters, Shettar added. In the last urban local bodies polls in 2007, of the total 5007 wards, the Congress had come first winning 1606, followed by JDS 1502 and BJP 1180.

Prez Pranab leaves on three-day visit to Mauritius

NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee Monday left for Mauritius on a threeday visit during which he will be the chief guest at the national day celebrations of that country. Mauritius will celebrate its national day on Tuesday. India and Mauritius will also sign several bilateral pacts in social sectors, including health and tourism, during Mukherjee's visit to the Indian Ocean island nation. India and Mauritius enjoy close historical relations and New Delhi has termed the ties as "unique, special and extra ordinary". India gives highest importance to its relations with Mauritius as 70 per cent of its people are Indian origin and 38 per cent its Foreign Direct Investment comes from that country, in addition to its geo strategic location, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sudhir Vyas has said. During his visit, Mukherjee will have meetings with Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag, Prime Minister Navin C Ramgoolam, Speaker of the National Assembly Abdool

IAEA chief to visit India today

around 270 seats. Another outfit floated by B. Sriramulu, a former BJP minister and close associate of jailed mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy, bagged about 80 seats. The BJP's poor show is a repeat of its performance in the last urban local bodies held five years back when it came third behind the Congress and the JD-S. KJP and BSR Congress, testing the political waters for the first time,

won 250-plus and 77 wards, respectively, while independents with a whopping 625 wards, are bound to play a key part in the ULBs which have thrown up a hung verdict. Elections to 207 ULBs -seven city corporations, 43 city municipal corporations, 65 town municipal councils and 92 town panchyats were held on March seven, and their outcome was considered a pointer to the

Assembly elections, due by May. The Congress won the city corporations of Davanagere, Mangalore and Bellary. In fact, the BJP was routed in Bellary, where it drew a blank. Mysore and Gulbarga city corporation elections were marked by fractured mandate. The State Election Commission had announced elections to 208 urban local bodies (ULBs) with a total of 4976 wards but in Terdal

Razack Peeroo, Chief Justice Y. K. J. Yeung Sik Yuen and Leader of the Opposition Paul Barenger. President's Press Secretary Venu Rajamony has said the President was looking forward for the visit and greatly honoured to be chief guest at the national day celebration of Mauritius. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union minister Farooq Abdullah and the three service chiefs were at the Rashtrapati Bhawan earlier this morning to see off the President. This is Mukherjee's second visit abroad after assuming the office of President. Last week, he had visited Bangladesh.

MUMBAI: Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano will arrive here on a five-day visit to India on Monday, an official said. The IAEA chief will hold bilateral discussions in Mumbai and New Delhi on various subjects during the visit from March 11-15. The IAEA director general is visiting India on an invitation from RK Sinha, chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and secretary, Department of Atomic Energy of India. A veteran Japanese diplomat, Yukiya Amano was re-elected as the IAEA head for a second four-year term three days ago (March 6) by the United Nations watchdog's 35-nation governing board.

5 writers honoured with SAARC Literature Award

NEW DELHI: Poet-diplomat Abhay K from India and Pakistan's Farheen Chaudhary were among five writers honoured with the SAARC Literature Award in Agra today. Abdul Khaliq Rashid of Afghanistan, Suman Pokhrel of Nepal and novelist Daya Dissanayake of Sri Lanka also received the award at the SAARC Festival of Literature attended by over 100 delegates. SAARC Literature Award is given annually to eminent writers from the South Asian regions who have contributed to promotion of literature through their writings and literary initiatives. The festival focuses on environment, literature and cultural connectivity this year.

Fishermen protest in boats against Kudankulam nuclear plant

CHENNAI: Around 8,000 fishermen in around 600 fibre boats are staging a sea protest Monday against the construction of two 1,000 MW nuclear power plant at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP), said an activist. One of the leaders of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) said, "Fishermen from several villages, numbering around 8,000, are protesting against the nuclear power plant. They are on around 600 fibre boats." He said the protest will be held till 3 p.m. Pushparayan said shops in Kudankulam, Idhinthakarai, Chettikullam and other villages have downed their shutters in support of the people's protest against the two nuclear power plants being built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district, around 650 km from here. He said the marine police of the state government are patrolling the sea and a sizeable police contingent has been stationed in Kudankulam and other surrounding places. Extending support to the anti-nuclear power plant agitators, fishermen in Tuticorin district struck work. Some of them are on hunger strike at a church there. For more than a year, PMANE has been leading the people's protests against the KNPP. Villagers under the PMANE banner have opposed the project, fearing for their safety, especially since the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in Japan March 2011. This is the fourth time that a protest has been organised in sea against the KNPP. The NPCIL is carrying out tests at KNPP's first unit which is expected to go critical (starting of nuclear fission process) this month. Meanwhile, the district administration has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code (dealing with unlawful assembly and preventing more than five people from gathering) in and around Kudankulam till April 9.

Supreme Court issues CBI registers fresh notice on police reforms case in coal scam
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the union home secretary, chief secretaries, home secretaries and directors general of police (DGPs) of all states and administrators and police commissioners of union territories, asking them about steps taken by them in pursuance of its directions to effect reforms in the functioning of the police in the country. The apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Kurien Joseph also asked the DGP of Punjab to file an affidavit detailing the action taken against police officials for beating a woman in Tarn Taran near Amritsar March 3. The court also sought details of the responsibility fixed on senior police officers in the matter. The DGP has been given a week's time to file his affidavit. The court has also sought an affidavit from the senior superintendent of police Tarn Taran, in the public beating of the woman. The incident was captured on camera and seen on TV by the entire country. The court has also asked the DGP Bihar and police commissioner Patna to explain the rationale for beating women teachers participating in protests seeking hike in their pay, which has remained unchanged for years. The court has also sought the report of the Patna police commissioner, wherein he has justified police action against agitating teachers. Fixing the next date of hearing on April 1, the court wondered what had happened to the sensibility of the people who witnessed the beating of the Dalit woman in Tarn Taran, but remained mute spectators. The Supreme Court had last week taken suo motu cognisance of the beating by policemen of the Dalit woman in Tarn Taran, Punjab, and of women teachers agitating for higher salary in Bihar. NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh case in coal scam against a Jharkhand-based company, reports said on Monday. It was also reported that the central probe agency is also conducting fresh searches at various locations across five cities with regard to the case. The CBI had earlier questioned Abhijeet group chairman Manoj Jayaswal in connection with its probe into the coal block allocation scam. The agency grilled him on alleged misrepresentation by his companies while applying for coal blocks. The probe agency also began scrutinising documents provided by Jayaswals in their defence. As per the CBI sources, Manoj was asked about alleged infirmities found in his statements recorded in September. Jayaswal figures as accused in three cases registered by the agency regarding alleged irregularities in coal block allocation. While Manoj, owner of Abhijeet Group, has been named by CBI in three cases of alleged irregularities in coal block allocation made to AMR Iron and Steel, JAS Infrastructure and JLD Yavatmal Power, his brother Arvind has been named in a case against AMR Iron and Steel. In the three cases in which the Jayaswals figure, CBI has slapped allegations of cheating and misrepresentation of facts to grab coveted coal blocks against the companies.CBI in its investigation has found that the companies have allegedly given wrong information in their applications claiming they were not in possession of any coal blocks and inflated their net worth to show eligibility for them. So far, the agency has registered nine cases with regards to alleged irregularities in connection with allocation of coal blocks.

Burden of hike in diesel prices won't be passed on people: Bansal

MIRZAPUR (UTTAR PRADESH): The burden of any future hike in diesel prices will not be passed on passengers and the government can even consider withdrawing the ticket surcharge if prices of the fuel come down, Union Railway Mnister P K Bansal said today. The minister, who was here to pay obeisance at the Vindhyachal temple here, said neither the government hiked the rail fares in the Budget, nor it has any such plan for near future. He said although the ministry needs money for various projects and modernisation works, it will generate funds through other means. On BJP leader L K Advani's statement that mood of the people is against the Congress and they are simultaneously disillusioned with his party, Bansal said the disenchantment against the BJP is persisting from the time of 2002 Gujarat riots. He claimed Congress is still the first choice of people.

'Around 90,000 cases pending with SCF, 10,000 with NCDRC': KV Thomas
NEW DELHI: As many as 95,263 cases are pending with state consumer fora and 10,761 before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. The number of cases pending in National Commission and State Commissions is 10,761 and 95,263, respectively as on March 6, 2013," Consumer Affairs Minister KV Thomas said during Question Hour. He said there was only one vacancy of a judicial member in NCDRC and necessary steps have been taken to fill the post. Referring to steps taken by government to reduce backlog of cases and delivery of fast justice, Thomas said financial assistance is provided by the Centre to states and UTs for strengthening infrastructure of consumer fora including computerisation and networking. "State governments have been requested from time to time to take action well in advance for filing up of vacancies of President and Members to maintain a panel of candidates for filing up of future vacancies...," he said. Besides, some state commissions have constituted additional benches mainly to dispose of backlog of cases. The Minister said the National Commission and some of the state commissions as well as district fora are adopting the process of holding Lok Adalats for speedy disposal of cases. There are three vacancies for the post of President and 22 members in different state commissions.

Govt considering alternative system for appointment of judges: Law Min

NEW DELHI: Government will shortly bring a legislation for an alternative system for appointment of judges to replace the present mechanism where a collegium of judges has a larger say in such decisions, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said on Monday. Consultations were on with political parties to evolve a consensus, he told the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. "We are thinking of an alternative system for appointment of judges...without disturbing integrity of judiciary," he said. Kumar said there was no justification for the large number of vacancies and "this is right time to bring before the two Houses of Parliament an alternative proposal." He, however, did not elaborate on the new system being considered but said the government was conscious of not interfering with judicial independence. Noting that the present process of appointment of judges is "not satisfactory", he said his ministry was holding final consultations on the alternative system that would ensure expeditious filling of vacancies. The new architecture will remove shortcomings in the present system, he said, adding inadequacy of funds will not hold up expansion of judiciary. Currently, there are 278 vacancies in various high courts. The vacancies amount to 30 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of judges. Besides, the present strength of 17,800 judges in the subordinate judiciary needs to be doubled as there are 2.7 crore pending cases. On the issue of setting up Supreme Court benches in states, Kumar said the apex court had ruled against such a move perhaps with a view not to dilute the integrity of the country. The issue, he said, would be flagged at the next conference of chief justices and chief ministers.

'Ajmer dargah diwan should get Bharat Ratna': Uddhav Thackeray

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray lauded Diwan Zainul Abedin Ali Khan of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti dargah in Ajmer for showing courage in opposing the visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Pervez Ashraf to the shrine on Saturday. "With his patriotic fervour and love of the country, the diwan has shown that he is a real "jewel" of the country and should be conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour," Thackeray said on Monday. Hailing Diwan Khan for his "bold, noble and humane" step, Thackeray said that he (the Diwan) must have rightly felt that conducting religious ceremonies for the Pakistani leader would be tantamount to insulting the memory of the Indian soldiers who were brutalised by Pakistani army recently. "In sharp contrast, India's external affairs minister spared no efforts in giving a red carpet welcome to Ashraf, and even threw a royal banquet in his honour," Thackeray said. He said that after Ashraf's departure, people cleaned the roads from where the Pakistani prime minister had travelled in Ajmer, and Muslims joined wholeheartedly in the clean-up. The Sena chief said that the diwan's move comes as an "eye-opener" and "trend-setter" to the government as well as radical Muslims in the country.

Former WB governor Viren Shah's death condoled in RS

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Monday mourned the death of former West Bengal governor and industrialist Viren J Shah. As the House met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari mentioned of the passing away of Shah on March 9 at the age of 86. Shah was on a holiday to Jordan with his wife when he suffered a heart attack. An industrialist and public worker, Shah was elected to Lok Sabha from Junagadh in Gujarat in 1967 and was also member of the Rajya Sabha twice from August 1975 to August 1981 and from April 1990 to April 1996, Ansari said, adding he was the West Bengal Governor from 1999 to 2004. "In passing away of Shah, the country has lost an outstanding administrator and a distinguished parliamentarian," he said after which the House observed silence as a mark of respect.

'Modi needs to first demonstrate secular credentials in Guj'

NEW DELHI: Taking a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his 'India first' comment, Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said the BJP leader should first "demonstrate" in his state that he was secular before talking about the rest of the country. "Secularism is a question on mindset. We all want India first. That is our dream. Secularism is a way of life which Modi has no capacity to replace. Let him first demonstrate in Gujarat that he is secular before he talks of India," Sibal said when asked to comment on Modi's remarks. In an address to the Indian-American community through video conferencing, Modi had yesterday said, "My definition of secularism is simple,'India First'. Whatever you do, wherever you work, India should be the top priority for all its citizens." On Modi's comments that people will forgive "mistakes" of a government if it serves them well, Sibal said the wheels of law may be slow but they are unrelenting. "The law will always catch up with those to seek peoples' forgiving. The wheels of law may be slow but they are unrelenting," the Union Communications Minister said. Modi was denied US visa on the issue of human rights violation. Last week, the Wharton India Economic Forum cancelled Modi's keynote address to the prestigious annual event because of opposition from a section of professors and students of the University of Pennsylvania.

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S. Korea-US drill kicks off as tensions with North escalate

SEOUL: South Korean and US troops launched a joint military exercise Monday, prompting an infuriated North Korea, which has threatened both countries with nuclear attack, to sever a hotline with Seoul. The start of the two-week "Key Resolve" exercise follows a week of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, with North Korea lashing out over tightened UN sanctions adopted after its third nuclear test last month. Pyongyang has condemned the joint manoeuvres as a provocative invasion rehearsal and announced that effective Monday it was scrapping the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War and voiding peace pacts signed with the South. The South's Unification Ministry confirmed that the tal step could escalate into serious confrontation and conflict. "Key Resolve" is an annual, largely computer-simulated exercise, but still involves the mobilisation of more than 10,000 South Korean and 3,500 US military personnel. About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea. "This year is particularly important, because it is the first time the (South Korean) Joint Chiefs of Staff have planned and executed this combined exercise," said US General James Thurman, head of the Combined Forces Command. South Korea is scheduled to assume wartime operational control of the combined forces in December 2015. The South Korean Defense Ministry says North Korea is expected to carry out its own large-scale military drill along its eastern front this week, involving the army, navy and air force. North Korean artillery bases on islands close to the disputed maritime border have already placed their cannon in firing positions, ministry officials said. "The North appears to be stepping up military activities," spokesman Kim MinSeok told reporters. Last week, North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un told his troops to prepare for "all-out war" as he toured units responsible for launching an artillery attack on a South Korean island in 2010 that killed four people. The North's foreign ministry has already warned that a second Korean War is "unavoidable" and threatened "pre-emptive nuclear attacks" on the United States and South Korea.

Japan marks 2nd anniversary of 2011 quake, tsunami

JAPAN: Japan is marking the second anniversary of the devastating tsunami and earthquake that claimed 19,000 lives and caused the worst nuclear accident in decades. A national ceremony organized by the government began in Tokyo on Monday to commemorate victims of the disaster. Mourners across the country observed a moment of silence at 2:46pm, the exact time the tsunami struck, for those killed. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the country's northeastern Pacific coast on March 11, 2011, triggering a tsunami that destroyed thousands of homes and hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing meltdowns and explosions in what has become the worst nuclear

North appeared to have carried through on another promise to cut the hotline between Pyongyang and Seoul. The two sides habitually speak twice a day, but "the North did not answer our call this morning", a spokeswoman for the South's Unification Ministry said. The hotline was installed in 1971 and the North has severed it on five occasions in the past -- most recently in 2010.

"With the ceasefire agreement blown apart... no one can predict what will happen in this land from now on," the newspaper said. As the war concluded with a military armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas remain technically at war. Sabre-rattling and displays of brinkmanship are nothing new in the region, but there are concerns that the current situation is so volatile that just one acciden-

catastrophe since Chernobyl in 1986. The anniversary has highlighted the country's continuing struggle to clean up the radiation that was unleashed, rebuild communities, and determine new energy and economic strategies. More than 300,000 people remain displaced and virtually no rebuilding has begun along the battered northeastern coast. "Most towns hit by the

tsunami have seen very little progress in terms of rebuilding", he said. "There has also been a great deal of social despair. According to government statistics, some 2,300 people died over the last two years due to stress directly related to the disaster." In the devastated fishing port of Kesennuma, a thin blanket of snow covered the ground where houses and fisheries once stood.

Kenyatta Narrowly Wins Kenya's Presidential Election Iran expresses Al Qaeda claims killing of NAIROBI: Kenya's election results are finalresolve to complete ly in and the corrupt son of the country's Syrian soldiers in Iraq founding father has emerged victorious. gas pipeline Uhuru Kenyatta, clinched 50.07% of the BAGHDAD: Al Qaeda has ment's "firm co-operation" venting frustrations that have
KARACHI: Iran President Mahmud Ahmadinejad on Monday expressed resolve to complete Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the project, he said; "It is a historic day for Pakistan, Iran and the region, success could be achieved through determination and resolution" He said that Islamabad was extending cooperation to Tehran in agriculture while the Islamic republic would provide electricity to Pakistan. "We have to work together for progress and claimed responsibility for killing 48 Syrian soldiers and state employees in Iraq last week, saying their presence proved collusion between the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Unidentified gunmen last week attacked a convoy of Syrians who had fled across the border into Iraq from a Syrian rebel advance, and were being escorted back home through the western province of Anbar, Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland. The group said the presence of the Syrians in Iraq showed the Baghdad governwith Assad. The Syrian leader's Alawite faith is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. Iraq's Defence Ministry has blamed the attack, which also killed nine Iraqi soldiers, on Syrian armed groups it said had infiltrated the country. The conflict war in Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting to topple Assad, is straining Iraq's own precarious sectarian and ethnic balance of Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds. Since December, tens of thousands of Sunni protesters have staged demonstrations, especially in Anbar province, built up since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein and empowered majority Shi'ites. The militant group said the Iraqi government had failed to conceal "the reality of its firm co-operation" with Assad. While violence in Iraq has eased since sectarian slaughter that killed tens of thousands peaked in 20062007, insurgents have carried out at least one major attack a month since U.S. forces left in December 2011. Bombings and killings still happen daily, often aimed at Shi'ite areas and local security forces. popular vote according to closing poll results collected by the Kenyan election commission. The final announcement was made on Saturday. Kenyatta's main biggest opponent, Prime Minister Raila Odinga received 43.31% of the vote. Odinga has vowed to challenge the election results in court proceedings. Kenya's constitution requires that a presidential candidate receives 50% plus one vote in order to win a national election. Not long after election officials revealed the closing results, Kenyatta thanked Kenyans for their support and promised to work hard on behalf of his nation's people he said. Many supporters rallied in support of Kenyatta in the streets of Nairobi chanting victory slogans and cheering with glee. Supporters of Odinga were not happy but people remained calm.

prosperity of our people and we can resolve regional issues though dialogue," the president said. He said the pipeline would bring closer the two countries, adding that the project could be expanded to north Pakistan.

Kenyatta's victory places Kenya in a bitter situation with Western nations. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has indicted Kenyatta for war crimes. The ICC alleges that Kenyatta funded violent militias that killed people during Kenya's last national elections in 2007. Kenyatta's running mate William Ruto also faces criminal charges linked to the violent 2007 attacks during Kenya's last presidential election. The future of Kenya is extremely important to the political stability needed across East Africa.

ECONOMY
Subsidy on rice and wheat under TPDS touches Rs 80,491 cr
NEW DELHI: Government's subsidy bill for providing cheap rice and wheat to the poor and below poverty line (BPL) families via ration shops touched Rs 80,491 crore so far in the current fiscal. The government's subsidy burden in providing rice and wheat through the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) was Rs 74,903 crore in 2011-12 fiscal, Food Minister K V Thomas said. The subsidy on rice was Rs 36,540 crore as of March 6, 2013, while, that on wheat was Rs 43,951 crore. In the previous fiscal, subsidy on rice stood at Rs 49,041 crore and that on wheat was Rs 25,862 crore. In a separate query, the minister said that TPDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Union and State governments. The responsibility of allocation of food grain with the State/UTs, issuance of ration cards and the supervision and monitoring of fair price shops rests with the states, he added.

Indian economy to grow in 7-8% in next five years: Montex

NEW DELHI: Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday said given the past track record, India will grow at 7-8 per cent rate in the next four to five years. Ahluwalia's comments come in the backdrop of the latest Central Statistical Organization's estimates showing that the economy will grow at a rate of 5 per cent in the current financial year - the lowest in over a decade. "It will be reasonable to assume that the growth rate would be 7 to 8 per cent, which I would call passing grade. I am reasonably confident that over this four-five year period, that is going to be growth rate of expected to hit the overall economy this fiscal. Ahulwalia said: "If you take the 10-year period, the average (economic) growth comes out to be 7.5 per cent and if you use the statistical method, it still comes out to be 7.4 per cent. So, the conservative estimates based on the past ten years, indicated that Indian economy has demonstrated a capacity to grow at 7.4 per cent". Referring to the problem of widening Current Account Deficit (CAD), the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman said: "This is a serious problem...we need to survive with CAD of over 4 per cent in next two years" and efforts were needed to contain it.

India, Kuwait agree to speed up oil and gas joint ventures

NEW DELHI: India and Kuwait agreed on Monday to expedite discussions for finalizing joint venture projects both upstream and downstream in the oil and gas sector. This was resolved at a meeting between Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Kuwait's Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed AkJaber Al-Sabah, a petroleum ministry statement said. Suggesting that experts of both countries should deliberate on specific projects, the Kuwaiti minister invited Indian oil companies, officials from which attended the meeting, to visit Kuwait. Moily stressed the need to give new momentum to the friendly and long-standing bilateral relations, and invited Kuwaiti companies to invest in oil and gas exploration ventures and petrochemical projects in India. He gave examples of upcoming petrochemical projects at Dahej, Mangalore and Paradip. Moily also proposed participation of India's state-run EIL in developing Kuwait's oil industry projects. Kuwait is an important partner in India's quest for energy security, providing 10-11 percent of India's crude oil imports annually. The year 2011 was a landmark year for bilateral trade as it crossed the $10 billion mark for the first time to reach $12.27 billion.

Sensex closes flat; consumer durables, metal stocks plummet

MUMBAI: A benchmark index for Indian equities markets closed Monday's trade flat, as consumer durables, metal and automobile stocks declined. However, capital goods, healthcare and realty stocks were the major gainers in the day's trade.The 30-scrip Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,679.88 points, closed at 19,646.21 points, down 32.02 points or 0.19 percent from its previous close at 19,683.23 points. The Sensex touched an intra-day high of 19,754.66 points and a low of 19,602.71 points. The midcap index closed 14.35 points up, while the smallcap index was 17.56 points higher. The BSE capital goods index was up 58.32 points, healthcare 42.58 points higher and the realty index ended the day's trade 27.38 points up. Only ten out of 30 Sensex companies were gainers, including Tata Power, up 2.28 percent at Rs.101.05; HDFC, up 1.91 percent at Rs.828.80; Sun Pharma, up 1.79 percent at Rs.832.90; Mahindra and Mahindra, up 1.10 percent at Rs.912.30 and Gail India, up 0.97 percent at Rs.344.90. The major losers included Hero MotoCorp, down 2.51 percent at Rs.1, 699.15; Wipro, down 1.35 percent at Rs.439.05; Bajaj Auto, down 1.33 percent at Rs.1, 985.90; Jindal Steel, down 1.24 percent at Rs.362.70 and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), down 1.05 percent at Rs.1, 567.55.

Indian economy," he said addressing a panel discussion in the national capital. Some analysts are of the view that the annual average economic growth rate in the 12th Plan (2012-17) would be

6.6 per cent against the targeted 8 per cent in the five-year policy document. However, a section has expressed concerns over slow recovery in the domestic manufacturing sector, which is

India's exports up 4.25%; trade deficit narrows

NEW DELHI: India's exports increased by 4.25 percent to $26.26 billion in February, registering positive growth for the second straight month, on the back of revival of demands in Europe, government data showed on Monday. Trade deficit narrowed to $14.9 billion in February as compared to $20 billion the previous month. Exports has increased year-onyear just for the third time in the first 11 months of the current financial year. Exports had increased marginally by 0.82 percent at $25.58 billion in January, after contracting in the previous eight months in a row. Cumulative value of exports in April-February period of 2012-13 has dropped by 4 percent at $265.95 billion, Commerce Secretary SR Rao said. India's imports in February increased by 2.6 percent to $41.18 billion, leaving the monthly trade deficit of $14.9 billion. Cumulative value of imports for the period April-February was $448.03 billion, as compared to $446.93 billion during the same period of previous year, registering a marginal increase of 0.25 percent. Rao said demands for Indian goods have improved in Europe and some other parts of the world showing a sign of recovery in the global demands. "Sectors which have large weightage especially engineering has started performing better and refined oil too. There is also a marginal improvement in textiles exports," he said. "Positive exports data from the last two months shows that gradually economy is showing positive sign.

South Africa wants BRICS bank based there

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa wants the proposed BRICS development bank to be based in the country and hopes this will be sanctioned when leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa meet at a summit in Durban later this month. President Jacob Zuma had already made a pitch for this during the BRICS Summit in India in March 2012, and according to informed sources, he will be making a strong plea again during this year's summit. Senior Government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, were confident that the BRICS heads of state would give the go-ahead for the bank to be based in South

Africa. "We were first to say we want (the Brics bank) to be in South Africa, and no one else has put their name forward," an official said. "They probably don't want the summit to be a competition for the location," he added. "We are situated on a continent where seven of the 10

fastest growing economies are situated. Every other business entity outside this continent is assured of good returns for their investment. "We have an independent foreign policy, we are friends with everyone but we do assert our foreign policy without fear or favor. We think we are qualified," the Minister said.

Each partner in the Brics bloc is expected to contribute $10 million as seed capital for the BRICS development bank but the bank will also partner with other Governments and institutions. "There will also be a need for the bank to also support projects in Third World countries," NkoanaMashabane said.

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MISC

Judo coaches among 14 shifted by Council

JAMMU: The State Sports Council has moved its two judo coaches from District Coaching Centre (DCC), MA Stadium,to Play Field Shastri Nagar in a move to establish coaching facility in the posh locality. Two judo coaches, Arshid Nad and Vikas Dogra are among 14 such individuals, including two incharge managers, who have been transferred by the Council in a recent order issued by the Administrative Officer. Posted at RCC Jammu, KhoKho Kabaddi coach, Ajay Kumar Gupta and Yoga Coach (Dusshera ground), Anil Gupta have been shifted to DCC Udhampur. However, Hockey Coach, Joginder Singh has been transferred from Udhampur to KK Hakhu Stadium. Hockey Coach, Dalbir Mahta (KK Hakhu) and Athletics Coach, Gurcharan Singh (RCC Jammu) have been shifted to DCC Kathua. Football coach at Play Field Shastri Nagar, Vishwamiter and Football Coach and Incharge Manager at GGM Science College ground, Satpal Singh swapped their positions. Incharge Manager and Basketball Coach at Play Field Shastri Nagar, Shaktish has been asked to move to GGM Science College ground. Posted at DCC Kathua, Athletic Coach, Shamsher Singh has been recalled and posted at RCC Jammu. Football Coach at DCC Poonch, Iqbal Singh has also been called back and posted at Play Field (Green Field) Gandhi Nagar-I. Vinay Sharma, posted at Play Field Shastri Nagar, has been shifted to Mini Stadium, Parade.

Asian Cycling: Manorama, CGEWCC chess meet gets underway Deborah bag silver each
NEW DELHI: Manorama Devi and Deborah clinched a silver medal each to register India's best-ever performance in a cycling competition, at the Hero Asian Cycling Championships in New Delhi. Manorama, who won silver in the Keirin's race, lifted the Indian spirits after Deborah's fighting loss to Korea rider earlier in the day. Both Manorama and Deborah were in contention in the eight-lap long Keirin race, but it was Manorama who mesmerised the Indian fans at the IG stadium's velodrome with her a resolute run in the last 50 meters The 16-year-old cyclist rallied from the fifth spot to achieve her second podium finish in the event Manorama fell short by just 0.131 seconds to Yu Shiou Cheng of Chinese Taipei, who won the gold, while the bronze went to Korea's Yeonhee Jang. Deborah, however, finished last in the six-rider race as she was blocked by the Koreans. Meanwhile, in the final of the junior women sprint race, India's hope of bagging its firstJAMMU: Annual chess tournament of Centre Government employees, organized by Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee, started on Monday at the office of National Sample Survey Organization. (NSSO) In all, 12 such employees, who are serving with different departments, are contesting for the top honors in twoday competition. To be decided in three rounds, the competition witnessed first round being won

by Raju Bhanotra of Auditor General (AG), DS Jamwal of NSSO, Vijay Singh of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Rajinder Gupta (IIIM), Anil

Kumar (AG) and Shashi Jamwal of Survey of India (SOI). Last year the title was won by Shashi Jamwal while

Rajinder Gupta secured second position in the same competition. Earlier, the competition was declared open by Director General of NSSO. The Detailed Results: First Round: Raju Bhanotra (AG) bt Surinder Mohan (SOI); D S Jamwal (NSSO) bt PS Jamwal (NSSO); Vijay Singh (IB) bt Sanjeev Sharma (SOI); Rajinder Gupta (IIIM) bt Sandesh Kumar (AG); Anil Kumar (AG) bt Saransh Sharma (NSSO) and Shashi Jamwal (SOI) bt Vinod Choudhary (SOI).

ever gold at the Asian Cycling Championships was dashed after Deborah lost her gold-medal play-off race to Korea's Yeonhee Jang. In the first heat, Deborah took the initiative and stayed ahead keeping a close eye on her Korean opponent, who was looking for an opening in the three lap race. With over a lap to go, Yeonhee zoomed past Deborah to touch down the base line just 0.108 secs in advance. Deborah, however, pulled one back beating her rival by 0.022 secs in an agonizing close battle to take the contest into the final round. "Her inexperience showed in the final heat. The Korean sprinted at the right moment and made it diffi-

cult for Deborah to match her," team coach Rumi Chatterjee said. India ended the track races with a tally of four medals, all won by women in junior category, including two bronze earlier in the Championship. The duo of Deborah and Manorama on Sunday had won a bronze in the team sprint event after the former had open India's account by clinching a bronze in the 500 metre time trial on the opening day of the championships. The action of the 33rd Senior and 20th Junior cycling championships will now head to Buddh International Circuit where the road races will take place from March 13.

Bangladesh's Rahim makes history with double ton

GALLE: Mushfiqur Rahim on Monday became the first Bangladeshi to crack a double-century while Nasir Hossain hit a maiden ton as the tourists gained a 68-run lead in the first Test against Sri Lanka. Skipper Rahim hit a solid 200 and Hossain an impressive 100 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 638, their highest total in 76 Tests, in reply to Sri Lanka's firstinnings total of 570-4 declared. The hosts reached 116-1 in their second innings at stumps on the penultimate day of the Test heading for a draw in Galle. Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan was unbeaten on 63 and Kumar Sangakkara 49 not out. Rahim's memorable moment came in the second over after lunch when he pushed paceman Nuwan Kulasekara for a single to the covers on a day when Mohammad Ashraful (190) missed out on his own Test double-hundred. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rahim, 24, was trapped legbefore by Kulasekara in the same over, but not before helping Bangladesh surpass their previous highest Test total of 556 against the West Indies in Dhaka last year. Bangladesh, who dominated the match for a second successive day with their solid batting, also became only the third team after India and Pakistan to score 600 or more in a Test innings in Sri Lanka. Rahim, 152 overnight, hit one six and 22 fours in his brilliant 321-ball knock.

Australia stands down four players

CHANDIGARH: Australia on Monday dumped four cricketers, including Vicecaptain Shane Watson, for a breach of team discipline thus leaving them out of reckoning for the third Test against India starting on March 14. The decision was announced by Coach Mickey Arthur and team manager Gavin Dovey as Australia continued their preparations for the third Test starting here March 14. Australia trails the four-match series 0-2. All the four cricketers vice-captain Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Johnson had a strong chance of featuring among the eleven in the third Test. Arthur said the players were sideline from selection because they failed to deliver a presentation, which the management had asked all the players to do following the team's heavy defeats in the first two Tests in Chennai and Hyderabad. The players were given five days to submit three points on what they bring in the team either by mail or in person. But the four players failed to meet the deadline. Arthur said the team management took the harsh decision to maintain high standards in team discipline. "We pride ourselves on attitude. We did give the players a huge amount of latitude to get culture and attitude right. Be we believe that those behaviors are not consistent with what we want to do with this team and how we want to make this team the best in the world again," Arthur said. The coach said though the incident may seem very small in isolation, but "this is a line in the sand moment for us". "We have given these guys absolute clarity; we have given this team a huge amount of time to buy in with what we want to do for the Australian cricket team. We have given a vision to these guys, we've given an expectation that is spelt out," he said.

LIC OPEN NEW OFFICE

ICU wants to bring World Cup to India

NEW DELHI: International Cycling Union (UCI) is willing to bring big events such as World Cup and Word tour race to India, provided the government and other stakeholders assure them a hasslefree organization and proper maintenance of the infrastructure. UCI President Pat McQuaid said they were keen to tap a big India market but the country would have to convince the world body that it can put the facilities to their best use for getting the hosting rights for Asian Cup and World Cup. "India is a big market. UCI is very interested in developing cycling in India both road and track cycling.

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