Mamata regime

Mamata regime to acquire land in the Sundarbans

KOLKATA, June 5, 2011 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that as a special project, her government would acquire land for building embankments in the Cyclone Aila-ravaged Sundarbans.

She said that while the government was preparing its land policy, acquisition for this project had to begin soon as the matter could brook no delay. “Six thousand acres is needed for this government programme on which no work seems to have been done by the previous government. Central funds are lying unutilised,” she said.

Teachers' jobs

Ms. Banerjee told reporters at the Secretariat that the land would be purchased at market rate through negotiations and employment would be given to each family from whom the land was taken, besides an annuity payment to protect their livelihoods.

“We need to ensure that they get some monthly payment,” she said, adding that the employment would be that of teachers or those based on skill-sets.

Ms. Banerjee said these decisions were taken after a meeting with the Ministers of all the relevant Departments, besides the Chief Secretary, and the Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture, Irrigation, Water Resources, and Development and Planning. The District Magistrates of the North and the South 24 Parganas, which had borne the brunt of Cyclone Aila, as well as the District Magistrate of the Purba Medinipur district, which was also affected, attended the meet.

Ms. Banerjee said the Centre had released funds for building and repairing embankments washed away by the cyclone which had killed hundreds and rendered many more shelter-less.

Construction in November

Pointing out that construction work for this project would commence in November after the monsoons, Ms. Banerjee said that while the planning would be done by the District Magistrates, the implementation would be through the panchayats. The departments concerned would meet on a monthly basis to review the progress of matters.

She also said that a Flood Control Commission would be set up.

Keywords: Mamata Banerjee, Sundarbans, land acquisition

ADB loan for Assam

$200 million ADB loan for Assam

GUWAHATI, June 5, 2011 The Asian Development Bank has extended a loan assistance of $200 million to the Assam government for undertaking a number of schemes and projects, including the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit System from Paltanbazar to Khanapara in the city.

A high level team of the bank led by Mission Leader Sengay Penjor conveyed this to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi when the delegation met him at his official residence late on Friday.

Water supply project

Other projects to be initiated with this loan assistance will include drinking water supply for East Guwahati and sewerage treatment, solid waste management and drainage system for Dibrugarh.

The proposed ADB project for supply of East Guwahati areas will serve nearly 4,50,000 people by 2025 with a water demand of 88 million litres a day. The existing piped-water supply system in the city covers only 30 per cent.

Mr. Gogoi, while thanking the ADB team for coming forward to help the State with loan assistance, asserted that it would help pitchfork the State into an all-round progress and prosperity.

Besides Mr. Penjor, the members of the ADB team included Ron Slangen, Johannesversantvoort and S.K. Goyal.

Keywords: Asian Development Bank

Maharashtra Congress

Maharashtra Congress gearing for local body elections

MUMBAI, June 5, 2011 The Maharashtra Congress is gearing up for the local bodies' elections later this year with a focus on social equality and justice much like its ally the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

While the NCP is commemorating its foundation day on June 10 as social justice day, the Congress is focusing on this year as “social equality” year with meetings in every district.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) earlier appointed a committee headed by Bhalchandra Mungekar to study the schemes for socially backward sections in the State and submit a report which was released earlier this week.

Now the MPCC has embarked on a two-day training programme for party workers in Nashik from Saturday. It will be inaugurated by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi and Union Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Maharashtra in charge Mohan Prakash, MPCC president Manikrao Thakre and senior Congress Ministers and MPs will attend, apart from Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who will deliver the keynote address on Sunday. Congress spokesperson Sanjay Dutt said that about 1,500 people are expected to attend the training including two representatives from each of the 553 Block Congress Committees in the State, district Congress presidents and over a 100 MPCC office-bearers.

Senior Congress Ministers, journalists and members of the party will speak on industry, adivasi welfare, women's empowerment, current socio political situation, and welfare schemes for minorities, social justice and other topics.

The party is keen on bridging the gap between itself and the ‘aam aadmi.” The main idea is to train workers on various initiatives taken by the Congress at the Centre and in the State so that they can be taken to the people.

Keywords: Maharashtra Congress, Maharashtra politics

BJP to bring out

BJP to bring out vision document for U.P.

LUCKNOW, June 5, 2011 The Bharatiya Janata Party will prepare a “vision document” for the betterment of Uttar Pradesh in its quest to retain power in the State where its political fortunes have nosedived and the party has not tasted power on its own since 1991.

The BJP's revival blueprint in the shape of the vision document will serve as a means to increase the party's support base in Uttar Pradesh, it was said.

A 22–member panel, with the former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi acting as its convenor, has been constituted for preparing the vision document and it held an informal sitting on the concluding day of the BJP's two-day national executive meeting here on Saturday. Senior leader Hukum Singh will be its co-convenor and the panel includes the leader of the BJP legislature party Om Prakash Singh.

Accusing the Mayawati government of corruption and misrule and holding the Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and Samajwadi Party responsible for the “plight” of Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has said that, if returned to power, a fast track court would be constituted for the trial of the persons accused of committing various crimes under the present regime.

A resolution on the political situation in U.P. passed on the concluding day of the two-day BJP's national executive meeting here on Saturday presented the party as the only alternative in the State — “BJP's good governance versus the opportunism of BSP, SP and Congress.”

The resolution said the party resolved to establish “Ram rajya” by putting an end to goonda raj and jungle raj. The Ram temple has been mentioned in the resolution, but it follows the hackneyed line of “the BJP making efforts at all levels for the construction of the temple.”

Land acquisition

The resolution moved by U.P.'s election in charge Kalraj Mishra slammed Chief Minister Mayawati for the forced acquisition of farm land and the police lathi charge on farmers of Bhatta-Parsaul, Karchana and Tappal. The resolution said not only had the farmers been deprived of their livelihood, their children too were facing unemployment. In the last four years of Ms. Mayawati's rule, incidents of atrocities on the weaker sections, especially the Dalits and backward classes, had increased. According to the report of the UP's SC, ST Commission, there had been a 30 per cent increase in incidents of excesses against the Dalits, the resolution added.

It said if the BJP formed the government after the 2012 Assembly polls, it would ensure the development of basic infrastructure on a priority basis. Welfare schemes would be launched for the farmers and the acquisition of land would be in accordance with the market rates.

In the 2007 Assembly elections, the BJP was pushed to the third place (it has a strength of about 50 MLAs in the present Vidhan Sabha) and there has been a massive erosion in its support base. This was evident from the fact that in the Assembly by-elections held in the last four years, the BJP has either stood third or fourth, or ended up with its candidates losing their deposits.

Infighting

Groupism and infighting too had gripped the party. Queries on the how the party would curb infighting in U.P. were shrugged off by BJP spokespersons at the meeting.

It has been alleged that the inclusion of senior U.P. BJP leaders in the 22-member panel for drafting the vision document was a step to quell the voices of dissent. Some leaders have been sulking in the sidelines ever since Mr. Kalraj Mishra was named the election in charge of U.P. Fears of infighting gathering momentum was one reason why the BJP did not name any one the chief ministerial candidate, or shadow Chief Minister, unlike in 2007 when the party fought the polls under Kalyan Singh, sources said.

The BJP general secretary and in-charge for U.P. affairs Narendra Singh Tomar told reporters that many programmes would be launched in the State for bringing the people closer to the party.

Keywords: Uttar Pradesh politics, Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, BJP

3 HIV-infected

3HIV-infected sisters commit suicide in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD, June 5, 2011Three young girls — all sisters and believed to be infected with HIV — committed suicide by consuming poison in Vartej village in Bhavnagar district of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

The police said while two of the sisters died on the spot on Friday night, the eldest died in a hospital on Saturday. The police believed that the cause for their committing suicide was the social stigma attached with the disease and the discrimination they allegedly faced from the people in the village.

The girls were reported to have contracted the disease from their parents and their father, who was still ailing, was said to be almost bed-ridden while their mother and a younger brother died of AIDS a couple of years ago.

Social discrimination

It was not the first time that the patients with HIV positive had to face social discrimination. A 40-year-old HIV patient in a government hospital in Jamnagar was “paraded” through the hospital corridors last year with a sticker on her forehead proclaiming her as an HIV patient.

State Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas regretted the suicides but said the government was making all efforts to create awareness among the people on the disease and to remove the social stigma attached with it. He disagreed with the view that the people of the Saurashtra region were not properly exposed to the social awareness programme. “When the Red Ribbon Express came to Gujarat, the maximum visitors it attracted were from Saurashtra,” Mr. Vyas said. In this case particularly, he claimed, the voluntary organisations engaged in the task had approached the father for necessary treatment but the father was not cooperating, he claimed.

Keywords: HIV, AIDS, suicide, human interest

CPI(M) meet

CPI(M) meet to analyse West Bengal poll results

KOLKATA, June 4, 2011 The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is holding a meeting here to analyse the party's election results, among other things. Party General Secretary Prakash Karat and Polit Bureau member and former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee are participating, as are other senior leaders and former Ministers.

The two-day West Bengal State Committee meeting is also discussing matters pertaining to the organisation, politics and the running of the government, a statement said. The meeting is being chaired by Benoy Konar.

The meeting noted the incidents of violent attacks on party supporters and workers by the Trinamool Congress-Congress combine. Mention was made of the incidents of forcible shutting down of CPI(M) party offices.

The statement said thousands of party workers and villagers were forced to flee their homes. Elected bodies such as panchayats were also being prevented from doing their jobs.

Keywords: West Bengal Assembly Elections, Prakash Karat

Kashmiri killed

Top pak terrorist Kashmiri killed in US drone attack

Jun 05, 2011:Al Qaeda-linked terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri, a key suspect in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and Taliban commander Amir Hamza were killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's restive South Waziristan tribal region, officials and local residents said.

Kashmiri included along with Mullah Omar and Ayman al-Zawahiri in a list of five most wanted terrorists drawn up by the US was among nine militants killed in the drone strike carried out late last night.

Three militants were injured in the attack.


"Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami 313 Brigade confirms the martyrdom of our leader Ilyas Kashmiri in a US drone strike on June 3, 2011 at 11.15 pm," HuJI spokesman Abu Hanzala said in a hand-written fax message sent to Pakistani media groups.

"We will take revenge (for the killing of) our leader from the US," the statement said.

Kashmiri, 47, was killed when US drones targeted Laman village, 20 km from Wana, one of the main towns in South Waziristan Agency.

He was reportedly sitting in an apple orchard with other militants and had come to the area shortly before the missile strike.

Amir Hamza, a resident of Wana and a commander of the Mullah Nazir faction of the Taliban, was killed in the same drone strike, local journalists said.

Mullah Nazir has an agreement with the government and many Punjabi Taliban fighters are believed to be living in Wana and surrounding areas that are controlled by his group.

The bodies of the militants could not be identified but there was strong evidence that Kashmiri had been killed, officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels.

Kashmiri''s death is another blow to al-Qaeda and its affiliates as it comes just over a month after Osama bin Laden was killed in a US raid in the garrison city of Abbottabad on May 2.

Tags: Al Qaeda, Ilyas Kashmiri, Mumbai terror attacks, Amir Hamza, US drone strike

police action

After police action, Ramlila Maidan gets a deserted look

NEW DELHI, June 5, 2011 Twenty-four hours ago, the Ramlila Maidan was brimming with activity, sea of humanity descended there to join Baba Ramdev’s protest, but a late night police action gave the protest venue a deserted look.

The Ramlila Maidan, which has witnessed a series of historic protests, was filled with tear gas soon around 1.30 am after police swarmed the protest site and Baba Ramdev was whisked away by the police.

The premises, where the organisers claimed that over 50,000 people had joined the protest, lay deserted with mattresses thrown around, unattended bags, sandals and other articles.

Some people who were still in the pandal were forced to leave the place after the police action.

Deputy Commissioners of Police from several districts were asked to rushed to the spot.

Policemen deployed at the site were seen going around with hand-held microphones, announcing that the permission for the ‘Yoga camp’ has been cancelled.

They were forcing people out of the ground.

A DCP was seen shouting at armed police personnel who were sitting idle, saying they should be ashamed of themselves as some people refused to move.

Garbage collectors had tough day as they were seen collecting empty water bottle and other garbage from the spot.

An employee of Haridwar-based sound system company claimed that the damage was in thousands.

Keywords: Baba Ramdev arrest, India corruption, black money issue, Ramlila Grounds

BJP, RSS remote

BJP, RSS remote controlling Ramdev:Congress

Jun 4,2011New Delhi: Even as the government continued its talks with Baba Ramdev on his fast against graft and black money, the Congress on Saturday alleged that the movement was being "remote controlled" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 

"It is unfortunate that a mass movement against corruption...is being remote controlled by some organisations and parties, whether it is RSS or BJP," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singvi told reporters. 

"What was Sadhvi Ritambhara doing there?" he asked, referring to the Hindu right-wing leader. 

"What were many party workers of RSS and BJP doing there? Why has the RSS told its common cadre to come out in all parts of the country and support this movement?" he added. 

Singhvi alleged that the movement was being misused to destabilise the government. 

"They are trying to hijack it for their narrow political motives. The people have the right to ask if these political parties, which did not get the public's mandate for so long, could not win the elections, are trying to create disturbance now. 

"And the people who try to create such disturbance don't disturb the government only, they disturb the country, they are answerable," he said. 

Singhvi also questioned the movement's funding. 

"The people who speak against corruption, the question is what transparency and what disclosures have these organisations maintained? Where did these these five star facilities at Ramlila Maidan come from? There is a mini city within a city in Ramlila Maidan. Who is arranging for this huge logistical operation is also a question," he said.

Pakistan militant killed

Senior Pakistan militant killed: reports

Jun 4, 2011-Senior Al Qaeda-linked militant Ilyas Kashmiri has been killed in Pakistan by a United States drone attack, media reports.

The drone strike hit the village of Lehman, South Waziristan, in Pakistan's in north-west.

Local people told the BBC that Kashmiri, regarded as one of the world's most dangerous militants, was amongst nine people killed and that he and his men had only recently arrived in the area.

Intelligence and security officials have said they had no information confirming that Kashmiri was killed.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, which has strong ties to Al Qaeda, said he was alive.

The US Department of State has labelled the Punjabi militant a "specially designated global terrorist", adding him to a list of high-profile militants.

He was accused of recently organising the recent assault on a Karachi naval base.

He has also been accused of involvement in the multiple attacks in Mumbai three years ago.

The death of the Pakistani militant would be another intelligence coup for the United States after US special forces killed Osama bin Laden in a town close to Islamabad on May 2.