INTERNATIONAL

Left sets deadline to Govt on N-deal
Priority to survival of Govt: Pranab

NEW DELHI: Scotching speculation about early polls, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has made it clear that the survival of the government was more important than the Indo-US nuclear deal and Left parties will have to be taken on board.

He ruled out the possibility of a minority government signing the nuclear agreement, saying the US was not ready for it.

Left parties on Thursday set a deadline asking the government to make it clear by March 15 whether it intended to proceed with the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal or drop it.

The key outside supporters of the government, whose backing is crucial for its survival, has asked the government to convene a meeting of the UPA-Left Committee by March 15 to discuss the draft of the India-specific Safeguards Agreement reportedly reached with the IAEA.

Mukherjee also said that India had not conducted negotiations on the agreement with a "fixed timeline", in an apparent response to the US which has set the deadline of May.

"We are trying to evolve a consensus and first the consensus will be with the supporting parties because that is primary importance for which the (UPA-Left) mechanism was created. Then we shall try to evolve a larger consensus," he said in an interview to a news magazine.

He said the government will have to discuss the India-IAEA safeguards agreement with the Left but declined to elaborate.

When pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said in October last that survival of the government is more important than the deal, he said "that position is still there." He added "what the Congress president says is the final word of the party and what the Prime Minister says is the final word of the government." (PTI)

Polio review

New Delhi: With fresh polio cases being reported from various parts of the country, the Government feels that the national programme for its eradication has not been upto the mark and has decided to review the entire initiative. The programme being run in collaboration with international organisations like WHO and UNICEF involves door-to-door administration of polio vaccine and surveillance of the polio cases through the National Polio Surveillance Project. (PTI)

Home loan rates

New Delhi: Making a strong case for a cut in interest rates on home loans of up to Rs 20 lakh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said he would continue to talk to bankers as these accounts, which form a lion's share of total borrowing for housing, carry less risk weightage. (PTI)

FM pitches for lower rate for home loans up to Rs 20 lakh

New Delhi: Making a strong case for a cut in interest rates on home loans of up to Rs 20 lakh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said he would continue to talk to bankers as these accounts, which form a lion’s share of total borrowing for housing, carry less risk weightage.

The Finance Minister, however, in the same breath added that the ball is in the court of banks and Reserve Bank.

"I made a number of efforts to impress upon bankers in this regard... it is a constant effort that I will have to make... bankers will have to take a call, RBI will have to take a call," Chidambaram said in his post-budget interaction with industry chamber Assocham here.

Following the Reserve Bank's tight monetary policy initiatives, interest rates on housing loans have shot up to the range 10-12 per cent, bringing the demand sharply down.

If the rate of inflation is high, RBI tightens monetary policy, leading to higher interest rates. But at its last monetary review in January, RBI kept all key rates intact.

But even then many banks, including market leader SBI, cut interest rates after RBI said their net interest margin is still high. The Finance Minister said he agreed that housing loan borrowers of less than Rs 20 lakh should be incentivised by lowering interest rates.

As much as 80 per cent of all housing loans fall in the category of below Rs 20 lakh, he said, adding that these loans have less risk weight than those above Rs 20 lakh. Therefore, bankers have incentives to lend to these borrowers at lower interest rates.

"I shall certainly bear in mind that there is public demand that interest rates for borrowers, who borrow (housing loans) up to Rs 20 lakh, must be lowered," Chidambaram said.

At the same time he also defended the RBI stance. The RBI governor's position to strike a balance between low inflation and high growth is unenviable, he said.

"He (RBI governor) can never please everyone. It is his judgement call what should be the interest rates in order to contain inflation and promote growth," the Finance Minister said.

Chidambaram said he recognised that from the government's point of view it is important to promote growth without stoking inflation. (PTI)

Kashmir Singh’s pardon challenged

Islamabad: A lawyer has challenged the pardon granted by President Pervez Musharraf to Indian national Kashmir Singh, who was freed after spending 35 years on death row in a Pakistani jail, even as the move was criticised by religious leaders and organisations. (PTI)

Soren acquitted in 1975 massacre case

Jamtara (Jharkhand): Nearly one and half years after he was absolved by a Delhi court in the murder of is private secrertary, a Jharkhand court on Thursday acquitted JMM supremo Sibu Soren in a 33-year-old massacre case citing lack of evidence.

Soren, still in legal tangles in another double murder case, was given the benefit od doubt along with 13 others by Jamtara Additional District and Sessions Judge Arun Kumar for want of evidence.

The court, however, held seven persons guilty in the case relating to the massacre of 11 persons at Chirrudih village under Narayanpur police station on January 23, 1975. The quantum of their punishment would be announced later.

"Justice has triumphed," was the immediate reaction of the tribal leader, who had appeared in person in the court, as he was forced to quit the union cabinet in 2004 following issuance of a non-bailable warrant of arrest against him.

Twentyone out of the 22 accused appeared in the court on Thursday. (PTI)

Hindu temple in London wins Pride of Place award

London: Shree Swaminarayan temple at Naesden in London has been named the landmark of which its residents are most proud, in a national poll.

More than 2,300 residents voted for the north London temple to win the inaugural Pride of Place award. It is the biggest and first Hindu temple to be built in Europe.

The Britain-wide campaign saw 36,800 people voting online. Nine London councils participated in the poll, in which 10 landmarks were nominated from the city. (UNI)

Left sets deadline on nuke deal

New Delhi: Upping the ante, Left parties on Thursday set a deadline asking the government to make it clear by March 15 whether it intended to proceed with the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal or drop it.

Apparently worried over a rash of statements from the government expressing virtually its determination to go ahead with the deal, the parties have asked the government to make a clean breast of its intention -- whether it wants to go ahead with the deal despite their opposition.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat has shot off a letter to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, government's key interlocutor with the allies on the deal, asking for convening of the meeting by March 15.

The party also issued an ominous warning that the future of the government depends on the decision it will take on Washington’s "pressure" to conclude the agreement.

CPI leader D Raja and Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas, members of the Committee, met Karat this morning and discussed the strategy on getting from the government its position on whether it wants to go ahead with the deal despite Left's opposition to it. (PTI)

SC to examine if Pak national can own property in India

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has decided to examine an important issue whether a Pakistani national can have right to property in India.

The important issue has been raised by a petitioner Bhai Lal Shukla, challenging the Allahabad High Court order which had allowed a Pakistani national, Suhel Siddiqui, to take possession of the land belonging to his uncle who was a bachelor.

The High Court had also dismissed the testamentary case, filed by Administrator General of Uttar Pradesh who contended that the Pakistani national cannot own property in India and hence it should be declared evacuated and the possession be handed over to the state Government. (UNI)

Gentle Prime Minister turns combative

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, otherwise soft and gentle even in his attacks against his political rivals, was a different man Wednesday. By hitting out at Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani, in an uncharacteristically sarcastic way, Manmohan Singh took on the role of a sharp politician.

It made the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as well as its Left allies happy.

"It was Manmohan Singh's maiden political speech," said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP P. Rajendran.

"He has torn Advani into pieces," said another communist MP N.N. Krishnadas.

A senior colleague of Manmohan Singh put it like this: "When a quiet man becomes angry he becomes furious." Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Mp Ramkripal Yadav went to Manmohan Singh immediately after he finished his more-than-hour-long speech, shook hands with him and said: "You have done wonders. You have made him speechless". A blushing prime minister was seen thanking everyone for their compliments.

The speech left even his own party men surprised. "It was not even a written speech. He added many things extempore," said a Congress MP.

The MP pointed out that the speech was absolutely different from the prime minister's usual speeches. "When he was attacking Advani on internal security issue, he said at least three times that he did not want to score a point. But what he did was a tit for tat to Advani."

In his speech Manmohan Singh said: "Advaniji has made some critical references about our govern-ment's performance in dealing with terrorism and terrorist groups of different kinds. I have no intention to score points against the opposition on this issue. "National security is too serious a matter for any kind of political one-upmanship. I would like to assure the house that our commitment in the fight against terrorism is absolute...

"I do not need to remind this house about a dark day in 2001 when, but for the fact that fate intervened and our vigilant Watch and Ward Staff, our Parliament would have been the scene of a great deal of bloodshed. I am not scoring points here against the failure of the NDA government."

Ruling out Advani's suggestion that a stricter legal regime to deal with terrorists was the need of the hour, Manmohan Singh said: "This lie must be nailed once and for all. Legal regimes do not prevent terror. "If that had been the case, there would have been no attack on Akshardham or on the Raghunath Mandir. Draconian laws could not prevent the IC-814 hijack. We had the shameful sight of the then external affairs minister (Jaswant Singh) escorting dreaded terrorists to their freedom. (IANS)

SHILLONG: As many as 32 sitting legislators bit the dust in the elections. The are Riang Lennon Tariang (UDP), Mihsalan Suchiang (UDP), Draison Kharshiing (Congress), Sing Mulieh (UDP), Phingwell Muktieh (Congress), Stanley Wiss Rymbai (Congress), Boldness L Nongum (Congress), Pynshai Manik Syiem (NCP), Tony Curtis Lyngdoh (Congress), Process T Sawkmie (UDP), Martle N Mukhim (MDP), Lambor Malngiang (KHNAM), Khan Khong Dkhar (Congress), Flinder A Khonglam (HSPDP), D Plaslanding Iangjuh (UDP), Bires Nongsiej (UDP), Irin Lyngdoh (Congress), Deborah C Marak (Congress), Elstone D Marak (Congress), Beninstand G Momin (UDP), Tonsing N Marak (Congress), Monindro Rava (Congress), Edmund K Sangma (NCP), Beckstar Sangma (Congress), Manirul Islam Sarkar (Congress), Clement Marak (Congress), Sengman R Marak (Congress), Billy Kid A Sangma (Ind), Brening A Sangma (Congress), Admiral K Sangma (NCP), Zenith M Sangma (Congress) and Nidhu Ram Hajong (Ind).

Four years after the Congress aligned with the newly-formed Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Andhra Pradesh, the two parties have parted ways. A paradigm shift has taken place in Andhra politics with the TRS’s 16 MLAs, six MLCs and four MPs resigning this week. It was a marriage of convenience effected in 2004 with the sole objective of ousting the Telugu Desam Party government headed by Chandrababu Naidu. Their efforts succeeded in the installation of the Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress government. The TRS, which won four Lok Sabha seats, supported the UPA at the Centre. But much has happened since then, and the TRS is struggling to stay afloat. The breaking point came after the TRS failed to get a separate Telangana state. What better way to pressure the Congress than to resign from Lok Sabha and the State Assembly a few months before the elections? The Congress is not yet ready for a decision on the tricky Telangana issue.

The concerns for a separate Telangana were manifold. First of all, Congress has to find a consensus within the party at the local as well as at the central level. Congress leaders from the Telangana region also want a separate state while those from the other two regions - coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema - are opposed to it. Congressmen from these regions are afraid that their influence will decline with the creation of a Telangana state. It will be difficult to get a resolution for a separate Telangana passed in the State Assembly without which the process cannot begin. The Congress leadership is clear that statehood cannot be achieved in the absence of a consensus among political parties at the Centre. A consensus is possible only when the CPI (M), Samajwadi Party and the Telugu Desam retract from their opposition to a separate Telangana State. The AICC will not take any initiative before the next Lok Sabha polls even as pro-Telangana leaders have vetoed its move to constitute a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC). The impact of the TRS leaving the UPA will be felt at the time of elections. In Andhra Pradesh, both the Congress and the TRS have to face an acid test. In the next elections, the Congress may be isolated as the left parties are looking to the newly formed UNPA which includes the TDP. The BJP and the NCP support the TRS. For a weakened TRS, it will be a tough task to prove its strength. If film star Chiranjeevi floats a new party, that would also pose a danger to the Congress.