Announcing this here, Gandhi's representative K L Sharma said a meeting of party workers and leaders has been convened on Thursday to chalo out the strategy for the byelection. Both her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra would be accompanying her when files her papers for the byelection scheduled for May eight. Rahul, who represents the adjoining Amethi constituency, would be looking after the poll campaign of his mother, party sources said. (PTI)

New Delhi: The Centre has claimed that the overall security situation in the North-East has shown signs of improvement in the past two years while cautioning against possible revival of insurgency with targeted violence.

Addressing a day-long meeting of the Chief Secretaries and DGPs, the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Wednesday asked the NE states to remain vigilant "since the extremists can always change their strategy and move from one part of the country to the other to confront the government on different fronts."

Cautioning the northeastern states of possible strike by extremists on vital installations and VIPS, Mr Patil said "they might do this to attract attention and create panic in the backdrop of sagging moral."

Meghalaya Chief Secretary Mr S K Tiwari and DGP W R Marbaniang attended the meeting.

Later addressing newspersons, Home Secretary V K Duggal said that the ongoing fencing work in the border would be expedited and the same would be completed within a year everywhere including north eastern region. The state governments have agreed to expedite the process of land acquisition and forest clearance, he said adding that this would help in early construction of the border fences and roads.

The Commission has decided to seek some more clarifications after studying the reply given by the HRD Minister to its charge that he has prima facie violated the model code of conduct for election by announcing plans for reservation. (PTI)

The Finance Minister had announced in last year’s budget that a new comprehensive Income Tax Bill would be drafted by 2005-end to replace the archaic law as part of tax reforms. However, this got delayed a bit and the working group was now in the process of giving finishing touches to their reports.

Addressing a function of the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) here, he also stressed on the need for change in attitude while dealing with tax payers. Later at a discussion organised by Marathi daily ‘Lokmat,’ Chidambaram also emphasised the government’s commitment to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI).

"FDI is nothing but savings of other countries. In our country, savings is to the tune of 29 per cent (of GDP) and these savings can be invested in public and private sectors. Savings bring investments, (and) investments bring more jobs and prosperity," he said.

If the country has to push up its growth rate by one or two per cent to achieve 9-10 per cent economic growth, India's savings rate of 29 per cent and investment rate of 31 per cent need to be pushed up by 3-4 per cent. (PTI)

Ranchi: In a rare conviction involving a large number of people, 50 accused in a fodder scam case were on Wednesday found guilty and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment by a designated CBI court here.

The judgement was pronounced against 49 accused present in the court for fraudulently withdrawing Rs 16,33 from the Chaibasa Treasury on the basis of fake bills raised for purported supply of different items to the Animal Husbandary department of Bihar.

For the first time, major supplier and accused in the other 23 fodder cases, in which he allegedly received nearly Rs 95.73 crore, Mohammed Sayeed was also convicted. He was, however, not present in the court when the judgement was pronounced.

Terming it as a "unique" conviction of a large number of people, a CBI spokesman said while seven people including the then District Animal Husbandary Chief G S Prasad were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment, the others were given jail terms ranging from one to six years.

The case was registered by CBI on March 27, 1996 and after investigations, a chargesheet was filed against 22 people on June 28, 1998. Later, an additional chargesheet was filed against 33 more people. Of the total of 55 people accused in the case, 50 were convicted, two died during the course of trial, two turned approvers and one is still absconding.(PTI)

Salman’s counsel H M Saraswat filed the 44-page application, which included 38 judicial points challenging the lower court verdict, before District and Sessions judge G S Mehta who fixed Thursday for its hearing. Two other lawyers S R Bajwa and Dipesh Mehta also appeared in the court on Wednesday on behalf of the actor.

A copy of Salman’s petition was handed over to the prosecution on the court’s direction. The actor is being treated as an ordinary prisoner in the jail and was served chapati and vegetables for dinner and jaggery(gur) and gram for breakfast like other inmates.

In another development, the judge directed that Salman be personally present in his court on Thursday in connection with his appeal against a lower court verdict sentencing him to one year in jail in another Chinkara poaching case in Bhavad village. The actor was convicted on February 17 but the sentence was suspended by the court to enable him to go for an appeal in the higher court.(PTI)

Alwar: Twenty-two days after he raped a German tourist, son of a top IPS officer was on Wednesday sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment in yet another expeditious conviction in Rajasthan. B H Mohanty, found guilty of raping the 26-year-old woman at a hotel here on the night of March 20, was also fined Rs 10,000 by Additional District Judge R K Maheshwari of the fast-track court. Mohanty, an MBA student from Delhi, is the son of Orissa cadre Additional DGP B B Mohanty.

The victim was not present when the verdict was pronounced. Thirteen witnesses were produced during the trial. The incident had occurred at a local hotel where Mohanty and the victim had stayed. Alwar police were informed of the rape after the victim sent a number of text messages on her mobile phone to a relative in Berlin who got in touch with the German Embassy in New Delhi.

Mohanty was remanded in judicial custody after his arrest at Khairtal station while returning with the victim on a Delhi-bound intercity train. According to police, he confessed to his crime. The victim subsequently alleged that the accused’s relatives were threatening her and demanding a compromise.

This is a second case of conviction of a person in a rape case in Rajasthan. A German tourist was raped by an autorickshaw driver and his colleague at Jodhpur on May 11 last year. A fast track court had awarded life terms to Shankar and Rakesh within 21 days of the crime. (PTI)

New Delhi: The government Wednesday relented and agreed to review the Narmada Control Authority’s controversial decision to raise Sardar Sarovar dam’s height following environmental activist Medha Patkar’s fortnight-long protest.

"I will review a decision taken earlier by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA)," Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since March 29 to protest against the decision to raise the dam’s height and also the lack of a rehabilitation package for those displaced. Police had forcibly admitted her to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here last week after her condition deteriorated.

The prime minister had appointed a ministerial committee consisting of Soz, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar and Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan, to assess the status of the rehabilitation sites and threat to villages from the dam.

Patkar was quoted as saying on TV channels that the strike against the dam would not be suspended in the wake of the government's decision to review.

"The strike won’t be suspended simply because they have decided to review. We are continuing our fast. We will have to consult more activists and give a final reaction after an official communication," she had said.

The activists of NBA started their protests after the government’s March 8 decision to increase the height of the dam from 110 metres to 121 metres. They claimed that the decision violated the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award and a Supreme Court judgement.(IANS)

BANGALORE: An icon of south Indian cinema and star of more than 200 films, Rajkumar, died on Wednesday, sparking widespread violence as distraught fans torched buses and ripped hoardings in the country’s hi-tech hub. The revered actor, who gained nationwide fame in 2000 when he was kidnapped by notorious forest bandit Veerappan, died at his home in Bangalore after a heart attack, his doctor said. He was 77.

His death effectively closed down much of the city, witnesses said, with major businesses - including cinema halls - downing shutters out of respect but also in fear of violent mobs that swept through the city as news of the actor’s passing spread.

A Microsoft research institute in the city centre was stoned, the company said, and many of India’s leading technology companies concerned over safety sent workers home early. Television reports showed huge crowds laying siege to an ambulance bearing the actor’s body and trying to climb in through the vehicle’s smashed windows.

A Reuters photographer saw a police car overturned and other vehicles set on fire.

"He was a cult figure," said fellow actor Anant Nag. "Everybody is at a loss."

Actors in the southern Indian film industry are often revered with as much intensity as the gods they regularly portray on screen. Many people include icons of their favourite star in their household shrine, alongside portrayals of the more usual Hindu pantheon. Rajkumar, sometimes called the John Wayne of the regional Kannada-language film industry, was kidnapped in 2000 along with four members of his family in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

The kidnap sparked violent protests as fans demanded his release, and police feared a backlash against the state’s Tamil minority in Karnataka. He spent 108 days in the jungle bordering the two states before police negotiated his release. Veerappan was shot dead in 2004.

New Delhi: Cyprus, a member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Wednesday welcomed the India-US civil nuclear deal and backed New Delhi's efforts to seek global nuclear energy cooperation.

"As a member of the NSG, Cyprus welcomed the India-US agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation," external affairs ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna said after talks between Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"Both sides agreed that such a cooperation would be welcome in addressing concerns relating to global energy security and environmental protection," he said. (IANS)

In case of default in payment of the cost amount, the same would be recovered from him as arrears of land revenue. The petitioner had filed a PIL challenging allotment of land to a Coalwashery Plant in Korba district of Chattisgarh on the ground that the it was violation of Forest Conservation Act as the land in question was forest land.

The Supreme Court-appointed Centrally Empowered Committee in its two reports submitted to the court contradicted his claim and said the land allotted to Coalwashery plant was not a forest land. While imposing a heavy cost the Bench said the PIL filed by the petitioner was a sheer wastage of its time. (PTI)

The six organisations have been banned under the provision of the recently enforced ‘Chhattisgarh Vishesh Jan Surakshya Adhiniyam’, he said.The five other organisations are Dandakaranya Kishan Adivashi Mazdoor Sangh, Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangh, Krantikari Adivasi Balak Sangh, Krantikari Kisan committee and Mahila Mukti Manch. 

The special Act was enforced by the BJP government to curb naxalite menace in the state. (PTI)

New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing drive against commercial use of residential premises in the capital, the Centre today requested the Supreme Court to give it "at least six months" to enable local bodies to conduct a "ground level survey" to identify roads and streets where mixed land use can be permitted.

In an application filed in the court, Under secretary in Urban Development Ministry S Mukherjee sought a direction to the MCD not to undertake sealing operations against the misusers during the six-month period.

The Government prayed to the court to direct the local bodies to complete the exercise of identification of mixed use roads, streets in residential areas within the period of six months in a systematic and organized manner as per the provisions of Delhi Master Plan.

"This request is being made genuinely in view of the operational problems being faced by the enforcement agencies and the confusion prevailing in the minds of the residents and avoidable hardship likely to be caused to bonafide users of the mixed use policy," the Centre said in its application.

Admitting that there were lot of "ambiguities and contraditions" in the matter of notification of the mixed land use in Delhi, the Centre said it intended to set up an Expert Group comprising of eminent planners, architects and citizens to oversee the entire exercise and provide guidance to the local bodies.

This was done keeping in view the ground realities and for easy, fair and effective implementation of the provisions as also to eliminate discretion by the field functionaries, it said adding the 2021 Master Plan was yet to be notified.

The Centre said "in the planning and development process in the capital in the last four decades or so, there have been ambiguities, contradictions and gaps, causing many abberations and distortions, which needed to be set right." (PTI)

Chennai: In a new twist to the ongoing war of words between MDMK chief Vaiko and Union Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran, the latter on Wednesday filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to restrain Vaiko from referring to certain issues which were "perniciously false, highly defamatory and malicious."

In his civil suit, Maran sought a permanent injunction restraining the MDMK leader, who had recently quit the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu and joined the one led by the AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa for the May 8 state assembly polls, from making any speech or giving any statement orally or in writing against him in connection with cancellation of licence to Raj TV for uplinking two additional channels.

The Minister also prayed for issue of an order to prevent Vaiko from referring to the alleged payment of Rs 10 crore to SUN TV, controlled by his brother Kalanidhi Maran and other family members, by BSNL for advertisements, the application from Mavis Sat Com, which runs the Jaya TV, for licence to air a second channel and reduction of fee from Rs 100 crore to Rs 2.5 crore for National Lond Distance and International long Distance licences.

Seeking a direction to Vaiko to pay him Rs one crore for the remarks which were allegedly defamatory, Maran also sought a direction to Tamil Daily Dina Malar, which had published the remarks in its March 31 edition, and Jaya TV which had carried the remarks to pay a sum of Rs one lakh each. Vaiko had reportedly made the remarks while addressing a meeting of his party here on March 29.(PTI)

Mumbai: Sitting in her one-room hole-in-the-wall flat of a ramshackle building in a Mumbai suburb, former bar worker Ruby can't wait for the day she can wear her colourful costumes once again. The Bombay High Court's decision Wednesday to lift a ban on the dance bars, overturning the Maharashtra government's move, has heartened various women like her whose profession as a dance girl was dealt a blow by the state's moral brigade.

For Ruby, life has changed drastically with the ban. She had to pull out her six-year-old son from a local school due to a lack of money to pay fees. It hasn't been easy for Ruby, 27, to endure the hardships since the curtains came down on dance bars in August last year.

"I have not been able to pay my house rent for the last three months. I could not even get food home everyday for my son," said Ruby, who had been a dancer for three years before the axe fell.

"I have tried working as a waitress in restaurants and selling wares in local trains. But the income is too low to buy even two square meals a day," she said.

With the amount Ruby earned from the dance bar, she would sustain not only her two-member family here, but it was also the only source of survival for her aged parents back home in an Uttar Pradesh village. Ruby, who was deserted by her husband four years back, said that news of suicides committed by the former dance bar girls had begun to depress her. At least two of her colleagues had killed themselves in the past 10 months reportedly due to financial crunch.

Varsha Kale, head of a dance bar girls union, says many of the 75,000 dance bar girls in the state have taken to prostitution in desperation while others have gone back to their native places to face an uncertain future.

"We were not so concerned about the ban on dance bars. Our main demand was the rehabilitation of the girls by providing some alternative employment so that they are not exploited," Kale told IANS.

"The government has not rehabilitated a single girl since the dance bars were shut down last year. Many of them have been pushed into prostitution, while others are leading equally miserable lives.

"Keeping the exploitation of the girls in the mind, I think the court verdict has come as a major relief."

Most of the 400 dance bars in India's financial and entertainment capital, which used to hum with activity even after midnight just, wore a deserted look after the ban. The dance bars usually had women entertaining customers looking for food, liquor and sometimes sex. In many such places, dancers donned skimpy outfits and mingled with customers while dancing. IANS)

On his return from Jharkhand after a field visit to uranium mining areas of Jadugoda. He told newsmen here on Wednesday said that the KHADC submitted its recommendation to Chief Minister DD Lapang on Tuesday in favour of proposed uranium project at Domiasiat-Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills. "It is in the interest of the people and the State as whole", the KHADC report said.

The Council is of the opinion that there is no harm in Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) in taking up the project however "it is up to the State government to allow the same", Mr Shylla said.

A 14-member team led by Mr Shylla visited the UCIL project at Jaduguda and interacted with the employees of the Corporation and found that those working there are possessing sound health. "We have even entered the mine and found it safe for all working there", he said.

The KHADC team included the KHADC Deputy CEM, Executive Members and three MDCs from the Opposition, besides the Syiem of Hima Langrin and representatives of some NGOs.

The UCIL has been certified by many developed countries like the USA, Canada, Russia, France and the UK for adopting modern technique of uranium exploration and thereby providing safety measures to ensure that there was no health hazard, the CEM said.

The KHADC chief said the Council had done its job by giving a recommendation to the government to go ahead with the project. "If the government fails to decide in favour of mining, it would mean that the government is against development and the people have every right to question them", he said.

Mr Shylla expressed his willingness to take up the responsibility, if he is given the authority to allow the UCIL to go ahead with the project. If the government allows, the Rs 1000 crore project is expected create employment opportunities for the people, besides giving a fillip to the State's economy.

Official sources on Wednesday said Mr Lapang and Mr Sangma along with other officials boarded the chopper at 9 am from Upper Shillong on Wednesday. Due to poor visibility, the Pawan Hans could not land at Gausapara and instead it was diverted to Guwahati. The visit of the delegation to Garo Hills was scheduled for an assessment of the damage caused due to cyclone.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, he said that the PCI would have wanted to get involved in initiating peace process in the State as it did in case of DHD in Assam. "The PCI has not taken any initiative in this regard as the Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders' Forum has already been recognised by the State government for the purpose," he said adding that some of the member of the PCI were also the member of the Forum.

SHILLONG: The move to appoint Mr PJ Bazeley as MeSEB Chairman is all set to snowball into a familiar public row, with the KSU deciding to resort to a three-day office picketing beginning on April 18.

KSU central executive committee which met here on Wednesday called for office picketing in Shillong on April 18, 19 and 20, however exempting the educational institutions from this programme. The KSU members would picket all the Central and State government offices, besides the financial institutions as part of the Union's move to compel the State government to cancel the appointment.

"If the government fails to meet our demand, we will go for an intensive agitation to be announced later", KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said.

"If anything happens to the government servants during our agitation, the onus would come on State government as it has only created a situation which may disturb the law and order", Mr Jyrwa said.

Joining the chorus of opposition, the BJP state demanded "immediate withdrawal of the decision. "We do not question the efficiency and ability of Mr Bazeley, but we are against the government's undue favour to him", a BJP statement said. The party asserted that "there are many serving IAS officers who are equally capable of holding the post. It is always advisable to have a serving officer to fill the post of the Chairman as has been done in the past".

At the same time, the BJP lamented that the government did not make anything clear on the move for Corporatisation of the Board. "If it has already been done, the facts are still hidden from the public. This goes against the Right to Information Act", the party statement said, adding: "it is another foul means to push through the hidden agenda".

Some of the MDA legislators, who are not in the Lapang-Ministry, met on Wednesday and opposed the decision of the Cabinet. They demanded that the order should be revoked. "We oppose the decision of the Cabinet as this is not acceptable to the people", some MLAs said.

When contacted Congress MLA Robert G Lyngdoh said, "I cannot comment on Mr Bazeley's appointment as I am yet to study the case. I do not know under what circumstances he has been appointed. Is it because of the independently functioning Board, which has asked for his services?" the Congress MLA wanted to know.

The Civil Society Women's Organisation (CSWO) has described the move to bring back Mr Bazeley as ridiculous. In a faxed message to the Governor Mr MM Jacob, the organisation demanded immediate withdrawal of the Cabinet decision, failing to do so would result in mass agitation in the State.

Due to the Holy Week, CSWO kept in abeyance the announcement of its agitation programme till the next week.

According to the CSWO, the State government's justification of appointing Mr Bazeley is a "lame excuse as there are more competent officers than Mr Bazeley", and it wanted the government to be "accountable" and "act in a responsible manner".

"We will announce an instant agitation and that will be half an hour before resorting to it," MMSA general secretary Dr Aman War said. He, however, declined to mention the form of agitation or the possible date for the same.

Meanwhile, several Government doctors told The Shillong Times that the "childish statement" of Health Minister Sayeedulah Nongrum which appeared in the media on Wednesday reflected the "failure" of the government.

"Whether it is an agitation for five seconds, one hour or seven hours, it is a protest and the Minister should realise that. Now that he has given legal sanction to the agitation as per his media statement, the MMSA has every right to resort to any agitation in the coming days," the doctors said.

It may be mentioned that the Assam Police arrested three persons with a packet of explosive item having the tag of "Department of Atomic Energy, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Explosion and Research Centre, North Eastern Region, Shillong". This is a fake tag, he said.

Mr Rynjah told The Shillong Times that similar cases were reported around eight months back, "but after investigation it was found that the substance was only a nitrate explosive".

"How can it be uranium, when uranium mining has not even started in the State", he argued.

In a letter to the KHADC CEM Mr H S Shylla here on Wednesday, the Opposition members said that they were taken aback by reports regarding attempt by the KHADC to take over the "sick" Park View Hospital at Lumsohphoh, Nongthymmai from NEITED.

The letter was signed by six MDCs including Opposition leader Bindo Lanong. "The Council has become a pawn of the NEITED only because of hasty and disastrous deal," the letter said.

SHILLONG: The MPCC president, Mr OL Nongtdu left for Delhi on Wednesday to lobby with other political parties for their support to Constitution amendment seeking to increase the number of ministers in small states in the North-East.

"I just want to find out whether the opposition parties agree to the proposed amendment to the Constitution to allow more Ministers in smaller states", Mr Nongtdu said. To contain the growing dissidence in the Congress, the Union DoNER and Tribal Affairs Minister Mr PR Kyndiah claimed to have taken initiative to get Constitutional consent for accommodating more members in the State Cabinets of the Northeast.

Chief Minister DD Lapang too urged the Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi to increase the size of Meghalaya Cabinet to 20. Mr Lapang officially moved Mrs Gandhi in this regard.

"We have to impress upon the major political parties in the Centre for their support to passing of the amendment Bill", Mr Nongtdu told The Shillong Times before leaving for Delhi on Wednesday. He said the Chief Minister would join him in Delhi by Saturday to pursue the matter with Central leaders.

Mr Nongtdu said the AICC leaders had no objection to the suggestion of Mr Kyndiah. "Since I was in the Parliament, I can talk to many of my old friends on whether they were ready to support our move. My intention is not to convince them, but to know their mind", he said.

According to him, if the BJP agrees to the proposal, the amendment can be carried out without any difficulty. The State BJP has already made its mind known squarely opposing the move saying that was "not necessary".

Shillong: Three ANVC militants have deserted the outfit after attacking a senior cadre and fled from the designated Liaison Office at Tura Youth Hostel on April 4, police said.

The deserters are suspected to have joined the new outfit - A'chik National Liberation Front (ANLF) - headed by a former senior ANVC member Nobin Marak, who had fled from Samanda camp in East Garo Hills in May last year. He took along with him an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.

Senior police officials said that the three deserters identified as Bilbor Marak, Alim Momin and Chapan Sangma assaulted a senior cadre of the ANVC Dambel Sangma, who tried to prevent them from deserting the camp. During the night scuffle, they attacked him with lethal weapons and left him seriously injured. Sangma was admitted to Tura Civil Hospital on April 6 but he succumbed to injuries on the next day.

The State Home department is concerned over frequent desertions by the surrendered militants and is worried about the growing strength of the new outfit. The police department took serious note of this incident and likely to question the ANVC leadership for the outfit's alleged attempt to keep the issue under wraps.

"As per the ceasefire ground rules, any untoward incident occurring in either of their two designated camps or the liaison office have to be made known to us. Had we known early, we could have arrested the deserters. But they kept us in the dark," a police official said.

The State government also expressed concern over the desertions in the rank and file of the ANVC ever since they came over ground in July, 2004. This is the third case of desertion within a span of one year.The first group of militants to flee were from the Samanda camp during the early part of last year in which Nobin Marak, the Commander-in-Chief of ANLF, figured. The second desertion was from the Chokpot camp in October last year, when six cadres left camp to join the new outfit.

The new outfit suffered reverses in the last few months losing some of their members in police encounters. In December last year, three ANLF militants were killed near Resu in East Garo Hills.Again on March 3 this year, three new cadres of the outfit were shot dead across Simsang river near Williamnagar, East Garo Hills. In that encounter, the ANLF secretary Rahul Marak escaped with bullet injuries. He was later arrested from a nursing home in Guwahati while undergoing treatment.

Police also retrieved one AK-47 rifle and an SLR from the ANLF, which were stolen from the ANVC camps. However, the outfit continues to bother the State police for its chairman Nobin Marak and defence secretary Probin Momin alias Ongkan being still at large despite ongoing police operations to flush them out.

SHILLONG: The Dorbar Shnong of Lawsohtun has reiterated its stand that status quo be maintained on the electoral position of the village adding that all residents wanted to remain attached with Nongkrem constituency.

In a letter to the Chairman of Delimitation Commission, retired Justice Kuldeep Singh, the Durbar said that a meeting of all eligible male and female adults on April 8 deliberated the pros and cons of the issue and unanimously arrived at a decision that the area should continue to remain with Nongkrem constituency.

"The Dorbar has with one voice arrived at a final resolution that status quo be maintained and Lawsohtun be allowed to remain with 26 Nongkrem Assembly constituency," the letter said adding that unanimous resolution was adopted for complete rejection of any attempt to bring Lawsohtun under the Shillong Municipality.

Further, the Dorbar strongly condemned the "nefarious act by vested interest" who forged the signature of the Rangbah Shnong Mr K Lyngdoh and issued a press release "praising Laban MDC Sanbor Shullai by wrongly using the Rangbah Shnong’s name and his seal".

"The Dorbar took strong exception to the criminal act and viewed the same as a dangerous and sinister design to misuse the authority of the Rangbah Shnong and the Durbar for the benefit of a certain individual," the statement said.

The reaction by the Lawsohtun Dorbar followed the recent letter written by Laban MDC Mr Sanbor Shullai to the Delimitation Commission chairman demanding inclusion of Lawsohtun under Laban or Mawprem constituencies asserting that the area was much closer to the two constituencies.

The Board also clarified that the Task Force constituted by the Government is fully functional through the ‘quick response team’ constituted by the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills and the Emergency Teams for Water Crisis during the lean season.

Furthermore, the Board also requested the citizens to bear with the Board for the low supply of water during this dry season and to help in preventing wastage and leakage.

MPYC president Mr Zenith Sangma, who was unable to accompany the team, sent his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims as well as those affected by the unfortunate incident.

Shillong: The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, is taking up a number of steps to strengthen the consumer movement in the country, including the North Eastern Region, involving the state governments / UT administrations, voluntary consumer organisations, consumer activists, the media etc.

After studying the needs of the consumers of the N.E. region, a special Wake Up campaign is being run with all leading newspapers carrying the ads, specially designed for N.E. consumers. Special TV and radio spots have also been made for N.E. on Wake Up theme.

Keeping in view the fact that music runs in the veins of the people, a unique medium of conveying consumer related messages through musical concerts has been devised for the region. Distribution of T-shirts/caps with messages printed on them and music CDs containing consumer information along with popular music are done to garner the interests of the people.

The Department has produced video spots in Regional languages of N.E. states on various consumer related issues such as MRP, Expiry date on medicine, adulteration, damaged products, redressal system etc., telecast through Doordarshan Kendras of N.E. states.

The Department in collaboration with the Department of Post is disseminating consumer awareness messages through Meghdoot Post Cards to reach far-flung rural areas including the N.E. states.

Shillong: Rev R P Lyngdoh, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of India said the church has made a paradigm shift from the traditional spirituality by giving equal emphasis to both spirituality and bodily need of an individual.

Announcing the programme for the 37th Biennal General Assembly and Revival Centenary Celebration to be held from April 18 to 23 at Mairang, Rev Lyngdoh said this celebration is thanksgiving for what happened 100 hundred years ago.

Rev Lyngdoh said that the impact of this revival has led to more people returning to the faith.

"Before it came to Mairang, the revival started in 1904 at Wales and in the year 1905 at Mawphlang, Cherrapunjee and Pariong," he said adding that it spread to other North Eastern states.

"The celebration should not be a one time prayer service, but should be followed with other plans to improve the physical and spiritual needs of the people", he said.

Rev Lyngdoh informed that the week-long centenary celebration would be telecast at Miracle Net tv from May 15 upto June 1 from 7 am to 7.30 am.

SHILLONG: A meeting of people of Hima Mylliem had recently constituted the Seng ki Khun ki Hajar Hima Mylliem with Mr N D Wanbah as president, Mr R Kharkongngor and Mr L Kharpuri as vice president and Mr V Jungai as general secretary. The meeting also elected ten executive members.

TURA: The foundation for a residential school for adolescent girls who have dropped out due to various constraints, was recently inaugurated at Jengjal, near Tura. The process of setting up the Kastuba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya, a school seeking to help the girls return to basic education, was laid by Fr S Mavelil, Director of a Christian NGO, Bakdil, at a function at Baljek Agal, Jengjal.

The function was attended by a large number of people including many school children and parents. The school, which is the first of its kind in Meghalaya, is sponsored by the Government of India and has been entrusted to Bakdil which is involved in numerous developmental projects in Garo Hills. The School will be run and managed by the Ngo in close collaboration with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of West Garo Hills.

Speaking on the occasion, Fr Sunny highlighted the objectives of this school and hoped that the Institution will greatly improve the educational scenario of Rongram block where the female literacy rate is below the national average. The residential school (KGBV) can accommodate a maximum of 60 students. Besides the MBOSE curriculum, the girls will be taught various life skills which will help them in finding self-employment and livelihood.

Preparatory bridge courses are being run at five centers under Rongram block-- Dollong Manda, Jengjal, Oragitok, Tebronggre and Galwang Chidekgre. In all 124 students are enrolled in the bridge course and the selected candidates will be sent to the KGBV at Jengjal.

Earlier, while signing the agreement with the NGO, Mr Sampath Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, who is also the Chairman of the managing Committee of KGBV, hoped that the KGBV school at Jengjal would be a true model school of its kind.

Sixteen year on, a sorry send off for L.K. Advani to start his second air conditioned rath yatra before a thin crowd at Rajkot. Earlier rath yatra had lifted saffron politics to the centre-stage, the BJP leader's Bharat Suraksha Yatra - meant to "educate people" about the centre's "minority appeasement" - had the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad thumbing their nose at it. The BJP president Rajnath Singh began his nation-wide campaign from Bhubaneswar lambasting the UPA government saying that its all-round failure had jeopardised economic, cultural, social and internal security of the nation. Both leaders will reach New Delhi on May 10.

As the BJP is passing through an existential crisis, will such yatras rejuvenate the party? It is possible that even though astrologers have failed the BJP, it is still hopeful that the UPA will collapse under the weight of its internal contradictions. Witness therefore Vajpayee quoting to the faithful a Deutsche Bank report on the imminent collapse of the UPA at the time of the coming West Bengal elections. Advani is clearly positioning himself for that fortuitous eventuality. This is not necessarily a bad political calculation.

At the programmatic level, the BJP is plagued by confusion. Hindutva paid the party rich dividends, although at tremendous cost to the country's secular and inclusive fabric. However, the BJP finds that like every market-expansion strategy, after a point Hindutva fetches only diminishing returns. But the party has not made a decisive choice to opt for newer strategies aimed at farmers, Dalits and other deprived sections of society. "Cultural nationalism" and "integral humanism" have become its catch-all terms to paper over stark choices that stare at the party.

The allegations of "coterie" politics and a bitter battle for supremacy among the second generation of leaders have not been levelled by outsiders; party members themselves have not balked at revealing these inner-party machinations. The explanation that the "centrifugal force" of the party has been weakened and the balance will be righted in due course is nothing but an intellectual spin to the manifest disintegration of what the BJP claimed to stand for - ideology above individuals.

What has further compounded the BJP's problems is that the party is not renewing itself. Unable to identify with any mass movements, the dominant source of new blood for the BJP is the student movement, which essentially represents only the conservative and insular element in the middle-class yearning for self-importance. The RSS, which could have been a source of fresh blood, is itself plagued by a membership that is ageing. The average age in the RSS branch meetings (shakhas) is over 55 and the attendance has been shrinking.

The quality of the synergy that used to exist between the RSS and the BJP has also changed. The real and full-time general secretary of the BJP is still an RSS nominee, the rest are essentially only part-time functionaries. But in the last decade or so, the party has seen to it that the public profile of the RSS nominees in the BJP structure does not become too prominent. The last RSS man to be allowed to do so was Narendra Modi. In these circumstances, either Rajnath Singh or Advani cannot do much. They would have no choice but to follow reactive politics. They may temporarily stabilise the patient but they had no cure for it.

However, there is some reason for consolation for the BJP. It is an accepted truth that the two principal magnetic poles are the Congress and the BJP; something like identical twins of Indian politics. Around these two magnetic poles, smaller political formations are drawn to derive maximum possible advantages. These two principal parties have no Mahatma Gandhi to guide them; and choose a political course in the larger interest of the country.

The Congress had much longer innings as a ruling party at the Centre, whereas, the BJP ruled the country with the help of smaller parties. In fact, it heralded the dawn of coalition government. The Congress Party stepped into the space vacated by the BJP-led coalition government. For all practical purposes the two parties can be described as "natural allies". Their economic, security, foreign and other policies are the same. The Congress today talks "pro-poor" economic policies after the results of the last general elections. The BJP will continue these policies (most were also BJP policies) if it comes back to power at the Centre. But an alliance of the BJP and the Congress is inconceivable. The dynastic Congress will not want to share rule with another powerful national party.

The BJP, after the last elections, has faced a serious dilemma. Its allies in the NDA want dilution of the Hindutva ideology. In government, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Advani found it convenient to sue the allies as excuse for not pursuing Hindutva. To regain power now, allies have to be retained and new ones added. Will the new BJP president Rajnath Singh be different from his immediate predecessor?

Advani had cobbled a coalition of disparate parties and made Vajpayee prime minister. Managing a coalition with George Fernandes, both Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi (at different times) in one government was an extraordinary achievement. It was Advani's acceptability to the hardliners of Hindutva (RSS, VHP) that made the coalition stable and kept the extremists in check. They trusted him because he had made Hindutva a national cause and they expected that he would, overtime, enable them to meet their ambitions. But for Advani it was only sensible political strategy, and that too is lost with his exit.

Rajnath Singh's strategy has to change and make the BJP acceptable. He cannot abandon Hindutva. But he can rework his image and win acceptance among minorities. The RSS has always said it is not a political party. For the BJP, the RSS provides foot soldiers, not political strategy. The RSS can work for Hinduism. The BJP will be the Hindu political party that is not anti-minorities. Rajnath Singh must create a broad coalition with the Samajawadi Party, TDP, NCP, DMK, JD (U) and other smaller groups. All will want to escape the Congress's dynastic imperative. INAV

What are former members of the bureaucracy remembered for? Is it their commitment to duty in difficult circumstances? Or their diligence? Eye for details? Or their insightful judgments, orders, and perceptive file notings? Or their instinctive grasp of an issue, and ability to take right decisions?

In reality, none of the above. Great bureaucrats are remembered for their oddities, and tales of their eccentricities become immortalised. Like the civil servant of yore, distressed by villages and their bullock carts not adhering to the rules of the road. So he rode out early in the morning and whipped everything going along the wrong side of the highway to the left. Came back, had breakfast, and rode off on another highway to enforce road discipline. He was, of course, reprimanded by government for ''taking the law into his own hands''. But, for years afterwards traffic on the highway was so orderly as to cause general amazement.

Then there was the police officer, a terror to his subordinates, who would inform a station house officer that he was coming for inspections, setting them to work on sprucing up the premises, and then set off to inspect another police station that was wholly unprepared for scrutiny. He was also a master of disguises. One never knew where he might turn up masquerading as a Pathan, or a mendicant, or a merchant to ascertain the true state of crime in the locality and the reputation of the local thanedar.

There would always be a method in this madness, like when a senior police official sent word he was coming at 8 am to inspect a parade by the district force. He came at 7 am to find everything at sixes and sevens with policemen rushing about trying to fall in. Getting into a huff he drove off admonishing the district police superintendent"I came here to inspect a parade and have been presented with a mob". Some weeks later the mortified police superinten-dent got a note.

It read,"You might have thought I was going senile, coming to inspect a parade scheduled for 8 at 7 in the morning. But at my stage in service, we senior officers are privileged and need to cultivate our eccentricities. So that we shall be remembered". (By arranegement with The Times of India)

The year 2000 was a watershed for the Indian insurance industry when the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) invited applications from private companies for registration to start insurance business in India. With this initial step the 40-year-old monopoly of the two state-owned insurance companies, namely, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) came to an end.

The economic reforms initiated in 1991 had envisaged liberalization of not only the industrial sector but also of the financial sector, including the insurance business. The liberalization of the industrial sector was relatively easy as a large number of private companies were already operating in the country, but the liberalization of the insurance business was a different proposition as it was wholly state owned and the existing laws did not allow the setting up of private insurance company.

There was an intense opposition from various interest groups including trade unions, employees of the state-owned companies to privatization of their existing companies or allowing foreign investment in the insurance business. Strangely enough, the Left wing political parties and some of the right wing organizations were on the same wave length in opposing privatization of insurance business. Any way the insurance sector was opened up and many big Indian industrial and financial houses started joint ventures with established foreign companies in insurance business

The Indian insurance sector when it was opened up had a low market penetration. The full potential had not been tapped in the past 40 years even by the state owned companies. Indian population has crossed one billion mark. Of this around 27% of the population lives in urban areas, while 73% in rural areas. About 300 million people constitute the middle class which can afford both life and non-life insurance policies. But less then 8% of the total population has insurance cover. According to the National Council of Applied Economic Research, the insurable population is around 240 million. Of this only 20% have insurance and that covers only 25% of their needs. According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants the Indian life and non-life insurance business accounted for merely 0.42% of the world’s life and non-life business.

There were two main reasons for this low penetration of insurance business in India. First, the two state-owned companies did not make much efforts to spread the insurance culture in the country despite the fact that they had set up branches in all parts of the country. Their primary concern was for mobilization of funds for government. Since there was no competition, premium rates fixed were quite high by world standards. This closed the insurance door to a large number of people who wanted insurance but could not afford it. Moreover, the services offered were of poor quality; the insurance products offered were also of limited range.

The second, factor for low penetration was the psyche of the Indian people. Life insurance has been considered as a saving instrument rather than a pure risk cover. In a pure risk cover the insurer does not get anything after the term is over even though he had made contributions for a number of years. Therefore, term insurance or pure risk cover had never been an attractive proposition. This is true even today. The endowment and money-back insurance products which combine pure risk cover as well as return of money after a stipulated period have remained relatively quite popular with the people. Some of these products have been named as children’s education policy or daughter’s marriage policy.

Till recently, the taxation system was such that it reinforces the perception that insurance policy is a saving instrument as it allows tax rebate on contribution made in the form of premium as is the case of provident fund, infrastructure bonds etc. The bias in favour of endowment policies has also been due to the fact that the state-owned company has been giving a relatively higher commission on endowment and money-back policies rather than on pure risk cover policies. The commission given to the insurance agents ranges from 25 to 30% for money-back policies, compared to 10 to 15% for pure risk policies. The things have now been slowly changing for the last six years. The new tax rebate system has become neutral between various savings schemes, including insurance that has far-reaching implications for the insurance industry in the coming years.

The insurance market, however, after six years of opening up is still dominated by the two state-owned companies, namely, LIC in life insurance sector and GIC in general insurance like motor, vehicle, fire, theft, marine, medical and so on. Some of the well- known Indian private companies which have come up in collaboration with foreign companies in the past six years have been gaining foothold in the Indian insurance market. The fear of the state-owned companies that they will lose out to private foreign companies has not come true. It appears that the private companies are expanding faster than state-owned companies in a relative sense, but it is the whole insurance market that is expanding. It has reported a healthy growth of over 51% in premium under written for the first nine months of the last fiscal.

As per the statistics prepared by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), the industry underwrote a premium of Rs.19,893.38 crore for the nine-month period in the last fiscal, compared to Rs.13,153.12 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

In terms of number of policies sold, the industry reported a growth of 27.45 per cent by selling 1.78 crore policies (1.39 crore). While the private sector posted a growth of 64.41 per cent to garner a market share of 12.46 per cent, the LIC reported an increase of 23.5 per cent in number of policies sold with a market share of 87.54 per cent.

The LIC is responding to the new situation by upgrading its technology and improving its customer service. The private insurance companies cannot match its branch network. As a result what appears to be happening is that private insurance companies are restricting themselves to "high networth individuals" while the LIC is looking after the masses. This is an unhealthy trend which needs to be looked into by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). The private insurance companies should also go into small towns and villages.

Sir,

I take this opportunity to draw the kind attention of the concerned authority and the public at large about the rampant corruption prevailing in the Cantonment Board, especially under the stewardship of the present Cantonment Executive Officer.

The corruption, which is a permanent ill of the Cantonment Board, has now taken a serious turn. The Chief Executive Officer appears to have come to Shillong with the only object of minting money. The Cantonment law requires that every construction should be made according to the "Floor Space Index" but unfortunately whoever submits a plan for house construction as per the F .5.1 the same is rejected with a demand that "You pay this much and construct the house as per your convenience and when you receive any notice from the Board for unplanned construction, file a case in the Court and the Board would be slow to protect its interest ". In this process innumerable constructions have come up in the Cantonment area and it is continuing unabated.

Even for obtaining permission for water connection the applicant is required to pay heavy amount that finds it way directly to the pocket of the CEO. He openly says that anyone dares complaint against him; nothing would happen to him as a portion of the money received by corrupt means go to the higher ups. His boasting is substantiated by the inaction of the higher authorities on much public complaint.

I, therefore, appeal to the concerned authorities to take immediate corrective measures and save the Cantonment area from being converted into slum. I also appeal to the readers to raise their voice against the corrupt practice.

Yours etc.,
R B Chettri
Shillong-2

Sir,

Being one of the daily commuters from Doldegre Village to Tura town, I am utterly dismayed to witness the only bridge that connects 21 villages of Doldegre to Tura, is yet to be completed since the work executed in February 2005.

The work given under the MPLAD Scheme is issued the work order in the name of Shri Asim D. Sangma an NCP for an amount of Rs One Lakh. Trouble started when the locals of the Doldegre village noticed the old used woods, timber being utilised to construct the bridge inspite of their objection, the contractor continued the work in turn enraged villagers took the matter to the knowledge of the Tura MDC, who later after thorough scrutiny with the Tura Municipal Board's staff, has given a writ petition to the Board which is the implementing body. What is astonishing is the Doldegre area inspite of falling under Betasing Block falls under the purview of Tura Municipal Board? How could TMB overstep its jurisdiction? (Perhaps the Board is working in tandem with the NCP).

It's been almost eight months the work is laying standstill; with the onset of the Monsoon it is the villagers who are bearing the brunt of it.Furthermore even after repeated verbal reminders to the staffs of the Board by the Tura MDC, and other Doldegre locals they gave deaf ear to their cry. NCP executive body also does not give a hood to the sentiments and the utmost needs of the villagers. The fact that the quality of the work is below average is perhaps in each of the MPLAD Scheme the contractors have to contribute 13% to the NCP office. Contrary to the Guidelines that only Registered Societies or the Implementing Agency alone can carry out the work. Here, in Garo Hills in all the cases of MPLAD Scheme, the MP himself recommends his party workers as contractors to do the work.

It is time now for the Government to intervene and strict action be taken against such anomalies. If this is apparent in the periphery of Tura town with strict vigilance of the NGOs only can visualize the nature of work in remote areas. I have a hope in the District Administration that they will look into the matter and chalk out the way to solve the problem.

Yours etc,
Janiram Marak,
Via e-mail.

SI, Kumar Singh remained untraced after he left in a car belonging to one of his friends on March 16 from Imphal to his home in Thoubal district. The car was recovered from a gorge at Ngariyan hill of Yairipok in Thoubal a few days later. The police officer posted at Tamenglong district was
said to be on leave.

Though no agreement could be reached during the meeting, the JAC has decided to suspend agitations till April 18, giving more time to the government to solve the case. Ibobi Singh reportedly told the delegation that the interrogation of a woman arrested in this connection would throw some light on the case. Police arrested Iringbam Ranibala Devi, a resident of Lamsang of Imphal West district on Monday last in connection with the case.

A civil judge court on Tuesday sent her to seven days police custody. Police picked up the woman for interrogation after her husband filed a case with the police alleging that Kumar assaulted his wife on the night the SI was untraced. Meanwhile, a bandh called to protest the abduction evoked total response in the district with all shops and educational institutions remaining closed till 5 pm. (NNN)

The Mizoram chief minister told the Bangladesh Prime Minister of his idea of planting high-yielding variety of bamboos on both sides of the border for the benefit of the people residing in the border areas as well for flood control. He talked of the feasibility to export bamboo chips and vegetables from Mizoram to Bangladesh and in turn import cement, iron rods and other commodities from Bangladesh to Mizoram.

Sources here informed that the Bangladesh Prime Minister was happy at the Mr Zoramthanga’s suggestions and invited him to visit her country.(UNI)

The seminar organised jointly by the state’s Industries department and DoEACC Centre, Aizawl, at the I&PR auditorium was attended by senior officers, school students and IT professionals.(NNN)

Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday reiterated the government’s committment to social and developmental issues.

"For too long we have been talking about politics and politicking has consumed most of our time and energy. It is high time we apply and concentrate our mind in human resource development", said the chief minister while launching the ‘Project CARE’, an undertaking of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), which is supported by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS).

‘Project CARE’ is the first of its kind in the state where the apex student body, the Central and State governments, NGOs and civil societies are making a joint effort to universalise the SSA’s mission of ensuring elementary education to all children as well as ensuring health care and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Lauding the NSF initiative, the chief minister also expressed full confidence that the joint effort would spark off a mass movement and act as a catalyst in transforming the Naga society.

"It is going to be a win-win situation for all concerned", Rio declared while also pointing out that this initiative would give opportunities to the educated youth in the state to play active roles towards ensuring education to every child and in checking the scourge and spread of HIV/AIDS.

Earlier, delivering the keynote address, NSF President, Phushika Awomi said the NSF would go all out to make this project a success. Taking a cue from the SSA’s catchphrase, ‘Go To School’, the NSF has come up with its own catchphrase, ‘Come to School’.

Altogether 54 regional coordinators and EBRCs will be involved in this latest initiative. (NNN)

Health Minister C C Singpho said epidemics and outbreak of communicable diseases posed major problems in remote areas which have no road connectivity. He said the workshop would train health officials in timely and effective management and response to tackle epidemics. He thanked the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) Dibrugarh for assistance provided to the state government in tackling the cases of hepatitis in Anini headquarters of Dibang valley recently.

Dr J Mahanta director RMRC said that the north eastern states particularly Arunachal were highly vulnerable to communicable diseases and AIDS for which evolving surveillance, preparedness and quick response was the need of the hour. (PTI)