The agreements were signed here this evening after two-hour talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Begum Khaleda Zia who arrived yesterday on a three-day official visit. The two leaders later led their respective countries at the delegation-level talks.

Briefing reporters after the talks, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said the two countries agreed to address the issue of trade imbalance with ''flexibility and pragmatism'' and strengthen the already-existing mechanisms on combating terrorism and tackling water-related issues.

Both sides agreed that the Home Secretaries of the two countries and the Joint River Waters Commission should meet more frequently. Home Secretaries of the two countries and the Chiefs of their respective border guards meet annually for discussions on security-related issues including border disputes. The two sides also agreed that SAFTA needs to be implemented as soon as possible and to operationalise the Sealdah-Deopara rail link.

The Indian delegation at the talks comprised Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

Begum Zia was accompanied by her Foreign Minister Morshed Khan and Finance Minister. ''Both sides agreed that India and Bangladesh have been victims of terrorism and should join hands in fighting the scourge...both agreed that terrorism, by its very nature, was disadvantage for both and should be fought through collaboration,'' Mr Sarna said.

Terrorism and border issue remain a bone of contention between the two countries with both having quite divergent postures. The two countries have earlier agreed to a 'coordinated patrolling' mechanism to stop illegal cross-border activities. However, there has not been any agreement on 'joint border patrolling.' Mr Sarna said India told Bangladesh that their exports to this country had been steadily rising. But they also agreed that trade imbalance should be handled with flexibility. (UNI)

New Delhi: India is expected to raise the issue of handing over of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, against whom Interpol has issued a red corner notice, during the second day of talks between the premier investigating agencies of the two countries here tomorrow. Official sources said India would take up the subject mainly by drawing the attention of Federal Investigating Agency of Pakistan to the Interpol notice issued some years back. 

The two sides would mainly discuss the issues of Interpol references made to each other so that the pace of investigation and eventual trial was accelerated. The Interpol references include the names of Dawood, his associates and five hijackers of the Indian airlines plane in 1999 and two of their accomplices.

The meeting will also focus on formation of a SAARCPOL (Police cooperation among SAARC countries) to tackle trans-border crimes on the pattern of the one in Europe. A joint statement was also expected to be released at the end of the meeting being held after a gap of 17 years. At the end of the first day of talks, Additional Director of the CBI M L Sharma said both the sides agreed to tackle problems human trafficking and fake currency.

The two issuses came up for discussions on the first day of the two-day meet between officials of CBI and FIA. "The CBI-FIA technical level talks were held in a cordial and positive atmosphere. During the talks, human trafficking and counterfeiting were discussed," Sharma told reporters here. He said both sides expressed "earnestness to move forward for mutual benefit."

A broad agreement on nomination of nodal officers for sharing of information timely was reached today, Sharma said. CBI Director Vijay Shanker is leading the Indian side while the Pakistan delegation is headed by Director General of FIA Tariq Pervez.

The first day meeting focussed on "institutional cooperation in tackling human-trafficking, counterfeiting of currency, besides appointment of nodal officers in both the countries for timely exchange of information on criminal matters.

Besides Shanker, the Indian side includes an additional director, Joint Director (Policy) and Deputy Director (Coordination) of CBI, representatives of Home and External Affairs Ministries, officials from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Narcotics Control Bureau. The Pakistani delegation includes an Additional Director General, an Inspector General of FIA and an official from Pakistan's Foreign office. (PTI)

Karnal: The Central Government has taken up an ambitious programme known as Bharat Nirman to develop rural infrastructure in a big way and as compared to Rs 12,160 crore earmarked for the current year, Rs 18, 696 crore have been provided for the year 2006-07, an increase of 54 per cent.

This was stated by Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajasekharan while inaugurating a national level seminar on Rural Development Retrospect and Prospects at Haryana Institute of Rural Development at Nilokheri near here, today.

He said that the six components of the Bharat Nirman Programme included rural connectivity, rural housing, rural electrification, irrigation, drinking water and rural telephony. He said that rejuvenation of rural areas and eradication of poverty were closely linked to availability of rural infrastructure.

An analysis of incidence of poverty and availability of infrastructure showed that incidence of poverty was highly co-related to absence of rural infrastructure, he said adding that therefore, Bharat Nirman Programme has been taken up to correct this imbalance. He said that 3.85 lakh more self help groups would be credit linked in the year 2006-07 and NABARD would open a line of credit to finance farm production and investment activities through self help groups.

Under the National Rural Health Mission, more than two lakh Associated Social Health Activists (ASHA) would be made fully functional and over 1000 block level community health centres would be set up to provide round-the-clock services, he added.

While referring to various employment programmes implemented from time to time, he said that over the years the share of members belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in casual labour work force has increased. It was necessary for the State to take up programmes that transfer income to the weaker sections of the society. He pointed out that alleviation of poverty and provision of a decent living standard has been the guiding principle of the planning process. (PTI)

New Delhi: Expelled BJP leader Uma Bharti on Tuesday announced formation of a new party with a new flag and new symbol but with the same ideology and philosophy of the party she was evicted from last December. 'Aggressive nationalism' and 'Ram and Roti for all' would be the 'base mantra' of the new party for a '21st century India', the firebrand sanyasin said.

Addressing a rally, in the company of another expelled BJP stalwart Madan Lal Khurana among others, Ms Bharti said she would be launching her new party on April 30 in Varanasi.

Invoking the blessings of ''Atalji'', as Advani had 'discarded' Ram to praise Jinnah, for her new initiative she said her party would incorporate the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhayay and Shyama Prasad Mukherji where 'living with dignity' and 'Ram and Roti for all' would be the catch phrases of the 21st century Bharat she had dreamt off.

''I would be giving a new name to the BJP and a new face to it which has lost its moorings and the age-old beliefs and philosophies it was founded on," she said.

It would be a new body given to the ''free soul'' of the BJP that would derive its strength from the 'Panchnistha' of 'swabhiman', 'suraksha', 'swadeshi', 'suchita', and 'suraj', she added.

Referring to her integral past with the BJP, she said, ''I do not claim any different ideology or philosophy from others but we would be known by our character.''

Brandishing the same tenets of the party she left like 'uniform civil code', 'Ram Mandir', 'respect for the constitution and the cow by all' and 'aggressive nationalism', the former BJP leader said she would be happy to see the BJP decay and disintegrate as it had lost its 'atma' (soul), after she left it.

''I would then ask the BJP leaders to join my party and the struggle to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.''

Ms Bharti was accompanied on stage by leaders of various hues who included Madan Lal Khurana, Ajay and Abhay Chautala, Sonelala Patel, Ramasheesh Rai, Harsharan Singh Balli and former Union ministers Sanghpriya Gautam, Prahlad Patel, Swami Chinmayanand and Tapan Sikdar besides Gaurishankar Shejwar, Ravindra Shukla and Basavraj Patil. (UNI)

Mumbai: India's stock market bellwether today pushed above the crucial 11,000 mark, joining the league of Dow Jones, but the gains were pared due to a technical correction and it ended at 10,905.20 points - still a record closing high.

Incidentally, Pakistan's KSE-100 index too breached the 11K mark today, even as the Dow Jones industrials closed at 11,274.53 points. The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share index, known as Sensex, fell 35.91 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 10,905.20 at close after touching a record 11,017.25 during the day.

Brokers said the latest gains appeared to be sparked by news the government plans to introduce full convertibility of the rupee, a major liberalisation which should attract much needed foreign investment to keep the country booming. They said the falling market received support from capital goods and oil sector shares, which saved the Sensex from a major fall. (PTI)

Chandigarh: Four Babbar Khalsa terrorists were arrested here today and one kg RDX, arms and ammunition were seized from their possesssion with police saying they confessed to their affiliation to the outfit. Three BKI terrorists, including their India operations chief, had been arrested from Delhi yesterday.

Acting on a secret information, a joint police party of the Crime Branch and the Operations Cell of the Chandigarh Police arrested the four from the bus stand in Sectors 12 of the city, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Yadav told reporters. (PTI)

Officials of the Special Investigation Team, probing the destruction, tampering and fabrication of evidence in the aftermath of the ramp model's murder, interrogated the Ramanis at their south Delhi residence.

Getting tough against its own officials, Delhi Police said a few of its personnel figured among a dozen people interrogated in connection with the case. "A few of our officials figure among those questioned in the case," the sources said. (PTI)

Kochi: Rejecting a Bar Council of India petition, the Kerala High Court today allowed priests and nuns to practise law as a complete ban on their entry into the legal profession would be "illegal".

A Division Bench of Chief Justice V K Bali and Justice J B Koshy upheld a single judge order and dismissed the writ appeal, saying the "clergy - be it a priest or nun as a class professing religion - would not attract the bar for entry into the profession as created under the Bar Council Rules."

It observed that several nuns and priests were engaged in professions like teaching and nursing and a complete ban on entry into the legal profession to a class of the clergy "will be wholly illegal".

Being a priest or nun was not a disqualification for appointment for a government or private job, the court said and rejected the BCI contention that priesthood/nunhood was a profession. It was a lifestyle and not a profession, it said.

"There is a difference between doing a profession and being engaged in a profession. The word 'engaged' means earning profit or remuneration," the judges said. (PTI)

There was 'marginal improvement' in his neurological status, Dr Jayanta Bose attending on him at the Woodlands Nursing Home, said.

A medical bulletin issued by the nursing home, where Biswas was admitted on Saturday following a massive brain haemorrhage, said his overall condition remained stable although he was still 'on some degree' of ventilatory support. (PTI)

Singapore: The SP Jain Centre of Management (SPJCM) is set to become the first Indian business management school to start classes here when it opens its doors next month. It will pip the prestigious government-funded Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), which has announced the opening of a Singapore campus but has seen the project plagued by internal delays.

The SPJCM opened talks with the Singapore authorities only six months ago and got permission to operate here only in December, Its first batch of 35 students will start classes April 10 in a heritage building on a seven-acre campus at Hyderabad Road off Alexandra Road. The building is being retrofitted at a cost of at least $10 million and will have state-of-the art technology, the newspaper Today quoted Nitish Jain, president of SPJCM, as saying.

Noting that his school was the first Indian and the fourth international institute to be granted university status after the University of Chicago School of Business, Insead of France and the University of New South Wales, Jain told Today that this reflected the "pro-active attitude and openness" of Singapore.

"I cannot think of any other country that would have been so focused on what it wants and so encouraging. Had it not been for the Economic Development Board, which literally paved the way for us to come here, it would have taken us longer," Jain told Today.

The Singapore campus will be SPJCM's third one after Dubai and the main campus in Mumbai. The faculty will be drawn from the Mumbai and Dubai campuses as well as from renowned business schools such as the IIMs, State University of New York and University of Leeds. The report also quoted Jain as saying that he hoped to recruit quality faculty from Singapore. Students who enrol for the intensive one-year global MBA programme will spend half the year on the Singapore campus and half the year in Dubai, at a fee of $60,000.

Besides the usual focus on finance, marketing and IT, SPJCM will also offer specialisation in investment banking, wealth management, retail management, services marketing and management and global logistics management. The school will offer the executive MBA course spread over two years. Its fees will be $30,000. SPJCM was the first of India's top 10 management institutes to go global when it set up its campus at the Dubai government-sponsored Knowledge Village.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that indifference and frigidity towards wife and sexual abstinence constitute mental cruelty and could be valid grounds for divorce. "The general rule in all questions of cruelty is that the whole matrimonial relations must be considered, that rule is of special value when the cruelty consists of not violent acts but of injurious reproaches, complains, accusations or taunts.

"It may be mental such as indifference and frigidity towards wife, denial of a company to her, hatred and abhorrence for wife or physical, like acts of violence and abstinence from sexual intercourse without reasonable cause," a Bench of Justice Ruma Pal and Justice AR Lakshmanan said.

The verdict came on a petition by a woman seeking divorce on grounds of mental and physical cruelty and insanity. Among the grounds, it was contended that non-consummation of the marriage itself would constitute mental cruelty to a married woman. The court said 'mental disorder' under section 13(1)(iii) of the Hindu Marriage Act, as a ground of divorce is only where it is of such a kind and degree that the parties cannot reasonably be expected to live together.

"Where the parties are young and the mental disorder is of such a type that sexual act and procreation of children is not possible it may furnish a good ground for nullifying the marriage because to beget children from a Hindu wedlock is one of the principal aim of Hindu Marriage where sanskar of marriage is advised for progeny and offspring," Justice AR Lashmanan, writing the judgement for the Bench, said. (PTI)

Mr Manas Chaudhuri (Ind), who spearheaded the attack, suspected foul play in the matter and demanded action against suppliers of spurious stuff. Moving a cut motion on grant of Rs 2 crore for purchasing equipment for Tura Hospital, he gave an account of the sorry state of the hospital.

Mr Chaudhuri alleged that costly equipment like CT scan, ultrasound, blood bank refrigerator, Laproscopic machine in the OT, Diathermy Machine were non-functional. Surgical gloves were sub-standard, spurious hydrogen peroxides were supplied, he said adding that the patients were at the receiving end.

Mr Chaudhuri resented that the emergency ward of the hospital was found lacking in having sufficient oxygen cylinders. "It is an irony that a highly sophisticated blood bank in the State has the refrigerator machinery non-functional," he said, adding "even serious patients in the hospital are moved from one floor to another by carriers as the lift is not functioning".

In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy, who deputised for Sayeedulla Nongrum, assured the House that his office would dispatch a high-level team of officials to various government hospitals to have an insight to State's health scenario.

Dr Roy said the State government was committed to provide best possible health service with the minimum and realistic investment in the State. "The State government made an effort to ensure that the hospital is equipped with specialized manpower and that the need of the common man is catered to", he said, assuring that the State government would meet the additional requirement of beds and procure other items like mattresses, bedside lockers and furniture.

Similar items are also required for the 50-bedded MCH hospital and the TB hospital in Tura. "The assets of the hospital would be carefully utilised in order that the principle of opportunity and welfare programmes are carried out in letter and spirit. Government in the Department of Health & Family Welfare needs an additional expenditure of Rs two crore for the same", Dr Roy added.

SHILLONG: Facts, they say, are stranger than fiction. Khasi and Garo languages have been formally made associate official languages of the State, but few have come to know about it.

Replying to a question raised by Independent MLA Manas Chaudhuri, Mr Lapang said Khasi and Garo languages were recognized and notified as associate official languages under the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005, which received the assent of the State Governor on May 1 last year and the same was published in the Meghalaya gazette on May 4.

For ten months neither the public had any knowledge of the decision nor had the government done anything to implement the decision. Answering a volley of questions, Mr Lapang said though English would continue to be the official language, "Khasi and Garo languages can be used as associate official languages".

The Chief Minister said that the department was working on a detailed plan on the modalities regarding the use of Khasi and Garo as associate official languages. Circulars would be issued soon to all concerned on the use of Khasi and Garo as associated official languages of the State, Mr Lapang said adding that proceedings in the House would be conducted in English mainly. 

Replying to a question raised by Independent MLA Manas Chaudhuri, Mr Lyngdoh told the House that under the Prevention of Infiltration of Foreigners Act, any suspected foreigner is brought to the police station for proper verification of his documents and in the event of one's failure to furnish documents to substantiate his or her claim as citizen of the country, one is detained.

To a supplementary question raised by RG Lyngdoh (Cong), the Home Minister said the detention figure in 2001 was 3,094 and out of this, 54 infiltrators were prosecuted.In 2002, altogether 2,537 persons were detained on suspicion and 42 of them were convicted. In the next year, the number of detention was 2,157 and conviction figure again was 72. The detention figure in 2004 was 1596 and 18 persons were finally convicted. Unfortunately, in 2003, 3,879 infiltrators were detected in the State but only 16 were later convicted.

In 2006 till date, 1463 persons were detected foreigners and only 14 of them were convicted.Mr Lyngdoh said no vigilante group would be allowed to take law in their own hands, "though they can assist police in detecting foreign nationals".

Answering supplementary questions raised by Mr Tonsing Marak (Cong), Mr Sengman R Marak (Ind), Mr PT Sawkmie (MDP), Mr PM Syiem (Ind) and Mr AL Hek (BJP), the Home Minister said, "As per rules, if the foreigners are detected they are produced in the court and later the infiltrators will be sent to judicial custody. After the cases are registered, prosecution will take place".

Mr Lyngdoh assured the House that the question of empowering traditional institutions to check the whereabouts of illegal migrants would also be looked into. 

To supplementary questions by Mr ED Marak, Mr KK Dkhar and Mr Prestone Tynsong (all Congress) and Mr Paul Lyngdoh of KHNAM, Mr Lyngdoh said 49 foreigners detected in different parts of Shillong this year of which 42 were detected Bangladeshis, two Nigerians and one Afghan national.

Talking to The Shillong Times, he informed that there was 'no relaxation' as such from the Supreme Court, but the court only allowed to extract timber from the forest. "There needs to be a working scheme, which has to be approved by the government of India with proper implementation guidelines for implementation," he said.

The autonomous district councils of the state with the technical help of the State Forest department separately prepared three working schemes. The KHADC prepared a working scheme for timber felling in West Khasi Hills with certain conditions.He said that this was approved and passed by the Central government a month or two back while the same for Jaintia Hills was approved only recently.

However, the Garo Hills working scheme was under consideration so that it could carry on tree felling in selected areas on a temporary basis, he said.

SHILLONG: Chief Minister DD Lapang on Tuesday assured the Assembly that suitable jobs would be provided to the eligible nearest relative of the victims of police firing at Tura and Williamnagar.

Replying to the cut motion moved by Independent MLA from 21-Mawprem constituency, Mr Manas Chaudhuri on the inordinate delay in providing financial assistance and jobs on compassionate ground to the kith and kin of the victims, Mr Lapang said Rs six lakh each was given to the next of kin of the deceased, while the injured persons were assured of the government's commitment to bear their medical expenses for treatment in private hospitals in Guwahati, the Chief Minister said.

Mr Lapang said the government initially sanctioned Rs ten lakh on October 27 and placed at the disposal of the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner for meeting the hospital expenses of the injured. Subsequently, Rs 15 lakh was sanctioned on January 24 this year. Of the amount sanctioned so far, Rs 24,14 lakh has been paid towards hospital and medical bills, including the charges for attendants and transportation charges of 20 injured persons.

"In some cases, patients are still visiting Down Town Hospital and GNRC in Guwahati for medical check up and bills are yet to be received from the patients", he informed.

Mr Chaudhuri alleged that the government was insensitive to the needs of the victims and their relatives, and released funds as late as four months after the incident. Furnishing details of the victims' family situation, he made strong plea for providing each family with a suitable job. He also alleged that ex-gratia to victims of militancy-related violence was being granted on a subjective basis. He urged for creating a proper system for the same.

Mr Lapang assured his government would take all necessary steps to promptly clear pending bills if any and settle outstanding claims made by the injured. He said at least 20 persons injured in Garo Hills firing received payments and if any one was left out, the person could apply to the government. "Suitable jobs will be given to one relative of some victims of the firing incidents", the Chief Minister assured.

Regarding the ex-gratia payment to the victims of riots and terrorist activities, he informed the House that there was no incident of riot during the past many years. In the cases of terrorist and insurgency related incidents, the Chief Minister said his government has a scheme for ex-gratia payment of Rs one lakh to the next of kin of those killed in insurgency related cases, he said, adding that an ex-gratia payment not exceeding Rs 20,000 is paid to the injured, subject to the claims made by such victims or persons.

An MMSA member informed here on Tuesday that as the seat allotment to Dr Konsam was in violation of the state reservation policy, the government should have cancelled the seat.

The member pointed out that though the Chief Minister had assured last year that the a judicial commission would be appointed to look into the matter, "the promise is yet to materialise".

SHILLONG: The State BJP on Tuesday made an appeal to all the non-Congress political parties and other democratic forces to join hands and put up united fight against the present government, which it felt, lacked in vision and a strong political will.

"The lackadaisical attitude of the present MDA-government resulted in utter chaos in the State", State vice-president BB Chettri said at a press conference at the party office here on Tuesday.

Mr Chetti alleged that the Congress-led government was riddled with internal contradictions and indecision on various fronts, which he feared might cause further deterioration of law and order, besides giving rise to rampant corruption. "The people of the State are disillusioned with the negative approach of the government to various problems", Mr Chettri added.

As far as illegal migration and infiltration were concerned, the BJP leader said, the present government appeared to be nonchalant. "At a time when the NGOs are prodding it consistently at various levels, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centre made all attempts to amend the Foreigner's Act, 1946 so as to revive the IMDT through the backdoor", the BJP leader said.

Similarly, mishandling of MBOSE issue resulted not only in a major rift between the two major tribes of the State, but also claimed nine precious lives in unprovoked police firing in Garo Hills. "It is doubtful that the MDA government can easily get out of this imbroglio created by itself for itself", Mr Chettri said.

The BJP found it unfortunate that the MDA government failed to grab at the best opportunity of having HNLC engaged in a peace process when the outfit expressed its desire to come to the negotiating table with the Centre. "The present government should have risen to the occasion and played a good facilitator in the peace process. But due to its lukewarm response, the situation worsened", Mr Chettri felt.

However, the party appealed the HNLC to come forward and lay down their arms and sit with the government for a negotiated settlement. On MeSEB's corporatisation, the BJP leader alleged that transparency became the worse victim, while the right to information of all concerned in the Board was trashed.

Be it in having the new Assembly building constructed or completion of NEIGRIHMS, gross violation of Land Transfer Act in the name of industrialisation in Byrnihat or its silence over the Supreme Court's rulings on compulsory registration of marriages, "the apathetic attitude of the present government only reflected in its action", he said.

"Non-submission of Bills passed by the KHADC and submitted to the Governor for his assent, failure in having the last Finance Commission moved for creation of new districts and failure to resolve the problems arising out of border fencing proved its (the government's) incompetence and non-performance", Mr Chettri said.

SHILLONG: The Lok Sabha member from Tura, Mr Purno A Sangma on Tuesday expressed his pain at the attitude of the State government, which completely underplayed his position as a public leader while dealing with the MBOSE issue. "As a public representative, I have a say on certain issues like the MBOSE one. But the State government does not appear to be open to any suggestion", a visibly pained Sangma said.

What Mr Sangma expected of the Chief Minister is that the latter would invite some suggestions from him for finding a lasting solution to the MBOSE issue. He said at a time when the State government should have been up and doing in having an amicable solution to the MBOSE issue, "it terribly failed to address this issue".

In any democracy, the ruling and the opposition should work in tandem, especially on the sensitive issue like the MBOSE, Mr Sangma said, lamenting that the same, however, was not happening in the State.

Mr Sangma took a dig at Congress for engaging in "money-politics", which he experienced during the last by-election to the Tura Parliamentary seat. "During the last phase of Tura by-election, this dangerous and destructive trend was palpable. It was because of the Church leaders' opposition to such politics that helped people realise that they are not purchasable commodities", the Tura MP said.

"We thought that Congress would not put up a candidate for the Tura by-election as the NCP is a coalition partner of the UDF government at the Centre. Why they did so remains to be answered", he said.

Suggesting that elections should not be contested on money or muscle power, the nine-time MP suggested a qualitative change in politics and governance during the 2008 Assembly election in Meghalaya. Calling upon the Khasi-Jaintia Hills people to be alert as the Congress could play a similar money game here, Mr Sangma said as it happened in Garo Hills, it could happen here too.

Mr Sangma, who is ready to give suggestions to the government, if it wanted, however, warned that the NCP would not tolerate any dilution of powers of the MBOSE office at Tura and creation of a "parallel office with equal powers in Shillong".

"We've no objection to having a subordinate MBOSE office at Shillong if it functions under the Tura office", Mr Sangma said. He even defended non-participation of NCP legislators in the Select Committee meetings saying that the MLAs were to obey the decision of the party.

Mr Sangma refused to comment on the recommendations of the Select Committee. "I will make a comment only after I read it", he said.

Shillong: Transport Minister Mrs Deborah Marak assured the Assembly on Tuesday that the arrears and pensions of the MTC employees pending for the past ten years, will be released in instalments. Replying to a cut motion moved by Mr Manas Chaudhuri (Ind) on the grievances of the MTC staff, Mrs Marak said that all efforts are being made to revamp and revitalise the Corporation.

Earlier, moving the cut motion, Mr Chaudhuri pointed out that when the last pay structure was revised in 1996, PSUs like the MIDC, MTDC, MeSEB were allowed the benefit of revised pay while MTC was neglected without any rationale. Arrears and pension have to be released at the earliest, he stressed.

Mrs Marak admitted that the MTC has not been able to pay the arrears of revised pay in 1996 of the staff, including the retired employees, except the employees who have retired on VRS. "The amount of arrear revised pay comes to more than Rs 1.50 crore. The Corporation would definitely be happy to clear this outstanding dues as early as possible," Mrs Marak said while also admitting that to clear such a huge amount so soon is impossible.

"The Corporation is contemplating of releasing this arrear revised pay in batches and in instalments depending on the availability of fund," she added.

She informed that all dues of the 206 employees who have retired on VRS, have been paid, including their arrear revised pay of 1996, except in one case where a succession certificate is required because of the death of the employee before he could draw the VRS money.

On the CPF dues, she said most of the employees have received their share from the Provident Fund office and only 18 VRS employees have not yet received their CPF because of some defects in their withdrawal application forms while adding that efforts are being made to get those defects and deficiencies corrected so that the applications can be forwarded to the CPF office.

Regarding pension, the minister said that the Corporation has paid the pension to the 258 pensioners up to June 2005, except in case of a few pensioners who have not submitted the required papers such as life certificate and not remarried certificate in case of widows. The pension for remaining period will be paid on receipt of the Government share of the pension by the Corporation, which is expected shortly, she said.

The minister said that due to huge outstanding liabilities, the Corporation is finding it difficult to pay the salary regularly and on time while stating that the "difficulty is expected to be overcome soon".

According to the minister ban on recruitments, computerisation, capacity building motivation on the employees, ban on purchare of useless spare parts and expension of fleet will improve the Corporation. The Government will continue to provide necessary financial assistance to the Corporation to help the Corporation achieve its vision of making the MTC into a vibrant and profit making PSU within the next two years. Mr P T Sawkmie (MDP), Tonsing Marak (Cong) and A L Hek (BJP) took part in the discussion.

Shillong: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Power Dr Donkupar Roy assured the House on Tuesday that the Government will look into the consumers' plight as far as power supply to Jaintia Hills was concerned.

Replying to a zero hour notice tabled by P T Sawkmie (MDP) regarding a news item published by U Nongsain Hima on the anomalies in energy bill in Jaintia Hills, Dr Roy said that defective or sluggish electro mechanical meters which are also susceptible to tampering, have been replaced by tamper proof electronic meters of Class-I accuracy with ISI mark in Jowai during the later part of August last year and billing through the new electronic meters started in September and November last year.

The complaint regarding increase of energy bill was received after the installation of the new meters apparently because the earlier defective meters were not recording the true consumption and one NGO, namely Sein Man Bei Jowai, gave a written complaint to the SDO Jaintia Hils Revenue Sub-Division, MeSEB Jowai on February 28 this year, Dr Roy said.

The Power Minister said that as the new meters were of high accuracy, the reading was as per consumption and hence the energy bills of those consumers where meters were replaced shot up. The increased bills amounts are due to the hike in tariff of MeSEB with effect from November 2005 and due to the increased consumption during winter months.He said in this connection a meeting has been convened with the concerned aggrieved consumers and NGOs to explain to them about the matter and to apprise them of important matters like adhering to consumption as per the contract demand.

According to Dr Roy, it was found that in many cases the connected load exceeded the declared load. Further, there is a need to create awareness among the public at large on energy conservation measures like switching off electrical appliances or lights when not in use. He observed that the consumers do not switch off their lights even during the day time. These measures would affect their energy consumption pattern considerably, he pointed out.

Shillong: Excise Minister Brening Sangma said that there were 392 Indian Made Foreign Liquour (IMFL) outlets in the State. Replying to a question by Manas Chaudhuri (Ind), Mr Sangma said that the need to keep distance in setting up of liquour outlets considering existence of the religious and educational institutions will be looked into.

Replying to supplementary questions by R G Lyngdoh (Cong), A L Hek (BJP) and Tonsing Marak (Cong), Mr Sangma said that rampant issuing of the outlets need to be checked. Giving break up of the liquor outlets, Mr Sangma said that in East Khasi Hills, there are 89. Janitia Hills - 80, Ri Bhoi Dist - 56, West Khasi Hills - 24, West Garo Hills - 79, East Garo Hills - 37 and South Garo Hills - 27

The State Government on Tuesday assured the House to verify allegations of members that a voluntary organisation, Seng Pynduh Kiad, which was allotted a plot of land at Morello compound in 1981 was defunct and the land was lying unutilised.

Revenue Minister Dr Donkupar Roy said the suggestion of resumption of of land would be examined even though the land revenue was paid upto 2012. Questions in this regard were raised by Manas Chaudhuri (Ind), R G Lyngdoh (Cong) Prestone Tynsong (Cong), P M Syiem (Ind) P T Sawkmie (MDP).

Replying to questions, Chief Minister D D Lapang and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy said that Seng Pynduh Kiad, an NGO working for prohibition, was not only looking into liquor prohibition but also the rehabilitation of the families. They said the Government will verify whether the group is still active or defunct.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy assured the Assembly that the State job reservation policy will apply to the deficit schools. Replying to a question by Manas Chaudhuri (Ind), Dr Roy said that the decision was communicated by the Government through an official letter 1973. He said the decision was being applied uniformly to all deficit schools in the State.

Shillong: Chief Minister D D Lapang has expressed concern over the demographic change due to the presence of large number of coal labourers from outside the State in coal mining areas of Jaintia Hills.

Replying to a call attention motion moved by Mr P T Sawkmie (MDP) regarding a news report which appeared in a vernacular daily, the Chief Minister said that the employment of non-tribals who are Indian citizens cannot be prevented by law. "However, it is expected that the local businessmen of this area take into consideration the serious impact of any change to the demographic profile of the area if such employment of outside labour is not controlled and checked," Mr Lapang said while adding that scientific mining of coal using modern machinery would keep on check on using labour from outside.

According to Mr Lapang, coal mining in Jaintia Hills is the source of living for the people of the District where cheap labour is not available locally. "Therefore labourers from different parts of the country find employment in the coal mines here. These labourers are employed in the mines for extraction and loading of coal in the tructs and other menial jobs related to coal mining and some are employed in shops and business establishments."

He added that the economy of these areas in Jaintia Hills is heavily dependent upon labourers of which a substantial number come friom outside the state, because of the nature of the work which local tribals are not taking up.

The issue of illegal entry by foreign nationals is considered very seriously by the Government and various steps will be taken to check this menace, the Chief Minister said. "In so far as influx of foreign nationals into the area is concerned, the infiltration branch of Meghalaya Police has set up check point at Ratacherra to check influx of suspected Bangladeshi to the coal mining areas," Mr Lapang said.

"Any person who cannot produce proof that he or she is an Indian is not allowed to enter the State from Ratacherra," Mr Lapang informed adding that suspected persons are sent back to the place they come from.

In 2005, five hundred and eighty persons were denied entry at Ratacherra as their identity as Indian could not be established.The infiltration branch at Khliehriat Police Station had also detected 31 suspected Bangladeshi nationals during 2005 and these persons were pushed back to Assam, he said.

Apart from checking at the check gates, random checks are also conducted from time to time. On January 1 last, a randon check was conducted in Khliehriat areas of Jaintia Hills District by magistrate and police. During the checking, 41 persons were sent back to Assam from where they came from.

The Chief Minister informed that another surprise check on February 17 last was carried out at Dawki and Bakur village under Amlarem Civil Subdivision to detect and deport illegal foreign national settling in the subdivision and who did not have any valid and legal documents. In the course of the checking, 20 persons were detected and brought to police station for verification. The persons/citizens detained temporarily were later released on production and verification of their valid and legal documents.

"However, seven inter-state migrants working as labourers who could not produce valid documents were released under PR Bond by giving them enough time for production of their legal documents to the officer in-charge of Dawki police station," Mr Lapang said.

Addressing the function held at the party office at Dhanketi here, NCP State unit vice president, Mr W Syiemiong said that Sangma's unique personality combined with his devotion to work for the upliftment of the people has managed to keep intact the confidence of the people and has broken all records by winning the Tura Parliamentary seat in the last elections held in February.

Mr Syiemiong also urged the veteran leader to devote some of his time for the eastern half of Meghalaya which include Jaintia Hills District, Ri-Bhoi District and East and West Khasi Hills District.

TURA: In view of continuous complaints by the public of Tura against pollution of water from streams and rivers, a task force has been formed by local citizens to put a stop to it. The dumping of human waste into the stream at Chandmari from a public toilet was one of the main pollution points.

The Tura MDC, John Leslee K Sangma and the managing committee of Chandmari market on Saturday sealed the public toilet and decided to keep it closed until the Tura Municipal Board is able to procure a mobile suction machine to remove human waste and thereby prevent its dumping into the stream.

The task force, which will comprise of senior citizens from every locality, will look into complaints by residents and shall monitor the quality of the water in the streams. It has been found that some residents of the town are also in the habit of dumping sewage from their private toilets into streams and efforts would be made to dissuade them from continuing such a practice.

The idea behind the formation of the task force is to help retrieve the quality of the water in the streams and thereby make it fit for use by the people residing downstream and elsewhere.

Shillong: The Assam Rifles will celebrate its 171st Raising Anniversary here from March 23 to 26. The celebrations would include investiture ceremony, wreath laying, special Sainik Sammelan and Commanders' Conference, a statement issued by the Assam Rifles said. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will grace the occasion as the chief guest.

Assam Rifles aptly called as "Sentinels of the North East" was raised in 1835 with 750 combatants for guarding the British settlements and tea estates from depredation of marauding tribals. It is the oldest paramilitary force of India. The Force was extensively used for extending British administrative control over the interior and frontier regions of the North East and bringing inaccessible areas under their control.

The development of the Northeast is analogous to the development of Assam Rifles. The existing townships of Aizawl, Lungleh, Kohima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Halflong, and Tura have grown gradually around the initial outposts established by the Force. Among the major achievements of the Force were participation in the Middle East operations during the World War I and World War II, in Battle of Kohima, and helped in management of refugee influx from Myanmar.

The Force has proved itself as the saviour and friend of the people of the North East since its raising in 1835 till date. Assam Rifles has all along been rendering humane services in inaccessible and remote areas of North East. In order to help people to overcome the problem of unemployment, the Force provides vocational training.

On December 21, 2005, the Lok Sabha hastily passed the 104th constitution amendment Act 2005, introducing a new clause into Article 15 to allow for reservations for schedule castes and scheduled tribes as well as other backward classes in private unaided educational institutions. Barring the Bharatiya Janata Party, which walked out on the exemption of minority institutions to provide reservations, this amendment secured support from all other political parties. The President finally gave assent to the amendment on January 20, 2006 after the prime minister satisfied him on several queries that he had raised.

This amendment will significantly alter reservations in educational institutions in at least three ways. First, it applies to primary, secondary and tertiary education, whereas presently reservation is mostly confined to the tertiary sector. Secondly, it extends reservation to OBCs over and above the existing practice of reservation for SCs and STs. Finally, and most significantly, it provides for reservation in non-minority private institutions which were exempted from this obligation by the apex court earlier this year in the Inamdar case.

The Supreme Court and high courts enjoy an exceptional power of judicial review of constitutional amendments under the basic structure doctrine, and there is little doubt that in the months to come the courts will contend with the argument that this constitutional amendment fails basic structure review. No doubt, many strong normative and policy arguments can be made against this amendment. This article, however, tries to assess the constitutional question by exploring how the courts should assess the reservation amendment's constitutional validity under the basic structure doctrine.

Initially set out in the Keshavananda case in 1973, basic structure review has evolved into an independent and distinct form of judicial review. The court in such cases examines whether the state action (here the reservation amendment), 'damages or destroys' the 'basic features' of the constitution. I will explore two plausible arguments against the reservation amendment under basic structure review and conclude that both fail for different reasons.

The first argument against the amendment is that it destroys the basic feature of equality. The apex court has reiterated in the Mandal commission case (1994) when dealing with reservation in public employment that 'equality' is a basic feature of the constitution. The Mandal commission ruling is not clear about the precise limits to state action that equality as a basic feature entails. As basic structure review operates at a permissive 'damage or destroy' standard, petitioners will have to show that the reservation amendment eviscerates the concept of equality in the constitution.

As the constitution adopts a concept of equality which permits special provisions for SC/ST and OBCs as valid derogations from a symmetrical equal treatment principle, this is a difficult argument to sustain. Such a low standard of scrutiny in basic structure review may seem incongruous, but considering that this is an exceptional power of judicial review where the court safeguards abstract constitutional values, the court's deference to the legislature's mode of setting out the equality principle is more appropriate. So basic structure review on equality grounds may fail to satisfy the 'damage or destroy' standard.

The second argument against the reservation amendment is that it fails to respect the division between the state sector and private sector. This argument would have to persuade the court to recognise a new basic feature; namely, the separation of state action from private action. It is clearly open to the court to do so as basic features are an open catalogue which may be expanded or modified through the common law method proceeding on a case-by-case basis. The right to associate freely (Article 19(1) (c)) suggest that citizens enjoy the freedom to conduct their life as they choose to. This liberty is best illustrated by contrasting it with the constitutional obligations of the state to act within the fetters cast upon it by the fundamental rights of citizens (Article 13). These provisions read together suggest that the state/private distinction is a basic feature of our constitutional design. However, our constitution does not maintain this distinction throughout. It clearly prohibits the practice of untouchability between private persons (Article 17) and imposes several fundamental duties on citizens, including the duty to abide by the constitution (Article 51A (a)). The court has on previous occasions, as with sexual harassment, held that individual citizens may be required to respect the constitutional rights of citizens.

On balance, the court will assess whether the state/private distinction stands with democracy, equality and secularism as an inviolable constitutional principle or whether it is an important but malleable principle. In the last fifty years, the Supreme Court has interpreted the state action doctrine to include, and exclude, a wider range of public and private authorities against whom administrative law standards and rights guarantees are enforced. The most charitable understanding of this body of law would conclude that this area is in flux. In these circumstances, the court could refrain from anointing the state/private distinction as a basic feature of the constitution.

Affirmative action politics in India is obsessed with quotas. Political parties vie with each other to expand quotas to newer arenas for an ever-expanding category of beneficiaries. It may be shown that this policy neither advances the interests of its beneficiaries nor that of the nation. But bad policy is not always 'bad' legally. One would therefore not be wrong to conclude that the 104th constitution amendment Act 2005 should survive the Supreme Court's basic structure review and be declared constitutional. INAV

Those were very special evenings. As the sun set, we would sit back and relax. After a hard day's play we would sit and wait to be asked like propah ladies. The old gentleman would come into the drawing room, sit on his favourite chair and press the bell. The Man Friday would enter. Silently as ever and stand at the gentleman's elbow.

"Cola lao", my grandfather would say and then look at us, "What will you have?" We had been waiting for this question but we would answer nonchalantly, "Cola is fine".

The servant would then reappear with the coloured glasses filled with our drinks and the ice-pail, all neatly arranged on a beautiful tray. Like our grandfather, we would pick up the ice cubes from the pail and drop them into our respective glasses. Something to munch along with the cold drinks soon made its appearance.

Sipping our drinks, munching the snacks and talking to our grandfather made us feel like adults. For we did discuss serious subjects, like the British rule and its impact on India. And so it went on Sunday after Sunday. We generally spent the day at our grandfather's sprawling house, played in the mango orchard during the afternoon, plucked fruits from the trees in summer and were ready to sit and have a drink with him in the evening.

At 12 and 14, the highlight of the day was the evening, the cola and the glasses. We grew up and moved away. The glasses broke and were replaced by different ones. But my grandfather continued with his habit. Cold cola it was almost every evening. After our grandfather left us, we grandchildren decided to keep something to remember him by. Memories we had in plenty so one memento was sufficient.

My mind went back to those Sunday evenings, the cold drinks, the heated discussions. I knew what I wanted — definitely the coloured glasses. Only two remained. Today, as the sun goes down, these coloured glasses come out once again.The room is different, so is the purpose. One thing, however, has not changed. These glasses still help brighten my Sunday evenings, bringing light wherever they go. The candles inside them make my evenings special. (By arranegement with The Times of India)

Sir,

The awareness campaign for the rights of consumers is really commendable by the concerned Union Ministry-through the print/visual media. The 'Jago Grahak Jago' initiative delves on the various aspects of consumer's rights and one example is the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) to be checked by the consumers carefully before buying any product. But there are 'certain outlets', (like gifts and cards outlet in Shillong) whereby the prices are not tagged by the concerned company (i.e. the MRP). The proprietors tag their 'price stickers' and give their own random price. Further in this connection come buying imported after-shaves lotions/colognes like Adidas/Brute etc., the prices of which 'varies' from outlet to outlet. Is this complete exploitation of our rights as consumers? Or do these 'varied price tags' fall under a particular section of sales??

Yours etc,
Adilbert Dkhar.
Shillong-3.

Sir,

The President's consent on the recommendation of the Election Commission in disqualifying Jaya Bachchan as Rajya Sabha member is in accordance with the

Constitutional guideline. But how shameful of Mrs Bachchan that in spite of her being from the high profile background, she persisted and strived to latch onto the post even by challenging the EC. It would have done world of good to her and her family as well, had she promptly resigned on her own when the message had long been sent out by the EC. But the greed for power was so intense that it outstripped her inner voice of wisdom as contrary to in the case of Sonia Gandhi's ____ who listened to the inner voice and discarded the crown of the Prime Minister. And, that earned her overwhelming praises and respect, which she can't ever imagine to earn by clinging to the PM's post.

Well, the development of this dramatic episode of Mrs. Bachchan should make all the political parties positively realize that persons holding other posts of profit should not at all be invited to the premier houses however charismatic or iconic he/she may be. Let the constitutional ethics be given precedence to the selfish desire and aspiration so far as dignity of the nation is concerned.

Yours etc,
Salil Gewali
Shillong-2

Sir,

I was recently at Pongtung village and had dropped in at the local Primary Health Centre and was very much surprised at the state it was in ---- every thing in order and spick and span --- what a revelation to see something like it. Kudos to the doctor-in-charge, Dr. Edmund Khongthaw -- it just shows what a dedicated person can do even with limited resources. The people I spoke to, were full of praises for the good work being done by Dr. Khongthaw.

Yours etc.,
D M Pariat.
Via e-mail

Releasing the party's election manifesto along with the AICC leader Digvijay Singh here on Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced that the party would launch a three-pronged poll campaign revolved around 'achievements' of the incumbent government, future plan for development of the State and strategy to expose Opposition AGP and BJP's failure to address the burning problems of the State.

Mr Gogoi stated the party would remain sensitive to the problem of infiltration from across the border and would take all possible steps including erection of border fencing, updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to solve the problem.

He, however, stated that problem was not as alarming as being projected by opposition AGP and the BJP to gain narrow political mileage. "Not a single illegal migrant has been able to enroll the name in State voters' list. Show me one instance, I will quit politics," Mr Gogoi said exuding confidence to win at least 80 out of 126 LACs in the State.

The Chief Minister flaunted his Government success in breaking the ice between the banned ULFA and NDFB militants with the Government of India. "We have achieved this much in respect of finding solution to insurgency problem during the last five years. WE promise to strive to bring about a permanent solution to the insurgency problem if voted back to power," he said.

He said with the UPA chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh well placed in the Congress-led Government at the Centre, the party would be in a better position to provide a stable, development-oriented and forward looking government in Assam.

Given the burning problem of unemployment, Mr Gogoi promised to pressurize the Government of India for recruitment of unemployed youth from the state in government of India orgnisations including the Army, paramilitary forces, Railways and PSUs.