Navy orders probe into warships running aground

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February 2, 2014

There have been eight incidences involving Naval warships since the sinking of the submarine INS Sindhurakshak at Mumbai harbour in August, 2013
An amphibious warship of the Navy was damaged when it ran aground off the coast of Vishakhapatnam last week, after which an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the reasons for the mishap.

This was the eighth incident involving a Naval warship since the sinking of the submarine INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai harbour in August last year in which all 18 personnel on board were killed. The Magar-class Landing Ship Tanker ran aground off the coast of Vishakhapatnam last week and suffered damages.

An inquiry has been ordered to probe the incident by the Navy, sources in the Navy said. A Navy spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. The LSTs are used by the Navy for amphibious warfare. Only two ships of the class were designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited in partnership with the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.

The ships are stationed at the naval base in Vishakhapatnam. They can operate two medium-lift helicopters, which are primarily meant for “inserting” a small team of Special Forces (marine commandos). There have been several incidents in the recent past soon after Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi claimed that the force’s record in terms of safety was “not that bad” when compared to other navies in the world.
After the sinking of the INS Sindhurakshak, the Navy has faced several mishaps including one in which the INS Betwa was damaged after probably hitting some underwater object. The INS Sindhughosh, another Kilo Class submarine, had a close shave after it entered the Mumbai harbour in a low tide phase.
India’s leading minesweeper, the INS Konkan that was undergoing repairs in Vizag, caught fire and suffered major damage to its interiors. The Pondicherry-class minesweeper was getting a refit at a dry dock when the incident occurred.

In another incident, a 30-mm gun on ICSG Sangram, a patrol boat undergoing a refit at the naval docks in Mumbai, fired accidentally. The shell pierced the Naval headquarters building damaging a few offices.

Following this, the INS Tarkash — a Talwar-class frigate which has conducted several overseas missions — hit the jetty while berthing at the Mumbai naval base. Its hull was badly damaged. Late at night on December 23, the Navy suffered a major embarrassment after the INS Talwar collided with a fishing vessel 10 miles off the coast, injuring many.

The 27 people aboard the fishing vessel had to be rescued after it sunk.
A fault on board the INS Vipul, a Veer-class corvette that recently underwent repairs and refit, has also come to light. The warship, sources said, was sent back for repairs after a breach was discovered during sailing.

HC show cause notice to prosecutor for contemptuous remarks

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

The Bombay High Court has issued a show cause notice to a public prosecutor, appearing in multi-crore housing scam against former state minister Suresh Jain, for making contemptuous remarks against the court.

Justice A M Thipsay of the Aurangabad bench of the high court on January 27 issued notice to prosecutor N D Suryawanshi for making contemptuous remarks against the court.

In December last year, Justice Thipsay had sought clarification from special public prosecutor Suryawanshi for making false statement that the Maharashtra government has decided that there is no need for sanction to prosecute Jain.

Suryawanshi had told a sessions court in Jalgaon that the state government has come to a conclusion that there is no need for sanction to prosecute Jain in the 2006 Jalgaon mass housing project scam. Based on the statement, the session’s court took cognisance of the case and framed charges.

Jain approached the HC challenging the session’s court order taking cognisance. Jain said that the case against him is non-maintainable due to want of sanction. He also said a letter procured under RTI says the proposal seeking sanction to prosecute him is still pending before the government.

Replying to the high court notice, Suryawanshi clarified that in his statement he had not said the state government, but said that he himself had come to the conclusion that sanction was not required.

Along with the clarification, Suryawanshi filed an application taking objection to the manner in which Justice Thipsay dealt with the matter and alleged that the court had made derogatory remarks against him. Suryawanshi in his application sought the court to take back its remarks.

“The contents of the application are offensive and strange. Such type of contemptuous application does not call for an explanation to be given by the court. However, I am of the view that the present application needs to be sternly dealt with,” Justice Thipsay said.

“In my opinion, this is a fit case where action for having committed contempt of this court should be initiated against the applicant. However, considering that he is a Special Public Prosecutor, instead of initiating an action forthwith, I think it fit to grant one opportunity to the applicant to show cause against the proposed action,” he said.

Suryawanshi has been directed to file reply by February 11.

Seat-sharing issue with Congress to be resolved in 10 days: Sharad Pawar

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

Seat sharing issue with Congress will be resolved in next 10 days and the ongoing talks are “cordial”, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said amid signs of strain in ties between the two parties which are out to drive a hard bargain for Lok Sabha polls.
The remarks from Pawar, who is the NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister, came close on the heels of party leader Praful Patel saying that NCP was losing patience over the “delay” by Congress and that “options are open”.
Patel, a Union Minister, reportedly gave a three-day deadline to Congress, but Pawar denied any “ultimatum”.
“Seat sharing with INC to be resolved in next 10 days.
Talks are on in cordial manner, Praful Patel hasn’t given any ultimatum to INC,” the Maharashtra strongman said on micro blogging site Twitter.
In an earlier tweet, Pawar said that nation needed a stable government and NCP’s discussions with Congress are on in a “friendly manner”.
He also saw no impact of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP in the Lok Sabha polls.
NCP is the second largest constituent of the Congress-led UPA.
Congress had downplayed Patel’s “options are open” warning noting that the two parties are in alliance mode for the past 15 years and some tough bargaining was bound to be there at the time of seat sharing.
Patel had barely days earlier urged the political class to accept the judicial pronouncement regarding Narendra Modi on Gujarat riots, remarks which were seen as a sign of NCP going soft on the BJP PM candidate. The comment came even as Pawar slammed media reports that he met Modi as “baseless and mischievous”.
NCP is in alliance with the Congress and sharing power in Maharashtra since 1999 though Pawar parted ways with Congress on the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin.
NCP is part of the UPA at the Centre for the past 10 years.
Maharashtra has 48 LokSabha seats.

Government employees seek 5-day week; threaten to go on strike

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

Maharashtra government employees have threatened to go on indefinite strike from February 13 if their long-pending demand for five-day week work schedule and grant of other facilities on par with central government staff were not met.

“We have been demanding a five-day week for quite some time. Also, we have been demanding various facilities which are there for the central government employees. We also want the retirement age of the state government employees to be increased from current 58 to 60,” G D Kulthe, chief advisor of Maharashtra State Gazetted Officer Federation said.

The federation has submitted the proposal for a five-day week work schedule and other facilities to the government staff before Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and it is likely to be discussed during a meeting with him on February 4, he said.

“We (employees) would work for an additional 40 minutes every day, in order to compensate for the loss of working hours,” he said, adding their other demands of education allowance, transport allowance and child care leave for women should also be met.

The federation members yesterday held a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on the issue.

“The meeting was positive. It was encouraging for us. We are hoping for the best,” he said.

“We also hope of getting some result during a meeting with the chief minister. If a decision is not taken, then we will definitely go on strike from February 13,” he added.

One suspect detained from AP in Techie murder case, say sources

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

One suspect has reportedly been detained from Andhra Pradesh in the alleged murder case of software engineer Esther Anuhya, whose decomposed and burnt body was found in a swamp near a major highway on the outskirts of Mumbai on January 16.

Police sources say the suspect is believed to be known to the 23-year-old techie and his call data records show he was in touch with her before she went missing on January 4.

Sources also said the detained suspect’s phone could not be traced to Andhra Pradesh two days before the techie went missing while on her way to Mumbai after spending Christmas with her family in Hyderabad.

On Friday, the Railway Police recovered the CCTV footage where the young woman could be seen at the Kurla Railway Terminus the day she disappeared. The footage showed a man standing next to Ms Anuhya and is seen carrying her bag.

A team of railway police is in Andhra Pradesh to show the clipping to the young woman’s parents in an effort to identify the man.

Sources say the police believe that the person who has been captured on CCTV could be an accomplice of the detained suspect.

The police have so far failed to recover key evidence like the Ms Anuhya’s bag and laptop.

Her decomposed body was found 11 days after she went missing from the Kurla Railway Terminus. It was identified by her father, a retired Professor in the Andhra Pradesh University.

Monorail costs much for little connectivity

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Vaidehi Taman

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February 2, 2014

India’s first monorail, which was perceived six years ago, was thrown open to the Mumbaikars on Sunday. This is one of the best things that Democratic Front (alliance of Congress and NCP) government made it possible for Mumbai. The financial and glamorous city needs high-tech transportation to go. A sum of Rs. 1,100 crore has been spent so far. More will be spent in the coming years to complete the entire project which will cover a distance of 19.54 km. However, the question which arises here is that, will the much-touted project fulfill the travel needs of a city with over 12 million people? Every train with four coaches has the capacity to carry about 560 people. Compare it with the suburban train network where each train has a capacity to carry 1,500 people but eventually carries 8,500. On an average, about seven persons die every day on suburban trains. The monorail system is more about flaunting new hardware and technology rather than addressing the problem of public transport. It is not connected enough and it costs too much for such little connectivity.

Anyways, this would be a different experience to Mumbaikars. It would have been better if they could monitor the interior by a camera to make the journey safer. If it is started from the beginning it would be easy to control the system. Let the ‘tired’ commuters have some relax on the air conditioned Monorail and in fresh air. This is simply awesome but what we as citizens need to do is to maintain cleanliness and board the monorail with discipline not like pushing, running in local trains. Time has come for all of us to become more disciplined. While, there is sure to be a race amongst eager Mumbaikars to be the first to travel in the country’s first monorail between Wadala and Chembur, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has raised the bar, saying that the mantle will not be conferred on the first citizen to buy the ticket. The person who gets inside any of the four rakes before others would be considered the first commuter of the monorail. We saw the huge line to become the first commuter of the monorail.

Two trains left simultaneously one from Wadala and the other from Chembur adding to the confusion over the first commuter. The first phase of monorail connects the central suburb of Wadala with the eastern suburb of Chembur. However, the station at Wadala is at least two km away from the Suburban local train station. Bus connectivity is absent as well. It has paved the way for a real estate boom in the area — which lacks formal employment and basic livelihood opportunities. To begin with, there is no luggage compartment in the train which means the working class is kept away from it. Moreover, huge redevelopment projects in places like Antop Hill — a large slum — will be undertaken in the area. Right now, Mumbai is lagging so much on the public transport front, that anything in that direction is welcome. It is far from being the best solution as it will be used by very few people. But it is too early to comment on how it will eventually pan out. The first step has been taken for the long-harassed Mumbai commuters experiencing an era of world-class travel with the country’s first monorail.

Mumbaikars, so far used to dirty, cramped, uncomfortable – though extremely reliable – suburban trains and BEST buses, the monorail is like a breath of fresh air on the 8.9-km-long journey. The shining and colourful skyblue-soft pink-refreshing green cars with streaks of black and white, the clean railway platforms and an air-conditioned environs in both the trains and platforms left most of the first viewers in awed silence. The train interiors are equally striking – mostly in pastel shades with large windows offering awesome multi-dimensional views and comfortable and uncluttered seating arrangements.
The stations – not too large area-wise – are also spotless, at least for now! They are situated at a minimum height of around 5.5 metres or around 20-feet – and much higher in some locations – at present accessed by staircases and soon by escalators. As the monorail zooms across a section of southeast Mumbai in its first phase, the hitherto unseen aerial view above the treetops, tall skyscrapers dotting its path as well as large slum pockets, cinemas and residential complexes, the RCF oil refinery, the snaky Eastern Freeway and of course, the Arabian Sea, are well worth the 20-minute ride. From both sides during the journey, the large tracts of darkish green-grey mangroves, gardens and golf courses, the hazy hillocks in the eastern side of the city as well as the mainland, Thane Creek (which separates Mumbai Island from the mainland), big and small lakes and other water bodies are a visual delight for commuters. These are some of the thickly-populated areas which are not adequately serviced by the regular Western Railway, Central Railway and its Harbour Line. The aerial monorail, running at speeds between 31 and 80 kmph, will be a boon and help de-congest the roads below. Mumbai, with a population of around 17 million (2011 Census) goes on its dizzying move daily with around seven million souls commuting by the suburban trains and another three million by the BEST buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws and private vehicles – a phenomenon perhaps unmatched anywhere in the world.

Let’s see, how much time it will take for Mumbaikar to adjust with such high-tech transport.

Films are corrupting Indian youth

By

Prakash Jha

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February 2, 2014

Globalisation is transforming the lives of people and India is poised to become a developed nation in the future. The country has achieved significant progress in industrial sector, education field and Bollywood. However, the development has come with its own share of drawbacks too as children and teenagers have become more self-centred.

With advancement of technology the content of films too has undergone a drastic change. Earlier directors used to make clean movies which are suitable for family viewing but nowadays they are blindly emulating Hollywood movies which contain violence and explicit content. Vulgarity is depicted in Bollywood which is having an adverse affect on the lives of children. Also now abuses are so common in almost all the films that even a kid of 10 years is able to speak such abusive language knowingly or unknowingly.

Earlier family members used to watch movies in films which had good script. However, nowadays vulgarity is shown in Bollywood films which can’t be viewed with the entire family. Since competition has increased hence film makers are adding more vulgar scenes in the movies to attract the audience and keep them glued to their seats. In an attempt to make lumpsum profits film makers are adding violence, vulgar scenes in the movies. Even local cable operators too air obscene movies at night which is mostly watched by youngsters. Earlier they used to broadcast old Bollywood movies which can be viewed by the family members. However, cable operators are airing adult movies at night to attract the youngsters.

Filmmakers think that if Hollywood films can air obscenity then why should Bollywood remain behind. According to them, the old formula of showing roses during romantic scenes won’t work in modern world and hence they need to show reality.

While working on the field I learnt about a shocking incident of a eight year old boy who raped a four year old minor girl. A question which arises here is why a minor boy committed such type of crime?
After conducting an investigation, I learnt that the boy had watched a bollywood movie which contained a rape scene. He then blindly committed the crime after watching the movie. It raises a question about the credibility of Bollywood films. Children who watch adult films tend to get influenced by it.

Harassment and rapes have increased because of the free and western culture shown in films today. Time has come to review the adult content depicted in the movies as it is spoiling youth. Filmmakers must make clean movies which can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Modi responds to Sonia’s jibe, says Congress most venomous party

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

Narendra Modi hit back at Sonia Gandhi for her ‘zeher ki kheti’ (or seeds of poison) remark, saying it is the Congress which has been afflicted with the ‘poison’ called power for most of India’s independent history.

“Sonia Gandhi had told Rahul that power is poison. Who has been in power for most of the time during the last 60 years? In whose stomach has this poison gone? Who is spewing this poison? They (Congress) are the ones who sow the seeds of poison,” the BJP prime ministerial candidate said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, 70 km from Delhi.

“Congress is a divisive party. They believe in divide and rule; they believe in vote-bank politics, of making communities fight,” the 63-year-old leader said.

“I firmly believe that you will not allow those who sow the seeds of poison, who don’t believe in secular credentials and who play the politics of instigating violence to succeed,” Mrs. Gandhi had said at a rally in Karnataka yesterday in an apparent attack on the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

“Everyone knows who spreads poison in the society. He only wants to target the Gandhi family,” senior Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said in response to Mr. Modi’s remarks today.

Addressing the mammoth rally, Mr. Modi also hit out at the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state, calling it a “Samaj-Virodhi (anti-social) Party” and accusing it of corruption and non-governance.

“In Uttar Pradesh, it is news when people get electricity,” the Gujarat chief minister said in his 50-minute speech.

Mr. Modi also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi for its failure to check crimes against people from the north-east and Africa.

“It’s a shame that a student from Arunachal Pradesh was killed in Delhi,” Mr. Modi said, alluding to the death of Nido Taniam in an alleged racist attack earlier this week.

“Sons and daughters from India’s north-east are our own children,” Mr. Modi said.

VVIP chopper scam a repeat of Bofors, will raise in Parliament: BJP

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

BJP on Sunday hit out at Sonia Gandhi over claims that an alleged middlemen in the VVIP chopper scam had asked a contact in India to “target” the Congress chief and her advisors to clinch the deal, saying it was a repeat of the Bofors scam and the issue will be raised in parliament.

“Money was transacted. There are ample evidence to suggest who the recipients were. We raise it in Parliament most certainly,” BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said.

The government, he said, will not be allowed to get away with any explanation. “It is a repeat of Bofors deal,” he alleged.

According to a document submitted in Italian court, one of the alleged middlemen in the VVIP chopper scam had asked a contact in India to target Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then NSA MK Narayanan to bag the deal.

It has come to light that Christian Michel– alleged to be the main middleman involved in the chopper scam — had sent a fax to one of his contacts, who was allegedly working with AgustaWestland’s India office, in this regard, official sources said quoting the document recovered by Italian police authorities and produced before the court there in early January.

Michel is said to have asked his contact named Peter Fullet to target Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes, M K Narayanan and one Vinay Singh for bagging the deal.

In the document, the middleman has asked his contact to direct the High Commissioner of his native country to target “Sonia Gandhi and her closest advisers”, they said.

He also said that Gandhi would not be flying anymore in the Mi-8 choppers and “she was the driving force behind the VIP”, without elaborating, according to the sources.

The note has been shared by the Italian authorities with their Indian counterparts.

Another note had emerged earlier which seemed to be a draft budget which suggested that another middleman Guido Haschke had allocated on paper funds to be given to people with initials AP, JS Air and FAM.

India has already scrapped the tender and has sought to levy penalties and damages worth more than Rs. 5,200 crore. The IAF is now preparing to prepare its other aircraft to meet the requirements of VVIP flying.

Manmohan Singh, Banerjee share dais in Kolkata for museum’s bicentenary

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Afternoon Voice

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February 2, 2014

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shared stage in Kolkata on Sunday for the celebration of the Indian Museum’s bicentenary.

Singh, while stressing on the importance of museums, said that museums are institution of learning and knowledge and they have undergone transformation all over the world. He further said, “Museums in the 19th century were seen as collections – great storehouses of objects, artefacts and pieces of art… In the late 17th century, the word museum simply meant a building used for storing and exhibiting objects illustrative of antiquities, natural history, art and the like.”

Singh, who was invited as the chief guest of the occasion, was accompanied by Union Minister Kapil Sibal, Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch, West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Three days back, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had called for a change in Delhi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, Singh arrived in the state capital on Saturday and was received by the Governor and state Co-operation Minister Rachpal Singh at the airport.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) leader Manas Bhuniya said that a party delegation is likely to meet the Prime Minister on Sunday morning.

Moreover, during his visit to the state, Singh Singh has requested Union Minister Deepa Dasmunsi to end her fast which the latter began on Friday for setting up an AIIMS-like institute in her constituency Raiganj.