Guardian Minister felicitates women for successful completion of skill development programmes

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January 30, 2014

Women and Child Development organization scheme for Social and slum Development welfare had implemented two programmes like stitching and E-Taxation work for the empowerment of women. Persons who have successfully completed the course were awarded a certificate from the hands of State Guardian Minister and member of assembly Ganesh Naik. The function was held at Vishnudas Bhai Natya Grah hall at Vashi.

The function was attended by Deputy Mayor Ashok Gawade, Women and child Development committee Chairperson Sunanda Raut, Indumati Tikone, Patil Suthar, Netra Shirke, Varsha Naik, Aparna Gawte, Shubhangi Patil, Corporator Bharat Nakhate, Navin Gawte, Ravindra Mhatre and many others.

Spare Kejriwal to do good work

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 30, 2014

I’m very upset with the Congress lawmaker in a way he interrupted a press conference conducted by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This attack was pre-planned. AAP won with unexpected margins, BJP and Congress lost control, these types of acts shows their frustration. It is planned agenda to attack Kejriwal and his party in every ways. Congress MLA was demanding appointment of a Special Investigation Team to probe the 2008 Batla House encounter. His own government was ruling in Delhi then why he had not asked for the probe? Why Asif Mohammad Khan never attacked Rahul Gandhi or Sheila Dixit and he chose press conference to attack Kejriwal? Khan, a MLA from Okhla constituency, barged into the press conference at Delhi Secretariat and started shouting slogans against AAP and Kejriwal. Earlier, Kejriwal said a court has already given its verdict in the case and government respected the judicial process. Delhi Government had on Wednesday decided on a probe by an SIT into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, two days after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said some of the party men were probably involved in the violence but were punished. Khan said he will not extend support to the AAP government in any legislative business and does not care if Congress takes disciplinary action against him.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the 1984 riots have sparked off an unprecedented political furore, with a united opposition stepping up attack against Congress, demanding a court monitored fast track probe. Sikh groups on Thursday protested outside the Congress office in Delhi, stating that a mere apology on the 1984 riots will not suffice. A Sikh rights group that has filed human rights violation cases against the Congress party and its leader Sonia Gandhi said it will subpoena the party’s vice president Rahul Gandhi before a US court in the 1984 anti-Sikh rights lawsuit, a demand that has been strongly rejected by the political party’s attorney in US. AAP want the investigation in 1984 to be done and justice to be brought to Sikh community. There is vast difference between a riot and encounter. Last year, a trial court had convicted suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist Shahzad Ahmed in the Batla House encounter case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. We have to respect the judiciary.

People should stop attacking this new party and they should really give them some time to deal with the issues and promises they made to their people. We gave BJP a chance, and their performance was surely good. The performance of BJP-governed states is surely better than Congress- ruled or any other Parties like TMC, SP. BJP ruled only 6 years since independence. Should we say BJP is a flopped party or should we attack them without proper reason? When other government gets 5 years to judge their performance then how can we judge AAP government in one month? Its dedicated working culture will change the modern definition of politics, which may be treated as milestone for newcomers in this field. However the style of politics, where politician uses soft word to negative matter is not maintained by this group. We know that maintenance of law & order is the responsibility of state government, so the authority of law & order must be vest in that authority which controls it. AAP as an alternative has generated much hope against the closed options provided by aristocratic mindset of the present political parties. It has infused a sense of competition and forced the traditional ways of politics to introspect. BJP has budged from its Hindutva core ideology, towards governance reform and Congress has started realizing that playing only aam aadmi card is just not enough.

AAP has well tried to project itself as a service oriented party and devoid of aristocratic style of functioning. We must nourish this sapling to grow into a tree ignoring its little faults. Otherwise, if this new experiment fails, it will provide conviction to the corrupt and inefficient political parties to continue the old ways of disregarding the needs of the people. There are many issues languishing in files but were never addressed by any of the political parties. No one asked for any magic to happen or issues to be addressed. All of sudden, each and every political party are attacking AAP. If we will not allow them to execute their work then how we can expect them to work as they promised to people.

Whoever is criticizing AAP means they are falling into the traps of established political parties who will continue to promote their own agendas to the detriment of common man. After criticising AAP to an extent, common man will continue to promote it in this election year. We have been used to the culture of writing letters and memorandum for voicing our concerns to the ruling parties who dumped it into dustbin. If the correct voice of dissent in a democracy does not get its due attention under old methods, new methods adopted by parties like AAP shall be given a try.

Not last but the least, We the Indians should learn to respect our elected chief ministers of every state.

Who is responsible for Andaman boat tragedy?

By

Mahendra Singh

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January 30, 2014

It is really very sad to listen about the tragic news of several deaths as a passenger boat capsized in Port Blair waters. Such boats are registered under the Inland Vessel Act 1917 and are subjected to an annual survey. A probe needs to be conducted against the surveying authority at Port Blair for ascertaining any lapses committed by him. In the survey certificate, the number of Life Saving appliances is clearly shown. It is the duty of the Inland master in-charge of the boat to check that these appliances are functioning. The Annual survey also includes the survey of the hull to check for it’s soundness and water tightness.

It is the duty of the master and crew to ensure that passengers (it has been reported that she was overloaded) do not crowd on one side of the boat especially those which can carry 20-25 passengers. There is no central lengthwise barrier to prevent this calamity and even then the Inland Master in-charge of the boat ensures that passengers do not shift towards one side ( port or Starboard) causing the vessel to tilt. An investigation needs to be carried out to ascertain if any well qualified master was on board or not? If not, it is a grave offence and the designated master must first be arrested. Often the master is not present on board and entrusts the wheel to someone else. All ferries operating in these waters must be examined.

The examination of Inland water first class and second class masters is conducted orally only and corruption in issuance of such certificates cannot be ruled out. These days NCV (near coastal voyage) training and examination is being conducted by many colleges which lacks qualified training faculty possessing good experience. The DG Shipping has authorized certain organizations to conduct NCV examinations.

It is necessary to find out if this has been done backed by some Gazette Notification or properly framed and published rules. Otherwise there are possibilities of irregularities which may result in mishaps. It has to be ascertained whether NCV examiners are possessing adequate qualifications and experience. Who is selecting them? The surveyors of MMD are selected by the UPSC. It is to be ensured that we are not unwittingly carrying on illegal transaction of business without legally tenable authorization and rules for the purpose of ensuring safety at sea and within inland waters.

Rahul effect: Centre hikes subsidised LPG cylinder cap from 9 to 12

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

Bowing to party pressure, the government Thursday raised the quota of subsidised LPG to 12 cylinders per household in a year from nine at present and also put on hold paying users the subsidy into bank accounts using Aadhaar platform.

Announcing the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily said raising the LPG quota will cost Rs 5,000 crore in additional subsidy annually.

Households will get one cylinder extra, on top of the quota of 9 cylinders, in February and March and from April they will be entitled for 12 cylinders — one cylinder per month at subsidised rates, he said.

Moily also said the direct benefit transfer for LPG (DBTL) scheme, where consumers in as many as get 289 districts in 18 states got the subsidy amount in their bank accounts so that they could buy cooking gas at market rate, has been put on hold.

Explaining the reasons behind the move to put on hold a scheme that was dubbed ‘game-changer, he said there were complaints about implementation of the scheme and a committee has been formed to look into them.

“Pending the committee examining the issues, the Aadhaar-linked LPG subsidy transfer has been put on hold,” he said.

DBTL, under which consumers got Rs 435 advance money in their bank accounts so as to help them buy a LPG cylinder at market price, was this month extended to 105 districts including Delhi and Mumbai.

Currently, a subsidised LPG cylinder costs Rs 414 while the market price comes to Rs 1,021.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had at the All India Congress Committee session earlier this month asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to increase the quota of subsidised LPG to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each.

There had also been demands from within the Congress to scrap the DBTL as many consumers did not either have the Aadhaar number or banks accounts linked to the Aadhaar number.

Moily said 89.2 percent of the 15 crore LPG consumers use up to nine cylinders in a year and only 10 percent have to buy the additional requirement at the market price.

After the quota is raised to 12, about 97 percent of the LPG consumers would be covered by subsidised LPG, he said.

The government had initially capped the supply of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to six per household annually in September 2012 in a bid to cut its subsidy bill. The quota was raised to nine in January 2013.

Consumers, who have exhausted their quota, have to buy LPG at the market price of Rs 1,258 per cylinder. Subsidised LPG costs Rs 414 per cylinder in Delhi.

Andhra Pradesh assembly rejects Telangana bill, embarrassment for Centre

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

The Andhra Pradesh assembly today emphatically rejected the creation of Telangana in a move engineered by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, embarrassing the Centre and posing a moral dilemma for President Pranab Mukherjee, who has to take the process forward. But Congress leader Digvijaya Singh told that regardless of the state’s rejection, Parliament will vote on the bill to create Telangana in the session beginning on February 5.

Amid protests by Telangana MLAs, the presiding officers in the Legislative Assembly and the Council announced that official resolution for rejecting the bill were carried and adjourned the houses sine die.

Assembly Speaker N Manohar announced passing of a resolution moved by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. In the Council, Chairman A Chakrapani declared that a resolution moved by Endowments Minister C Ramachandraiah is carried.

“Almost all the members have expressed their views in writing which will form part of official records. Proposals for amendments and expression of views in writing by the members on the clauses numbering 9,072 received from members will also form part of official records,” Manohar said amid slogans by members from both Telangana and Seemandhra.

He declared that the official records would be submitted to President of India as views of the house. Chakrapani made a similar announcement in the Council.

In his resolution, the CM has called on President Pranab Mukherjee not to refer the bill to Parliament as it seeks to bifurcate the state without any reason and consensus and in utter disregard to linguistic and cultural homogeneity and economic and administrative viability of both the regions.

The move has come as an embarrassment to the Congress because the party had piloted the bill to create a separate Telangana state carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

It may be noted that Reddy-led Congress government rules in the state.

The CM had earlier threatened to quit politics if the Telangana bill is passed in Parliament. Reddy is strongly opposed to the state’s bifurcation.

Earlier, the protest by legislators from Telangana cutting across party lines for last four days has brought the debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 to a halt.

The President had referred the bill to the state legislature on December 12 last year for its opinion under Article 3 of the Constitution.

1984 riots: Rajiv Gandhi did not take calls from Zail Singh, claims aide

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

Tarlochan Singh, press secretary of former president Giani Zail Singh, has contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s claim that the Congress government had tried to stop the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Congress vice-president and party’s face for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections had asserted that unlike Narendra Modi whose government had pushed the riots in 2002 in Gujarat, the Congress government in 1984 had tried to do everything to stop rioting against Sikhs following the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Tarlochan Singh said that the 1984 riots were in fact “orchestrated and sponsored”.

According to him, Rajiv Gandhi who took over as PM following the death of Indira Gandhi, even refused to take calls from the then president Giani Zail Singh when the latter tried to speak to him to discuss the situation.

Singh, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities from 2000 to 2003, further alleged that unlike the 1984 communal strife, the 2002 Gujarat riots were “spontaneous”.

The Gujarat police did everything to stop rioting, Singh said, adding the same is evident from the fact that 137 rioters were killed in police firing.

In Delhi, only one rioter was killed in police firing in 1984.

It may here be noted that Singh served as the NCM chairman when the NDA was in power at the Centre. Later, he entered the Rajya Sabha from Haryana in 2004 with support from the BJP and INLD.

Harish Rawat to replace Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna?

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

The Congress may replace Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna with Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat ahead of General Elections.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi held a meeting with senior party leaders on Wednesday morning to discuss the leadership change issue in a bid to boost the party’s prospects in Uttarakhand for the Lok Sabha polls.

Party general secretary Ambika Soni was present during the meeting besides senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Janardan Dwivedi and Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to the Congress chief.

After the meeting, party sources said that a decision on continuance or otherwise of Bahuguna as Chief Minister will be taken soon.

An AICC team will visit Dehradun in the first week of February to oversee the change of guard in the hilly state.

Bahuguna took over as the chief minister after the Congress emerged as the single largest party in elections to the state Assembly in March 2012.

Bahuguna has been under pressure ever since he was appointed. The flash floods that hit Uttarakhand last year and the massive rescue and rehabilitation work they entailed also brought his leadership skills into question.

Incidentally, delegations of MLAs and other Congress leaders from the State have been regularly meeting central party leaders in Delhi over the past six months to press for Bahuguna’s ouster.

The Congress, with 33 members in the Assembly, enjoys the support of the seven-member Progressive Democratic Front that comprises three independents, three members of the BSP and one MLA of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal. The remaining 30 MLAs are of the BJP.

Rahul Gandhi’s comments on 1984 riots trigger protests at Congress office

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

About 300 protesters carrying black flags and shouting slogans waved black flags and climbed on top of barricades outside the Congress party office in Delhi, expressing their anger against Rahul Gandhi for his comments about the 1984 riots in Delhi.

This week, Mr. Gandhi, who is the Congress Vice-President, said that “some Congressmen were probably involved” in the killing of hundreds of Sikhs after the assassination of his grandmother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

However, Mr. Gandhi insisted that the Congress government at the time did its best to check the violence.

“The CBI should ask Mr. Gandhi which people he was talking about. He should be made to take names,” said one protester.

Almost three decades later, senior Congress leaders like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler are being tried for allegedly inciting mobs to attack Sikhs in retalitation for the killing of Mrs Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The delay in the legal proceedings has been criticized by Sikh leaders, the families of those who died in the violence, and the opposition.

Arvind Kejriwal, who took over as Chief Minister of Delhi a month ago, has asked that a Special Investigating Team be appointed to conduct an independent inquiry to determine who was responsible for the communal violence.

Mr. Kejriwal met yesterday with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to ask for the investigation. The Lieutenant Governor, who represents the union government in Delhi, said that he is awaiting a formal proposal from Mr. Kejriwal that outlines the terms of the inquiry.

TMC to take on Congress, BJP and CPI(M) in Lok Sabha elections: Mamata Banerjee

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday sounded the poll bugle declaring that it will take on the Congress, BJP and CPI(M) in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made the announcement at rally at Brigade Parade Ground here.

After back-to-back victories in the panchayat and municipal polls some months ago, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls today.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also said that the Trinamool Congress was the only alternative for the country.

“Our fight is against BJP, our fight is against Congress, our fight is against CPI(M). Our fight is also against corruption,” she said at the rally which saw lakhs of people converging at the sprawling Brigade Parade Ground.

“We do not want a government which encourages riots. Bengal will show the way to India in the coming days,” she said.

She called for defeating her arch rival CPI(M) and also the Congress hands down.

Claiming the Trinamool Congress was the only alternative, she said, “BJP is not an alternative to the Congress. Congress is not an alternative to BJP. We also don’t want a monarchy.

She said, “A federal front should be formed. We want a change (in government) in Delhi. We are giving a call from Bengal for change.”

Claiming that the Trinamool Congress would play a decisive role in the formation of a government after the Lok Sabha election, Banerjee said, “We have to win as many as seats from Bengal to ensure that Bengal plays a key role.”

Referring to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s clarion war cry ‘dilli chalo’, the West Bengal Chief Minister repeatedly gave ‘Delhi chalo’ calls.

Riding high on the back-to-back massive victories of her party in the recent panchayat and municipal elections, she said, “There is no room for complacency.

“There is no room to be overconfident and underestimate (opponents). We have to win all the Lok Sabha seats (Bengal has 42 seats). I do not want a chair. I want to serve the people,” she said.

“We want removal of corruption and to save the country. We want an united India. We want a government which works for harmony and integrity,” Banerjee, said amids cheers.

Attacking the Centre for price rise and corruption, she said, “Our fight is against corruption. Our fight is against price rise. Our fight is for unity, integrity and communal harmony. We want to establish a government for the welfare of the people.”

Pointing to the vast sea of humanity, she said, “Today’s rally is not only historic, it proves that Bengal will once again lead the country. What Bengal things, India thinks tomorrow.”

“I am told by Mukul Roy (the party general secretary) that 20 to 25 lakh people have come here to attend the rally. We will hold another rally at the Brigade after winning the coming Lok Sabha elections.”

The metropolis came to a standstill with traffic thrown out of gear as lakhs of people gathered at the Brigade Parade Ground.

Banerjee said, “TMC would contest various seats across the country and she would personally campaign”.

No thanks, says NK Singh to Nitish Kumar for Lok Sabha election

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

Retired bureaucrat NK Singh, who was denied a renomination to the Rajya Sabha by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, spurned the Janata Dal United’s offer to field him from the Banka parliamentary constituency in the general elections due by May.

Mr. Singh, 73, joins Shivanand Tiwari and Sabir Ali, the other two JDU leaders who were denied tickets to the House of Elders, in turning down Mr. Kumar’s suggestion that they contest Lok Sabha seats instead.

Mr. Singh was given the option of contesting from Banka in the state, while Mr. Tiwari, 71, was to be the JDU candidate from Buxar and Mr. Ali, 58, was asked to enter the electoral fray from Sheohar.

Mr. Singh wrote a terse one-page letter to the Bihar chief minister, expressing his surprise at the Banka offer.

“This offer was indeed surprising, albeit a cavalier one, since I had undertaken no preparatory work in the constituency….. Foisting any individual without prior consultation with the constituents may be grossly unfair to them,” he wrote.

Mr. Tiwari had, in a letter to state JD(U) president Vashishta Narayan Singh, hit out at the chief minister, alleging that he was denied a ticket because Nitish Kumar “does not like me.”

Mr. Ali, a Mumbai-based businessman, too is said to have favoured playing safe.

The Janata Dal (United) had won of 20 of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2009. But this time Nitish Kumar has a tough battle on his hands in the general elections. He has to contend with the likely renewal of a partnership between the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the former partner BJP coming back strongly after the JD(U) broke its 17-year alliance with it last year.