Shun hostility for talks, India tells Pakistan

NEW DELHI, Nov 28: India cannot negotiate with Pakistan while having a gun pointed at its head, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said on Saturday, reacting to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi accusing India of being “myopic”.

In an interview telecast on CNN-IBN on Saturday, Qureshi said that India was being narrow-minded in not coming to the table for talks. “I think you (India) are being myopic. You are being narrow-minded. You have to look at the boarder picture and the broader picture demands cooperation and not confrontation,” he said at Port of Spain, where he is leading the Pakistani delegation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the absence of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He also said that India had provided “inadequate” evidence to prosecute Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who India has named as the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In Delhi, Tharoor retorted that any evidence that had to be unearthed against Saeed had to be done in Pakistan itself. “Surely the evidence is available in their country, where the man has been conducting his nefarious activities. So, it seems to me that in saying that the evidence is not enough, the Pakistani government is essentially saying that its own investigative capabilities are not what they should be,” Tharoor said here.

On the demand to restart talks, Tharoor said that there had to be adequate progress by Pakistan for India to return to the table. India had frozen all talks after the November 26-29, 2008 Mumbai carnage that claimed the lives of 166 people, including 26 foreigners. “We know that there is gun pointed at your head, but you still got to talk to us. Will you first get the gun removed from our head, then we will talk to you happily,” he said. “If we can see some real action on the two things that we have been asking for in a year, we would be very happy to persuade the public and the Parliament that we need to engage in serious talks,” he added. (IANS)

Government’s stand on rice import lacks transparency: CPI-M

KOLKATA, Nov 22: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Sunday said the Central Government’s decision to import rice lacked transparency. In an editorial in daily Ganashakti, its Bengali mouthpiece, the CPI-M accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government of taking a casual approach to the fall in rice production and not helping farmers hit by this. “The Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Agriculture and Food Minister have repeatedly assured the people that there was no cause for worry as the country had a good stock of food grains, and that there was no danger of any food crisis. But now the government is publicly talking about importing rice,” the editorial said. “In fact, over the last few months, the government has been clandestinely preparing to import rice. It is obvious that the government’s stand lacked transparency,” it added. According to the CPI-M, the Central Government too no step to arrest the fall in crop production, and said: “It did not lay any importance on the probable consequences.” The editorial also said farmers were suffering because of the fall in production, and that the “government has not taken any steps to safeguard their interests”. It noted India was the world’s second largest producer and leading exporter of rice, and did not have to import it in the last two-three decades. “In the recent past, the country did not have to import rice. But this time we have to do so. This is a matter of concern,” the daily added. (IANS)

Centre mulls stringent law to protect biodiversity hotspots

COIMBATORE, Nov 22: The Centre is considering the introduction of a comprehensive legislation to protect three biodiversity hotspots in the Himalayas, North East and Western Ghats, besides amending the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 to check poaching of tigers. Announcing this here today, Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said the Ministry is holding talks with State Governments to bring in the law as tourism activities -- leisure tourism or religious tourism -- have an “adverse impact” on their biodiversity and ecological balance. “I am determined to protect the ecology since unbridled tourism is disturbing the balance,” he said when his attention was drawn to widespread damage caused by heavy rain and resultant landslips in Nilgiris district last week. The minister observed that poaching of tigers has become a serious issue and said the Ministry decided to amend the Wildlife Act to make punishment for such crimes very stringent, on the lines of Foreign Exchange and Money Laundering Act. (PTI)

Terror-hit hotels limp back to normal life

MUMBAI, Nov 25: “In memory and faith that peace can come on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Thus reads a scrawling handwriting in a memorial book placed at the historic Hotel Taj Mahal Palace & Tower. The book lies next to a sacred ‘Tree of Life’ setting, which commemorates those who laid down their lives when a handful of terrorists invaded the hotel on the night of November 26, 2008, and held guests and staff hostage for the next 60 hours.

The same night, another group entered the Trident-Oberoi Hotel, at Nariman Point barely a kilometre away from the Taj and two kilometres from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, where they carried out a spate of similar atrocities. Including foreigners, 166 people were killed in the attack which also left 264 injured or maimed. Both hotels suffered extensive infrastructure damage, in amounts running into millions of rupees.

Food inflation jumps to 15.58% as potato prices soar

STAFF WRITER 14:25 HRS IST

New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) Food inflation shot up to 15.58 per cent for the second week of November on the back of potato prices, which have more than doubled in the past one year.

Other essential items like pulses and onion rose by more than 25 per cent in the wholesale market, government data on inflation for week ended November 14 showed.

"Food inflation is incredibly high...The drought has aggravated the situation and I expect the wholesale price- based inflation to rise to around 7 per cent by March next year," said HDFC Bank economist Jyotinder Kaur.

With inflationary pressure building up, the RBI in its next policy review may take steps to check easy money. "It is likely that RBI in its January policy might go for monetary tightening measures and raise Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) or policy rates," Kaur said.

Sensex ducks below 17K level on Chinese factor

STAFF WRITER 17:3 HRS IST

Mumbai, Nov 26 (PTI) The benchmark Sensex today tanked over 340 points to close below the crucial 17,000 points level on all-round selling sparked by a meltdown in Chinese stocks.

Brokers said a sudden bout selling emerged in the derivatives and cash segments on roll-over of positions a day ahead of the expiry of futures contract.

Attributing today's fall to negative global cues, brokerage company Hightech Securities Director Sanjeev Bhambri said the market is getting resistance above 17,000 mark and has a strong support at 16,600 level.

The market plunged in the afternoon trade as the Shanghai Composite tumbled by 3.62 per cent on panic selling sparked by fears about government actions against rising asset prices.

Reliance Industries, the heaviest on the Sensex, fell by nearly 3 per cent from its ex-bonus price against its last close of Rs 2,193.75. ICICI Bank dipped by 3.

Gold touches historic peak of Rs 18,000

NEW DELHI: Surpassing all previous records, gold touched another historic peak of Rs 18,000 per 10 gram in the bullion market here on persistent buying by stockists for the ongoing marriage season amid firming global cues.

Standard gold and ornaments rose by Rs 220 each to Rs 18,000 and Rs 17,850 per 10 gram, respectively. Sovereign also rose by Rs 100 to set a new peak of Rs 13,800 per piece of eight gram.

Marketmen said firming trend in the overseas market supported the rise in yellow metal here. Gold in Asia traded 0.8% higher at 1,179.20 dollar an ounce, while in futures trading in New York, the metal surged to record 1,181.60 dollar an ounce.

Gold in the international markets touched record levels as the dollar extended declines amid fears that more central banks might purchase gold from IMF.

The metal has rallied 11% after India bought 200 metric tons of gold from the International Monetary Fund in October. Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Russia have followed suit since then.

"Gold is moving on fast pace ever since the central banks started purchasing the metal," said Rakesh Anand of R K Jeweller.

Meanwhile, silver ready rose by Rs 250 to Rs 29,000 and weekly-based delivery by Rs 160 to Rs 28,580 per kg, while silver coins continued to be asked around previous level of Rs 34,400 for buying and Rs 34,500 for selling of 100 pieces.

TOI

Jharkhand assembly polls: 35% voting till 1300 hrs

RANCHI: Around 35% voting was recorded till 1300 hrs on Wednesday in the first phase of elections to 26 assembly seats in Jharkhand.

Adequate security measures were put in place along with air surveillance and no untoward incidents have been reported from anywhere in the constituencies so far.

Prominent among the 470 candidates contesting the first phase are former speaker and Congress leader Alamgir Alam, ex-ministers Raghuvar Das, Dulal Bhuiyan (both BJP) and Aparna Sengupta (AIFB).

It is the second assembly election in Jharkhand after it was carved out from Bihar on November 15, 2000.

The first assembly election was held in 2005 which threw a hung Assembly that saw four governments in as many years, culminating in the imposition of President's rule.

USD 3-bn WB loan for road projects soon: Nath

STAFF WRITER 16:27 HRS IST

New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) India may soon get a USD 3-billion (about Rs 14,000 crore) loan from the World Bank for building roads in the country, Road and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said today.

"The World Bank President Robert B Zoellick is arriving here on December 2 and we are hopeful of getting clearance for USD 3 billion loan as sought by us for highway projects," Nath told PTI on the sidelines of a press conference today.

The Transport Ministry is working out the cost of various highway projects and may seek more funds from the World Bank during the meet, the minister said.

However, the mode of paying back the loan has not been finalised yet.

Sensex ends higher in choppy trade, RIL led support

TAFF WRITER 16:43 HRS IST

Mumbai, Nov 25 (PTI) In choppy trade, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex gained 68 points as investors reshuffled their portfolios on the eve of expiry in current month contracts in the derivatives segment.

The 30-share index closed higher by 67.87 points at 17,198.95 points.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 17.60 points to close at 5,108.15 points.

Brokers said every decline in the market was capped due to buying in fundametnally strong stocks in refinery, fast moving consumer goods, auto and banking sectors.

Asian markets closing with gains and firm opening in European stock markets also influenced trading sentiment to some extent, they added.

The trading sentiment turned volatile as investors reshuffled their holdings before the expiry in November month contract in futures and option segments tomorrow.

The heaviest on the Sensex, Reliance Industries, and tobacco major ITC saved the market from falling. RIL closed up 0.

Cyber terrorism next big threat to India

New Delhi, Nov 24: Pakistani cyber criminals deface nearly 60 Indian websites every day, says celebrity cyber security expert Ankit Fadia, adding that cyber terrorism is the biggest threat India is facing today.

“The next big war that the country may have to wage against terror will be on the Internet. The network infrastructure of the country may be attacked any time. Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Orkut and Myspace may also pose a threat,” Fadia told IANS in an e-mail interview.

Fadia (24), is considered “one of the best and the youngest ethical hackers in the country”. He is an authority on computer security systems and digital intelligence. The computer whizkid, who at the age of 16 cracked an encrypted al Qaeda mail for an intelligence agency soon after the September 11 attacks, has a degree in information security from Stanford University in the US. He advises top-of-the-chain global MNCs, the Singapore government and Indian police forces in network security and digital upgrades, and hosts a television show on ethical hacking.

Amended notice to Reliance Industries

New Delhi, Nov 23: India’s markets watchdog has served an amended notice to Reliance Industries asking why it shouldn’t be barred from accessing the stock markets under the rules on fraudulent and unfair trade practices and the gains it made of Rs 513 crore not be disgorged.

The show cause notice has been issued in the matter relating to alleged insider trading in the shares of now defunct Reliance Petroleum, which had since merged with Reliance Industries, led by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani.

The notice issued by the investigation department of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) further asks why directions should not be issued to bar the company from buying, selling and dealing in any security, directly or indirectly. The original show cause notice was issued April 29 and pertained to alleged manipulative gains of Rs 513 crore made by Reliance Industries and 12 entities acting on its behalf. “Reliance Industries Ltd has always abided by all the rules and regulations of SEBI and, hence, has neither violated any provision of insider trading nor acted in any manner so as to attract provisions under Section 11(i), 11 (B) and 11(4) of the SEBI Act, 1992,” said a company spokesperson.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha in March last year, then minister of state for finance, Pawan Kumar Bansal, had said the markets watchdog had initiated an examination into the matter of alleged insider trading in shares of Reliance Petroleum. The matter pertains to the sale of shares of Reliance Petroleum by the parent company in November 2007 to raise Rs 40.23 billion. Reliance Industries subsequently said in a disclosure that the sale of shares was conducted by transactions through the stock exchanges and had helped to further broadbase the shareholding pattern. In the show cause notice to the company, the markets watchdog had observed that between November 1-5, 2007, some 12 entities acting on behalf of Reliance Industries had created short position of around 7.65 crore shares at Rs 290 per share. This, the watchdog said, had risen to 9.92 crore shares on November 6, and the 12 entities accounted for as much as 93.63 per cent of the total permissible open interest in Reliance Petroleum for the expiry of the contracts on November 29. It observed that the short sale of the contract was so large that the derivative contracts of the scrip reached the market-wide position limit on November 6 itself, inviting the mandatory restriction of no further open interest. Then, the watchdog said, the 12 entities started selling the Reliance Petroleum shares heavily in the cash market, amounting to 4.01 per cent of the company’s equity, and depressed the price to around Rs 210. The whole manipulative operation was arranged by Reliance Industries and it was aided by the 12 related entities. Reliance Industries earned Rs 513 crore by indulging in these manipulative activities. The latest show cause has also asked why these gains should not be disgorged. (IANS)

India can't be a 'carbon copy' of China: PM

STAFF WRITER 19:36 HRS IST

Washington, Nov 23 (PTI) Unfazed by China's great leap forward, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that India, a "functioning democracy" cannot be a "carbon copy" of its communist neighbour.

"Well, I have no hesitation in saying that I think development in India cannot be a carbon copy of what happens in China. And the Chinese system is very different," Singh said when asked during an interview with CNN about China's high growth and eye-popping infrastructure development speed.

"We are a functioning democracy. And even if you want to acquire land, I think you run into serious problems, and there's for - of operating a democracy. And democracy is slow-moving.

Probe Congress, RJD hand in Koda scam: NDA leaders

RANCHI, Nov 22: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders on Sunday demanded an independent probe into the Madhu Koda scam and accused the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of having a role in the Rs 2,500 crore money laundering racket. “There should be an independent probe in the Madhu Koda scam. Koda is only an actor in the scam but the producer and director of the scam are Congress and RJD. The Koda scam is a blot in the history of Indian democracy,” senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said at a press conference here. “The RJD and Congress should be awarded the Nobel prize along with Koda for looting the state... It was Congress and RJD who installed Koda as Chief Minister,” he said. Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav was also present at the press meet and expressed fears that the Congress might dilute the Koda scam probe. “The Congress uses scams for political purposes. The Koda episode is a blot on politics. Corporate houses’ role should also be probed in the scam,” Yadav said. (IANS)

Uttar Pradesh to continue ban on import of raw sugar

LUCKNOW, Nov 22: Reaching out to sugarcane farmers in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has decided to continue the ban on import of raw sugar till the sugarcane crushing in mills in the state is over, an official said on Sunday.

The Chief Minister has also decided to convene a meeting to raise the prices for sugarcane crop. “The ban on import of raw sugar will continue until the crushing is completed in the sugar mills across the state,” state Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told a press conference here on Sunday.

He said: “Taking note of the demand of sugarcane growers for a higher sugarcane price, the Chief Minister has directed all district magistrates and divisional commissioners to convene tripartite meetings with sugar mill owners and cane growers to settle a price higher than the state advised price (SAP) fixed by the State Government.” While appreciating the gesture of the Uttar Pradesh Sugarmill Owners’ Association to offer Rs 15 a quintal higher than the SAP of Rs 165 and Rs 170 fixed by the State Government, the cabinet secretary said: “Still, our endeavour would be to ensure the wellbeing of the state’s 40 lakh sugarcane growers.”

India-US partnership is essential: PM

New Delhi, Nov 21: Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh on Saturday said India is looking forward to building on the strategic dialogue with the US and seeking greater cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, services, energy, science and technology and defence.

“The last several years have witnessed a transformation in India-US relations. Today, they are characterized by greater maturity, depth and convergence of interests,” Manmohan Singh said in his departure statement before his four-day trip to Washington as the first state guest of the Obama White House.

“The United States is our largest trading partner in goods and services, and we have deep economic ties. There is a large Indian American community and robust people-to-people exchanges. Above all, we share common values and commitment to democracy, pluralism and human rights,” he said. “A sustained and dynamic India-US partnership is essential if we are to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.” During his visit, the prime minister said, he would exchange views with President Obama on major global threats and challenges including international terrorism, climate change, the global economic slowdown, the Doha round of trade negotiations, and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Didn’t Mukesh know of Ambani family pact, queries apex court

NEW DELHI, Nov 12: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) can’t say it had no knowledge of the Ambani family pact between brothers Mukesh and Anil, which was brokered by their mother Kokilaben, the Supreme Court observed on Thursday.

As arguments continued on the Krishna-Godavari gas dispute, Ram Jethmalani, counsel for Anil Ambani’s Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL), wanted to question seven directors of RIL whose affidavits claim they had no knowledge of the contents of the family pact. “Mukesh Ambani had a copy of the MoU (memorandum of understanding or the family business reorganisation pact)?” asked the three-member apex court bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, Justice B Sudershan Reddy and Justice P Sathasivam.

“So you cannot say RIL did not know of the MOU,” the bench observed, after hearing the reply of RIL counsel Harish Salve, while adjudicating the Krishna-Godavari gas supply and pricing dispute between RIL and RNRL. The bench made the observation amid RIL counsel’s ongoing arguments that the family pact was “in private domain” and “not in the corporate domain” because of which it was not binding on his client company.

The dispute is over the supply of 28 million units of natural gas for 17 years at $2.34 per unit to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) from the gas fields off the Andhra Pradesh coast, awarded to Mukesh Ambani-led RIL.

The price, tenure and quantity were all based on a family re-organization pact in 2005, but RIL subsequently said it could only sell the gas for $4.20 per unit, as this was the price, the company claimed, that was fixed by the government. Jethmalani, who spoke toward the end of the hearing on Thursday, said if the court admits as evidence the affidavits filed by seven directors of RIL who claimed no knowledge of the family pact, then he must be permitted to cross-examine them.

“These affidavits were not filed earlier in the Bombay High Court or in any earlier legal proceedings,” Jethmalani said, adding the law stipulates that while admitting a document as evidence, the person filing them have to be cross-examined.

Earlier, Salve said the family pact also cannot override the production-sharing contract between the company and the government, adding: “The gas belongs to the Government of India till the point of delivery.” He also wondered if it was unreasonable to have the government’s nod on the matter.

The RIL counsel said the family pact envisaged gas supplies to RNRL on the same terms under which his client company was to supply natural gas from Krishna-Godavari fields to the state-run power utility NTPC. This agreement between RIL and NTPC — which called for gas supplies at $2.34 per unit — had also resulted in a dispute, and is being adjudicated by the Bombay High Court.

The hearing of the Krishna-Godavari gas dispute is scheduled to resume on Friday at 2 p.m. (IANS)

Nuclear deal, trade top Canada PM’s India mission

New Delhi, Nov 15: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s three-day visit to India from Sunday will be dominated by talks over a nuclear deal and new trade pacts in a bid warm a relationship that turned frosty when Ottawa cut off atomic trade after New Delhi’s 1974 nuclear test.

Accompanied by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, International Trade Minister Stockwell Day and Parliamentary Secretary Deepak Obhrai, Harper lands in Mumbai on Sunday night from Singapore after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) summit. He will meet top Indian industrialists at a luncheon at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai on Monday before leaving for New Delhi. Harper will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a range of bilateral issues including trade and investment and prospects of civil nuclear cooperation besides the global financial crisis as well as climate change.

The two sides are likely to talk about a Canada-India Free Trade Agreement or other incremental steps to lower trade barriers between them. A slew of agreements are expected to be signed, including a foreign investment protection agreement and on energy and farming cooperation in a bid to expand bilateral trade now languishing below $5 billion.

Yuan as new global currency? It can bode well for India

The fact that World Bank President Robert Zoellick has said that China’s yuan may become the global reserve currency over the next 15 years assumes significance not just for the world but also for India. It has the potential to make Indian goods relatively more competitive as the Chinese currency today is highly controlled.

This is not the first time Zoellick has spoken of such a possibility and the buzz about China trying to position the yuan as a reserve currency of the future has been on for some time now. This is not a situation that will occur in the short or medium term, but surely a prospect over the time frame that Zoellick is talking about. With bilateral trade between the two Asian giants estimated at around $41 billion in 2008-09, China has now become India’s largest trading partner. The trade, however, continues to be lopsided. Exports from India are valued at about $9.7 billion while imports are as high as $31.33 billion.

Sensex falls 22 points on weak global cues

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share index fell by 22 points at 1015 hours on Friday in sustained volatility caused by approaching expiry of futures & options contract.

Weak global cues and negative FII activity weighed on market sentiment.

The BSE barometer was quoted lower at 16,763.34 at 1015 hours, down 22.31 points or 0.13 per cent from its last close.

The broader 50-share Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also dropped by 10.50 points or 0.21 per cent to 4,978.50 at 1015 hours from its previous close.

Key stocks such as DLF were down 1.86 per cent, ICICI Bank 1.54 per cent, Reliance Infra 1.52 per cent and SBI 1.16 per cent in early trade.

Indians lose in ITF tennis

Pune, Nov 18: India’s Nirupama Sanjeev, Poojashree Venkatesha, Sanaa Bhambri and lucky loser Sheetal Goutham crashed out of the singles event of the $50,000 NECC-ITF Women’s Tennis championships here on Wednesday.

Uzbek wild card Sabina Sharipova, 15, upset second seeded Slovak Masa Zec Peskiric 6-3, 6-2 to enter the quarter-finals. In the second round, top seed and 111 ranked Tamarine Tanasugarn stopped Nirupama 6-2,6-3 in 91 minutes, while third seeded Bojana Jovanovski outplayed Poojashree Venkatesha 6-1, 6-0. Sanaa saved two match points to claim the second set but faltered in the third set to go down fighting against eighth seeded Anastasia Vasylyyeva, from Ukraine 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours 13 minutes. Qualifier Chen Astrogo of Israel ousted the run of lucky looser Sheetal 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Sheikh Hasina chosen for Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been chosen for the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for her "outstanding contribution to the promotion of democracy and pluralism".

This was decided by an international jury chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said.

62-year-old Hasina has been chosen for her "outstanding contribution to the promotion of democracy and pluralism, her determined drive to alleviate poverty and secure social and economic justice for her people through inclusive and sustainable development and her consistent commitment to peace", it said.

After her re-election in December last year, Hasina embarked on her "Vision 2021", aimed at transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021, by eliminating poverty and inequity, the Trust said.

As Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001, she had launched a number of programmes to meet the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable sections of the population, through projects covering employment-generation, housing, health and food security, it said.

The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh and a citation, would be presented to her at a function to be held at a later date.

TOI

Nation remembers Indira Gandhi on birth anniversary

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday paid homage to the late Indira Gandhi, the country's first and only woman prime minister, on her 92nd birth anniversary with floral tributes and other ceremonies.

At her memorial Shakti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna river here, a remembrance ceremony was organised early in the day.

Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said while paying tribute to the 'Iron Lady': "On the occasion of the birth anniversary of India's first and only lady prime minister, we must all pledge to empower every woman in the country."

To mark the day, a number of cultural programmes were organised at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

Well known dance troupes like Madhavi Mudgal and her group, Geeta Chandran and Natya Vriksha dance company and the Kathak Kendra repertory company will perform on Thursday evening.

TOI

600 million lack toilets in India

MUMBAI: No one would ever call Radha Jagarya fortunate. The 45-year-old widow and her four children live on the pavement in an upmarket south Mumbai suburb, scraping a living by selling flowers to passing motorists.

But in terms of public toilet provision, the family is well-served compared with other areas, with an adequate communal block a five-minute walk away near the US Consulate and another under a busy road in the opposite direction.

In slum areas, where more than half of Mumbai lives, an average 81 people share a single toilet. In some places it rises to an eye-watering 273. Even the lowest average is still 58, according to local municipal authority figures.

Unsurprisingly, it is still common to see people squatting by roads and railway tracks or along the coast, openly defecating in the city that drives India's economy and where some of the world's richest people live.

The UN estimates that 600 million people or 55 percent of Indians still defecate outside, more than 60 years after the scrupulously clean independence leader Mahatma Gandhi first talked of the responsible disposal of human waste.

Jack Sim takes a very keen interest in such matters. As the founder and president of the World Toilet Organization (WTO), he has made it his mission to improve sanitation across the globe.

For him, India has "a lot of work to do" to improve sanitation, not just because of its impact on health and the spread of diseases like diarrhoea, which UNICEF says kills 1,000 Indian children aged under five every day.

It also tarnishes the image of a country that likes to portray itself as an emerging world economic superpower, the Singapore businessman told AFP on a visit to Mumbai, where he was promoting World Toilet Day on November 19.

In particular, Sim questioned whether the authorities in New Delhi were doing enough to provide adequate public toilet facilities for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which will draw tens of thousands of foreign visitors.

"If you don't have good toilets to welcome tourists, they don't come and won't go to all your beautiful sites," he said.

Public toilet provision in Mumbai -- and other cities -- faces the same problem affecting housing, water and other basic services: supply cannot keep up with demand as India's population explodes.

In March, Mumbai's municipal authorities said there were 77,526 toilets in slum areas and 64,157 more were needed. Work is in progress on only 6,050.

Yet the UN's Mumbai Human Development Report 2009, published earlier this month, points out that even where public toilets exist, most have no running water, drainage or electricity, making them unhygienic and unusable.

Embarrassment means women and girls often wait all day until it is dark to go to the toilet, increasing their chances of infections and exposing them to violence or even snake bites as they seek out remote places.

Poor sanitation and the illnesses it causes cost the Indian economy 12 billion rupees (255 million dollars) a year, according to the health ministry.

Sim, who sees links between public lavatories and social development, wants the issue pushed up the political agenda, urging people to "talk more about toilets."

"People go to the toilet more often than they have sex," he said. "Everybody has to go.

"It needs to be a very nice experience. It needs to be safe, it needs to be hygienic, it must not cause problems to your health and we need to feel emotionally engaged with the toilet."

Private sector involvement could help cut the number of people in India and other developing countries who have no sanitation -- estimated at 2.6 billion -- while more schemes are needed to make open defecation socially unacceptable, he said.

In Haryana state, north India, a successful "No Toilet, No Wife" campaign has been running, urging women to turn down suitors if they cannot provide them a house with a lavatory.

"Every problem is a business," said Sim, adding there would be a benefit for the entire city and the country's economy if every slum-dweller had access to proper sanitation.

"People who are healthy are able to produce more, they get out of poverty, they get into the middle class, they move up and consume more," he said.

"Business is, I think, the fastest and the cheapest way... The private sector will come up with innovations. Let them compete to serve the poor."

TOI

Gold touches new high at Rs 17,400

NEW DELHI: Firming global trend and melting domestic equities helped gold prices reach a new high at Rs 17,400 per 10 gram in the bullion market here today.

Marketmen said the bullion market drew support from reports that gold in international markets surged to an all-time high of 1,153.90 dollar an ounce.

Besides, some investors were seen shifting from melting equity market to rising bullion for quick gains, boosting the demand for the metal, they said.

"The precious metals are more fancy of investors in domestic as well as overseas markets these day as a better option for making fast profits," said Rakesh Anand of R K Jewellers.

Marketmen said increased buying by stockists and jewellery fabricators for the ongoing marriage season was another factor that lifted the gold prices.

Standard gold and ornaments added another Rs 30 each to Rs 17,400 and Rs 17,250 per 10 gram respectively, while sovereign was unchanged at Rs 13,500 per piece of eight gram.

Silver ready remained steady at Rs 28,600 per kg in restricted buying, while weekly-based delivery strengthened by Rs 105 to Rs 28,200 per kg on speculators buying.

Silver coins continued to be asked around previous level of Rs 34,000 for buying and Rs 34,100 for selling of 100 pieces.

TOI

Food inflation rises to 14.55%

Food inflation
NEW DELHI: Food inflation shot up to 14.55% for the first week of November as pulses, mutton and spices turned costlier. Against this, food inflation stood at 13.68% for the week ended October 31.

Prices of urad rose by 9%, mutton and moong by 4% each, while condiments & spices, barley, wheat and bajra turned dearer by 3% each compared to the previous week.

Besides, raw jute prices increased by 7%, fodder by 5% and raw cotton by 3%.

However, on the weekly basis, poultry chicken and fruits & vegetables became cheaper by one per cent each.

Among fuels, prices of aviation turbine rose by 11% while that of furnace oil was up one per cent.

On an annual basis, prices of potatoes have more than doubled, while onions have become expensive by about 40%.

TOI

Sensex loses over 200 pts at closing

MUMBAI: The stock market benchmark Sensex today shed 213 points on fears that the government might step in to check the rush of foreign funds into equities, but a section of brokers saw it as a long due correction of overstretched valuation.

Brazil's latest move to curb capital inflows and weakness in European markets also weighed on the market sentiment, although Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the rush of foreign funds into the country was not a matter of concern.

The government has, however, said that it would continue to monitor fund flow and act if there was any distortion.

Foreign Institutional Investors have pumped in over USD 15 billion in the country's equities market so far this year.

The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer settled the day at 16,785.65, a net fall of 213.13 points or 1.25 per cent from its previous close.

Industry chamber Assocham's suggestion to the government on Tuesday that foreign fund inflows should be subject to a two per cent tax may also have affected sentiments.

Hitech Securities Director Sanjeev Bhambri termed today's fall as a healthy correction to the market, saying: "Eventually the market will go higher by December than what it is now".

TOI

Steel Authority, NMDC to develop limestone mine in Himachal

Shimla, Nov 16: India’s public sector firms Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and iron ore producer NMDC Ltd (formerly National Mineral Development Corp) on Monday signed an agreement to jointly develop a limestone mine in Himachal Pradesh.

“SAIL and NMDC Monday signed an MoU to jointly develop the limestone mine in the Arki region of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh. The MoU for the 50:50 joint venture was signed in New Delhi,” SAIL said in a statement. The Arki mine has deposits of about 100 million tonnes of quality limestone. The two companies will develop the mine to produce one million tonnes of lumps and two million tonnes of fine limestone annually. While the low-silica limestone lumps will be used as flux for making steel, the fine limestone would be sold to cement companies. Presently, SAIL does not have any captive source of low-silica limestone and meets its entire requirement of this vital input from the market. With the proposed expansion of its production capacity in the next few years, its requirement of low-silica limestone is slated to go up to three million tonnes.

Himachal Pradesh allowed NMDC to extract limestone in the Arki region last year. This will be one of the biggest mining projects in the state with an investment of more than Rs 5 billion. (IANS)

Sensex rises 183 points to close above 17,000

Mumbai, Nov 16: Strong global sentiments, the positive weekend numbers on industrial output and cues from the government on its divestment plans helped Indian equities make handsome gains on Monday, with a key index rising 183 points to close above the 17,000-mark.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened higher at 16,893.11 points against Friday’s close at 16,848.83 points and ended trade at 17,032.51 points, up 183.68 points or 1.09 per cent. The index had seen an intra-day high of 17,083.2 points, but shed some gains in the last 30 minutes.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty breached the 5,000-point mark to shut shop at 5,058.05 points, with a gain of 1.18 per cent, over the previous close at 4,998.95 points. Broader market indices also closed in the green, with the BSE midcap index ended trade at 1.14 percent higher and the BSE small cap index 1.22 per cent up.

The market breadth was positive, with 1,758 stocks advancing, 1,017 declining and 89 remaining unchanged. Out of 30 stocks on the Sensex, 20 ended on the gainers list. Prominent among them were Maruti Suzuki, up 5.45 per cent, DLF, up 4.54 per cent; Hero Honda, up 3.82 per cent; Sterlite Industries, up 3.55 per cent and Reliance Communications, up 3.05 per cent. Among losers were TCS, down 0.63 per cent; Infosys, down 0.34 per cent and NTPC, down 0.16 per cent.

The government had Friday said all ministries had been asked to compile a list of state-run firms for sale of stake and listing on stock exchanges, even as it expected partial divestment in at least three such firms by the end of this fiscal. Disinvestment Secretary Sunil Mitra said as per data available for 2007-08, there were 10 listed state-run firms with less than 10 per cent public holding, while 50 others met the criteria for divestment in terms of profits and net worth. Statistics on India’s industrial production a day earlier showed a 9.1-per cent growth in September, compared to 6 per cent in the corresponding month last year, in yet another sign of economic recovery in the country.

Canadian PM visits 26/11 target Chabad House

Mumbai, Nov 16: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday visited the Chabad House, a Jewish community centre at Colaba that was one of the targets of the 26/11 terror attacks here last year.

Harper, who arrived here on the first lap of his three-day trip to India late on Sunday, went to the Chabad House and went around the six-storeyed building. Harper was taken around the building by a rabbi and shown the rooms and floors on which the attacks took place, killing at least six people including the then rabbi and his pregnant wife. He spent a few moments of silence in memory of those killed during the brutal attacks.

Later, he also interacted briefly with a few of the assembled Jews and condemned the 26/11 attacks. The Chabad House is barely a kilometer away from Hotel Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Colaba. These two places were under siege for most part of the 60-hour long terror attacks in which a total of 166 people lost their lives. The security forces also gunned down nine terrorists during the operations. The visit was organised under tight security with limited access to Indian mediapersons though some Canadian journalists in Harper’s entourage were permitted inside.
Canadian PM gives Olympic Torch model to Akshay Kumar

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday presented a model of the Olympic Torch to Bollywood star Akshay Kumar at a special function here. Accepting the torch, Akshay - who will run with the Olympic Torch in Toronto on December 17 - said that his heart is close to Canada, which he has visited several times. “I am happy to be chosen as one of the 14 international bearers of the Olympic Torch,” Akshay said at the brief event held in Hotel Trident-Oberoi. Akshay, who had donned the official uniform of the Olympic Torch relay, held up the torch model as scores of schoolchildren assembled there clapped and cheered. (IANS)

Sensex rises 183 points to close above 17,000

Mumbai, Nov 16: Strong global sentiments, the positive weekend numbers on industrial output and cues from the government on its divestment plans helped Indian equities make handsome gains on Monday, with a key index rising 183 points to close above the 17,000-mark.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened higher at 16,893.11 points against Friday’s close at 16,848.83 points and ended trade at 17,032.51 points, up 183.68 points or 1.09 per cent. The index had seen an intra-day high of 17,083.2 points, but shed some gains in the last 30 minutes.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty breached the 5,000-point mark to shut shop at 5,058.05 points, with a gain of 1.18 per cent, over the previous close at 4,998.95 points. Broader market indices also closed in the green, with the BSE midcap index ended trade at 1.14 percent higher and the BSE small cap index 1.22 per cent up.

The market breadth was positive, with 1,758 stocks advancing, 1,017 declining and 89 remaining unchanged. Out of 30 stocks on the Sensex, 20 ended on the gainers list. Prominent among them were Maruti Suzuki, up 5.45 per cent, DLF, up 4.54 per cent; Hero Honda, up 3.82 per cent; Sterlite Industries, up 3.55 per cent and Reliance Communications, up 3.05 per cent. Among losers were TCS, down 0.63 per cent; Infosys, down 0.34 per cent and NTPC, down 0.16 per cent.

The government had Friday said all ministries had been asked to compile a list of state-run firms for sale of stake and listing on stock exchanges, even as it expected partial divestment in at least three such firms by the end of this fiscal. Disinvestment Secretary Sunil Mitra said as per data available for 2007-08, there were 10 listed state-run firms with less than 10 per cent public holding, while 50 others met the criteria for divestment in terms of profits and net worth. Statistics on India’s industrial production a day earlier showed a 9.1-per cent growth in September, compared to 6 per cent in the corresponding month last year, in yet another sign of economic recovery in the country.

Other Asian markets also ended on a firm note.

The primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hang Seng, was 390.35 points or 1.73 per cent higher at 22,943.98 points. The Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed at 9,791.18 points, up 20.87 points.

In China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange composite index shut shop at 3,275.05 points, up 2.74 per cent. European markets were also trading in the green.

Britain’s FTSE 100 index was ruling 61.77 per cent higher at 5,358.15 points, while its French peer, CAC 40, was trading 34.89 points up at 3,840.9 points. The German index, DAX, was ruling 62.32 points up at 5,749.15 points. (IANS)

‘I am being falsely implicated’

Ranchi, Nov 14: Former chief minister Madhu Koda on Saturday said that people jealous of him were conspiring to keep him away from the Jharkhand assembly polls by implicating him in the Rs 2,500 crore money laundering scam. “I fear I could be killed by conspirators. I will quit politics if investigation agencies prove that I invested in foreign countries or purchased land or mines in foreign countries. There is a conspiracy to keep me away from assembly elections as people are jealous of my (political) growth,” Koda told reporters in Chaibasa. Koda Friday disappeared from his Ranchi home and surfaced in his Lok Sabha constituency of Singhbhum in the evening. He is trying to establish a connect with people in his constituency by playing the tribal card. “I am being implicated as I belong to a poor tribal family. I will expose everyone at a suitable time,” said Koda. He said there was a conspiracy to disassociate him from the people of his constituency. “One cannot keep me away from elections as this is my constitutional right,” said Koda, an independent. His supporters have floated the Jharkhand Navnirman Morcha (JNM) and announced the names of five candidates to contest the coming polls starting November 25. Geeta Koda, his wife, is a nominee from the Jaggarnathpur constituency. In Jharkhand, a party with three to four seats can end up being the kingmaker. (IANS)

Sensex shuts 0.92 per cent up

MUMBAI, Nov 13: A key Indian equity index ended a volatile trading session Friday 0.92 per cent higher than its previous close. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,693.15 points, closed at 16,848.83 points, 0.92 per cent or 152.8 points higher than Thursday’s close at 16,696.03 points.

The S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also ended in the green, up 0.93 per cent at 4,998.95 points. Broader market indices ended flat with the BSE midcap index closing 0.02 per cent higher and the BSE small cap index 0.2 per cent up.

The market breadth was tilted towards the positive, with 1,372 stocks advancing, 1,355 declining and 100 remaining unchanged. Out of 30 stocks on the Sensex, 25 ended on the gainers’ list. Prominent among them were: Hero Honda, up 3.99 per cent at Rs 1,579.20; Maruti Suzuki, up 3.9 per cent at Rs 1,479.80; ONGC, up 3.07 per cent at Rs 1,183.50; and TCS, up 2.45 per cent at Rs 670.20.

Sensex closes 0.91 per cent down

MUMBAI, Nov 12: A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets closed 0.91 per cent lower on Thursday with realty, metal and banking stocks coming under selling pressure.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,822.18 points, shut shop at 16,696.03 points, 0.91 per cent or 153.57 points lower than its previous close at 16,849.6 points. The S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also ended lower at 4,952.65 points, down 1.03 per cent from its last close.

Broader market indices fell as well - the BSE midcap index ending 0.93 per cent lower and the BSE small cap index closing 0.27 per cent down. The market breadth was negative, with 1,201 stocks advancing, 1,516 declining and 89 remaining unchanged.

Among prominent gainers on the Sensex were Reliance Communications, up 1.87 per cent at Rs 174.55; Wipro, up 1.44 per cent at Rs 625.10; TCS, up 1.42 per cent at Rs 654.20, and Grasim Industries, up 0.66 per cent at Rs 2,266.40.

Among losers were State Bank of India, down 3.51 per cent at Rs 2,295.90; DLF, down 3.4 per cent at Rs 370.85; ICICI Bank, down 3.2 per cent at Rs 895.05, and Tata Steel, down 2.75 per cent at Rs 511.85.

According to data with the regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors bought shares worth $208.9 million on Thursday. Other leading Asian markets closed in the red too. The primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hang Seng, ended 229.64 points or 1.01 per cent lower at 22,397.57 points. The Kospi, benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, shut at 1,572.73 points, down 22.09 points or 1.39 per cent. The Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed at 9,804.49 points, down 67.19 points or 0.68 per cent. In China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange composite index ended at 3,172.95 points, down 0.07 per cent.

European markets were trading on a dull note. Britain’s FTSE 100 index was ruling 0.2 per cent higher at 5,277.08 points, while its French peer, CAC 40, was trading 0.1 per cent up at 3,817.33 points. (IANS)

ICC introduces anti-racism, anti-corruption codes

DUBAI, Nov 12: The International Cricket Council on Thursday introduced anti-racism and anti-corruption codes in its revised Code of Conduct to maintain and promote “fair play and multiculturalism”.

The new codes were put in place after a “comprehensive consultation and review process with all stakeholders”, the ICC said in a statement.

“These codes help to copper-fasten the unique spirit of cricket by effectively laying out what behaviour is acceptable and what is not, not just by players but by everyone involved in the game,” said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

“These codes are practical, workable and user-friendly while also acting as genuine deterrents to anyone who seeks to undermine the integrity of cricket. With their implementation we are helping to protect the game for future generations to enjoy,” he added.

Racism in cricket had become a burning issue during India’s tour of Australia last year when Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds were embroiled in an ugly showdown.
Symonds had accused Harbhajan of racially abusing him, a charge that was dropped after a hearing but the episode created a furore in both the countries.

The ICC said the stand-alone code has been put in place to prevent any racial spats arising out of language or cultural differences.

“It is felt that alleged issues of racism across the wide range of cultures that make up cricket’s group of stakeholders may arise out of confusion, misunderstanding, ignorance or language and translation barriers,” the statement read.

“In those cases, provided both parties agree, it is felt that the best way to resolve these issues is through a non-adversarial process such as a conciliation with an expert in the field. If that fails to resolve the matter satisfactorily for all parties, then a disciplinary process would be initiated and tough sanctions could be applied,” it added.

The anti-corruption code, meanwhile, seeks to further empower the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

“It provides important support to the activities of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) by requiring players to report approaches or invitations to act in a corrupt manner and to co-operate fully with investigations being carried out by the ACSU,” the governing body said. “The code sets out a detailed charging and hearing process which preserves the players’ right to a fair and impartial hearing before a specifically convened tribunal and a final appeal right to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland,” it added.

“Players who are found guilty of such offences can expect to serve long suspension periods and face hefty fines.” (PTI)

Muslims can sing Vande Mataram

BERGALURU, Nov 10: In a significant development, Darul-Uloom and the Ulemas of Deoband, hae changed their 12-year-old stand on Vande Mataram to bring the Hindu-Muslim communities closer. This development took place yesterday after one-hour long meeting between the Ulema and spiritual and humanitarian leader, His Hollness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, The Art of Living. Present at the meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, honourable Maulana Margub Urrehman of Darul-Uloom, Darul, Muftl Habibur Rehman, who issued the fatwa 12 years ago, Mufti Ehsaan Qasmi and Usman Mansoorpuri of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Ulema said that they do not have any objection to the National song and have left it upto the conscience of Muslims who should decide for themselves whether they want to sing the song or not. However, Maulana Khalik Madrasl of Darul Uloom also said that the 12 year old fatwa on Vande Matram cannot be recalled now. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ravi Shankar said, “I told them that Vande doesn’t just mean puja or prayer but also means thanks giving. The first lines of Vande Mataram are not objectionable in any way. This issue should not be given more importance. The Country is above all and there should be no rift between the Hindu and Muslims.” Quoting a supreme court judgment , Ravi Shankar also said that no one should be pressurized to sing Vande Mataram. In contionuation of his efforts to bring people together, he also urged everyone not to rake up issues that can provoke sentiments of either community and said, “It is important to maintain communication links to avoid misunderstandings. Through peaceful talk and dialogue we can solve any issue and transform any situation. We have a progressive outlook.” This was stated in press release.

Free trade pact likely to boost Indo-Gulf trade

NEW DELHI, Nov 9 (IANS): The free trade agreement that India and Gulf countries hope to sign will give Indian firms greater access to the $1-trillion market in the Middle East, apart from a cost-competitive route to western economies like the US, a senior executive of Bahrain's Economic Development Board has said.

“The six GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries are a $1-trillion market. This region is going to contribute sizeably to global economic growth,” said the board's chief operating officer Kamal Ahmed here Monday.

“Bahrain is located at the heart of the Gulf, and is connected to two big economic zones, Saudi Arabia and Oman,” Ahmed said at the World Economic Forum's (WEF's) India Economic Summit being held in the national capital.

As per the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), India has seen a four-fold increase in trade with GCC countries over the last five years.

With negotiations over the GCC Free Trade Agreement to be concluded soon, trade volume could increase to over $40 billion by 2010.

Bahrain is seeking to attract Indian companies from sectors that will provide high value services like information and communications technology and financial services, apart seeking to improve its non-oil trade with India.

It is also stepping up efforts to attract more professional talent.

“In the past five years, we issued about 500,000 work permits to overseas professionals. Of course this included workers also,” Ahmed said.

“Though this number may drop, we will still continue to look for overseas talent.”

Besides attending the WEF summit, Ahmed is also chairing a road show that he will be taking to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, besides Delhi, and which will showcase the benefits of establishing a base in Bahrain for Indian companies.

Cabinet Ministers spent Rs 300-cr on travels

NEW DELHI, Nov 9 (PTI) : Cabinet Ministers in the first term of the UPA government have spent more than Rs 300 crore on their foreign and domestic travels in the last three years.

The data provided by the Cabinet Secretariat shows more than Rs 137 crore were spent by ministers of cabinet rank on the foreign travels between fiscal 2006-07 and 2008-09 with highest in the year 2007-08 when more than Rs 115 crore were spent by them on such travels.

Surprisingly, the expenses incurred on the domestic travels of cabinet ministers during the period were more than the amount spent on their visits abroad.

There were about 30 ministers of the cabinet rank during the first term of the UPA government.

The records show that during the three-year period, the ministers spent more than Rs 163 crore on their travels within the country.

The expenditure incurred by them during 2008-09 was Rs 94.4 crore, which was 38 per cent more than the cumulative expenditure incurred on domestictravels in the previous two years.

The details were given in an RTI reply to activist S C Agrawal by the Cabinet Secretariat. The reply also states that Ministers of State in the Union Cabinet had spent about Rs 21 crore on their travels abroad during the period, while Rs 27 crore were spent on their domestic visits.

About Rs 127 crore were spent by the central ministers in 2008-09, Rs 138.7 crore in 2007-08 and about Rs 82.3 crore during 2006-07 on their visits abroad as well as within the country.

The reply from the Cabinet Secretariat did not give any further breakup of expenses in different heads as they are held by the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDO) of different ministries.

“This office does not have any record of any individual Minister as all the expenditure is booked under one respective head of account of all theministers . As per existing rules of Receipts and Payments Rules the details of each and every payment to the individual concerned by the DDO of that Ministry,” J L Khurana, Senior Accounts Officer at Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension said.

One Lok Sabha, 31 Assembly seats go to polls on Saturday

NEW DELHI, Nov 5: Voters in 31 Assembly constituencies in seven States and one Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh will cast their votes on Saturday to elect new representatives. The Assembly by-polls will be held for 11 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in West Bengal, three in Kerala, two each in Rajasthan, Assam and Himachal Pradesh and one seat in Chhattisgarh. Counting of votes will be held on November 10.

The Election Commission said electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used in all the polling stations. “Adequate numbers of EVMs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the poll is conducted smoothly,” an Election Commission official said on Thursday. Campaigning for the by-polls ends on Thursday evening. The by-election to Firozabad Parliamentary constituency is being held following the resignation of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son Akhilesh, who had also been elected from Kannauj.

Cash looted

Newmai News
KOHIMA, Nov 5 – Three unidentified armed persons snatched cash amounting to Rs 24 lakh from the possession of NREGA secretary of Pangti village in Wokha district of Nagaland on Wednesday.

Official sources confirming the incident on Thursday said that the cash was meant for Pangti village for developmental activities through NREGA.

The NREGA secretary of the village was on way to his native village Pangti while armed miscreants waylaid the vehicle (Tata Sumo) at gunpoint and snatched the cash.