28 February 2007
Bangalore, Feb 28 (IANS) India's booming technology industry Wednesday expressed disappointment over the lack of pro-active measures in the union budget for 2007-08 to accelerate the growth in the knowledge sector.
i-Flex Solutions CEO Deepak Ghaisas said the budget had failed to address some of the concerns related to the growth and expansion of the IT industry in the sub-continent.
"There are no major signals on upgrading infrastructure. Estimates point out that the IT industry alone would require a massive $100-billion infrastructure for maintaining its present trajectory growth. But there is no mention about it," Ghaisas said here in a statement.
The IT industry had some expectations from the budget. But the finance minister has overlooked them. If he has introduced any measure, its impact is more negative", he said.
"For instance, the industry hoped the government would consider extending the software technology park scheme and section 10A of the IT Act beyond 2009, as they have a huge bearing on the SME (small and medium enterprise) companies.
Though most IT firms are already paying corporate and other taxes, the MAT (minimum alternate tax) imposition on the industry will have a negative impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who do not pay any tax," Ghaisas pointed out.
Similarly, the imposition of fringe benefit tax (FBTs) on Esops (employment stock options) is surprising. It will make the current Esops expensive and difficult for the industry to use the incentive as a major tool to attract talent, he said.
Absence of further clarification on the SEZ scheme will hold up IT firms from finalising their capex plans in the coming fiscal.
The budget, however, provides incentives to increase investment in the education system - both at secondary and higher levels. It is a vital requirement for the IT industry as the shortage of talent is a major constraint, the CEO said.
"The planned expansion of expenditure on e-governance is a good signal for the IT industry. It will serve to expand the domestic market and IT firms will see government spending coming their way," Ghaisis added.
According to Accenture India executive Sandeep Arora, the budget for 2007-08 is a mixed bag for the IT sector. Though all technology firms have been brought under the ambit of the MAT, the impact will not be much for big IT firms, which already pay 12 percent tax.
"MAT will, however, impact the net profit of SME firms. Similarly, FBT on Esops will be an additional burden on IT professionals. On the flip side, the pass-through status for venture capital funds (VCFs) investing in IT start-ups relating to hardware and software development will promote entrepreneurship," Arora said.
Storage Networking Industry Association vice-chairman Rahul Gupta said the budget was quite disappointing because it had not even acknowledged the contribution of the IT industry despite contributing substantially to the exchequer through taxes and other receipts.
Kolkata, Feb 28 (IANS) The Union Budget for 2007-08 will promote inclusive growth in the country, feels the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), a leading industry body.
Saying the government has tried to ensure fiscal prudence in the budget, presented in parliament Wednesday, Rajeev Singh, ICC secretary-general, said: "We are happy to note that the government has been able to control Gross Fiscal Deficit at 3.3 percent of GDP, as against the budgetary estimates of 3.8 percent of GDP," said Singh.
This budget is a fine balance between boosting economic growth and also catering to core developmental needs, the Chamber felt.
"The government has announced that investments in the agriculture sector will go up by 2 percent of GDP in 2007-08. Water harvesting will receive a boost with the government announcing 100 percent subsidy to small and marginal farmers, and 50 percent subsidy to other farmers for diverting rainwater into 'dug wells'. All these measures will strengthen and revive the agricultural sector," said Singh.
He said the budget's rural focus would encourage an equitable growth process. The Chamber also felt the FMCG majors and companies with rural marketing focuses were expected to gain with the possible rise in rural income levels.
The ICC complimented the government for the positive steps taken in the health and education sectors. Increase in the allocation of National Rural Health Mission from Rs. 82.07 billion to Rs. 99.47 billion will improve health infrastructure across states, the ICC said.
However, the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI) felt the inflation management approach needed was not very visible in the budget.
"The budget is a normal routine one with a lot of focus on infrastructure and social security. We had expected some innovative inflationary management approach to the budget, which is not very visible," said BNCCI president S Radhakrishnan.
He, however, said that one of the interesting features has been the allowing of the foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure development, which is a revolutionary approach.
The import of coking coal has been made duty free whereas export of iron ore has been subjected to duty which would help the steel industry to a large extent and also help in the protection of India's resources, he said.
Kingston, Feb 28 (IANS) "Caribbean Party", the official music album of the World Cup, is ready to spice up and welcome the 16 teams to the mega cricket event beginning in the West Indies March 11.
The album, an 11-track compilation featuring an inspirational song, will be launched by VP Records on Tuesday.
The album contains the official song - "The Game of Love and Unity" by Rupee, Shaggy and Fayann Lyons - as well as melodies from Assassin, Buju Banton, Edwin Yearwood, Elephant Man, TOK and Wayne Wonder, among others. All are Caribbean singers.
"Music is synonymous with cricket in the Caribbean and therefore it's only fitting that there is an official album for the biggest tournament ever to be held in the region," said World Cup marketing manager Damon Leon.
"These tracks are a salute to the lifestyle that people in the West Indies enjoy and the passionate bond between cricket and West Indians."
The music is expected to be played during the 51 matches over 49 days of the tournament.
VP Records' product manager Chris Goins said the album truly captures the vibrant and colourful spirit of the West Indies.
Meanwhile, World Cup's new television commercial - featuring images from the upcoming music video "The Game of Love and Unity" - is now being aired at all nine venues of the tournament.
Leon pointed out that the 30-second commercial is part of the 'Feel Good' advertising campaign to generate further hype and excitement surrounding the tournament.
"This commercial captures the excitement of World Cup from various vantage points - player, spectator, average visitor and man on the street - as well as the zest which Caribbean people have for cricket and life as a whole," he said.
By Sudeshna Sarkar,
Kathmandu, Feb 28 (IANS) He lost his role as head of government and power as chief of the army after a public revolt against his authoritarian rule. And now Nepal's King Gyanendra is set to lose the highest position he alone of all government heads has been enjoying so far - from the summit of Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world.
After the ouster of the king's government last year and the restoration of democracy in Nepal, now freedom is to reach unprecedented heights in the Himalayan kingdom.
When the mountaineering expeditions start in April, six climbers are going to climb Mt. Everest as part of the "Democratic Everest Expedition".
Heading the team is Everest legend Ang Rita Sherpa, called the Snow Leopard in admiration for his unparalleled feat of summiting the 8848m high peak 10 times without using bottled oxygen.
Sherpa, 60, is coming out of retirement to eye the peak once again to be part of a documentary.
The expedition aims to raise money to create a fund for the welfare of the families of nearly a dozen people who were killed in the anti-government protests during King Gyanendra's reign.
What affects the growingly unpopular king directly is that, an official of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), the body entrusted with promoting mountaineering in Nepal, says the expedition will be asked to remove the photograph of King Gyanendra that was placed on the summit by an earlier team.
"The photograph of an anti-democracy person lies on the summit and I would request the expedition to remove it," "Ang Kaji Sherpa, NMA treasurer, was reported as saying by the local media.
This is a far cry from 2003 when the NMA celebrated the golden jubilee of the first ascent of Mt. Everest by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Indian Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.
Crown Prince Paras chaired a special meet during the celebrations while King Gyanendra met the Everesters who had gathered in Kathmandu to celebrate the event.
This is the second time that Mt. Everest, Nepal's best loved icon, has bested the monarch.
This year, Nepal's new government decided to replace the king's photograph in currency notes with other images.
On Monday, the cabinet of ministers gave the go-ahead to the apex bank to replace the royal face in NRs 500 and 1,000 notes with images of the majestic mountain. The image of the crown will also be replaced with the national flower, the rhododendron.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (Reuters & PTI) India said on Wednesday it would use tax revenue generated by a booming economy to raise spending on health, education and its flagging farm sector to improve living conditions for hundreds of millions of the poor.
International rating agency Moody's said the budget was "overly accommodative" leaving too much for the central bank to do in fighting inflation, although other analysts said the package would encourage investment and growth.
"It seems the government is feeling very rich as it is an expansionary budget," said Han-Sia Yeo, a strategist at Bank of America in Singapore.
"The priority seems to be inflation fighting to garner political support, support infrastructure spending and fiscal consolidation in that order."
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India rose thrillingly to a momentous occasion in Bangalore in the 1996 World Cup by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 39 runs in the quarterfinal March 9.
Title holders Pakistan made a gallant attempt to reach the huge target of 288 in what became 49 overs because of their own dilatory over-rate, but they could not quite scale the heights of the inspired Indian batsmen.
The atmosphere was extraordinary for the first game between these teams on Indian soil in seven years in the city but Pakistan received a shattering blow when captain Wasim Akram declared himself unfit.
Sachin Tendulkar, who had previously coped admirably with the great expectations of the nation during the World Cup, did not look his usual self. But Navjot Singh Sidhu, who with a runner after injuring his leg, hit and hobbled his way to 93 when he fell to a Mushtaq Ahmed flipper.
Ajay Jadeja ensured India climbed to a formidable total and hit 45 off 25 balls that took a heavy toll on Waqar Younis' figures.
Waqar conceded 22 runs off the 48th over before gaining a semblance of consolation by claiming Jadeja's wicket amid the last-over carnage, which saw 18 more runs garnered.
Pakistan looked dangerous when Sohail, as if to make up for his earlier tactical naivety, set off with Saeed Anwar as they put on 84 runs in 10 overs. But three Bangalore boys - Venkatesh Prasad, Srinath and Kumble - stood to the task to take India through to the semis.
SCOREBOARD
India vs. Pakistan, Quarterfinal, World Cup, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, March 9, 1996
India:
Navjot Singh Sidhu b Ahmed 93
Sachin Tendulkar b Rehman 31
Sanjay Manjrekar c Miandad b Sohail 20
Mohammed Azharuddin c Latif b Younis 27
Vinod Kambli b Ahmed 24
Ajay Jadeja c Sohail b Younis 45
Nayan Mongia run out 3
Anil Kumble c Miandad b Javed 10
Javagal Srinath not out 12
Venkatesh Prasad not out 0
Extras: (lb 3, w 15, nb 4) 22
Total: (8 wickets, 50 overs) 287
Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Tendulkar), 2-138 (Manjrekar), 3-168 (Sidhu), 4-200 (Azharuddin), 5-226 (Kambli), 6-236 (Mongia),
7-260 (Kumble), 8-279 (Jadeja)
Bowling:
Waqar Younis 10-1-67-2 (1w)
Aaqib Javed 10-0-67-1 (1nb, 4w)
Ata-ur-Rehman 10-0-40-1 (3nb, 1w)
Mushtaq Ahmed 10-0-56-2 (3w)
Aamer Sohail 5-0-29-1 (4w)
Saleem Malik 5-0-25-0 (2w)
Pakistan:
Aamer Sohail b Prasad 55
Saeed Anwar c Kumble b Srinath 48
Ijaz Ahmed c Srinath b Prasad 12
Inzamam-ul-Haq c Mongia b Prasad 12
Saleem Malik lbw Kumble 38
Javed Miandad run out 38
Rashid Latif st Mongia b Raju 26
Mushtaq Ahmed c & b Kumble 0
Waqar Younis not out 4
Ata-ur-Rehman lbw Kumble 0
Aaqib Javed not out 6
Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 5) 9
Total: (for nine wickets in 49 overs) 248
Fall of wickets: 1-84 (Saeed Anwar), 2-113 (Aamer Sohail), 3-122 (Ijaz Ahmed), 4-132 (Inzamam-ul-Haq), 5-184 (Saleem Malik), 6-231 (Rashid Latif), 7-232 (Mushtaq Ahmed), 8-239 (Javed Miandad), 9-239 (Ata-ur-Rehman)
Bowling:
Javagal Srinath 9-0-61-1 (1w)
Venkatesh Prasad 10-0-45-3 (2w)
Anil Kumble 10-0-48-3
Venkatpathy Raju 10-0-46-1 (1w)
Sachin Tendulkar 5-0-25-0
Ajay Jadeja 5-0-19-0 (1w)
Result: India won by 39 runs
Toss: India
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and David Shepherd (England)
Third umpire: Steve Dunne (New Zealand)
Match Referee: Raman Subba Row (England)
Man of the Match: Navjot Singh Sidhu (India)
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The central budget has allocated Rs. 231.42 billion for school education during 2007-08, an increase of 35 percent over the previous year, and promises to appoint 200,000 more teachers.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, while presenting the budget in parliament Wednesday proposed to increase the allocation for school education to 231.42 billion as against 171.33 billion in 2006-07.
Elaborating, the minister said out of this amount, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) would be provided Rs. 106.71 billion.
SSA is one of the two flagship programmes of human resource development ministry that aims at universalising elementary education in India.
Chidambaram said in 2007-08, 200,000 new teachers would be appointed at the school level and 500,000 classrooms would be constructed.
The Mid-day Meal Scheme would be provided Rs. 73.24 billion during the same period. The finance minister further also proposed doubling the provision for secondary education from Rs. 18.37 bn to 37.94 bn.
Jaipur, Feb 28 (IANS) It is a house filled with antique gadgets - a
fan over 100 years old, an ancient camera, a clock or some Western crockery.
Rajesh Bhatia's house in the Model Town area of Jaipur has all this and even
an old television set and refrigerator. All the gadgets are well preserved
and function perfectly well.
Bhatia has turned his house into a mini museum of these appliances, which he
inherited from his forefathers.
"Before (India's) partition, we use to live in Khakhar village in Pakistan.
After 1947, we came to Jaipur. At that time my father Narayandasji handed
the old table fan, the camera and clock and some pieces of foreign crockery
to me," Bhatia, a film distributor by profession, told IANS.
"We have preserved every single article. All the gadgets are functioning the
way as they would do then," he added.
"Earlier we would use these things regularly, but fearing that they would
get damaged we stopped using them," said Bhatia.
"Every day a few people come to our house to see this antique collection.
People get surprised when they compare them with the modern ones available,"
said his wife Sheela.
By Arvind Padmanabhan,
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Populism took precedence over reformism as India's Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented a Rs.680,521-crore ($148 billion) general budget for 2007-08 Wednesday that gave primacy to agriculture and the social sector while diverting attention from industry and services.
"Agriculture must top the agenda for policy makers and hold the first charge on resources," the finance minister said in his 100-minute speech in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, setting the tone for his sixth national budget and the fourth for the United Progressive Alliance government.
"The declared objective is faster and more inclusive growth," Chidambaram said as he enhanced budgetary allocations for education, agriculture, water, child development, women welfare, urban renewal, employment guarantee schemes and social security net.
The budget came a day after electoral reverses for the ruling Congress party in two state elections were seen as an outcome of the government's failure to rein in price rise that has seen inflation gallop to two-year highs.
"Industry and services have done well," the finance minister told reporters at the customary press conference later, referring to the 9.2 percent growth in the Indian economy forecast for this fiscal, fuelled mainly by these two sectors.
"Attention is, therefore, being diverted to agriculture. A plant needs nursing and not a firm oak tree," he said, as he explained the guiding principals for his budget proposals this year.
Rising prices, he said, was a concern and projected an inflation rate of 5.2 percent for the current fiscal, against 4.4 percent for the previous year. "We are confident that we can moderate the present inflationary trend," he assured.
In a bid to bring down overall inflation and help curb the rise in the prices of some food items, he said excise duty on crude oil would be reduced to 6 percent from 8 percent and futures trading banned immediately in wheat and rice.
The finance minister said he was also giving a new thrust to agriculture, on which two-third of the 1.17 billion population still depends, the small taxpayer and small service provider. "Faster economic growth has given us, once again, the opportunity to unfurl the sails and catch the wind."
His proposals invited praise from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who admitted yesterday that inflation may have contributed to the party faring badly in elections in Punjab and Uttarakhand. "This budget focuses on fiscal consolidation," Manmohan Singh said, adding the concerns and aspirations of a larger section of society, especially the common person, was being addressed.
But the opposition was sceptical. "The proposals do not tackle basic issues like curbing inflation and increasing employment. It will stoke inflation, not reduce it," said Rajnath Singh, president of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Even though Chidambaram drew comfort from an impressive 27.8 percent increase in the gross tax revenue during the current fiscal, he, nevertheless, proposed a 1-percent cess on all taxes to finance secondary and higher education schemes, over and above the 2 percent cess on basic education.
A similar populist measure was substantial increase in the allocations for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and an extension of its coverage to 330 districts from the present 200.
At a macro level, the finance minister raised the plan outlay by 18.7 percent and sought to bring down fiscal deficit and the revenue deficit to 3.3 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.
"I am happy to report that the revenue deficit for the currant year will be 2 percent, against a budget estimate of 2.1 percent, and the fiscal deficit will be 3.7 percent, against a budget estimate of 3.8 percent," he said.
With the armed forces set to modernise operations and induct new equipment in the coming years, the finance minister enhanced the defence budget by 7.8 percent to Rs.960 billion.
His relief to individual tax payers came in the form of a token Rs.10,000 hike in the threshold limit of exemption, to result in a saving of Rs.1,000, as also an increase in the base limit for women and senior citizens.
"A comprehensive review should await the proposed income tax code which will be introduced in parliament this year," the finance minister said on the issue of moderating the direct tax regime further.
In indirect direct taxes, he sought to cut the peak rate of import duties to 10 percent from the existing 12.5 percent, but decided to keep the central value added tax rate unchanged and expanded the service tax regime.
Much to the disappointment of the corporate sector, Chidambaram did away with the surcharge on corporation tax only for firms with a taxable income of Rs.10 million or less.
"This is a common man's budget and not a corporate India's budget," said R. Seshasayee, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). "It is neither bold nor courageous," he added.
"It is definitely not a 'wow' budget," said Shivinder Mohan Singh, director of the pharmaceuticals major Ranbaxy Laboratories, referring to the 'dream budget' Chidambaram had presented exactly 10 years ago in 1997.
The sentiments were also reflected in the performance of the stock markets.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) dropped 310.05 points at 13,168.75 points, and the broader Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was down 93.80 points at 3,800 points.
Riyadh, Feb 28, (IRNA) Iranian Ambassador to Riyadh Mohammad Hosseini said here Tuesday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia soon.
Speaking to IRNA, Hosseini said that during the president's visit the two sides will discuss avenues for bolstering bilateral relations, the current situation in the Middle East and latest developments in the region and world of Islam.
He said Iran-Saudi Arabia bilateral ties were at a good level, adding that proximity of stances between the two Islamic countries can play an effective role in resolving problems contfronting the Middle East and the Islamic world.
Noting the increasing unrest in the Middle East region, he voiced concern the insecurity and instability that characterizes the current situation will spread to the entire region.
Placing the value of trade exchanges between the two countries at USD 500 million, he said this figure was very low considering the two countries' political and economic power in the region.
He expressed hope ties between Tehran and Riyadh would receive a further boost with the upcoming visit of President Ahmadinejad to the kingdom.
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday morning that Iran-Sudan political relations are at a "very good level."
President Ahmadinejad was talking to reporters at Mehrabad International Airport here before departing for Khartoum, Sudan, for an official two-day visit.
"The two countries have always had amicable and brotherly ties ever since after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979.
"This visit will play an important role in promoting mutual relations," he said.
He noted that Iran and Sudan currently have wide-ranging relations in the economic, industrial, agricultural, energy and cultural fields.
Ahmadinejad said he was visiting Khartoum upon an invitation of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir extended late April, 2006, saying the focus of the visit will be the signing of an agreement by the two sides to further boost ties.
He said that Sudan was among the big Muslim states in Africa and that mutual ties would receive a further boost through exchange of visits between the two countries' officials.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Reza Tahmasbi, Minister of Agricultural Jihad Mohammad-Reza Eskandari and Majlis's Article 90 Commission Chairman Mohammad-Reza Faker are accompanying the president.
Ahmadinejad was seen off at Tehran Mehrabad International Airport by First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi, the head of the Supreme Leader's Office Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the Sudanese Charge d'Affaires in Tehran and a number of ministers.
In Khartoum the president is scheduled to hold talks with his Sudanese counterpart and other senior officials on issues of mutual interest and regional and international developments.
Feb 28 (BBC News) Unions have expressed anger at the scale of the cuts
Troubled planemaker Airbus has announced it is to cut 10,000 jobs across Europe over the next four years.
France will be worst hit with 4,300 job losses. Germany will see 3,700 jobs go while the UK and Spain will see 1,600 and 400 jobs cut respectively.
Airbus said it would not force any compulsory redundancies but unions have pledged to fight the cuts.
Airbus boss Louis Gallois said the firm was "facing huge challenges" and "was not efficient enough".
Factory options
Mr Gallois said the prolonged weakness of the US dollar had made the restructuring necessary, while the production delays to the flagship A380 superjumbo project had provided the "trigger" for the cutbacks.
Half of the 10,000 cuts will come from temporary staff and sub-contractors not having their contracts renewed.
We totally oppose the closure of any site and we won't accept any firings
Peter Scherrer
European Metalworkers Federation
UK set to lose 1,600 jobs
Q&A: What the changes mean for the firm's future?
Mr Gallois said the job cuts would be "fairly shared" between Airbus's four national partners.
Airbus is reviewing the future of three of its plants, at Laupheim, Saint-Nazaire and Varel, with options including their sale to suppliers or management.
It is also seeking investment partners for sites at Filton in the UK, Meaulte in France and Nordenham in Germany.
Airbus said the changes would reduce the time it took to develop new planes from seven-and-a-half years to six years, improve customer service and aircraft reliability.
Union response
Union officials, who were informed of the proposals earlier on Wednesday, expressed anger at the scale of the cuts.
"We totally oppose the closure of any site and we won't accept any firings," said European Metalworkers Federation head Peter Scherrer.
French workers earlier downed tools in protest at the firm's plans to review the future of two of its sites.
Airbus says the proposed changes will speed up production
EADS, Airbus' Franco-German parent, approved the controversial plan on Monday.
Disagreement between Germany and France, both home to key Airbus factories, has delayed progress on the restructuring.
France - home to the firm's Toulouse headquarters - will be worst affected by the cuts, both at individual factories and in central management and administrative functions.
But, at the same time, some work will be transferred from Hamburg to Toulouse.
Political reaction
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she regretted the job losses but said the proposals ensured "a balanced distribution of risks and opportunities" across different sites.
In France, presidential candidate Segolene Royal said she would seek to freeze the job cuts if elected, but rival Nicolas Sarkozy said politicians should stay out of the company's affairs.
In Britain, more than 10% of jobs at the firm's factories in Filton, Bristol, and Broughton, North Wales are set to go.
But it is understood the Filton plant has won extra work on part of the wing for the new Airbus A350, which uses hi-tech composite materials.
The new contracts would help Airbus in the UK maintain its position as a specialist in the design and manufacture of aircraft wings.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said this would add "valuable new capability" to the country's aerospace industry.
Politicians from Germany, France, the UK and Spain have been lobbying Airbus bosses furiously in recent weeks in an effort to protect jobs in their countries.
Airbus said its current financial situation was "unsustainable".
Production problems with the giant A380 have pushed back deliveries of the plane by two years and cost Airbus about 5bn euros (£3.4bn; $6.6bn).
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India's largest private mobile telephone operator Bharti Airtel Wednesday expressed satisfaction over the mention of implementing single levy in the union budget 2007-08.
Earlier, while presenting the budget in parliament, Finance Minster P. Chidambaram urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to constitute a committee and present proper recommendations to the government.
"We are glad that the finance minister has at least acknowledged, if not granted, a long standing demand of the industry to replace multiple levies with a single levy," Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and group managing director, Bharti Enterprises, said in a statement.
According to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), Bharti Airtel currently enjoys a customer base of 35.51 million, including 33.73 million mobile customers, commanding a market share of 22.8 percent.
Chandigarh, Feb 28 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance Wednesday openly came out against a religious sect - Dera Sacha Sauda - for meddling in political affairs in Punjab.
Addressing reporters here Wednesday after a joint meeting of new legislators of the alliance, Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal and BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the loss of seats for the Akalis in the Malwa belt was owing to the directions given by the sect to its followers to vote for Congress candidates.
"The Dera Sacha Sauda spoilt our game in the Malwa belt. They behaved like a political party. I don't want to get into any further controversy over this issue," Badal said.
The religious sect has nearly two million followers in Punjab, half of them in the Malwa belt - the region in southern Punjab known for agriculture and cotton growing.
Despite the loss of seats, the Akalis and BJP still do not want to annoy the religious sect chief, Ram Rahim. The sect is headquartered at Sirsa in adjoining Haryana.
The religious sect gave a call to its followers to support the Congress as a close relative of the sect chief was given a Congress ticket from Bathinda. The candidate himself also won the election.
Akali leaders said that their party lost 15-20 seats because of the interference of the sect.
Jaitley and BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had flown to Sirsa during the Punjab assembly election campaign to resolve the issue with the sect chief.
"We requested him that religious sects should keep away from politics. I don't want to say anything about the response. But we suffered due to the dera," Jaitley added.
The BJP leader said that the good showing by the BJP in winning 19 assembly seats, against just three in the previous assembly, was not unexpected.
"The Congress government was intolerant, arrogant, corrupt and dictatorial. All these, combined with the price rise, went against them and in our favour. So we won," Jaitley said.
Badal said that he would be calling on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after taking oath as chief minister. "We expect justice for Punjab from the central government," Badal added.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Alleged psychopathic murderer Surendra Koli, suspected to be behind the killings of a number of children, was Wednesday produced in a city court for recording his confessional statement and sent to one-day judicial custody.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) produced Koli, the manservant of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and also his alleged accomplice in the murders, before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kamini Lau in the Patiala House court for recording his statement.
Koli will be produced in the court again Thursday to record his confession. The magistrate sent him to one-day judicial custody in Tihar Jail so that he cannot be pressurised or influenced by anybody before recording his statement, police sources said.
According to CBI officials, Koli's statements were recorded in a court to ensure smooth proceedings.
Sleuths of Delhi Police and CBI ensured tight security at the court to avert a reoccurrence of the outburst of mob anger of Jan 25 during which Koli and Pandher were thrashed by lawyers and the public outside a Ghaziabad court.
Pandher, a resident of Noida, and Koli were arrested on charges of kidnapping, sexual molestation and the murders of around 20 children after police recovered human skulls and body parts from a drain behind Pandher`s D-5 residence.
The CBI took over the case Jan 11 from Uttar Pradesh Police.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Alleged psychopathic murderer Surendra Koli, suspected to be behind the killings of several children, was Wednesday sent to a day's judicial custody to Tihar jail but the prison authorities fear he could be attacked by other inmates there.
Officials at Tihar say they are worried about the security of Koli, the manservant of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and also his alleged accomplice in the murders, and are keeping him in a separate cell.
"We have doubled our vigilance in the jail and Koli is being kept separately in a specially-designed cell," a senior Tihar official told IANS.
"We have already taken preventive measures to avert any attacks on him," he said.
Koli and Pandher had been the target of mob fury on Jan 25 when lawyers and the public had beaten them outside a Ghaziabad court.
The jail officials say the inmates could attack Koli for his alleged role in the killing and sexually assaulting 20 children in Noida.
The mysterious death of an undertrial Afghan national, who was in the general cell of the jail, a few days ago had increased their apprehensions about Koli's security.
Earlier in the day, Koli, who is in Central Bureau of Investigation custody, was taken to the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kamini Lau in the Patiala House court for recording his statement. The magistrate sent him to Tihar ahead of further recording his statement Thursday.
Pandher, a resident of Noida, and Koli were arrested on charges of kidnapping, sexual molestation and the murders of children after police recovered human skulls and body parts from a drain behind Pandher`s D-5 Noida residence.
Chandigarh, Feb 28 (IANS) It was a nostalgic moment for Bollywood actor Anupam Kher when he signed papers Wednesday to set up an acting institute in the city where he took his first professional lessons in acting.
"This is a very emotional moment for me. I started my journey from this city after coming from Shimla. I think this is the right time for me to pay back to the city," Kher told reporters here as he signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chandigarh administration for setting up the institute in May this year.
Kher did his acting course at the Department of Indian Theatre at Panjab University here in the 1960s.
Hailing from the hill station town of Shimla, 120 km from here, his other connection to this city is that his wife Kirron Kher, herself an acclaimed film actor and theatre personality, is from Chandigarh.
"I thank the Chandigarh administration for taking steps to set up the Chandigarh Acting Institute (CAI). People in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh have immense talent in acting and will no longer have to go to Mumbai to learn acting," Kher said.
His institute, Actor Prepares, will run acting courses from the Central Crafts Institute in Sector 11. The government infrastructure would be lent out to CAI for short acting courses.
"I can assure you that the acting school here will be of international standard. Teachers will come from Mumbai and abroad. The courses would be chosen as per needs of modern cinema," the actor announced.
He said that these days, marketing themselves was important for actors and this would also be taught to the students.
The MoU for the CAI was signed between Kher's institute and the Society for Tourism and Entertainment Promotion in Chandigarh, its CEO and director Vivek Atray announced.
The Chandigarh administration has already initiated steps for setting up a state-of-the-art film city to cater to the needs of the film industry. Noted director Yash Chopra, chairman of the Chandigarh advisory tourism forum, had suggested setting up of Kher's school in the city last year. Kher already runs his private acting institute in Mumbai.
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) Two police were martyred and four others taken as hostages on Tuesday in an ambush by armed bandits in a region near Iranian border with Pakistan in Sistan-Baluchestan province, it was reported here on Wednesday.
Police commander, Major-General Esmael Ahmadi-Moqaddam told reporters in Tehran that the ambush had taken place in Negor district, southeastern Iran.
The bandits fled into Pakistan after being chased by the Iranian police forces, said the official.
He complained that Pakistan had not cooperated with Iran to fight the rebels.
Criticizing Islamabad's stance in this regard, Ahmadi-Moqaddam said "this position is not acceptable".
On February 15, some members of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps (IRGC) were martyred when bandits set off a car bomb in the provincial capital city of Zahedan and security forces also clashed with rebels in the city when a percussion bomb was set off two days later.
Sistan Baluchestan borders Pakistan to the south and Afghanistan to the north.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have successfully rescued 652 travellers stranded in Kashmir due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway because of heavy snowfall.
Army teams were also working on a war footing to reopen the highway, which has remained closed for seven days, a defence ministry release said Wednesday.
Two hundred bus passengers were airlifted in four IAF AN-32 aircraft from Jammu to Srinagar, while another 452 were moved to Udhampur by army buses to be airlifted in larger aircraft, the release added.
Incessant rain and snowfall triggered landslides at Panthal on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at Jammu and Srinagar without any aid and support.
"Realising the gravity of the situation, the army, along with the air force, stepped in to airlift the passengers from airfields at Jammu and Udhampur to Srinagar," the release said.
While the IAF provided the aircraft, the army deployed its teams at the Jammu bus stand, the airport and tourist centres along with civil administration to assist the stranded passengers.
The army has also established a temporary transit camp at Udhampur for receiving the passengers and providing them with refreshments, food and medical facilities.
"Adequate accommodation arrangements have also been made for the civilians both at Jammu and Srinagar. All stranded transients openly expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the armed forces for their spontaneous gesture and unstinted help," the release said, adding: "The warmth and consideration of all army personnel was also widely appreciated.
"The army has also taken up opening of the national highway on a war footing despite inclement weather. One complete task force of the Border Roads Organisation has been working continuously round the clock and the road is scheduled to open within the next few days," it said.
Beijing, Feb 28 (DPA) Asian stocks plunged Wednesday after a dive in the Chinese markets Tuesday reverberated in the US markets and then back to Asia.
The lone exception to Wednesday's declines was the market that set off the shockwaves. China's key Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.18 percent to hit 2,804.45 points in early trading, a day after falling 8.8 percent in its biggest one-day decline in 10 years.
The Shanghai and Shenzhen 300 Index gained 2.2 percent after slumping 9.2 percent Tuesday.
But in Japan, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 515.80 points, or 2.85 percent, to close at 17,604.12, and the Topix index of all first-section issues saw an even larger percentage drop at 3.23, or 58.59 points, to 1,752.74.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dove 2.9 percent, its largest fall since November, while India's Sensitive Index slid 2.1 percent and South Korea's benchmark Kospi index slumped 2.6 percent to 1,417.34.
The Philippines saw the biggest plunge of the day, shedding 7.92 percent of its value, its biggest drop in nine years amid massive sell-offs.
The 30-share Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 263.84 points to close at 3,067.45 as losers swamped gainers 159 to four.
"The sell-offs in the US and China markets have caused worldwide jitters," said Astro del Castillo, managing director at First Grade Holdings Inc.
The New Zealand Stock Exchange - the first in the world to open and close for the day - saw its benchmark index of top 50 companies, the NZSX-50, fall 1.5 percent to 4,037.12 while Australia's benchmark ASX200 tumbled 2.7 percent to 5,832.
Taiwan's stock market was closed for a holiday.
China's markets set off a global itch to sell that saw European stocks fall Tuesday before the US markets gave up all their gains for the year.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 3.29 percent to close at 12,216.24, the S&P 500 plunged 3.47 percent to 1,399.04, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index plummeted 3.86 percent to 2,407.87.
Analysts in China blamed profit taking, the inflated prices of many stocks and rumours over new government taxation policies for the turbulence on their market Tuesday.
"Although the market index was at a high level and people were expecting a correction, what happened was astonishing," market analyst He Jun told the official China Daily.
Market rumours about a possible capital gains tax "could have been a major trigger for such a plummet, promoting profit-taking," the newspaper quoted He as saying.
But He added that Chinese stock markets were likely to continue to rise this year, following gains of 130 percent in the Shanghai Composite Index last year.
Other analysts in China welcomed the plunge, saying it would help to reduce the effect of inflated share prices on the markets.
The price-to-earnings ratio of shares on China's yuan-denominated Shanghai and Shenzhen markets was roughly double that of the global average, indicating "growing risks," the newspaper quoted experts at Xiang Cai Securities as saying.
Chinese stocks posted a marginal rebound Tuesday, and other markets took deep bites in morning trading before regaining some ground before the close.
Japan's Nikkei, for instance, lost more than 700 points in its morning session, its biggest drop since the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, before closing at a 515.8-point loss.
In New Zealand, the NZSX-50 was down more than 3 percent before posting its 1.5-percent loss for the day. Prices of every stock but one fell during the morning, but analysts said institutional investors began buying after lunch after deciding the Chinese fall was an overdue correction.
Sarah Rubicon, a Sydney-based business analyst said there was no panic in Australia, and buyers came back into the market later in the day to pick up stocks cheaply.
Kathmandu, Feb 28 (IANS) Nepal's Maoist guerrillas spilled fresh blood in the Terai plains, killing a teenager of the Madhesi community in their stronghold Banke district.
The teenager was among the two people killed and over a dozen injured when the rebels clashed with the community in Nepalgunj town Tuesday afternoon, taking the toll in the Terai unrest to at least 31, Nepal's official media said Wednesday.
Fourteen years old Kohade Kori was killed when the rebels fought a pitched battle with activists of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, an organisation of Madhesis who are waging an agitation for an autonomous Madhes state for the plains people.
The Forum had called a transport strike as well as a blockade of the trading points on the Indo-Nepal border from Monday this week to pressure the government into conceding to its demands.
However, with the Maoists organising a mass meeting in Nepalgunj Tuesday, where their chief Prachanda was also present, rebel cadres began clashing with Forum activists in a bid to foil the closure.
The death of the schoolboy is an eerie encore of the earlier fight between the two groups in Lahan town in January, which triggered violence in the Terai plains, killing at least 29 people and leaving over 400 injured.
In Lahan too, the Maoists, trying to defy the closure call given by the Forum in January, gunned down a 17-year-old student, unleashing violent protests that shook the plains for three weeks.
The Forum is demanding the resignation of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula for the deaths as well as arrest of the Maoists responsible for the teen's death.
However, the government is yet to take any action against the rebels, who are likely to be inducted in the cabinet this week. The fresh deaths, it is feared, would escalate further violence in the plains.
Prachanda cut short his tour of the countryside to return to the capital Wednesday where he is scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
The rebel chief reportedly said in Nepalgunj that the Maoists will join the government in three days and want some of the key ministries, either home, defence or water resources.
The government on the other hand is concerned at the Maoists still flaunting arms, despite an arms accord that said they would keep their arms locked up under UN supervision.
One of their MPs recently told parliament that he was carrying a weapon and the media has reported Maoist cadres flourishing rifles at their mass meets.
On Monday, UN's top official in Nepal Ian Martin has told the world body about the concerns that the guerrillas may not have handed over all their arms.
While the guerrillas have registered nearly 31,000 soldiers with the UN, the arms they have handed over so far are just a fraction - a little over 3,000.
Prachanda defended the puny number, saying some of the arms were washed away while the guerrillas tried to cross rivers, a statement that has been ridiculed by the local media.
Baku, Feb 28, (IRNA) Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Artur Rasizade here Tuesday expressed his country's willingness to boost relations with Iran in all fields.
Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar Soleymani called on Rasizade at the end of his mission in Baku.
The Azeri premier said Tehran and Baku have friendly ties which are continually growing, and added that his country attaches special significance to its relations with Iran, which it considers an important country in the region.
He noted that the two countries enjoy many cultural, historical and religious commonalties, and added that both countries stand to benefit much from expansion of political, economic and cultural ties.
He praised efforts made by Soleymani to promote Tehran-Baku relations and wished him success.
Soleymani, for his part, lauded the positive view and efforts of Azeri officials, in particular those of President Ilham Aliyev, to strengthen ties between the two countries.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran gives great importance to expansion of ties with its neighboring states, including Azerbaijan," the ambassador remarked.
He expressed hope the trend of growing Tehran-Baku ties in all field would continue.
Chandigarh, Feb 28 (IANS) Parkash Singh Badal was Wednesday formally elected leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, paving the way for his becoming the next chief minister of Punjab.
In a day of hectic parleys between the two alliance partners, the BJP is said to have staked claimed for the post of deputy chief minister in the new government.
BJP leadership sources told IANS that the claim to this post and other ministerial berth had been made to the Akali leadership in view of the BJP's good showing in the assembly elections.
The BJP won 19 seats, a record in recent years, while the alliance managed a clear majority with 67 seats.
But BJP leader Arun Jaitley tried to downplay the sharing of ministerial berths.
"We are like a family. We have not made any specific demand regarding government formation. We will elect our own BJP floor leader. We (Akalis and BJP) have such relations that there should be no problem. Everything will be finalized in two-three days. Anybody would like to have the moon but can't get it," Jaitley said.
Badal said the election notification was likely to be made Wednesday and the governor would invite him to form the next government. He said the oath-taking ceremony of his government could take place March 2.
Sukhbir Badal said the ceremony would be held at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium at Mohali, 10 km from here, instead of the Raj Bhawan.
Sukhbir also announced that four new legislators, who won their assembly seats as independents, had unconditionally extended support to the Akali-BJP alliance.
The new government can have 18 ministers in all, including the chief minister.
Alliance sources said that the BJP could get up to six ministerial berths.
United Nations, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he was "encouraged" by the recent agreement on a Palestinian national unity government reached in Mecca and thanked Saudi King Abdullah for his "tremendous" energy to achieve this "very important step."
"That agreement has helped calm down the internal Palestinian situation. It also marked an intensification of Arab efforts to promote calm and moderation in the region," Ban told the committee of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people on its first meeting of the year to elect officers Tuesday.
He urged the international community to "take advantage" of the political opportunities at hand, such as the Quartet meetings this month and US-sponsored Palestinian-Israeli meetings, "with creativity and persistence, and the right mix of firmness and flexibility" in order to "find the path that has eluded us for so long and arrive at our commonly hoped for destination of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on an end to the 1967 occupation and the creation of an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with Israel."
Minsk, Feb 27 (NNN-BELTA) The Belarusian government says that the probability of signing an agreement develop Belarusian-Russian trade and economic relations by March 1 is quite low as the final formulation of the document has not been co-ordinated yet.
BelTA learnt from a source in the Belarusian government that the inter-governmental Belarusian-Russian agreement on measures to develop trade and economic relations was initialed on Jan 12, 2007 in Moscow and is now being considered by both the parties.
The Belarusian party has no formulation of the agreement approved by the Russian party to conduct negotiations. The Russian party has also failed so far to provide an answer whether it accepts the Belarusian amendments or not.
Therefore it is too optimistic to say that the two countries will complete necessary procedures to sign the document by March 1. It is also noteworthy that since the draft agreement was initialed it has been changed several times. Many paragraphs became outdated as some other legal acts came into force.
In addition, several agreements stipulated by the draft have not been fulfilled. This pertains to the failure to settle the issue on Belarusian sugar supplies to Russia by Feb 15. The two sides are unlikely to solve the problems which were scheduled to be solved by March 1.
Now apart from preparation of the final formulation of the agreement, new terms of settling unsolved problems should be fixed.
Minsk, Feb 28 (NNN-BELTA) The Belarusian government has adopted a list of the most important parameters of the nation’s economic security as laid down by a Council of Ministers resolution.
Representatives of the Council of Ministers’ Office told BelTA Tuesday that the list includes 15 parameters such as the deterioration of active parts of the fixed production-related assets as registered at the end of the year, the share of fixed-capital investments in the economy and the share of new products in the total industrial output.
The share of proprietary energy resources in the national consumption of boiler and furnace fuels will be monitored while the production of grain per capita will be one of the most important parameters.
The share of imported foodstuffs in the retail trade will be tracked. An eye will be kept on such parameters as deficit decrease and the correlation of the consolidated budget surplus to the GDP, the correlation of the home and foreign debts to the GDP, the level of gold and foreign currency reserves in the import broken down by month.
In order to ensure the national economic security, the government will have to keep a certain correlation between the unemployed and the active population. The share of people with incomes lower than the subsistence level will be kept under control.
The list of the most important parameters also includes the correlation of the minimal retirement pension and the subsistence budget of a pensioner.
The achievement of the foreign trade surplus, including the surplus of trade in services, is one of the key parameters as well.
The monitoring of the key figures is implemented as a system for continuous tracking, scientific analysis and assessment of the most important parameters of the national economic security, which are defined by the 2006-2010 National Social and Economic Development Programme.
The main tasks of the monitoring will be collection, processing and analysis of information about the status of the key economic security figures, timely detection of deviations. Factors influencing the status of the key economic security parameters of the country will be studied.
Tendencies will have to be substantiated and the key economic security figures will have to be forecast for the short and medium terms. Analytical papers will be worked out to be used for planning by state agencies in order to ensure the economic security.
As the information basis, the monitoring system will use data of the national statistics system and special studies. The monitoring will be organized and performed by state bodies and will be co-ordinated by the economy ministry. -- NNN-BELTA
NNN 2006 © All Rights Reserved
Minsk, Feb 28 (NNN-BELTA) Belarus intends to set up a state-run oil company by July 1, 2007, First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko declared Tuesday at a session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers.
The Belneftekhim concern has been working to set up an oil trading company. Now negotiations with banks are underway. The concern has already gained experience in starting up companies of the kind after opening Belarusian Potassium Company.
Two oil refineries, namely Belarusian Oil Trading House and Belorusneft, will set up a joint authorized fund and open an oil trading company in Western Europe.
Minsk, Feb 28 (NNN-BELTA) Russia and Belarus are to take steps to ensure joint defence of the Union State’s air space, Boris Gryzlov, the Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, said at the 5th session of the permanent workshop of the of the Belarus-Russia Union State Parliamentary Assembly in Pskov in northwest Russia on Tuesday.
This is a promising avenue of Russian-Belarusian military-technical co-operation, he said, adding that Belarus and Russia should strengthen their regional anti-aircraft defence system and pursue a single border policy.
Late in 2006, the two countries completed a joint programme, which cost 3.0 billion Russian roubles (one USD = about 26.1 roubles) and which saw the sides send into service 20 new border installations equipped with a digital communication network, Gryzlov added.
“Belarus and Russia are developing a new joint programme on equipping the Union State border with the necessary installations, which is designed to run through 2011,� Gryzlov said.
The facilities stationed in Belarus, he said, “contribute to ensuring strategic security in the region�. This includes a rocket warning radar located near Baranovichi and the submarine command post of the Russian Navy in Vileika.
Russian-Belarusian military and military-technical co-operation is a key avenue of integration of the two states, said Gryzlov, who added that it was not only for Belarus and Russia that this cooperation is significant, but also for other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
“The experience gained by Russia and Belarus is essential for the CSTO states,� Gryzlov said.
Belgrade, Feb 28 (RIA Novosti) About 40,000 people staged a mass protest rally outside the US embassy in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, to protest a UN plan on the final status for Kosovo.
Marti Ahtisaari, a UN envoy for talks on Kosovo, has proposed that the Balkan province be given an internationally supervised sovereignty.
Ahtisaari said earlier that talks are to end by March 10, after which the matter will return to the UN Security Council.
The demonstrators protested Ahtisaari's plan granting Serbia's Albanian-populated region independence, which Serbian politicians see almost as a foregone conclusion.
They appealed to Russia to use all diplomatic means to prevent the creation of yet another state in the Balkans, carrying placards and posters reading "Russia, help us!"
The rally was organized by the Serbian National Council, one of the largest political organizations of Kosovo Serbs, and was supported by the Serbian Radical Party, the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Democratic Party of Serbia.
Serbia and Kosovo held talks on Ahtisaari's proposal in Vienna last week, but no breakthrough was made.
Belgrade has rejected proposals to give independence to the region, which has been under a UN protectorate since 1999 after US air raids conducted to end alleged ethnic cleansing by Serbian troops.
Serbian authorities say they are willing to grant Kosovo broad autonomy, but will never let the province secede from Serbia. Albanian leaders have said Kosovo's independence is the only option for them.
Russia, a traditional ally of fellow Slavic Serbia and a veto wielding Security Council member, has been opposed to internationally backed plans to grant sovereignty to Kosovo.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (IBN) You may have seen Union Cabinet ministers and UPA MPs thumping their desks in approval of Finance Minister P Chidambaram's union Budget for 2007-08. But at heart, none of the Union ministers would be happy as the PC has heavily slashed his allocation for their tour expenses during the new fiscal.
Compared to the Revised Estimate of 2006-07, the Union ministers and former prime ministers spent Rs 92.31 crore on tour expenses. This amount has been cut down to Rs 75.5 crore in the Budget estimates for this fiscal. However, go by the past record, there is no guarantee that the government will not surpass the limit this year too.
In his Budget, Chidambaram has, however, raised the allocation for sumptuary and other allowances for ministers from Rs 3.75 crore to Rs 4.92 crore.
The budgetary provisions for Cabinet secretariat under which salaries, travel and office expenses and other establishment-related expenditure of cabinet secretariat and high-level committee are met have also been marginally increased from Rs 12.65 crore to Rs 12.69 crore.
There has also been a marginal increase in the expenditure for salaries and travel expenses for the Prime Minister's Office and National Advisory Council constituted for the implementation of National Common Minimum Programme from Rs 15.69 crore to Rs 16.79 crore.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Middle class households have got plenty to cheer from Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's budget: biscuits, instant foods and water purifiers will become cheaper and so will be umbrellas, footwear, cement, plywood and biodiesel even as cigarettes will be costlier.
Announcing proposals on excise duties and service tax during his budget speech in parliament Wednesday, Chidambaram noted: "The food processing sector is poised to achieve high growth. Concessions were extended last year to several items of food. This year, I propose to fully exempt from excise duty biscuits whose retail sale price does not exceed Rs.50 per kilogram.
"I also propose to fully exempt from excise duty all kinds of food mixes including instant mixes," he said, adding: "I can no longer be accused of being partial to idli and dosa mixes."
Excise duty on umbrellas, parts of footwear and plywood is proposed to be brought down from 16 percent to 8 percent.
Saying that biodiesel will greatly reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels, the finance minister fully exempted it from excise duty.
Water purification devices operating on specified membrane based technologies as well as domestic water filters not using electricity will be fully exempt from excise duty.
While pipes used for carrying water from a water supply plant to a storage facility are exempt from excise duty, this exemption will be extended to all pipes of diameter exceeding 200 mm used in water supply systems.
Taking note of a "significant increase" in the retail price of cement, Chidambaram said: "Last year, at this time, a bag of 50 kg was sold at a maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs.190 or less which, I understand, is a remunerative price.
"I propose to reward cement manufacturers who hold the price line and tax those who do not. Accordingly, I propose to reduce the present rate of excise duty of Rs.400 per metric tonne to Rs.350 per metric tonne on cement which is sold in retail at not more than Rs.190 per bag. On cement that has a higher MRP, the excise duty will be Rs.600 per metric tonne."
Saying that he strongly support the campaign "say no to tobacco", he proposed to increase the specific rates of excise duty on cigarettes by about 5 percent.
Similarly, excise duty (excluding cess) on bidis, or handmade cigarettes, which was last fixed in 2001, will be raised from Rs.7 to Rs.11 per thousand for non-machine made biris and from Rs.17 to Rs.24 per thousand for machine made biris.
Pan masala containing tobacco will continue to bear an excise duty of 66 percent. However, for pan masala not containing tobacco, the duty will be reduced to 45 percent.
The budget has left the general CENVAT rate or in the service tax rate untouched.
The ad valorem component of excise duty on petrol and diesel is cut from 8 percent to 6 percent after the government reduced the price of petrol and diesel by Rs.2 per litre and Re.1 per litre, respectively on Feb 15.
The exemption limit on excise duty for small scale industry (SSI) has been raised from Rs.10 million to Rs.15 million.
Similarly, the exemption limit on service tax for small service providers has been raised from Rs.400,000 to Rs.800,000, taking 200,000 assessees of a total of 400,000 out of the service tax net with a revenue loss of Rs.8 billion.
On the other hand, service tax is now being extended to services outsourced for mining of mineral, oil or gas.
Also, renting of immovable property for use in commerce or business will attract service tax, though, residential properties, vacant land used for agriculture and similar purposes, land for sports, entertainment and parking purposes, and immovable property for educational or religious purposes will be excluded.
Development and supply of content for use in telecom and advertising purposes; asset management services provided by individuals; and design services will also come under the ambit of service tax.
Dehradun, Feb 28 (IANS) Of the greatest interest to voters in the hill state of Uttarakhand was the assembly poll results in Dehradun, the seat of all political hustle and bustle.
Of its nine seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged six, leaving only three for the Congress.
In Rishikesh, Prem Chand Agarwal of BJP won polling 30,491 votes. Trivendra Singh Rawat, also of BJP, defeated Virendra Mohan Uniyal of Congress to emerge the winner in Doiwala.
In Mussoorie, Jot Singh Gunsola of Congress won with 11,770 votes in his favour. The coveted Rajpur seat went to Ganesh Joshi of BJP. He defeated the formerly well entrenched Hira Singh Bisht of Congress by over 4,000 votes.
Grabbing the Laxman Chowk seat was Dinesh Agarwal of the Congress. Former chief minister Nityanand Swami of BJP was the surprise loser from there.
The Vikasnagar seat went to Munna Singh Chauhan of BJP, who defeated Congress frontliner Nav Prabhat. Rajkumar of BJP secure Sahaspur while the Chakarata went to Pritam Singh of Congress.
In Dehra Khas, Harbans Kapoor, one of the senior most leaders of BJP, won for the sixth time. His opponent Lal Chand of Congress was contesting for the first time.
C.K. Chandramohan
Dehra Dun,Feb 28 (THE HINDU) The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged the single largest party in the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Tuesday, by bagging 34 seats � one short of the magic number for a clear majority. Polling was held for 69 out of 70 seats as the election for the Bageshwar seat was adjourned after the Congress nominee died in an accident.
Congress humbled
The ruling Congress was humbled as it got only 21 seats, with Ministers Indira Hirdeyesh, Narender Singh Bhandari and Nav Prabhat, all confidants of Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari, losing out in the race.
The Bahujan Samaj Party won eight seats by increasing its earlier figure by one. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, which had four MLAs last time, was reduced to three seats with its top leader, Kashi Singh Airi, losing the election after 18 years in the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assemblies.
It was jubilation all the way for the BJP with hundreds of cadres distributing sweets or applying `gulal' (colour) to mark the party's victory. The party needs the support of one MLA to be in a position to form a Government and senior leaders are said to be in touch with the UKD and two independents.
Frontrunner
Although the former Union Minister, Major General (retd.) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, seems to be the frontrunner for the Chief Minister's job, the former Chief Minister and State BJP president, Bhagat Singh Koshiary, enjoying much clout in the RSS, has thrown in the hat by refusing to accept anything short of the top job.
High profile electioneering
The verdict seems to have been influenced by the high profile and intensive electioneering by the BJP which made inflation, corruption and unemployment as its main plank. The Congress prospects were damaged by a large number of rebels in the fray on tickets from parties that had no base in Uttarakhand.
By Faraz Ahmad,
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Just a day after winning elections in Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was Wednesday embroiled in a bitter tussle over who would be the new chief minister: B.C. Khanduri or Bhagat Singh Koshiyari?
A decision on who will lead the new BJP government in the hill state may now be taken only after the newly elected BJP legislators meet Thursday although BJP president Rajnath Singh had announced that this would be decided Tuesday itself.
He had also clearly hinted his preference for Bhuvan Chand Khanduri, who was a cabinet minister in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
But then Koshiyari, who was the first chief minister of the state, put a spoke by declaring that only the elected MLAs can elect their leader. He also denied any knowledge of the party rooting for Khanduri.
An embarrassed Rajnath Singh promptly avoided any argument saying: "Of course the MLAs will elect the new leader."
But with Koshiyari leaving for New Delhi with his supporters, the BJP high command is playing a cautious game, not wanting to make any unilateral announcement.
Immediately after Wednesday's budget presentation, the BJP leadership went into a huddle at Rajnath Singh's Ashoka Road residence to discuss the issue. The leaders remained incommunicado till late evening.
One leader said informally that BJP general secretary and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde would leave for Dehradun Wednesday night to attend the BJP legislators' party meeting in Dehradun Thursday.
Although BJP leaders are maintaining a silence on the leadership issue, an indication of a rather bumpy road ahead for Khanduri came when he emerged from the Lok Sabha and Janata Party president Subramniam Swamy warmly congratulated him on the assumption that the party had decided in his favour.
When Swamy asked him "Ho gaya?" an embarrassed Khanduri replied: "Ho jayega" and hurriedly walked away.
The BJP faces a dilemma because though it has emerged the single largest party in the state with 34 seats, it is still one short of a majority in a house of 70. The election for one seat, Bazpur, is to be held. In a house of 69, the BJP has 34 legislators, one short of a working majority. Once the Bazpur election is held, the magic number will be 36.
Thus the BJP cannot afford any dissidence over government formation. In addition, it needs a leader who can attract some more legislators either from among the three independents or the two Uttarakhand Kranti Dal legislators. The BJP has to see who - Khanduri or Koshiyari - can do the trick.
BSP chief Mayawati, enthused over winning eight seats in the Uttarakhand Assembly, has declared that her party will work to keep the BJP out of power and will try to form a secular government.
At the moment that seems a distant dream. But if the BJP leadership fails to resolve the state leadership problem, the BJP may not succeed in giving a stable government in Uttarakhand.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday described the union budget presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram as "a victim of fiscal fundamentalism", saying it was preoccupied with reducing expenditure instead of increasing allocations for the social sector.
Alleging that Chidambaram's budget would not provide any extra money for the implementation of the common minimum programme, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said: "The budget has no thrust areas matched by allocation."
"There was a 27 percent growth in the revenue last year. But our expenditure is going to be only 17 percent. It means no major initiative and no additional resource mobilisation will be there.
"This is the time for greater mobilisation (due to growth in the revenue) to implement the promises in the common minimum programme (mutually agreed agenda for governance). The finance minister missed a chance," Yechury told reporters here after presentation of the union budget.
Yechury's remarks came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh claimed that the budget had given prime focus on education and healthcare. The CPI-M and three other Left parties support the Congress-led government from outside.
The CPI-M leader said the primary deficit was shown as Rs.80 billion, which indicated that the government would be spending less. Yechury also said the GDP growth, inflation and budgetary allocations were not matching.
The CPI-M politburo member said the budget propels indicated that there would be a reduction in the centre's support to the states, which he said was alarming.
On Chidambaram's proposal to reduce the ad valorem component of excise duty on petrol and diesel from five percent to two, the communist leader said: "Until the ad valorem tax is not taken off altogether, it is not going to make any difference to the consumer."
"The budget has absolutely no intervention to contain inflation," the CPI-M MP said.
The government admitted in its Economic Survey, tabled in parliament Tuesday, that the fluctuating inflation was one of its major areas of concern. The inflation touched a two-year high at 6.7 percent early February following a steep hike in the prices of essential commodities.
Admitting that the government had heeded the communists' demands in certain areas, Yechury said: "But this government always acts after the damage is done. We have been demanding a ban on futures trading in essential commodities, but they have reacted only after the state assembly results came out (in two states in which the ruling Congress lost)."
Earlier, the government had announced that there would not be any forward contracts in wheat and rice, which is expected to control their spiralling prices.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Describing the budget for fiscal 2007-08 as "anti-inflationary", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday the government was "toying" with the idea of utilising the country's burgeoning foreign exchange reserves to improve infrastructure.
"The budget certainly is anti-inflationary," he said in an interview to public broadcaster Doordarshan soon after Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the budget in parliament.
"The fact that the fiscal consolidation programme is on target (means that) we are moving in the set direction. That itself should be an assurance that inflation will not be allowed to get out of hand," the prime minister maintained.
"The fact that the budget seeks fiscal consolidation, the fact that customs duties and excise duties have been reduced in a number of sensitive commodity areas, will certainly impart the anti-inflationary bias to the budget," he contended.
In this context, the prime minister said the government was "now more open" to food imports if "domestic bottlenecks" came in the way of making adequate supplies available.
"We can import commodities which are in short supply - oilseeds, to some extent, pulses not to a great deal, but foodgrains, oilseeds, and vegetable oils - these are certainly essential commodities which if we run into domestic supply bottlenecks, we can always import," he added.
Speaking of the need to "strengthen the impulses to expand investment in infrastructure", the prime minister stated: "Also, we are toying with the idea of utilizing a part of the foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure development."
The issue was being discussed with the Reserve Bank of India "and in due course of time will materialize", he added.
Noting that the budget "pays lot of emphasis on improving our access to basic social services," Manmohan Singh said: "You have a budget which also strengthens the social safety net."
In this context, he pointed out that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme is being expanded to cover 330 districts and that a new life insurance programme was being launched for landless workers.
Speaking about supply side responses, the prime minister said these would be strengthened through the National Programme for Pulses, the National Programme for Utilization of Ground Water Resources, and the rainfed authority that was working to give a new momentum to the utilization of the dry land agriculture potential.
The prime minister also referred to the need to improve the skill levels of the youth, saying: "We need lot more emphasis on secondary education, or on those who leave the primary education, and at the same time, strengthening the vocationalisation of education.
"We need to expand the facilities that are available through the medium of ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes)," he said, and pointed to the budget proposal to modernise 500 such institutions.
Hyderabad, Feb 28 (IANS) Industrialists in the agriculture, food processing and textiles sectors welcomed the central budget 2007-08, while those in the tourism and hospitality business in Andhra Pradesh said it was "disappointing".
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's budget fell short of expectations, some industrialists felt. However, initiatives like increase in allocation for education by 34.2 percent, for health by 21.9 percent and greater allocation for Bharat Nirman (rural development programmes), offset these disappointments.
"This will help in improving infrastructure in rural areas," said G. Vivekanand, president, Confederation of Indian Industry, Andhra Pradesh.
Former CII president Pradeep Dhobale welcomed the initiatives to increase growth rate of agriculture. He added that the finance minister should announce special purpose funds for pulpwood like the one for tea, coffee, cashew and spices.
He hoped that the announcement to construct 500,000 more classrooms would benefit the paper industry.
Praise for the budget also came from M.K. Patodia, managing director of GTN Industries Limited. He welcomed the announcement to enhance allocation for Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) for textiles from Rs.5.35 billion to Rs.9.11 billion.
He also hailed the increase in allocation for textile parks from Rs.1.89 billion to Rs.4.25 billion and cut in duties on some raw materials. "These measures will help improve production."
Y. Harish Chandra Prasad of Mahalaxmi NBFA Ventures Private Limited said the budget was lukewarm on infrastructure.
"We have long been demanding gas cost regulator but the budget is silent on that. With Reliance gas production in 2008-09, nobody knows the cost at which it will be available," he said, pointing out that gas scarcity had hit electricity generation.
Prasad said the budget had nothing to offer on improving urban infrastructure.
"There is no clarification on the sunset clause for IT industry, which says that it would lose all the benefits by 2009 if not shifted to special economic zones (SEZ). The clarification is necessary as several SEZs are coming up and the process will be badly hit if the sunset clause is not implemented," he added.
The tourism and hospitality industry termed the budget as disappointing. According to D.V. Manohar, chairperson of the Shri Shakti Group, an important sector providing huge employment opportunities had been neglected.
Leading healthcare provider Apollo Group welcomed Chidambaram's stress on communicable diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria saying this would help in reducing the disease burden in the lower socio-economic groups.
The budget states that "major emphasis" would be put on the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. The finance minister has also vowed to bring HIV/AIDS "out of the closet" and promised "bold and determined efforts to achieve zero-level growth of the disease".
"There is a mention about health insurance in the budget (health insurance for the unorganised sector like weavers and tax exemption for health insurance premium up to Rs.15,000) but this is inadequate and a significant distance away from the ultimate goal of mandatory health insurance," said K. Hari Prasad, CEO, Apollo Hospitals.
He said reduction in customs duty from 12.5 percent to 7.5 percent on medical equipment and removal of service tax on clinical trials would have a positive impact on the healthcare sector.
Bangalore, Feb 28 (IANS) IT bellwethers Infosys Technologies and Wipro Wednesday termed the budget proposals to extend minimum alternative tax (MAT) to IT firms and fringe benefits tax (FBT) on stock options (Esops) to employees as "retrograde measures with far-reaching implications".
"The extension of MAT to IT firms is a clear indication the 10-year tax-holiday enjoyed by IT firms currently may not get extended beyond 2009. Though it is an advance tax against future tax liability, we will have to set off the tax amount from the coming fiscal (2007-08) even as we continue to pay tax on exports abroad," Infosys director T.V. Mohandas Pai told IANS here.
The MAT burden on IT firms is expected to be around 11.3-11.5 percent on book profit.
Pai said the advance tax (MAT) would not, however, impact the company's earnings or its EPS (earnings per share).
According to Infosys chief financial officer V. Balakrishnan, the additional burden due to MAT would be 150 basis points (1.5 percent) on its net margin.
Expressing disappointment over extending FBT to Esops, Pai said it was not clear whether the extension would be retrospective or prospective from the next fiscal (2007-08).
"The proposal to consider Esops as fringe benefit is surprising. They (Esops) were introduced under different set of rules earlier so as to attract talent and retain employees. It is not clear whether it (FBT) is applicable retrospectively or prospectively.
"We will be taking up the matter with the finance minister (P. Chidambaram) through Nasscom (National Association of Software and Services Companies) soon. As Esops are part of the compensation package, we will have to revisit it because employees may not like to suffer an additional burden of 33 percent of FBT on their share holding," Pai pointed.
Wipro chief financial officer Suresh Senapathy said the industry was disappointed that the much-expected extension of the sunset time till 2009 did not happen despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh setting a higher target for software exports recently.
"The extension of MAT to IT firms in a situation where there is a committed exemption till 2009 is a retrograde step and not consistent with good principle of governance.
In an environment where the industry is required to focus on building, attracting and retaining talent, imposition of FBT on Esops is also inappropriate and unfortunate. It goes contrary to the overall objective of the industry.
Though the budget is bullish on the economic front and fiscal compliance, it would have been pro-active to the IT industry if the MAT and FBT were not enforced from the prospective of globally competitive sunrise industry," Senapathy said.
Giving an overall comment on the budget, Pai said the proposals were growth-oriented, with revenue collection exceeding targets and the government committing more for social spending.
"From industry viewpoint, there is nothing much to write about. The high excise duty of 16 percent on manufacturing goods is detrimental to an accelerated growth of the industry, as there is no reduction from the high rate. With the addition of 12 percent VAT, three percent education cess and excise duties remaining between 24-30 percent, which is the highest in the world," Pai pointed out.
Senapathy, however, said the budget has some positive takes for the IT industry in the form of budgetary provision to fund training of skilled manpower and additional allocation for e-governance projects.
"Funds earmarked for knowledge training is a positive intervention by the government as it would convert the demographic advantage of India into a world-class skilled labour force. Similarly, e-governance initiatives will enhance the quality of life for citizens with efficient services by the administration apart from creating market for IT hardware and software," Senapathy added.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Leading Indian IT companies Wednesday described the 2007-08 union budget as a "mixed bag", lauding its increased allocation for e-governance but expressing unhappiness over the minimum alternative tax (MAT) imposed on IT firms.
The budget, presented in parliament by union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, came in for praise for its focus on education, e-governance and ITIs (Indian training institutes), but the 11.2 percent MAT on IT firms fetched negative remarks.
"This budget is a mixed bag. On the fiscal front, there has certainly been great improvement," said Kris. Gopalakrishnan, president, joint managing director and chief operating officer, Infosys Technologies Ltd.
"Overall, the budget does not have anything positive for the IT sector," Gopalakrishnan added.
Krishan Dhawan, managing director, Oracle India, said: "The increased budget allocation for e-governance at the centre and state levels is a step in the right direction."
On the issue of upgrading 1,396 ITIs, Dhawan said: "Proper training and skill sets need to be imparted to our youth if India is to attain and maintain top rank in the global digital economy."
According to Deepak Ghaisas, chief executive of i-flex solutions: "The planned increase in expenditure on e-governance is a good signal for the IT industry. It will serve to expand the domestic market and IT companies will see government spending coming their way which is a good thing."
"The IT industry had some expectations. I don't think the finance minister has taken them into account and if he has introduced any measures to that affect then the impact of these measures is negative."
Said S. Mahalingam, chief financial officer, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS): "The thrust given to e-governance is a big positive through the doubling of funds for such projects."
However, Mahalingam said that by extending the provisions of MAT to the IT industry the government has triggered hopes of tax holiday for another 10 years to the IT companies under the Software Technology Park (STP) scheme.
According to a leading IT industry lobby, National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), the government should "urgently" take measures to extend the STP scheme.
Ghaisas of i-flex averred that the imposition of MAT would impact the SMEs (small and medium enterprises) negatively that do not pay any taxes currently.
Infosys' Gopalakrishnan said: "MAT is a retrograde step as commitments have been made to keep the exemption going till 2009."
Asoke Laha, managing director and chief talent officer of InterraIT, a Noida-based engineering software firm, said: "Technology and curricular upgrades in ITIs will help prepare market-facing skilled manpower needed to support 10 percent growth."
Bhopal, Feb 28 (IANS) The union budget 2007-08 has evoked mixed reactions in Madhya Pradesh with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) terming it as a "betrayal of common man" while the opposition Congress party welcomed it.
Referring to the Congress' defeat in the Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly polls, the BJP said the budget showed the Congress-led central government had not learnt any lesson from its defeat.
Criticising Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram's proposals to slash prices of pet food, former BJP President Kailash Joshi Wednesday said: "The finance minister exults over the fact that he is reducing prices of food for pets at a time when the people find it hard to buy their basic food. The budget proposals showed no concern for the common man. I regard it as a betrayal of them."
"Chidambaram has proposed a marginal Rs.10,000 increase in threshold tax exemption limit and foisted an additional one percent education cess for backward classes which is highly disappointing for an income tax payer like me," said Satya Narain Sharma, a state government employee.
"Looking to the rising prices and high inflation, we were expecting an increase in the tax exemption limit by Rs.30,000 to Rs.50,000 but the threshold limit increased by Rs.10,000 would be negated by inflation. Add to it, the increase which will provide a relief of Rs.1,000 to Rs.2,000, will be neutralised by increase in education cess from two percent to three percent", he added.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Pramod Pradhan said: "The budget was appalling as it has failed to address the plight of farmers and unorganised labour. The finance minister had also reduced service tax for corporates instead of raising it to mobilise resources for welfare schemes for masses." "To cap it all, it has no measures to rein in inflation or provide succour to the common man," he added.
"Prices are spiralling out of control. Inflation is hovering close to a two-year high and prices of food grains, pulses and vegetables have increased manifold. But there is no relief for the common man to compensate all these losses despite the price rise in commodities and food which will affect the poor," said Laxmi Sharma, a schoolteacher.
Lucknow, Feb 28 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh, India's most politically significant state which goes to the polls in April, seems quite disgruntled with the central budget presented Wednesday.
By and large, the feeling is that Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has not provided much respite to the man on the street battling escalating prices.
Political rivals of the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the centre have, of course, roundly criticised the budget.
"Surprisingly even the debacle of the Congress party in Punjab and Uttarakhand - largely on account of the uncontrolled price rise - failed to make the finance minister realise the need for concrete steps to bring down prices," said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lalji Tandon.
"It was amply evident from the budget that the centre has no concern for bare essentials - roti, kapda and makan (food, clothing and shelter)."
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) general secretary Satish Misra said, "There is nothing significant about the budget as far as the downtrodden are concerned."
According to him, "The least that the central government could have done was to make a substantial increase in the exemption limit for income tax." He said, "An increase of just Rs.10,000 was meaningless."
Training its guns on the Congress, the state's ruling Samajwadi Party also criticised the budget.
"What else could be expected from the Congress party that is more interested in promoting only the privileged and the affluent?" asked Samajwadi Party general secretary and one-time central communication minister Beni Prasad Verma.
"The government has totally neglected small traders, whose fate is being threatened by the government's encouragement to giant retailers who are in the process of flooding the country," Verma said.
Schoolteacher Shreelata Gupta too found the budget disappointing. "One was hoping that the finance minister would ease our home budget, but there is nothing to that effect. The marginal reduction in duties on edible oil would hardly make any difference."
"Who would benefit by the reduction in duty on cut diamonds?" she wondered.
Sanjay Bhasin, a lawyer, asked: "Why could the government not bring down its own expenditure and check pilferage, instead of burdening the middle class with the official lethargy and corruption?"
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) The corporate sector in India's financial capital Mumbai Wednesday welcomed the union budget for 2007-08, appreciating its focus on social sectors though many industrialists remained less than impressed.
"I find the budget positive for economy and people. The areas of concern highlighted by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram - agriculture and rural backwardness, inflation, education, health and employment - along with measures announced to tackle them are welcome," said Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) president Narayan Patel.
The banking sector, however, had a mixed bag of fortune from the annual budget presented in parliament.
"We hoped that the tax relief for the bank deposit interest would be increased to help banks garner more deposits. Instead, there has been an increase in the dividend distribution tax on money market mutual funds," said Gautam Vir, managing director and CEO of Development Credit Bank.
"Also, there were no significant measures announced to increase the market liquidity to fund the expected sharp growth in the economy. This was a bit surprising as the economy is expected to continue to grow at 9 percent this fiscal too, and the market is short on liquidity," he said.
Builders in the city had hoped for a better deal. "Though the budget focuses on additional expenditure for health, irrigation, roads and education in the right direction, little thrust has been given on housing and urban infrastructure," said city-based real estate developer Niranjan Hiranandani.
The private civil aviation sector is not too happy with the budget either.
"The budget shows rather subdued pertinence to the aviation industry, especially non-scheduled operators related to the helicopter, oil and gas and logistic industries. The finance minister has imposed a 3 percent duty on all private import of aircraft including helicopters," S.J.S. Saighal, chairman of Global Vector Helicopters Ltd, told IANS.
"We were expecting relief on corporate tax and reduction on aviation turbine fuel (ATF)," he said.
But educationists are not complaining. Shirley Singh, a city educationist, said: "The idea to increase the allocation for education is very good. The new scholarship scheme provisions will definitely encourage meritorious students as well as their families."
The healthcare industry welcomed the finance minister's focus on improving infrastructure in this sector. "The allocation for AIDS control is a good step," said Sujit Chatterjee of the Hiranandani Hospital in suburban Powai.
"The insurance health scheme for rural people will definitely help them. But the implementation should be done properly," he added.
Defence budget hiked to Rs. 960 billion.
PAN to be sole identification for all capital market transactions.
Central public sector enterprises to make investment of Rs. 1.65 trillion.
Two more ultra-power projects to be approved by July 2007.
Rs. 7.5 billion for upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
State governments to be allocated Rs. 5 billion for e-governance.
Autonomous debt management office to be set up.
Mumbai to be made world-class financial hub.
Rs. 3.5 billion allocated to Delhi government for Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Rs. 1.5 billion for Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs for Commonwealth Games.
VAT revenues in states implementing the scheme rose by 24.3 percent in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2006-07.
Central sales tax cut from four percent to three percent.
Peak customs duty cut from 12.5 percent to 10 percent.
Five percent hike in excise duty on cigarettes.
Import duty on medical equipment down to 7.5 percent.
Import duty of three percent on private aircraft.
Peak rate for non-agricultural goods down from 12.5 percent to 10 percent.
Customs duty on polyester fibre reduced from 10 percent to 7.5 percent.
Customs duty on raw materials DMT and PFY reduced from 10 percent to 7.5 percent.
Customs duty on drip irrigation equipment down from 7.5 percent to 5 percent.
Import duty on pet foods down from 30 percent to 20 percent.
Excise duty on pan masala not containing tobacco reduced from 66 percent to 45 percent.
No excise duty on readymade food mixes.
Clinical trials of new drugs to be exempt from service tax.
Threshold limit for income tax exemption for all assesses hiked by Rs. 10,000.
Rs. 1.95 lakh income tax exemption for senior citizens.
No change in corporate tax.
Tax holiday for two-, three- and four-star hotels that come up in Delhi and neighbouring areas before 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Customs duty on polished gems cut to three percent.
Ad valorem duty on petrol and diesel reduced to six percent.
Tax benefit on R&D extended by five years.
Minimum alternative tax (MAT) extended to IT companies.
Surcharge on corporate tax removed for companies with less than Rs. 10 million turnover.
Cash withdrawal limit for banking transaction tax raised to Rs. 50,000.
Additional cess of one percent to fund education for socially backward classes.
Capital gains tax on works of art.
Lower duty on edible oils.
ESOPs brought under ambit of fringe benefit tax (FBT).
Dividend distribution tax raised to 15 percent.
Rs. 73.24 billion allocated for mid-day meal scheme.
Rs. 37.94 billion allocated for secondary education programme.
Economy seen growing at 9.2 percent in FY 07.
New industrial policy for the Northeast.
31 percent increase in allocation for Bharat Nirman programme to boost infrastructure companies.
Per capita income for FY '06 up by 7.6 percent.
Rs. 110 billion outlay for irrigation.
Rs. 1 billion allocated for development of rain-fed areas.
50 percent subsidy for small farmers.
Aam Aadmi (common man) Bima Yojana insurance scheme for landless people in rural areas launched.
Rs. 1 billion allocated for weather-based crop insurance scheme.
Fertiliser subsidy hiked to Rs, 224.52 billion.
Rs. 106.67 billion allocated for National Highways Development Programme (NHDP).
Rs. 9.69 billion for AIDS control scheme.
Rs. 120 billion for National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
Reverse mortgage scheme for senior citizens announced.
Government to buy Reserve Bank of India stake in State Bank of India.
Rs. 3.21 billion for insurance scheme for weavers.
Rs. 225 million allocated for modernisation and technical upgrade of coir industry.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Following are the highlights of the union budget presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in parliament Wednesday:
* Gross budgetary support for plan to be increased to Rs. 205,100 crore from Rs. 172,728 crore
* Non-plan expenditure to go up by 6.5% to Rs.435,421 crore allocation for Bharat Nirman increased by 31.6% to Rs. 24,603 crore allocation for education increased by 34.2% and for health & family welfare by 21.9%
* Mid-Day meal scheme to cover children of upper primary classes in 3,427 educationally backward blocks national means-cum-merit scholarship scheme introduced for students from class ix to xii; 100,000 scholarships to be awarded every year national rural employment guarantee scheme to be expanded from the current 200 to 330 districts allocation for SCs and STs substantially increased provision of Rs.108 crore for multi-sector development
* Programme in districts with concentration of minorities interest
* Subvention scheme for short-term crop loans to continue
* National agricultural insurance scheme to continue in present form
* Death and disability insurance cover through LIC to be extended to rural landless households under Aam Admi Bima Yojana
* Limit of loans under differential rate of interest scheme for weaker sections raised
* National Housing Bank to introduce reverse mortgage for senior citizens
* Allocation for defence increased to Rs. 96,000 crore
Allocation for e-governance increased from Rs.395 crore to Rs.719 crore
Government to support creation of about 100,000 jobs every year for physically challenged
For current year revenue deficit to be 2% and fiscal deficit 3.7% - both lower than budget estimates
Revenue deficit for 2007-08 estimated at 1.5% of GDP and fiscal deficit at 3.3% of GDP
Peak rate for customs duties for non-agricultural products reduced from 12.5% to 10%
Custom duties on most chemicals and plastics reduced from 12.5% to 7.5%
No change in general Cenvat or service tax rates
Ad valorem component of excise duty on petrol and diesel reduced from 8% to 6%
Excise duty exemption limit for small scale industry increased from Rs.1 crore to Rs.1.5 crore
Service tax exemption limit for small service providers raised from Rs.400,000 to Rs.800,000
Service tax extended to some new areas central sales tax to be reduced from 4 to 3%
No change in personal income tax rates.
* Threshold limit of exemption in all cases incraased by Rs. 10,000
* Maximum limit of deduction in respect of medical insurance premium to be increased to Rs.15,000; for senior citizens the limit is Rs. 20,000
* Corporate income tax rate remains unchanged; surcharge on income tax on all firms and companies with a taxable income of Rs. 1 crore or less removed
* Five year income tax holiday for new hotels
* Tax holiday for undertakintgs in Jammu & Kashmir extended up to march 31, 2012
* Rate of dividend distribution tax raised from 12.5% to 15% on dividends distributed by companies and to 25% on dividends paid by money market
* Mutual funds and liquid mutual funds banking cash transactions tax exemption limit for individuals and HUFs increased from Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000
* Additional cess of 1% levied on taxes to fund secondary and higher education
* Employees' stock option plan to be brought under fringe benefit tax
* During three years of UPA government, GDP growth rate improves from 7.5% in 2004-05 to 9.2% in 2006-07, growth rate in manufacturing goes up from 8.7% to 11.3% and in services from 9.6% to 11.2%
* Average growth of agriculture sector during tenth plan estimated at 2.3%
* Average inflation in 2006-07 estimated at 5.2-5.4%
* Bharat Nirman makes impressive progress .
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) With the focus primarily on taming galloping inflation, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday presented the national budget for the next fiscal with proposals to substantially hike allocations for social sectors like health and education and reduce direct and indirect tax rates marginally.
In his 100-minute budget speech in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, the finance minister also sought to cut import tariff on crude oil to 6 percent from 8 percent, even as he said futures trading in wheat and rice would stop with immediate effect to curb speculative trading in an attempt to bring down the prices of the common man's staple.
Chidambaram also said while slabs for individual income tax assesses will remain unchanged, the threshold limits for each such slab will be raised by Rs.10,000 that will translate into a saving of Rs.1,000 for every assesssee.
"Revenues were buoyant for the third year in succession. I have put the revenues to good use to promote inclusive growth, equity, social justice," he said. But his remarks failed to impress the corporate sector..
"This budget focuses on fiscal consolidation," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, added that an attempt had been made to address the concerns and aspirations of a larger section of society, especially the common man.
"This is a common man's budget and not the corporate India's budget," said R. Seshasayee, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), adding; "It is neither bold nor courageous."
This was the sixth time Chidambaram presented the national budget - his fourth in succession for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which was inaugurated on May 22, 2004.
The other highlights of budget are:
-Without altering the rates, threshold for income tax increased by Rs.10,000.
-Relief of Rs.1,000 for every assessee.
-Relief for women, senior citizens.
-No change in central value added tax central excise (CENVAT).
-One percent cess to fund education.
-Dividend distribution tax raised from 12.5 percent to 15 percent.
-Peak tariff for non-farm products cut to 12.5 percent to 10 percent.
-Import duty on pet foods down from 30 percent to 20 percent.
-Mumbai to be made world-class financial hub.
-Rs.3.5 billion allocated to Delhi government for Commonwealth Games in 2010.
-Rs.1.5 billion for Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs for Commonwealth Games.
-Defence budget hiked to Rs.960 billion.
-Permanent account number (PAN) to be sole identification for all capital market transactions.
-Central public sector enterprises to make investment of Rs.1.65 trillion.
-Two more ultra-power projects to be approved by July 2007.
-Education allocation hiked by 32 percent.
-Health and welfare allocation hiked by 21.9 percent
- Fertiliser subsidy hiked to Rs.224.52 billion.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) While the common man is definitely pleased with the Union Budget 2007-08, especially with the boost given to the health and education sectors, there are some who are looking at the statistics with skepticism.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, while presenting the budget Wednesday, said the allocation for education will go up by 34.2 percent and healthcare by 21.9 percent.
"The numbers look really good. But the question remains: How much of it will actually benefit those from the weaker sections of society who need all that help. The resources are always there but they simply don't reach the common man," said Amelia Andrews, communications manager, CARE, an NGO.
"Unless the infrastructure is actually worked upon, the efficacy of these shooting numbers in different sectors will actually be nil," she added.
Amrita Sharma, a second year law student from Delhi University, was also not very impressed. Reacting to Chidambaram's announcement that 200,000 more teachers would be employed and 500,000 more classrooms constructed, she said that it was an expected move.
"With the increased number of quotas for the socially backward classes and more students enrolling for different courses, there is bound to be a greater number of teachers and more classrooms to accommodate them," she said.
Mahima, another student of the Delhi University said, "I am just waiting to know if mobile phones are going to be cheaper so that I can buy a new one."
Arnab Goswami, a Delhi University professor, was however very happy with the budget. "It's a very positive move," he said commenting on the increased allocation for the education sector, employment of more teachers and construction of more classrooms.
"The best thing about the budget is that 9,000 scholarships will be awarded to students. This will give a great boost to research, the quality of which is very poor in our country at the moment. A student getting a Junior Research Fellowship gets only Rs. 8,000, which is simply not enough.
"So after M. Phil, most of the students apply for scholarships abroad. This move will definitely help retain some of the best brains of our country," he added.
And what about the increase in the price of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products? "Well, those who want to smoke will smoke, no matter what," said Abhinav Das, a BPO employee.
"But it will definitely discourage some, even though it may not bring down the number of smokers drastically," added his friend, Navika Nath.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Women received special mention in the "gender sensitive" budget for 2007-2008 with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram increasing the outlay for women specific programmes and 50 ministries setting up special gender budgeting cells.
"There is growing awareness of gender sensitivities of budgetary allocations," Chidambaram said in parliament Wednesday.
"Fifty ministries/departments have set up gender budgeting cells. For 2007-08, 27 ministries/departments and five union territories covering 33 demands for grants have contributed to a statement placed in the budget papers.
"The outlay for 100 percent women specific programmes is Rs.8,795 crore (Rs.87.95 billion) and for schemes where at least 30 percent is for women specific programmes is Rs.22,382 crore (Rs.223.82 billion). We have made a sincere effort to remove the errors that were pointed out in last year's statement," the minister said.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan termed the 2007-08 budget as disappointing, saying that issues of inflation and the agriculture sector had been neglected by Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram, but leaders of the opposition Congress party welcomed it.
"He has failed to address the price rise and has completely neglected the agriculture sector as far as Kerala is concerned. And he has not addressed the issue of setting up of a price stabilization fund for cash crops. Kerala will seriously be affected on account of the decrease in import duty on edible oil," Achuthanandan told reporters here Wednesday.
Referring to the Congress' defeat in the Punjab and Uttarakhand assembly polls, he said the party had failed to correct its mistakes despite the reverses it suffered.
"If they do not correct themselves and take the sentiments of the people into account, they are likely to suffer more reverses," Achuthanandan remarked.
However, leader of opposition Oomen Chandy said the budget addressed several issues like education, health and agriculture sector and would be a boon for Kerala.
"The reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel would see prices drop. He (Chidambaram) has set aside separate funds for revival of tea estates and also funds have been earmarked for rubber, coconut and spices. The crop insurance scheme is going to be of immense help for farmers. We expect that the reduction of import duty on edible oils would be reconsidered," Chandy told IANS.
Kerala had hoped that it would get an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and funds for proposed projects like the Vizhinjam Port and an airport at Kannur. The budget, however, failed to mention these.
Caracas (Venezuela), Feb 28 (DPA) Cuban leader Fidel Castro, seriously ill since stomach surgery in July, has said he has "more energy and feels ever stronger" in a live radio broadcast in Venezuela.
In a telephone call with to his close political friend Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, 80-year-old Castro reported on his recovery for 30 minutes on Chavez's nightly call-in radio show, Aló Presidente Tuesday. The broadcast was later played on Cuban state television.
"I am gaining ground. I feel I have more energy, more strength, more time to study," said the healthy-sounding Castro. "I have become a student again."
Castro mentioned the fall of the stock markets in China and the US Tuesday, saying it was proof that capitalism was in crisis and that US President George W. Bush must be very anxious.
Chavez later thanked Castro for Cuba's "infinite solidarity" with the people of Venezuela.
Castro, who has ruled Cuba for 47 years, transferred responsibility for governmental affairs to his younger brother, Raul, in July 2006 before undergoing surgery.
In Cuba, Castro's health remains a state secret, however, media reported in the US and Spain that he was close to death following the intestinal operation, claims that the Cuban government vehemently denied.
Hazaribagh, Feb 28 (Indianmuslims.info) The Government of Jharkhand has decided to shift the centres of examinations for Wastaniya to Fazil classes to be held in March this year under Jharkhand Academic Council from madrasas to government schools and colleges, which do not have on their staff any Urdu or Urdu-knowing teachers. This government move has caused large scale resentment among both madrasa authorities and examinees.
President of Jharkhand Madrasa Committee Abdur Razzaq, in a letter addressed to the Minister for Education and later released to the Press here Tuesday, has urged the government to hold these examinations in madrasas where they used to be held till the last year so that the examinees may be saved from facing problems of sorts.
“The sudden shift in the centres of examinations will psychologically affect the examinees. And owing to the lack of Urdu teachers in government schools and colleges the examinees will have to face problems in seeking explanation of difficult questions, if any,� said the Madrasa Committee president.
The Madrasa Committee members and teachers of madrasas feel that this move of the government adds to the prejudiced attitude of the government towards Muslims.
A member of the Committee said the move will tell badly upon the efforts being made at city, town and village levels on the part of Muslim activists to create educational awareness among the large segments of Muslim masses in the State.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Taxpayers across the board will have to bear the burden of additional cess of one percent that will be used to expand the capacity of educational institutions for implementing the caste-based quota.
"While the cess of 2 percent on all taxes to fund basic education will remain, I propose to levy an additional cess of 1 percent on all taxes to fund secondary education and higher education and the expansion of capacity by 54 percent for reservation for socially and educationally backward classes," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced Wednesday while presenting the union budget for 2007-08.
The government's proposal last year to expand the scope of the quota policy to the other backward classes (OBCs) had led to student protests in cities even as it was welcomed by many.
In a compromise formula, the government had proposed to expand the capacity of educational institutions to create extra seats for students from the marginalised communities.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Investors in India can look forward to better times as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced a series of measures to strengthen capital markets.
Presenting the union budget for 2007-08, he proposed the following:
* Permanent Account Number (PAN) to be made sole identification number for all participants in securities market with an alphanumeric prefix or suffix to distinguish a particular kind of account;
* Idea of Self-Regulating Organisations (SRO) to be taken forward for different market participants under regulations to be made by SEBI;
* Mutual funds to be permitted to launch and operate dedicated infrastructure funds;
* Individuals to be permitted to invest in overseas securities through Indian mutual funds;
* Short-selling settled by delivery, and securities lending and borrowing to facilitate delivery, by institutions to be allowed; and
* Enabling mechanism to be put in place to permit Indian companies to unlock a part of their holdings in group companies for meeting their financial requirements by issue of Exchangeable Bonds.
Los Angeles, Feb 28 (Xinhua) German carmaker DaimlerChrysler has struck an agreement with China's Chery Motor to sell the Chinese built cars in the United States as a cheap way to enter the growing entry level market, the Los Angeles Times has reported Wednesday.
Company executives said Tuesday that they expected the Chinese government to approve of the agreement by the end of March, according to the report.
The pact calls for Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler's US arm, to work with the Chinese company to design and engineer subcompact cars, which would be built in China and exported to North America and Europe under Chrysler brand names.
The subcompacts would be the first Chinese vehicles sold in the US and probably open the door for other Chinese automakers, said the newspaper.
DaimlerChrysler said its plan to sell or spin off its ailing US arm, which it acquired in 1998, would not upset its agreement with Chery.
Chrysler Chief Executive Tom LaSorda earlier had said that cars from Chery could start arriving in 2009.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has proposed an increase in specific rates of excise duty on cigarettes by about five percent.
Presenting the Union Budget 2007-08 in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, Chidambaram also proposed a raise in excise duty on bidis from Rs.7 to Rs.11 per thousand for non-machine made bidis and from Rs.17 to Rs.24 per thousand for machine-made biris.
The Finance Minister reduced excise duty from 66 percent to 45 percent on pan masala containing no tobacco.
He withdrew the exemption for pan masala containing tobacco and other tobacco products that was given to units in the northeastern states.
Dubai, Feb 28 (IANS) The technical committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the inclusion of Australian quickie Stuart Clark as replacement for the injured Brett Lee for the forthcoming World Cup starting in the West Indies on March 11.
Lee was ruled out from playing for the team after he suffered an ankle injury during Australia's recent one-day international series in New Zealand.
The confirmation was conveyed to the Australian Cricket Board Monday in an email from the ICC General Manager David Richardson.
The committee also said that it had received an application from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to replace an injured Abdul Razzaq with Azhar Mahmood. The application would be considered in the very near future, said the committee.
Razzaq was ruled out of the 16-nation meet after he suffered a partial ligament tear and bone bruising in his knee during team training.
Clark is the first replacement player called up for the World Cup after each of the 16 teams taking part in the quadrennial meet nominated their 15-member final squads.
The nomination completes an about-turn for Clark as he was replaced in the Australian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in India last year after he sustained a thigh injury in the run-up to the event.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) For thousands of Class 12 students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Wednesday was a day of last-minute nervous preparations for their final examinations that begin Thursday.
Anxious students were flipping through their books to ensure nothing was left out. The examination this year begins with the Physics paper.
"We are a little anxious but prepared to face the examination," said Amit Kumar, a Class 12 student.
"Though one is always anxious before the examinations, for those who have been preparing for the last few months it should not lead to nervousness," he said.
According to educational counsellors, students should give due attention to their diet and avoid last-minute studying.
"On the day of the examination, students should eat a good breakfast, avoid last-minute revision and reach the exam centre well on time, and most importantly, avoid chatting with many people," said Praveen Tyagi, a counsellor and head of Quest Tutorials.
Rachna Pant, principal of Summer Field School, said that parents should not put too much pressure on their wards.
"Some parents try to push their children for the sake of their own ambitions, and it proves very counter productive. They must abstain from doing this," Pant said.
This year 502,688 students from 4,789 schools will take the Class 12 examinations both in India and abroad - an increase of 9.59 percent from 2006.
The students will take their exams in the 2,276 examination centres, of which 33 are in foreign countries.
Lucknow,Feb 28 (THE HINDU) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh on Tuesday dismissed the anti-incumbency factor deciding the outcome of the coming Assembly elections in the State. He said the Samajwadi Party had always accepted challenges and this time round it would be no different.
Reacting to the defeat of the Congress in Uttarakhand and Punjab, Mr. Mulayam Singh told reporters that only the non-BJP and non-Congress political forces were capable of taking on the communal and sectarian parties.
He said the Congress leadership concentrated its energy and time in seeking the dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh Government instead of devoting its time to the elections in the two States. By constantly demanding the dismissal of the Samajwadi Party Government, the Congress actually helped the BJP's cause.
The Congress cannot stop the BJP, he said. It will meet the same fate in Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Mr. Singh advocated the formation of a front comprising anti-BJP and anti-Congress forces.
By Jaideep Sarin,
Chandigarh, Feb 28 (IANS) Even as the electorate in Punjab kept up a four decade old tradition of not returning the same party to power for a consecutive term, the state's political arena saw a role reversal for the main political parties.
Although the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance returned to power Tuesday bagging 67 seats, a clear majority in the 117-member assembly, the Congress was able to recover some ground by winning 44 seats.
The Akali Dal, identified with Sikh politics -- it dominates the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the mini parliament of Sikhs based in Sikh holy city of Amritsar -- and its rightwing alliance partner BJP have often been accused of using religion for political gains.
This time around, it were the Akalis, whom outgoing chief minister Amarinder Singh describes as a party with 18th century policies, talked economics instead of religion to get people to vote for them.
"Economics is the name of the game. Religion is important but for the people now, development is all important," Akali MP and to be chief minister Parkash Singh Badal's son Sukhbir Badal said as election results poured in Tuesday.
Instead, it was the Congress that had to rope in religion as a last-ditch effort to save the party from a possible rout.
The Congress got a major boost in the Malwa belt - the cotton-growing region of Punjab dominated by Jat peasantry and a stronghold of the Akalis - after a religious sect, Dera Sacha Sauda of Sirsa in adjoining Haryana, directed its two million followers in Punjab to vote for the Congress.
The diktat from the religious sect came as the Congress allotted ticket from the Bathinda assembly seat to a close relative of the dera head. The candidate, Harminder Singh Jassi won, riding on the support of the sect's followers.
The Congress benefited on several seats, party leaders say at least 20-25, due to the direction of the sect to its followers - called "Premis".
Many Akali stalwarts, who would now have been in the running for ministerial berths, lost their election in the Malwa belt. The Congress won 35 seats in the Malwa belt - almost double the seats won by Akalis this time.
The talk now in the Akali Dal camp is that Badal senior will be able to distribute ministerial berths more easily, now that most of his own party's stalwarts have lost.
But the Congress gains in Malwa were negated by the party's rout in the Doaba (region between Sutlej and Beas rivers known for immigrants) and Majha (the area north of river Beas).
Congress candidates in both these belts won seats more on individual strengths rather than due to the party they represented. In all, it won nine seats in both the belts.
Congress leaders, including Amarinder Singh, now blame the BJP victory for their loss.
The BJP won 19 of the 23 seats it contested. This would certainly give some headache to alliance partner Akali Dal because the BJP has begun to demand more ministerial berths and even the post of deputy chief minister.
Badal can have 17 ministers in his government. The BJP is demanding six berths.
The BJP won many seats in towns, capitalizing on the people's anger over rising prices, development issues and corruption charges against the Amarinder Singh government.
Ironically, the Amarinder Singh government itself came to power in 2002 banking on the corruption in the then Badal government.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Corporation tax accounts for almost 21 per cent of India's $148 billion central budget presented by finance minister P Chidambaram Wednesday while market borrowings and other liabilities make up 19 per cent.
Among the other heads, income tax makes up for 13 percent, customs 12 per cent and excise 17 per cent of the revenue collected.
Of this, a whopping 20 per cent is the outlay for centrally sponsored schemes that includes the government's flagship social sector programmes like the Bharat Nirman, National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and sectors like health and education.
Defence expenditure is pegged at 12 per cent and the states' share of taxes and duties is 18 per cent.
Translating these into rupee terms, the outlay for social services is Rs, 80,315 crores, the energy sector Rs 79,158 crores, transport, Rs 71,589 crores and communications, Rs 25,812 crores.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (THE HINDU) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said the electorate in Uttarakhand had decisively rejected the N.D. Tiwari Government, as it had institutionalised corruption, failed to provide effective administration and indulged in regional discrimination on the development agenda.
Mr. Prasad, party in-charge of the State, told newspersons here that the Congress had suffered from self-inflicted paralysis. It was trying to come back to power by projecting a leader who was not visible and who had made it clear that he had no interest in heading the State again.
"The price rise badly affected the people living in the hills and life had become very difficult for the people. The cost of living had gone up drastically, burning a hole in the pockets of the people, while no employment opportunities were generated leading to strong resentment especially among the youth," he said.
Mr. Prasad, who covered 60 out of a total 70 Assembly segments during the election campaign, said the MLAs would decide on their new leader. The sentiments of the people would be also kept in mind. He said he would be leaving for Dehra Dun along with the other party observers by Wednesday evening and expressed confidence that everything would go off smoothly on March 1.
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) An Indian Navy Sea King helicopter crashed in Mumbai Wednesday but its three crewmembers are safe, an official said.
"The crash occurred at 5.30 p.m. while the helicopter was on a routine training flight," defence ministry spokesman Captain Abhay Lambate told IANS from the scene of the accident.
"While it was preparing to touch down at the naval air station INS Kunjali-II, it crash-landed into the sea," he added.
"The pilot and two aircrew are safe. The helicopter is being recovered from the sea," Lambate said, adding that a board of enquiry had been ordered into the accident.
INS Kunjali-II is located on the seashore at Colaba in south Mumbai. It operates a variety of helicopters like the Chetak, the Ka-28 and Ka-31 surveillance craft and the transport and troop carrier Sea King Mark 42.
Shahr-e Kord, Charmahal-Bakhtiari Prov, Feb 28, (IRNA) "Iran, relying on the strong support of its people, will confront the enemies in their attempts to form a cultural NATO," said Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi Tuesday evening.
Speaking at the end of a visit to this western province, the minister told IRNA that the US and its allies have launched a cultural invasion against Islamic, independent and developing countries.
He referred to their plot as a "cultural NATO."
He said Iran has forged a detailed plan which it will implement in the coming year (1386) to confront the "cultural NATO" of the enemies.
The culture minister said that US moves to encourage color revolutions in independent states have backfired on itself.
"Color revolutions" is a term used to refer to the revolutions staged in the Czech Republic (purple), Ukraine (orange) and Georgia (white).
The era of color revolutions is over, noted Saffar-Harandi.
The minister is in the province to attend a local meeting.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Aiming to move towards a tax regime comparable with East Asian economies, Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday reduced the peak rate of customs duties for non-agricultural products from 12.5 percent to 10 percent.
"In order to take one more step towards comparable East Asian rates, I propose to reduce the peak rate for non-agricultural products from 12.5 percent to 10 percent," he said while presenting the union budget for 2007-8 in parliament.
The move follow wide-ranging tariff cuts announced last month.
The duties on most chemicals and plastics are proposed to be reduced from 12.5 percent to 7.5 percent.
While the duty on prime steel is 5 percent, seconds and defectives augment supply. "Keeping in mind the need for a differential, I propose to reduce the duty on seconds and defectives of steel from 20 percent to 10 percent," the finance minister noted.
All coking coal, irrespective of the ash content, is proposed to be fully exempt from duty.
Following up on the excise duty cut on all man-made fibres and yarns from 16 percent to 8 percent, Chidambaram reduced the customs duty on polyester fibres and yarns from 10 percent to 7.5 percent. Consequently, the customs duty on raw materials such as DMT, PTA and MEG will also be reduced from 10 percent to 7.5 percent.
Terming gem and jewellery industry as "growth- and employment- driver", he proposed to bring down the duty on cut and polished diamonds from 5 percent to 3 percent; on rough synthetic stones from 12.5 percent to 5 percent; and on unworked corals from 30 percent to 10 percent.
Aiming to augment irrigation facilities and processing of agricultural products, the duty on drip irrigation systems, agricultural sprinklers and food processing machinery will be brought down from 7.5 percent to 5 percent.
While specified medical equipments attract a concessional duty of 5 percent, the general rate of import duty on medical equipment is proposed to be cut from 12.5 percent to 7.5 percent.
In order to make edible oils more affordable, crude as well as refined edible oils were proposed to be exempted from the additional CV duty of 4 percent, while the duty on sunflower oil, both crude and refined, is being reduced by 15 percentage points.
On a lighter note, Chidamabaram said: "I have good news for cat and dog lovers" as he proposed to reduce the duty on pet foods from 30 percent to 20 percent.
In order to promote research and development, the budget proposes to extend the concessional rate of 5 percent duty available to public funded research institutions to all research institutions registered with the Directorate of Scientific and Industrial Research.
For the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, the duty on 15 specified machinery is proposed to be cut from 7.5 percent to 5 percent.
"Import of aircraft, including helicopters, by the government and scheduled airlines is, at present, exempt from all duties, and that position will continue. However, there is no reason to allow the exemption to other private importers. Hence, I propose to levy an import duty of 3 percent, which is the WTO bound rate, on all private import of aircraft including helicopters," the finance minister announced.
To conserve natural resources as well as to raise revenue, he proposed to impose an export duty of Rs.300 per metric tonne on export of iron ores and concentrates and Rs.2,000 per metric tonne on export of chrome ores and concentrates.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Sri Lanka became the first host country ever to lift the World Cup when they defeated Australia by seven wickets in the final in Lahore on March 17, 1996.
The World Cup that year was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Aravinda de Silva turned out to be the hero of the match as he picked up three wickets and then hit a match-winning 107 not out as Sri Lanka, who had won only four matches in the previous five World Cups, won the quadrennial tournament.
It was the first day and night match to be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga won the toss and made a bold decision to field, given the fact that at the time no team had won the World Cup batting second.
And the show didn't quiet go according to his plan as the hitherto accurate Chaminda Vaas pitched too short and was spanked all over the ground by Mark Taylor (74) and Ricky Ponting (45).
But Man of the Match De Silva got some good turn of the track and picked up three wickets and the balance shifted Sri Lanka's way. Australia were poised for a big score but ended up getting 241 for the loss of seven wickets in 50 overs.
The gritty Australians fought back strongly by removing Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharna, who were a nightmare for the bowlers in the 1996 edition.
But De Silva hit a magnificent 107 not out to see the Sri Lankans romp home safely in 46.2 overs and with seven wickets to spare.
SCOREBOARD
Australia vs. Sri Lanka, Final, World Cup, Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore, March 17, 1996
Australia:
Mark Taylor c Jayasuriya b de Silva 74
Mark Waugh c Jayasuriya b Vaas 12
Ricky Ponting b de Silva 45
Steve Waugh c de Silva b Dharmasena 13
Shane Warne st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 2
Stuart Law c de Silva b Jayasuriya 22
Michael Bevan not out 36
Ian Healy b de Silva 2
Paul Reiffel not out 13
Extras: (lb 10, w 11, nb 1) 22
Total: (for seven wickets in 50 overs) 241
Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Mark), 2-137 (Taylor), 3-152 (Ponting), 4-156 (Warne), 5-170 (Steve), 6-202 (Law), 7-205 (Healy)
Bowling:
Pramodya Wickramasinghe 7-0-38-0 (2w)
Chaminda Vaas 6-1-30-1
Muttiah Muralitharan 10-0-31-1 (1w)
Kumara Dharmasena 10-0-47-1 (1nb)
Sanath Jayasuriya 8-0-43-1 (5w)
Aravinda de Silva 9-0-42-3 (3w)
Sri Lanka:
Sanath Jayasuriya run out 9
Romesh Kaluwitharana c Bevan b Fleming 6
Asanka Gurusinha b Reiffel 65
Aravinda de Silva not out 107
Arjuna Ranatunga not out 47
Extras: (b 1, lb 4, w 5, nb 1) 11
Total: (for three wickets in 46.2 overs) 245
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Jayasuriya), 2-23 (Kaluwitharana), 3-148 (Gurusinha)
Bowling:
Glenn McGrath 8.2-1-28-0
Damien Fleming 6-0-43-1 (4w)
Shane Warne 10-0-58-0 (1nb, 1w)
Paul Reiffel 10-0-49-1
Mark Waugh 6-0-35-0
Steve Waugh 3-0-15-0 (1nb)
Michael Bevan 3-0-12-0
Result: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and David Shepherd (England)
Match Referee: Clive Lloyd (West Indies)
Man of the Match: Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka)
Man of the Series: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India's defence budget will rise by a moderate eight percent to Rs.960 billion, with 43 percent of this earmarked for the purchase of hardware by the armed forces, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in parliament Wednesday while presenting budget 2007.
While Rs.420 billion has been provided for purchases, a whopping Rs.540 billion will go toward non-plan expenditure.
Overall, there is an increase of Rs.70 billion over the Rs.890 billion allocated for 2006-07. The defence ministry is understood to have asked for a 10 percent increase.
"Any other additional requirement for the security of the nation would be provided," Chidambaram said, an indication that additional funds would be forthcoming if the armed forces made out a case for this.
The army continues to corner a major share of the pie with an allocation of Rs.340 billion, while the navy and the air force will receive Rs.69 billion and Rs.101 billion respectively.
Besides, Rs.31 billion has been set aside for defence research and development.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India's defence budget has risen by a moderate eight percent to Rs.960 billion, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in parliament Wednesday while presenting budget 2007.
This is an increase of Rs.70 billion over the Rs.890 billion allocated for 2006-07.
A little over half of the Rs.960 billion allocation will be earmarked for the acquisition of hardware by the armed forces, Chidambaram said.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India's defence budget is to increase by eight percent to Rs.960 billion, with 43 percent of this earmarked for equipment purchases, said Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday, holding out the promise of more funds if a case was made out for it.
"Any other additional requirement for the security of the nation would be provided," Chidambaram said while presenting the budget for fiscal 2007-08 in parliament Wednesday.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony immediately welcomed Chidambaram's statement.
"With this commitment by the finance minister, we are satisfied," an aide quoted Antony as saying.
The defence allocation is 14 percent of the total budget of Rs.6.8 trillion.
While Rs.420 billion has been provided for purchases, a whopping Rs.540 billion will go toward non-plan expenditure.
Overall, there is an increase of Rs.70 billion over the Rs.890 billion allocated for 2006-07. The defence ministry is understood to have plugged for a 10 percent increase.
This is in spite of the defence ministry returning as unspent Rs.30 billion of the Rs.374 billion allocated for capital expenditure in the previous fiscal. The non-plan allocation of Rs.515 billion for 2006-07 has, however, been fully spent.
The army continues to corner a major share of the pie with an allocation of Rs.340 billion, while the navy and the air force will receive Rs.69 billion and Rs.101 billion respectively.
In terms of capital outlay, however, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is the biggest gainer, receiving a total of Rs.158 billion. Of this, Rs.102 billion is towards the purchase of aircraft and aero engines and Rs.56 billion for "other purchases".
The IAF is on the verge of signing a $1.6 billion (Rs.71 billion) deal for purchasing 40 Sukhoi SU-30 MKI combat jets from Russia. This apart, the IAF has also projected a requirement of large numbers of heavy and medium lift transport aircraft, as also for some 80 Mi-17V1 medium helicopters.
The Indian Navy has been allocated Rs.89 billion with Rs.19 billion for the purchase of aircraft, Rs.14 billion for other purchases and Rs.56 billion under the head naval fleet.
The navy, which has embarked on an ambitious fleet expansion plan, hopes to receive by next year its second aircraft carrier, the refurbished INS Vikramaditya, from Russia along with a compliment of MiG-29 fighters.
The Indian Army will receive Rs.76 billion, Rs.10 billion toward the purchase of aircraft and Rs.66 billion toward other expenditure.
The army is eyeing two big-ticket purchases - 197 light helicopters in a deal valued at $600 million and some 400 heavy artillery guns for $1.6 billion.
Besides, Rs.31 billion has been set aside for defence research and development.
Defence analysts, however, felt the allocations were far low than actual requirements.
"If the economy is growing at nine percent (in real terms) and inflation is at six percent, then a minimum of a 15 percent hike would be in order," said Air Commodore (retd) Jasjit Singh, the former head of think tank Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.
"Unless you effect hikes of that order, you are actually winding down the military," Singh told IANS.
India Strategic magazine editor Gulshan Luthra agreed.
"The Indian military needs a minimum 20 percent funds' increase per year for the next five years if the armed forces are to make up for the time lost due to political paralysis," he said.
Pointing out that the bulk of the equipment with the armed forces had been purchased during the time of prime ministers Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi, Luthra said this was of Soviet vintage.
"This has left a yawning gap in our capabilities that needs to be urgently plugged," he maintained.
"There is no need to be slow and steady (in hiking defence expenditure). What is required is at least one substantial and sudden rise," Luthra said.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) After a spell of unseasonable showers early Wednesday surprised Delhiites, the national capital experienced some more moderate rains with gusty winds late in the evening bringing down night temperatures.
The weather office said the city had nearly 10 mm rainfall and attributed it to western disturbances.
"The rainy spell should last until Thursday afternoon. Besides Delhi, the entire belt of north India is experiencing such weather condition," said an IMD official.
"This is so unusual. Rainfall in the morning, bright sunlight in the afternoon ... I am sure these are signs of global warming," said Bhavan Singh, a bank employee.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 16.3 degrees. However, weathermen said the night temperature would dip a couple of points.
"The night temperature would hover around 14 degrees," the official added.
The wind speed, as recorded by the met department, is 50-70 kmph under the influence of the cyclonic winds. While one or two spells of rain and thundershowers were expected later in the day, night temperatures were also expected to fall.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the Delhi government to reduce the two-year nursery period for children seeking admission to schools to one year, saying only four-year-old children should be admitted in Class 1.
Refusing to increase the age of children to three and half years at the nursery stage, a division bench of Chief Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said: "There is no need to admit a three-year-old child in the school. Why do you need nursery and kindergarten classes? One year at nursery level would be sufficient to prepare a child for admission in class 1."
The Delhi School Education Act says a child should be at least five years old as on Sept 30 of a calendar year, for admission to any formal school, said the bench.
Senior counsel K.T.S. Tulsi, appearing for the state government, submitted that during a meeting chaired by Delhi Education Minister Arvind Singh Lovely it was decided that a three-year-old child was not fully grown-up to go to a school.
The child does not become physically and psychologically fit to cope with the rigours of studies, said Tulsi, quoting the minutes of the meeting.
Adjourning the matter till March 6, the court asked the state government to file its reply.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) As a 100 snake charmers played their beens (bulbous flutes), long serpentine queues, hypnotised by the musical notes, began to move towards Connaught Place's Central Park to catch the performance.
Snake charmers, long associated with India's mystique and exotic image, gathered here late Tuesday to play their beens along with khanjari (tambourine) and tumba (string instrument) although there were no snakes to charm.
"It's absolutely brilliant," said a tourist, capturing the harmonious spectacle on a camera.
"Their music was so inviting. I was shopping but when I heard their music I couldn't help coming here," said Subhalakshmi, a housewife who sat with her husband in the park.
Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was also present among the audience.
The journey of these snake-less charmers has, however, not been very easy. After the Wildlife Protection Act came into being in 1972 and wildlife conservationists started hammering the point that snakes must not be used for entertainment purposes, thousands of snake charmers in the country suddenly became jobless overnight.
But the scenario is slowly changing now. Although their snakes were taken away, the been is still with them.
"Now we play our beens in order to highlight our musical talent and to sensitise the government and the people that we need an alternative livelihood," said Mani Ram Nath, a former snake charmer from Rajasthan.
From playing Bollywood melodies - like "Kajra re" - to Scottish tunes like "Amazing grace" and even a couple of self-compositions, these men simply charmed the crowds.
Hailing from mainly four states - Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi - this group now calls itself Sarp-Rakshak (snake-protectors) and spreads awareness about snakes to the general public in zoos and wildlife parks.
The concert, directed by theatre personality Roysten Abel, was supported by the Jeevika Trust, an NGO. Organised by the Sahitya Kala Parishad and the department of art and culture, the concert will be on till Thursday.
Pahani (Hardoi), Feb 28 (Indianmuslims.info) The Government Girls Inter College principal’s bid to compel the Muslim girl students to stand with folded hands at the time of daily college prayer has irked the religious sensibility of Muslims and is likely to crack as a communal issue at the State level.
Uttar Pradesh Ansari United Front, at a meeting held at Islamia School near Islam Ganj Bazar here Tuesday, expressed anger and agony over the biased move of the GGIC principal.
“When the girl students of the college chose to evade the directive, they were beaten black and blue and threatened to be failed in the examinations. Their parents and guardians have complained to the higher officials of the Department of Education. A delegation of about 12 persons also called on the District Magistrate to apprise him of the situation and seek his intervention in getting the issue resolved. Although the DM assured the delegation to take action against the principal, the latter’s prejudiced directive is still in vogue,� informed the Front’s president Aslam Ansari.
Mr Ansari said Muslims would resort to stage public protests if the anti-Muslim attitude continues any longer. He added that the Front would raise this issue at the State level and called upon the Muslims in the State to get united.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), the main software industry lobby in India, Wednesday opposed imposition of minimum alternative tax (MAT) on IT firms proposed in the 2007-08 central budget.
"NASSCOM is dismayed at the proposal to extend MAT on export incomes," the body said in a statement on the budget presented in parliament by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.
Calling the move a "regressive step", Nasscom said this would have negative impact on business and investment plans of various IT companies.
"This could affect investor confidence and growth in this sector which is not only India's biggest exporter ($31.6 billion in 2006-07) but is the biggest employer in the organised private sector," it said.
NASSCOM asked the government to extend the tax holiday for the sector for another 10 years to maintain its pace of rapid growth.
It expressed its dissatisfaction that issues of transfer pricing and the method of computation of export turnover have not been addressed by the Finance Minister.
It has, however, welcomed the steps taken by the government towards improvement of vocational studies and industrial training institutes (ITIs), which it feels will address the issue of skilled manpower shortage in the information technology enabled services (ITES) industry.
London, Feb 28 (IANS) Immigrants will not be granted permanent British citizenship unless they undertake community work and prove they are in tune with British values, said Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown.
"It is time to end the situation where citizenship is granted through 24 questions on life in the UK that last for 45 minutes," Brown told reporters here Tuesday.
Brown said as prime minister, he would create a new status of 'temporary citizenship', under which foreigners would be on probation and have to pass a string of tests to qualify for full rights, said the Daily Mail.
"Undertaking community work would be in addition to the stringent citizenship tests," he said. "For new citizens, learning English should be a requirement. Citizens should have an understanding of our history and culture."
The plan for temporary citizenship would create a contract between foreign-born nationals and the state under which they would prove their desire to become integrated.
The Australian government had passed a similar law last year, under which foreigners opting to become Australian citizens need to clear an English test. Under the law, migrants are also required to have knowledge about the Australian way of life and basic general knowledge.
France also grants citizenships to foreigners after they meet a series of stringent conditions. Recent terror attacks have prompted many developed countries to toughen immigration and citizenship laws.
Dubai, Feb 28 (NNN-WAM) Emirates Bank has been named UAE's Best Trade Finance Provider 2007 by Global Finance Magazine.
The prestigious award will be presented at this year's annual meeting of the IMF & World Bank being held in Washington.
Global Finance editors select the best trade finance provider based on input from industry analysts, rating agencies, corporate executives and technology experts.
Criteria for choosing winners included transaction volumes, scope of global coverage, customer service, competitive pricing, innovative solutions, use of technology and profitability.
Abdul Wahid Al Fahim, the Emirates Bank's general manager of Corporate Banking, said: "The Global Finance award is a testament to the confidence that the industry has in Emirates Bank. Emirates Bank has experienced professionals in trade finance and factoring who understand both the international & local trade practices.
"Large customer base, global coverage and local knowledge have enabled Emirates Bank to garner a significant market share of the trade business."
The rapid growth in the UAE economy in the recent times has led corporates to invest in new business lines, seek new trade partners and use contemporary methods of financing.
Recognising the changing needs of its customers, Emirates Bank set up Transaction Banking Services in 2004. Transaction Banking Services at Emirates Bank provides Trade Finance, Cash Management and Factoring Services under one umbrella, and its core competence is structuring a variety of trade and payment transactions for corporate customers.
Samir Sahu, head of Transaction Banking Services said: "This award from Global Finance validates our commitment to provide best in class Trade, Cash and Factoring services supported by robust technology, advisory and product structuring skills. Our Trade Finance processing partners ECTSME combines the use of workflow, scanning & imaging and bar-coding technologies that automates the full range of trade finance activities.
"Back-office processing is paperless and performed using images and achieves efficiency for all parties to the transaction."
Emirates Bank has extensive correspondent banking arrangements, insurance tie-up with COFACE for trade receivables and membership of Factors Chain International to service the rapidly emerging cross-border open account trade.
Berlin, Feb 28, (IRNA) The European Union is facing a shortage of 700,000 researchers, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel whose country holds the rotating six-month EU Presidency.
Germany has a lack of engineers and natural scientists, Merkel announced Tuesday during the opening conference of the newly-founded European Research Council in Berlin.
There is a special shortage of experts in the area of energy and climate, she added.
The new European Research Council will be allocated with a total budget of 7.5 billion euros for the time period between 2007 and 2013.
The objective of the EU heads of states is to spend three percent of their country's gross domestic product for research and development.
Germany is presently spending 2.5 percent of its GDP on research and innovation.
The Secretary General of the Research Council Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker complained of a brain drain of young European researchers to the US as a result of better pay and superior structures.
Berlin, Feb 28(IRNA)The European Union is facing a shortage of 700,000 researchers, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel whose country holds the rotating six-month EU Presidency.
Germany has a lack of engineers and natural scientists, Merkel announced Tuesday during the opening conference of the newly-founded European Research Council in Berlin.
There is a special shortage of experts in the area of energy and climate, she added.
The new European Research Council will be allocated with a total budget of 7.5 billion euros for the time period between 2007 and 2013.
The objective of the EU heads of states is to spend three percent of their country's gross domestic product for research and development.
Germany is presently spending 2.5 percent of its GDP on research and innovation.
The Secretary General of the Research Council Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker complained of a brain drain of young European researchers to the US as a result of better pay and superior structures.
La Paz, Feb 28 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Wrangling over natural gas prices for the Indian enterprise, Jindal Steel, continues to hinder the operation contract of the biggest iron deposit in Bolivia.
The negotiations, considered promising, will be assessed by the Cabinet, which will adopt the final decision.
The foreign firm turned to the highest level to convince the Executive on the conditions offered for the exploitation of iron reserves in El Mutun in eastern Bolivia.
Gas prices continue being the most polemical issue on the table since the foreign firm wants better profits while the government is looking for the implementation of Bolivian laws currently in force.
Negotiations with the Indian enterprise are taking place amidst protests organized by civic leaders from Puerto Suarez locality in the western department (province) of Santa Cruz demanding that the government sign the contract.
Hong Kong, Feb 28 (DPA) Hong Kong's financial secretary Henry Tang Wednesday unveiled a feel-good budget weeks ahead of the city's leadership election, encouraging people to drink alcohol and make babies.
Praising Hong Kong's recent "economic miracle," Tang slashed the notoriously high drink prices by cutting alcohol duty by 50 percent, reducing the duty on wine from 80 to 40 percent and on beer and liquor form 40 to 20 percent.
He also offered a series of tax incentives for people to have bigger families, including higher child allowances and a one-off tax rebate of $6,400 upon the birth of a baby.
The move is aimed at encouraging people to have bigger families in a city which has an ageing population and one of the world's lowest birth rates.
The budget was unveiled just over three weeks before Tang's boss, Beijing-appointed chief executive Donald Tsang, is expected to be given a second term by a largely pro-China election committee on March 25.
Its "feel-good" flavour surprised many observers who expected a cautious budget from Tang who has resisted previous appeals for handouts despite Hong Kong's booming economy and rapidly-expanding budget surplus.
Announcing the cut in alcohol duty, Tang said it would "help promote the development of our catering industry, tourism and wholesale and retail alcoholic beverage trade ... benefiting the community at large."
He also said he would consider suggestions that in future alcohol duty should be abolished altogether "to boost economic activities, increase employment and promote the development of Hong Kong as the region's wine exhibition, trading and logistics centre."
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Following Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's speech while presenting the union budget for 2007-08 in parliament Wednesday:
Mr. Speaker, Sir
It is my privilege to present the Budget for 2007-08.
I. A MID-TERM REPORT CARD ON THE ECONOMY
2. In November 2006, the UPA Government crossed the midpoint of its term of office. A midterm report card can now be presented. There are many pluses and a few minuses, and I shall deal with both candidly. The biggest plus is that the growth rate of GDP has improved from 7.5 per cent in 2004-05 to 9 per cent (Quick Estimate) in 2005-06 and, according to Advance Estimate, to 9.2 per cent in 2006-07. The average growth rate in the three years of the UPA Government is, therefore, 8.6 per cent. Thanks to this impressive performance, despite the poor start in 2002-03, the growth target set for the Tenth Plan of 8 per cent will be nearly achieved.
3. Manufacturing is the main driver of growth, and this augurs well for the future. In the three years of the UPA Government, the growth rate in manufacturing has accelerated from 8.7 per cent to 9.1 per cent and further to 11.3 per cent. The services sector continues to maintain impressive growth and has recorded, in the three years, a growth rate of 9.6 per cent, 9.8 per cent and 11.2 per cent respectively.
4. On the other hand, the agriculture sector has witnessed sharp ups and downs. Average growth during the Tenth Plan period is estimated at 2.3 per cent, which is below the desired level of 4 per cent a year. About 115 million families are classified as farming families. Furthermore, a country with a large population has to be nearly self-sufficient in essential food items; otherwise supply constraints could upset macro economic stability and growth prospects. Hence, agriculture must top the agenda of the policy makers and must hold the first charge on our resources. In a short while, I shall place before this House a number of proposals in this regard.
Income and Savings
5. To continue with the report card, per capita income in 2005-06, in real terms, increased by 7.4 per cent, and the savings rate has been estimated at 32.4 per cent and the investment rate at 33.8 per cent. Intuitively, I believe that these high rates have continued in the current year too.
6. The UPA Government has remained committed to economic reforms, fiscal prudence and monetary stability.
7. Revenues are buoyant for the third year in succession. We have garnered additional revenues and, as Honourable Members will notice presently, I have put these revenues to good use to promote inclusive growth, equity and social justice - goals that are at the core of the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) and close to the hearts of the UPA, its Chairperson and the Prime Minister.
Outlook on Inflation
8. Until February 2, 2007, bank credit, year on year, had grown by 29.6 per cent. Money supply (M3) had expanded by 21.3 per cent. Foreign exchange reserves stood at US$ 180 billion. While these are concomitant features of high growth, it cannot be denied that these monetary trends have put pressure on prices. Global commodity prices have also exerted pressure on domestic prices. At the same time, supply constraints have emerged in some essential commodities such as wheat, pulses and edible oils. Consequently, average inflation in
2006-07 is estimated at between 5.2 and 5.4 per cent, which is higher than 4.4 per cent last year. I wish to reiterate Government's concern over inflation. Government has already taken a number of measures on the fiscal, monetary and supply sides to maintain price stability and, if required, will not hesitate to take more measures. When the UPA Government assumed office in 2004, the inflation graph was on the rise; but we succeeded in moderating inflation and we are confident that we can moderate the present inflationary trend too.
II. BHARAT NIRMAN AND THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES
9. Bharat Nirman remains the cornerstone of the Government's policy. I am glad to report that in the current financial year:
* Additional irrigation potential of 2,400,000 hectares, including 900,000 hectares under AIBP, will be created;
* Drinking water has been provided to 55,512 habitations until December 2006 against a target of 73,120 habitations;
* Until December 2006, 12,198 kilometres of rural roads have been completed. The separate window under RIDF will augment funds for the programme by Rs.4,000 crore a year;
* 783,000 rural houses have been constructed up to December 2006 and 914,000 houses are under construction, and the annual target of 1,500,000 houses is likely to be exceeded;
* 19,758 villages have been covered so far under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana;
* 15,054 villages have been provided with a telephone against the target of 20,000 villages, and the balance will be covered by the end of the year;
Honourable Members will note that Bharat Nirman continues to make impressive progress.
10. The eight flagship programmes of the UPA Government will continue to receive high
priority. Presently, I shall refer to these programmes in some detail.
III. HERALDING THE ELEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN
11. The year 2007-08 will mark the beginning of the Eleventh Plan. The declared objective is "Faster and More Inclusive Growth". I can state with confidence that, on the eve of the Plan, the economy is in a stronger position than ever before. It therefore behoves us to set higher goals. The Approach Paper to the Eleventh Plan states that the Plan "will aim at putting the economy on a sustainable growth trajectory with a growth rate of approximately 10 per cent by the end of its period." Among the other objectives of the Plan are growth of 4 per cent in the agriculture sector, faster employment creation, reducing disparities across regions and ensuring access to basic physical infrastructure as well as health and education services to all. I have kept these objectives in mind while allocating resources to various sectors.
Gross Budgetary Support
12. Notwithstanding some constraints, I propose to increase substantially the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for the Plan. In 2006-07, the GBS was fixed at Rs.172,728 crore and, of this, support to the Central Plan was Rs.131,284 crore. GBS for 2007-08 will be increased to Rs.205,100 crore. Out of this, the Central Plan will receive Rs.154,939 crore.
Allocations for Major Sectors
13. For Bharat Nirman, as against Rs.18,696 crore (including the NER component) in 2006-07, I propose to provide Rs.24,603 crore in 2007-08, which marks an increase of 31.6 per cent.
14. The education and health sectors will also receive substantial funds. In 2007-08, I propose to enhance the allocation for education by 34.2 per cent to Rs.32,352 crore and for health and family welfare by 21.9 per cent to Rs.15,291 crore.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Mid-day Meal Scheme
15. In allocating resources, school education must have primacy. Hence, I propose to increase the allocation for school education by about 35 per cent from Rs.17,133 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.23,142 crore in 2007-08.
16. Out of this amount, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) will be provided Rs.10,671 crore. Further, I propose to increase the provision for strengthening teachers training institutions from Rs.162 crore to Rs.450 crore. Next year, we will appoint 200,000 more teachers and construct 500,000 more class rooms.
17. The Mid-day Meal Scheme will be provided Rs.7,324 crore next year. In addition to covering children in primary classes, beginning 2007-08, we propose to cover children in upper primary classes in 3,427 educationally backward blocks.
18. The transfer to Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh will increase from Rs.8,746 crore to Rs.10,393 crore.
19. As more students complete upper primary classes, it is necessary to increase access to secondary education. Schemes for this purpose are under formulation, and I propose to double the provision for secondary education from Rs.1,837 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.3,794 crore in 2007-08.
Means-Cum-Merit Scholarships
20. While the SSA has improved the enrolment ratio in schools to 96 per cent, the drop out ratio continues to be high. The critical year appears to be transition from class VIII to class IX. In order to arrest the drop out ratio and encourage students to continue their education beyond class VIII, I propose to introduce a National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme. Selection will be made through a national test from among students who have passed class VIII. Each student will be given Rs.6,000 per year for study in classes IX, X, XI and XII. I propose that 100,000 scholarships may be awarded every year. In order to fund this programme, I intend to create a corpus fund of Rs.750 crore this year, and add a like amount to the fund every year over the next three years. Accordingly, a sum of Rs.750 crore will be placed with the State Bank of India, and the yield from the fund will be used for awarding the scholarships.
Drinking Water and Sanitation
21. 55,512 habitations and 34,000 schools have been provided drinking water supply till December, 2006 under the Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission. More ambitious targets have been set for 2007-08 to deal with both non-coverage and slippage. I propose to enhance the allocation for the Mission from Rs.4,680 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.5,850 crore in 2007-08.
22. As regards the Total Sanitation Campaign, I propose to increase the provision from Rs.720 crore this year to Rs.954 crore next year.
Health Sector; National Rural Health Mission
23. In the second year of its implementation, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is on schedule to meet its timelines. The institutional integration of all the health schemes at the district and lower levels has been achieved. All districts in the country will complete preparation of District Health Action Plans by March 2007. The major emphasis will be on mother and child care and on the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Through Monthly Health Days (MHD) organised at Anganwadi centres, convergence is sought to be achieved among various programmes such as immunization, ante natal care as well as nutrition and sanitation.
24. I am happy to report that 320,000 Associated Social Health Activists (ASHAs) have been recruited and over 200,000 have received orientation training. Besides, 90,000 link workers have been selected by the States. With trained ASHAs in place, I am confident there will be significant improvement in health care in rural areas. The Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) systems are also being mainstreamed into the health delivery system at all levels. I propose to increase the allocation for NRHM from Rs.8,207 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.9,947 crore in 2007-08.
HIV/AIDS
25. Government has brought HIV/AIDS out of the closet and promised bold and determined efforts to achieve zero-level growth of the disease. The epidemic will be deemed 'stabilised' if the prevalence rate is less than one per cent of the population. National Aids Control Programme (NACP)-III, starting in 2007-08 and building on NACP-I and NACP-II, will target the high risk groups in all the States. We will expand access to condoms and ensure universal access to blood screening and safe blood. More hospitals will provide treatment to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child. Support will be given to the protocol on paediatric dosage developed by Indian doctors and launched in November 2006. For the year 2007-08, I propose to step up the provision for the AIDS control programme to Rs.969 crore.
Polio
26. Last year, I had expressed the hope that polio will be eliminated from the country by December 2007. However, there was an outbreak in western Uttar Pradesh in early 2006. The strategy for polio eradication has been revised. The number of polio rounds will be increased, monovalent vaccine will be introduced, and there will be intensive coverage in the 20 high risk districts of Uttar Pradesh and 10 districts of Bihar. The programme has been integrated into the NRHM. The ASHAs and the Anganwadi workers will visit every household and track every child for the immunization programme. To achieve the goal of eliminating polio, I propose to provide Rs.1,290 crore in 2007-08.
Integrated Child Development Services
27. In the second phase of expansion of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Government has sanctioned 173 ICDS projects, 107,274 Anganwadi centres and 25,961 mini-Anganwadi centres. Government is committed to expand the scheme in order to cover all habitations and settlements during the Eleventh Plan and to reach out to pregnant women, lactating mothers and all children below the age of six. I propose to increase the allocation for ICDS from Rs.4,087 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.4,761 crore in 2007-08.
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
28. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) was launched on February 2, 2006. The pace of implementation varies from State to State. Since NREGS is a demand-driven scheme carrying a legal guarantee of employment, the budget allocation would have to be supplemented according to need. I therefore propose to make an initial allocation of Rs.12,000 crore (including NER component) for NREGS. I am also happy to announce that NREGS will be expanded from the current level of 200 districts to 330 districts. In addition, I have provided Rs.2,800 crore for Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) for rural employment in the districts not covered by NREGS.
29. Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) is intended to promote self-employment among the rural poor through Self Help Groups (SHG). I propose to strengthen this programme by increasing the allocation from Rs.1,200 crore in the current year to Rs.1,800 crore (including NER component) next year.
Urban Unemployment
30. The issue of urban unemployment and poverty alleviation is equally critical. Hence, I propose to increase the allocation for Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana from Rs.250 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.344 crore next year.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
31. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has evoked a positive response from State Governments. As on date, 538 projects with a total cost of Rs.23,950 crore have been sanctioned in sectors such as water supply, sanitation, transport, road and housing in many cities spread over several States. I propose to enhance the allocation from Rs.4,595 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.4,987 crore 2007-08.
Targeted Public Distribution System and Antyodaya Anna Yojana
32. The issue prices of food grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and for the beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana have been retained. A Plan scheme for evaluation, monitoring, management and strengthening of the targeted PDS will be implemented in 2007-08, and this will include computerisation of the PDS and an integrated information system in the Food Corporation of India.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
33. Continuing the practice that was started in 2005-06, a separate statement on the schemes for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) is placed in the Budget documents. The allocation in 2007-08 for SCs and STs has been substantially enhanced. In respect of schemes benefiting only SCs and STs, I have increased the allocation to Rs.3,271 crore. In respect of schemes with at least 20 per cent of the benefits earmarked for SCs and STs, I have increased the allocation to Rs.17,691 crore.
34. SC and ST students studying in M.Phil and PhD courses are supported by the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Programme. I propose to enhance the allocation from Rs.35 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.88 crore in 2007-08.
Post-Matric Scholarships
35. There is a post-matric scholarship programme for SC and ST students. I propose to increase the provision for these scholarships from Rs.440 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.611 crore in 2007-08. I also propose to make a separate provision of Rs.91 crore for similar scholarships to be awarded to students belonging to socially and educationally backward classes.
Minorities
36. Last year, I made a modest contribution of Rs.16.47 crore to the equity of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Following the Sachar Committee report, NMDFC would be required to expand its reach and intensify its efforts. Hence, I propose to provide a further sum of Rs.63 crore to the share capital of NMDFC.
37. There are a number of districts with a concentration of minorities. I propose to make a provision of Rs.108 crore for a multi-sector development programme in these districts.
38. Three scholarship programmes are being implemented for students belonging to minority communities. I propose to make the following allocations:
Pre-matric scholarships Rs.72 crore
Post-matric scholarships Rs.90 crore
Merit-cum-Means scholarships at graduate and post-graduate levels Rs.48.60 crore
Women
39. There is growing awareness of gender sensitivities of budgetary allocations. 50 ministries/departments have set up gender budgeting cells. For 2007-08, 27 ministries/departments and 5 Union Territories covering 33 demands for grants have contributed to a statement placed in the budget papers. The outlay for 100 per cent women specific programmes is Rs.8,795 crore and for schemes where at least 30 per cent is for women specific programmes is Rs.22,382 crore. We have made a sincere effort to remove the errors that were pointed out in last year's statement.
North Eastern Region (NER)
40. The total budget allocation in 2007-08 for the North Eastern Region, culled out from allocations under different ministries/ departments, has increased from Rs.12,041 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.14,365 crore in 2007-08. This includes Rs.1,380 crore provided to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER). The new industrial policy for NER, with suitable fiscal incentives, will be in place before March 31, 2007.
Supplement to the GBS
41. I have, so far, outlined the allocations under what may be called Plan 'A' which has a resource basket of Rs.205,100 crore. In consultation with the
Planning Commission, I have also drawn up Plan 'B'. Since the Eleventh Plan will begin on April 1, 2007, we recognize that there will be a need to take new initiatives in critical areas. Additional resources will be needed once the proposals are finalised and the pace of expenditure builds up. Therefore, I shall endeavour to find additional resources through better tax administration to the extent of Rs.7,000 crore during the course of the year. I have been advised by the Planning Commission that these additional funds, once voted by this House, will be allocated among sectors such as agriculture, rural development, health, women and child development, urban infrastructure, water resources, etc.
42. I also have Plan 'C'. Under Plan 'C', I propose to tap into resources available outside the Budget and leverage them for the purpose of investment, especially in the infrastructure sector. I shall deal with this subject a little later.
IV. AGRICULTURE
43. I shall now take up our main challenge: agriculture. I may recall the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, who said "Everything else can wait, but not agriculture".
44. The draft National Policy for Farmers submitted by the National Commission on Farmers is under consideration. Meanwhile, I have a number of proposals to improve the economic viability of farming and ensure that farmers earn a minimum net income.
Farm Credit
45. Farm credit continues to grow at a satisfactory pace. The goal of doubling farm credit in three years was achieved in two years. The target of Rs.175,000 crore set for 2006-07 will be exceeded comfortably and is likely to reach Rs.190,000 crore. This year, until December 2006, 53.37 lakh new farmers were brought into the institutional credit system. For 2007-08, I propose to fix a target of Rs.225,000 crore as farm credit and an addition of 50 lakh new farmers to the banking system.
46. The two per cent interest subvention scheme for short-term crop loans will continue in 2007-08, and I am making a provision of Rs.1,677 crore for that purpose.
47. A special plan is being implemented over a period of three years in 31 especially distressed districts in four States of the country involving a total amount of Rs.16,979 crore. Of this, about Rs.12,400 crore will be on water related schemes. In order to provide subsidiary income to the farmer, the special plan includes a scheme for induction of high yielding milch animals and related activities. I propose to provide Rs.153 crore for this scheme.
Agricultural Indebtedness
48. Government had appointed a Committee under Dr. R. Radhakrishna to examine all aspects of agricultural indebtedness. The Committee has held wide ranging consultations across the country and is in the process of finalising its recommendations. Government will act on the report as soon as it is received.
A Mission for Pulses
49. Government is concerned about the stagnation in the production and productivity of pulses. A critical deficiency is the availability and quality of certified seeds. I therefore propose to expand the Integrated Oilseeds, Oil palm, Pulses and Maize Development programme. There will be a sharper focus on scaling up the production of breeder, foundation and certified seeds. The Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur, the National and State level seeds corporations, agricultural universities, ICAR centres, KRIBHCO, IFFCO and NAFED as well as large private sector companies will be invited to submit plans to scale up the production of seeds. Government will fund the expansion of IIPR, Kanpur, and offer the other producers a capital grant or concessional financing in order to double the production of certified seeds within a period of three years.
Plantation Sector
50. A Special Purpose Tea Fund has been launched for re-plantation and rejuvenation of tea. Government will soon put in place similar financial mechanisms for coffee, rubber, spices, cashew and coconut.
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
51. The Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) has been revamped in order to complete more irrigation projects in the quickest possible time. 35 projects are likely to be completed in 2006-07 and additional irrigation potential of 900,000 hectares will be created. As against an outlay of Rs.7,121 crore in 2006-07, the outlay for 2007-08 will be increased to Rs.11,000 crore. Of this, the grant component to State Governments will be Rs.3,580 crore, an increase from Rs.2,350 crore.
Rainfed Area Development Programme
52. The National Rainfed Area Authority was established a few months ago to coordinate all schemes relating to watershed development and other aspects of land use. I propose to allocate Rs.100 crore for the new Rainfed Area Development Programme.
Water Resources Management: Restoring Water Bodies
53. Honourable Members will recall that, in March 2005, a pilot project to repair, renovate and restore water bodies was launched in 13 States. I am happy to inform the House that the World Bank has signed a loan agreement with Tamil Nadu for Rs.2,182 crore to restore 5,763 water bodies having a command area of 400,000 hectares. An agreement for Andhra Pradesh is expected to be concluded in March 2007 and will cover 3,000 water bodies with a command area of 250,000 hectares. Preparation of similar projects for Karnataka, Orissa and West Bengal are at different stages and at least two more agreements are likely to be concluded before June 2007. I would urge other State Governments to come forward with proposals so that the whole country can be covered within the next two years.
Ground Water Recharge
54. Depletion of ground water has assumed grave proportions. The Central Ground Water Board has identified 1,065 assessment blocks in the country as 'over-exploited' or 'critical'. Over 80 per cent of these blocks are in 100 districts in seven States. The strategy for ground water recharge is to divert rain water into 'dug wells'. Each structure will cost about Rs.4,000. The requirement is seven million structures, including about two million structures on land belonging to small and marginal farmers. I propose to provide 100 per cent subsidy to small and marginal farmers and 50 per cent subsidy to other farmers. Ministry of Water Resources will finalise the scheme shortly. In anticipation, I intend to transfer a sum of Rs.1,800 crore to NABARD. The amount will be held in escrow and will be disbursed through the lead bank of the district concerned to the beneficiaries.
Training of Farmers
55. With minimum instruction and training, our farmers will easily absorb good water management practices. I therefore propose that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) may set up one teaching-cum-demonstration model of water harvesting in each of 32 selected State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes. Each institution will train 100 trainers and 1,000 farmers every year in two-week and one-week programmes respectively. Based on estimates of recurring costs, I intend to provide an interest free loan of Rs.3 crore to each institution to create a corpus fund. The yield from the fund will be used for implementing the training programme. The total cost is estimated at Rs.100 crore.
Extension System
56. The green revolution of the 1960s was brought about by thousands of agricultural extension workers who worked side by side with our farmers under a programme called Training and Visit (T&V). Sadly, the extension system seems to have collapsed. In order to revive extension work, the Ministry of Agriculture will, in consultation with State Governments, draw up a new programme that will replicate T&V with suitable changes.
57. The Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) that is now in place in 262 districts will be extended to another 300 districts in 2007-08. I propose to enhance the provision for ATMA from Rs.50 crore to Rs.230 crore next year.
Fertiliser subsidies
58. I had budgeted Rs.17,253 crore for fertiliser subsidies in 2006-07. According to Revised Estimates, this will rise to Rs.22,452 crore, and there is a demand for more money. While fertilisers should indeed be subsidised, we must find an alternative method of delivering the subsidy directly to the farmer. The fertiliser industry has agreed to work with the Department of Fertilisers to conduct a study and find a solution. Based on the report, Government intends to implement a pilot programme in at least one district in each State in 2007-08.
Agricultural Insurance
59. The National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) will be continued in its present form for Kharif and Rabi 2007-08. I propose to make a provision of Rs.500 crore for the scheme.
60. Agricultural Insurance Corporation (AIC) has been running a pilot weather insurance scheme since Kharif 2004 and it appears to be a more promising risk mitigation scheme. Hence, Government will ask AIC to start a weather based crop insurance scheme on a pilot basis in two or three States, in consultation with the State Governments concerned, as an alternative to the NAIS. The scheme will be operated on an actuarial basis with an element of subsidy. I intend to allocate Rs.100 crore for this purpose in 2007-08.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
61. NABARD provides refinance to cooperative institutions. As the volume of farm credit increases and the Vaidyanathan Committee recommendations for reform of rural credit cooperatives are implemented, the demand for refinance will increase. In order to augment its resources, I propose to allow NABARD to issue rural bonds to the extent of Rs.5,000 crore. These bonds will be guaranteed by the Government and will be eligible for suitable tax exemption.
Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
62. The Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) continues to sanction and disburse funds to State Governments. In 2006-07, out of a corpus of Rs.10,000 crore, NABARD has so far issued sanctions for Rs.8,440 crore and will achieve its target. Keeping in view the growing demand for these funds, I propose to raise the corpus of RIDF-XIII in 2007-08 to Rs.12,000 crore. I would urge State Governments to use these funds primarily in the distressed districts of the State.
63. A separate window for rural roads under RIDF was opened with Rs.4,000 crore. Against this, projects for Rs.2,311 crore have been sanctioned in 2006-07. I propose to continue the separate window under RIDF-XIII in 2007-08 with a corpus of Rs.4,000 crore.
Social Security
64. One of the commitments made in the NCMP is that Government will introduce a social security scheme for unorganised workers. A committee chaired by Dr. Arjun Sengupta has given its report which is under consideration. Pending a decision, in order to signal the UPA Government's concern for the welfare of unorganised workers, I propose to make a beginning. I propose to extend death and disability insurance cover through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to rural landless households under a new scheme called 'Aam Admi Bima Yojana' (AABY). According to NSS Report No. 491, the estimate of such households is about 1.5 crore. By end March 2007, 70 lakh households will be covered through existing schemes of the LIC with the support of some State Governments and the social security fund with the LIC. Under AABY, I propose to cover the rural landless households which enjoy no cover at all today, and the number may be actually more than what is indicated in the NSS report. The head of the family or one earning member in the family will be insured. The Central Government will bear 50 per cent of the premium of Rs.200 per year per person and I would urge the State Governments to come forward to bear the other 50 per cent on behalf of the beneficiaries. Taking into account the annual cost to the Central Government, I intend to place a sum of Rs.1,000 crore in a fund that will be maintained by LIC. I propose to finalise the scheme in consultation with State Governments and begin to implement it in 2007-08.
65. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have devoted the last 15 minutes or so to agriculture. There is no dearth of schemes; there is no dearth of funds. What needs to be done is to deliver the intended outcomes. Saint Tiruvalluvar watches over us and warns:
"Uzhavinar Kai Madangin Illai Vizhaivathoom
Vittame Enbarkum Nilai"
[If ploughmen keep their hands folded Even sages claiming renunciation cannot find salvation]
V. INVESTMENT
66. All indicators point to an accelerating rate of investment in the economy. For example, gross domestic capital formation (GDCF) in 2005-06 grew by 23.7 per cent over the previous year to Rs.11,47,254 crore. I believe that this trend continues in 2006-07. In April-January, 2006-07, foreign direct investment amounted to US$12.5 billion and outpaced portfolio investment which was US$6.8 billion.
67. Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) will, through internal and extra budgetary resources, invest Rs.165,053 crore in 2007-08. Government will provide equity support of Rs.16,361 crore and loans of Rs.2,970 crore to CPSEs.
68. Further, in the current year, we have restructured eight CPSEs with a cash infusion of Rs.1,590 crore and non-cash sacrifices of Rs.1,612 crore.
VI. INFRASTRUCTURE
Power
69. Electricity generation has recorded a growth rate of 7.5 per cent in April-December this year. However, as we complete the Tenth Plan, we would have added only 23,163 MW of additional capacity in the five year period including 16,339 MW added in the three years beginning 2004-05. Hence, it is imperative that we take new initiatives.
70. The Ministry of Power has awarded two Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) in Sasan and Mundra. Seven more UMPPs are under process and we are confident that at least two more will be awarded by July, 2007. Other initiatives taken by the Ministry of Power include facilitating setting up of merchant power plants by private developers and private participation in transmission projects.
71. Besides, the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project (APDRP) has reduced significantly Aggregate Technical and Commercial (ATC) losses in 213 towns. APDRP is being restructured to cover all district headquarters and towns with a population of more than 50,000. I propose to increase the budgetary support for APDRP from Rs.650 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.800 crore next year.
Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
72. Having regard to the pace of implementation under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana and the annual target, I propose to increase the allocation from Rs.3,000 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.3,983 crore in 2007-08.
Coal
73. Following the announcement last year, 26 coal blocks with reserves of 8,581 million tonnes and four lignite blocks with reserves of 755 million tonnes have been allotted, up to December 2006, to Government companies and approved end users. The definition of specified end use will be enlarged to include underground coal gasification and coal liquefaction.
National Highways
74. Work on the golden quadrilateral is nearly complete and there is considerable progress in the North-South, East-West corridor project which is expected to be completed by 2009. NHDP-III, NHDP-V and NHDP-VI are in advanced stages of planning or implementation. So far, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given Rs.2,072 crore as viability gap funding but has also received Rs.1,900 crore as negative grant. The private sector investment leveraged under NHDP is Rs.25,366 crore. Under the programme for the North Eastern Region (SARDP-NE), 450 kilometres have been awarded in 2006-07 and the balance will be awarded in 2007-08. I propose to increase the provision for the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) from Rs.9,945 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.10,667 crore next year.
75. The road-cum-rail bridge at Munger, Bihar, over the Ganga, has been taken up as a national project. Likewise, the road-cum-rail bridge at Bogibeel, Assam, over the Brahmaputra, will be taken up as a national project.
Public Private Partnership and Viability Gap Funding
76. The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model has enabled greater private sector participation in the creation and maintenance of infrastructure. So far, under the viability gap funding scheme, 37 proposals have been received of which 21 proposals have been granted 'in-principle' approval with a total project cost of Rs.9,842 crore and an estimated viability gap funding of Rs.2,521 crore. The pace is slow, and there is a need to adopt a more aggressive approach for preparing a shelf of bankable projects that can be offered for competitive bidding. Apart from the steps already taken for capacity building and engaging consultants, I intend to set up a revolving fund with a corpus of Rs.100 crore to quicken project preparation. The fund will contribute up to 75 per cent of the preparatory expenditure in the form of interest free loan that will be eventually recovered from the successful bidder. Guidelines for operating the fund will be announced in due course.
VII. INDUSTRY
Petroleum and Natural Gas
77. Energy security is high on the Government's agenda. In the six rounds of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) so far, 162 production sharing contracts have been awarded. Indian and foreign companies have already made an investment of Rs.97,000 crore in exploration. Similarly, after three rounds of bidding, 23 coal bed methane blocks have been awarded for exploration.
Textiles
78. A rejuvenated textile industry is geared to meet the global challenge. 26 parks have been approved so far out of 30 sanctioned under the Scheme for Integrated Textiles Parks (SITP). I propose to increase the provision for these parks from Rs.189 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.425 crore in 2007-08.
79. I am also glad to announce that the Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) scheme will be continued during the Eleventh Plan. Against a provision of Rs.535 crore in 2006-07, I propose to provide Rs.911 crore in 2007-08. As before, handlooms will be covered under the TUF scheme.
Handlooms
80. A cluster approach for the development of the handloom sector was introduced in 2005-06 and 120 clusters have been selected. 273 new yarn depots have been opened in the current year and the Handloom Mark was launched. Government proposes to take up an additional 100-150 clusters in 2007-08. The 12 schemes that are now implemented will be grouped into five schemes in the Eleventh Plan period. The health insurance scheme has so far covered 300,000 weavers and will be extended to more weavers. The scheme will also be enlarged to include ancillary workers. I propose to enhance the allocation for the sector from Rs.241 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.321 crore next year.
Small and Medium Enterprises
81. Following the credit policy for small and medium enterprises (SME) announced in August 2005, outstanding credit to the SME sector increased from Rs.135,200 crore at end December 2005 to Rs.173,460 crore at end December 2006. While encouraging banks to lend more to the SME sector, I propose to ask banks to have regard to the credit rating acquired by an SME while fixing the interest rate.
Coir Industry
82. Coir is an eco-friendly fibre. The coir industry provides employment to a large number as well as earns valuable foreign exchange. I am happy to announce a scheme for the modernisation and technology upgradation of the coir industry with special emphasis to major coir producing States such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. I propose to make a provision of Rs.22.50 crore.
VIII. SERVICES SECTOR
Foreign Trade
83. Our merchandise exports crossed the milestone of US$100 billion in 2005-06 and are expected to cross another milestone of US$125 billion by the end of the current fiscal. Foreign trade is growing at a rate more than twice the growth rate of GDP. Government will continue to follow export friendly policies.
Tourism
84. I propose to increase the provision for building tourist infrastructure from Rs.423 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.520 crore in 2007-08.
IX. FINANCIAL SECTOR
Banking
85. In addition to the important legislative measures now before Parliament, Government proposes to take a number of initiatives in banking and insurance.
86. Government proposes to acquire RBI's equity holding in State Bank of India. I have provided a sum of Rs.40,000 crore for this purpose, but the transaction will be deficit neutral to the Government.
87. The Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) scheme provides finance at a rate of 4 per cent to the weaker sections of the community engaged in gainful occupations. I propose to raise the limit of the loan from Rs.6,500 to Rs.15,000 and the limit of the housing loan from Rs.5,000 to Rs.20,000 per beneficiary.
Regional Rural Banks
88. Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) have emerged as the third arm for delivering rural credit, and the sponsor banks have assured me that RRBs are willing to take on greater responsibilities. The Committee on Financial Inclusion, chaired by Dr. C. Rangarajan, has also made certain recommendations concerning RRBs. I, therefore, propose to:
* ask RRBs to undertake an aggressive branch expansion programme and, in 2007-08, open at least one branch in the 80 uncovered districts of the country;
* extend the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securitisation of Interest (SARFAESI) Act to loans advanced by RRBs;
* permit RRBs to accept NRE/FCNR deposits; and
* recapitalize, in a phased programme, the RRBs which have a negative net worth.
Housing Loans
89. The National Housing Bank (NHB) will shortly introduce a novel product for senior citizens: a 'reverse mortgage' under which a senior citizen who is the owner of a house can avail of a monthly stream of income against the mortgage of his/her house, while remaining the owner and occupying the house throughout his/her lifetime, without repayment or servicing of the loan.
90. Our people want housing loans. Banks and housing finance companies that lend against mortgages would have greater comfort if the mortgage can be guaranteed through a three way contract among borrower, lender and guarantor. Regulations will be put in place to allow the creation of mortgage guarantee companies.
Insurance
91. On December 6, 2006, Rashtrapatiji launched an exclusive health insurance scheme for senior citizens offered by National Insurance Company. I have asked the other three public sector insurance companies to offer a similar product to senior citizens, and they have agreed to do so in 2007-08.
92. The Micro Financial Sector (Development and Regulation) Bill as well as a comprehensive Bill to amend the insurance laws will be introduced in the Budget Session.
Financial Inclusion
93. Financial inclusion is the process of ensuring access to timely and adequate credit and financial services by vulnerable groups at an affordable cost. The Committee on Financial Inclusion has given an interim report. While we await the final report, Government has decided to implement, immediately, two recommendations. The first is to establish a Financial Inclusion Fund with NABARD for meeting the cost of developmental and promotional interventions. The second is to establish a Financial Inclusion Technology Fund to meet the costs of technology adoption. Each fund will have an overall corpus of Rs.500 crore, with initial funding to be contributed by the Central Government, RBI and NABARD.
Capital Markets
94. The capital market is an important instrument for intermediating financial resources. Recognising the strength of the Indian capital market, the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has decided to hold its annual conference in Mumbai in April 2007. In line with measures announced every year to strengthen the market, I propose to:
* make PAN the sole identification number for all participants in the securities market with an alpha-numeric prefix or suffix to distinguish a particular kind of account;
* take forward the idea of Self Regulating Organisations (SRO) for different market participants under regulations that will be made by SEBI and, if necessary, supported by an enabling law;
* promote the flow of investment to the infrastructure sector by permitting mutual funds to launch and operate dedicated infrastructure funds;
* converge the different regulations that allow individuals and Indian mutual funds to invest in overseas securities by permitting individuals to invest through Indian mutual funds;
* allow short selling settled by delivery, and securities lending and borrowing to facilitate delivery, by institutions;
* put in place an enabling mechanism to permit Indian companies to unlock a part of their holdings in group companies for meeting their financing requirements by issue of Exchangeable Bonds.
Innovative Financing for Infrastructure
95. The minimum obligation of States to borrow from the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) has been brought down to 80 per cent of net collections. Repayments of past NSSF loans by the Central and State Governments have also commenced from 2005-06, making available resources for long-term lending. I therefore propose that these funds may also be borrowed from NSSF by India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL).
96. An initiative that has borne fruit is the launch of the US$5 billion infrastructure financing initiative by Citigroup, Blackstone, IDFC and IIFCL.
97. A committee chaired by Shri Deepak Parekh has made a number of recommendations for financing infrastructure. One of the recommendations is to use a small part of the foreign exchange reserves without the risk of monetary expansion. The Committee has suggested the establishment of two wholly-owned overseas subsidiaries of IIFCL with the following objectives:
(i) to borrow funds from the RBI and lend to Indian companies implementing infrastructure projects in India, or to co-finance their ECBs for such projects, solely for capital expenditure outside India; and
(ii) to borrow funds from the RBI, invest such funds in highly rated collateral securities, and provide 'credit wrap' insurance to infrastructure projects in India for raising resources in international markets.
The loans by RBI to these two subsidiary companies will be guaranteed by the Government of India and the RBI will be assured of a return higher than the average rate of return on its incremental investment. Government proposes to examine the legal and regulatory aspects of the recommendation, in consultation with RBI, in order to find an innovative method of enhancing the financial resources for infrastructure.
X. OTHER PROPOSALS
Defence Expenditure
98. I propose to increase the allocation for Defence to Rs.96,000 crore. This will include Rs.41,922 crore for capital expenditure. Needless to say, any additional requirement for the security of the nation will be provided.
Information Technology
99. Government has launched an ambitious programme for e-governance. The goal is to improve efficiency, convenience, accessibility and transparency in Government functions and take Government services to the common citizen.
I propose to increase the allocation for e-governance from Rs.395 crore in
2006-07 to Rs.719 crore in 2007-08. The Central Government supports
e-governance action plans at State levels, and I propose to increase the allocation for such support from Rs.300 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.500 crore in 2007-08. I also propose to provide Rs.33 crore for a new scheme of manpower development for the software export industry.
Backward Regions Grant Fund
100. The Backward Regions Grant Fund received Rs.5,000 crore in 2006-07. I propose to increase the allocation to Rs.5,800 crore in 2007-08. This will finance two components, one pertaining to 250 districts and the other pertaining to the special plan for Bihar. KBK districts of Orissa, which are included in the 250 districts, will continue to receive the same quantum of assistance as they have been receiving in the past.
Mumbai as a Financial Centre
101. The High Powered Expert Committee to make Mumbai a regional financial centre has submitted its report recently. I intend to place the report in the public domain and obtain feedback. It is my hope that we would be able to build a consensus on the key recommendations of the Committee, promote a world class financial centre in Mumbai, and realise the objective of making 'financial services' the next growth engine for India.
Vocational Education Mission
102. To sustain a high level of economic growth, it is essential to have a reservoir of skilled and trained manpower. Shortages have already emerged in a number of sectors. Moreover, we can take advantage of the demographic dividend thrown up by an increase in the working age population only if our young men and women have the required skills. The Prime Minister spoke of a Vocational Education Mission in his Independence Day address in 2006. A taskforce in the Planning Commission is chalking out strategies for vocational education programmes. Alternate models may be adopted, but the approach will be based on public-private partnership. I propose to make an initial provision of Rs.50 crore for beginning work on this mission.
Upgradation of ITIs
103. Honourable Members will recall that Government had taken up a programme for upgradation of 500 ITIs over five years beginning 2005. Revised courses in the first lot of 100 upgraded ITIs were started in August 2005 and in the second lot of 100 upgraded ITIs in August 2006. I expect that another 300 ITIs will be covered by August 2009. That would still leave 1,396 Government ITIs.
104. I propose that the 1,396 ITIs be upgraded into centres of excellence in specific trades and skills under public-private partnership. Under the proposed scheme, the State Government, as the owner of the ITI, will continue to regulate admissions and fees; the new management will be given academic and financial autonomy; and the Central Government will provide financial assistance by way of seed money. ITIs will be encouraged to start a second shift. Once a tripartite MoU is signed among the three stakeholders, I propose to grant an interest free loan up to Rs.2.5 crore to each ITI for upgradation and revision of courses. I seek the cooperation of State Governments in upgrading at least 300 ITIs every year, beginning 2007-08, under the PPP mode. I have kept aside Rs.750 crore for this purpose.
Employment for the Physically Challenged
105. Among the disadvantaged sections of the society are physically challenged persons. They face difficulties in obtaining regular employment. In order to incentivise employers in the organised sector to provide regular employment, I propose a scheme whereunder Government will reward the employer once the physically challenged employee is regularised and is enrolled under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees State Insurance (ESI). Under the scheme, Government will reimburse the employer's contribution to the EPF and ESI for the first three years. Government is ready to support the creation of about 100,000 jobs every year for physically challenged persons with a salary limit of Rs.25,000 per month. I estimate the cost to Government at Rs.150 crore per annum rising to Rs.450 crore per annum when the scheme is fully rolled out. I have therefore earmarked Rs.1,800 crore.
Debt Management Office
106. World over, debt management is distinct from monetary management. The establishment of a Debt Management Office (DMO) in the Government has been advocated for quite some time. The fiscal consolidation achieved so far has encouraged us to take the first step. Accordingly, I propose to set up an autonomous DMO and, in the first phase, a Middle Office will be set up to facilitate the transition to a full-fledged DMO.
Development Cooperation
107. In keeping with India's growing stature in international affairs, we must willingly assume greater responsibility in promoting development in other developing countries. At present, India extends development cooperation through a number of Ministries and agencies and the total sum is about US$ 1 billion per annum. It is felt that all activities relating to development cooperation should be brought under one umbrella. Accordingly, Government proposes to establish the India International Development Cooperation Agency (IIDCA). The Ministries of External Affairs, Finance and Commerce and other stakeholders will be represented on IIDCA.
Climate change
108. India is not a significant contributor to green house gas (GHG) emissions, nor will it be so in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, in line with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility", India has taken important steps to mitigate GHG emissions and adapt to climate change impact. India has also strongly promoted the clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol and has the world's largest number of CDM projects. Nevertheless, India is among the countries more vulnerable to climate change. Hence, Government proposes to appoint an expert committee to study the impact of climate change on India and identify the measures that we may have to take in the future.
Commonwealth Games
109. India bid for and won for the city of Delhi the Commonwealth Games 2010. The nation was filled with pride when, under the guidance of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, we successfully hosted the Asian Games in 1982. We owe it to our people to make the Commonwealth Games an equally memorable event. I propose to provide in 2007-08 Rs.150 crore to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Rs.350 crore to the Delhi Government for the Games. Similarly, I propose to provide Rs.50 crore for the Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 to be held in Pune.
History and Culture
110. As we celebrate the 150th year of the First War of Independence and the centenary year of the Satyagraha Movement, our thoughts go to the institutions that continue the work of Gandhiji and other constructive work. I intend to set apart Rs.30 crore for four institutions whose work we gratefully acknowledge. These are Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad; Sevagram Ashram, Wardha; Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune; and Rajendra Smriti Sanghrahalaya, Patna. I also intend to provide Rs.20 crore to reposition the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Delhi, as a major centre of intellectual activity.
111. The Ministry of Culture proposes to engage scholars from Indian and foreign institutions to work on specific projects. The terms of engagement will provide freedom and flexibility to the scholars. I intend to make an initial grant of Rs.5 crore to encourage this effort.
Institutions of Excellence
112. As in the last two years, I propose to make a special grant of Rs.100 crore to recognise excellence. Government has selected the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, and each will be given Rs.50 crore.
XI. PUBLIC FINANCE
113. Thanks to the Fiscal Responsibility legislations, the Central Government and the State Governments have regained lost fiscal ground. Rs. 110,268 crore of States' debt has been consolidated. Twenty States have availed of the benefit of debt waiver to the tune of Rs.8,575 crore.
114. In 2006-07, the Centre will give to the States as their share of taxes and duties Rs.120,377 crore. In 2007-08, this amount will increase to Rs.142,450 crore. Besides, total grants and loans, both under Plan and non-Plan, to States and Union Territories will increase from Rs.90,521 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.106,987 crore in 2007-08.
VAT, CST and a Roadmap towards GST
115. VAT has proved to be an unqualified success. VAT revenues of the implementing States increased by 13.8 per cent in 2005-06 and by 24.3 per cent in the first nine months of 2006-07. The next logical step is to phase out Central Sales Tax (CST). I am glad to report that the Central Government has reached an agreement with State Governments to phase out CST. Consequently, the CST rate will be reduced from 4 per cent to 3 per cent with effect from April 1, 2007. I have provided Rs.5,495 crore for compensation for losses, if any, on account of VAT and also on account of CST.
116. I wish to record my deep appreciation of the spirit of cooperative federalism displayed by State Governments and especially their Finance Ministers. At my request, the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers has agreed to work with the Central Government to prepare a roadmap for introducing a national level Goods and Services Tax (GST) with effect from April 1, 2010.
117. So far as the Central Government is concerned, the fiscal consolidation is proceeding according to the FRBM Act. Based on Revised Estimates, I am happy to report that the revenue deficit for the current year will be 2.0 per cent (against a BE of 2.1 per cent) and the fiscal deficit will be 3.7 per cent (against a BE of 3.8 per cent).
XII. BUDGET ESTIMATES FOR 2007-08
118. I turn to the Budget Estimates for 2007-08.
Plan Expenditure
119. I estimate Plan expenditure for 2007-08 at Rs.205,100 crore. As a proportion of total expenditure (net of the SBI share acquisition), Plan expenditure will be 32.0 per cent.
Non-Plan Expenditure
120. Non-Plan Expenditure in 2007-08 (net of the SBI share acquisition) is estimated at Rs.435,421. The increase over 2006-07 is only 6.5 per cent.
Revenue Deficit and Fiscal Deficit
121. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the Budget Estimates for 2007-08, the total expenditure is estimated at Rs.680,521 crore (including Rs.40,000 crore for the SBI share acquisition). The total revenue receipts of the Central Government are projected to be Rs.486,422 crore and the revenue expenditure to be Rs.557,900 crore. Consequently, the revenue deficit is estimated at Rs.71,478 crore which is 1.5 per cent of the GDP. The fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs.150,948 crore, which is 3.3 per cent of the GDP. I am happy to report that we are on course to achieve the FRBMA targets.
Part - B
XIII. TAX PROPOSALS
122. Mr. Speaker, I shall now present my tax proposals.
123. The UPA Government promised that "tax rates will be stable and conducive to growth, compliance and investment". The increase in gross tax revenue is proof of a promise fulfilled. While we have raised more tax revenue, we have also left more money in the hands of the people as savings and for investment.
124. Gross tax revenue has grown by 19.9 per cent, 20.0 per cent and 27.8 per cent in the first three years of this Government. The tax to GDP ratio has increased from 9.2 per cent in 2003-04 to 11.4 per cent in 2006-07. We intend to keep our tax rates moderate and stable and administer the tax laws in a tax payer-friendly manner.
Indirect Taxes
125. I shall begin with indirect taxes. Firstly, customs duties.
126. In January 2007, Government announced wide ranging reductions in tariffs. Import duties on capital goods, project imports, metals and specified inorganic chemicals were reduced by 2.5 percentage points and, in some cases, by 5 percentage points. Duties on some edible oils were reduced by 10 to 12.5 percentage points.
127. In order to take one more step towards comparable East Asian rates, I propose to reduce the peak rate for non-agricultural products from 12.5 per cent to 10 per cent.
128. I propose to reduce the duties on most chemicals and plastics from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
129. The duty on prime steel is 5 per cent. Seconds and defectives augment supply. Keeping in mind the need for a differential, I propose to reduce the duty on seconds and defectives of steel from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.
130. I propose to fully exempt from duty all coking coal irrespective of the ash content.
131. Last year, I reduced the excise duty on all man-made fibres and yarns from 16 per cent to 8 per cent. To further encourage this industry, I propose to reduce the customs duty on polyester fibres and yarns from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Consequently, the customs duty on raw-materials such as DMT, PTA and MEG will also be reduced from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
132. Another industry that is a growth- and employment- driver is gem and jewellery. I propose to bring down the duty on cut and polished diamonds from 5 per cent to 3 per cent; on rough synthetic stones from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent; and on unworked corals from 30 per cent to 10 per cent.
133. I propose to fully exempt dredgers from import duty.
134. To augment irrigation facilities and processing of agricultural products, I propose to reduce the duty on drip irrigation systems, agricultural sprinklers and food processing machinery from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
135. While specified medical equipment attract a concessional duty of 5 per cent, other equipment are taxed at 12.5 per cent. I propose to bring down the general rate of import duty on medical equipment to 7.5 per cent.
136. In order to make edible oils more affordable, I propose to exempt crude as well as refined edible oils from the additional CV duty of 4 per cent. I also propose to reduce the duty on sunflower oil, both crude and refined, by 15 percentage points.
137. I have good news for cat and dog lovers. I propose to reduce the duty on pet foods from 30 per cent to 20 per cent.
138. I propose to reduce the duty on watch dials and movements as well as umbrella parts from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
139. In order to promote research and development, I propose to extend the concessional rate of 5 per cent duty available to public funded research institutions to all research institutions registered with the Directorate of Scientific and Industrial Research. For the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, I propose to reduce the duty on 15 specified machinery from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
140. Import of aircraft, including helicopters, by Government and scheduled airlines is, at present, exempt from all duties, and that position will continue. However, there is no reason to allow the exemption to other private importers. Hence, I propose to levy an import duty of 3 per cent, which is the WTO bound rate, on all private import of aircraft including helicopters. Such import will also attract countervailing duty and additional customs duty.
141. The Hoda Committee has submitted a report on mineral policy. Taking a leaf out of the report, and in order to conserve our natural resources as well as to raise revenue, I propose to impose an export duty of Rs.300 per metric tonne on export of iron ores and concentrates and Rs.2,000 per metric tonne on export of chrome ores and concentrates.
142. I shall now turn to my proposals on excise duties and service tax.
143. There will be no change in the general CENVAT rate or in the service tax rate.
144. On February 15, 2007, Government reduced the price of petrol and diesel by Rs.2 per litre and Re.1 per litre, respectively. I had agreed that the Revenue will bear a part of the burden. Hence, I propose to reduce the ad valorem component of excise duty on petrol and diesel from 8 per cent to 6 per cent.
145. Keeping in mind the special needs of several sectors and the interest of the consumers, I propose to grant relief from excise duty in deserving cases, especially job creating sectors:
* I propose to raise the exemption limit for small scale industry (SSI) from Rs.1 crore to Rs.1.5 crore.
* The food processing sector is poised to achieve high growth. Concessions were extended last year to several items of food. This year, I propose to fully exempt from excise duty biscuits whose retail sale price does not exceed Rs.50 per kilogram. I also propose to fully exempt from excise duty all kinds of food mixes including instant mixes. I can no longer be accused of being partial to idli and dosa mixes.
* I propose to reduce excise duty on umbrellas and parts of footwear from 16 per cent to 8 per cent.
* Plywood helps to save wood. Hence, I propose to reduce excise duty on plywood from 16 per cent to 8 per cent.
* Biodiesel will greatly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Hence, I propose to fully exempt biodiesel from excise duty.
146. To provide access to pure drinking water for households and communities, I propose to fully exempt from excise duty water purification devices operating on specified membrane based technologies as well as domestic water filters not using electricity.
147. Pipes used for carrying water from a water supply plant to a storage
facility are exempt from excise duty. I propose to extend the exemption to all pipes of diameter exceeding 200 mm used in water supply systems.
148. There has been a significant increase in the retail price of cement. Last year, at this time, a bag of 50 kilogram was sold at a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs.190 or less which, I understand, is a remunerative price. I propose to reward cement manufacturers who hold the price line and tax those who do not. Accordingly, I propose to reduce the present rate of excise duty of Rs.400 per metric tonne to Rs.350 per metric tonne on cement which is sold in retail at not more than Rs.190 per bag. On cement that has a higher MRP, the excise duty will be Rs.600 per metric tonne.
149. I strongly support the campaign "say no to tobacco". Hence, I propose to increase the specific rates of excise duty on cigarettes by about 5 per cent. Similarly, excise duty (excluding cess) on biris, which was last fixed in 2001, will be raised from Rs.7 to Rs.11 per thousand for non-machine made biris and from Rs.17 to Rs.24 per thousand for machine made biris. There is an exemption from excise duty for unbranded biris up to 20 lakh biris in a year. Complaints have been received of misuse of the exemption. This exemption will henceforth be available subject to fulfilment of the condition of declaration with the Department of Central Excise and regular monitoring.
150. Pan masala containing tobacco will continue to bear an excise duty of 66 per cent. However, in the case of pan masala not containing tobacco, the duty will be reduced from 66 per cent to 45 per cent. I also propose to withdraw the exemption for pan masala containing tobacco and other tobacco products that is now given to units in the North Eastern States.
151. Based on a comprehensive review of exemptions and having posted them on the website and having invited comments, I propose to remove certain excise duty exemptions which are redundant or have outlived their utility.
152. I propose to raise the exemption limit for small service providers from Rs.400,000 to Rs.800,000. Consequently, 200,000 assessees out of a total of 400,000 assessees will go out of the service tax net. The revenue loss will be Rs.800 crore, but I am happy to give away this sum in the interest of the small service provider and the consumer.
153. While I bid goodbye to 200,000 assessees, I welcome the new assessees who
will be brought into the fold. I propose to extend service tax to:
* Services outsourced for mining of mineral, oil or gas;
* Renting of immovable property for use in commerce or business; however, residential properties, vacant land used for agriculture and similar purposes, land for sports, entertainment and parking purposes, and immovable property for educational or religious purposes will be excluded;
* Development and supply of content for use in telecom and advertising purposes;
* Asset management services provided by individuals; and
* Design services.
154. State Governments levy a tax on the transfer of property in goods involved in the execution of a works contract. The value of services in a works contract should attract service tax. Hence, I propose to levy service tax on services involved in the execution of a works contract. However, I also propose an optional composition scheme under which service tax will be levied at only 2 per cent of the total value of the works contract.
155. I propose to exempt service tax on services provided by Resident Welfare Associations to their members who contribute Rs.3000 or less per month for services rendered.
156. In order to encourage innovation, I propose to exempt from service tax all services provided by technology business incubators. Similarly, their incubatees whose annual business turnover does not exceed Rs.50 lakhs will be exempt from
service tax for the first three years.
157. To make India a preferred destination for drug testing, I propose to exempt clinical trial of new drugs from service tax.
158. The scope of some services that are currently taxed is being expanded or redefined. However, I shall not burden the House with the details.
159. The telecommunications industry has repeatedly requested that the multifarious taxes, charges and fees applicable to the industry should be unified and a single levy on revenue should be collected. The request merits consideration. Hence, I propose to request the Department of Telecommunications to constitute a committee to study the present structure of levies and make suitable recommendations to Government.
Direct Taxes
160. I shall now move to direct taxes.
161. In the current year, there has been better tax compliance by individuals. I hope this trend will continue.
162. The current slabs and rates of personal income tax (PIT) were introduced only two years ago. They constitute a moderate tax regime. A comprehensive review should await the proposed Income Tax code which will be introduced in Parliament this year. Nevertheless, without altering the rates, I am inclined to consider giving some relief to tax payers, especially in view of the cooperation they have extended to the Department of Revenue. Accordingly, I propose that:
* the threshold limit of exemption in the case of all assessees be increased by Rs.10,000, thus giving every assessee a relief of Rs.1,000;
* consequently, in the case of a woman assessee, the threshold limit be increased from Rs.135,000 to Rs.145,000, giving her a relief of Rs.1,000;
* the threshold limit of exemption in the case of a senior citizen be increased from Rs.185,000 to Rs.195,000, giving him or her a relief of Rs.2,000; and
* the deduction in respect of medical insurance premium under section 80D be increased to a maximum of Rs.15,000 and, in the case of a senior citizen, a maximum of Rs.20,000.
163. On the corporate income tax (CIT) side too, there has been better compliance. Consequently, I propose to keep the same rate of CIT with one important modification. In order to encourage small and medium enterprises to invest and grow, I propose to remove the surcharge on income tax on all firms and companies with a taxable income of Rs.1 crore or less. This will benefit about 1,200,000 firms and companies.
164. Profit-making cooperative banks, other than primary societies and primary banks (i.e., PACs and PCARDBs), have been brought on par with other banks. However, I have noticed some anomalies and I propose to correct them in the interest of the cooperative banks. Accordingly, the benefit of Section 36(1)(viii) will be available to cooperative banks. Likewise, cooperative banks will also be allowed deduction in respect of provision for bad and doubtful debts under section 36(1)(viia). Amalgamation and de-merger of banking companies is tax neutral and this benefit will be extended to cooperative banks.
165. Section 80IA of the Income Tax Act lists the infrastructure facilities that are entitled to tax concessions. There are some obvious claimants to this benefit. One is cross country natural gas distribution network, including gas pipeline and storage facilities integrated to the network. The second is navigation channel in the sea. I propose to extend the tax concession to these two facilities.
166. In order to facilitate the creation of urban infrastructure, I propose to allow issue of tax-free bonds through State Pooled Finance Entities formed for raising funds for a group of urban local bodies.
167. Last year, I had constituted an expert body to advise the Government on tax policy in respect of the gem and jewellery industry. Taking into account its recommendations, the best international practices and the need for a simple tax regime, I propose to introduce a benign assessment procedure for assessees engaged in diamond manufacturing and trading who declare profits from such activities at 8 per cent or more of the turnover. Instructions in this regard will issue shortly.
168. We will require 20,000 more hotel rooms for the Commonwealth Games. Hence, I propose a five year holiday from income tax for two, three or four star hotels as well as for convention centres with a seating capacity of not less than 3,000. They should be completed and begin operations in the National Capital Territory of Delhi or in the adjacent districts of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad or Gautam Budh Nagar during the period April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2010.
169. Section 35(2AB) allows a weighted deduction of 150 per cent for expenditure relating to in-house research and development. I propose to extend the concession for five more years until March 31, 2012.
170. Undertakings in Jammu & Kashmir presently enjoy a tax holiday that is due to end on March 31, 2007. Considering the importance of promoting further investment in that State, I propose to extend the benefit for another five years up to March 31, 2012.
171. E-filing of corporate returns introduced this financial year has been a resounding success. Until January 31, 2007, 301,736 returns were electronically filed by corporates. Our analysis shows that the effective rate of tax paid by all corporates, thanks to numerous tax concessions and exemptions - several of them well-intended - was only 19.2 per cent. In 1996-97, we introduced the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) for companies with book profits, and its purpose is to bring about horizontal equity in taxation. MAT should therefore apply, as far as possible, to all corporate incomes. Hence, I propose to extend MAT to income in respect of which deduction is claimed under sections 10A and 10B of the
Income Tax Act.
172. I also propose to partially modify a deduction that is available to certain companies. Without altering the overall limit of the special reserve equal to twice the net worth under section 36(1)(viii) of the Income Tax Act, I propose to stretch out the period by restricting the deduction to 20 per cent of the profits each year and limit the benefit to banks and certain financial corporations.
173. Venture capital funds are a useful source of risk capital, especially for start-up ventures in the knowledge-intensive sectors. Since such funds enjoy a pass-through status, it is necessary to limit the tax benefit to investments made in truly deserving sectors. Accordingly, I propose to grant pass-through status to venture capital funds only in respect of investments in venture capital undertakings in biotechnology; information technology relating to hardware and software development; nanotechnology; seed research and development; research and development of new chemical entities in the pharmaceutical sector; dairy industry; poultry industry; and production of bio-fuels. In order to promote business tourism, I also propose to allow this benefit to venture capital funds that invest in hotel-cum-convention centres of a certain description and size.
174. In December 2006, I put a limit of Rs.50 lakh per investor per year with respect to capital gains bonds issued by NHAI and REC under section 54EC of the Income Tax Act. As a result, many small investors could obtain these bonds and save on capital gains. I propose to continue this provision and, accordingly, I propose to amend section 54EC to that effect.
175. I propose to expand the tax base of capital gains to include certain works of art.
176. I believe that my direct tax proposals have brought about more horizontal equity. It is also necessary to improve vertical equity. Having regard to the capacity to pay, I propose to raise the rate of dividend distribution tax from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent on dividends distributed by companies.
177. Dividends distributed by money market mutual funds and liquid mutual funds enjoy concessional tax rates giving rise to huge arbitrage opportunities. I propose to address this distortion by raising the dividend distribution tax on dividends paid by such entities to 25 per cent for all investors.
178. Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) has now stabilized. I have received a few representations regarding some aspects of sales promotion. Hence, I propose to clarify the doubts by excluding expenditure on free samples as well as expenditure on displays from the scope of FBT.
179. A number of companies provide fringe benefits to employees through Employees' Stock Option Plan (ESOP). I propose to bring ESOPs under FBT. The value of the fringe benefit will be determined, in accordance with a prescribed method, on the date of exercise of the option.
180. The Banking Cash Transactions Tax (BCTT) continues to be an extremely useful tool to track unaccounted monies and trace their source and destination. It has led the Income Tax Department to many money laundering and hawala transactions. Having regard to the experience gained, I propose to exclude cash withdrawals by the Central and State Governments from the scope of BCTT. Further, I propose to raise the exemption limit for individuals and HUFs from Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000. As other instruments become more effective, I think it would be possible to review BCTT next year.
181. I have a proposal regarding the cess for education. While the cess of 2 per cent on all taxes to fund basic education will remain, I propose to levy an additional cess of 1 per cent on all taxes to fund secondary education and higher education and the expansion of capacity by 54 per cent for reservation for socially and educationally backward classes.
182. Finally, there is a small matter which has large beneficial consequences. In 2001, 'Aviation Turbine Fuel sold to turbo-prop aircraft' was included in the list of declared goods under section 14 of the CST Act. Turbo-prop aircraft have been replaced by new generation small aircraft which have taken air services to smaller airports and to the remote parts of the country. Hence, I propose to amend the provision to cover all small aircraft with maximum takeoff mass of less than 40,000 kgs operated by scheduled airlines.
183. Along with tax reforms, the Government has laid great emphasis on tax administration. The cost of collection of taxes in India is among the lowest in the world. A number of administrative goals have been set for 2007-08. These include expanding the coverage of Annual Information Returns, extending the Refund Banker System to more areas, extending the e-payment facility through more banks, making electronic filing of returns mandatory for more categories of assessees and creating new Large Tax Payer Units.
184. My tax proposals on direct taxes are estimated to yield a gain of Rs.3,000 crore. On the indirect taxes side, the proposals are revenue neutral.
XIV. CONCLUSION
185. Mr. Speaker, Sir, our human and gender development indices are low not because of high growth but because growth is not high enough. Faster economic growth has given us, once again, the opportunity to unfurl the sails and catch the wind. Without growth, I could not have given a new thrust to agriculture. I could not have given relief to the small tax payer, the small service provider and to small scale industry. I could not have promised 100,000 scholarships or 100,000 jobs for the physically challenged. I could not have promised a massive ground water recharge programme or social security for rural landless households.
186. The UPA Government has delivered on the promise of savings and investment, and will deliver on the promise of encouraging more savings and translating the savings into more investment. It has delivered on the promise of growth, and will deliver on the promise of making growth more inclusive. I believe that, given a right mix of policies, the poor will benefit from growth that is driven by savings and investment and that is more inclusive. As Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate, said, "Faster growth rate is essential for faster reduction in poverty. There is no other trick to it."
187. Sir, with these words, I commend the Budget to the House.
Helsinki, Feb 28 (RIA Novosti) A senior member of the Finnish parliament said Wednesday the placement of elements of the US missile shield in Central Europe could threaten Finland's security.
In January, the US approached Poland and the Czech Republic, which were allies of the erstwhile Soviet Union and now members of the European Union and NATO, with a request to host elements of the missile defence system.
Washington plans to install a radar system in the Czech Republic and to deploy a missile defence base in Poland to counter the perceived ballistic missile threat from Iran or North Korea.
Tarja Cronberg, chairperson of the Green League party, said in case of a possible war between Iran and the US, the elements of a US missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic would become primary targets for Iranian missile strikes.
"Because we are bound by security obligations with the European Union, we will have to provide assistance (to other EU members) and would be drawn into a conflict," she said on the eve of parliamentary elections in Finland, scheduled for March 18.
Crongberg said she was surprised that both the Finnish government and the EU leadership have been downplaying these risks so far.
"The EU should have convinced Poland and the Czech republic to reject the U.S. proposal," she said.
Poland formally agreed last Friday to start detailed missile shield talks with the US, and the Czech Republic has also reaffirmed its willingness to allow the US to place elements of its missile shield on its territory.
Russia's top military officials earlier issued strong warnings to the US regarding its missile shield plans by stating that Moscow might unilaterally pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and resume production of intermediate and short range missiles in the future.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's rural job guarantee scheme and other flagship programmes have received high priority and liberal fund allocations in the budget for 2007-08 presented in parliament Wednesday.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced that while the rural job guarantee scheme will be extended to 130 more districts, a number of other districts with minority concentration would together be granted over Rs.1 billion to kick-start a multi-sectoral development programme there.
"The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) will be expanded from the current level of 200 districts to 330 districts. The government has proposed to make an initial allocation of Rs.12,000 crores (Rs.120 billion) for the NREGS."
The scheme was launched Feb 2, 2006. The UPA leadership, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, had been maintaining that the scheme would gradually be extended to all 600-odd districts of the country.
While seeking the passage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, they had assured the parliament that in the first phase, the scheme would be implemented in 200 districts and in the second phase it would cover 200 more districts.
But the budget, initiating the second phase of the scheme, has provided for its extension to only 130 more districts.
Chidambaram said it was a demand-driven programme carrying a legal guarantee of employment and that the budget allocation for it would have to be supplemented according to need.
Announcing minority-specific budgetary allocations, Chidambaram hiked the allocations to the National Minorities and Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) from Rs.164.7 million to Rs.630 million.
He said the allocation to NMDFC was hiked owing to recommendations of the Sachar Committee on the status of the minorities.
"There are also a number of districts with a concentration of minorities. I propose to make a provision of Rs.1.08 billion for a multi-sector development programme in these districts," he said.
While announcing a 31.6 percent hike in allocation for the Bharat Nirman programme, the finance minister said the UPA government will continue to give high priority to other flagship programmes during the next financial year.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in the centenary year of the Satyagraha movement, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has provided Rs.300 million in the 2007-2008 Union Budget for four institutions continuing the constructive work of the father of the nation.
"As we celebrate the 150th year of the First War of Independence and the centenary year of the Satyagraha Movement, our thoughts go to the institutions that continue the work of Gandhiji and other constructive work," the finance minister said in his budget speech.
"I intend to set apart Rs.30 crore for four institutions whose work we gratefully acknowledge. These are Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad; Sevagram Ashram, Wardha; Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune; and Rajendra Smriti Sanghrahalaya, Patna," he said.
The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library here, the erstwhile residence of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru also stands to benefit as the finance minister announced a grant of Rs.20 crores to reposition it "as a major centre of intellectual activity".
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Indian belief and knowledge are great healers and 140 French psychiatrists and psychotherapists are currently in Delhi to study this value system.
"The Indian value system and family support play a vital role in dealing with mental health issues and we are here to know more about it," said Patrick Bantman, a psychiatrist from Paris.
"We have been exploring different dimensions of mental health and how to tackle it. India is a huge country and its traditional knowledge should be explored further. At the same time, we will share our expertise with our Indian counterparts," Bantman said while speaking to IANS.
Nearly 225 Indian and French psychiatrists, psychoanalysts and psychotherapists are deliberating on several mental health-related issues at a three-day conference on psychic life between belief and knowledge, which began Tuesday.
Organised by the French Embassy and the Delhi Psychiatric Society, it is the first ever India-France deliberation on mental health.
"The experts are exploring new avenues on handling this critical issue. While Indian experts can learn from the effective delver mechanism of French doctors, they can learn about the role of family values in treating psychological patients," said R.C.Jiloha, head of the Delhi Psychiatric Society.
"Apart from discussing clinical practices in their respective countries these experts will be deliberating on subjects like dreams, mythology, metaphor, consciousness, mental structure, among others. This will help in better understanding of mental health problems culminating into effective service to the sick," said M.S. Bhatia, head of the department of psychiatry at the University College of Medical Science.
By Subhash K. Jha,
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) Karan Johar is taking his newly discovered role as Bollywood's academic ambassador very seriously. The director was last week invited to lecture 500 students at New York University and says the response was "overwhelming".
"The subject was Bollywood and its popular culture. It isn't so much about what I said to them as what they asked me. I suddenly realised how far Bollywood was reaching out. They no longer ask questions about the song-and-dance aspect of Bollywood," Karan told IANS.
"The western hemisphere is waking up to the vast possibilities of our cinema. And it's amazing to hear how much insight the American students could provide me about my cinema. I think the time for Bollywood has arrived now."
Apparently, Karan is now being booked for Bollywood lectures in several cities in the US.
"I enjoy these interactive sessions. And I don't mind talking on our cinema as long as it doesn't interfere with my main work, which is making movies. In any case making movies and taking them to the maximum number of people go hand in hand."
Next month, Karan will lecture on his favourite topic to students at Harvard.
"That's as academic as it gets," he laughed.
Port of Spain, Feb 28 (IANS) West Indies batsman Daren Ganga has thanked Sachin Tendulkar for his advice that helped him retain his form.
"While serving as 12th man on the West Indies team, I had a conversation with Tendulkar and asked him how he prepares for a day of international cricket," Ganga said at a symposium on cricket at St Ann's near here Tuesday.
"He told me that he visualises everything before going out to play and most importantly he does not waste energy on trivial things," he was quoted as saying by the Trinidad Guardian.
"He told me that I must just focus at the moment and don't allow my thoughts to wander about the place. Since then, I have put this into practice and it has helped me tremendously," the 28-year-old right hand batsman said.
Though out of the current West Indies squad for the World Cup, Ganga has been having a successful run as skipper of the Trinidad & Tobago in the regional championships. Only last week he led his side to victory in the final of Carib Beer Challenge regional tournament. He was also awarded the Sir Vivian Richards award for top batsman following that win.
Ganga expressed disappointment at not being selected for the Windies squad for the World Cup despite being in top form.
"What has really bothered me is not the fact that I am not in the final 15, but the fact that they could not even select me in the 30-man squad," he told reporters at the symposium.
A veteran of 41 Tests, Ganga last played in a Test for the West Indies in Pakistan in December last year. The last of his 35 one-day internationals also came in that same tour.
He believes the West Indies has the potential to win the 2007 ICC World Cup provided the players have the proper team spirit.
"The West Indies team has the potential to win the World Cup but (it) will depend on skipper Brian Lara and the team's management getting the players to take ownership of the team's performance and bringing loyalty and pride into their play," Ganga said.
"Although the West Indies players are from different islands and come from different backgrounds, I have noticed that we are all the same and this unity could be fostered," he said.
Ganga said that Trinidad & Tobago's own recipe for success in the regional championships has been team spirit.
"What has got the T&T over the line has been our team unity and this came with the players being together and getting to know one another," he said.
He, however, expressed disappointment at the West Indies team's preparation for cricket's biggest event starting next month in the West Indies.
"Up until today, there are still T&T players in Trinidad and not in the (preparation) camp in Jamaica," the Guardian report quoted him as saying.
"Camp is very important because it not only helps a player fine tune his skills, but also builds togetherness and team unity."
PTI
Only months back, almost nobody expected Sourav Ganguly to make the fairy-tale comeback to big time cricket as he did, least of all the corporates.
But now, with Ganguly having returned to the Indian team with a bang and the World Cup a fortnight away, corporate India is going ga ga over the former national skipper.
The left-hander landed two lucrative deals in the last three days, which seemed a far cry from the scene six months back, when even Videocon - the sponsor of his cricket academy here - looked like giving out discordant signals about the extent of their financial commitment.
Ganguly's visibility in television ads during the 10 months he was out of the Indian team had virtually been limited to endorsing POGO.
Later on, a commercial for soft drink giant Pepsi seemed to be built around the former skipper's fallen status. The image of a forlorn Ganguly, hoping people had not forgotten him, and expressing his resolve to come back into the Indian team, almost seemed the stuff of some soap opera.
However, with the talismanic player's willow again doing the talking ever since his return to national duty on South African soil at Potchefstroom, the relationship between the electronics giant and the academy has become as smooth as silk.
"There is no misunderstanding between us now. We are very happy with the company's role," said a spokesman of the academy situated at the posh satellite township Salt Lake.
For Ganguly's agent Percept d' Mark, it's a windfall of sorts.
New Delhi, Feb 28(IRNA)The proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline will soon become a reality, India's minister of Panchayati Raj (village-level governing system) and former minister of oil and natural gas, said here on Tuesday.
Calling the proposed India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline a "viable" alternative for meeting India's energy needs, Aiyar said many countries were against it due to their "vested interets." "Many countries are not in favor of this pipeline because of their vested interests. But this would soon be a reality," PTI quoted Aiyar as saying while releasing a book by Dilip Hiro titled "Blood of the Earth: The Battle for the World's Vanishing Oil Resources" here.
Aiyer said all oil producing countries in Asia should unite to form an organization on the likes of the European Union to fight "some" countries which "dictate" prices of petroleum products.
With petroleum resources fast depleting, the future would be hydrogen and not petroleum, he said.
"We in India and China have started using energy from solar and wind power. The country has also started using CNG as a fuel. But that is not sufficient," the former oil and natural gas minister said.
"We need to tap energy produced by hydrogen," Aiyer added.
He maintained that there was no alternative to finding other sources of fuel in view of the emerging situation.
New Delhi, Feb 28, (IRNA) The proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline will soon become a reality, India's minister of Panchayati Raj (village-level governing system) and former minister of oil and natural gas, said here on Tuesday.
Calling the proposed India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline a "viable" alternative for meeting India's energy needs, Aiyar said many countries were against it due to their "vested interets." "Many countries are not in favor of this pipeline because of their vested interests. But this would soon be a reality," PTI quoted Aiyar as saying while releasing a book by Dilip Hiro titled "Blood of the Earth: The Battle for the World's Vanishing Oil Resources" here.
Aiyer said all oil producing countries in Asia should unite to form an organization on the likes of the European Union to fight "some" countries which "dictate" prices of petroleum products.
With petroleum resources fast depleting, the future would be hydrogen and not petroleum, he said.
"We in India and China have started using energy from solar and wind power. The country has also started using CNG as a fuel. But that is not sufficient," the former oil and natural gas minister said.
"We need to tap energy produced by hydrogen," Aiyer added.
He maintained that there was no alternative to finding other sources of fuel in view of the emerging situation.
Riyadh, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will meet in Riyadh next Saturday, the GCC General Secretariat has announced.
Secretary General Abdurahman Al-Attiyah expressed in a statement Tuesday the significance of the meeting especially as it is the first to be held following the "Jaber Summit" that was held last December, and coincides with a number of critical events that necessitate a unified GCC stance.
He said the agenda of the meeting would include a number of topics including a report on following up resolutions of the Jaber Summit pertaining to the result of contacts made with the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna concerning a joint study on the proposed GCC nuclear programme.
The ministers will also review issues pertaining to means of consolidating the GCC joint action in the economic spheres, as well as the progress of negotiations with the European Union.
Al-Attiyah pointed out that issues of education, health, culture, labour, social affairs and security would also be discussed.
He added that the situation in Iraq, Palestine, Iran's nuclear file, Somalia, Sudan and Darfur would also be on the agenda.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Gems and jewellery is all set to be cheaper with reduction of excise duties, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said in parliament Wednesday while presenting central budget 2007-08.
Referring to the jewellery industry as a "growth and employment driver" in the economy, he reduced the duty on cut and polished diamonds to three percent from five percent.
"I propose to bring down the duty on cut and polished diamonds from five percent to three percent, on rough synthetic stones from 12.5 percent to five percent and on unworked corals from 30 percent to 10 percent," Chidambaram added.
Hyderabad, Feb 28 (IANS) The government cares for dogs and cats but has no sympathy for the poor reeling under the impact of rising prices, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu said Wednesday reacting to the union budget 2007-08.
Criticising the budget, the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister said it had proposed no steps to check rising inflation. "The budget shows that the government cares for dogs and cats but not for the poor," he said referring to finance minister P. Chidambaram's announcement to cut duties on food for pet dogs and cats.
Naidu, who is the leader of opposition in the state assembly, termed the budget as anti-people and said it would result in price rise and increase the burden on the poor.
The TDP president said the budget was silent on poverty alleviation. He said while the growth rate projected is healthy, the government failed to announce any steps to take the benefits of this growth to the poor.
The Congress government in the state, however, hailed the budget as pro-poor. State Finance Minister K. Rosaiah said the slew of measures announced for agriculture and rural sectors, greater allocation for Bharat Nirman and massive increase in the allocations for education and health indicate the priorities of the government.
The state unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) also criticized the union budget for being silent on the issue of rising prices. "It does not say how the government proposes to control the price rise," said CPI-M state secretary B. Raghavulu and alleged that the budget had nothing to offer to the poor and middle-classes.
Raghavulu said while the economic survey had voiced concern over increasing unemployment, the budget proposed no steps to tackle the problem.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) also criticized the budget saying it was not in line with the common minimum programme of the Congress-led UPA government. TRS leader in state assembly Vijayrama Rao said social sectors did not get priority in the budget.
Patna, Feb 28 (Indianmuslims.info) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured the Cabinet here Tuesday of getting four walls erected around all the sensitive graveyards in the State and of providing the district administrations with the required funds for this purpose during the current and the next financial years.
The Chief Minister made an announcement to this effect when four Members of the Assembly raised, during the zero hour, the issue of delay being made in getting the graveyards in their respective constituencies four-walled despite the government’s earlier announcement to this effect.
While RJD MLA Muhammad Nihaluddin sought clarification from the government by putting two written questions about the four-walling of graveyards in his constituency, other MLAs Amrendra Pratap Singh, Rajendra Pratap Singh and Dr Ram Chandra Purbey also moved the government for clarification about the four-walling of graveyards in their respective constituencies.
“District Collectors and SPs have been asked to see to it that all the sensitive graveyards, which fall pray to tensions, are four-walled. Earlier the Ministry of Minority Welfare was looking after this work but now the file has been transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs so that there may not be any problem in getting the work done,� Chief Minister said adding that the government will provide the required funds.
Nitish Kumar also appealed to the MLAs to prepare lists of sensitive graveyards in their respective districts and submit them to District Collectors for immediate action.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (TOI) Refusing to stay MCD's demolition drive against illegal encroachment in the popular INA market here, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the erring shop-owners to file an affidavit before the court-appointed committee within two weeks.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Rekha Sharma rejected the submission of shop-owners to allow them to continue as the Central Government was planning to re-develop the entire INA market.
It, however, directed its committee to consider the petitioners' plea. In a petition, the shop-owners referred the media reports about the Government's move for regularisation of shops for the re-development of the market.
The shop-owners said that the notice of four days served to them by the MCD was very short and sought more time for shifting of their shops.
Following court's previous order, the MCD had last week started the demolition drive in the market. The court fixed March 14 for further hearing of the matter.
By Ashish Mehta,
Ahmedabad, Feb 28 (IANS) Saeed Khan Ahmed Khan Pathan had suffered in communal clashes here in 1969 and 1985 before the gory violence of 2002 killed 10 of his family. But unlike before, he is hopeful of justice this time around after the Supreme Court's intervention.
"In 1969 my house in Kalapinagar was destroyed and the police did not even file a complaint. In 1985 we were in Chamanpura and our home was ruined again. But we are hopeful of justice. Look at what the Supreme Court has done in the Best Bakery case," Pathan said.
He was referring to the violence in a bakery building in Gujarat's Vadodara city, 110 km from here, on March 1, 2002, in which 14 people - all but one of them Muslim - were burnt to death. A local court acquitted all 21 accused in June 2003 after eyewitnesses retracted their statements.
The case was, however, retried and that too out of Gujarat on the apex court's orders following a plea from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). Last year, a Mumbai court sentenced nine of the accused to life imprisonment.
Pathan lived in Gulberg Society of Chamanpura, a working class locality in east Ahmedabad, in which at least 36 people were killed on Feb 28, 2002, though survivors put the toll at up to 68.
The massacre that has come to be known after the colony's name is one of the 10-odd cases in which the Supreme Court has been urged to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and a trial outside the state.
"There is hope... from the Supreme Court. Justice will be delivered this time," added Pathan's neighbour Gulabkhan Man Khan, who says rioters burnt his son alive though police claim he is missing.
Pathan, who worked as a clerk in a textile mill till his retirement in 2002, recalled the day after 59 passengers of the Sabarmati Express had died in a fire at Godhra, 140 km from here. "The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had called for a bandh (shutdown), so I did not go to the mill. Some youths came twice in the morning and threw stones, set an auto-rickshaw on fire.
"Some 10 police vehicles arrived and a police officer - we learnt later he was Ahmedabad Police Commissioner P.C. Pandey - came out and spoke with our neighbour, former MP Ehsan Jafri. He assured that police protection would be sent.
"Soon, however, there was a large crowd outside our gate, led by a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) councillor and a Congress councillor. Their stone pelting and slogan shouting went on for about three hours while most women and children of the colony's 26 families - all Muslims except a Parsi one - took shelter in Jafri's bungalow," Pathan said.
The plight of the Parsi family, of Dara and Rupa Mody, was to inspire a feature film, "Parzania", which has not been released in Gujarat after threats from Hindu rightwing groups.
"As the crowd broke through the closed colony complex, they set Jafri's house on fire. Jafri made frantic calls to Congress leaders, police officials and finally to (Chief Minister) Narendra Modi, but to no avail.
"Finally, he came out and made a request to the mob with folded hands from his door, but Narayan Channel-wala and three-four others pulled him away. With swords, they slashed his body into three parts and kicked his head like a football on to the street," Pathan told IANS.
Narendra Modi has maintained that Jafri's firing from his pistol had angered the mob.
"If Jafrisaab had fired, the situation might not have worsened. And all bear in mind that nobody among the rioters was killed," said Pathan's neighbour, Fakir Mohammed Nasir Ali Sayeed, a Congress worker who had campaigned with Jafri in Rajkot when Modi contested elections for the first time in 2001.
Sitting in an electric shop run by Pathan in Juhapura in western Ahmedabad, where all old-time neighbours have resettled, Fakir Mohammed recalled: "The mob had pulled away the sister of Firoz," pointing to a youth in the shop.
"They were about to rape her and she cried asking my son Siraj to help. Siraj was in the middle of namaz in spite of the maddening violence but he rushed to her. They butchered him right there, before my eyes."
Pathan, with bloodshot eyes staring into nowhere, resumed: "The smoke in the building had left me unconscious. I came to around 4.30 p.m. Soon we heard sirens of police vehicles, but the mob refused to budge for an hour."
Police officer K.G. Erda had claimed before the inquiry commission in 2004 that the mob was too big for any police action.
Pathan continued: "We were transferred to the vehicles, and police had to fire in air for our safe passage. We were taken to the Shahibag police station and by night we were in a relief camp."
The Gulberg residents alleged that police had set the remains of many victims on fire that night, leading to a lesser official toll.
They said their belongings at home were all found stolen despite a police camp there when they returned a few days later. Each family was paid a compensation of Rs.2,500 for the damage to household property, while Rs.150,000 was paid for every death - Rs.50,000 in government bonds that were renewed three years later and fetched meagre interest.
Fakir Mohammed, who worked as a tailor specialising in suits and coats, is now jobless after finger injuries. Gulabkhan, also a tailor, depends on stray work.
"Our hardships have remained the same even five years later," said Gulabkhan.
"It is the same story. Even in 1969, 1985, 1993 - the police had refused to give us protection. They said there were no orders," he said.
Pathan recalled the visit of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, an associate of Mahatma Gandhi from the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, during the 1969 violence in the city. He said: "The army was posted three days after riots started. We had received no protection initially."
But even after suffering successive tragedies, he has never thought of quitting the place. "We were born here, we love our country. It's only a handful of people who create such trouble."
Gulabkhan, however, added in a resigned voice: "They are playing a politics of hate. Hate breeds hate, it is increasing now."
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The health sector in India is set to get a major boost in 2007-08 with the central budget Wednesday proposing a 21.9 percent increase in health expenditure outlay to Rs.152.91 billion.
In the second phase of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the budget has sanctioned 173 ICDS projects, 107,274 anganwadi (mother and child) centres, and 25,961 mini-anganwadi centres, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram stated in parliament.
The budget has increased the outlay for ICDS from Rs.40.87 billion in 2006-07 to Rs.47.61 billion in 2007-08.
"Government is committed to expand the scheme in order to cover all habitations and settlements, during the Eleventh Plan and to reach out to pregnant women, lactating mothers and all children below the age of six," he said.
Elaborating, he said 320,000 associated social health activists (ASHAs) have been recruited and 200,000 have received orientation training.
Besides, 90,000 link workers have been selected by the states. "I am confident that there will be significant improvement in healthcare in rural areas," the minister said, adding that allocation for the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) had gone up from Rs.82.07 billion in 2006-07 to Rs.99.47 billion in 2007-08.
Expressing concern over the surge of polio in 2006, the minister said there would be intensive coverage in 20 high-risk districts of Uttar Pradesh and 10 districts of Bihar.
"ASHA and Anganwadi workers will visit every single household and track every single child for the immunisation programme," he said.
Chidambaram promised that his government would undertake determined efforts to achieve zero level of growth in HIV/AIDS. Under the renewed effort, the National AIDS Control Programme III (NACP-III) starting 2007-08 would target high-risk groups in all states.
Feb 28 (BBC News) A baby boy who was pronounced dead after a heart attack came back to life 30 minutes later as he lay in his grieving parents' arms.
Medical staff at Leeds General Infirmary had tried in vain to resuscitate two-week-old Woody Lander.
He was handed over to parents Jon and Karen Lander so they could say goodbye.
After half an hour the couple heard the boy cough and doctors started his heart. Now 14 months old, Woody has been given a clean bill of health.
Mr Lander, 34, a civil servant from Farsley, Leeds, had been travelling with his 32-year-old wife to his parents' house in Norfolk in December 2005 when they noticed their child turn white and cold.
Woody was rushed to the emergency ward at Leeds General Infirmary where he had a heart attack. It was later discovered he had a blocked aorta.
The doctors said they had never heard of anyone coming round after 30 minutes of apparent lifelessness
Jon Lander, Woody's father
Mr Lander said: "We were in bits. After what seemed like an eternity the doctor came out and said 'I think we have done all we can'.
"They reached the cut-off point for resuscitation and said 'that's it' and handed Woody to us to say goodbye.
"They started taking tubes out and that's when he started twitching.
"They managed to get his heart going and he came back to life in front of us."
Consultant paediatric cardiologist Dr Mike Blackburn, who was one of the team treating the child, said: "Woody's case is a real exception.
"After attempting to resuscitate him for so long, we would normally expect the worst.
"But we were able to successfully resuscitate Woody after contact with his mother.
"Truly miraculously, he was fit enough for surgery and it is amazing to see how well he is today."
Full recovery
Brain scans have now shown no lasting damage and the Landers have been told their son can expect to lead a full and active life.
Mr Lander said: "We still don't know how it happened. We just know he's a little miracle.
"The doctors said they had never heard of anyone coming round after 30 minutes of apparent lifelessness, let alone a young baby.
"But the people at the hospital were unbelievable and they made the miracle happen."
Mr Lander is hoping to thank Leeds General Hospital by running in the Leeds 10k Run for All, set up by fund-raiser and terminal cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson, later this year.
He is raising cash for the Children's Heart Surgery Fund at the hospital.
Dharamsala, Feb 28 (IANS) Heavy snowfall and incessant rains since Tuesday have cut off parts of the Chamba valley and froze the famous Dal Lake at the Manimahesh pilgrimage centre.
The entire Kangra valley and the adjoining areas of Chamba valley remained in the grip of a severe cold wave following heavy rains and snowfall which have paralysed communication and transportation in the Bharmour and Pangi tribal sub-divisions of Chamba district.
The Dal Lake, situated at the famous pilgrimage centre of Manimahesh at an altitude of 3,170 metres above sea level in Bharmour, froze in sub zero temperatures.
Normal life also remained crippled in the entire Kangra district and vehicles on various interior roads could not ply.
The hill resorts of Triund near Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Khajjiar and Kareri were clad in a white mantle of snow.
Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has decided to commence the annual examinations for Plus Two, Plus One and Class X students throughout the state from March 5. Snow and inclement weather could prove trying for the students to reach their examination centres.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Continuing the focus on building infrastructure, the government Wednesday proposed enhanced budgetary support to some major power projects as also a revolving fund to speed up project preparations in public-private partnership.
Presenting the union budget for 2007-08, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project (APDRP) would be expanded to cover all district headquarters and towns with a population of more than 50,000 and proposed to enhance the budgetary allocation to Rs.8 billion in the next fiscal from Rs.6.5 billion.
The allocation for rural electrification project Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana would be enhanced from Rs.30 billion to Rs.39.83 billion for the next fiscal.
The finance minister said the public-private partnership has enabled greater participation of private sector in infrastructure building. He proposed setting up of a Revolving Fund with a corpus of Rs.1 billion to quicken project preparations.
Manali (Himachal Pradesh), Feb 28 (IANS) Many parts of Himachal Pradesh received heavy snowfall for the second consecutive day Wednesday, especially the scenic hill station of Manali which is covered by a white blanket of snow.
Snowfall had eluded Manali for much of this winter and it came as a relief to the resort town's tourism industry. Until Wednesday noon, Manali received over 70 cm of snowfall. However, normal life was thrown out of gear due to frequent power cuts and people were forced to remain indoors.
The Kullu-Manali highway was blocked and traffic could not ply beyond Kullu town, which was also covered in snow.
Snowfall was heaviest at the 13,050-feet-high Rohtang pass, which is the gateway to the Lahaul valley. It was also snowing in the isolated Pangi region in Chamba valley and the Kinnaur valley, bordering Tibet.
The upper regions of Shimla district, including the sprawling apple belt, were blanketed by snow since Tuesday with most of the roads blocked in the region. However, Shimla town did not see snowfall but instead was lashed by rain, sleet and strong winds. Several tin roofs were blown away and many trees were uprooted.
Traffic remained blocked on the Hindustan-Tibet road at Kufri and Narkanda, which received a fresh spell of snow Wednesday.
Anu Jogesh
New Delhi,Feb 28 (CNN-IBN) For the Seth family, watching the Union Budget 2007 was a blow-hot, blow-cold experience.
Family head Deepak Seth, a restaurant owner, had reason to cheer considering the import duty cut on edible oils and no excise duty in ready-to-eat foods.
“Expenses on mixes are down. Catering business use this a lot,� says Deepak.
But while the bread-earner rejoiced, the homemaker rued. “My husband is a businessman, so he has an advantage. But it has made no difference to me. Oil price does not impact me,� says Deepak’s wife, Poonam.
Ponnam's sentiment is echoed by other homemakers across the country.
“The prices of cooking gas are not down. So national budget does not help my family budget,� says another homemaker Geeta Sreedharan.
Considering the responses, this year’s budget was anything but an all-out dreamboat as far as prices of essential goods were concerned.
Chidambaram did ensure respite in small ways like prices of cooking oil, shoes, umbrellas, packaged foods - small things that may help the spending poor, making them feel better.
“If expensive things like chappals and umbrellas become cheaper, I’ll buy them,� says household help Kalawati Seth.
"Prices apart, it was a mixed bag even as far as direct taxes are concerned.
While many cheered the Rs-10,000 hike in tax exemption limit, it was somewhat dampened by the one per cent additional educational cess.
“Tax limit is up, so more money remains with us. But with the rise in costs, it may not help much,� says senior citizen Shas Mokashi. Looks like Chidambaram has taken the old adage of “good things in small packages� to heart while addressing the common man in this year's budget.
Cheaper Expensive
Pet food Pulses
Footwear Grains
Cell phones Vegetables
Low-value Cement Tea
Diamond jewellery Motorcycles
Sunflower oil Scooters
By Marilynn Marchione
Ben & Jerry might help you get pregnant, but not in the usual way. A diet rich in ice cream and other high-fat dairy foods may lower the risk of one type of infertility, a study suggests. It sounds too good to be true and probably is, some doctors say.
But the findings are bound to get attention because they are from the well-known Nurses Health Study at the Harvard School of Public Health and were published on Wednesday in the European journal Human Reproduction.
Researchers found that women who ate two or more low-fat dairy products a day were nearly twice as likely to have trouble conceiving because of lack of ovulation than women who ate less than one serving of such foods a week.
Conversely, women who ate at least one fatty dairy food a day were 27 percent less likely to have this problem.
Even the researchers say women should not make too much of these results, which are based on reports of what women said they ate over many years � not a rigorous, scientific experiment where specific dietary factors could be studied in isolation.
"The idea is not to go crazy and start to have ice cream three times a day," said the lead author, Dr Jorge Chavarro, a research fellow at Harvard. "But it is certainly possible to have a healthy diet with low saturated fat intake by having one serving of high-fat dairy a day."
Others urged caution.
"A good healthy dose of scepticism is good for people," especially when the results are so hard to swallow, said Dr Patrick Remington, a University of Wisconsin-Madison epidemiologist.
After all, the Nurses Health Study also found that menopause hormones could ward off heart disease � something doctors believed until a more scientific study disproved it several years ago, he noted.
The new research doesn't even apply to most cases of female infertility � not ovulating is to blame only one-third of the time.
The study also found no link between infertility and dairy foods in general � something that bothered another statistics expert, David Allison at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Instead, researchers only saw a link when they separated non-ovulating women who ate yoghurt and other low-fat dairy products from those eating more high-fat varieties.
When they looked at specific foods � and this is where the numbers really get tricky � they found that women eating ice cream two or more times a week had a 38 percent lower risk of infertility than women consuming ice cream less than once a week.
Researchers adjusted the results to reflect differences in weight, exercise levels and other factors, but many specialists said they suspect weight is still mostly responsible for the results.
Weight extremes � being too thin or too fat � raises the risk of any sort of infertility, said Dr William Gibbons, who runs a fertility clinic in Baton Rouge, La, and is president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Other research shows that women eating lots of low-fat dairy also eat other low-fat foods and try to lose weight, said Dr Zev Rosenwaks, director of Weill Cornell University and New York Presbyterian's fertility services.
His interpretation of the new study: "It's not that having high fat is protective. It's that being on a diet may be bad for reproduction."
The Harvard study, funded by the university and a long-running federal study, involved 18,555 women, ages 24 to 42, who became pregnant or tried to from 1991-99. Among them, 3,430 reported infertility, including 2,165 who saw a doctor for it. Of those, 438 said an ovulation problem was to blame.
The women filled out questionnaires every two years on what they ate and how often. Those who ate more high-fat dairy foods were more likely to consume alcohol and to already have had a child, and less likely to exercise than those eating low-fat dairy products. Researchers said they adjusted for these factors and still saw the link to ovulation-related infertility.
If women do eat more high-fat dairy foods to try to boost their odds of conceiving, it would be important to cut calories elsewhere to avoid gaining weight, doctors said. They also should switch back to low-fat dairy foods once the baby is born, to limit saturated fats.
By Khalil Al-Qanaei
Kuwait, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali said the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF), one of the greatest achievements of the IDB group, aimed to combat poverty as well as unemployment and illiteracy in the Muslim nations.
The fund promotes the positive image of Islamic interdependence as it taps the resources of rich Muslim nations to help poor Muslim nations, Ali told KUNA here Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait contributed USD 1 billion and USD 300 million respectively to the capital of the PRF which was launched under the third OIC Summit resolution in Mecca in 2005 and the meeting of the IDB Board of Governors in Kuwait in May, 2006.
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, in his capacity as host of the coming annual meeting of the IDB Board of Governors, Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is OIC chairman are making efforts to lobby support for the PRF initiative.
The IDB is deploying missions to the OIC member states to hold direct contacts with their decision-makers on the aims of the PRF.
The IDB is also seeking contributions of the private sector of the OIC members to exploit the Zakat (alms) funds and Islamic Awqaf (endowments) in order to increase the PRF resources and run national anti-poverty funds and programmes in those countries, Ali pointed out.
Since its initiation, 30 years ago, the IDB injected more than USD 4.2 billion in socio-economic development programmes in the OIC members.
By Tuesday, 21 OIC member states, including 11 least developing countries, have confirmed their contributions to the PRF, he disclosed.
Beside its endeavours to alleviate poverty, the PRF worked out programmes to enhance education, especially female education, infrastructure, potable water, healthcare, agricultural development, small- and medium-size enterprises, and post-conflict human relief and reconstruction, Ali added.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Employers providing regular employment to physically challenged persons would be rewarded under a new scheme that aims to create about 100,000 jobs a year for such disadvantaged sections of society.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday set aside Rs.1,800 crores (Rs.18 billion) to reimburse employers who provide regular employment to them.
Presenting the central budget for 2007-08 in Parliament, he noted: "Among the disadvantaged sections of the society are physically challenged persons. They face difficulties in obtaining regular employment.
"In order to incentivise employers in the organised sector to provide regular employment, I propose a scheme whereunder the government will reward the employer once the physically challenged employee is regularised and is enrolled under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees State Insurance (ESI).
"The government will reimburse the employer's contribution to the EPF and ESI for the first three years.
"The government is ready to support the creation of about 100,000 jobs every year for physically challenged persons with a salary limit of Rs.25,000 per month.
"I estimate the cost to the government at Rs.150 crores per annum rising to Rs.450 crores per annum when the scheme is fully rolled out. I have therefore earmarked Rs.1,800 crores," Chidambaram said.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The incidence of malaria, one of the most common vector-borne diseases, has come down in India from 1.82 million cases in 2005 to 1.2 million cases in 2006, the Economic Survey has said.
In its survey of the social sectors, the Economic Survey said malaria deaths came down from 963 to 961 people in the country in this period.
According to it, in some parts of the country the parasite has developed resistance to widely used anti-malaria drug chloroquine.
"The government has introduced a new drug combination of Aretemisinin plus Sulfadoxine-Pyremethamine for treating such resistant cases," said the survey.
Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) kits for quick detection of malaria cases are being made available to trained health workers and volunteers in remote,inaccessible areas.
Use of insecticide treated bed nets is being promoted for personal protection. Besides, the use of larvivorous fish in stagnant water collection is being encouraged for control of mosquito breeding.
In 2005, India had reported 1.82 million malaria cases of which 963 were fatal.
Expressing concern over the mosquito menace, the survey underlined that dengue, another mosquito-borne infection has, now spread to urban and semi-urban areas in the country.
"In recent years, dengue is increasingly being reported from semi-urban and rural areas due to expanding urbanisation and lifestyle changes," the survey remarks.
In 2006, dengue fever affected 10,891 people of which 171 succumbed to the disease. In 2005, while 157 lives were lost another 11,985 people were affected due to the fever.
Quoting the government's commitment to deal with filaria, another mosquito-transmitted disease, the survey said that the government aims eliminating the infectious Lymphatic Filaria disease by 2015.
In 2005, all 20 endemic states and union territories except Tamil Nadu implemented Mass Drug Administration covering around a population of 500 million.
By Arvind Padmanabhan,
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) With hands tied by the electoral defeat in two states blamed by many on rising prices, India's Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented a Rs.680,521 crore ($148 billion) general budget for 2007-08 Wednesday that focuses on social sectors and agriculture with only moderate cuts in taxes and import duties.
"Agriculture must top the agenda for policy makers and hold the first charge on resources," the finance minister said in his 100-minute speech in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, setting the tone for his sixth national budget and the fourth for the United Progressive Alliance government.
"The declared objective is faster and more inclusive growth," Chidambaram said as he enhanced budgetary allocations for education, agriculture, water, child development, urban renewal, employment guarantee scheme and social security.
"Industry and services have done well. Attention is, therefore, being diverted to agriculture. A plant needs nursing and not a firm oak tree," he later told a press conference explaining the main premise of his budget.
Rising prices, he said, was a concern and projected an inflation rate of 5.2 percent for the current fiscal, against 4.4 percent for the previous year. "We are confident that we can moderate the present inflationary trend," he assured.
In a bid to bring down overall inflation and help curb the rise in the prices of some food items, he said excise duty on crude oil would be reduced to 6 percent from 8 percent and futures trading banned immediately in wheat and rice.
Chidambaram came under attack from his own party members Tuesday night when many of them blamed his economic policies and failure to rein in inflation for the Congress party's defeat in elections in two states - Punjab and Uttarakhand.
The finance minister said he was also giving a new thrust to agriculture, on which two-third of the 1.17 billion population still depends, the small taxpayer and small service provider. "Faster economic growth has given us, once again, the opportunity to unfurl the sails and catch the wind."
His proposals invited praise from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "This budget focuses on fiscal consolidation," Manmohan Singh said, adding an attempt was made to address the concerns and aspirations of a larger section of society, especially the common man.
But the opposition was sceptical. "The budget proposals do not address the basic issues like curbing prices. This budget will stoke inflation and not reduce it," said Rajnath Singh, president of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Even though Chidambaram drew comfort from an impressive 27.8 percent increase in the gross tax revenue during the current fiscal, he, nevertheless, proposed a 1-percent cess on all taxes to finance secondary and higher education schemes, over and above the 2 percent cess on basic education.
A similar populist measure was substantial increase in the allocations for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and an extension of its coverage to 330 districts from the present 200.
With the armed forces set to modernise operations and induct new equipment in the coming years, the finance minister also enhanced the defence budget by 7.8 percent to Rs.960 billion.
His relief to individual tax payers came in the form of a token Rs.10,000 hike in the threshold limit of exemption, to result in a saving of Rs.1,000, as also an increase in the base limit for women and senior citizens.
"A comprehensive review should await the proposed income tax code which will be introduced in parliament this year," the finance minister said on the issue of moderating the direct tax regime further.
In indirect direct taxes, he sought to cut the peak rate of import duties to 10 percent from the existing 12.5 percent, but decided to keep the central value added tax rate unchanged and expanded the service tax regime.
Much to the disappointment of the corporate sector, Chidambaram did away with the surcharge on corporation tax only for firms with a taxable income of Rs.10 million or less.
"This is a common man's budget and not a corporate India's budget," said R. Seshasayee, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). "It is neither bold nor courageous," he added.
"It is definitely not a 'wow' budget," said Shivinder Mohan Singh, director of the pharmaceuticals major Ranbaxy Laboratories, referring to the 'dream budget' Chidambaram had presented exactly 10 years ago in 1997.
The sentiments were also reflected in the performance of the stock markets.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) dropped 310.05 points at 13,168.75 points, and the broader Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was down 93.80 points at 3,800 points.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Income tax will remain unchanged and the threshold limit would be raised by Rs.10,000 giving every assessee a relief of Rs.1,000, the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in parliament Wednesday while presenting budget 2007-08.
"I am inclined to consider giving some relief to tax payers, especially in view of the cooperation they have extended to the Department of Revenue," the minister said at the lower house of the parliament.
The Budget proposes to increase the income tax exemption limit from Rs.1,00,000 to Rs.1,10,000. For women, the exemption limit has been raised from Rs.1,35,000 to Rs.1,45,000, and for senior citizens it has been raised from Rs.1,85,000 to Rs.1,95,000.
Keeping the rate of corporate income tax (CIT) unchanged, Chidambaram said, On the corporate income tax side too, there has been better compliance."
To encourage growth of the SME (small and medium enterprises) sector, whose earnings are less than Rs.10 million, Chidambaram granted exemption from surcharge on CIT.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Captain Rahul Dravid says the Indian cricket team is one of the world's "most dangerous" sides, and with a bit of luck and consistency it can take a crack at the World Cup.
"India is one of the most dangerous one-day teams and there are some very exciting players and match winners in our midst," Dravid writes in his foreword to "The Penguin World Cup Cricket Companion 2007", written by IANS sports editor Qaiser Mohammad Ali.
"There is a good blend of youth and experience in the team and on our day we have proven that we can take on the best in the world and compete successfully. In the World Cup, we will have to perform consistently for close to two months to be in a position to take a crack at the title," he says about the biggest ever World Cup cricket tournament beginning in the West Indies March 11.
The 345-page book, published by Penguin India (Price Rs.199), comprises profiles of all 16 teams and their players, teams' prospects, venue profiles, lots of statistics and a section discussing the performance of the 10 Test playing countries between the 2003 World Cup and the 2006 Champions Trophy held in India in October-November.
But its USP is the exclusive interviews with Virender Sehwag, top South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock, Indian team's coach Greg Chappell, Chris Dehring, CEO and managing director of the 2007 World Cup, England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.
Also included in this section are interviews with P.R. Man Singh, who was manager of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team and again in the 1987 tournament, Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody and top international umpires Simon Taufel and Daryl Harper, who will be officiating in the Caribbean.
Looking ahead, Dravid, who will be playing in his third World Cup, is also keen to have luck on his side at the 16-nation tournament lasting 49 days.
"... there will be seven or eight teams that will be capable of winning the World Cup. And I want India to be one of them. To win it, you need to be well prepared, which we will be, and also have a bit of luck. I hope things roll our way during the event."
He hopes that the team would improve its performance as the tournament progresses.
"Our preparations for the World Cup have gone on quite well. We are pretty happy with the kind of players and combination that we have," he writes.
"In an event like the World Cup where every team is constantly looking to improve, you have to get everything right till the start of the tournament, and improve during it."
Dravid is also banking on support from Indian fans.
"... with the kind of support that I know India will enjoy we will definitely be the best-supported team in the World Cup, after probably the hosts West Indies. We look forward to that support and enthusiasm to spur us on."
The book also contains a detailed write-up on the preparations made by the West Indies organisers, despite tragedies like Hurricane Ivan that destroyed property and under-construction stadiums in some islands in 2004. It also lists the key playing conditions of the tournament.
Minsk, Feb 27 (NNN-BELTA) India will host a regular session of the Belarusian-Indian Inter-Governmental Commission for Co-operation in economy, trade, industry, science, technology and culture in the near future.
The agreement was reached during a recent visit of Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov to India, BelTA learnt from the Belarus Ambassador to India Oleg Laptenok.
When commenting on the results of the visit the ambassador noted that it was mainly focused on bilateral trade and economic co-operation.
Laptenok stressed that Belarus was ready to boost exports of industrial, road-building and quarry equipment, tyres, chemical fibers and fabric, integrated circuits and electric appliances to India.
The parties also considered an opportunity of launching joint production of giant tyres. Belarus is interested in opening a joint venture with India to produce medicines.
The chambers of commerce and industry of Belarus and India have been boosting co-operation too and Indian companies have been regularly participating in various international exhibitions in Minsk.
The ambassador believes that the opening of representative offices in India by leading Belarusian manufactures, extension of banking co-operation, improvement of logistics and transport schemes allowing for national peculiarities of both the countries, organization of fairs and exhibitions will promote bilateral relations.
All these issues were in the spotlight of the visit of the foreign minister to Delhi where Martynov invited the Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to visit Belarus at any suitable time.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India will set up an expert committee to study the impact of climate change on the country, even though it does not significantly contribute to green house gas (GHG) emissions, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in his budget speech in parliament Wednesday.
"India is not a significant contributor to GHG emissions nor will be so in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, India has taken important steps to mitigate GHG emissions and adapt to climate change impact," Chidambaram said.
"Government proposes to appoint an expert committee to study the impact of climate change on India and identify the measures that we may have to take in the future," he added.
The minister said India has strongly promoted the clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol and has the world's largest number of CDM projects.
However, he confessed that India is among the countries "more vulnerable to climate change".
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published in early February, had underlined that India would experience dry monsoons, heat waves, extreme precipitation and severe drought in the future. The report had also highlighted that the country is under a threat of increased glacier retreat and rising sea level.
New Delhi, Feb 28(IRNA)India's annual population growth is expected to gradually decelerate from 1.6 percent in the five years ending in 2006 to 0.9 percent in the five years ending in 2026.
The projection was made by the Technical Group on Population Projections constituted by the National Commission on Population in May 2006 and stated in the Economic Survey 2006-07.
India's population, which is estimated to have gone up from the Census 2001 figure of 1029 million to 1112 million in 2006, is projected to increase to 1400 million by 2026. The well-known `demographic dividend' will manifest itself in the proportion of the population in the working age group of 15-64 years increasing steadily from 62.9 percent in 2006 to 68.4 percent in 2026, said an official release here.
With the high proportion of the population in the reproductive age group, the total population will continue to grow for another 25-35 years before stabilizing at around 2045.
The Economic Survey 2006-07 calls for population stabilization by addressing issues of child survival, safe motherhood and
contraception use.
It points out that wide inter-state, male-female and rural-urban disparities in outcomes and impact continue to persist. Inadequacies in existing health infrastructure have led to gaps in coverage and outreach services in rural areas.
The survey says that India's position on health parameters compared even to some of its neighbors continues to be unsatisfactory.
India compares poorly not only with China and Sri Lanka but also with Bangladesh and Nepal with respect to some indicators, it says.
It also points out that as per empirical studies, the overall quality of the state administration, education and income are often more important than specific public health interventions in explaining the differences in demographic and health indicators.
New Delhi, Feb 28, (IRNA) India's annual population growth is expected to gradually decelerate from 1.6 percent in the five years ending in 2006 to 0.9 percent in the five years ending in 2026.
The projection was made by the Technical Group on Population Projections constituted by the National Commission on Population in May 2006 and stated in the Economic Survey 2006-07.
India's population, which is estimated to have gone up from the Census 2001 figure of 1029 million to 1112 million in 2006, is projected to increase to 1400 million by 2026. The well-known `demographic dividend' will manifest itself in the proportion of the population in the working age group of 15-64 years increasing steadily from 62.9 percent in 2006 to 68.4 percent in 2026, said an official release here.
With the high proportion of the population in the reproductive age group, the total population will continue to grow for another 25-35 years before stabilizing at around 2045.
The Economic Survey 2006-07 calls for population stabilization by addressing issues of child survival, safe motherhood and
contraception use.
It points out that wide inter-state, male-female and rural-urban disparities in outcomes and impact continue to persist. Inadequacies in existing health infrastructure have led to gaps in coverage and outreach services in rural areas.
The survey says that India's position on health parameters compared even to some of its neighbors continues to be unsatisfactory.
India compares poorly not only with China and Sri Lanka but also with Bangladesh and Nepal with respect to some indicators, it says.
It also points out that as per empirical studies, the overall quality of the state administration, education and income are often more important than specific public health interventions in explaining the differences in demographic and health indicators.
Islamabad, Feb 28 (IANS) Still reeling from the aftershocks of the blasts on their friendship train, Pakistan and India have decided to maintain detailed records of passengers boarding the Lahore-bound Samjhauta Express, says a Pakistani daily.
Railway authorities of India and Pakistan have decided to maintain proper records of all passengers of the train, The Daily Times quoted an official statement as saying.
According to the daily, the decision to have detailed information on personal antecedents of the Samjhauta passengers was taken after the two sides faced problems in identifying bodies of the 68 people killed, mostly Pakistanis, in the Feb 18 twin bombings and in establishing their nationality.
The meticulous log, along with other security measures announced by Indian Railway Minister Lalu Prasad including more Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel on the Samjhauta Express, will also help prevent terrorist attacks on the train, which has come to symbolise the human face of India-Pakistan relations.
The Pakistani ticketing authority would now issue tickets only from Lahore Railway Station to Attari Railway Station, near Amritsar in India, while the Indian authorities will issue tickets from Delhi to the Wagah railway station.
The records of passengers would include important details like the names, addresses, contact numbers and other particulars of those travelling.
The explosions on the Delhi-Attari Express that links up with Samjhauta Express, in India's Haryana state on Feb 18 night also injured around 50 people and was apparently aimed at derailing the peace process between the two countries.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India and the US Wednesday decided to step up their coordination in countering terrorism and targeting sources of terrorist financing - a crucial issue for New Delhi, especially after recent disclosure about stock exchanges being manipulated to fund Pakistan-based terrorists.
The Indo-US joint working group on counter-terrorism, led by K.C. Singh, additional secretary (International Organisations) and US' Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Frank Urbancic Wednesday discussed a series of "cooperative strategies" to fight the global scourge of terrorism.
"The two parties also discussed terrorist finance and money laundering, the ideological dimensions of terrorism, information sharing and widened cooperation for preventing terrorist acts," said a statement by the external affairs ministry.
The two countries shared notes on regional counter-terrorism efforts, threat assessments in South Asia and the Middle East, bio-terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and the on-going Anti-terrorism Assistance Training Programme.
"They also agreed to find new ways to forge institutional linkages to foster closer interaction and cooperation," said the statement.
The next meeting of the counter-terrorism joint working group will be held in Washington later this year.
Speaking at the 43rd Munich conference on security policy Feb 11, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan had said that isolated incidents of terrorists manipulating stock markets in Mumbai and Chennai to raise funds for their operations had been reported.
Conduits through which such funds find their way to terrorist organisations include established channels such as the Habib Bank in Pakistan, Narayanan had said.
The India-US counter-terrorism meeting has an added significance coming as it does less than two weeks after the recent bomb explosions in the friendship train between India and Pakistan.
India has agreed to share the leads in the ongoing probe into the blasts in the Delhi-Attari express that killed 68 people of both countries at the meeting of the India-Pakistan joint anti-terror mechanism in Islamabad March 6.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (PTI) India's ambitious manned space flight received a shot in the arm on Wednesday with the government proposing to allocate Rs 50 crore for the project.Spl: Union Budget 2007-08
In the general budget presented on Wednesday, the Finance Ministry has earmarked Rs 50 crore to the Department of Space for the Manned Mission Initiatives.
Under the initiative the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to undertake mission design, analysis and development of critical technologies and facilities as pre-project activities.
ISRO is playing a lead role in developing a fully autonomous orbital vehicle to carry two-member crew to low earth orbit and safely return them to earth.
Last year, leading scientists met in Bangalore and expressed their support to India undertaking a manned space flight by 2014.
The budget also proposed Rs 96 crore for Chandrayaan-I, India's maiden lunar mission, scheduled to be launched in March next year.
Nearly half of the Rs 861.6 crore hike in budgetary allocation to the Department of Space has been earmarked to improve the satellite launch vehicle technology.
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) Indian shares were down by 4 percent following presentation of the union budget for 2007-08 Wednesday and a global sell-off triggered by a slide in the Chinese stock market Tuesday.
The Sensitive Index ('Sensex'), the 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), closed 540 points down at 12,938.09, while the broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty was down 148 points at 3,7455.30 - the lowest level in two months.
In the early morning trade the shares fell as much as 5 percent, with Sensex down 677.92 points at 12,800.91 - the lowest since Oct 27 - mirroring a sell-off in equity market around the world.
Though it gained somewhat after Finance Minister P. Chidambaram began his annual budget speech, it closed at 12,938.09, down 540.74 points at close of trade.
The market breadth was extremely weak in the intra-trading with all the BSE 30 and Nifty 50 scrips trading in the red. Dr Reddy's, HDFC Bank, Gujarat Ambuja Cements and Bharti Airtel slipped over six percent each.
Satyam Computers, which led the major losers of the day, was down 8.42 percent at Rs.412.50, followed by Gujarat Ambuja Cement, down 7.76 percent at Rs.115.95, and IT major Wipro, down 7.34 percent at Rs.560.85.
Index heavyweights including ACC Cements, Tata Steel, Infosys Technologies, TCS and Maruti Udyog were among the other major losers.
Tobacco giant ITC was the only major gainer, up 4.03 percent at Rs.171.85.
"The downward movement mirrored a global sell-off that was triggered by a major slide in the Chinese market since Tuesday," said a market analyst.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (India Times News Network) After the IT and automobile industries, it is the turn of the Indian venture funds to scream foul.
The FM's proposal with regards to the tax "pass-through" provision for venture capital funds will cause irreparable harm to innovation and entrepreneurship in India and seriously discourage the growth of venture capital in India, said Indian Venture Capital Association (IVCA) in a statement.
Pointing out that the VC capital is vital for myriads of start-ups to achieve their full potential, IVCA chairman Saurabh Srivastav said the provision is unlikely to garner any significant tax revenues as all foreign venture funds will bypass the issue by investing through tax treaty-friendly companies.
"The impact will only be on the fledgling domestic venture capital industry which any way represents only a small fraction of the total investments that the FM is targeting," he said.
The government proposes to restrict the "pass-through" to VC funds operating only in half a dozen areas specified by it. "This measure is flawed on two counts. Firstly, nowhere in the world do governments seek to be clairvoyant and direct in those areas of innovation where venture capital is allowed to operate. This is an issue best left to entrepreneurs and people who are willing to invest in them," claimed Srivastav.
"For instance, if the government had drawn up such a list two decades ago, computer software would not have been on it. This list has some obvious, inexplicable exclusions such as telecom, value-added services in the wireless arena, media, etc. But the main point is that no one, certainly not the government, is competent to draw up a list of what are the promising areas of tomorrow. If the government's intention was to exclude a specific sector, then that would have been better though not still a good approach," he added.
The second issue comes from the government implying that the tax "pass-through" represents some sort of incentive. The fact is that the "pass-through" only eliminates double taxation. "Worldwide, it is a standard practice that VC funds are not taxed twice and considered "pass-through vehicles", with the tax being paid in the hands of investors, IVCA has pointed out.
In fact, in most countries such "pass-through" is routinely available to any pool or group of investors even if they do not represent a registered VC fund. Even in India, any non-corporate vehicle, such as a partnership, is not taxed twice.
Section 10 (23FB) and Section 115U were introduced precisely to bring this treatment on par with rest of the world and as a result venture capital investments in India grew from a $1 billion in 2000 to $7 billion last year, representing perhaps the biggest single element of FDI, but equally creating several new enterprises and enabling existing Indian companies to have the funds for foreign acquisitions.
"We feel that the current proposals are regressive and retrograde and must be dropped," said Srivastav.
Chennai,Feb 28 (DNA) Right arm medium pacer Amita Sharma broke the back of England innings with a four-wicket haul, and openers Karuna Jain and Jaya Sharma smashed half centuries to guide India to a convincing eight wicket win in the second round league matches of the ICC Quadrennial women’s cricket tournament on Wednesday.
Set a modest target of 144 in 50 overs, Karuna (51, 79 balls, 6x4) and left hander Jaya (66, 109 balls, 8x4, 1x6) made mincemeat of the English attack as the home team romped home with 11.1 overs to spare.
Karuna and Jaya added 126 for the opening wicket in 30.2 overs to dash the hopes of the Englishwomen. Though they fell in quick succession, skipper Mithali Raj (12 not out, 2x4) and Kamini (two not out) steered the team home as India finished at 144 for two in 38.5 overs to complete a comprehensive win.
Earlier, England put into bat lost wickets at regular intervals and fell to the guiles of Amita Sharma, whose four wicket haul fetched her the Eve of the match award. Having lost their first three games, England desperately needed a win to remain in contention for the final, But they suffered a setback even before entering the ground when opener Caroline Atkins and left-arm spinner Holly Colvin were ruled out due to injuries.
England’s woes were compounded as they lost the toss and were asked to make first use of the wicket, which gave some help for the medium pacers. England were reeling at 67 for seven in 29.3 overs. However, left hander Lydia Greenway came up with an unbeaten half century (50 not out, 76 balls, 6x4, 1x6) to lend some substance to the total.
Brief scores: England 143 in 45.5 overs (L Greenway 50; A Sharma 4-16, P Dimri 2-26) lost to India 144-2 in 38.5 overs (K Jain 51, J Sharma 66)
Tehran, Feb 28(IRNA)Information and communications technologies (ICT) are crucial in spurring "development, dignity and peace," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday told a gathering of technology experts, activists, corporate leaders and government officials.
"Let us turn the digital divide into digital opportunity," Ban said in a video message at the opening of the Steering Committee's meeting of the Global Alliance for Information and Communications Technologies and Development, a UN initiative, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here Wednesday.
Governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and others must join forces to "promote new business models, public policies and technology solutions in the global approach to development," he added.
According to a report released at UN Headquarters in New York, members of the Alliance will brainstorm with Silicon Valley leaders today to determine how the UN and the business world can work in tandem to bring the benefits of ICT to developing countries.
"Increasing access to technology will be a critical driver of economic growth in emerging economies," said Craig Barrett, Global Alliance Chair and Intel Corporation Chairman. "It's time to focus on actions with results, not protocol. Our focus can improve people's lives."
The Alliance was formed last year, and is "well placed to promote the use of ICT in fighting poverty, illiteracy and disease, in protecting the environment and empowering women and girls," Ban said, underscoring how technology can be utilized to meet the Millennium Development Goals, a set of globally agreed targets that aim to deal with a host of social ills - including eradicating extreme poverty - by 2015.
This session held in Santa Clara, California, is the third since the Alliance's creation last year and will span two days. At least 250 people are expected to attend.
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) Information and communications technologies (ICT) are crucial in spurring "development, dignity and peace," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday told a gathering of technology experts, activists, corporate leaders and government officials.
"Let us turn the digital divide into digital opportunity," Ban said in a video message at the opening of the Steering Committee's meeting of the Global Alliance for Information and Communications Technologies and Development, a UN initiative, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here Wednesday.
Governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and others must join forces to "promote new business models, public policies and technology solutions in the global approach to development," he added.
According to a report released at UN Headquarters in New York, members of the Alliance will brainstorm with Silicon Valley leaders today to determine how the UN and the business world can work in tandem to bring the benefits of ICT to developing countries.
"Increasing access to technology will be a critical driver of economic growth in emerging economies," said Craig Barrett, Global Alliance Chair and Intel Corporation Chairman. "It's time to focus on actions with results, not protocol. Our focus can improve people's lives."
The Alliance was formed last year, and is "well placed to promote the use of ICT in fighting poverty, illiteracy and disease, in protecting the environment and empowering women and girls," Ban said, underscoring how technology can be utilized to meet the Millennium Development Goals, a set of globally agreed targets that aim to deal with a host of social ills - including eradicating extreme poverty - by 2015.
This session held in Santa Clara, California, is the third since the Alliance's creation last year and will span two days. At least 250 people are expected to attend.
New York, Feb 28 (NNN-IRNA) Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations has dismissed allegations made by two US dailies regarding recent terrorist acts in the Iranian city of Zahedan.
The mission, in a letter Tuesday, responded to articles published by the US dailies the 'Los Angeles Times' and 'New York Times' last week which attributed the terrorist bombings to a Sunni group operating in southeastern Zahedan.
The mission said the two dailies advanced a false view on recent terrorist acts in Iran and gave legitimacy to the acts of a well-known terrorist group by attributing it to an alleged discord between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the country.
It noted that the UN Security Council also condemned the move, and maintained that Sunni Muslims in the country have had a peaceful coexistence with Shi'ites for centuries.
Eleven people were martyred and 31 others injured in a terrorist attack on a bus in Zahedan on Feb 14.
"Saboteurs" detonated a bomb inside a car parked along a road just as the bus belonging to Zahedan's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) passed by.
Two days later, a percussion bomb exploded in the same city but left no casualties or damage.
The mission criticized the deliberate refusal of the two US dailies to use the word "terrorist" to describe the inhuman acts, saying it was a clear example of biased and double standards reporting.
It further expressed deep regret for spiteful reports against Iran published by the US press.
The mission also responded to an article published by the 'Los Angeles Times' which quoted an analyst as saying multinational alliances were in the process of breaking up.
It assessed the outlook as "very dangerous" and against international principles and values and constituted a threat to regional and international stability and security.
"It seems the US Administration is encouraging such a view in its policies," the mission said.
Meanwhile, 'The New York Times' Tuesday published a letter by Iran's mission protesting against an article written by the daily accusing Iran of supplying arms to insurgents responsible for the escalating road bombings in Iraq.
'The New York Times' quoted unknown sources as saying several documents had been found substantiating US allegations of weapons transfers and supply of armour-piercing bombs by Iran to Iraqi militia.
The mission said that the US media should not allow itself to be used as a convenient channel for spreading false news and information against Iran which have been on the rise in light of the escalation of violence in Iraq.
It explicitly rejected the Bush administration's allegations, saying such US moves were intended to divert attention from its failures in Iraq.
A stable and democratic Iraq is in the interest of Iran and it has repeatedly expressed its concern over the turmoil in Iraq which could spread to the entire region, the mission's letter said
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani said here Wednesday that Iran would do its utmost to help Iraq solve its problems.
Larijani was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Iraqi parliamentarian Abdul-Karim Anze.
"We will participate in the conference of Iraqi neighboring states in Baghdad in March if it will be of help to Baghdad," he said.
He said Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has been formally invited to the conference by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.
Asked whether Iran would see a repeat of an experience it had while attending the Bonn conference on Afghanistan with regard to US and British representatives in the conference, the SNSC secretary said: "We should not commit suicide for fear of dying!"
"We will carry out everything necessary to advance Iraqi interests. Iraqi leaders have a great potential for administering the country's affairs," Larijani said.
He said Iraq's neighboring states have the duty to facilitate transfer of affairs to Iraqis.
Tehran, Feb 27, (IRNA) Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi said Tuesday that Iran will re-open its embassies in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Uruguay.
"We will also launch a representative office in Bolovia," he told the International Conference on Latin America in Tehran.
"A number of Latin American countries have also expressed their willingness to launch or re-open their embassies in Iran." Mostafavi said Iran and the Latin American countries can expand their ties in intellectual, cultural and economic fields in addition to the existing close political relations.
Welcoming the shift of attention of countries like China, Russia and India to the Latin America, he said, "Expansion of ties between Iran and the Latin American states will serve as an example for the South-South cooperation."
"We have taken the initial steps in expansion of economic ties.
The Bank of Export Promotion will soon start its activities in Caracas with branches in several other countries."
Mostafavi expressed the hope that with the steps taken, Iranian and Latin American nations will be able to deepen their understaing.
The day-long international conference on Latin America opened with a message from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, aiming to familiarize Iranians with developments and opportunities for cooperation in Latin America.
Kish Island, Feb 28, (IRNA) Managing Director of Kish Free Trade Zone, Majid Shayesteh has said Iran-Iraq economic relations would be promoted in the near future.
Talking to IRNA, he said Kish island is a beautiful tourist attraction for the Iraqi people.
Referring to a letter of understanding recently inked by Iran's Kish Free Trade Zone and the Iraqi Kurdistan province on expansion of economic cooperation, Shayesteh said it would pave the way for further expansion of all-out ties between the two neighboring states, particularly in the area of trade.
An Iraqi delegation, headed by presidential advisor for commercial affairs, Abdullah Saeed Marouf was in Iran in the past two days.
During their stay, Saeed Marouf and his entourage inspected several active industrial units on Kish Island and were briefed on the procedure of private sector's investment in Kish Free Zone.
The Iraqi official, while visiting the island's industrial centers, said on Monday that the Kish Free Zone has the potential to become one of the important economic centers of the region.
"The strategic location of Kish in the Persian Gulf area and its access to international waters account for the island's potential," he added.
Turning to Kish Island's suitable development infrastructures, he said that its access to international waters and close
communication with the Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf through aerial and marine routes can play a decisive role in its development.
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) Iraqi parliamentarian Abdul-Karim Anze said here Wednesday that Baghdad has found no evidence of Iranian interference in Iraq's internal affairs.
Anze spoke to reporters after his meeting with Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani.
He said Iran and Iraq have consolidated their relations and that Iran plays a constructive and positive role in Iraqi as well as in regional affairs.
But he did not rule out the fact that certain officials deliberately want to distort facts.
He dismissed news published by a Turkish daily of threats being levelled by Israel against Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, saying Talabani is currently in good health but suffering from fatigue.
The Iraqi parliamentarian said Kurds played a very effective role in the reconstruction of his country.
Baghdad, Feb 28, (IRNA) Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari officially invited governments of Iraqi neighboring states to attend a conference that is to be held in Baghdad in March.
Zebari sent separate official invitations to Iran, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
He also invited Egypt, Bahrain, the United Nations, Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to participate in the meeting.
The conference is intended to discuss the situation in Iraq and how neighboring states can help restore stability and security to the violence-hit country as well as fight terrorism.
Riyadh, Feb 28, (IRNA) Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Jalal Fayyazi here on Wednesday met and conferred with OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
Their meeting was held on the sidelines of the first managing directors' meeting of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) which opened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday morning.
In the meeting Fayyazi called for expansion of cooperation of news agencies of IINA member states.
Ihsanoglu, for his part, expressed hope the constructive proposals of participating delegations and decisions taken in this ongoing meeting would help raise IINA's position in the region and among Islamic countries.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Egypt, Turkey along with 10 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), are attending the IINA meeting.
London, Feb. 28, (IRNA) The British government is calling on the Zionist regime for the first time to officially admit to its illegal stockpile of nuclear weapons that is contrary to the Non-
Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
"There is no question that Israel should come clean about its nuclear bombs and delivery systems," Foreign Office Kim Howells said during a parliamentary debate on the dispute over Iran's civilian nuclear programme on Tuesday.
Howells warned that other MPs had also made "the important point that Israel will start to develop a second strike capacity." "I know from my discussions in the (Persian) Gulf that the Egyptians, the Saudis and Turkey will want a bomb because they feel threatened by that regime, which is why there is no more important issue on the international horizon," he said.
The issue was raised by backbench Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, who asked the Foreign Office Minister to comment on "Israel's development of a nuclear arsenal and on the treatment of India and Pakistan." "Both of which have developed nuclear weapons and are being rewarded with large amounts of western aid and technology, even though they would both have been in breach of the non-proliferation treaty had they been signatories to it," Corbyn said.
He also told MPs that Iran was a signatory to the NPT, "unlike Israel, which has 200 nuclear missile warheads and is not a signatory to any international treaty on the control of nuclear weapons." "Perhaps we should be promoting a nuclear-free Middle East, including Israel, which would involve nuclear disarmament and everybody signing up to the NPT," the anti-war MP said.
Howells said that Corbyn "rightly raised the issues whether that was fair and whether Iran should be able to continue with fissile material production, because Israel also has a bomb."
"For the sake of clarity, it should be put on record - I do so now, and I hope that it is marked - that we have no wish to deny Iran, or any other country, its rights under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, provided that it meets its obligations," he said.
The minister said he had heard pleas for the UK government to try to engage with Iran in whatever way it can. "We have tried endlessly to engage with Iran, and we will continue to do so," he pledge.
The notion, he said, that somehow the UK is "not part of an attempt to engage with Iran in rational discussions is probably the most serious slur of all."
"There is still time for diplomacy to work. We remain committed to finding a negotiated solution and our approach has been to make it clear to Iran how it might benefit from meeting its obligations," he said.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Income Tax department on Wednesday conducted searches at 20 premises of arms dealer Suresh Nanda, accused of receiving kickbacks in defence deals, here and in Mumbai and claimed to have recovered cash worth several lakhs rupees and a large number of documents.
Dozens of taxmen swooped into the office, hotel and residential premises of Nanda in the national capital and the Sea Rock hotel in Mumbai early hours and the searches continued for entire day on Wednesday, IT sources said.
The searches follow the raids conducted by the CBI against Nanda, son of former navy chief Admiral S M Nanda, in October last year after which the agency had recovered several documents that were shared with the Income Tax officials.
Nanda was questioned at length by the CBI on February nine about the documents that had been recovered from his residence and office during the October 10 raids.
The Income Tax officials claimed to have recovered documents allegedly indicating Nanda's unaccounted wealth to the tune of several crores.
The Income tax department was compiling the documents and the seizure memo was expected to be finalised by Thursday, a senior IT official said on condition of anonymity.
Nanda is already facing a CBI probe for his alleged role in the purchase of Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) as the CBI alleged he had approached former Samata Party Tresurer R K Jain to stop the contract going in favour of PSP Bohemia of Czech Republic whose bid for 87 ARVs was the lowest at Rs 247.75 crore.
The probe showed Nanda represented Unimpex which itself was not an manufacturer of the ARV but an agent of ZTS Martin firm of Czechoslovakia.
Nanda allegedly received huge funds from Unimpex through various companies and the same were used by him for acquisition of assets in the name of his family members and companies, the CBI alleged adding that in the process a loss of Rs 51.83 crore was caused to the exchequer.
During searches carried out in October last year, the CBI had seized unaccounted cash of Rs 62.5 lakh from the office of Nanda.
Jeddah, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) The Jeddah Economic Forum concluded Tuesday with a session touching on privatisation as a pillar of economic reforms.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Najib bin Abdul Razak talked about his country's successful privatisation experience and how it helped restructure the country since it was launched in 1991.
Privatisation started with water and electricity services, car manufacturing, transportation and sewage, he said.
Privatisation, said Mohamed Najib, helped the government save USD 2.5 billion of expenditure and save USD 1.3 billion from the gross domestic product.
Director General of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Khaled Al-Melhem said the carrier has been adopting drastic measures to privatise nine subsidiaries.
He said he supported good selection of contracts and deals.
Al-Melhem said Saudi Arabia was looking for strategic partners to privatise the Saudi Arabian Airlines.
Ranchi, Feb 28 (IANS) Even though cyber crimes are on the rise in the state, Jharkhand is yet to formulate a policy or set up a separate cell to fight such new-age offences.
The state police headquarters had sent a proposal to the state government last month, seeking approval for the creation of a separate cell to deal with cyber crimes, but it was rejected.
"The state government rejected the proposal as it would be an additional burden on the state exchequer. The number of cases registered in the state is not enough to create such a cell - that was the argument of the state government," a senior police official told IANS.
"How will we deliver if we are not given the training and manpower to deal with hi-tech crimes?" he asked.
Six months ago, an MMS (multimedia messaging service) scandal rocked the Regional Institute of Technology in Namokom, Ranchi. Two boys allegedly prepared a three-minute MMS clip of a girl and circulated it among students. But the police failed to act due to manpower shortage.
This was followed by another MMS scandal four months ago that allegedly exposed three Bharatiya Janata Party legislators taking bribes. But the police have made no arrests.
"A few crimes are reported in newspapers while so many go unnoticed. Maoists use mobiles and computers here. How will we deal with them unless we are trained to deal with such crimes?" asked another police official.
Jaipur, Feb 28 (IANS) The JSW Group, part of the $4 billion (Rs.176 billion) O.P. Jindal Group, is setting up a Rs.50 billion lignite-based thermal power project in Barmer district of Rajasthan.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Wednesday unveiled the foundation stone of the thermal power plant in Barmer..
Raj West Power Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy Ltd. (JSWEL), would set up a 1,000 MW lignite based pithead power project in Barmer district, making Raj West Power the first independent power producer to set up a project in the state's power sector.
Lignite has been chosen as the primary fuel for the project and the entire fuel requirement of the project of about 7.0 million tones per annum (MTPA), is proposed to be sourced from the lignite mines at Jalipa and Kapurdi, located near the project site.
Speaking on the occasion, Sajjan Jindal, chairman Raj West Power Ltd., said: "India is currently on a growth path and power is a vital component not only for business but also for personal use. Our project represents the JSW Group's pioneering spirit to help create a vibrant new India and I am certain that Raj West Power will play an integral role in the rapid economic development of Rajasthan".
He said that to mitigate any adverse impact on the environment in the mining area, the company will deploy dust-suppression system with mist spray and stationary machines with dust extractors, use chemicals for dust consolidation of haul roads, develop dense green belt in and around the mining zone.
The company also plans ecological development of the area around the mining zone.
JSWEL is a part of the $2 billion JSW Group with diversified business in steel, power, ports and aluminium.
At present the company has got an operating capacity of 490 MW-thermal power plant in Bellary district in Karnataka.
Jindal said, on its part to meet the growing energy demand of the country, JSWEL is embarking on a capacity expansion programme and plans to set up 3,000 MW power generation capacities by 2010 in different geographical regions at an estimated investment of Rs.120 billion
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Contrary to speculation that a high-level team would go to Argentina to seek extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, charged with bribery and fraud in the Bofors gun payoff scandal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday despatched relatively lower ranked officials on this high stakes mission.
While in the earlier such high profile cases, the CBI usually sent teams headed by an officer of the rank of a joint director, its two-member team this time consists of a prosecution director - S.K. Sharma - and a Superintendent of Police (SP) - Keshav Mishra. The two left for Buenos Aires Wednesday and are expected to reach there March 2 and make a case for Quatrocchi's extradition.
"He (Mishra) is truly acquainted with the intricacies of the case and has been tackling all the developments in the Bofors case for the last 20 years. He brings with him a wealth of experience," CBI's special director, M.L. Sharma, told IANS.
It was earlier believed that Sharma and additional director, Paramvir Singh, would comprise the two-member team for Argentina.
This is in contrast to earlier cases. For example, for extraditing Mumbai serial blast accused, Abu Salem from Lisbon in Portugal in November 2005, the CBI had sent a three-member team headed by its current director Vijay Shankar, then an additional director.
The CBI's former director P.C. Sharma, too, had visited Lisbon at least on three occasions.
Then again in 2002, CBI's former joint director Neeraj Kumar had rushed to Dubai to ensure the deportation of Aftab Ansari, accused of masterminding the 2002 terror attack at the American Centre in Kolkata.
"There is a shortage of joint directors currently in the agency," clarified a senior CBI officer.
The CBI officials, however, justified their decision to send the team headed by its prosecution director.
"For a successful deportation of Quattrocchhi to India, we need more legal expertise to convince the Argentinean courts and the authorities there of the intrinsic values of whatever evidence we have got in the Bofors payoff case," said a CBI officer.
CBI sources said Argentina had informed India through diplomatic channels that they would take a minimum 15 days to process the matter "before any further action is taken" on deciding on Quattrocchi's extradition.
Quattrocchi is accused of receiving $7 million in bribes as a middleman in the $1.2 billion purchase of artillery from Swedish arms maker Bofors AB for the Indian Army in the 1980s.
It is learnt that Argentina had appointed Carlos Guilleremo Daneri as public prosecutor to represent India.
The CBI said that though Daneri was an able public prosecutor and would plead the case on behalf of India as per Argentinean laws, the agency also had the option to engage another Argentinean attorney.
Despite the massive preparations like translating many documents from English to Spanish and fulfilling other legal formalities, the CBI privately admits that Quattrochhi may well be out of its net.
Various judgements in Indian courts, CBI sources said, had watered down the case for extradition, making its initiative almost a lost cause.
Karachi, Feb 28 (IANS) One of the world's tallest buildings is being planned on an island off Karachi, the acquisition of which is being challenged by local fishermen and environmentalists.
However, it has the support of President Pervez Musharraf who wants to showcase it as a tourist attraction and as a symbol of Pakistan's achievements.
"Inshallah we will make it. We must show the world that this is an emerging, progressive and dynamic country and we are second to none. We know how to handle ourselves. We know what progress and prosperity means and that is what we need to show to everyone," Musharraf said.
The project would not affect the environment, he was quoted as saying at a function here by APP (Associated Press of Pakistan) news agency.
Musharraf was inaugurating a project named Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim here Tuesday night.
He referred to the building as part of a project pertaining to a beach and island's development, and said this would be a mega project of international standard.
He said land for the project would be reclaimed from the sea and added that the centre of the project would be a 1,947-ft high building.
The government has given two islands on lease to foreign parties for development in the recent months. Local fishermen have objected, saying it would hurt their livelihood and have been demonstrating frequently in protest. They have complained that neither the government, nor the media have paid attention to their woes.
Chennai, Feb 28 (IANS) While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Wednesday said the 2007-08 union budget "had kept the interests of the majority of the people in mind", former chief minister J. Jayalalitha said it had ignored the interests of farmers.
Karunanidhi said the budget had announced several steps to reduce the prices of essential commodities and welcomed the Rs.500 million-sanction to the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
Jayalalitha, on the other hand, said the budget had "totally ignored the problem of farmers and also failed to propose any anti-inflationary measures".
Jaipur, Feb 27 (IANS) Owning a dog will now become an expensive affair for the residents of Jaipur after the registration and renewal fees for pet dogs are hiked by the municipal administration and regulations made stringent.
The Jaipur Municipal Corporation's (JMC's) animal control and protection committee
had proposed a hefty hike in the annual registration and renewal fee per pet dog, which was approved by the corporation, JMC officials told IANS.
Presently a dog owner pays Rs. 5 as application fee and Rs. 10 as registration and renewal fee per year. The latter will now go up to Rs 200.
Jaipur has lately emerged as one of the biggest centres for dog lovers, with a business of over Rs. 10 million per year.
According to the new proposal, pups cannot be separated from their mother for the first three months.
Also, JMC officials will now undertake door-to-door surprise checks on the registration of dogs. Defaulters will be penalised and their dogs seized, officials said.
Awareness campaigns will be launched and registration camps organized.
"The basic objective of making registration mandatory is to know the exact population of dogs in the city so that a detailed plan can be made about their vaccinations. There are about 25,000 pet dogs in the city while the total number of registered dogs is only 4,000," officials said.
Dehradun, Feb 28 (IANS) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, tipped to be the new chief minister of the hill state of Uttarakhand, had a two-decade long stint in the Indian Army before he stepped into politics.
Khanduri, now a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Garhwal, served in the army's Corps of Engineers from 1954 to 1990. He was conferred the president's Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for distinguished services.
The 73-year-old, who joined politics after his retirement from the army, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Garhwal in 1991 and has been representing the constituency in the 10th, 12th and 13th sessions.
Elected a member of the BJP national executive in 1992, he became a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's council of ministers in 2000 and was elevated as a cabinet minister for road transport and highways in 2003.
Educated at Allahabad University, College of Military Engineering in Pune and Institute of Defence Management, Secunderabad, Khanduri is remembered for the way he implemented the Vajpayee government's National Highways Development project.
Khanduri believes that roads are the basic requirement for development. "The better the roads, the faster the economic growth and development," he is fond of saying.
He says he has the vision and courage to dream that would put Uttarakhand in the forefront in the field of road infrastructure.
If the BJP leadership picks him for the post, Khanduri will be the fourth chief minister of the state that was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Feb 28 (IANS) Kiran Desai, the India-born winner of the 50,000-pound Man Booker Prize for fiction, is in line for another global accolade - the Kiriyama Prize - and a shot at $15,000 with her novel "The Inheritance Of Loss".
At 35, the youngest ever woman to win the Man Booker, Desai was Monday named among the 10 finalists for the 11th annual Kiriyama prize for outstanding books that promote greater understanding of and among nations of the Pacific Rim and South Asia.
India in the 1980s, at the beginning of the Nepalese movement for an independent state, is the tumultuous backdrop for Desai's richly textured novel. A radiant, funny and moving family saga, "The Inheritance Of Loss" has been described by reviewers as "the best, sweetest, most delightful novel".
Author of the acclaimed "Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard" in 1998, Kiran is the daughter of author Anita Desai, who was short-listed three times since 1980 for the Man Booker.
Back home in India, Kiran Desai, the first woman to win the Man Booker since 2000 when Margaret Atwood scooped the prize with "The Blind Assassin", also bagged the Hutch Crossword 'popular book award' earlier this month.
Jeannine Stronach, Prize Manager Pacific Rim Voices, sponsor of the Kiriyama Prize, said: "Read as a group, the 10 books on this year's shortlists present a rich chorus of perspectives that we hope readers everywhere will listen to intently and discuss widely."
Authors from anywhere in the world are eligible for the prize, but the books written in English or translated into English from any other language must be published in the US or Canada.
South Asian authors who have won the prize include Nadeem Aslam ("Maps For Lost Lovers", fiction, 2005), Suketu Mehta ("Maximum City", non-fiction, 2005), Rohinton Mistry ("Family Matters", fiction, 2002) and Michael Ondaatje ("Anil's Ghost", fiction, 2000)
South Asian authors who have been finalists for the prize include Rupa Bajwa ("The Sari Shop", fiction 2005), Perumal Murugan ("Seasons Of The Palm", fiction 2005), Monica Ali ("Brick Lane", fiction, 2004), Samrat Upadhyay ("The Guru Of Love", fiction, 2004), Dom Moraes and Sarayu Srivatsa ("Out Of God's Oven: Travels In A Fractured Land", non-fiction, 2004), Manil Suri ("The Death of Vishnu", fiction, 2001) and Anita Rau Badami ("The Hero's Walk", fiction, 2000).
Vientiane, Feb 28 (NNN-TNA) Geneva-based International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Lao PDR Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) and the Lao Women's Union (LWU) on Tuesday signed an agreement relating to the return and reintegration of Lao trafficking victims and other vulnerable Lao migrants trafficked within the Mekong Region.
Lao women and children are mainly trafficked to Thailand, where they are often exploited as forced labour in sweatshops, factories and as domestic workers. Since 2001, IOM and the Lao MSLW have worked together under a regional project to return and reintegrate 807 such victims.
IOM has also worked with the MSLW to establish a transit centre for returnees and build capacity in the Lao PDR in areas including integration assistance to returnees, in partnership with the LWU.
Tuesday's agreement -- a formal Memorandum of Understanding -- is expected to facilitate and strengthen the implementation of joint activities between the migration agency, the ministry and the women's union in return and reintegration assistance for trafficked and other vulnerable Lao women and children in line with Lao PDR government policy.
Cooperation is expected to focus on three areas, including travel funding for the Lao government and other agencies to send back and helping to reintegrate the trafficked and other vulnerable Lao women and children.
The IOM will also help in staff development and training for the Lao Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Lao Women's Union staff specifically to respond and deal with key challenges related to trafficking reintegration assistance, and building national and provincial victim referral networks.
The agreement also covers research activities relating to practical return and reintegration concerns of trafficked and other vulnerable migrant women and children and their communities.
Bhopal, Feb 28 (IANS) Complimenting Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for the union budget presented Wednesday, some industry representatives said the minister should have taken this opportunity to introduce path-breaking policy initiatives by capitalising on resurgence in economic growth and tax buoyancy.
"No major initiative has been taken to better manage the expenditure as the non-plan expenditure continues to overshadow allocations for plan expenditure, said PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) Resident Director Rajendra Kothari here. "The finance minister should have aimed at infrastructure development-led growth."
"The direct tax proposals have come as a disappointment and will further increase the effective tax burden on the corporates, rather than aligning the same to the ASEAN rates. The increase in dividend distribution tax, no significant change in fringe benefit tax, etc are areas of concern. The enhancement of Rs.10,000 in the basic exemption limit for personal taxation also is too meagre and does not even take into account the rising inflation in the last two years," he said.
"Though the budget is disappointing as no steps were announced to increase productivity in agriculture, electricity and other sectors which are not producing up to their potential, the reduction in excise duty on certain items and increase in exemption limit for small scale industries to Rs.15 million is a welcome move," said R.S. Goswami, Govindpura Industrial Association president.
"The provisions made in the budget in the field of education and health are welcome. Efforts made for promoting agriculture are also worth appreciating," said Subhash Viththaldas, president, Bhopal Chambers of Commerce and Industries.
Sana'a, Feb 28 (NNN-Bernama) Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who arrived in Yemen Tuesday afternoon, began his second day visit Wednesday by calling on his counterpart Abdul Qadir Bajamal at the latter's office here.
Both prime ministers discussed mutual and international issues before adjourning for a bilateral delegation meeting.
The Malaysian entourage included Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Abdullah Mohd Zin, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman and Religious Adviser in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Othman.
After the meeting, Abdullah proceeded to the Shuora Council building and was met by council Chairman Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani.
Abdullah then held a dialogue with the Shoura Council, ulamas and intellectuals before departing for his residence hotel to attend a seminar on business opportunities in Malaysia and Yemen.
On arrival for the seminar, the prime minister was greeted by chairman of the C confederation of the chambers of commerce and industry Yemen Mohamad Abdo Saeed and Chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) Tan Sri Halim Mohamad.
At the seminar, Abdullah delivered his keynote address before witnessing the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysian and Yemeni companies.
The premier then adjourned to the presidential palace for a four-eye meeting with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salleh and had lunch with the President.
Abdullah then visited the ancient fort of Bab Al Yemen in Sana'a old city before going back to his residence hotel to attend a dinner hosted by Yemeni President.
Tomorrow, Abdullah will leave for Hadramout in his third and final day visit to Yemen and would meet Malaysian students studying at various religious schools there.
Abdullah will also visit two old cities in Hadramout before leaving for home.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (NNN-PTI) Calling the proposed India-Pakistan-Iran oil pipeline a "viable" alternative to meet the country's energy needs, Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said many countries were "against" it due to their "vested interests".
"Many countries are not in favour of this pipeline for their vested interests. But this would soon be a reality," he said while releasing a book by Dilip Hiro, "Blood of the Earth - The Battle for the World's Vanishing Oil Resources", here Tuesday.
Aiyar said all oil producing countries in Asia should unite to form an organisation on the lines of the European Union to fight "some" countries which "dictate" the price of petroleum products.
With the fast depletion of petroleum resources, the future would be hydrogen and not petroleum, he said.
"We in India and China have started using energy from solar power and wind power. The country has also started using CNG as a fuel. But that is not sufficient," he said.
"We need to tap energy produced by hydrogen," he said.
He maintained that there was no alternative to launching a search for alternative to petroleum for fuel under the emerging situation.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (IBN) Within hours of the unveiling of the Union Budget for the new fiscal year, Maruti announced its decision to hike car prices with effect from March 15.
While the largest carmaker of the country didn't specify the exact reasons for such a move, it appears that the government's Budget announcement to impose an additional tax
levy to raise funds for education may have triggered the price rise.
Interestingly, there was also speculation in the motown on Wednesday that Ford and Hyundai may follow suit in raising the prices on their products.
In his Budget announcements, Finance Minister P Chidambaram proposed to impose a levy of 1 per cent on all taxes to fund secondary and higher education, in addition to the existing 2 per cent levy which raises funds for basic education.
In a statement, Maruti said it would not raise the prices immediately to help consumers buy cars at pre-budget prices for the next fortnight. The extent of the price increase was not clear neither did Maruti clarify if the price rise is to take effect across the board or only on select models.
The automobile industry seems to be disheartened by the Budget proposals as the much-awaited excise duty cut on passenger vehicles did not materialise this year.
It seems the industry, which was anticipating such a cut, is now left with no other option but to raise prices in spite of a stiff competition in the car market.
Maruti last raised prices on some of its models by up to Rs 12,000 on February 1 this year to help offset higher costs.
London, Feb 28 (IANS) Troubled supermodel Naomi Campbell is slamming the media for exposing celebrities who take illegal drugs.
She says reporters should leave people who are struggling with drugs alone because they are not well.
Contactmusic.com quoted her as saying: "I don't think anyone should be exposed for taking drugs. That person is ill, they are sick."
Campbell was once a cocaine addict and took legal action against the British newspaper Daily Mirror after it published pictures of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in 2001.
Tehran, Feb 28(IRNA)In the face of "enormous" challenges - such as Israeli military operations and Palestinian suicide attacks targeting Israeli civilians - the Middle East peace process must persevere in order for Israelis and Palestinians to exist peacefully as neighbours, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday.
"Today, we are at a critical juncture in efforts to move beyond crisis management, and renew efforts toward genuine conflict resolution," Ban told the 2007 session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, meeting in New York.
Palestinians crave freedom and independence while Israelis yearn for enduring security, yet "neither can achieve their legitimate demands without a settlement of the conflict," he said pointing to actions taken by both sides as seriously impeding progress towards peace. Israel has launched military operations, imposed severe movement restrictions and, after Fatah's defeat at the hands of Hamas in last year's elections, withheld the Palestinian Authority's tax and customs revenues. Such actions have hastened the onset of a humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, and have also weakened endeavours to build a viable Palestinian state, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here Wednesday.
Meanwhile, rocket and suicide attacks on Israeli civilians have only tightened restrictions on Palestinians by Israelis. A drop in donor support for the Palestinian Authority due to its not adhering to the peace process has further incapacitated its Government. "Indeed," Ban stated, "nearly all of the developments of 2006 took us further from the goal shared by a majority of Israelis and Palestinians: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." However, there have been some welcome recent developments, Ban pointed out.
He lauded the Mecca accord, reached on February 8, in which Hamas and Fatah agreed to share power, and expressed hope that the agreement will be effectively implemented. The secretary-general also noted revived discussions between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, urging them both to proceed in process as partners. Ban also cited US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's hosting of talks with both leaders as a positive sign that Washington is actively working with the parties to bring an end to the conflict.
He also commended the increased activity of the Quartet - the high-level diplomatic group comprising the UN, United States, Russia and European Union - which has met twice this month to discuss the best methods to ensure a permanent peace. The secretary-general said that he urges "all of us to take advantage of the political opportunities at hand" to "find a path that has eluded us for so long, and arrive at our commonly hoped for destination of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East...and the creation of an independent Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace with Israel."
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) In the face of "enormous" challenges - such as Israeli military operations and Palestinian suicide attacks targeting Israeli civilians - the Middle East peace process must persevere in order for Israelis and Palestinians to exist peacefully as neighbours, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday.
"Today, we are at a critical juncture in efforts to move beyond crisis management, and renew efforts toward genuine conflict resolution," Ban told the 2007 session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, meeting in New York.
Palestinians crave freedom and independence while Israelis yearn for enduring security, yet "neither can achieve their legitimate demands without a settlement of the conflict," he said pointing to actions taken by both sides as seriously impeding progress towards peace. Israel has launched military operations, imposed severe movement restrictions and, after Fatah's defeat at the hands of Hamas in last year's elections, withheld the Palestinian Authority's tax and customs revenues. Such actions have hastened the onset of a humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, and have also weakened endeavours to build a viable Palestinian state, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here Wednesday.
Meanwhile, rocket and suicide attacks on Israeli civilians have only tightened restrictions on Palestinians by Israelis. A drop in donor support for the Palestinian Authority due to its not adhering to the peace process has further incapacitated its Government. "Indeed," Ban stated, "nearly all of the developments of 2006 took us further from the goal shared by a majority of Israelis and Palestinians: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." However, there have been some welcome recent developments, Ban pointed out.
He lauded the Mecca accord, reached on February 8, in which Hamas and Fatah agreed to share power, and expressed hope that the agreement will be effectively implemented. The secretary-general also noted revived discussions between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, urging them both to proceed in process as partners. Ban also cited US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's hosting of talks with both leaders as a positive sign that Washington is actively working with the parties to bring an end to the conflict.
He also commended the increased activity of the Quartet - the high-level diplomatic group comprising the UN, United States, Russia and European Union - which has met twice this month to discuss the best methods to ensure a permanent peace. The secretary-general said that he urges "all of us to take advantage of the political opportunities at hand" to "find a path that has eluded us for so long, and arrive at our commonly hoped for destination of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East...and the creation of an independent Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace with Israel."
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Minimum alternate tax (MAT) will now be extended to information technology (IT), Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in parliament Wednesday while presenting budget 2007-08.
IT companies will now be paying a tax of 11.2 percent, the minister said.
"This is a tax which all corporate organisations need to pay, so why not IT companies," Vinnie Mehta, executive director of the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT), told IANS.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) While the Indian industry biggies expressed satisfaction over funds earmarked for education, health and agriculture, signs of discontent over certain tax proposals were also heard over the budget 2007-08 presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambram in parliament Wednesday.
"The budget if read deeply and clearly spells its aim to generate development from the bottom by strengthening agriculture and SSI sector with a new breed of entrepreneurs," Venugopal N. Dhoot, president, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM).
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) lauded the prime focus of the budget on the social sector.
"Opportunity of reaching a two-digit growth trajectory has been missed in view of the tax proposals," said Habil Khorakiwala, president, FICCI.
On the allocation of credit to the SME (small and medium enterprise) segment, the Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) said: "This will add competitiveness in the market."
Referring to the budget as "pragmatic" and for the "aam admi" (common man), Dhoot, however, said the introduction of 15 percent dividend distribution tax on corporates would not augur well for investors and capital markets.
According to Khorakiwala of FICCI, "These measures would send wrong signals at a time when India Inc. was expecting rationalization in corporate tax rates to yield larger revenues."
One of the country's leading industry lobbies, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) feels that the budget 2007-08 should have removed "irritants" such as Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) and Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT).
"The budget fell short of expectations for the corporate sector. It is unfortunate that some of the irritants such as FBT and MAT have gained more life," R. Seshasayee, president of CII, told IANS.
Said Seshasayee, who is also managing director of Ashok Leyland: "The reduction of customs duty from 12.5 percent to 10 percent would lead to the dumping of second-hand cars in the market."
Agrees Madhur Bajaj, president, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), who stated: "Reduction of customs duty on commercial vehicles from 12.5 percent to 10 percent is going to affect the industry negatively, specially as this applies to used commercial vehicles also."
On budget allocation prescribed for the pharmaceuticals sector, pharma tycoon Malvinder Singh, chief executive and managing director of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. said: "This will enable vital research work to continue within the country, in a stable environment and will help to deliver a sustainable India advantage in this sunrise sector."
Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 (IANS) The union budget 2007-08 has evoked mixed reactions in Orissa, with some praising Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for taking care of the poor and marginal people and others expressing displeasure for not making any special provision for the state.
"The budget is pro-poor and the finance minister has taken care to help all sections of society, including the poor and the farmers," state Congress President Jayadev Jena said while speaking to IANS.
However, State Women and Child Welfare Minister Pramila Mallik said: "We are not happy with this budget because there is nothing for the state of Orissa."
Dr. Bijoya Kumar Das, a leading state academician, was among those who were pleased with the budget. He said: "The finance minister has laid adequate emphasis on health, education and agriculture."
Meanwhile, Captain S.N. Mohapatra president, Orissa Assembly of Small and Medium Enterprise from Cuttack city, 26 km from here, said: "We are unhappy. Chidambaram has not made any special provisions to give a boost to the small and medium industries."
Ipsita Priyadarshini, a housewife from the state capital, said she was happy that the price of diesel and petrol would come down, adding, "I am happier the price of cigarettes would go up as it will discourage youngsters from smoking."
"My reaction is a mixed one," Subhrakant Panda, managing director of the Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) group and chairmen of the Orissa chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) told IANS.
"While the finance minister has tried to take care of social sectors like health and education, industries are concerned about some of his tax proposals," he said.
Commenting on the Budget, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jual Oram said, "While the presidential speech highlights world-class infrastructure and talks about rural development, the budget says just the contrary."
Brussels, Feb 28, (IRNA) The European Parliament, in a meeting Tuesday, clarified that a European court ruling on the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) in December referred to procedural matters and in no way changes the status of the MKO as a terrorist group.
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht has reportedly said that he will use his veto power in the EU Council to stop any attempt to remove the MKO from the EU's terror list.
The EP's Committee for Relations with Iran held a meeting on "the MKO and consequences of the judgment of the European Court of First Instance of 12 December' to unfreeze the assets of the MKO. EU put the MKO on its terror list and ordered continued freezing of its funds in 2002.
"It is not a ruling on substance. It is a procedural decision stating that the EU Council did not provide the right to a hearing.
So it is a procedural shortcoming," German MEP Michael Gahler, who is also vice-president of the EP's Foreign Relations Committee, told the meeting.
He said that the EU had sent a letter to the MKO stating the reasons why the group should be kept on the terror list.
"So it's not correct to believe that there was any other reason.
The problem lies in a procedural error. The MKO will try again and appeal against a final decision, but I am quite sure that the Council will not go along with the ruling (of the court) at the end of the day," said Gahler.
A legal advisor to the EU Council also explained that the European court ruling had reference to procedural matters relating to the obligations to justify the reasons and give the MKO the right to a hearing, but it does not affect the common EU position to maintain the MKO in its terror list.
Josy Dubie, Belgian senator and a former war correspondent for a Belgian TV channel, condemned the MKO as a terrorist organization.
Dubie told the meeting that he covered the eight-year imposed war in the 1980s from both sides, that is, Iran and Iraq, and witnessed MKO fighters launching attacks against their own country (Iran).
"What I discovered was a sect, a group of men and women completely and irrationally devoted to their leader, Masoud Rajavi, which shocked me deeply. I had a feeling that I was among a group of fanatics who followed the orders of their leader blindly," he added.
Dubie, since 1999, has been a member of the Belgian Senate and vice-chair of its Foreign Relations committee. He said he has been recently visited by some MKO members.
"They target people they consider to be important and try to influence them. They try to convince these people that they are a democratic movement fighting for their country. But that is the opposite of what I saw," said the Belgian senator, who also clarified that he had no sympathy for the current regime of President Ahmadinejad.
"So when I received them in my office, I told them what I had seen and they did not contact me again because when they `realize it is not going to work they abandon you and look for somebody else,'" he said.
When Maryam Rajavi was invited by certain members of the Belgian Senate, they (MKO) claimed they had been officially invited to the senate.
"I deny this propaganda. The Belgian Senate itself refused to receive Maryam Rajavi," he said.
Some individual members of the Belgian Senate, including its President Anne-Marie Lizin, received Rajavi, who lives in Paris, last October. "A large number of senators protested, including myself," said Dubie.
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht asked the senate about this matter and said he was very sore about this meeting and regretted that she had been invited by some senators.
De Gucht reportedly told the senate that the MKO had been responsible for hundreds of attacks in Iran and elsewhere, practiced torture and used emotional blackmail.
Dubie said he asked De Gucht in the senate about the court ruling on the MKO and whether the minister was in favor of removing the MKO from the list of terrorist groups.
According to Dubie, the Belgian foreign minister's answer was:
"My answer to your question is very simple. I am in favor of keeping the PMOI on the European list and any decision to lift them or not to lift them requires the decision of all of the EU member states.
Belgium has a veto here and is prepared to use it."
"I can reassure you that the council has no intention of taking the MKO off the list," said the minister.
Mohammad Hossein Sobhani, a repentant MKO member and an author, related his long and bitter experience with the terror group in Iraq -- how he was arrested and kept in solitary confinement for eight years in Asharf Camp and then in Abu Ghraib.
He asked the European parliamentarians not to use the "violations of human rights in Iran" as an excuse to support criminal terror groups such as the MKO.
Portugese MEP Paul Casaca, who organized the pro-MKO group 1Friends of a Free Iran' in the EP, had objected that since no MKO member was invited to speak, Sobhani should also not be allowed to talk in the meeting.
German MEP Michael Gahler said the agenda should not be changed.
"A voting of MEPs took place and the agenda was approved as it was." The chair of the EP's delegation from its Committee for Relations with Iran, Angelika Beer, said she decided not to invite the MKO "because the information provided to me told me that the MKO has not been deleted from the list of terrorist organizations and therefore I did not find it correct to invite them."
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) More funds have been allocated for the welfare of minorities, with emphasis on education, in the cental budget for 2007-08 presented Tuesday.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram provided Rs.63 crore to the equity of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC).
"Last year, I made a modest contribution of Rs.16.47 crore to the equity of the NMDFC. Following the Sachar Committee report (on the status of minorities), NMDFC would be required to expand its reach and intensify its efforts. Hence, I propose to provide a further sum of Rs.63 crore to the share capital of NMDFC," he said.
The finance minister also proposed Rs.108 crores for a "multi-sector development programme" in those districts that have a "concentration of minorities".
The budget made more allocations to the three scholarship programmes being implemented for students belonging to minority communities.
Thus, Rs.72 crores are allocated for pre-matric scholarships, Rs.90 crores for post-matric scholarships and Rs.48.60 crores for merit-cum-means scholarships at graduate and post-graduate levels.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The government's flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has got increased allocation in the central budget for 2007-08 with major emphasis on mother and child care and prevention of communicable diseases.
Traditional healing systems like aurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, sidha and homeopathy are being mainstreamed into the health delivery system at all levels.
Presenting the budget in parliament, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said there would be major emphasis on mother and child care and prevention of communicable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria and to fund these projects he had increased the allocation from Rs.82.07 billion in 2006-07 to Rs.99.47 billion in 2007-08.
Polio, which witnessed a surge in 2006 with 666 cases, has also been integrated with the NRHM and Rs.12.90 billion has been allocated to eliminate the disease.
Chidambaram also promised that his government would undertake determined efforts to achieve zero level of growth in HIV/AIDS.
Under the renewed effort, the National AIDS Control Programme - III (NACP-III), starting 2007-08, would target the high-risk groups in all states. The minister proposed to step up the provision for the AIDS control programme to Rs.9.69 billion.
The minister also emphasised that more hospitals would provide treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Aiming to create about 100,000 jobs a year for the physically challenged people, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday set aside Rs.1,800 crores to reimburse the employers who provide regular employment to them.
Presenting the central budget for 2007-08, he noted: "Among the disadvantaged sections of the society are physically challenged persons. They face difficulties in obtaining regular employment.
"In order to incentivise employers in the organised sector to provide regular employment, I propose a scheme where under the government will reward the employer once the physically challenged employee is regularised and is enrolled under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees State Insurance (ESI).
"The government will reimburse the employer's contribution to the EPF and ESI for the first three years.
"The government is ready to support the creation of about 100,000 jobs every year for physically challenged persons with a salary limit of Rs.25,000 per month.
"I estimate the cost to the government at Rs.150 crores per annum rising to Rs.450 crores per annum when the scheme is fully rolled out. I have therefore earmarked Rs.1,800 crores," Chidambaram said.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) As India's profile grows on the global stage, budgetary allocation for the external affairs ministry for fiscal 2007-08 has gone up from Rs.40.95 billion ($890 million) to Rs.44.33 billion, marking an increase of 8.25 percent.
Of the Rs.44.33 billion allocated for this fiscal year, planned budgetary support is Rs.5 billion.
The technical and economic cooperation to other countries, including advances to foreign governments, accounts for the biggest share of increase to the tune of Rs.2.31 billion from Rs.15.36 billion to Rs.17.68 billion.
This includes India's multilateral and bilateral assistance programmes not only in immediate neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka in South Asia but also to Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.
The expenditure on maintaining 166 missions/posts abroad has also registered a significant increase of around Rs.890 million over the last fiscal.
Surprisingly, despite a deluge of visits from foreign heads of state and governments to India, the budgetary allocation for entertainment, including services related to VVIP incoming visits, airlift charges of the Indian Air Force and maintenance of Hyderabad House, has been reduced from Rs.393.3 million to Rs.250 million.
Jaipur, Feb 28 (IANS) Shooter and Member of Parliament Naveen Jindal has won the skeet gold in the Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters Shooting in Jaipur.
Daniel Peoples won the silver and Arozepal Sing Sandhu won the bronze at the Oases Ranges this week, according to www.indianshooting.com
Jindal, who is also an industrialist, shot a total of 134 points, with 111 in the qualification round and 23 in the finals, while Peoples was two points behind him on 132 (112+20).
Sandhu also finished with 132 points (111+21), but he had to settle for the bronze as Peoples had better progressive scores.
Top shooters of the country, selected on the basis of their scores in the national championships, compete in the masters shooting.
Minsk, Feb 24 (NNN-BELTA) This year Minsk Tractor Plant (MTZ trademark) plans to increase the number of tractor assembly sets shipped to a joint tractor-assembling venture in Kyiv up to 4,000, representatives of the MTZ marketing centre told BelTA.
In 2006, the Ukrainian venture assembled 1,500 MTZ-80.1 and MTZ-82.1 tractors.
Besides, last year the MTZ exported 4,140 tractors to Ukraine. The MTZ shipments to Ukraine soared by more than 30% in comparison with 2005. Foreign currency proceeds amounted to $77.8 million, with the contribution of the assembling venture as large as $18.3 million.
This year Minsk Tractor Plant plans to increase the export to Ukraine by 25% against 2006.
The source also informed, this year the MTZ plans to set up a representative office in Kyiv.
The possibility of setting up representative offices or firms in other parts of Ukraine is under consideration. According to the source, the Ukrainian tractor market is quite capacious.
Though a Ukrainian government programme supports Ukrainian agricultural producers and consumers, the demand for Belarusian tractors is on the rise.
Besides, the tractor-assembling venture in Kyiv gets 30% of its funding from the Ukrainian state budget.
The joint venture for assembling tractors out of Belarusian assembly sets was set up on the basis of Leninskaya Kuznya Plant (Lenin’s Forge) in Kyiv in September 2002.
Now the plant is owned by production and trade holding company Ukravtozapchast. The plant’s production capacity is as large as 7,500 tractors annually.
This year Ukravtozapchast has been granted an exclusive right to sell MTZ-80.1 and MTZ-82.1 tractors in Ukraine. A respective five-year agreement has been signed by Minsk Tractor Plant and the Ukrainian company.
Last year the MTZ rolled out 50,100 tractors and vehicles, 18.7% more than in 2005. In January 2007 the company produced 4,700 tractors (17.6% up on the year).
The MTZ offers 24 models of universal tractors, 6 small-size tractors, 8 walk-behind tractors and mini-tractors, 15 models of industrial vehicles: refuse collectors, street cleaners, loaders, logging vehicles and mining ones. The company exports 95% of the make.
Minsk Tractor Plant was founded in 1946.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (IBN) With hardly a fortnight left for the Uttar Pradesh elections to get under way, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh faces a day of reckoning on Thursday when the Supreme Court pronounces its judgement on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the allegation that Mulayam and his family members have amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.
On its part, the Yadav family has questioned the maintainability of the PIL.
The petitioner, Uttar Pradesh resident Vishwanath Chaturvedi, however alleges that the Chief Minister and his family members, including his MP son Akhilesh, acquired wealth in crores through illegal means.
He has also named Akhilesh's wife Dimple and Yadav's other son Pratik as beneficiaries of the alleged disproportionate assets acquired by the family between 2001 to 2005.
The CM has alleged that the PIL was motivated by political vendetta as Chaturvedi was associated with the Congress Party. He claimed that Chaturvedi was the head of the Public Interest Litigation cell of the Congress, who in the last Assembly election had contested against BJP President Rajnath Singh.
Chaturvedi had maintained that he was not guided by the political considerations to file the PIL against Yadav.
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) While diamond jewellery makers have welcomed customs duty cuts in the union budget for 2007-08 tabled in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, corporate India has deplored employees stock option plan (ESOP) being brought under the tax regime in India's financial and entertainment capital Wednesday.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's announcement of a cut on customs duty on polished diamonds and rough synthetic stones Wednesday was welcomed by diamond jewellery makers in the metropolis.
"The move will help promote India as a trading hub for polished diamonds and will also bridge the gap in the polishing industry and help the domestic industry as well," said leading city diamond traders.
"The finance minister's announcement to cut customs duty on polished diamonds to three percent from the present five percent and five percent from 12.5 percent on rough synthetic stones is welcome. It will help in promoting India as a hub of polished diamond," said a spokesperson of Gitanjali Gems Ltd., one of India's leading diamond jewellery makers.
"The customs duty cut is a clear indication of the Indian government's willingness to let the diamond polishing industry's grow and create employment, which the industry is capable of."
Meanwhile, welcoming the finance minister's decision to extend tax holidays for another five years in industrial units in the country's backward regions, corporate leaders here said that bringing ESOP under the tax regime would be counterproductive for corporate India.
Ajay G. Piramal, chairman of Nicholas Piramal India Ltd, said: "The biggest challenge faced today by corporate in India is the attrition of employees and ESOP has proved to be a time tested tool for retaining the employees. Bringing this under the fringe benefit tax (FBT) is deplorable."
"To tax the Venture Capital Funds by taking away the pass-through benefit in respect of non-specified areas will bring about additional burden on the consumers and will not encourage Venture Capital Funds thereby starving the mall entrepreneurs of seed capital."
By Mahendra Ved,
Dehradun, Feb 28 (IANS) The crushing defeat of the Congress in Uttarakhand signals the end of the career of one of India's most senior politicians, Narayan Dutt Tiwari, who during the five years he was the chief minister was seen as a good planner but an ineffective administrator.
The Congress had lost elections earlier as well when he was chief minister of the much larger Uttar Pradesh. But to be fair, this time he was keen to quit citing age and failing health. He remained in office, his only full five-year tenure, since the party leadership failed to find an acceptable successor.
Tiwari, 82, would often say that he was carrying his resignation letter in his pocket. His detractors, who were in plenty, insisted he was keen on another, less taxing office, which never came his way.
A sustained campaign against Tiwari and infighting led by younger Congressmen compounded the poor governance Uttarakhand saw, eventually delivering the state to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on a platter.
Tiwari's tenures in Uttar Pradesh were all short-lived, ranging from six to 15 months, typical of the scene in India's largest state, never allowing the political leadership to settle down and leaving governance to the bureaucracy.
Well educated and suave, Tiwari however did some good development work in Uttarakhand, improving in particular the road and bridge network. But he could not satisfy the aspirations of the mainly middle class and educated society in the hill state.
Like the late H.N. Bahuguna, another politician from the hills, he has been a man of the masses, with a special quality of remembering names and faces of people he interacted with.
His 15-month first tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister (January 1976-April 1977), at the height of Indira Gandhi's Emergency Raj, saw him emerge as a camp follower of Sanjay Gandhi. He would charter helicopters to facilitate the young Gandhi's political tours. He was once photographed carrying Gandhi's slippers at a shrine.
Frequent visits to New Delhi and the public display of loyalty earned him the sobriquets of "New Delhi Tiwari" and "Nothing Doing Tiwari" - his initials being N.D.
During his second stint in Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur witnessed the worst anti-Sikh violence after Delhi after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984.
As a politician, Tiwari has been a 'loyalist' who either leads a coterie or is a part of it. He quit the Congress when disenchanted with the late P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Along with Arjun Singh and Sheila Dikshit, Tiwari formed a breakaway faction that came to be known as Congress (Tiwari). Although it failed to spread its wings nationally, it dented the party in the 1996 polls. Most rebels, however, returned to the Congress fold once Sonia Gandhi assumed the party leadership.
In between his forays in state politics, Tiwari held several portfolios in the central cabinet. As planning, finance and commerce ministers, he was part of the economic changes undertaken by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He was also the foreign minister. This tenure, under Rajiv Gandhi, lasted barely eight months.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) An Indian Navy Seaking helicopter crashed in Mumbai Wednesday but there were no casualties.
"As of now, we know that a Seaking has crashed. There were no casualties. We are getting the details," an Indian Navy spokesman here said.
The crash occurred while the helicopter was landing at INS Kunjali on the seashore at Colaba in south Mumbai.
United Nations, Feb. 28 (NNN-APP) Up to 1 billion people or nearly one in six of the world's population, suffer from neurological disorders, with some 6.8 million dying of the maladies each year, according to a new U.N. report released Wednesday.
The disorders include Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, strokes, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, migraine, brain injuries and neuro-infections.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) study Neurological Disorders: Public Health Challenges shows that people in all countries, irrespective of age, sex, education or income are affected and the economic cost of such diseases in Europe reached some €139 billion in 2004, and access to appropriate care is lacking in many parts of the world.
"Despite the fact that highly effective, low-cost treatments are available, as many as nine out of 10 people suffering from epilepsy in Africa go untreated," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said.
"Health systems need to be strengthened to deliver better care for people with neurological disorders," she added, recommending that neurological care be integrated into primary health care since for many people, primary care is the only access to medical treatment that they have and doctors can use low-technology interventions. Community-based rehabilitation is also an option.
Reasons for non-availability of care include: inadequate health delivery systems; lack of trained personnel; absence of essential drugs and prevalence of traditional beliefs and practices.
"In order to reduce the impact of neurological disorders, innovative approaches involving strong partnerships must be put in place," said Johan Aarli, President of the World Federation of Neurology and member of the group that wrote the report.
As the global population ages, the impact of neurological disorders will be felt both in developed and developing countries, reaching a significant proportion in countries with a growing percentage of the population over 65 years.
The disorders include diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system,such as brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, the autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction and muscles.
The report recommends a series of simple but effective actions, calling for greater commitment from decision makers, increased social and professional awareness, strategies that address stigma and discrimination, national capacity building and international collaboration.
The use of helmets by motorcyclists and of seat-belts in motor vehicles can prevent traumatic brain injury. Immunization against meningitis and the early identification and treatment of malaria are additional examples of concrete actions to reduce the burden of neurological disorders.
Global statistics show that 50 million people suffer from epilepsy, 62 million from cerebrovascular disease, 326 million from migraine, and 24 million from Alzheimer disease and other dementias.
The report was developed by WHO in partnership with key non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field of neurological disorders and organizations caring for people affected by them.
Tehran, Feb 28(IRNA)Up to 1 billion people, nearly one in six of the world's population, suffer from neurological disorders, from Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, strokes, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy to migraine, brain injuries and neuroinfections, with some 6.8 million dying of the maladies each year, according to a new UN report issued Tuesday.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) study - Neurological disorders: Public health challenges - shows that people in all countries, irrespective of age, sex, education or income are affected, that the economic cost of such diseases in Europe reached some euro 139 billion in 2004, and that access to appropriate care is lacking in many parts of the world. "Despite the fact that highly effective, low-cost treatments are available, as many as nine out of 10 people suffering from epilepsy in Africa go untreated," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in Geneva.
"Health systems need to be strengthened to deliver better care for people with neurological disorders," she added, recommending that neurological care be integrated into primary health care since for many people, primary care is the only access to medical treatment that they have and doctors can use low-technology interventions. Community -based rehabilitation is also an option. Reasons for non-availability of care include inadequate health delivery systems, lack of trained personnel, absence of essential drugs and prevalence of traditional beliefs and practices.
"In order to reduce the impact of neurological disorders, innovative approaches involving strong partnerships must be put in place," said Johan Aarli, President of the World Federation of Neurology and member of the group that wrote the report.
As the global population ages, the impact of neurological disorders will be felt both in developed and developing countries, reaching a significant proportion in countries with a growing percentage of the population over 65 years. The disorders include diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, such as brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, the autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction and muscles, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said in Tehran on Wednesday.
The report recommends a series of simple but effective actions, calling for greater commitment from decision makers, increased social and professional awareness, strategies that address stigma and discrimination, national capacity building and international collaboration. The use of helmets by motorcyclists and of seat-belts in motor vehicles can prevent traumatic brain injury. Immunization against meningitis and the early identification and treatment of malaria are additional examples of concrete actions to reduce the burden of neurological disorders.
Global statistics show that 50 million people suffer from epilepsy, 62 million from cerebrovascular disease, 326 million from migraine, and 24 million from Alzheimer disease and other dementias.
The report was developed by WHO in partnership with key
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field of neurological disorders and organizations caring for people affected by them.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced a new industrial policy for the Northeast in the 2007-08 Union Budget Wednesday while enhancing the budgetary allocation for the region.
Chidambaram said the new policy with suitable fiscal incentives would be in place before March 31.
The total budgetary allocation in 2007-08 for the region, culled out from allocations under various ministries and departments, has been increased from Rs. 12,041 crores in 2006-07 to Rs. 14,365 crores in 2007-08.
"This includes Rs. 1,380 crores provided to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER)," he said.
Kuala Lumpur, Feb 28, (IRNA) New Zealand's Minister of Defense, Disarmament and Arms Phil Goff on Wednesday in Wellington praised Iran's key role in the establishment of peace in the Middle East.
In a meeting with Iran's Ambassador to New Zealand Morteza Rahmani-Movahhed, he referred to Iran as an "old friend" of his country.
He further described Iran's role in efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan as "determining."
Iran and New Zealand have enjoyed many years of friendly relations, he said, and called for continuation of such amicable ties.
On Iran's peaceful nuclear program, Goff said Wellington supports Iran's resolve to continue its peaceful nuclear program.
The Iranian envoy, for his part, said Tehran is interested in expansion of ties with friendly countries, adding that the two countries share similar views regarding many world issues.
He stressed that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and several other international treaties, the Islamic Republic of Iran has a right to insist on its inalienable right to the pursuit of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Iran welcomes negotiations without pre-conditions, the ambassador noted.
Washington, Feb 28 (NNN-PTI) Pakistan is home to the top al Qaeda leadership and the next terror attack on the US could come from the militant outfit based there and not Iraq as popularly believed, a top US intelligence official has said.
The al Qaeda leadership is trying to rebuild and establish training camps in Pakistan, the new Director of National Intelligence in US, Admiral Mike McConnell said at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill.
He was asked by Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island that if a new attack was being organised against the United States it would come from Iraq or Pakistan.
To this McConnell replied, "two lines of reasoning to answer that. First of all, Iraq is a cause celebre for the jihadists, in creating forces. My belief is the attack most likely would be planned and come out of the leadership in Pakistan."
"However, that said, there are al Qaeda elements, as you know, in Iraq and in Syria and other places, and even in Europe. And our information tells us they also are planning," McConnel replied.
Pakistan could do more in coming to terms with the al Qaeda and the Taliban and the President of Pakistan is "wrestling" with this issue in the context of the next elections coming up in the country, he said.
Tokyo, Feb 28 (DPA) Tokyo's key Nikkei average nose-dived more than 3.5 percent in morning trading Wednesday along with other world markets, including Wall Street and Beijing.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 644.85 points, or 3.56 percent, to 17,475.07, following heavy sell-offs in the US market overnight. At one point the Nikkei lost more than 700 points - for the first time since the terrorist attack in New York in September 2001.
The Topix index of all first-section issues also nose-dived 70.36 points, or 3.88 percent, to 1,740.97.
On currency markets at 9 a.m. (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 118.10-15 yen, down from Tuesday's 5 p.m. quote of 119.93-96 yen.
The euro was quoted at $1.3228-33, up from Tuesday's 5 p.m. quote of $1.3168-71, and at 156.28-33 yen, down from 157.95-99 yen.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) There is no change in the current slabs and rates of personal income tax in the Union Budget 2007-08 presented by Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram Wednesday.
However, every assessee has been given a relief of Rs. 1,000 with the threshold limit of exemption being raised by Rs. 10,000.
Consequently, in the case of a woman assessee, the threshold limit has been raised to Rs. 145,000 from Rs. 135,000. In the case of a senior citizen, it has been raised from Rs. 185,000 to Rs. 195,000.
The reduction in respect of medical insurance premium under Section 80D has been increased to a maximum of Rs. 15,000 and in the case of a senior citizen, a maximum of Rs. 20,000.
Guwahati, Feb 28 (IANS) From a new industrial policy for the region and an exclusive package to rejuvenate the tea industry to funds for highway development and a road-cum-rail bridge over the Brahmaputra, the central budget 2007-2008 has given the northeast a lot to be pleased about.
"The central government's concern for the overall development of the northeast was very well reflected in the budget with the finance minister announcing a series of welfare measures for the region," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Wednesday.
"This is a development oriented budget."
One of the major highlights of the budget, presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in parliament, is the new industrial policy for the northeast. All regional states have hailed the initiative that could go a long way in boosting business and attracting investors to the region.
"We hope outside investors would now try and set up businesses here with incentives available under the new Industrial Policy," Jayanta Madhab, a noted economist and former director of the Asian Development Bank, said.
The nearly Rs.48 billion Special Purpose Tea Fund was expected to provide the much needed succour to India's sagging tea industry.
"This is a very welcome announcement and we hope the funds would give some breathing space to the tea industry and help in rejuvenating the industry," a senior tea official said.
Poor infrastructure, particularly roads, has always been a talking point in the northeast. But with Rs.4 billion earmarked for highway development in the northeast, things are expected to look up.
"We welcome the move to earmark funds for highway development in the region. With the additional funds, we hope we can see some improvement in the deplorable road conditions in the northeast," said Brajamani Singh, a transport operator in Manipur's capital Imphal.
The announcement of a road-cum-rail bridge over the river Brahmaputra in Bogibeel in eastern Assam was also hailed by political parties cutting across party lines.
"This has been a longstanding demand of the people of Assam and the central government has rightly decided to concede to our demand. We are happy that the finance minister has made specific comments on the Bogibeel project," Apurba Bhattacharyya, a senior leader of the opposition Asom Gana Parishad in Assam, said.
Ahvaz,Feb 28(IRNA)An Iranian transportation official regretted on Wednesday an Iraqi decision not to allow Iranian trucks and buses carrying goods and passengers into Iraq.
Unfortunately, Iranian trucks and buses carrying goods and passengers into Iraq are currently stopped at Shalamcheh borderpoint and their cargo or passengers transported to Iraq by Iraqi vehicles, said the official.
Director-General of the Border Terminals and Goods Transit Department of Iran's Road Transportation Organization Mohammad-Javad Atrchian did not state the exact date when Iranian vehicles were now longer allowed to cross the borderpoint.
Speaking to IRNA on the sidelines of a local gathering in this southwestern province, he said that the decision was by no means in accordance with international norms of transport.
"We understand the problems facing our brothers in Iraq," Atrchian said, noting that "transit of goods and passengers is not carried out at borderpoints in any other world country."
He said that based on international transport regulations, "passengers and cargos should be allowed into the territory of a neighboring country without serious problems."
Atrchian added that Iranian officials were taking necessary steps to have the ban lifted.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Apparently the backward class votes in mind, the Congress-led government has provided one percent additional educational cess to fund the secondary and higher education of the students belonging to socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC).
While proposing one percent additional education cess in his budget speech in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the revenue generated by the additional cess would fund the capacity expansion of higher educational institutions to ensure 27 percent reservation therein for the SEBC students.
"I have a proposal regarding cess for education. While the cess of two percent on all taxes to fund the basic education will remain, I propose to levy an additional cess of one percent on all taxes to fund secondary and higher education and expansion of capacity by 54 percent for reservation for socially and educationally backward classes," said Chidambaram.
The government's move came a day after it stoutly defended the law providing 27 percent reservation for SEBC students in higher educational institutions in the Supreme Court.
It told the apex court, which is examining the legality of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Admission) Act, 2006, allowing 27 percent reservation for backward class students in higher educational institutions, does not violate the basic structure of the constitution.
The law envisages simultaneous hike in the number of seats for reserved category during implementation of the policy in a way that ensures the general category seats are not affected, it told the court.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) India's ruling alliance praised it, the Left seemed content and the opposition slammed it as anti-poor. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's budget Wednesday prompted diverse reactions from leaders -- depending on which side of the political divide they belonged to.
While the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders sang paeans, terming it as a "very good and innovative" budget, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders labelled it unimaginative and anti-poor.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee described the budget as one "ensuring complete fiscal discipline".
"The budget proves that for the last three years, we have ensured complete fiscal discipline and 20 percent of growth despite generally high fuel prices in the international market," said Mukherjee.
He added: "Ours is a very good budget, compared to those by the NDA governments, which consistently showed shortfall in revenue realisation year after year."
Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed said: "It's indeed a very good budget. While it proposes to provide jobs to 100,000 people, it also sympathetically looks at Sachar Committee recommendations (that looked into the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in India)."
The finance minister announced Rs.630 million, in addition to the existing Rs.160.47 million, for the National Minorities Development and Finance Corp following the Sachar panel recommendations. He also declared an allotment of Rs.1.08 billion for multi sector development in districts with a concentration of minorities.
While Chemical and Fertiliser Minister Ram Vilas Paswan termed the budget as "very good", Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prassad Singh wished for more allocations for his ministry.
"Our rural development ministry should have got more allocations, but we are generally satisfied," said Singh.
Giving the budget the thumbs up, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Hannan Mollah described it as "innovative".
"There are lots of proposals for different sections of society. It will improve the plight of the common people and give them good relief," said Mollah.
However, his colleague Mohammed Salim felt a little differently: "I have mixed feelings after listening to Chidambaram's speech. It looks like much emphasis was given to the social sector. But there was nothing much for minority welfare or the agriculture community."
Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party said the budget was comparatively better "but Chidambaram could not do anything to control the prices".
BJP leader B.C. Khanduri rubbished the budget: "It's routine. It's the year's document by babus. There is nothing exciting."
Another party leader Sushma Swaraj sarcastically said the minister had presented "a wonderful budget". "Admi ka khana mahenga, kutte ka khana sasta (man's meals are costlier, pet food got cheaper)," she said, adding that Chidambaram has broken the spirit of farmers and women.
"It is an anti-farmer budget," shouted her colleague, Shiv Sena MP Anant Gite, as Chidambaram read out his speech in the parliament.
Gite's colleague and former minister Suresh Prabhu termed it unimaginative: "He (Chidambaram) missed a golden chance to make use of the high growth rate. It was a timid budget. Nothing was there to control the money supply, which is putting pressure on the prices. There were no bold measures."
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh said the budget was "an extension of Manmohanics, unable to generate votes, but quite capable of generating notes for Congress leaders... The budget is full of rhetoric but devoid of substance. It does not provide anything for the poor and the downtrodden."
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Raula Chandrashekar Reddy echoed the sentiment when he said: "The budget will simply help the rich in getting richer at the cost of aam admi (common people)."
Jammu, Feb 28 (IANS) The political crisis gripping Jammu and Kashmir's ruling Congress-People's Democratic Party (PDP) coalition deepened late Wednesday with PDP ministers abstaining from a cabinet meeting after insisting that their agenda of withdrawal of troops from the state and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act be discussed first.
PDP legislature party leader and Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar told Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad that the party ministers were finding it difficult to attend the cabinet meeting, as "our issues are not in the agenda".
The cabinet meet was specially called to discuss the creation of eight new districts in Jammu and Kashmir. The cabinet later discussed the issue and resolved to have the new districts.
The chief minister ruled out a discussion of the issues raised by the PDP during the cabinet meeting, saying it had already been discussed in both the houses of the state legislature where he had stated that the situation in the state was still far from being normal and peaceful to warrant troop withdrawal.
"We need troops and the special powers act for the safety of our people," he had told the state legislative council on Feb 14.
On Feb 17, Zargar had written to Azad saying that the situation had improved in the state and the time had come to phase out troops and withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives special powers of the security forces.
Troops were deployed and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was put in place in 1990, the time when militancy had erupted in the state, particularly in the Kashmir Valley. Jammu and Kashmir was under governor's rule and directly ruled by the centre, when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, now PDP leader, was union home minister.
Now Mufti and his PDP are in the frontline of the campaign calling for de-militarisation of Jammu and Kashmir and doing away with special powers act.
The party has given a new push to the campaign after the "fake encounters" in which innocent people were allegedly killed by security forces and falsely branded as militants.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) New Zealand selectors have opted for experience in the World Cup, a fact evident from their team composition - as many as 10 players have played in previous editions, making them one of the most experienced sides.
Stephen Fleming leads a team that is on a high after beating Australia 3-0 in the three-ODI series at home and hopes to do well in the World Cup beginning in the West Indies March 11.
New Zealand are in Group C along with England, Kenya and Canada.
Following are the pen sketches of the 15 players (statistics include the third and final Chappell-Hadlee one-dayer in Hamilton Feb 20):
Stephen Fleming (captain)
Born: Apr 1, 1973, Christchurch
Style: Left-handed batsman and occasional pacer
ODI record: Matches: 269, Runs: 7,684, Average: 32.15, Highest score: 134 not out, 100s: 7, 50s: 46, Overs: 4.5, Wicket: 1, Average: 28.00, Best bowling: 1/8, Catches: 131
World Cup record: Matches: 23, Runs: 722, Average: 34.38, Highest score: 134 not out, 50s: 2, 100s: 1, Overs: 2, Wickets: 1, Average: 8.00, Best bowling: 1/8, Catches: 10
Shane Edward Bond
Born: June 7, 1975, Christchurch
Style: Right-handed batsman and fast bowler
ODI record: Matches: 58, Runs: 198, Average: 15.23, Highest score: 31 not out, Overs: 504.4, Wickets: 112, Average: 19.67, Best bowling: 6/19, Catches: 12
World Cup record: Matches: 8, Runs: 5, Average: 5.00, Highest score: 3, Overs: 78, Wickets: 17, Average: 17.94, Best bowling: 6/23, Catches: 3
James Franklin
Born: Nov 7, 1980, Wellington
Style: Left-handed batsman and left-arm fast-medium bowler
ODI record: Matches: 55, Runs: 413, Average: 14.75, Highest score: 45 not out, Overs: 402, Wickets: 53, Average: 38.89, Best bowling: 5/42, Catches: 17
World Cup record: None
Peter Fulton
Born: Feb 1, 1979, Christchurch
Style: Right-handed batsman and medium pacer
ODI record: Matches: 27, Runs: 815, Average: 35.43, Highest score: 112, 100s: 1, 50s: 5, Catches: 9
World Cup record: None
Mark Raymond Gillespie
Born: Oct 17, 1979, Wanganui
Style: Right-handed batsman and fast-medium bowler
ODI record: Matches: 15, Runs: 61, Average: 15.25, Highest score: 28, Overs: 123.2, Wickets: 18, Average: 36.11, Best bowling: 3/39, Catch: 1
World Cup record: None
Brendon Barrie McCullum
Born Sep 27, 1981, Dunedin
Style: Right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper
ODI record: Matches: 103, Runs: 1,516, Average: 22.97, Highest score: 86 not out, 50s: 5, Catches: 119 (includes 2 as outfielder), Stumpings: 10
World Cup record: Matches: 7, Runs: 41, Average: 20.50, Highest score: 36 not out, Catches: 9
Craig Douglas McMillan
Born: Sep 13, 1976, Christchurch
Style: Right-handed batsman and medium pacer
ODI record: Matches: 187, Runs: 4,479, Average: 27.99, Highest score: 117, 100s: 3, 50s: 27, Overs: 290.4, Wickets: 46, Average: 34.93, Best bowling: 3/20, Catches: 44
World Cup record: Matches: 15, Runs: 278, Average: 18.53, Highest score: 75, 50s: 1, Overs: 4, Catches: 4
Michael Mason
Born: Aug 27, 1974, Carterton, Wairarapa
Style: Right-handed batsman and fast-medium bowler
ODI record: Matches: 14, Runs: 22, Average: 11.00, Highest score: 13 not out, Overs: 121, Wickets: 18, Average: 35.17, Best bowling: 4/24, Catches: 2
World Cup record: None
Jacob Oram
Born: July 28, 1978, Palmerston North (Manawatu)
Style: Left-handed batsman and medium pacer
ODI record: Matches: 93, Runs: 1,382, Average: 21.94, Highest score: 101 not out, 100s: 1, 50s: 5, Overs: 681.4, Wickets: 100, Average: 31.12, Best bowling: 5/26, Catches: 24
World Cup record: Matches: 8, Runs: 35, Average: 11.67, Highest score: 23, Overs: 70, Wickets: 14, Average: 21.07, Best bowling: 4/52, Catches: 3
Jeetan Shashi Patel
Born: May 7, 1980, Wellington
Style: Right-handed batsman and off-spinner
ODI record: Matches: 17, Runs: 22, Average: 5.50, Highest score: 10, Overs: 146.4, Wickets: 25, Average: 30.56, Best bowling: 3/11, Catches: 7
World Cup record: None
Scott Bernard Styris
Born: July 10, 1975, Brisbane
Style: Right-handed batsman and fast medium bowler
ODI record: Matches: 123, Runs: 2,659, Average: 28.59, Highest score: 141, 100s: 3, 50s: 15, Overs: 743.3, Wickets: 107, Average: 33.10, Best bowling: 6/25, Catches: 47
World Cup record: Matches: 8, Runs: 268, Average: 53.60, Highest score: 141, 50s: 1, 100s: 1, Overs: 34.4, Wickets: 4, Average: 45.75, Best bowling: 2/23, Catches: 5
Ross Taylor
Born: March 8, 1984, Lower Hutt, Wellington
Style: Right-handed batsman and off-spinner
ODI record: Matches: 18, Runs: 599, Average: 39.93, Highest score: 128 not out, 100s: 2, 50s: 2, Overs: 2, Catches: 14
World Cup record: None
Daryl Raymond Tuffey
Born: June 11, 1978, Milton, Otago
Style: Right-handed batsman and fast bowler
ODI record: Matches: 79, Runs: 154, Average: 7.33, Highest score: 20 not out, Overs: 606.2, Wickets: 91, Average: 31.54, Best bowling: 4/24, Catches: 19
World Cup record: Matches: 2, Runs: 15, Average: 7.50, Highest score: 11, Overs: 15, Wickets: 1, Average: 77.00, Best bowling: 1/41
Daniel Luca Vettori
Born: Jan 27, 1979, Auckland
Style: Left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner
ODI record: Matches: 191, Runs: 1,266, Average: 14.95, Highest score: 83, 50s: 3, Overs: 1,484.1, Wickets: 187, Average: 33.37, Best bowling: 5/30, Catches: 51
World Cup record: Matches: 7, Runs: 36, Average: 12.00, Highest score: 13, Overs: 65, Wickets: 2, Average: 129.50, Best bowling: 1/38
Lou Vincent
Born: Nov 11, 1978, Warkworth, Auckland
Style: Right-handed batsman, medium pacer and occasional wicket-keeper
ODI record: Matches: 94, Runs: 2,274, Average: 28.07, Highest score: 172, 100s: 2, 50s: 11, Overs: 2.2, Catches: 35 (includes 2 as wicket-keeper)
World Cup record: Matches: 4, Runs: 17, Average: 5.67, Highest score: 9, Catches: 2
John Bracewell (coach)
Born: Apr 15, 1958, Auckland
Style: Right-handed batsman and off-spinner
ODI record: Matches: 53, Runs: 512, Average: 16.52, Highest score: 43, Overs: 407.5, Wickets: 33, Average: 57.09, Best bowling: 2/3, Catches: 19
World Cup record: Matches: 7, Runs: 80, Average: 16.00, Highest score: 34, Overs: 59, Wicket: 1, Average: 310.00, Best bowling: 1/66, Catch: 1
Lima, Feb 28 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Peruvian opposition party PNP has welcomed the disposition of the country’s new Interior Minister, Luis Alva Castro, to have dialogue with coca farmers to solve the social conflict.
PNP leader Carlos Walls told Prensa Latina on Tuesday that he considered as positive Alva Castro’s statement that he would engage the farmers in dialogue before the announced protest by the growers.
This is also the position of coca leader and legislator Nancy Obregon, who said recently a government attempt to eradicate coca plantations by force would set off a rebellion.
The objective of the dialogue is an agreement to replace the coca crops with alternatives and provide other social solutions to the problem of excessive production of the Andean plant of beneficent natural use.
Despite the opening by Alva Castro, Interior Ministry prosecutor Jacobo Rosemary announced he will ask for the arrest of Obregon and deputy and coca leader Elsa Malpartida, whom he accused of promoting insurgency.
He alleged that the attitude of Obregon and Malpartida violated behaviour rules fixed by courts following a highway blockade in 2005.
By Jean-Pierre Verges
Paris,Feb 28 (AP Associated News) At least two Picasso paintings, worth a total of nearly $66 million, were stolen from the artist's granddaughter's house in Paris, police said on Wednesday.
The paintings, "Maya and the Doll" and "Portrait of Jacqueline," disappeared overnight on Monday to Tuesday from the chic 7th arrondissement, or district, a Paris police official said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said they were worth nearly $66 million.
The director of the Picasso Museum, Anne Baldassari, said several paintings and drawings were stolen from the home of Diana Widmaier-Picasso.
"It was a very large theft," Baldassari said, without giving details.
Police only confirmed the theft of the two paintings.
"Maya and the Doll" portrays Maya Widmaier, the artist's daughter and Widmaier-Picasso's mother.
No other details were immediately available.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Following is the transcript of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's post-budget interview to Doordarshan Wednesday.
Q: There was a lot of talk that this budget will be geared more towards control of inflation because important elections are soon coming up. Do you think that this budget is going to control inflation?
PM: Well, the budget certainly is anti-inflationary. The fact that the fiscal consolidation programme is on target - the fiscal reduction and the revenue deficit reduction - we are moving in the set direction. That itself should be an assurance that inflation will not be allowed to get out of hand. But in addition, if you look at the whole programme of reduction in customs duties and excise duties, I think that would also strengthen the anti-inflationary bias of the budget.
Moreover, the emphasis that is now being laid on supply side responses, the national programme for pulses, the national programme for utilization of ground water resources, the rain-fed authority working to give a new momentum to the utilization of the dry land agriculture potential. All these would strengthen the supply side responses. In the short term the fact that the budget seeks fiscal consolidation, the fact that customs duties and excise duties have been reduced in a number of sensitive commodity areas, will certainly impart the anti-inflationary bias to the budget.
Q: The reason why this has become an important question is if you look what has happened it is really the food prices that has gone up a lot and world wide, the food prices have been going up. Do you think we have enough resources within our government and within the economy to check prices?
PM: Of course, I think we have done it many times before. That is one area in which we are now more open. But that also is a help and sometimes when we get into domestic bottlenecks, we can always import. I think last year we imported five and a half million tonnes. We can import commodities which are in short supply - oilseeds, to some extent, pulses not to a great deal but foodgrains, oilseeds, and vegetable oils - these are certainly essential commodities which if we run into domestic supply bottlenecks, we can always import.
Q: You mentioned the fact that you are an open government so that we take you to some items in the budget. It is clearly pro-governance, computerization of PDS budget talks about one identification number for our financial services. Is this going to be a very specific focus right through - not just this year but in the years to come?
PM: Well I think e-governance is a means to improve the quality of governance and that's I think a commitment we have made and we take it very seriously.
Q: This is the first time I saw a budget which talked about Plans A, B and C.
PM: Well, I think we are living through uncertain times. We have a substantial increase in the budgetary support for the plan of about 19 percent but we also recognize that there are legitimate additional expenditure demands which will arise as we unfold the contours of the 11th Five Year Plan and so we will review the situation towards mid-July for example and we have a contingency plan to increase expenditure to the extent of about 7,000 crores in due course of time.
Also we are toying with the idea of utilizing a part of the foreign exchange reserves for infrastructure development and those things are being discussed with the Reserve Bank and in due course of time, they will materialize and therefore you have a budget, which pays lot of emphasis on improving our access to basic social services. You have a budget which also strengthens the social safety net, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme is being expanded to include now 330 districts - half the districts of our country.
A new life insurance programme has been launched for landless workers. In addition, we need to strengthen the impulses to expand investment in infrastructure.
Q: The budget talks about enabling people so that especially the socio-economically backward people to get into better training facilities and higher education. Is that the focus?
PM: Of course, I think education and healthcare are prime imperatives as far as this budget is concerned. Also we need to improve the skill level of the youth. Therefore we need lot more emphasis on secondary education, or on those who leave the primary education and at the same time, strengthening the vocationalisation of education.
We need to expand the facilities that are available through the medium of ITIs. Finance Minister mentioned modernization of 500 ITIs. He also mentioned about 1,400 additional ITIs which need to be modernized, i.e. the focus is on improving the skill level of our young people.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (THE HINDU) Elated over the favourable poll outcome in Punjab and Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it would have an impact on the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The results were as per the party's expectations, BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters here. "Uttarakhand was once part of Uttar Pradesh. And the poll results indicate the public mood and this is a good message for the BJP." The Congress had failed to fulfil its promises and the public had seen that, he said.
It was not the anti-incumbency factor that was responsible for the poll results, but the work done by the BJP previously. "When they compared the two Governments, they found that the BJP was the only party that could provide good governance."
Briefing reporters at a customary meeting, BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the results were a mandate against the Centre and issues such as inflation, the "deteriorating" internal security situation and the policy of Muslim appeasement played a decisive role.
The results indicated that the people had rejected the Government policies as also the "halo" created around Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"The Congress president's popularity graph has taken a beating and she should take it as a personal defeat," Mr. Malhotra said.
The BJP has made major gains in Punjab. It has raised its tally from two MLAs in the previous Assembly to 19, making it a major political force to reckon with.
Even though the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine has a comfortable majority, the Congress has emerged as the single largest party. In Uttarakhand, the BJP has increased its strength from 19 to 30.
Auckland, Feb 28 (IANS) India defeated Australia seven and half goals to six in their second play-off match of Zone D of the World Cup here Wednesday.
India started with a half goal advantage on handicap but it was Australia that took the lead by scoring two quick goals in the first chukker. India pulled back one through a 40-yard penalty, converted by Manupal Godara.
But at the end of the first chukker, Australia led by two goals to one and half.
In the second chukker, both teams scored one goal each with Angad Kalaan scoring for India through a 30-yard penalty.
In the third chukker, which was played at a fast pace, the lead changed hands for the first time.
For India, Kalaan and Tarun Sirohi struck the goals while Australia scored one goal to inch ahead by four and half goals to four. Australia managed only one goal in this chukker.
In the fourth chukker, India scored two goals through 30-yard penalties by Kalaan to take the score six-and-half goals to four while Australia scored one goal to narrow the scoreline marginally.
In the fifth and final chukker, India scored one through a wonderful goal by Kalaan to increase their lead while Australia scored a goal soon to reduce the margin.
India won seven and half goals to six.
In their third game, India will play Pakistan Thursday.
Patna, Feb 28 (IANS) Power supply was restored after 25 hours all over Bihar Wednesday morning, a crisis that affected emergency hospital services, water supply and movement of trains in the state.
Power supply went off in Bihar Tuesday morning as over 14,000 Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) employees went on a 24-hour strike to protest restructuring plans.
Many in cities like Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Purnea were seen running around with plastic buckets to fetch drinking water.
Leader of the workers, B.L. Yadav, said the strike was total and successful as there was absolutely no power and water supply across the state.
Seizing the chance to embarrass the government, leader of the opposition Rabri Devi entered the state assembly Tuesday holding a lantern. "Taps in all households in the state have gone dry. I could not take a bath as there was no water," she said, blaming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his failure to come to a compromise with the workers.
The Patna High Court had Tuesday asked the state government to ensure immediate power supply. It was responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the court lawyers association to declare the strike illegal.
The employees are demanding withdrawal of the decision to break the BSEB into three independent profit centres dealing with generation, transmission and distribution.
Khartoum, Feb 28, (IRNA) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Mohamed Omer al-Bashir on Wednesday urged that under the present regional and international conditions, as two Muslim countries, Iran and Sudan play a decisive role in strengthening the unity and cooperation among Islamic states.
The chief executive said that today the world of Islam is subject to aggression of distinct and organized enemies, namely the world colonial power seeking its own interests by striking the Muslims major centers of unity and power.
"The growing trend of Muslims vigilance has increased their power of resistance against the threats of bullying powers and has endangered their hegemony," he added.
Ahmadinejad urged that the Islamic states should attempt to thwart the threats and conspiracies to create discord by identifying their enemies properly, helping each other and resisting, given the enemies are against any independent power in the world of Islam, which accounts for their pressure on Iran and Sudan.
Turning to the favorable mutual relations at various levels and fields, he said that both sides have high capacities for further expansion of relations in different domains.
"By raising the level of their cooperation and complementing their capacities through cooperation with each other, Iran and Sudan can present a favorable model of good ties between two Islamic states.
"Thus, a heavy burden is lying on their shoulders in the world of Islam in this respect," he added.
Meanwhile, the president declared the country's readiness to transfer Iran's experiences in different fields to Sudan.
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Feb 28 (IANS) A private sector panel within the India-US High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) has suggested major procurement of US equipment for Indian security forces and advocated anti-terrorism collaboration between the Washington and New Delhi.
The panel made its recommendations to Indian and the US officials here last week at the fifth HTCG meeting co-chaired by Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and US Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Sampson.
As a follow up to several forward looking proposals that emerged from the business level meeting, the officials set targets on how to make it easier for private sector companies in both countries to trade in "dual use" advanced technology products.
The recommendations released Monday sought a US review of Indian government laboratories, including the 12 Indian entities included on the US Department of Commerce's banned entities list, reflecting the spirit of the Indo-US strategic partnership.
The Commercial Space Launch Agreement, for example, remains in limbo so long as some of these entities remain on the list, the panel noted.
India too, it said, should move toward international export control regimes on chemicals such as the Australia Group - as this would assist in favourable review of some of the companies included on the Entities List.
Seeking a joint research and development for defence platforms, the panel suggested that a number of measurable programmes and types of technologies should be surveyed as of today and reviewed each time HTCG gets together - to ensure progress.
However there was no consensus on some Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues.
India, it said, had adopted the calibrated approach with regard to its concerns for public health and access to medicine, and was therefore evolving an IPR Regime to suit its needs within the TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Framework.
The US industry has expressed concern over the backlog of unexamined patent applications. It wants India to introduce systems of data protection and patent linkage for generic products.
In developing any new pricing and reimbursement proposals/system, New Delhi should provide all stakeholders, including the innovative pharmaceutical industry, with the opportunity to provide input, it said.
Noting that US law requires end-use monitoring and that Indian policy does not allow sovereign intrusion by any country, it asked the two governments to reconcile at the legislative and policy level their positions on end-use verification.
The panel suggested a review of the requirement that Indian companies seeking to become reliable suppliers need to be incorporated in the US.
The defence procurement procedures must be open, fair and transparent, it said. Industry, meanwhile, will continue to work together to help define "direct" offsets, appreciating that India's desire is to upgrade its technology.
The IT and Telecommunications group sought an increase in H1 B visa caps, finalisation of a totalisation agreement for social security payments by H1 B employees, and creation of a new visa (intermediate category) between B1 and H1.
It also recommended establishing an education led, enforcement backed global privacy framework, extension of STPI (Software Technology Parks of India), a training programme for Indian tax officials on transfer pricing, and a bilateral accord on advanced transfer pricing agreements.
The panel wanted India to approve a final FDI regime, without security-related caveats that limit international data traffic.
Chandigarh,Feb 28 (TOI) The BJP on Wednesday poured cold water on the speculation by local leaders that it would stake claim to the Deputy Chief Minister's post in Punjab, and said "anybody will like the moon".
"The issue was not discussed in the joint meeting of the SAD-BJP here," BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley said when asked by reporters about the party's likelihood to stake claim to the Dy CM's post.
He said, "anybody will like the moon..." and added that the BJP's priority was smooth functioning of the SAD-BJP alliance government.
He said the meeting elected Parkash Singh Badal joint leader of the SAD-BJP legislative group in the state assembly.
Jaitley was accompanied by BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu and SAD leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Badal, who said nothing was discussed about the post of deputy chief minister in the meeting.
Jaitley said relations between the alliance partners were "cordial" and "problems" regarding key issues would be sorted out amicably.
There is speculation about the BJP staking claim to the Dy CM's post since it has bagged 19 of the total 67 seats won by the alliance.
Jaitley rubbished reports the results were "unexpected", as the BJP performed better than in 1997 when it got 18 seats, and said "voting for the 2002 and 2007 elections was on the same pattern".
He also took a dig at the outgoing Amarinder Singh dispensation describing it as "intolerant and arrogant".
Doha, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) Qatari First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani said purchasing a stake of Airbus would be an issue discussed during his upcoming visit to France.
Sheikh Hamad, speaking to reporters on the fringe of a local exhibition Tuesday, said the purchase of shares was a key issue "on the agenda of my visit to France" in addition to "regional and international issues."
The purchase of shares, he said, "is a minor part of my visit and there are a host of other issues."
The French foreign trade minister had announced that Sheikh Hamad would visit Paris to work out a deal to purchase a stage in the European air and defence agency, which owns Airbus.
London, Feb 28 (IANS) "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe has been ordered to only sign autographs related to his play "Equus".
Radcliffe, who is starring in the controversial play "Equus" in which he appears nude, is hounded by thousands of "Harry Potter" fans outside the London theatre, reports contactmusic.com.
Producer David Pugh said: "I have told him that he can meet his fans at the door but only sign 'Equus' stuff. We have had hundreds of people at the stage door every night and he is very good, he always meets them.
"He has even taken to signing hundreds of cards before the performance and handing them out."
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday allocated Rs.5 billion for the preparations of the 2010 Commonwealth Games for the financial year 2007-2008.
Of this amount, Rs. 3.5 billion have been allocated to Delhi government and Rs. 1.5 billion to Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs to get the infrastructure ready for the first Commonwealth Games that India would host from Oct 3-14.
Chidambaram also provided Rs.5 million for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Pune from Oct 12-18.
The finance minister proposed a five-year tax holiday to two-, three- and four-star hotels in the national capital territory of Delhi for the games.
Convention centres with a sitting capacity of not less than 3,000 will also get tax holiday if they are completed and begin operation between April 2007 and March 2010.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) A Rs.5 billion allocation has been made to improve the efficiency, convenience and transparency of e-governance, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said while presenting 2007-08 budget Wednesday.
The minister said the government would launch more "ambitious" e-governance programmes to increase its service to the common man.
Chidambaram also proposed increasing the allocation of Rs.3 billion to state governments to Rs.5 billion in fiscal 2007-08.
He said the government would provide an additional Rs.330 million for a new scheme that will enable manpower development for the software export industry.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Aiming to provide jobs to youths as well as to create a reserve of skilled human resources, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday proposed an initial provision of Rs.500 million to launch Vocational Educational Mission.
Presenting his budget proposals for 2007-08 in the Lok Sabha, he said the scheme, to be developed in public-private partnership, is expected to ensure a reserve of skilled and trained manpower to aid a sustained high level of economic growth.
Shortages of skilled manpower were already showing in a number of sectors, he observed.
"We can take advantage of demographic dividend thrown up by an increase in the working age population only if our young men and women have the required skills," Chidambaram said.
Following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement of the Vocational Education Mission during his Independence Day speech last year, the Planning Commission has been on the job of evolving a strategy for vocational education programme, he said.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The central budget for 2007-08 Wednesday proposes an increase in the allocation for the flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) from Rs.82.07 billion in 2006-07 to Rs.99.47 billion in 2007-08.
Presenting the budget, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in parliament that major emphasis would be on mother and child care and prevention of communicable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria.
Polio, which witnessed a surge in 2006 with 666 cases, has also been integrated with the NRHM and Rs.12.90 billion has been allocated to eliminate the disease.
Traditional healing systems like aurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, sidha, and homeopathy are being mainstreamed into the health delivery system at all levels.
Chidambaram also promised that his government would undertake determined efforts to achieve zero level of growth in HIV/AIDS.
Under the renewed effort, the National AIDS Control Programme - III (NACP-III), starting 2007-08 would target the high-risk groups in all states. The minister proposed to step up the provision for the AIDS control programme to Rs.9.69 billion.
The minister also emphasised that more hospitals would provide treatment to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's flagship rural job guarantee scheme will be extended to 120 more districts, the central budget for 2007-08 stated Wednesday.
Presenting the budget in parliament, P. Chidambram said, "The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) will be expanded from the current level of 200 districts to 330 districts. The government has proposed to make an initial allocation of Rs.12,000 crores (Rs.120 billion) for the NREGS."
The scheme was launched on Feb 2, 2006.
The UPA leadership, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, had been maintaining that job guarantee scheme would gradually be extended to all 600 odd districts of the country.
The UPA leadership, while seeking passage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, had assured the Lok Sabha that in the first phase, the scheme would be implemented in 200 districts and in the second phase it would cover 200 more districts.
But the budget, while initiating the second phase of the scheme, has provided for its extension to only 120 more districts.
Chidambaram said it was a demand-driven programme carrying a legal guarantee of employment and that the budget allocation for it would have to be supplemented according to need.
Tokyo, Feb 28 (RIA Novosti) Russian companies are looking to participate in large-scale business projects in Japan, particularly in the energy sphere, Russia's prime minister Mikhail Fradkov said Wednesday.
"We have capabilities, primarily in the energy sphere, to get actively involved in projects in Japan, as well as with Japanese companies in third country markets," Fradkov said, adding that Russia is ready to cooperate in infrastructure, transport and high technology projects.
Russian car manufacturer Severstal Avto and one of Japan's leading truck producers, Isuzu, signed Wednesday an agreement to produce trucks in Russia.
Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko has said the deal is aimed at developing the vehicle manufacturing industry in Russia, particularly passenger and commercial transport.
Fradkov had arrived in Tokyo Tuesday on a two-day official visit.
According to Vitaly Savelyev, Russian deputy economic development and trade minister, Japanese accumulated investment in Russia has reached $2.5 billion, increasing more than fivefold since Sept 2005.
Cayenne, Feb 28 (RIA Novosti) Russia may open a new launch site for manned space missions, the head of the Russian space agency Anatoly Perminov said Wednesday.
Russia currently launches manned space mission from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. Another launch site in Russia's Plesetsk only handles unmanned space missions.
Russia leases the Baikonur space center from the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan at $115 million per year. In June 2005 the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, ratified an agreement between Russia and Kazakhstan on extending Russia's lease of the Baikonur space launch facility until 2050.
Perminov said that the planned launch site would not be in competition with Baikonur. "It is reasonable to have a launch site on the Russian territory." Perminov said.
He added that the proposal of the Russian Space Agency will be sent to the government.
Moscow, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed his country's support for a Palestinian national unity government that will help lift the siege imposed on the Palestinian people.
This came during his meeting with head of Hamas Politburo Khaled Meshal Tuesday.
Lavrov described his talks with Hamas delegates as "very fruitful."
"We identified the aspects most important to paving the way for a settlement of the Middle East conflict. The Mecca accord proved that consolidation of all Palestinians will be possible. The Mecca accord is a move towards implementing the decisions the quartet of mediators made earlier.
"We wish to see Hamas a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation alongside other Palestinian movements," he added.
Lavrov said the meeting with Meshal provided fresh proof of Russia's idea to stepping up contacts with Hamas was correct.
Meshal's visit coincided with a demonstration staged by Arab and Russian activists that denounced the Israeli excavation work at the vicinity of Al-Aqsa mosque.
Riyadh, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) Saudi Information Minister and chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) Iyad Madani has asserted the importance of mobilising efforts to revive the work of the agency and bolster its activities.
While chairing the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the IINA, the minister spoke about the main steps to be taken to boost the agency's coverage of events and activities in the Islamic countries.
He added that this session will discuss proposals to improve the work of the agency.
The new board has been formed according to decisions adopted by Information Ministers of the member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference that was held in Jeddah last year.
On his part, Secretary General of the OIC Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu highlighted the importance of reviving the work of the agency amid the current world circumstances.
The Board of Directors then discussed ways of restructuring the agency and improving its work, forming two committees for this purpose.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) A means-cum-merit scholarship scheme would be introduced to check high school dropout rates, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Wednesday while presenting the budget for 2007-08.
The finance minister observed that while the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (universal education scheme) had improved enrolment to 96 percent, dropout rates were still worrying.
Chidambaram said the scheme would encourage students to study beyond Class VIII.
The scheme would start this year with a corpus of Rs.7.5 billion and an equal amount would be added to the fund every year for the next three years.
Under the scheme, each student would be given a scholarship of Rs.6,000 a year to study in Classes IX, X, XI and XII. Each year 100,000 scholarships would be awarded.
Tehran, Feb 28(IRNA)Improved transportation systems, tighter building codes and financing for energy-efficiency investments are among the measures recommended in a new scientific report on coping with climate change that was prepared at the request of the UN.
The UN Foundation and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, presented the report "Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable" to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has called climate change one of his priority concerns at UN Headquarters in New York.
The report notes that the technology exists to "seize significant opportunities around the globe" to reduce emissions and provide other economic, environmental and social benefits, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here Wednesday.
It calls on policy makers to improve efficiency in the area of transportation through measures such as vehicle efficiency standards, fuel taxes, and registration fees or rebates that favour purchase of efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. They should also improve design and efficiency of commercial and residential buildings through building codes, standards for equipment and appliances, incentives for property developers and landlords to build and manage properties efficiently, and financing for energy-efficiency investments, the report states.
It also recommends expanding the use of biofuels through energy portfolio standards and incentives to growers and consumers. The report outlines a role for the international community, through the UN and related multilateral institutions, including helping countries in need to finance and deploy energy efficient and new energy technologies while accelerating negotiations to develop a new international framework for addressing climate change and sustainable development.
The report is "an attempt to define the beginnings of a course through the scientific impact, what we know about the impact of climate change and what we will know about possible measures of what we will do," UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth told a press briefing in New York.
He called the report "a very handy basis for how the climate issue is handled." Prepared as input for the upcoming meeting of the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development, the report warns of "two starkly different futures" facing humanity: one marked by increasingly serious climate-related impacts and the other aiming to "reduce dangerous emissions, create economic opportunity, help to reduce global poverty, reduce degradation and carbon emissions from ecosystems, and contribute to sustainability." "Humanity must act collectively and urgently to change course through leadership at all levels of society," it warns. "There is no more time for delay." /2321/1422
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) Improved transportation systems, tighter building codes and financing for energy-efficiency investments are among the measures recommended in a new scientific report on coping with climate change that was prepared at the request of the UN.
The UN Foundation and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, presented the report "Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable" to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has called climate change one of his priority concerns at UN Headquarters in New York.
The report notes that the technology exists to "seize significant opportunities around the globe" to reduce emissions and provide other economic, environmental and social benefits, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here Wednesday.
It calls on policy makers to improve efficiency in the area of transportation through measures such as vehicle efficiency standards, fuel taxes, and registration fees or rebates that favour purchase of efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. They should also improve design and efficiency of commercial and residential buildings through building codes, standards for equipment and appliances, incentives for property developers and landlords to build and manage properties efficiently, and financing for energy-efficiency investments, the report states.
It also recommends expanding the use of biofuels through energy portfolio standards and incentives to growers and consumers. The report outlines a role for the international community, through the UN and related multilateral institutions, including helping countries in need to finance and deploy energy efficient and new energy technologies while accelerating negotiations to develop a new international framework for addressing climate change and sustainable development.
The report is "an attempt to define the beginnings of a course through the scientific impact, what we know about the impact of climate change and what we will know about possible measures of what we will do," UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth told a press briefing in New York.
He called the report "a very handy basis for how the climate issue is handled." Prepared as input for the upcoming meeting of the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development, the report warns of "two starkly different futures" facing humanity: one marked by increasingly serious climate-related impacts and the other aiming to "reduce dangerous emissions, create economic opportunity, help to reduce global poverty, reduce degradation and carbon emissions from ecosystems, and contribute to sustainability." "Humanity must act collectively and urgently to change course through leadership at all levels of society," it warns. "There is no more time for delay.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Senior citizens stand to benefit from a novel scheme of reverse mortgage, announced by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in his budget speech Wednesday, as also from the hike in the income tax exemption limit.
"The National Housing Bank (NHB) will shortly introduce a novel product for senior citizens: a 'reverse mortgage' under which a senior citizen who is the owner of a house can avail of a monthly stream of income against the mortgage of his/her house, while remaining the owner and occupying the house throughout his/her lifetime, without repayment or servicing of the loan," Chidambaram announced while presenting the budget for 2007-08.
As the threshold limit for the income tax exemption has been hiked by Rs.10,000, for senior citizens it stands at Rs. 195,000 from Rs.185,000.
The finance minister also said that an exclusive health insurance scheme for senior citizens, launched by the president Dec 6, 2006 and offered by National Insurance Company, will also be available from the other three public sector insurance companies from next fiscal.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday raised the service tax exemption limit for small service providers from Rs.400,000 to Rs.800,000.
Presenting the general budget 2007-08 in the parliament, he said the revenue loss on this count will be Rs.800 crores, adding that he was happy to give away this sum in the interest of small service providers and the consumers.
On the other hand, he proposed to extend the service tax to services outsourced for mining of mineral, oil or gas; renting of immovable property for use in commerce or business; development and supply of content for use in telecom and advertising purposes; asset management services provided by individuals; and design services.
The finance minister proposed service tax on services involved in the execution of a works contract. He also proposed an optional composition scheme under which service tax will be levied at only two percent of the total value of the works contract.
Service tax is exempted on services provided by resident welfare associations (RWAs) to their members who contribute Rs.3,000 or less per month for services rendered.
While there will be no service tax on all services provided by technology business incubators, their incubates whose annual business turnover does not exceed Rs.5,000,000 will be exempted from service tax for the first three years.
The finance minister also proposed exemption from service tax to clinical trial of new drugs.
Srinagar, 28 (IANS) The charge sheet against seven policemen, accused of abducting and killing a carpenter in Anantnag district in a 'fake encounter', was submitted in a local court Wednesday.
"The challan (charge sheet) was presented in the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Srinagar, for committal to the district and sessions court. The investigations and evidence gathering were done in record time in this case," said Farooq Ahmad, deputy inspector general of police (Central Kashmir).
Abdul Rehman Paddar, a carpenter of Larnoo village, went missing from the Batmaloo locality of Srinagar on Dec 8, 2006. He was reportedly killed Dec 9 in a fake encounter after being framed as a foreign guerrilla in Ganderbal police district by the Special Operations Group (SOG).
"The challan has been presented against former senior superintendent of police (Ganderbal) H.R. Parihar, deputy superintendent of police Bahadur Ram, assistant sub-inspector of police Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, selection grade constable Farooq Ahmad Paddar, and constables Manzoor Ahmad, Bansi Lal and Zaheer Abbas.
"All these people have been charged with sections 120 B (Criminal Conspiracy) read with sections 302 (murder), section 364 (kidnapping) and section 201(destruction of evidence) of the Penal Code in the murder of carpenter Abdul Rehman Paddar," Ahmad, who heads the special investigating team (SIT) probing the fake encounters, told IANS here.
The exhumed remains from the grave, where Rehman had been buried after the fake encounter framing him as Abu Hafiz of Multan (Pakistan), had been sent to the Central Sciences Forensic Lab (Chandigarh) for DNA matchings with samples taken from his relatives.
The DNA report, received last week, proved Rehman's identity as a local and not as the foreign guerrilla the SOG (Ganderbal) had claimed.
The slain carpenter's family, including his wife Muneera and father Ghulam Rasool Paddar, was present in court when the prosecution presented the chargesheet against the accused.
Muneera told reporters: "We are satisfied with the investigations of the police whose efforts alone unearthed the murder of my husband.
"I demand the most stringent punishment for the guilty so that families are not orphaned by beastly, greedy men looking for money and medals."
All the accused were produced in the court of M.Y. Akhoon, chief judicial magistrate, Srinagar. Hundreds of people gathered at the court premises because of the huge public interest the 'fake encounter' case has evoked in Kashmir.
By Jaideep Sarin,
Amritsar, Feb 28 (IANS) Cricketer, actor, MP, politician, TV host, commentator and convict Navjot Singh Sidhu is a winner again. The chirpy Sidhu has defied political convention - of Amritsar Lok Sabha seat not returning a non-Congress MP for a second time - by winning the by-election from that constituency.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Sidhu, who continues to be on temporary reprieve from the Supreme Court that has stayed his three-year prison sentence in a road rage case for causing death of a man 18 years ago, Tuesday defeated his Congress rival Surinder Singla by nearly 80,000 votes.
"I thank the almighty and the people of Amritsar constituency for supporting me in these trying times. I assure them that I will do my best to serve them," Sidhu said after his win.
Sidhu paid obeisance at the Golden Temple here - the holiest of Sikh shrines - after his victory over Singla, Punjab's outgoing finance minister.
The popular Sidhu, who never let go his one-liners Shero-Shayari and antics during his extensive campaign for the seat, said that god had asked him to serve the people of Amritsar once again.
Sidhu originally belongs to Patiala town, also the home of ousted chief minister Amarinder Singh.
Sidhu was first fielded by the BJP on this seat in the May 2004 general election and won by over 109,000 votes, defeating seven-time MP R.L. Bhatia.
Once termed as 'outsider' by his opponents, Sidhu promised not to return to his hometown Patiala till he continued to serve Amritsar as MP.
He kept his word on that and, ironically, went to Patiala only when he was taken to Patiala jail for a couple of days in January after his conviction in a road rage case.
When he resigned from this seat on moral grounds in December following his conviction by the Punjab and Haryana high court, the jinx of non-Congress MPs on this seat not completing their term seemed true. But Sidhu has come back to serve the same seat after winning it.
Winning ways are nothing new to the former Indian opener.
Once criticized for being too slow in his game of cricket, he went on to smash sixes in several innings to earn the acronym 'Sixer Sidhu".
The reduced margin for Sidhu, almost 30,000 votes less than in May 2004, has however caused some concern in his camp. But with a formidable opponent like Singla, that was bound to happen.
Munich, Feb 28 (DPA) Siemens is to extend the GSM network of Telenor Pakistan in a contract that could be worth $750 million over three years, the German electronics concern announced in Munich Wednesday.
Siemens Networks is to combine with Finland's Nokia in the contract for Pakistan's second largest provider of mobile phone services.
After the rollout phase, Siemens will operate the GSM network, focussed on the south of the country. The core network throughout the country is also to be modernised.
From securing its GSM licence in 2004, Telenor Pakistan, a subsidiary of Telenor ASA, has grown rapidly, securing an additional 2 million clients in the three months Oct-Dec 2006 alone. Telenor ASA is active in Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
By Jaideep Sarin,
Amritsar, Feb 28 (IANS) Cricketer, TV host and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is widely expected to play a more high profile role in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab after a thumping win from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat that defied convention - of the constituency not returning any non-Congress MP for a second time.
The BJP has always had a solid Hindu support base in the Sikh-majority border state but lacked a Sikh leader of repute. In the hugely popular Sidhu it found a nationally known personality who at one time was seen as a possible state BJP chief. With the Amritsar victory, he could become just that.
More so because, flush with the 19 assembly seats the BJP won Tuesday compared to the three it got five years ago, at least some in the BJP would one day want to dump the Akali Dal and go it alone - preferably with a Sikh face at the helm of affairs.
The only hassle is a legal case. Sidhu continues to be on temporary reprieve from the Supreme Court that has stayed his three-year prison sentence after an incident of road rage that resulted in the death of a man 18 years ago. But that did not prevent him Tuesday from defeating Surinder Singla of the Congress by nearly 80,000 votes.
"I thank the almighty and the people of Amritsar constituency for supporting me in these trying times. I assure them that I will do my best to serve them," Sidhu said after his win.
Sidhu paid obeisance at the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, following his victory over Singla, Punjab's outgoing finance minister.
The popular Sidhu, who never let go his one-liners, 'shero-shayari' and antics during his extensive campaign for the seat, said that god had asked him to serve the people of Amritsar once again.
Sidhu originally belongs to Patiala town, also the home of ousted chief minister Amarinder Singh.
Sidhu was first fielded by the BJP on this seat in the May 2004 general election and won by over 109,000 votes, defeating seven-time MP R.L. Bhatia.
Once termed as 'outsider' by his opponents, Sidhu promised not to return to his hometown Patiala till he continued to serve Amritsar as MP. He kept his word on that and, ironically, went to Patiala only when he was taken to Patiala jail for a couple of days in January after his conviction in a road rage case.
When he resigned from this seat on moral grounds in December following his conviction by the Punjab and Haryana high court, the jinx of non-Congress MPs on this seat not completing their term seemed true. But Sidhu has come back to serve the same seat after winning it.
Winning ways are nothing new to the former Indian opener. Once criticized for being too slow in his game of cricket, he went on to smash sixes in several innings to earn the acronym 'Sixer Sidhu".
The reduced margin for Sidhu, almost 30,000 votes less than in May 2004, has however caused some concern in his camp. But with a formidable opponent like Singla, that was bound to happen.
Kathmandu, Feb 28 (IANS) Armed with nothing more than green flags and their demand for autonomous states, Nepal's sons of soil - the first communities to take up residence in the kingdom - enforced a nationwide closure Wednesday that crippled the capital and affected outer districts.
Kathmandu valley lay paralysed by the general strike call given by the Nepal Adivasi Janajati Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation of nearly 60 groups from different communities.
This is the seventh closure called this month by the Mahansangh. Earlier this month, they had enforced a Kathmandu valley shutdown, followed by five more regional bandhs (closures).
Educational institutions, shops and markets and many business establishments remained closed in the capital Wednesday. Public transport disappeared and large numbers of commuters could be seen walking to their destinations.
Protesters, including women and teens, stood sentry at prominent city squares, stopping intrepid two-wheelers and asking them to go back.
There were preliminary reports of at least half a dozen motorcycles being vandalised and a bus, returning from a wedding, being set on fire. The unarmed Mahasangh activists have been waging non-violent protests since last year.
"Our organisation includes adivasis, communities who were the original settlers in Nepal, and janajatis (indigenous communities)," Pasang Sherpa, chief of the Mahasangh, told IANS.
"Despite being the first settlers, we are still the most underprivileged.
"We want separate autonomous states for different communities with the right to self-determination and proportional representation in the parliament.
"We also want the government to make Nepal an actual secular state, effacing all national icons that still have Hindu undertones, like the cow, Nepal's national animal, that is associated with Hinduism."
The closure comes even as another ethnic group, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, has begun a week-long transport shutdown and trading point blockade in the Terai plains.
The Forum, a group of plains people living along the Indian border, is demanding an autonomous Madhes state in the plains.
Their closure call, given since Monday, has closed the highway that is Nepal's lifeline, connecting it with India and providing the route for trucks carrying essential supplies food and fuel from the southern neighbour.
The Forum says it will withdraw its strike and begin talks with the government only after home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula resigns, owing moral responsibility for the death of at least 29 people in the Terai protests since January.
The Forum and Mahansangh this month announced that they have joined forces and from coming Monday, would enforce an indefinite closure nationwide if the government continued to ignore their demands. Though the Maoist insurgents ended their decade-old armed struggle last year by signing a peace pact with the government, inspired by their success, other groups have now begun a series of protests.
The disruptions, especially in the southern plains, where nearly half of Nepal's population lives, compelled the UN's top envoy in Nepal, Ian Martin to warn the world body Monday that it may become impossible to hold elections in June if the protests continue.
Pretoria, Feb 28, (IRNA) The Johannesburg-based daily `The Star' on Wednesday said South Africa opposes further imposition of sanctions by the UN Security Council on Iran.
The daily referred to a meeting of Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani and South African President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria Sunday and said South Africa will not agree to imposition of more sanctions on Iran following Tehran's refusal to comply with Security Council Resolution 1737.
South Africa is to take over the presidency of the UN Security Council from Slovakia in March.
The US has been using its influence on other permanent Security Council members to force Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities, but Iran insists it has the right to continue in such activities as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The treaty expressly grants signatory countries the right to access nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Seoul, Feb 28 (DPA) South Korea called on North Korea to stand by its pledge to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme in return for energy aid in a "quick and smooth" manner during bilateral talks in Pyongyang Wednesday.
Unification Minister Lee Jae Joung, Seoul's lead negotiator in the four-day talks, also urged the north to resume reunions for separated families on both sides of their shared border in his keynote speech, according to South Korean media reports.
Lee said the halted construction of a family reunion centre at the Mount Geumgang resort should resume immediately and that family reunions by video should be held no later than April. There was no immediate response from North Korea.
The new round of the inter-Korean ministerial discussions was initiated after North Korea agreed in Beijing on Feb 15 to take steps towards dismantling its nuclear weapons programme in exchange for energy and other economic aid from South Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia.
The inter-Korean dialogue had been suspended since tensions on the Korean peninsula heightened in July 2006 following North Korea's missile tests and then its nuclear weapon test in October.
Lee and his five-member delegation of high-ranking ministers arrived Tuesday in Pyongyang for the talks. Potential topics at the talks would be the delivery of rice and fertilizer to the communist state, meetings between separated families, and cross-border rail connections and economic projects.
Madrid, Feb 28, (IRNA) The Spanish daily `El Pais' on Tuesday stressed the need to come up with a moderate solution to Iran's nuclear case that would preserve Iran's rights and remove the West's concerns.
The daily, in an article, said that although the West was doubtful of whether Iran has the intent to produce nuclear bombs, nothing has been proved in this regard.
On the other hand, it added, mounting pressure on Iran would make it quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
No evidence is available proving Iran has violated the NPT and the West's accusations stem mainly from its lack of confidence, it said.
The article believes Iran has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, saying the NPT, to which Iran is a signatory, gives Iran the right to enrich uranium under surveillance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
It said Iran would do well not to withdraw from the NPT inspite of mounting pressure and urged it to continue conducting its nuclear activities under IAEA supervision.
El Pais said nuclear powers have not implemented NPT provisions which call for dismantling of nuclear weapons since 1968, and criticized the double standards applied on Iran's nuclear program.
Iran is under pressure for its nuclear program while Israel, which has not signed the NPT, is allowed to have nuclear weapons, it added.
The daily said the Iraqi issue was another reason behind the the West's increasing pressure on Iran, adding that the US has lost its prestige because it has launched at attack on Iraq under a pretext to fight against its weapons of mass destruction but found no weapons.
It lashed out at the US warmongering attitude to freeze Iran's assets abroad and cautioned that the move would harm finding a solution to Iran's nuclear case.
Iranians currently know they have turned into a necessary factor to resolve regional crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon, it further stated.
Melbourne , Feb 28 (NNN-BERNAMA) Sri Lankan Health Minister Siripala de Silva says a group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers detained by the Australian authorities on Christmas Island should be returned to their homeland because they are not refugees.
De Silva said the 83 men, all Tamils, who were intercepted by the Australian Navy in international waters last week, were not genuine refugees but had fled their country for economic reasons.
Christmas Island is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean located about 500 km south of Jakarta, Indonesia.
"These are immigrants of economic nature, they are not genuine asylum seekers," he told ABC Radio. "Our request is they must be deported back to Sri Lanka ."
Australia is considering sending the Sri Lankans to Indonesia if it can secure a guarantee from Jakarta that their asylum claims will be processed in Indonesia by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
But the Australian government says it will not send the men to Indonesia if they would then be returned to Sri Lanka , and may instead process them on Christmas Island or Nauru .
De Silva admitted he knew little about the men, but believed they would have fled to India if they had been in fear of their lives in Sri Lanka .
"Why should they come to Australia ? If they were in fear of their lives they should have run to India , which is 15 or 20km from Sri Lanka ," he said.
"How could they finance such a large venture? They have taken a short cut by trying to cheat Australian authorities."
De Silva said the Sri Lankan Government had "never persecuted anybody" and he could guarantee the men's safety if they were returned to Sri Lanka , where government forces are locked in a civil war with secessionist Tamil Tiger rebels.
Meanwhile, a group of 150 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers is awaiting a boat in Indonesia to smuggle them to Australia , according to sources quoted by an Australian media group.
Fairfax newspapers quoted sources in Melbourne's and Sydney's Sri Lankan communities as saying the Sri Lankans are all men under 25, mostly of Tamil descent, and who are claiming they are escaping persecution at home.
Some of the asylum-seekers were under 16 and have been waiting for five months to be taken by smugglers to a third country like Australia , the report said.
The Sri Lankan community figures said the parents of the young men had mortgaged their houses and possessions to send their sons away from their homes in the nation's troubled northern and eastern provinces, fearing they would be killed if they stayed.
They were targeted by security forces "because of their age and ethnicity" because of reports Tamil rebel forces forcibly recruit young men to their ranks.
The exodus of young Tamils followed the resumption of hostilities last year between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) separatist group and government forces.
New Delhi, Feb 28, (IRNA) The Sri Lankan government has strongly condemned Tuesday's LTTE artillery attack on seven top diplomats during their visit to Batticaloa.
According to an All India Radio (AIR) report, in a statement issued in Colombo Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohita Bogallagama said that the attempt on the life of the seven ambassadors and high commissioners reiterates the need to eliminate terrorism in all its forms.
The foreign minister urged the international community to put pressure on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to give up terrorism and return to the democratic fold.
Meanwhile, the LTTE has expressed "deep regret" over the artillery attack that caused injury to Italian Ambassador Pio Mariani.
However, the Tamil outfit has blamed the government for "endangering the lives of the diplomats by bringing them to the artillery launchpads inside the military zone," LTTE sources said.
The Tamil Tigers also claimed that the government failed to adhere to the practice of informing the LTTE in advance of the scheduled visit of the foreign diplomats and NGO officials to the war zone.
The artillery was fired at the helicopters of the diplomats as they were disembarking at an air filed in Batticaloa Tuesday morning.
The ambassadors, part of a 34-member team that included Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka's minister for disaster management, was on its way to assess requirements related to the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Batticaloa district.
The reports say US Ambassador Richard Blake also suffered a very minor injury.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Air Force carried out air strikes on an LTTE base at Toppigala in Batticaloa today.
Military sources said that the Tamil Tigers had been using the Toppigala base to launch mortar attacks on the security forces.
Colombo, Feb 28 (DPA) The Sri Lanka Navy destroyed two Tamil rebel boats off the north-eastern coast, killing at least 15 rebels, a military spokesman said Wednesday.
The two boats destroyed were among a flotilla of 14 boats moving off the Pulmoddai area, 360 km north-east of the capital, Tuesday night, military spokesman Major S Rajapakse said.
At least 15 rebels were believed killed in the attack while two sailors were injured, he said.
Also Wednesday morning a ship believed to be carrying military hardware for the rebels was sunk off the southern coast, he said.
The ship, sighted 180 nautical miles off the southern coast of Matara, had been ordered to halt, but instead had started speeding off, prompting the navy to fire at the ship.
"There was also return fire from the ship and they were believed to be carrying weapons for the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)," he said.
He said the ship, sailing without a flag and which did not respond to the warnings of the navy, was on fire.
The attack came a day after the rebels launched a mortar attack at a group of diplomats visiting the eastern part of the country and injured the Italian Ambassador, Pio Mariani, and 11 others.
By Brij Khandelwal,
Agra, Feb 28 (IANS) When astrologers, tarot card readers, palmists and soothsayers from all over the country gathered for an unusual meet in Agra, they were flooded with the most usual of queries - "Will I be rich? Will I be happy?"
The three-day meet of members of the Mumbai-based International Society of Astro Sciences Consciousness, headed by Afaq Ahmed, drew hordes of astrology fans to the Agrasen Bhavan in Kamla Nagar town here.
Among the crowds were those with problems to be resolved, those looking for the perfect matrimonial match, women suspicious of their husbands' affections and students anxious about their career prospects.
Over 25 future tellers, including wommen, were here to dispel myth surrounding the subject, they said. At a separate corner, computers were printing out kundalis (horoscopes) and natal charts on the last day of the starry meet Tuesday.
Organisers said they were overwhelmed by the response of the people and would consider holding similar shows more frequently. In just two days, more than 3,000 people had had their problems sorted out, they claimed.
Ahmed said the main objective of the meet was to guide people away from "spurious and fake astrologers who had no background or knowledge and used the science to fleece people".
"All members of the group are highly educated and professionally qualified, including doctors and chartered accountants," Ahmed told IANS.
The speakers included M.N. Mule, a medical astrology specialist, Kapil Rai Vyas and S.N. Lamba, experts in matching nuptial horoscopes, Vinay Syal and B. Chakrovarty, renowned palmists, and Nitin Parekh, a face reader.
Reiki, a new-age healing method, was represented by Rohit Takkar, Harshad Shukla, Vinayak, Charulata, Sanjay Sondhi, Dilip Desai, Omji Jhavar, Mukesh Shah, Paresh Shah, Pradip Lahoti, Mahadev, Sanjay Pandya, Ulhas Patole and Sapna Rao.
Tarrot card readers Sachin Karakpar and Sanjay Pansari had long queues waiting for consultations.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) A sudden spell of rain early Wednesday caught the capital unawares, with weather officials attributing it to western disturbances and saying it could continue for a day more.
Delhi recorded rainfall of 4 mm, the meteorological department said.
"It's the western disturbances again. The rainy spell should last until Thursday forenoon and the skies will clear by late afternoon. This will be prevalent in the entire northern belt of India," said a met official.
The freaky weather has not only surprised people but also generated a rising amount of concern. "This is so unusual. Rainfall in the morning, bright sunlight in the afternoon ... I am sure these are signs of global warming," said Bhavan Singh, a bank employee.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 16.3 degrees.
The wind speed, as recorded by the met department, is 50-70 kmph under the influence of the cyclonic winds. While one or two spells of rain and thundershowers were expected later in the day, night temperatures were also expected to fall.
New Delhi,Feb 58 (THE HINDU) The Economic Survey has expressed concern over the increasing rate of unemployment, despite the economy expanding rapidly, and asked the Government to tap the manufacturing sector for creating more jobs.
The Survey, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, points out that while rightsizing of the public sector, whose primary objective is to deliver essential services such as education, health, roads and irrigation and not providing direct employment, is a welcome development and should continue, there is an urgent need to step up employment in the organised private sector.
Indicating a reversal of the declining trend in employment growth - from an annual 2.1 per cent in the 10 years ending 1993-94 to 1.6 per cent in the five years ending 1999-2000 to 2.5 per cent in the five years ending 2004-05, it calls this an encouraging development. There is a need for faster employment growth for not only absorbing the addition to the labour force, with the ongoing demographic changes, but also reducing the unemployment rate. It says while employment has grown faster than before, the rate of unemployment also went up marginally from 2.8 per cent to 3.1 per cent during 1999-2000 to 2004-05.
The Survey attributes this to the slowing down of the growth of agriculture. The share of agriculture in total employment has come down from 61.67 per cent in 1993-94 to 54.19 per cent in 2004-05.
With the declining share of agriculture in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the scope for absorbing the additional labour force appears limited. Construction and services, particularly transport, storage and communication, contributed to maintaining employment growth in the economy. In the case of the manufacturing sector it fell short of its potential.
The Survey, however, finds it disturbing that there has been a marginal decline in employment in the organised sector between 1994 and 2004, which has raised some disturbing issues of optimal regulation and incentives.
The annual employment growth in the organised sector decelerated from 1.2 per cent during 1983-94 to - 0.38 per cent per annum during 1994-2004. This happened despite an acceleration in annual employment growth in the private sector from 0.44 per cent to 0.61 per cent during the reference periods as this acceleration was not enough to make up for corresponding decline of employment in the public sector.
Hyderabad, Feb 28 (IANS) A legislator belonging to Andhra Pradesh's main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was Wednesday suspended from the state assembly for unruly behaviour.
N. Janardhan Reddy, a former minister and TDP's deputy leader in the house, was suspended after he entered into a heated argument with speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy.
Reddy, along with other TDP members, was demanding debate on the problems of cotton growers. Ignoring the speaker's repeated appeals, he went on speaking on the issue. The speaker admonished him and remarked: "This is assembly and not a public meeting."
The TDP leader later alleged that the Congress had turned the assembly into 'Gandhi Bhavan' - the headquarters of the ruling party. He accused the speaker of discriminating against opposition members.
The speaker announced the TDP leader's suspension on a motion moved by Minister for Finance and Legislative Affairs K. Rosaiah. Protesting against the speaker's action, all TDP members rushed to the speaker's podium, forcing him to adjourn the house for a second time.
When the house reassembled, the speaker allowed a short discussion on the issue. It was, however, marred by a duel of words between Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The chief minister said Naidu had no moral right to talk about the problems of farmers as his nine-year-long rule (1995-2004) was responsible for the pathetic condition of farmers and the crisis in the agriculture sector.
He took exception to Naidu's body language. "While speaking he gesticulates to threaten and blackmail the speaker. He also instigates his party legislators," the chief minister said.
Utter pandemonium prevailed in the house over the remark. TDP and other opposition parties later staged a walk-out, protesting the government's failure to ensure remunerative prices for farmers' agricultural produce.
Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS) While the much-awaited rendezvous between Sharad Pawar, president, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the World-Cup-bound Team India could not materialise Tuesday, the BCCI handed out a list of 'dos and don'ts' for the players who leave for the West Indies late Wednesday.
Pawar could not keep his date with the "boys" due to a delayed flight. "He was scheduled to take an evening flight from Delhi to Mumbai, which was delayed because of smog in the capital," a BCCI source in Mumbai said Wednesday.
"Though nothing has been finalised yet, Pawar may meet the team before they leave today," said the source while speaking to IANS.
In Pawar's absence, senior BCCI officials held a closed door meeting with Rahul Dravid and Co.
"At the meeting, attended by the entire contingent - including the 15 players, five members of the coaching staff and two managers - they were given a list of dos and don'ts late Tuesday," said BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah.
"The Board has apprised the players of their responsibilities and the dangers of talking to strangers," Shah told IANS, hinting that the players had been asked to avoid a "Nagpur-like" situation, where a West Indies player was allegedly caught chatting with a bookie.
"The players are aware of their responsibilities. No player is allowed to talk to the press without permission."
Meanwhile, the BCCI secretary declined to comment on the proposed announcement of a bonus for good performance in the World Cup.
Sources said the BCCI is believed to be contemplating a bonus of Rs.100 million for the team along with Rs.10 million each for the players in case they bring home the World Cup.
"It is the Board president's prerogative. How can I comment on it," Shah said, neither confirming nor denying the reports.
Bangkok, Feb 28 (NNN-TNA) Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula announced his resignation Wednesday, saying he was upset by the government's earlier invitation of a leading former minister in the previous government to work and an unnamed ministers' apparent favouritism towards certain media.
Pridiyathorn said he had submitted his resignation, effective March 1, to Prime Minister Surayud Chalanont Wednesday morning, and that it was accepted.
The former Bank of Thailand governor said he resigned because the current government had appointed the economic architect of the previous government to clarify the sufficiency economy philosophy.
In Thai fashion he did not name the person but he clearly meant ex-Thaksin Shinawatra deputy prime minister and finance minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who resigned less than one week after having been appointed.
Pridiyathorn said he saw the reason given for the appointment as an excuse and an attempt to cover up a "hidden agenda".
It was earlier reported that Pridiyathorn objected to the decision to have former Thaksin aide Somkid Jatusripitak tasked with explaining the sufficiency economy philosophy abroad.
Dr. Somkid is a key architect of the so-called populist policy adopted by the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra government and a strong supporter of Thaksinomics.
Pridiyathorn added he viewed "a certain minister" of the present government with Thaksin-connections and as working in favour of certain media, which could lead to a violation of the law.
While not naming the minister, it was understood that he meant Prime Minister's Office minister Thirapat Serirangsan who could be viewed as favouring high-profile Thaksin-critic Sondhi Limthongkul and his Manager Media Group, which has recently been given access to state-owned media.
Giving these reasons, Mr. Pridiyathorn said he resigned Wednesday with effect from Thursday.
Pridiyathorn resigned as Bank of Thailand governor to assume the deputy prime minister and finance minister posts on October 8, following the September 19 coup.
He was himself seen as a strong candidate for interim prime minister, but was eventually appointed as deputy premier and finance minister, with strong admiration and support of the general public and business community.
However, his popularity declined rapidly and was sharply criticised for the amendment to the Foreign Business Act, the imposition of a 30 per cent reserve requirement, and amending the Government Lottery Act.
The imposition of capital controls in December aimed to stem the appreciation of the baht, but resulted in the largest one-day loss in the Thai stock market's 31-year history December 19.
In January, the Cabinet approved in principle amendments to the 1999 Foreign Business Act limiting foreign investors to holding no more than 50 per cent of shares or voting rights in Thai companies. The move upset many foreign investors who perceive the post-coup interim government as turning to protectionism.
Mr. Pridiyathorn is the first cabinet member of the military-installed interim government to resign, a move seen as a heavy blow to the government, especially to Gen. Surayud himself.
Filling the high-profile post as head of the government's economic team supervising the national economy is a challenge for a government seen as becalmed in its five-month doldrums.
By Amulya Ganguli
There has been a reversal of the joy and despair that the Congress and the BJP felt, respectively, after the 2004 general elections. Now, after the latest election results in Punjab and Uttarakhand, it is the turn of the BJP to rejoice and for the Congress to mourn.
Even if such changes of fortune are a part of democracy, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pointed out in a philosophical vein, the fact remains that the Congress seems to have gone out of its way to court disaster. As a result, it may have more miseries in store for it in the near future.
Its loss in Punjab is the most damaging if only because of the key nature of the state. But the Congress will be no less worried about its setback in Uttarakhand because it portends a similar fate in the far more crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, which will soon go to the polls.
On its part, the BJP will be delighted because it has shown that the party cannot be written off, as many tended to do after 2004 and in the wake of the (still continuing) rumpus within it after L.K. Advani left the president's post, apparently under pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The Congress now faces the prospect of coping with a rejuvenated BJP in Uttar Pradesh. And the very fact that the saffron outfit is back in the reckoning will make it easier for it to forge an alliance with, say, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in order to wrest Uttar Pradesh from the Samajwadi Party.
For the Congress, the setback in Punjab has come at possibly the worst time for it. Before it could recover from the charge that it was trying to oust the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh by imposing President's rule, the party found itself embroiled in the Ottavio Quattrocchi fiasco involving the controversial Italian businessman with links to the Bofors howitzer scam of the 1980s.
Now, the Punjab setback has shown that the Congress is becoming politically vulnerable in north India. Yet, the party could have foreseen the coming disaster because the difference between it and its main opponent, the Akali Dal, was quite narrow in terms of the percentages of votes.
In the 2002 assembly elections, for instance, although the Congress won 62 seats in the 117-member legislative assembly against the Akali Dal's 41, the Congress's percentage of votes was 35.81 compared to the Akali Dal's 31.08.
If the 5.67 percent secured by the Akali Dal's partner BJP is taken into account, then the total of 36.75 percent goes past what the Congress received. And what is more telling is that the total number of votes secured by the Congress was only 125,000 more than those of the Akali Dal-BJP combine.
Equally worrying for the Congress was the fact that in the 2004 parliamentary poll, the Akali Dal-BJP alliance was ahead in 88 assembly segments against the Congress's 29.
If the Congress nevertheless felt that it could beat a four-decade-old record to win a second consecutive term in Punjab, the reason perhaps was that the contest was one of the few in the state that was normal in the sense that the earlier references to extremism of the Khalistani variety were absent.
Besides, the Congress may have felt that with a Sikh as prime minister and also as the army chief, the largely Sikh electorate may plump for it. But as always, the voters have shown that they go less by emotional factors than by bread-and-butter issues.
And this is where the Congress seems to have faltered both because of the recent spurt in prices and because of the Akali Dal's promise to provide atta (wheat flour) at Rs.4 per kg and dal (lentil) at Rs.20 per kg.
Considering that the DMK won in Tamil Nadu after promising colour television sets, the impact of such pledges cannot be underestimated.
Another factor that may have gone against the Congress is the outgoing Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's rather flamboyant lifestyle. Such conduct may have been in keeping with the fact that he is the former Maharaja of Patiala but it also exposed him to allegations of being inaccessible to ordinary people.
In contrast, the Akali leader Prakash Singh Badal has always had the common touch while his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, the rising star in the party, is gradually becoming an accomplished politician. To him went the credit of controlling the party machine and distributing tickets in a manner intended to dispel the impression of the party being dominated by half-educated peasants and dogmatic jathedars (religious preachers) associated with the village gurdwaras (Sikh shrines).
The BJP, of course, is a secondary player in Punjab, which rides on the Akali Dal's coattails. But this time it has fared better than ever before. In fact, it is the BJP's 19 seats - a big jump from the three it won in 2002 - that enabled the Akali Dal-BJP combine to secure its majority.
There is little doubt that their longstanding alliance has served both fairly well, with the BJP adding sections of the Hindu vote to those of the Sikhs secured by the Akali Dal. The tie-up also gives the BJP a secure foothold in north India, which helps it elsewhere.
The alliance has also been relatively free of factionalism, which cannot be said of the Congress where the tussle between Amarinder Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal lasted throughout the five years the party was in power.
Similarly, the unending squabbles between the outgoing Chief Minister of Uttarakhand N.D. Tiwari and the state Congress chief Harish Rawat are believed to have cost the party dearly.
Hindsight suggests that the choice of the octogenarian Tiwari was a wrong one because a newly formed state required a relatively young person at the helm to give it a clear direction towards development. Not surprisingly, the lack of employment opportunities is now advanced as a major cause for the Congress defeat.
Unlike Punjab, the BJP's success in Uttarakhand is entirely its own, suggesting that it has overcome the demoralization it suffered after the 2004 defeat and is ready to pose a major challenge to the Congress in the other states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The party will now obviously have greater faith in the astrological prediction that from the middle of this year, its stars will be on the ascendant.
The Congress, on the other hand, will be on the defensive. It is likely to become more dependent on the Left, which will now try ever harder to make it abandon its policy of economic reforms and opt for a Left-of-centre stance.
New Delhi,Feb 28 (IBN) Titanic director James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici of Exodus fame have produced a documentary, The Lost Tomb of Christ, which they claim is about to rock the very foundation of Christianity.
Cameron claims the coffins of Jesus Christ and his family have been found at a burial cave in a suburb of Jerusalem, adding that the discovery means Jesus did not rise from the grave - a popular Christian belief, also called the Resurrection.
The two ossuaries said to have been found in a 2,000-year-old tomb in Talpiot Jerusalem in 1980 that may have held the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
The cave in which the coffins were placed was discovered three decades ago by internationally renowned Israeli archaeologist Professor Amos Kloner.
The filmmakers unveiled the artifacts in New York on Monday, to promote a documentary film, which claims scientists, may have found the lost tomb of Jesus Christ and that Jesus and Mary Magdalene may have had a son named Judah.
They claim to have put together DNA and archaeological evidence, as well as evidence found in biblical studies proving the coffins belong to Jesus and his family.
Jammu, Feb 28 (IANS) The Lashker-e-Taiba's top commander Abu Thalla was killed in Jammu and Kashmir early Wednesday, a move that police believe would strike at the core of the militant group's operations in the state.
Thalla, allegedly responsible for the massacres of 35 Hindus in Basantgarh in Udhampur and Kulhand in Doda on April 30-May 1 last year, was shot dead by police personnel in Hiranagar, 60 km from here.
Police said he was killed in Hiranagar's Safai area, where he was trying to set up a network of his group.
Thalla was said to be the topmost Lashker leader in Jammu. He had been orchestrating massacres, IED explosions targeting security forces as well as recruiting men for his group all over the state, particularly in Jammu region, a senior official said.
Twenty-two Hindus were killed in the hilly hamlet of Kulhand on the intervening night of April 30 and May 1, 2006. A few hours before that, 13 Hindu shepherds were killed in Basantgarh, a hilly feature in Udhampur district. The massacres were the worst in the last three years.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The Steve Waugh-led Australia survived elimination by the skin of their teeth to go on to win the 1999 World Cup beating Pakistan in a completely one-sided final in London.
Australia thus became the only country after the West Indies to win the coveted prize twice, the second one coming in a tournament that had a changed format. West Indies had won the titles in 1975 and 1979.
The changed format comprised a confusing Super Six, or second round, the semi-finals and the final.
Australia were lucky to beat South Africa in the semi-finals after the match was tied. Australia were lucky that better net run rate than the Proteas in the Super Six took them to the final.
India barely avoided a first-round exit but failed to progress beyond Super Six.
Pool A: India, England, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Sri Lanka
Pool B: West Indies, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Scotland
1st match: England vs. Sri Lanka (Group A), Lord's, London, May 14
Captains: A. Stewart (Eng), A. Ranatunga (SL)
Umpires: R. Koertzen (SA) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: England.
Sri Lanka: 204 in 48.4 overs (R. Kaluwitharana 57, A. Mullaly 4/37) England: 207/2 in 46.5 overs (A. Stewart 88)
Result: England won by eight wickets
Man of the Match: Alec Stewart (Eng)
2nd match: India vs. South Africa (Group A), New County Ground, Hove, May 15
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), H. Cronje (SA)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: India
India: 253/5 in 50 overs (S. Ganguly 97, R. Dravid 54, L. Klusener 3/66) South Africa: 254/6 in 47.2 overs (J. Kallis 96, J. Srinath 2/69)
Result: South Africa won by four wickets
Man of the Match: Jacques Kallis (SA)
3rd match: Kenya vs. Zimbabwe (Group A), County Ground, Taunton, May 15
Captains: A. Karim (Ken), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: D.B. Cowie (NZ) and J. Akhtar (Pak)
Toss: Zimbabwe
Kenya: 229/7 in 50 overs (A. Vadher 54, R. Shah 37, N. Johnson 4/42) Zimbabwe: 231/5 in 41 overs (N. Johnson 59, A. Flower 34, M. Odumbe 2/39)
Result: Zimbabwe won by five wickets
Man of the Match: Neil Johnson (Zim)
4th match: Australia vs. Scotland (Group B), County Ground, New Road, Worcester, May 16
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), G. Salmond (Sco)
Umpires: S. Dunne (NZ) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: Australia
Scotland: 181/7 in 50 overs (G.M. Hamilton 34, S. Warne 3/39) Australia: 182/4 in 44.5 overs (M. Waugh 67, S. Waugh 49 not out, N.R. Dyer 2/43)
Result: Australia won by six wickets
Man of the Match: Mark Waugh (Aus)
5th match: Pakistan vs. West Indies (Group B), County Ground, Bristol, May 16
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), B. Lara (WI)
Umpires: D. Hair (Aus) and D. Orchard (SA)
Toss: Pakistan
Pakistan: 229/8 in 50 overs (W. Akram 43, A. Mahmood 37, I. Ahmed 36, C. Walsh 3/28, M. Dillon 3/29) West Indies: 202 in 48.5 overs (S. Chanderpaul 77, R. Jacobs 25, A. Razzaq 3/32, A. Mahmood 3/48)
Result: Pakistan won by 27 runs
Man of the Match: Azhar Mahmood (Pak)
6th match: Bangladesh vs. New Zealand (Group B), County Ground, Chelmsford, May 17
Captains: A. Islam (Bang), S. Fleming (NZ)
Umpires: I. Robinson (Zim) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: New Zealand
Bangladesh: 116 in 37.4 overs (E. Hoque 19, C. Cairns 3/19, G. Larsen 3/19) New Zealand: 117/4 in 33 overs (M. Horne 35)
Result: New Zealand won by six wickets
Man of the Match: Gavin Larsen (NZ)
7th match: England vs. Kenya (Group A), St. Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, May 18
Captains: A. Stewart (Eng), A. Karim (Ken)
Umpires: K.T. Francis (SL) and R. Koertzen (SA)
Toss: England
Kenya: 203 in 49.4 overs (S. Tikolo 71, R. Shah 46, D. Gough 4/34) England: 204/1 in 39 overs (N. Hussain 88 not out, G. Hick 61 not out)
Result: England won by nine wickets
Man of the Match: Steve Tikolo (Ken)
8th match: India vs. Zimbabwe (Group A), Grace Road, Leicester, May 19
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: D. Orchard (SA) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: India
Zimbabwe: 252/9 in 50 overs (A. Flower 68 not out, G. Flower 45, J. Srinath 2/35, V. Prasad 2/37) India: 249 in 45 overs (S. Ramesh 55, A. Jadeja 43, H. Olonga 3/22, H. Streak 3/36)
Result: Zimbabwe won by three runs
Man of the Match: Grant Flower (Zim)
9th match: South Africa vs. Sri Lanka (Group A), County Ground, Northampton, May 19
Captains: H. Cronje (SA), A. Ranatunga (SL)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and S. Dunne (NZ)
Toss: Sri Lanka
South Africa: 199/9 in 50 overs (L. Klusener 52 not out, D. Cullinan 49, M. Muralitharan 3/25, C. Vaas 3/46) Sri Lanka: 110 in 35.2 overs (R. Mahanama 36, L. Klusener 3/21, J. Kallis 3/26)
Result: South Africa won by 89 runs
Man of the Match: Lance Klusener (SA)
10th match: Australia vs. New Zealand (Group B), Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, May 20
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), S. Fleming (NZ)
Umpires: J. Akhtar (Pak) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: Australia
Australia: 213/8 in 50 overs (D. Lehmann 76, R. Ponting 47, G. Allot 4/37, C. Harris 2/50) New Zealand: 214/5 in 45.2 overs (R. Twose 80 not out, C. Cairns 60, D. Fleming 2/43)
Result: New Zealand won by five wickets
Man of the Match: Roger Twose (NZ)
11th match: Pakistan vs. Scotland (Group B), Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, May 20
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), G. Salmond (Sco)
Umpires: D.B. Cowie (NZ) and I. Robinson (Zim)
Toss: Scotland
Pakistan: 261/6 in 50 overs (Y. Youhana 81 not out, M. Khan 47, W. Akram 37 not out, G. Hamilton 2/36) Scotland: 167 in 38.5 overs (G. Hamilton 76, S. Akhtar 3/11, W. Akram 3/23)
Result: Pakistan won by 94 runs
Man of the Match: Yousuf Youhana (Pak)
12th match: West Indies vs. Bangladesh (Group B), Castle Avenue, Dublin, May 21
Captains: B. Lara (WI), A. Islam (Bang)
Umpires: K.T. Francis (SL) and Darrell Hair (Aus)
Toss: Bangladesh
Bangladesh: 182 in 49.2 overs (M. Hossain 64, N. Rahman 45, C. Walsh 4/25, R. King 3/30) West Indies: 183/3 in 46.3 overs (J. Adams 53 not out, R. Jacobs 51)
Result: West Indies won by seven wickets
Man of the Match: Courtney Walsh (WI)
13th match: England vs. South Africa (Group A), Kennington Oval, London, May 22
Captains: A. Stewart (Eng), H. Cronje (SA)
Umpires: S. Dunne (NZ) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: England
South Africa: 225/7 in 50 overs (H. Gibbs 60, L. Klusener 48 not out, G. Kirsten 45, A. Mullally 2/28) England: 103 in 41 overs (G. Hick 21, N. Fairbrother 21, A. Donald 4/17)
Result: South Africa won by 122 runs
Man of the Match: Lance Klusener (SA)
14th match: Sri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe (Group A), County Ground, New Road, Worcester May 22
Captains: A. Ranatunga (SL), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe: 197/9 in 50 overs (G. Flower 42, A. Flower 41, P. Wickramasinghe 3/30) Sri Lanka: 198/6 in 46 overs (M. Atapattu 54, G. Whittall 3/35)
Result: Sri Lanka won by four wickets
Man of the Match: Marvan Atapattu (SL)
15th match: India vs. Kenya (Group A), County Ground, Bristol, May 23
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), A. Karim (Ken)
Umpires: D.B. Cowie (NZ) and I. Robinson (Zim)
Toss: Kenya
India: 329/2 in 50 overs (S. Tendulkar 140 not out, R. Dravid 104 not out, S. Ramesh 44) Kenya: 235/7 in 50 overs (S. Tikolo 58, K. Otieno 56, D. Mohanty 4/56)
Result: India won by 94 runs
Man of the Match: S. Tendulkar (Ind)
16th match: Australia vs. Pakistan (Group B), Headingley, Leeds, May 23
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), W. Akram (Pak)
Umpires: R. Koertzen (SA) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: Australia
Pakistan: 275/8 in 50 overs (I. Haq 81, A. Razzaq 60, D. Fleming 2/37) Australia: 265 in 49.5 overs (M. Bevan 61, S. Waugh 49, W. Akram 4/40, S. Mushtaq 3/51)
Result: Pakistan won by 10 runs
Man of the Match: Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)
17th match: Scotland vs. Bangladesh (Group B), Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, May 24
Captains: G. Salmond (Sco), A. Islam (Bang)
Umpires: K.T. Francis (SL) and D. Orchard (SA)
Toss: Scotland
Bangladesh: 185/9 in 50 overs (M. Abedin 68 not out, N. Rehman 36, J. Blain 4/37, A. Butt 2/24) Scotland: 163 in 46.2 overs (G. Hamilton 63, A.G. Davies 32, H. Hussain 2/26)
Result: Bangladesh won by 22 runs
Man of the Match: M. Abedin (Bang)
18th match: New Zealand vs. West Indies (Group B), County Ground, Southampton, May 24
Captains: S. Fleming (NZ), B. Lara (WI)
Umpires: J. Akhtar (Pak) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: West Indies
New Zealand: 156 in 48.1 overs (C. McMillan 32, M. Dillon 4/46) West Indies: 158/3 in 44.2 overs (R. Jacobs 80 not out, B. Lara 36)
Result: West Indies won by seven wickets
Man of the Match: Ridley Jacobs (WI)
19th match: England vs. Zimbabwe (Group A), Trent Bridge, Nottingham, May 25
Captains: A. Stewart (Eng), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Hair (Aus)
Toss: England
Zimbabwe: 167/8 in 50 overs (G. Flower 35, A. Mullally 2/16) England: 168/3 in 38.3 overs (G. Thorpe 62, N. Hussain 57 not out, M. Mbangwa 2/28)
Result: England won by seven wickets
Man of the Match: Alan Mullally (Eng)
20th match: South Africa vs. Kenya (Group A), VRA Ground, Amstelveen, Holland, May 26
Captains: H. Cronje (SA), A. Karim (Ken)
Umpires: D.B. Cowie (NZ) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: South Africa
Kenya: 152 in 44.3 overs (R. Shah 50, L. Klusener 5/21) South Africa: 153/3 in 41 overs (J. Kallis 44 not out, Herschelle Gibbs 38)
Result: South Africa won by seven wickets
Man of the Match: Lance Klusener (SA)
21st match: India vs. Sri Lanka (Group A), County Ground, Taunton, May 26
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), A. Ranatunga (SL)
Umpires: S. Dunne (NZ) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: Sri Lanka
India: 373/6 in 50 overs (S. Ganguly 183, R. Dravid 145, P. Wickramasinghe 3/65) Sri Lanka: 216 in 42.3 overs (A. de Silva 56, A. Ranatunga 42, R. Singh 5/31)
Result: India won by 157 runs
Man of the Match: Saurav Ganguly (Ind)
22nd match: Australia vs. Bangladesh (Group B), Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, May 27
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), A. Islam (Bang)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Orchard (SA)
Toss: Australia
Bangladesh: 178/7 in 50 overs (M. Abedin 53 not out, M. Hussain 42, T. Moody 3/25) Australia: 181/3 in 19.5 overs (A. Gilchrist 63, T. Moody 56 not out, E. Hoque 2/40)
Result: Australia won by seven wickets
Man of the Match: Tom Moody (Aus)
23rd match: West Indies vs. Scotland (Group B), Grace Road, Leicester, May 27
Captains: B. Lara (WI), G. Salmond (Sco)
Umpires: J. Akhtar (Pak) and I. Robinson (Zim)
Toss: Scotland
Scotland: 68 in 31.3 overs (G. Hamilton 24 not out, C. Walsh 3/7, C. Ambrose 2/8, R. King 2/9) West Indies: 70/2 in 10.1 overs (S. Chanderpaul 30 not out, J. Blain 2/36)
Result: West Indies won by eight wickets
Man of the Match: Courtney Walsh (WI)
24th match: New Zealand vs. Pakistan (Group B), County Ground, Derby, May 28
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), S. Fleming (NZ)
Umpires: K.T. Francis (SL) and R. Koertzen (SA)
Toss: New Zealand
Pakistan: 269/9 in 50 overs (I. Haq 73 not out, I. Ahmed 51, G. Allot 4/64) New Zealand: 207/8 in 50 overs (S. Fleming 69, C. Harris 42, A. Mahmood 3/38, S. Akhtar 2/31)
Result: Pakistan won by 62 runs
Man of the Match: Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)
25th match: India vs. England (Group A), Edgbaston, Birmingham, May 29 and 30
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), A. Stewart (Eng)
Umpires: D. Hair (Aus) and J. Akhtar (Pak)
Toss: England
India: 232/8 in 50 overs (R. Dravid 53, S. Ganguly 40, A. Jadeja 39, M. Ealham 2/28) England: 169 in 45.2 overs (G. Thorpe 36, S. Ganguly 3/27, J. Srinath 2/25, A. Kumble 2/30)
Result: India won by 63 runs
Man of the Match: Sourav Ganguly (Ind)
26th match: South Africa vs. Zimbabwe (Group A), County Ground, Chelmsford, May 29
Captains: H. Cronje (SA), Ali. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: D. Shepherd (Eng) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: 233/6 in 50 overs (N. Johnson 76, M. Goodwin 34, A. Donald 3/41) South Africa: 185 in 47.2 overs (S. Pollock 52, L. Klusener 52 not out, N. Johnson 3/27, H. Streak 3/35)
Result: Zimbabwe won by 48 runs
Man of the Match: Neil Johnson (Zim)
27th match: Sri Lanka vs. Kenya (Group A), County Ground, Southmpton, May 30
Captains: A. Ranatunga (SL), A. Karim (Ken)
Umpires: D. Orchard (SA) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: Kenya
Sri Lanka: 275/8 in 50 overs (M. Atapattu 52, A. Ranatunga 50, M. Jayawardene 45, T. Odoyo 3/56) Kenya: 230/6 in 50 overs (M. Odumbe 82, A. Vadher 73 not out, C. Vaas 2/26)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 45 runs
Man of the Match: Maurice Odumbe (Ken)
28th match: Australia vs. West Indies (Group B), Old Trafford, Manchester, May 30
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), B. Lara (WI)
Umpires: S. Dunne (NZ) and K.T. Francis (SL)
Toss: Australia
West Indies: 110 in 46.4 overs (R. Jacobs 49 not out, G. McGrath 5/14, S. Warne 3/11) Australia: 111/4 in 40.4 overs (A. Gilchrist 21, C. Ambrose 3/31)
Result: Australia won by six wickets
Man of the Match: Glenn McGrath (Aus)
29th match: Pakistan vs. Bangladesh (Group B), County Ground, Northampton, May 31
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), A. Islam (Ban)
Umpires: D.B. Cowie (NZ) and D. Hair (Aus)
Toss: Pakistan
Bangladesh: 223/9 in 50 overs (A. Khan 42, S. Hossain 39, S. Mushtaq 5/35, W. Younis 2/36) Pakistan: 161 in 44.3 overs (A. Mahmood 29, W. Akram 29, K. Mahmud 3/31)
Result: Bangladesh won by 62 runs
Man of the Match: Khaled Mahmud (Ban)
30th match: New Zealand vs. Scotland (Group B), Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, May 31
Captains: S. Fleming (NZ), G. Salmond (Sco)
Umpires: R. Koertzen (SA) and I. Robinson (Zim)
Toss: New Zealand
Scotland: 121 in 42.1 overs (I.M. Stanger 27, C. Harris 4/7, G. Allot 3/15) New Zealand: 123/4 in 17.5 overs (R. Twose 54 not out, J. Blain 3/53)
Result: New Zealand won by six wickets
Man of the Match: G. Allot (NZ)
POINTS
Group A
P W L P NRR
South Africa 5 4 1 8 + 0.859
India 5 3 2 6 + 1.285
Zimbabwe 5 3 2 6 + 0.017
England 5 3 2 6 -- 0.331
Sri Lanka 5 2 3 4 -- 0.817
Kenya 5 0 5 0 -- 1.190
(Read as: M=matches, W=won, L=lost, P=points, NRR= net run rate)
Group B
P W L P NRR
Pakistan 5 4 1 8 + 0.528
Australia 5 3 2 6 + 0.731
New Zealand 5 3 2 6 + 0.575
West Indies 5 3 2 6 + 0.497
Bangladesh 5 2 3 4 -- 0.542
Scotland 5 0 5 0 -- 1.929
(Read as: M=matches, W=won, L=lost, P=points, NRR= net run rate)
The top three teams from both advanced to the Super Six. Teams on equal points were separated as per these methods: (a) most wins, (b) results of head-to-head matches, (c) higher net run rate (arrived at by subtracting runs conceded per over from runs scored per over) in completed matches, (d) higher number of wickets taken per balls bowled in completed matches.
Points carried forward to Super Six:
Team Pts Net RR Wins against
Pakistan 4 + 0.720 Australia, New Zealand
Zimbabwe 4 + 0.329 India, South Africa
South Africa 2 - 0.340 India
New Zealand 2 - 0.404 Australia
India 0 +0.031 None
Australia 0 -0.349 None
1st Super Six: India vs. Australia (31st match), Kennington Oval, London, June 4
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), S. Waugh (Aus)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: India
Australia: 282/6 in 50 overs (M. Waugh 83, S. Waugh 36, R. Singh 2/43) India: 205 in 48.2 overs (A. Jadeja 100 not out, R. Singh 75, G. McGrath 3/34)
Result: Australia won by 77 runs
Man of the Match: Glenn McGrath (Aus)
2nd Super Six: Pakistan vs. South Africa (32nd match), Trent Bridge, Nottingham, June 5
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), H. Cronje (SA)
Umpires: D. Hair (Aus) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: Pakistan
Pakistan: 220/7 in 50 overs (Moin Khan 63, A. Razzaq 30, S. Elworthy 2/23) South Africa: 221/7 in 49 overs (J. Kallis 54, L. Klusener 46 not out, A. Mahmood 3/24, S. Akhtar 2/51)
Result: South Africa won by three wickets
Man of the Match: Lance Klusener (SA)
3rd Super Six: New Zealand vs. Zimbabwe (33rd match), Headingley, Leeds, June 6 and 7
Captains: S. Fleming (NZ), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: D. Orchard (SA) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: 175 in 49.3 overs (M. Goodwin 57, A. Campbell 40, G. Allot 3/24, C. Cairns 3/24) New Zealand: 70/3 in 15 overs (M. Horne 35)
Result: No result (one point each)
4th Super Six: India vs. Pakistan (34th match), Old Trafford, Manchester, June 8
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), W. Akram (Pak)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Orchard (SA)
Toss: India
India: 227/6 in 50 overs (R. Dravid 61, M. Azharuddin 59, W. Akram 2/27) Pakistan: 180 in 45.3 overs (I. Haq 41, V. Prasad 5/27)
Result: India won by 47 runs
Man of the Match: Venkatesh Prasad (Ind)
5th Super Six: Australia vs. Zimbabwe (35th match), Lord's, London, June 9
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: D.B. Cowie (NZ) and R. Koertzen (SA)
Toss: Zimbabwe
Australia: 303/4 in 50 overs (M. Waugh 104, S. Waugh 62, N. Johnson 2/43) Zimbabwe: 259/6 in 50 overs (N. Johnson 132 not out, P. Reiffel 3/55)
Result: Australia won by 44 runs
Man of the Match: Neil Johnson (Zim)
6th Super Six: South Africa vs. New Zealand (36th match), Edgbaston, Birmingham, June 10
Captains: H. Cronje (SA), S. Fleming (NZ)
Umpires: I. Robinson (Zim) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: South Africa
South Africa: 287/5 in 50 overs (H. Gibbs 91, G. Kirsten 82) New Zealand: 213/8 in 50 overs (S. Fleming 42, R. Twose 35, J. Kallis 2/15)
Result: South Africa won by 74 runs
Man of the Match: Jacques Kallis (SA)
7th Super Six: Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe (37th match), Kennington Oval, London, June 11
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), A. Campbell (Zim)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Orchard (SA)
Toss: Pakistan
Pakistan: 271/9 in 50 overs (S. Anwar 103, H. Olonga 2/38) Zimbabwe: 123 in 40.3 overs (N. Johnson 54, S. Mushtaq 3/16, A. Razzaq 3/25)
Result: Pakistan won by 148 runs
Man of the Match: Saeed Anwar (Pak)
8th Super Six: India vs. New Zealand (38th match), Trent Bridge, Nottingham, June 12
Captains: M. Azharuddin (Ind), S. Fleming (NZ)
Umpires: D. Hair (Aus) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: India
India: 251/6 in 50 overs (A. Jadeja 76, M. Azharuddin 30, C. Cairns 2/44) New Zealand: 253/5 in 48.2 overs (M. Horne 74, D. Mohanty 2/41)
Result: New Zealand won by five wickets
Man of the Match: Roger Twose (NZ)
9th Super Six: Australia vs. South Africa (39th match), Headingley, Leeds, June 13
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), H. Cronje (SA)
Umpires: S. Venkataraghavan (Ind) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: South Africa
South Africa: 271/7 in 50 overs (H. Gibbs 101, D. Cullinan 50, D. Fleming 3/57) Australia: 272/5 in 49.4 overs (S. Waugh 120 not out, S. Elworthy 2/46)
Result: Australia won by five wickets
Man of the Match: Steve Waugh (Aus)
Final Super Six Standings
Team Played Won Lost NR Pts Net Run Rate
Pakistan 5 3 2 - 6 + 0.654
Australia 5 3 2 - 6 + 0.358
South Africa 5 3 2 - 6 + 0.174
New Zealand 5 2 2 1 5 -- 0.510
Zimbabwe 5 2 2 1 5 -- 0.786
India 5 1 4 - 2 -- 0.153
The top four teams from Super Six qualified for the semi-finals.
1st semi-final: Pakistan vs. New Zealand (40th match), Old Trafford, Manchester, June 16
Captains: W. Akram (Pak), S. Fleming (NZ)
Umpires: D. Hair (Aus) and P. Willey (Eng)
Toss: New Zealand
New Zealand: 241/7 in 50 overs (R. Twose 46, C. Cairns 44 not out, S. Fleming 41, S. Akhtar 3/55, A. Razzaq 2/28) Pakistan: 242/1 in 47.3 overs (S. Anwar 113 not out, W. Wasti 84)
Result: Pakistan won by nine wickets
Man of the Match: Shoaib Akhtar (Pak)
2nd semi-final: Australia vs. South Africa (41st match), Edgbaston, Birmingham, June 17
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), H. Cronje (SA)
Umpires: D. Shepherd (Eng) and S. Venkataraghavan (Ind)
Toss: South Africa
Australia: 213 in 49.2 overs (M. Bevan 65, S. Waugh 56, S. Pollock 5/36, A. Donald 4/32) South Africa: 213 in 49.4 overs (J. Kallis 53, J. Rhodes 43, L. Klusener 31 not out, S. Warne 4/29)
Result: Tied. But Australia progress to the final due to their higher points tally in Super Six.
Man of the Match: Shane Warne (Aus)
Final: Australia vs. Pakistan (42nd match), Lord's, London, June 20
Captains: S. Waugh (Aus), W. Akram (Pak)
Umpires: S. Bucknor (WI) and D. Shepherd (Eng)
Toss: Pakistan
Pakistan: 132 in 39 overs (I. Ahmed 22, S. Warne 4/33, G. McGrath 2/13) Australia: 133/2 in 20.1 overs (A. Gilchrist 54, M. Waugh 37 not out)
Result: Australia won by eight wickets
Man of the Match: Shane Warne (Aus)
Man of the Tournament: Lance Klusener (SA)
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Police have rescued four girls from Andhra Pradesh and two minors from brothels in the capital.
The girls were rescued from the brothels in the city's red light area Monday night after a special Andhra Pradesh police team conducted a raid with the help of the local police of the Kamla Market police station.
"In response to five cases of trafficking registered in Andhra Pradesh, a police team from the state arrived in the city and conducted the raid with our help and rescued the four girls," said Rakesh Giri, Station House Officer of the Kamla Market police station, without disclosing the names of the girls.
While the victims were counselled and interrogated, the Andhra Pradesh police also managed to nab four of the traffickers.
Giri said that apart from rescuing the four girls from the southern state, they also rescued two minor girls from the brothel. "We rescued two minors during the raid as well. They have been sent to Nari Niketan, a government-run counselling home," Giri told IANS.
According to the United Nations (UN), Andhra Pradesh records the highest number of human trafficking cases in India. In an effort to prevent the trade and exploitation of human beings in the country, an Anti-Human Trafficking Unit was established in Andhra Pradesh last month in partnership with the US government and the UN.
The US government provided $2.5 million (Rs.110 million) for this project, the largest single anti-trafficking project ever funded in the world. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime implements the project, and the Indian government chairs the meetings to help guide the planning and implementation.
Apart from Andhra Pradesh, the project also targets four other states -- Bihar, Goa, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The Andhra Pradesh police team that rescued the girls here is a part of the same project.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Trinidad & Tobago's Minister of State for Trade and Industry Diane Seukaran has called upon Indian IT professionals to come and work in her country.
"Trinidad & Tobago is booming because of oil and gas. But we are lagging behind in IT," Seukaran, who is here as part of a parliamentary delegation from that country currently in India on an invitation from Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, said.
"We want to develop the IT sector and for that we want the expertise of Indian IT pros," she said at a reception organised here Tuesday by the Antar Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad (ARPS), an organisation promoting ties with overseas Indians, to honour the visiting delegation.
Though its area is only 5,128 sq km, Trinidad & Tobago has come up as the richest country in the Caribbean based on its oil and natural gas.
"We are the largest suppliers of ammonia and methanol in the world. And almost all major oil companies in the world have invested in our country," the minister said.
According to the minister, managing the economy of Trinidad & Tobago is a tough task as prices of oil and gas are controlled by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
"Because we want to divest our economy, we want investors from other countries including India," Seukaran, who is of Indian origin (PIO), said.
"We have not committed our oil and gas fully to anybody. There is scope for Indian investors."
She, however, expressed concern at Indian merchandise exporters making her country a dumping ground.
"Cloth, jewellery and other merchandisers of India have discovered the Caribbean to be a goldmine."
Unfortunately, she said, this has led to dumping and labelling.
"Standards must be maintained."
Speaking on the occasion, President of Trinidad & Tobago's Senate Linda Baboolal said the perception that Indian origin people were not included in the politics of Trinidad & Tobago was wrong.
There are about 520,000 PIOs, mostly descendants of Indians who had gone to that country in the md-19th and early 20th centuries to work as indentured labour in the sugarcane plantations there, comprising 40 percent of that country's population.
"We have two major political parties in our country and people from all ethnic groups support both the parties," Baboolal, who is also a PIO, said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Barendra Sinanan, who is leading the delegation, while appreciating India's booming economy, said people in his country looked at India as a role model.
"Linda and I rank fifth and fourth in our country's official hierarchy. The very fact that both of us are out of our country at the same time shows the great regard we have for the republic of India," he said.
Others present on the occasion were Trinidad & Tobago's Minister of State for Community Development and Culture Edward Hart and Leader of the Opposition Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
The delegation, which had visited Hyderabad and Chennai, is now scheduled to visit Mumbai and other places in India before leaving for China.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) People in Trinidad & Tobago are looking forward to a great show from India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar in the upcoming ICC World Cup in the West Indies.
"We want Sachin Tendulkar to get on and play well in the World Cup," Trinidad & Tobago's Minister of State for Community Development and Culture told IANS. "He is a great batsman. We all love him."
Hart was in Delhi as part of a parliamentary delegation currently visiting India in response to an invitation from Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
He said Trinidad & Tobago was all geared up to play host to cricket fans in the sport's quadrennial extravaganza.
"We are excited about hosting the World Cup," he said on the sidelines of a reception organised Tuesday by the Antar Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad (ARSP), a social organisation promoting ties with overseas Indians, to honour the visiting delegation.
India, which is placed in Group B in the tournament, will play its preliminary group matches at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Other countries in the group are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda.
There are about 520,000 people of Indian origin, most of whom are descendants of Indians who had gone to that country in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries to work as indentured labour in the sugarcane plantations there, and comprise 40 percent of the country's population.
Hart, a professional games coach himself, said that for a small country Trinidad & Tobago has done quite well in sports over the years.
"In the 1976 Summer Olympics, Hasely Crawford won the gold medal in the men's 100 m," he said.
And most recently in 2006, Trinidad & Tobago became the smallest country ever to play in the FIFA World Cup football finals where it put up a creditable show.
"And, of course, we have Brian Lara," he added.
Baghdad, Feb 28 (DPA) Two brothers of a prominent Sunni Iraqi member of parliament were shot Wednesday, an Iraqi police source said.
Unidentified gunmen shot the two brothers of MP Salim Abdullah, spokesman for the Sunni National Concord Front, in Muqdadiya, 100 km northeast of Baghdad, the source added.
Abdullah is also a member in the Iraqi Islamic party led by the Iraqi Vice President Tarek al-Hashimi.
Hamburg, Feb 28 (DPA) Japanese striker Naohiro Takahara struck two goals in the second half goals Eintracht Frankfurt sailed into the semis of the German DFB Cup with a 3-0 win over Kickers Offenbach.
Frankfurt, four-time cup winners and losing finalists against Bayern Munich last season, were never in trouble against the second division outfit Tuesday whose only major success was winning the DFB Cup in 1970.
Michael Fink gave the visitors an 11th-minute lead when he steered the ball home unmarked from a corner.
Fink then set up the second goal with a cross that Takahara hammered in with a right-foot volley just after the hour. The 27-year-old striker made it three from close range in the 72nd minute after being set up by Alexander Meier.
In the semi-finals, Frankfurt will face Wolfsburg, who defeated Alemannia Aaachen, and Nuremberg, who overcame Hanover in a penalty shoot-put.
Brazilian Marcelinho netted his first goal for Wolfsburg since joining the club in the winter break in a 2-0 defeat of Aachen.
Aachen, who had eliminated holders Bayern Munich in the previous round, were a goal down after Argentinian striker Diego Klimowicz netted in the 12th minute.
Wolfsburg have appeared in the DFB Cup final only once, losing to Borussia Moenchengladbach in 1995, and had reached the semi-finals only three times before now.
Three-time cup winners Nuremberg meanwhile progressed to the semi-finals for the first time since 1982 thanks to a victory on penalties over Hanover after the sides finished goalless following extra-time.
Nuremberg coach Hans Meyer sent substitute goalkeeper Daniel Klewer on for Raphael Schaefer shortly before the end of extra-time especially for the pending shoot-out.
It proved a master stroke, with Klewer saving two of the penalties as the home side won the shoot-out 4-2.
The semi-finals will be played on April 17 and 18, with the final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium May 26.
London, Feb. 28, (IRNA) The British government Wednesday welcomed Iran's participation at next month's regional conference on Iraq.
A Foreign Office spokesman also confirmed that Britain will participate at official level at the meeting to discuss the security crisis in Iraq.
"We very much welcome the meeting. It is very important that neighbouring countries engage positively," the spokesman told IRNA.
The meeting, which also involves the US, has also been welcomed by member of the Iraq Study Group in Washington, which recommended such talks in December.
"Iran and Syria can play a much more positive role in security and rebuilding Iraq," the British Foreign Office spokesman said.
The conference, which will include the five permanent UN Security Council members and the Arab League, is expected to be initially held at non-ministerial level.
Speaking in the British parliament on Tuesday, former International Development Secretary Clare Short criticized commentators on the Middle East for "always trying to highlight Syria and Iran as interfering in Iraq and as a destructive influence."
"My view is that the game of divide and rule, and of blaming Iran and Syria for problems in Iraq, is merely about creating scapegoats," Short told MPs.
During a debate on Syria and Lebanon, she also said that "the vilification of Iran and separating Iran from Syria should not be the objective of our policy."
"Our policy should be to get Iran and Syria to help to stabilize Iraq and to drive on with a settlement in Israel and Palestine and with an agreement to remove all weapons of mass destruction from the region," the former minister said.
She also suggested that Prime Minister Tony Blair's government "will not be able to contribute to the finding of peace in the Middle East if they are not willing to adopt a more independent view" away from the US.
Minsk, Feb 27 (NNN-BELTA) Ukraine is ready to work jointly with Belarus on elaborating common approaches in transit policy, the charge d’affaires of Ukraine to Belarus, Oksana Kitsun, told BelTA.
She said both Belarus and Ukraine are transit countries and their almost total dependence on Russian energy resources made the two countries search for common approaches to ensuring their energy security.
The diplomat stressed, the Ukrainian side is ready to consider promising projects in bilateral and multi-sided format.
Thus, in terms of oil transit the use can be made of trilateral format of co-operation between Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania or Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine.
In terms of transit of electrical power there has been set up a four-sided working group between Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia.
Interaction in the energy sphere is a new promising area of co-operation between Belarus and Ukraine, which would help the two countries step up mutual trade turnover, Kitsun said.
She noted that the two countries intended to boost electric power transmission from Ukraine by employing already operating and constructing new power transmission lines between Belarus and Ukraine in order to promote mutually beneficial sale and transit of electric power to third countries.
The parties plan to construct a line from the Rovno nuclear power plant to Mikashevichi. “We would like to boost sales of electrical power to Belarus and its transit to Baltic states, first of all, to Lithuania, which is going to need it after the closure of the Ignalina nuclear power plant,� she said.
Speaking about oil supplies, Kitsun said that the parties considered an opportunity to use the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline in reverse to pump Caspian oil.
As for gas, Ukraine is ready to lease underground gas repositories to Belarus. The parties were also planning to reconstruct the Ivatsevichi-Dolina gas pipeline.
She also said that energy co-operation between Belarus and Ukraine will allow the boosting of the bilateral trade turnover by three billion USD this year.
Stressing that the prospects of bilateral economic co-operation are great but the real potential is not fully reached, she added: “The energy co-operation will enable us to boost trade turnover.�
According to Kitsun, bilateral trade is balanced and production co-operation is quite high. Joint projects in various spheres are implemented, including military and technical ones.
�In addition, Belarus and Ukraine are neighbours of the European Union and Russia. In this respect they have some common topics for discussion too,� she said.
�There are many issues on bilateral co-operation but the top priority is the economic sphere. Both the countries are governed by pragmatic interests which benefits the two states and peoples,� the diplomat added.
According to the data of the Belarusian foreign ministry, trade between Belarus and Ukraine in 2006 grew by 36.5 per cent to 2.459 billion USD. Belarusian exports soared by 35.9 per cent to 1.234 billion USD, while imports rose by 37 per cent to 1.225 billion USD. Ukraine is ranked third after Russia and the Netherlands among the main trade partners of Belarus.
Guwahati, Feb 28 (IANS) The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Wednesday offered to hold talks with New Delhi if the government gives a written proposal for initiating the peace process in Assam.
"We urge the Indian government to pave the way for direct talks by giving in writing that it would hold talks with us on the issue of restoration of Assam's sovereignty, provide us with information of our comrades who are in the custody of Indian and Bhutanese forces, and releasing our jailed central committee leaders," ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said in a statement.
The rebel leader said this while rebutting a statement Tuesday by union Minister of State for Home, S. Reghupathy, in parliament that the government had not received any formal proposal from ULFA for direct talks.
"In June 2005 we had sent a formal letter addressed to the prime minister expressing our desire for direct talks and even cited three of our preconditions (mentioned above). And in Oct 2006 the People's Consultative Group (PCG) held the first round of talks with the prime minister," Rajkhowa said.
"The minister's statement on the floor of parliament saying there was no formal proposal from the ULFA for talks is nothing but an attempt to conceal the truth and shows the government's insincerity in trying to resolve the issue politically," he added.
The peace process broke down in Sept last year after New Delhi called off a six-week ceasefire and resumed military operations blaming the ULFA for stepping up violence and extortions.
In January this year, the ULFA went on a rampage killing at least 90 people, most of then Hindi-speaking migrant workers, prompting New Delhi to intensify the anti-insurgency operations. The ULFA mellowed down in recent weeks when it called off a boycott of the 33rd National Games in Guwahati.
United Nations, Feb. 28 (NNN-APP) Improved transportation systems, tighter building codes and financing for energy-efficiency investments are among the measures recommended in a new scientific report on coping with climate change.
The UN Foundation and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, presented the U.N.-backed report "Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable" to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has called climate change one of his priority concerns.
The report notes that the technology exists to "seize significant opportunities around the globe" to reduce emissions and provide other economic, environmental and social benefits.
It calls on policy makers to improve efficiency in the area of transportation through measures such as vehicle efficiency standards, fuel taxes, and registration fees or rebates that favour purchase of efficient and alternative fuel vehicles.
They should also improve design and efficiency of commercial and residential buildings through building codes, standards for equipment and appliances, incentives for property developers and landlords to build and manage properties efficiently, and financing for energy-efficiency investments, the report states.
It also recommends expanding the use of biofuels through energy portfolio standards and incentives to growers and consumers.
The report outlines a role for the international community, through the UN and related multilateral institutions, including helping countries in need to finance and deploy energy efficient and new energy technologies while accelerating negotiations to develop a new international framework for addressing climate change and sustainable development.
The report is "an attempt to define the beginnings of a course through the scientific impact, what we know about the impact of climate change and what we will know about possible measures of what we will do," UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth told a press briefing in New York.
He called the report "a very handy basis for how the climate issue is handled."
Prepared as input for the upcoming meeting of the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development, the report warns of “two starkly different futures" facing humanity: one marked by increasingly serious climate-related impacts and the other aiming to "reduce dangerous emissions, create economic opportunity, help to reduce global poverty, reduce degradation and carbon emissions from ecosystems, and contribute to sustainability."
"Humanity must act collectively and urgently to change course through leadership at all levels of society," it warns. "There is no more time for delay."
United Nations, Feb. 28 (NNNAPP) Identifying implementation as "Achilles Heel" of the development agenda, the head of Group of 77 plus China has called for ensuring that the UN reform process enhances the world body's capacity to respond effectively to the interests of the developing countries.
"Securing the effective and full implementation of the agreed goals and commitments must therefore be the highest priority of the Group during 2007," Munir Akram, Pakistan UN ambassador and G-77 chairman at the United Nations, said in Rome on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of a meeting of the Chairmen/Coordinators of the Group of 77 chapters in the Rome-based UN agencies. The annual event is aimed at ensuring better coordination among the developing countries groups in the pursuit of their objectives.
"We will endeavour to maintain unity and safeguard our collective interests in the (UN) reform process including the comprehensive review of governance and oversight; human resources management; the mandate review exercise, as well as the programme-budget for 2008-2009," he said.
Setting out G-77 priorities, Ambassador Akram called for focusing on adequate financing for development, debt cancellation for poorest countries, foreign direct investment and mobilization of additional development finance through innovative measures.
A determined effort was also needed to conclude the Doha Round of trade negotiation as soon as possible, he said.
The huge agricultural subsidies and support resorted to by the rich must be eliminated progressively, similarly restrictions on technology transfer and acquisition need to be reviewed.
Sustainable development should be the central policy for both the advanced as well as the developing countries
The Group-77 and China, he said, would strive to secure an active voice and equitable representation for the developing countries in international economic governance, particularly the decision-making structures of the Bretton Wood Institutions -- World Bank, IMF -- apart from revitalizing the dialogue with G-8 industrialized countries.
The G-77 he said, remained opposed to withholding of assessed contributions to the United Nations as an instrument of influence and subscribed to the principal of capacity-to-pay, to ensure financial stability.
H said the Group of 77 will endeavour to maintain unity and safeguard its interest in the reform process and believes that the reform process should lead to further consolidating the democratic character of the UN.
United Nations, Feb 28 (NNN-APP) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned an attack by separatist rebels in Sri Lanka which injured aid officials, including one from the U.N.
He was reacting to the shelling by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of a helicopter airfield in Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka, where 12 people, including the UN Resident Coordinator and other members of a high-ranking international delegation taking part in a humanitarian assessment mission, were injured.
Urging both sides in the conflict to halt the bloodshed and resume talks, he said:
"The attack was in total disregard for the lives of civilians, humanitarian workers, Government officials, and the international community.�
In a statement released by his spokesperson Michele Montas, he called on the parties to
the conflict and make every effort to return to the peace process as soon as possible.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies have been struggling to assist tens of thousands of civilians who have fled fighting between the Government and the LTTE.
UNHCR estimates that some 70,000 people have been killed and 465,000 displaced by the more than two decade-long conflict, including nearly 205,000 uprooted since fighting erupted anew in April 2006 despite a ceasefire signed in 2002.
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) The agreement to form a new Palestinian Unity Government challenges the international community to "match the courage and compromises" shown by the rival parties with "bold steps of its own," a senior UN official said Tuesday.
"The inter-factional fighting that raged across parts of Gaza posed a genuine threat to the existence of the Palestinian polity," UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner- General Karen Koning Abu Zayd told a meeting of the agency's Advisory Commission in Amman, Jordan.
"Palestinians had to confront the shocking - and embarrassing, I might add - realization that their vulnerability to destruction could come not only from the modern armaments of their old foes across the green line but also from within," she added. Ever since Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel, defeated the long-ruling Fatah in elections early last year and formed a government, Israel stopped handing over tax and customs revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestine Authority and international donors suspended direct aid, calling on Hamas to commit to non-violence, recognize its neighbour and accept previously signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
Earlier this month Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to form a unity government, but the accord only mentions respecting previous agreements. Since then, the diplomatic Quartet, comprising the UN, United States, Russia and European Union (EU), which has been seeking to broker a two-state solution of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, has reiterated support for a Palestinian government "committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations." The Mecca Agreement "represents a courageous step back from that abyss ," Ms Abu Zayd said today. "The Agreement challenges the international community to match the courage and compromises shown by the parties with bold steps of its own, bearing in mind that the choices it makes will have profound consequences on the future of Palestinians and Palestine." She underlined the hardships faced by the Palestinians. "Turning a blind eye to [Israel's] expanding settlements and the extension of the [separation] barrier, to economic blockades, to occupation generally, works against our goals and indeed vitiates our purpose for being here," she declared, referring to UNRWA's humanitarian goals.
"The stark reality is that Palestinian space, both physical and political, is shrinking. This space is the only foundation on which to build the stability and peace so necessary for the well-being of the people we serve." Established in 1949 after the first Israeli-Arab war, UNRWA is the main provider of basic services - education, health, relief and social services - to over 4.3 million registered Palestine refugees throughout the Middle East.
Tehran, Feb 28(IRNA)The agreement to form a new Palestinian Unity Government challenges the international community to "match the courage and compromises" shown by the rival parties with "bold steps of its own," a senior UN official said Tuesday.
"The inter-factional fighting that raged across parts of Gaza posed a genuine threat to the existence of the Palestinian polity," UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner- General Karen Koning Abu Zayd told a meeting of the agency's Advisory Commission in Amman, Jordan.
"Palestinians had to confront the shocking - and embarrassing, I might add - realization that their vulnerability to destruction could come not only from the modern armaments of their old foes across the green line but also from within," she added. Ever since Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel, defeated the long-ruling Fatah in elections early last year and formed a government, Israel stopped handing over tax and customs revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestine Authority and international donors suspended direct aid, calling on Hamas to commit to non-violence, recognize its neighbour and accept previously signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
Earlier this month Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to form a unity government, but the accord only mentions respecting previous agreements. Since then, the diplomatic Quartet, comprising the UN, United States, Russia and European Union (EU), which has been seeking to broker a two-state solution of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, has reiterated support for a Palestinian government "committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations." The Mecca Agreement "represents a courageous step back from that abyss ," Ms Abu Zayd said today. "The Agreement challenges the international community to match the courage and compromises shown by the parties with bold steps of its own, bearing in mind that the choices it makes will have profound consequences on the future of Palestinians and Palestine." She underlined the hardships faced by the Palestinians. "Turning a blind eye to [Israel's] expanding settlements and the extension of the [separation] barrier, to economic blockades, to occupation generally, works against our goals and indeed vitiates our purpose for being here," she declared, referring to UNRWA's humanitarian goals.
"The stark reality is that Palestinian space, both physical and political, is shrinking. This space is the only foundation on which to build the stability and peace so necessary for the well-being of the people we serve." Established in 1949 after the first Israeli-Arab war, UNRWA is the main provider of basic services - education, health, relief and social services - to over 4.3 million registered Palestine refugees throughout the Middle East.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) A distinct lack of enthusiasm prevailed in the Lok Sabha Wednesday as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram read out the union budget with some MPs describing the mega annual exercise as "not so exciting".
The gloominess in the Congress party camp, following its debacle in two state elections, and the overcast sky outside seem to get reflected inside the house too as Chidambaram read out his almost two-hour-long budget speech.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led opposition, which created pandemonium inside the house during the last two days including while the railway budget was being presented on Monday, kept largely quiet, barring some remarks.
Interestingly, the budget did not fetch much applause too.
Before Chidambaram took his seat on the front row to present the budget, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who had bravely held his ground in the face of continuous disruptions from the opposition Monday, assured him with eloquent hand gestures that he would "protect" him from the opposition.
Chidambaram, who sent a glance towards the speaker's gallery where his entire family was seated before starting his budget speech, did not detract from his tradition of quoting Tamil saint Tiruvalluvar in his budget speech.
Quoting him, the minister said: "If ploughmen keep their hands folded, even sages claiming renunciation cannot find salvation", meaning that funds and schemes for agriculture should be utilised properly, referring to the budget proposals for the agriculture sector.
Although the budget was termed as "common man-friendly" by the government, the MPs got irritated when the finance minister announced his "good news" for cat and dog lovers - reduction in duty on pet foods from 30 percent to 20 percent. At this, some opposition MPs were heard saying: "Wah! He is more concerned about pets, not about the starving people."
The finance minister, who took 20 minutes to explain the new proposals in the agriculture and social sector, had water before going to the tax proposals.
The only disturbance during his speech was Shiv Sena MP Anant Geethe's angry utterances that Chidambaram had not said anything for the common man and the distressed farmers. "What are you giving the farmers? They are committing suicide," Geethe shouted.
The MPs, including the communists, thumped the desk when the finance minister announced the expansion of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to 330 districts and grants in the education sector.
Jaipur, Feb 28 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Rajasthan government termed the union budget Wednesday as anti-farmer and one that had ignored the state.
"This budget does not have anything beneficial for the farmers and people living in the rural areas," Bhawani Singh Rajawat, state parliamentary secretary, said.
He said Rajasthan was expecting a lot from the budget. "We were hoping for a special package for the state, but the budget has not provided us anything. It is a bad budget," Rajawat said.
The hoteliers and tourism industry were not very happy. "The finance minister has given certain tax incentives on setting up of hotels and convention centres in the national capital region (NCR). Why can't it be extended to all over the country? Rajasthan is a favourite tourism destination and we would have welcomed tax incentives for hotels in our state too," Sanjay Kaushik, a travel agent said
Sripal Chaudhari, an industrialist and also chairman of Rajasthan state council of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said the strong emphasis on agriculture, education and skills development, as well as the innovative ideas on infrastructure were on the right track for inclusive growth.
Reading, Feb 28 (DPA) Manchester United withstood an extraordinary Reading fight-back to claim their place in the FA Cup quarter-final.
United found themselves three up within six minutes Tuesday. Gabriel Heinze gave them a second-minute lead as his shot squirmed under goalkeeper Adam Federici's body.
Simple long balls then exposed Reading as Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added to United's lead.
Reading, though, battled back, Dave Kitson nodding in after 23 minutes, before Leroy Lita set up the tense closing moments with an 84th-minute header.
Brynjar Gunnarsson hit the bar in injury-time, but the early damage was just too much.
In the next round, United face Middlesbrough, who beat West Brom on penalties in Tuesday's other replay.
Washington, Feb 28 (NNN-PTI) The United States has maintained silence on the nature of the attack on its military base in Afghanistan where Vice President Dick Cheney was staying at the time of the incident.
White House spokesman Tony Snow yesterday refused to get into either the details of the attack or speculate if the incident marked the start of the Spring Offensive of the Taliban.
"I don't know. I'd refer it to DOD. I think, at this point, people are still investigating what happened. So we don't have a firm answer for you," he said.
He did not comment whether publicity about the Vice President's trip and his overnight stay at the Base prompted the attack.
"I don't know. I don't know. The fact is the Vice President was committed to having a visit with President Karzai. And they were delayed due to weather," Snow remarked.
"It is an isolated attack. An individual who wants to commit an act of violence or kill him or herself, it is very difficult to stop," Snow said.
Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack described the attack as an attempt to kill innocent people.
"It was an attack that was clearly generated and designed to take innocent lives. It killed innocent people and the life of some of the multinational forces who were there, including one from South Korea. Our condolences go out to the family and friends who lost their loved ones," he said.
Washington, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) The United States is supporting the Iraqi government in a new diplomatic offensive to build greater support, both within the region and beyond, for peace and prosperity in the war-torn country, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
In excerpts from her prepared statement to be delivered Tuesday before the US Senate Appropriations Committee, Rice said that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki believes, as does President George W. Bush, that "success in Iraq requires the positive support of Iraq's neighbours."
This is also one of the key findings of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel which presented its recommendations on Iraq to the White House in December.
"So I am pleased to inform you that the Iraqis are launching a new diplomatic initiative that we fully support," Rice said.
The government of Iraq is preparing for an expanded neighbours' meeting, first at the sub-ministerial level, that will take place in Baghdad in the first half of March, she said.
"Invitees will include Iraq's immediate neighbours, as well as representatives from other regional states, multilateral organisations and the permanent members of the UN Security Council," Rice said.
"This initial meeting will be followed, perhaps as early as the first half of April, by a ministerial-level meeting with the same invitees, plus the G-8 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States)."
The Iraqi government has invited Syria and Iran to attend both these regional meetings, Rice noted.
"We hope these governments seize this opportunity to improve their relations with Iraq, and to work for peace and stability in the region," she said.
Rice said she was pleased that the government of Iraq is launching this new diplomatic initiative.
"The violence occurring within the country has a decided impact on Iraq's neighbours," she said.
"And Iraq's neighbours, as well as the international community, have a clear role to play in supporting the Iraqi government's efforts to promote peace and national reconciliation within the country."
Washington, Feb 28 (Xinhua) The new US spy chief has provided a bleak analysis of the world terrorism situation, say media reports.
National Intelligence director Michael McConnell told a senate committee Tuesday that he believes Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and his deputy Ayman Al- Zawahri were now in north-western Pakistan, where they were patiently reassembling a badly damaged terrorist organisation, CNN reported.
He said the development is "very worrying" and noted that overall attacks in Afghanistan had doubled last year from 2005.
McConnell also said that while direct evidence was lacking, it was probable that top Iranian officials knew that the country's elite Quds Force was smuggling highly lethal explosives to Iraqi militants, and that Iranians had trained Iraqis on their use on Iranian territory.
McConnell estimated that Iran was likely to build a nuclear weapon and a testable ballistic missile by about 2015.
He also said Iraq was at "a precarious juncture," with security and political trends moving "in a negative direction".
Washington, Feb 28 (DPA) The US will take part in a regional conference hosted by the Iraqi government that could include dialogue with Syria and Iran, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
The Iraqi government announced Tuesday that the conference will take place in March in Baghdad and there are plans to follow that meeting up, perhaps as early as April, at a ministerial level that would include Rice and her counterparts from other countries.
"We hope that all governments will seize this opportunity to improve their relations with Iraq  and to work for peace and stability in the region," Rice said before the Senate budget committee.
US participation in the conference signals a shift for the George Bush administration, which has refused to sit down with Iran and Syria to discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq.
Initiating talks with Iran and Syria was a key recommendation of the Iraq study group, a panel of experts assembled by Congress to assess Iraq that released its report in November. White House spokesman Tony Snow confirmed the US role in the conference.
"We're happy that the government of Iraq is taking this step and engaging its neighbours," Snow said. "And we also hope and expect that Iran and Syria will play constructive roles in those talks."
The Bush administration has accused Iran of supplying weapons to militants responsible for attacks on US soldiers, and blames Syria for allowing militants to cross into Iraq.
"Progress in Iraq requires the positive support of Iraq's neighbours," Rice said.
New York, Feb 28 (IANS) Victoria, wife of football star David Beckham, is in plans to appear on her own reality show.
People.com quoted a source close to the couple as saying: "No decision has been made yet but it will be coming very soon."
The details of the programme have not been finalised. The source adds that rumours of a possible show have been circulating for weeks.
The source added: "It's more about Victoria and her work rather than her children or husband. David is busy with his team in Spain and ongoing work on his soccer academy. It's not going to be like 'The Osbournes'. But everyone will be pretty amazed at the TV show. It will be so different."
By Ranjana Narayan,
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) As thousands of children gear up to take the big step out of school with their Class 12 examinations beginning Thursday, the question troubling most is what line of study they should take and, most importantly, will they get the required marks to get into the college of their choice?
And what if they don't get into the engineering or medical college of their choosing after they take the many equally harrowing joint entrance exams that begin from early April?
However, many schools have held career-counselling sessions to help Class 12 students decide on alternative careers like law, media and architecture. Some are even helping students realise their latent potential in theatre, art or even music, so that they are able to plan a career in what they are happy doing.
"Our school's strategy is to help students build their self-confidence through extra-curricular activities - so they can say 'I am creative'. Each child has different skills and we help identify that skill," says Ruchi Kapoor, counsellor with Sardar Patel Vidyalaya.
"This helps conquer other hassles the child may face in life and also tackle low marks in the boards. We had a child who was excellent in music but fared poorly in the stream she had chosen. We helped her identify her special talent. In case academics doesn't work, then their talent surely will help," Kapoor told IANS.
Siddhartha Thyagarajan, a Class 12 student of St. Columba's School, found the career counselling workshops conducted by his school very useful. A keen debater and quiz expert who has won numerous prizes for his school, Siddhartha has taken science with economics.
Though is not too keen on pursuing engineering, he has nevertheless half-heartedly applied to a few top institutes. He has definitely kept his options open.
"I shall take the entrance exam for Delhi College of Engineering and for BITS Pilani. But with so much of competition and the high marks students are getting, I am not too sure of making it. I am prepared to do B.Tech in one of the lower-ranked engineering colleges, or even compromise on the course of my choice in Delhi University.
"Though I would like to take up economics, if I don't make it to the cut-off mark, I'll go in for something else with a lower cut off," said Siddhartha pragmatically.
His school had invited experts to advise students on which are the best institutes on law, media or art and how to prepare for their entrance exams. "It was very useful, otherwise we would have had to find out on our own on how to go about it," he said.
Unlike Siddhartha, S. Venkatesh, a student of Father Agnels School, solely aims at entering one of the prestigious engineering colleges and is set to answer all the required exams.
"I'm sure I will get admission into a good engineering institute," says a confident Venkatesh, who has no second thoughts. He has not even considered any alternative career choices.
According to Kapoor, despite the workshops they hold with students and parents on career options, there is often a "mismatch" between what the child wants and what the parent is keen on. "It is at such junctures that a counsellor can help.
"We have had career counselling talks throughout the year on design, law, civil aviation - for both students and parents - and invited experts in each field to advise after seeing the child's aptitude and interest," she said.
This year, over 500,000 students across India will appear for the Class 12 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination.
Jyothi Thyagarajan, Siddhartha's mother and a teacher at the British School, is uncertain about what course her son will take.
"My son is not keen on pursuing engineering and he has also realised the unrealistic scores and cut off marks that DU (Delhi University) has. Siddhartha is an all-rounder, but it is tough for even a very good student to get 95 percent (the cut-off last year for economics in DU). Getting such high marks for a child who is talented but not a book-worm, is difficult to achieve," said Jyothi.
"Our marking system does not give any weight to the talents of a child, which is very wrong. Now with the reservation policy (for other backward castes) being implemented, the share of seats in colleges is going to shrink further.
"This skewed admission policy is helping private educational institutions. They are minting money. I am forced to do rounds of colleges like Amity and pay a huge sum for their entrance forms - from between Rs.750-1,500," she said agitatedly.
While she is happy her son has been invited to participate in a People-to-people Future Global Leaders' Summit to be held in New York and Washington in July, Jyothi says, "What is the use of all this in India? It has no bearing. Finally it is the marks that count."
By Alfred de Tavares,
Stockholm, Feb 28 (IANS) A Swedish whistle-blower on corruption says it is highly unlikely that Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi will be extradited to India but feels his alleged involvement with the Bofors payoff scam may impact the "nearly matured" sale of new Bofors howitzers to New Delhi.
"I do not think Quattrocchi will either be extradited to India or that Sweden has any interest in him," Swedish weapons export observer Henrik Westander told IANS. "However, it is very interesting to see what detrimental effect it may have on the ongoing, nearly matured, sale of new Bofors howitzers to India."
Westander is the reputed whistle-blower of the 319 million SEK bribes scandal surrounding the 1987 Bofors AB 155mm howitzer sale to India and author of the awesome book "The Story of Bribes and the Fall of Two Governments".
Quattrocchi, who was said to be the conduit for the Rs.640 million in bribes allegedly paid for securing the order, was arrested in Argentina Feb 6 and is now out on bail but is still in the country. New Delhi says it will seek his extradition from Argentina.
"Bofors is at the most critical stage in their arduous year long campaign to win the Indian mega order for their up-dated 400 SH77BO5 howitzers (worth $1.5 billion-Rs.60 billion). That also translates vitally into 1,000 new Swedish jobs", Westander said.
"This has been the scenario since (their South African competitor) Denel was thrown out of the race, early last year, leaving only the (Israeli) Soltan to challenge Bofors. Now a resurrected Quattrocchi may just rattle the precarious apple cart."
But Christer Heneback, director of information at the BAE Systems Bofors, thought differently.
Heneback told IANS of the Indian Army's trials of the howitzer: "We have fulfilled all the Indian demands to a 100 percent. That is why we are confident of our good chances. We saw how the Israeli pieces foundered during earlier tests.
"We have no reason at all to worry about Quattrocchi or anything connected with the Indo-Bofors AB deal in the past. BAE Systems Bofors is a completely new company with no connection whatsoever with Bofors AB," Heneback maintained.
Said Heneback: "BAE Systems Bofors has submitted offers for 100, 200, 300 and 400 artillery pieces to the Indian defence authorities. However, 400 howitzers is reportedly the current need of the Indian armed forces.
"But in the final run," he explained, "the Indian requirement is far higher. The final stage is estimated at another 1,100 howitzers, which will, most probably, be manufactured, under license in India.
"The final tests, with only Soltan as the other participant, were carried out between Oct 24 and Nov 7, 2006 at a height of over 5,000 metres, in the Kashmir Himalayas," he said. "As far as we have been given to understand, the Indian Army observers considered the performance par excellence and are very keen on the gun.
"Subsequent to these tests," said Heneback, "the (Indian Army) director general of artillery has submitted his appraisal and recommendations to the army chief, who will take the final decision in concert with the defence ministry and the government of India. This procedure is purportedly expected to take around six months and is expected to be transparent.
"We should, hopefully, receive the order by the beginning of the forthcoming spring," Heneback said.
That is if Quattrocchi does not blow those hopes to smithereens.
New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) With a dramatic bounce back after its 2004 shock defeat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already itching for the next battle of parliament due in 2009.
Party leaders say that though they need to win, and convincingly, in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat this year, their long-distance goal is to prepare for the 2009 Lok Sabha electoral contest.
It is going to be a long and tough road but the BJP is confident - thanks to Tuesday's victory in Uttarakhand, where it single handedly ousted the Congress, and in Punjab, where it allied with the Akali Dal to unseat the Congress.
In Uttarakhand, the BJP's performance was not just better than expected but the victory was the first truly morale-boosting win after its shock defeat in the 2004 parliamentary contest and subsequent long phase of demoralization.
The Punjab and Uttarakhand results will help BJP plan for the 2009 general elections, its leaders told IANS.
BJP general secretary Arun Jaitely said: "The Uttar Pradesh elections are the next in line and the BJP is expecting to do even better there."
But notwithstanding that, the party is looking primarily at 2009 or whenever the next general elections are held.
"My own view is that this period has to be used by us for fine-tuning and firming up our alliances," Jaitely said. The BJP knows that it was the Congress decision to sew up alliances that fetched it the unexpected victory in 2004.
With alliances in Punjab, Bihar, Orissa and Maharashtra already in place, the BJP has to worry about other states.
In Haryana, the BJP broke its alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal of Om Prakash Chautala. But said Jaitley: "Whatever the local leadership may say, my view is we cannot ignore Chautala."
He did not elaborate. But another BJP leader mentioned two major states in this context -- Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Both states heavily voted for the Congress and its allies in 2004.
The BJP went to the 2004 elections as an ally of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh and all alone in Tamil Nadu. It was virtually wiped out in both states. BJP leaders blamed anti-incumbency against TDP leader N. Chandrababu Naidu for their bad show in Andhra Pradesh.
Five years later there is rethinking on the whole issue.
Chandrababu Naidu on his part is busy wooing the Left. But BJP leaders recall that in 1998 he ditched everyone and was the first to jump on the BJP bandwagon. Therefore they are not unduly worried about TDP.
Party sources say some BJP leaders like Vijay Kumar Malhotra have also been in constant touch with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which has snapped its links with the Congress, through its leader A. Narendra.
Tamil Nadu swings alternately between the DMK and AIADMK. So the BJP may start shaking hands again with AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha, hoping the DMK will be the loser in the next Lok Sabha polls, hinted a senior BJP leader.
Tehran, Feb 28, (IRNA) Visiting Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan said here Tuesday evening that Yerevan attaches great importance to its ties with Tehran.
During a meeting with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, he underscored the need for further expansion of the wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries.
Voicing his country's readiness to boost bilateral ties in the industrial and agricultural fields and in trade, he urged upgrading of the current level of Iran-Armenia economic exchanges.
Mottaki, for his part, urged strengthening of the amicable and historical ties between the two countries.
He further called for expansion of bilateral relations in the fields of energy, gas and electrical power.
Mumbai,Feb 28 (PTI) He is India's pace spearhead but Zaheer Khan wants to use the slower ball as a weapon during next month's World Cup cricket in the West Indies.
Slower ball can be an "invaluable asset" on wickets such as those in the West Indies that are not responsive to fast bowlers, said the left-handed fast medium bowler who has been in excellent form since making a comeback to the team.
Zaheer also underlined the importance of cutting down on extras as vital to Team India's campaign in the World Cup hours before of the team's departure to the West Indies.
"I think it would be absolutely key to team's plan to cut down on extras in the World Cup," Zaheer said.
"When you overstep or bowl wide, you present the opposition with an extra ball and a run which can have a huge influence in the outcome of the game."
Zaheer's recent run is a testimony of how closely he follows the belief he advocates so strongly. The Mumbai paceman has played 10 one-day matches since the tour to South Africa and conceded just nine wides and two no-balls, a shade over an extra a match.
Zaheer has experienced the entire gamut of emotions in his career of seven years during which he made a fairytale debut, rose to be the front rank bowler before injuries and poor form, not to speak of indifference by the team management, appeared to have ground his career to a halt.
He has now reclaimed the position in the side and his insights on the eve of his second representation in World Cups speak about a man in know of his craft.
Minsk, Feb 24 (NNN-BELTA) Belarus has introduced a zero customs duty on some kinds of imported manufacturing equipment in line with the president’s decree No. 71.
BelTA learnt from Sergei Poluden, head of the tariff regulations and customs payments office of the State Customs Committee, the customs rate will be applied for nine months to imported boilers, pumps, fans, dryers, machine tools, sewing machines and some other kinds of equipment.
The source noted, the zero customs duty had been in effect the previous year as well. However, this year’s resolution contains several changes.
In particular, the decree lists cases when the transfer of imported goods does not entail the need to pay the customs duty.
The mechanism is in effect when a bank transfers the goods to another entity in line with a financial lease contract (leasing), when goods are transferred by the importer to another person as part of a contract for work and labour, when goods bought by the government are transferred to an agricultural company, when goods are imported by a national state agency or an other state-run institution and transferred to a subordinate organisation.
Customs duties defined by corresponding laws are in effect when goods are alienated or transferred into ownership and/or use of another entity, added Sergei Poluden.
In line with the document the application of the zero customs duty is limited by the price and manufactured date of the imported equipment.
A contract value of one piece of the equipment is to be at least $20,000. The equipment is to have been made in 2001 and later.
The manufactured date is to be confirmed by the technical documentation. In view of the intention of many companies to be more effective and retool themselves it is necessary to buy quality and modern equipment.
This reason defined the limitations concerning the price and manufactured date, explained the official.