24 June 2006
New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) Delivery of social development projects needs a total overhaul in India and their success hinges on decentralised implementation with centralised monitoring, says a World Bank sponsored book.
"Reinventing Public Service Delivery in India", released Friday, says serious obstacles to the delivery of social projects include overstaffing, weak anti-corruption enforcement and the lack of electoral financing reforms.
The release of the book was followed by a panel discussion attended by, among others, Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh and the book's editor Vikram K. Chand, a specialist on public sector management with the World Bank.
"Decentralisation is the key element for the success of any public delivery system in the world," Ramesh said, echoing the views of the other panellists.
"The report has been given to civil servants in various ministries and we should introduce some element of reforms in the public service system," he added, referring to the findings of the book published by SAGE.
The 404-page book enumerates some detailed case studies in the form of success stories and lists the difficulties faced by civil servants while implementing effective developmental programmes at various socio-economic levels.
According to it, the case studies should serve as an instrument of best practices sharing to make the public delivery system successful in the country.
Some of the case studies relate to the telecom reform done in India in 1980-2004 and the opening up of rural marketing in Madhya Pradesh. These cases showed that pushing reforms needed strong action.
The report examined several cases using e-governance to simplify transaction - like the E-Sewa and Friends, the Bhoomi project in Karnataka, rural card project in Andhra Pradesh and computerising inter-state check-posts in Gujarat.
Implementation of these projects showed that high-level political support and a stable tenure are necessary to achieve administrative success. It also emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in e-governance.
The report also throws light on how popular reforms usually survive political transitions and that bipartisan consensus helps sustainability. Reforms can be sustained if the revenue models are sound enough.
Reforms are often highly context-bound and competition between agencies, cities and states help spread ideas and innovations, the report added.
By Harish. C. Menon,
Pune, June 24 (IANS) Bad road conditions need not be a reason for owners of luxury cars to be discouraged, the DaimlerChrysler India chief observed in reacting to reports of a leading business tycoon's decision not to use his car in the country.
"I do not think it is a put-off for luxury car aspirants," Wilfried Aulbur, chief executive and managing director of DaimlerChrysler India, told IANS.
Last week, Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani was reported to have decided to shift his Rs.56 million ($1.25 million) Maybach-62 to London - from where he had imported it in 2004 after paying a heavy customs duty.
Ambani was reportedly piqued at the condition of the roads in Mumbai, making it inconvenient for him to use his car in the city. Mumbai's Maybach aficionados had observed that Ambani had not used the car since March last year.
Asked if bad roads were a reason why many customers interested in high-end cars decide against buying them, Aulbur disagreed.
"Ambani is not riding his Maybach but he is still riding his (Mercedes) S-Class. So it is fine," he said.
The Mercedes-Benz series is also part of the DaimlerChrysler stable.
"First of all I do no think Ambani has decided to do away with his Maybach. He has only decided to shift it to another country, which is well within his rights," Aulbur noted.
"In terms of infrastructure we all know that India has still a lot more to do. We have made improvements and have indeed done a lot. But we still have a lot of challenges ahead of us."
The company launched its new tipper truck, Actros, in India Friday.
Dhaka, June 24 (IANS) Fifteen members of Bangladesh's small Ahmadiya community ere injured when Islamist militants attacked a mosque near here.
Activists of the Khatme Nabuwat Andolan Bangladesh (KNAB), which wants the government to declare Ahmadiyas non-Muslims, tried to seize the Ahmadiya mosque at Naddapara in Uttara, on the outskirts of the capital.
A skirmish ensued in which some Ahmadiyas were injured. However, the police and Rapid Action Battallion (RAB) intervened.
The KNAB activists later announced a weeklong protests over the weekend.
They threatened to "shut down" the Zia International Airport Thursday and force the government to pass a law declaring Prophet Mohammed as the last prophet.
Noor Hossain Nurani, chief of KNAB, told The Daily Star newspaper: "After the bill is passed, we will ask the high court to scrutinise the religious texts of Qadianis (another name for Ahmadiyas) and declare them non-Muslims. We will mount such pressure that the government will have no other option but to declare the Qadianis non-Muslims."
The movement against Ahmadiyas is aimed to ostracising several prominent people who belong to the sect, which has its headquarters in Qadian, in the Indian Punjab. The followers are therefore also called Qadianis.
Ahmadiyas are considered non-Muslims in Pakistan.
June 24, IRNA, The Swedish journalist killed in Somalia Friday was the 21st news media staffer to die covering news in Somalia since 1993, according to the Brussels-based International News Safety Institute (INSI).
The year 1993 was the bloodiest year for the news media in Somalia with 11 journalists killed -- 1 Frenchman, 2 Kenyan, 1 American, 1 German and 6 Somali.
A total of 54 journalists and support staff have died covering news around the world so far this year.
Last year was the worst year on record with 146 dead.
Kabul, June 24 (DPA) At least 65 radical Islamic militants have been killed in separate clashes with US-led coalition forces in southern Afghanistan, US military officials said Saturday.
Afghan and coalition forces were Friday attacked by more than 40 extremists in the village of Mirabad in Uruzgan province, located over 400 km southwest of Kabul.
After a gun battle lasting more than five hours, the forces killed the militants who were firing from hidden positions in an orchard, ridgeline and a compound, a statement said.
In another battle Friday, coalition forces killed 25 militants in the Zharie district of Kandahar province.
No coalition forces or civilian injuries were reported in the two encounters.
"Afghan and coalition forces will continue to place heavy pressure on Taliban insurgents hiding in southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Mountain Thrust," said Lt Col Paul Fitzpatrick of the Combined Joint Task force-76.
Coalition forces have been conducting operations against Taliban fighters in southern Afghan provinces.
Over 100 suspected Taliban rebels have been killed since the beginning of the operation, regarded as the largest such offensive since the 2001 toppling of the Taliban regime.
Manila, June 24 (DPA) Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law Saturday a bill abolishing the imposition of the death penalty, 12 years after it was re-imposed in the country.
Arroyo signed the law shortly after she was discharged from a hospital in suburban Quezon City where she was confined for two nights due to severe diarrhoea.
The repeal of capital punishment comes a day before Arroyo is to visit the Vatican for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The Catholic Church has strongly lobbied against death penalty.
The 59-year-old president, a devout Catholic, was opposed to the imposition of capital punishment and had granted reprieve to convicts who were scheduled for execution.
No convict has been executed during Arroyo's term even though she lifted a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty in late 2003 following a surge in kidnapping cases.
Under the new law, which abolishes capital punishment, all death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The Congress, which passed the bill earlier in the month, noted that the death penalty is not a strong deterrent against crime.
The death penalty was abolished in the Philippines in 1987 but was re-imposed in 1994. Executions, however, started only in 1999 and since then seven death row convicts have been executed by lethal injection.
Patna, June 24 (IANS) A legislator of Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) forcibly occupied a room in a five star hotel here and threatened to kill staff when they asked him to pay the bill, authorities said Sunday.
Sunil Pandey Saturday told the staff of Maurya Hotel saying he would "turn the hotel into a graveyard" when they asked him to make the payment for his stay the previous night, a hotel employee told reporters.
Pandey is facing dozens of criminal charges against him including those related to murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape.
The employee said Pandey, who was fully drunk, came to the hotel with his wife Geeta and armed guards Friday night and forced the staff to give him a room.
When the MLA was asked to pay, "it was as if Pandey's guards were waiting for his order to open fire on us", he said.
Pandey reportedly abused and threatened reporters as well when they rushed to the hotel to cover the incident.
When reporters asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if he would take action against Pandey, he refused to answer the questions.
Pandey, who represents Piro constituency in Bhajpur district, allegedly has links with Ranvir Sena, a banned private militia of Bhumihars.
Two months ago, Giriraj Singh, a legislator of JD-U's ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had intimidated Patna airport director Atul Dikshit.
Earlier, ruling party MLA Anant Singh threatened a senior government official.
New York, June 24 (IANS) Kola Boof, the former sex slave of Osama bin Laden, is writing for the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives".
The TV network is already trying to distance itself from the new hire, reports pagesix.com. The show's executive producer Stephen Wyman says: "Yes, Kola Boof has had writing assignments from 'Days...' since May. However, she does not hold a staff position with our writing team."
In 2003, Boof had to pull her son out of school after rumours were spreading that bin Laden was his father. Boof claims that she was held prisoner and was forced to have sex with bin Laden in 1996 when she was pursuing an acting career in North Africa. She adds that he raped her and forced her to live with him for four months at a hotel in Morocco.
She escaped to Spain and in 1998 bin Laden threatened to kill her after reading her book of poetry, which was critical of Islam. She has also been marked for death by the Sudanese-based National Islamic Front in response to her writings condemning slavery in Sudan and the ill-treatment of African women.
London, June 24 (IANS) Infants capable of performing complex mouth movements like blowing bubbles and licking their lips are more likely to pick up language quickly, researchers say.
Katie Alcock and fellow researchers at Lancaster University in Britain studied 120 toddlers and carried out a series of tests to identify skills that might predict a child's ability to develop language.
They looked at the infants' ability to perform hand gestures and mouth movements and to carry out tasks involving puzzles and pretend play, reported the online edition of BBC News.
The children's language ability was also assessed through a parental questionnaire, word games with simple images, and monitoring during normal play.
Toddlers go through a period of very rapid language development and those who get the ability to perform complex mouth movements such as blowing bubbles and licking their lips have better language development skills, the researchers say.
The study also found children who were good at "pretending" an object was something else had better language skills.
Apart from oral motor skills (like blowing bubbles), the study found that hand gestures such as waving or making shapes were associated with better language development. However, other movements such as walking and running were not.
Srinagar, June 24 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Saturday filed charges against nine people, including three senior officials, in the sex scandal that has rocked Jammu and Kashmir.
The CBI filed a chargesheet, or challan, against nine in the court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here.
The list includes Sabina, the mastermind who allegedly supplied young women to politicians, bureaucrats, police officers and businessmen.
Mehraj-ud-Din, who reportedly figures in the 10-second sexually explicit MMS clip showing a minor victim Yasmeena, has also been included in the chargesheet.
The other accused are Anil Sethi, former additional advocate general of the state, K.S. Padhi, deputy inspector general of the Border Security Force, Muhammad Ashraf Mir, deputy superintendent of police, Shabir Ahmad Kala, a surrendered militant, his accomplice Shabir Ahmad Langoo and two others, Hamid Bulla and Maqsood Bhat.
The CBI has charged the nine under section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code, seeking punishment for rape and also under PITA (Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act).
All the local lawyers as well as members of the Kashmir Bar Association have announced they will not appear before any court of law on behalf of the accused.
This is the first chargesheet by the CBI in the case. "Others involved in the racket would also be challaned shortly," a source said.
Bangalore, June 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday cautioned India's political class against dividing people on urban and rural development lines, saying there was no contradiction between the two.
"Some try to divide our people by pitting one against another in the development debate. This is wrong. India cannot develop if only a few benefit from that process. We want both our urban and rural areas to develop," Manmohan Singh said after laying the foundation stone for the Bangalore metro rail project here.
"We want to build an India in which scientists and engineers, farmers and workers and artists and entrepreneurs can all find space to express their creativity and enterprise," he said.
In an oblique reference to the anti-urban development and pro-rural or pro-farmer stance of former prime minsiter H.D. Deve Gowda, Manmohan Singh said there was no contradiction in the development of Bangalore on one side and that of Karnataka on the other.
"It is only through such an inclusive growth process that we can build a prosperous, equitable and humane nation. I want Bangalore to retain its global image as a city of enormous creativity and individual enterprise. Bangalore will need to keep reinventing itself for the future if it has to maintain its lead.
"I sincerely hope Bangalore will also continue to flower and bloom as India's garden city, as the pride of all Kannadigas and of all Indians and a wonder for the rest of the world," he said, drawing a thunderous applause from about 3,000 people who gathered to witness the launch of the Rs.64-billion project.
The prime minister lauded the contribution of Bangalore in the country's development.
"Through the hard work of millions of people in this great city and through the visionary entrepreneurship shown by people like N.R. Narayana Murthy (of Infosys), Azim H. Premji (of Wipro) and Nandan Nilekani (Infosys), Bangalore has not only become the IT capital of the country, but also a rival to the Silicon Valley in California," he said.
In this context, the prime minister recalled how the software earnings of Bangalore and other cities actually kept the country's balance of payments in a comfortable zone even at a time when oil imports were rising.
"But the city, whose skills are respected and feared across the world, has suffered from lack of adequate infrastructure. While this has been happening, other cities have been catching up, investing in the future. This needs to be rectified," Manmohan Singh said.
Srinagar, June 24 (IANS) Five people, including two civilians and an army officer, were killed in continuing violence across Jammu and Kashmir Saturday. Eleven people were injured in the incidents.
Captain S.D. Singh of 55 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in a gun battle with separatist guerrillas in Ratnipora village of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Two rebels also died in the fighting.
"The terrorists were hiding in a house when the troops asked them to surrender. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed. We lost Captain Singh," said a spokesman of the Indian Army's 15th Corps.
A member of the security forces was injured in the incident.
The slain guerrillas have been identified as Nisar Ahmad, district commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, and Abrar Ahmad.
In another incident, rebels lobbed a grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) picket in Badshah Chowk area adjacent to Lal Chowk, the city center, killing a civilian and injuring nine people including a CRPF trooper.
The CRPF picket is situated outside the Dashanami Akhara building which houses a Hindu temple. The temple holds a holy mace that is associated with Lord Shiva.
Each year Hindu pilgrims carry the mace to the Amarnath cave for special prayers.
A youth was killed in north Kashmir's Palhalan town in Baramulla district, 35 km from here, when guerrillas fired at the motorcade of a deputy inspector general of CRPF and the officer's guards fired back. A woman sustained injuries in a shootout that erupted.
"The officer's guards returned the fire," said a police officer.
More than 8,000 people took to the streets at the incident site and blocked the highway demanding action against the CRPF personnel responsible for the youth's death.
Cologne, June 24 (DPA) Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry scored each, to secure France's qualification to the last 16 of the World Cup, in a Group G match Friday here, vanquishing Togo 2-0.
--DPA
Erlangen (Germany), June 24 (DPA) To decide whether a goal has been scored or not in razor-thin, split-second cases, a ball with a built-in transmitter could provide the decisive help.
Was it a valid goal or not? Endless controversies such as the one concerning a goal awarded to England during the legendary World Cup final between England and Germany 40 years ago (England won, 3-2), might be a thing of the past if a ball with a built-in miniature transmitter is used.
Such "goal-line technology" is not in use at the ongoing World Cup in Germany. But early March, international football associations gave a green signal for further tests on the ball with inbuilt transmission chip made by the sporting goods company adidas.
Such a ball was first seen in play at the U-17 world championships in Peru in September 2005. It was developed by the Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Integrierte Schaltungen (Institute for Integrated Circuits) in Erlangen and Cairos Technologies in the German town of Karlsbad.
The electronic ball operates on the principle of radio wave location - Radio signals need differing time lengths to reach receivers, depending on how far away the receivers are from the ball.
For this system, up to 10 receivers are installed on the edge of the football pitch. Using glass fibre wires, the signals received from the ball are relayed to a computer, which by analysing the time differences of the signals can constantly calculate the position of the ball - virtually instantaneously and down to the last centimetre.
If the ball crosses the goal line, the referee receives a signal on a receiver, which he wears on his wrist.
The idea was born during a football match of seniors in which Cairos boss Hartmut Braun was playing. For some time now, the company has been supplying the media with sports analysis systems.
"Goals not awarded can often mean the loss of millions of euros or decisively influence the outcome of a world championship," Braun commented while introducing the wireless-tracking technology three years ago in Nuremberg.
He was referring to the legendary "Wembley goal" at the World Cup final between England and Germany back in 1966.
Referees are also positively inclined towards the development. "If the system works, then from our point of view it is to be welcomed," says Volker Roth, the top referee for the German Football Federation (DFB).
"A decision about goal or no-goal often is a question of millimetres. Sometimes your view is so obstructed that it is completely impossible to judge a situation correctly."
By contrast, Roth is against using video film as evidence, as long interruptions can tear a match apart.
"If a goal signal is instantly transmitted to a referee, then we would award the goal." He says it will not endanger the referee's authority.
But the referee rejects the use of such technology in other decisions such as offside. "The game situations then are too complex." As to deciding whether a ball is out of bounds, that is what the linesmen are for.
It is not known when the goal-line technology will be used in official league matches or major tournaments. The world football body FIFA is awaiting the results of further tests.
Such means of assistance should be solely aimed at clearing up the question of whether a goal has been scored or not, said the report of the annual meeting of the FIFA rules review body, the International Football Association Board.
Together with the partners, project head Rene Duenkler of the Institute for Integrated Circuits is now discussing how the tests should be conducted. "Naturally we want to see the system put to use, as soon as possible."
New York, June 24 (IANS) Good sleep habits can help lessen the intensity of migraines, says a study.
Anne Calhoun, associate professor of neurology at the University of North Carolina Medical School, studied over 100 women migraine sufferers and found those who improved their sleep habits had reduced headache frequencies.
Those who improved their act reduced their headache frequency by 29 percent and headache intensity by 40 percent compared with those who didn't change their sleep habits, the online edition of health magazine WebMD reported.
Migraine is a disorder characterised by recurrent moderate to severe headaches that may be accompanied by dizziness, nausea, vomiting or extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
"People with migraine say it affects their sleep," Calhoun says. "But it may be the other way around. They're having chronic migraines because they are not sleeping well."
While headache specialists point to medication overuse as a factor in headaches becoming more chronic, "we feel there may be other important factors involved in the transformation process", says Calhoun. "Sleep problems may be one of these methods by which episodic headaches become chronic."
Kolkata, June 24 (IANS) Ashok Lahiri, chief economic advisor to the Indian government, Saturday said that growth projections for the current fiscal needed no revision as "the situation is not critical yet".
Referring to the rise in interest rates, inflation, high crude price and partial outflow of FII investments owing to weakness in the capital market, Lahiri said growth projections did not require any change "at least for now".
Lahiri said this on the sidelines of an interactive session with members of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI) here.
The Reserve Bank of India had projected a growth between 8 and 8.5 percent for the current fiscal.
"The government is focusing on how to increase the per capita income of the country.
"It was found that if GDP growth rate was 7 percent, it would take close to 10 years for a country to double the per capita income," Lahiri said.
"Huge investments in the infrastructure sector, education and health are required for growth," he added.
Patna, June 24 (IANS) A beggar woman has been elected a village head, or 'mukhiya', defeating powerful candidates in panchayat or local bodies elections in Bihar.
"Haleema Khatoon, who was begging for her survival till a few days ago, is now the mukhiya of Kirora panchayat in Katihar district's Balrampur block," a district official said.
Khatoon defeated Seemiya Devi by two votes. There were 15 women candidates in the fray for mukhiya's office, which was reserved for women candidates.
"Her rivals were backed by their rich husbands having a lot of muscle power, but people chose to vote for Khatoon. This is a perfect example of democracy at the grass-root level and of women empowerment," he said.
For the first time, 50 percent seats in the panchayat elections were reserved for women.
"I was a beggar but some people advised me to contest the elections and I filed my nomination papers. People backed me and I won," a local Hindi daily Saturday quoted Khatoon as saying.
She said she was penniless and went from door to door asking for votes.
She admitted that she was not aware of the government's development schemes. "However, I will form a committee comprising villagers who are aware and can work with honesty and dedication," she said.
Meanwhile, another woman, Shanti Devi, a tea stall vendor, was elected a panchayat committee member in a village in Purnea district.
The 10-phase panchayat elections in Bihar were held in mid-June.
GAZA, June 24 (NNN-Xinhua) -- A spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government said on Saturday that progress had been made in talks over thorny issues in a statehood proposal that implicitly recognizes Israel.
Ghazi Hamad told reporters in Gaza that all the Palestinian factions were well aware that their talks on the proposal must come up with an agreement soon, noting progress regarding sticky issues.
The spokesman said that Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement had reached agreement on most of the details concerning the three key thorny issues including negotiations with Israel, the makeup of a new national unity government and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on land Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war.
"The remaining issues (under negotiations) are not complicated and can be settled on Saturday or Sunday," Hamad added. The proposal, advocating a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, is widely seen as giving implicit recognition to the Jewish state, which Hamas vows to destroy.
Palestinian President Abbas has set July 26 for a referendum on the proposal if the factions fail to achieve consensus.
Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, took hold of the Palestinian government in late March after a sweeping election victory in January.
By T.R. Ramakrishnan,
Basseterre (St. Kitts), June 24 (IANS) India had reason to be pleased with their efforts on another rain-hit day, the second day of the third Test against the West Indies at the Warner Park Stadium here Friday.
It started raining during tea Friday and did not stop for almost an hour. By the time it did, there was so much water in the outfield there was no question of play resuming for the day.
West Indies went in to tea at 420 for 5, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 24 and Marlon Samuels on 8, and that was the day's final score.
India weathered an early morning storm before the deluge at tea. Overnight West Indian batsmen Darren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan both hit centuries, putting on 203 for the second wicket.
Ganga (135, 294 balls, 15 fours) and Sarwan (116, 174 balls, 1 six, 17 fours) batted together for all but 20 minutes of the extended first session of 150 minutes and took the West Indies score to 346.
Play began at 9.30 a.m. local time, instead of 10 a.m., to make up for the lost time due to rain on the first day.
Then, India took four wickets for 60 runs and Munaf Patel, who was wayward and ruthlessly smashed all over the ground in his first two spells, by Sarwan especially, gave India the initial breakthroughs.
In the second over of his second spell with the second new ball, replacing a hard-working Sreesanth at the Lozack Road End, he removed Ganga, who played on to one that bounced a bit.
In his next over, Patel trapped Brian Lara (10, 11 balls, 1 four) leg before, umpire Rudi Koertzen raising his finger slowly to the jubilation of the Indian fielders.
The two wickets, coming in the 20 minutes before lunch, greatly restored a flagging Indian side's morale.
For, in the morning, with the pitch looking more placid than the calm waters of Caribbean Sea - easily visible from the press box - caressing the neighbouring areas of Bird Rock and Frigate Bay, Ganga and Sarwan dominated the bowling completely.
Skipper Rahul Dravid started the day with Patel and Anil Kumble, India's best bowlers on the first day. But neither bowled particularly well and soon the two West Indian batsmen started scoring freely. The first hour saw 54 runs come off 13 overs.
Dravid took the new ball as soon as it was available, after 80 overs, with Ganga, 64 overnight, having gone on to 99. Sreesanth bowled him a maiden but Ganga, got to his third Test century, first against India, with a flashing square off Patel in the next.
Patel's next over was the morning's most entertaining, if you were West Indian. Sarwan plundered him for 24, moving from 75 to 99 in six balls. It did not take him much longer to get his ninth Test hundred, also his first against India.
But the dismissals of Ganga and Lara, and the arrival of Shivnarine Chanderpaul slowed the West Indian progress.
India continued to gain ground after lunch also and the West Indies were restricted to just 58 runs in the second session.
Sreesanth got rid of Sarwan in the fourth over after the break. He trapped him leg before, catching him in front as he tried to play across to the leg side. It was a well-deserved wicket for Sreesanth as he bowled energetically all day.
It was also a vital wicket.
The momentum, which had been with the West Indies all along, was checked. Their rate of scoring dropped as Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo tried to dig themselves in.
But after about an hour Harbhajan, bowling with more confidence than on the first day, removed Bravo, caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the second attempt.
Dravid and his men can be satisfied with a good day's work. But they still have a lot to do. At 420 for five, the West Indies, obviously, are still in charge.
SCOREBOARD
Day 2, Third Test, West Indies v India, Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre (St. Kitts)
West Indies (1st innings):
Chris Gayle b Patel 83
Darren Ganga b Patel 135
Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw Sreesanth 116
Brian Lara lbw Patel 10
Shivnarine Chanderpaul batting 24
Dwayne Bravo c Dhoni b Harbhajan 21
Marlon Samuels batting 8
Extras (lb 12, nb 11) 23
Total (for 5 wkts in 125 overs) 420
Fall of wickets: 1-143, 2-346, 3-356, 4-371, 5-406
Bowling:
Munaf Patel 27-4-120-3 (8nb)
S. Sreesanth 25-7-67-1 (1nb)
Anil Kumble 37-7-100-0 (2nb)
Harbhajan Singh 29-2-96-1
Virender Sehwag 7-1-25-0
New Delhi, June 24, IRNA, The Indian Planning Commission has said the government should lay emphasis on trans-national gas pipelines to ensure energy security in the long term.
"The scope for trans-national gas pipelines needs to be explored from a long-term perspective," the commission said in its draft paper on a proper approach to the 11th Five-Year Plan, a PTI report said here.
Consumption of petroleum products is likely to rise from 112mt in 2005-06 to about 135mt by 2012, gas from 20mtoe to 55mtoe and LNG imports from five to 20 million tons.
Energy security has dominated India's bilateral dialogues in recent times. Among the options being vigorously pursued is changing the energy mix to reduce reliance on a single source.
Another option is use of natural gas. Incidentally, India does not have an equivalent gas reserve to match its growing need.
The country has been aggressively pursuing the idea of importing gas through three pipelines -- Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI), Turkmenistan -Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Myanmar-Bangladesh-India (MBI) pipelines.
The IPI pipeline has hit a roadblock with no consensus having been reached during the Islamabad trilateral meeting earlier this year on the gas price and project framework.
The 3.5-billion-dollar trans-Afghan pipeline is to supply gas from the Daulatabad fields in southeast Turkmenistan to India via Multan, Pakistan (1,271km), with a 640-km extension to India.
The TAPI pipeline, of which India became a part after the pro-US regime took over in Afghanistan and Indo-Pak relations improved, appears to be the most risky as it involves two volatile transit countries -- Afghanistan and Pakistan.
By Ashok Easwaran,
Chicago, June 24 (IANS) An Indian-American researcher has helped develop a tough new ceramic material that is almost twice as strong as concrete and may be the key to providing high-quality, low-cost housing throughout the developing world.
Arun Wagh spent a decade at the Argonne National Laboratory here working on a ceramic material that offered the toughness of concrete. He finally developed a substance called 'grancrete', which can be used to quickly build houses at minimal expense.
"I was asked to create a material that could safely encase nuclear waste so that the waste did not get into ground water," said Wagh. The substance Wagh developed combined magnesium oxide and potassium phosphate with water and ashes.
The promising new technology may lead to affordable housing for the world's poorest. Houses can be built by spraying grancrete on to a simple frame of Styrofoam and it hardens quickly and will not crack easily.
Experiments have proved that grancrete is stronger than concrete, is fire resistant and can withstand both tropical and sub-freezing temperatures, making it ideal for a broad range of geographic locations. It insulates so well that it keeps dwellings in arid regions cool and those in frigid regions warm.
"Grancrete is 50 percent sand or sandy soil, 25 percent ash and 25 percent binding material," Wagh said.
"Binding material is composed of magnesium oxide and potassium phosphate, the latter of which is a biodegradable element in fertilizer. So even if grancrete were to decompose, it would revitalize the soil," said the scientist.
"For every tonne of conventional concrete, you get a tonne of greenhouse gases. With one tonne of grancrete, you get one-tenth of the greenhouse gases."
According to an estimate by Casa Grande, the company that is collaborating with Argonne in making grancrete, the cost of building a grancrete home is about $6,000.
"Casa Grande made this estimate for building a house in Venezuela. In India, it would be much cheaper," said Wagh, whose goal is to see grancrete used throughout India, and the world, to produce housing for the poor.
In fact, a test house using grancrete is being built in India.
Wagh is familiar with the housing the poor live in. He grew up in a village in Karnataka where, even to this day, the homes have walls and ceilings made from knitted mats of palm leaves and the floors are made up of dried cow dung.
Grancrete is so versatile that Wagh even paints using it. "It becomes like a paste and you can add any colour to it... It is a little more difficult to use than oil paint.
"Every day I come to the office, I get a call from people telling me it can be used for something else. You can do anything with it. The only thing you cannot do is eat it," Wagh said.
Argonne and Casa Grande have extensively field-tested grancrete for structural properties, post application behaviour and production costs. Their next step will be to test it for both earthquake and hurricane resistance, after which they will make the product available worldwide.
According to Jim Paul, president of Casa Grande, workers need only two days of training to learn how to calibrate the machinery.
Casa Grande typically assembles a team of five people who can start in the morning and create a home that residents can move into that evening. Grancrete cures in 15 minutes, while conventional concrete can take hours, or even days, to dry.
Wagh completed his Masters in Mumbai and got a doctorate from the State University in New York. He returned to India, taught in Goa, and then spent 12 years in Jamaica.
In Jamaica, Wagh changed tracks from physics to materials science. Returning to the US, he joined Argonne as a materials scientist.
Isfahan, June 24, IRNA, The second regional meeting of education ministers and experts of Islamic countries opened in Isfahan, Islam's cultural capital for 2006, on Saturday.
Education experts of the eight Islamic nationas of Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Malaysia will begin the first phase of their four-day meeting with a discussion of various educational issues for two days.
Ministers of education of the above-mentioned countries will start the second phase of their meeting on June 26 with a discussion of ways to promote the objectives of UNESCO's `Education For All' program with emphasis on justice.
The meeting has been organized by the UNESCO regional office in Tehran in cooperation with the Iranian Education Ministry and the regional office of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).
The ministers and experts will also discuss health issues and AIDS prevention in schools, qualitative education, teacher training programs and education of Afghan refugees.
The first such meeting was held in Pakistan.
Isfahan, June 24, IRNA, Islamic states still face the problem of illiteracy in social and economic fields, the head of the regional office of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) said here Saturday.
Abbas Sadri made the disclosure while addressing the opening session of the second regional meeting of education ministers and experts of Islamic countries, which opened in Isfahan, Islam's cultural capital for 2006, on Saturday.
"Sustainable development will not be achieved while Islamic states are faced with this problem (illiteracy)," he said.
He added: "ISESCO believes that international circles, governments and non-state organizations are not the only responsible sources of education.
"We should strive to make all institutions of civil society, associations and educational, scientific, cultural, economic and trade centers actively participate in this respect."
Education experts of the eight Islamic nation of Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Malaysia will begin the first phase of their four-day meeting with a discussion of various educational issues for two days.
The four-day meeting is aimed to draw general policies of educational strategies for all while stressing justice in education.
It has been organized by the UNESCO regional office in Tehran in cooperation with the Iranian Education Ministry and the regional office of ISESCO.
The ministers and experts will also discuss health issues and AIDS prevention in schools, qualitative education, teacher training programs and education of Afghan refugees.
Chennai, June 24 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Saturday asked collectors of all coastal districts to submit by July 15 details of tsunami relief work done so far.
In a review meeting with collectors of these districts, the first since he assumed power last month, Karunanidhi asked the officials for a weekly review of work in progress.
On Tamil Nadu's 1,000-km coast,
The December 2004 tsunami killed more than 9,000 people and caused widespread destruction.
The chief minister announced that his government would spend Rs.10 billion in the current financial year for tsunami rehabilitation in 13 affected districts.
"One-and-a-half years after tsunami, the previous government utilised only Rs.826 crore (Rs.8.26 billion) of the total Rs.4,897.07 crore meant for relief and rehabilitation," Karunanidhi told reporters after the meeting.
"Of the Rs.2,347.19 crore allotted by the central government, only Rs.731 crore has been spent by the state," he said.
After the tsunami, the central government had allocated Rs.23 billion to the state under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Scheme.
Karunanidhi directed the collectors to complete construction of permanent houses for the victims by December.
"The government is (considering) an act to acquire land for tsunami shelters," he said.
Ahmedabad, June 24 (IANS) A convict was murdered by a fellow inmate in Gujarat's Sabarmati Central Jail Saturday.
According to the police, Dinesh Naran hit the victim, Arvind Hukamsingh Chauhan (37), on his head with an iron rod. The incident occurred in the weaving section of the jail.
It is the second such murder in the jail in six months. The motive behind the latest murder is yet to be ascertained.
Patna, June 24 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar transferred 28 senior bureaucrats, including 13 district magistrates, in a major midnight administrative reshuffle.
The reshuffle of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers late Friday - on the eve of Nitish Kumar's completion of seven months in office - is seen as the government's move to make visible the much-talked-about "sushashan" (good governance) and speed up development.
Official sources in the personnel department said a few of district magistrates transferred Friday were shifted out due to their poor performance.
The government transferred Vaishali district magistrate Sanjeev Hans, who had received death threats by criminals two days ago. Two attempts had been made on his life in the last four months. Hans has been transferred to Begusarai.
A dozen commissioner rank officials have been transferred to give a fresh opportunity to a few favourite bureaucrats of Nitish Kumar to prove their worth, officials said.
In the last seven months, the Nitish Kumar government has undertaken nearly half a dozen administrative reshuffles, including of police, aimed to put the administration on the right track and improve the poor law and order. However, nothing has changed in the state if the rising crime graph - of murder, kidnapping, extortion and loot - is any indication.
Over a dozen people kidnapped in the last three months remain untraced with police failing to make any breakthrough. Hardly a day passes without local Hindi dailies reporting at least half a dozen killings across the state.
Bangalore, June 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday laid the foundation stone for a 10-km expressway project in this IT capital of India, saying development would not be allowed to lead to a rural-urban divide.
"When we seek the modernization of our economy, when we seek to build an industrialised country, when we seek to create a knowledge economy - all of this must benefit both the town and country, both city and village. And it can," the prime minister contended. "The roads and highways are the means to achieving it."
In a veiled attack on the opponents of development projects, he termed it a "false notion" that such projects would lead to a conflict between cities and villages.
"This is a false notion. No country can develop if its villages do not develop," Manmohan Singh maintained, addressing a gathering of some 5,000 people including Karnataka Governor T.N. Chaturvedi and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
The state government had earlier this week stayed away from the start of the first stretch of the Bangalore-Mysore expressway, purportedly due to a spat with the builder of the country's first public-private initiative in the roads sector. One reason for the row related to land belonging to farmers taken away to build the expressway.
The project the prime minister kicked off Saturday is touted to be the first of its kind. The corridor will have a four-lane elevated highway to ferry thousands to their workplace in Bangalore and a six-lane highway at ground level to link Hosur town to Tamil Nadu.
The Rs.4.5-billion project, executed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Karnataka government, is to be completed in 24 months and is expected to ease traffic snarls on the national highway (NH-7).
Flagging off the project, Manmohan Singh said the state-of-the-art expressway would symbolise what Bangalore has come to represent the world over.
"You are on the highway of rapid progress in our country, while many other regions continue to remain behind, moving slowly. The elevated highway will enable those who function in a fast-moving and rapidly growing economy to keep pace with the competition they face in a globalised world," he said.
In order to ensure that Bangalore maintains its global brand and competitive edge, the prime minister said the central government had taken several initiatives to provide world-class road connectivity around the city.
The ministry of surface transport is involved in making the Bangalore-Nelamangala stretch of NH-4 into a six-lane one, including a four-km elevated corridor. The four-lane Bangalore-Devenahalli section of NH-7, where the international airport is coming up, is being made into six-lane. The Bangalore-Kolar section of NH-4 will have four lanes.
These projects will facilitate travel to and from Bangalore and remove the bottlenecks that have been slowing the increasing vehicular traffic on the national highways in the region.
The prime minister said: "The urban landscape of India is changing rapidly. In the coming years, about 40 percent of our population will be residing in urban areas. These urban areas must be seen as engines of growth, as places where there are economies of scale and scope and hence, as hubs of economic, commercial and social activity.
"As the benefits of urbanisation spread into rural areas and as rural development brings urban facilities to rural areas, the nature of commuting between town and country will change," Manmohan Singh pointed out.
Regretting that the existing road system did not as yet cater to the growing demands of urban and rural areas, Manmohan Singh said the benefits of development had to move beyond the limited confines of cities to the vast hinterlands so that millions could also become partners in progress.
"Today, we see poor people from villages coming into cities for work. Tomorrow, we could see economically better off people living in rural areas commuting to the city for pleasure rather than business. We could see increased demand for better quality public transport between town and country. There will also be greater demand for rapid transport between production centres and markets. We need to strike a balance to ensure uniform growth and all-round development."
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, June 24 (IANS) With the India-US nuclear deal coming up for review by foreign relations panels of both houses of US Congress next week, anti-deal lobbyists have stepped up their campaign saying India should not be made an 'exception' to existing American laws.
One such group delivered tin cans with labels that read "CAN the President's US-India Nuclear Deal" to key members of the House and Senate as part of a national lobbying campaign which includes lobby visits, phone calls and sending of emails and letters to the legislators.
Standing in front of a stack of tin cans before they were delivered to members of Congress Thursday, an official of the group argued that the president's proposed agreement with India would weaken global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.
"The US should support efforts to block the spread of weapons of mass destruction by refusing to reward countries such as India that build nuclear bombs," said Joe Volk, Executive Secretary of The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), a registered religious lobby in Washington.
Instead "the president is asking Congress to write an "India exception" to existing US laws that ban nuclear collaboration with countries that have not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," he said.
Before signing this agreement, the president must persuade Congress to change US laws that ban nuclear collaboration with countries that refuse to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Volk said.
New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) Charges of violating a non-compete pact against Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries levelled by his brother Anil's group is baseless and will be addressed after Tuesday's annual meeting, company sources said.
"Our senior officials are busy with the annual general meeting. A communication on the letter is expected only after Tuesday," an official of the Mukesh Ambani group told IANS.
He was referring to the letter by Gautam Doshi of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group to the board of Reliance Industries charging the company with violation of a non-compete agreement agreed between the two groups in June last year.
The letter said the decision by Reliance Industries to set up a power plant and cargo terminal in the $8.5 billion special economic zone in Haryana goes against the 10-year non-compete agreement ratified by the Bombay High Court.
The agreement, officials of the two sides maintain, prevents Reliance Industries from entering power, finance, airports and telecommunications businesses, while the Anil group cannot enter petroleum and petrochemicals industries.
This agreement was reached as part of the settlement reached on splitting the Reliance group into the two factions after a bitter battle between the Ambani brothers over ownership and control of the empire founded by their father.
The letter - dispatched a day after the pact for the special economic zone was signed June 19 - also says the decision to enter the power business will hurt the interests of the shareholders in Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group firms.
The reference was to the 2,000 megawatt power project that forms a part of the Haryana project - in which the state government is a 10-percent stakeholder through the Haryana State Industrial Development Corp.
But the Mukesh faction maintains they are in the clear since a power plant and an air cargo terminal are incidental to a special economic zone and cannot be taken as an entry into these areas.
"Incidental businesses are allowed in the pact. In fact it is the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group that is violating the de-merger agreement by deciding to enter oil and gas exploration business," said a Reliance Industries official.
"Reliance Industries has always fulfilled all its commitments and obligations. It will follow the same principles in the future as well," the official added.
But countering the charges, an official of Anil's group said their decision to enter oil and gas business was also incidental to the group's energy business since they were to be used for captive consumption.
By Syed Zarir Hussain, Guwahati, June 24 (IANS) India plans to dig the bed of the Brahmaputra, one of Asia's biggest and most turbulent rivers, in Assam to hunt for crude oil reserves.
"A Kazakhstan geophysical firm would begin 2D seismic survey by November this year on the Brahmaputra before we begin exploration work to look for oil," Mulkh Raj Pasrija, chairman-cum-managing director of Oil India Limited (OIL), told IANS Saturday.
OIL, a premier state-owned oil exploration firm, said the survey was likely to cover an area of about 2,000 sq km.
"This is a proven oil rich zone and we are confident of striking crude along the Brahmaputra," Pasrija said.
"We have launched an aggressive attempt to accelerate oil production in the country with a target to enhance our output in Assam by at least one million tonnes by next year," he said. OIL, with its headquarters in Assam, produces about 3.2 million tonnes of crude in the state annually.
The company has hired several foreign firms to revitalise aging oilfields and carry out exploration works in new areas.
"For the first time in Assam we are using some new techniques like horizontal drilling and J-bend methods to augment oil production. These new techniques are expected to yield at least three times more oil than the conventional vertical drilling system," OIL explorations director S.K. Patra said.
The company also plans to increase natural gas production from 5.7 million cubic metres to seven million cubic metres per day by the end of next year.
Assam has over 1.3 billion tonnes of proven crude reserves and 156 billion cubic metres of natural gas reserves of which an estimated 58 percent of the hydrocarbon reserves are yet to be explored.
"Assam accounts for nearly 50 percent of India's on-shore crude production and has the highest success ratio in the world with 70 percent of the exploration sites yielding oil"," said the OIL chairman. Assam is home to the world's oldest operating oil refinery, the Digboi Refinery, established in 1901.
The 2,906-km-long Brahmaputra traverses Tibet, India and Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
India produces about 30 million tonnes of crude annually, with Assam accounting for about five million tonnes of the total.
Islamabad, June 24, IRNA, Pakistan and India have agreed to release all fishermen by the end of June, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said on Saturday.
The spokesperson told a news briefing in Islamabad that there are 30 fishermen in Indian jails but their nationality has not been confirmed as yet while Pakistan would be releasing 32 Indian fishermen it holds.
"If any foreign fisherman deliberately enters Pakistan's territorial water, he would be arrested," the spokesperson said.
Tasnim Aslam said Pakistan and India have also agreed to provide consular access to civilian prisoners by 31st of next month after which the process of their release would begin.
She said the two countries have already exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen on June 15.
She said Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India would meet next month to review the third round of composite dialogue,
To a question, she said Jammu and Kashmir is a recognized dispute and all countries minus India do not accept it as integral part of India.
Replying to another question she said Jammu and Kashmir is on the agenda of the OIC for a long time and there are strong resolutions of the organisation on the issue.
She also pointed out to a recent statement of the OIC Secretary- General expressing regrets over India's refusal to allow fact-finding mission to visit Occupied Kashmir.
Asked to comment on a statement of the Indian army chief about so-called terrorists' infrastructure, the spokesperson said the areas where there have been alleged camps are open to the entire world.
She said in the wake of the devastating earthquake the world media, NGOs and NATO have had full access to each and every corner of the territory and none of them has seen these camps.
To a question whether Pakistan would also raise the issue of nuclear cooperation, she said we have a well-known position and make our point once again.
Replying yet another question she said Pakistan's role in counter-terrorism is well-known and that Pakistan has done more than any other country and we are coordinating our efforts with Afghanistan, the US and the ISAF.
She said during their talks, foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on the need to enhance coordination, information and intelligence sharing.
Islamabad, June 24, IRNA, Pakistan-US Energy Dialogue will take place in Washington DC on June 26, it was officially announced on Saturday.
"The holding of the Energy Dialogue is an important step in carrying forward the process of energy cooperation between the two countries in the context of the broadening and strengthening of the Pakistan-US relationship," a Foreign Office statement said.
An inter-ministerial delegation, led by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Energy, Mukhtar Ahmed, will represent the Pakistan side.
The US side will be led by Karen Harbert, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Energy.
During its stay in the US, the Pakistan delegation will hold discussions with officials at the Department of Energy, visit relevant US laboratories and energy facilities, and meet with representatives of the private sector to discuss ways of promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of energy.
The Pakistan-US Energy Dialogue was announced during President George W. Bush's visit to Islamabad in March 2006.
The Pakistan-US Joint Statement of 4 March 2006 committed the two sides to form an energy working group to explore ways to meet Pakistan's growing energy needs and strengthen its energy security, the statement said.
The two sides also agreed to work together for public and private collaboration on a broad range of energy resources.
On 13 March 2006, US Energy Secretary Sam Bodaman visited Islamabad and met with Foreign Minister Kasuri and senior Government officials.
The two sides discussed key issues relating to the energy sector and next steps, including the establishment of a Joint Working Group to follow-up on the decisions and to work on cooperative ways to meet Pakistan's energy needs.
New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) In a move that could change political equations in Uttar Pradesh, Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan is intensifying efforts to bring the Congress and smaller parties together ahead of next year's state polls.
Paswan, hosting a mega bash here Sunday to mark former prime minister V.P. Singh's 75th birthday, expects the event to serve as a platform for political parties except the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - the leading players in Uttar Pradesh - to come together.
Paswan's aides said both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi would attend Sunday's dinner, to be held at his 12 Janpath official residence.
The steel minister has also invited Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) veteran Jyoti Basu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders.
Although Paswan claimed the dinner was meant to felicitate V.P. Singh, sources close to him say it could act as a catalyst to boost the former prime minister's recently formed Jan Dal.
V.P. Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, had a few weeks ago joined hands with expelled Samajwadi Party leader Raj Babbar's Jan Morcha, which has now been renamed Jan Dal.
Apart from Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Jan Dal has received pledges of support from Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Forward Bloc and some smaller parties and social organisations.
"If we manage to rope in Congress also, it would be major force in Uttar Pradesh," said a close aide of Paswan. "We are also trying to get the CPI-M with us."
The CPI-M's support is crucial as its general secretary Prakash Karat has met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh to explore the possibility of a third force to take on the Congress-led UPA and BJP.
According to the LJP sources, Paswan is heavily banking on V.P. Singh's credibility and the number of organisations that have joined hands with him against Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Political analysts feel that Paswan's new forum would be a major threat to Mulayam Singh Yadav, who faces an acid test when Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls early next year to pick a new assembly.
Beirut, June 24, IRNA, Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Mohammad-Reza Raouf-Sheibani and the first representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, discussed latest developments in the Occupied Territories at a meeting here Friday.
During the meeting, which took place at the Iranian embassy in southern Beirut, the two diplomats talked about major regional developments including the situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Raouf-Sheibani and Zaki stressed the necessity of unceasing support for the Palestinian nation in their struggle to cope with their present difficult situation.
They also stressed on the various Palestinian groups the need to strengthen national unity and close ranks.
Zaki, over the past couple of days, has been holding separate meetings with Arab and foreign diplomats in Beirut, briefing them on the latest developments in Palestinian-populated areas, the Zionist regime's fresh attacks on Palestinian refugees and the situation of these refugees in Lebanon.
Over 45,000 Palestinian refugees are currently sheltered in 12 camps throughout Lebanon.
Bangalore, June 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday laid the foundation stone for a 10 km expressway project here that is expected to provide world class road connectivity to India's IT city.
Touted to be the first of its kind, the corridor will have a four-lane elevated highway to ferry thousands to their workplace in the electronics city and a six-lane highway on the ground to link Hosur across the state border to Tamil Nadu.
The Rs.4.5-billion project, being executed under the public-private partnership by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Karnataka government, is to be completed in 24 months and ease traffic snarls on the national highway (NH-7).
Flagging off the project, Singh said the state-of-the-art expressway would symbolise what Bangalore has come to represent the world over.
"You are on the highway of rapid progress in our country, while many other regions continue to remain behind, moving slowly. The elevated highway will enable those who function in a fast-moving and rapidly growing economy to keep pace with the competition they face in a globalised world," Singh said in his address. About 5,000 people had gathered to witness the event.
In order to ensure that Bangalore maintains its global brand and competitive edge, the prime minister said the central government had taken several initiatives to provide world-class road connectivity around the city.
The ministry of surface transport is involved in making the Bangalore-Nelamangala stretch of NH-4 into a six-lane one, including a four-km elevated corridor. The four-lane Bangalore-Devenahalli section of NH-7, where the international airport is coming up, is being made into six-lane. The Bangalore-Kolar section of NH-4 will have four lanes.
These projects will facilitate travel to and from Bangalore and remove the bottlenecks that have been slowing the increasing vehicular traffic on the national highways in the region.
"The urban landscape of India is changing rapidly. In the coming years, about 40 percent of our population will be residing in urban areas. These urban areas must be seen as engines of growth, as places where there are economies of scale and scope and hence, as hubs of economic, commercial and social activity," the prime minister said.
"As the benefits of urbanisation spread into rural areas and as rural development brings urban facilities to rural areas, the nature of commuting between town and country will change," Manmohan Singh pointed out.
In a veiled attack on the opponents of development projects, the prime minister said some people had wrongly poised the question of development as a conflict between city and village.
"This is a false notion. No country can develop if its villages do not develop. Mahatma Gandhi told us all, very wisely and sagely, that India lives in its villages. So it does today. When we seek the modernization of our economy, when we seek to build an industrialised country, when we seek to create a knowledge economy - all of this must benefit both the town and country, both city and village. And it can. The roads and highways are the means to achieving it."
Regretting that the existing road system did not as yet cater to the growing demands of urban and rural areas, Manmohan Singh said the benefits of development had to move beyond the limited confines of cities to the vast hinterlands so that millions could also become partners in progress.
"Today, we see poor people from villages coming into cities for work. Tomorrow, we could see economically better off people living in rural areas commuting to the city for pleasure rather than business. We could see increased demand for better quality public transport between town and country. There will also be greater demand for rapid transport between production centres and markets. We need to strike a balance to ensure uniform growth and all-round development."
Besides Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Balu, Karnataka Governor T.N. Chaturvedi, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, his deputy B.S. Yediyurappa and former chief minister and opposition leader N. Dharam Singh were present on the occasion.
Bangalore, June 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Rs.64-billion Bangalore metro rail project, hoping it would improve the public transport system in this city of seven million and ease pressure on its traffic-choked roads.
"I hope this project will become a milestone in Bangalore's progress," the prime minister said, addressing a gathering of about 3,000 people that included Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
"The project is a combined effort of the central and state governments. As joint owners, we must ensure it finishes on time in the next three years. In fact, we must start planning for further expansion with an eye on the future needs of this vibrant city," the prime minister added.
Construction work on the 33-km metro will commence in October and is scheduled for completion by 2011. The first phase is expected to open December 2009.
The 18-km east-west and 14.9 km north-south system is projected to carry about 40,000 passengers during peak hours with a train frequency of four minutes. Each train will have three air-conditioned coaches with self-closing doors.
More than six km of the route will be underground, with the rest on ground level elevated tracks standard gauge weaving through commercial and residential areas of this tech city. The system will have 25 elevated and seven ground-level stations.
To be executed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRC), the project will be funded by equity, subordinate debt and long-term soft loan of Rs.16 billion from the Japan Bank of International Corporation (JBIC). The central and state governments will invest about Rs.15 billion each in the project. The remaining Rs.18 billion will be raised from banks and financial institutions.
Declaring that public transport had become a national priority as no one could afford to solely depend on private transport, the prime minister said an efficient and well-functioning public transport system had the advantages of cost, energy conservation and environmental conservation.
"As I have said so often, our cities cannot continue to develop in a haphazard manner. We urgently need new investment in world-class public infrastructure for our cities. We have to improve the quality of living in cities. We have to invest in public transport, in roads with space for bicycles and pedestrians, in sanitation, in public parks, in water bodies, in airports, in railway stations and many other amenities of modern life," Manmohan Singh said.
In this, he seemed to be referring to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to finance development of urban infrastructure and basic services for the urban poor.
With Bangalore and Mysore included in the nationwide mission, Manmohan Singh urged the Karnataka government to prepare futuristic plans and take advantage of the mission to see the quality of life in these two cities improved.
"You need to keep the costs of living, working and doing business in Bangalore low if the city is to continue to remain attractive as an investment destination. Every other city in India has Bangalore in its sights and in the absence of determined, positive steps, there is no guarantee that the future will be a continuation of the past success of this city," Manmohan Singh said.
Former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, who bitterly opposed the project and advocated a monorail system in its place, was conspicuously absent from the function despite being invited as one of the chief guests.
Islamabad, June 24 (Xinhua) Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Saturday said regular contacts between Islamabad and Kabul would help in strengthening the multifaceted relationship between the two countries.
Aziz made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, an official statement said here.
"Pakistan is keen to further enhance cooperation with Afghanistan especially in diplomatic, economic, defence and security fields," Aziz said.
He said Pakistan is totally committed to supporting President Hamid Karzai's government and closely working with it because "a strong, stable and peaceful Afghanistan is as much in our interest as it is to Afghanistan's".
Aziz emphasised the need for systematic and sustained efforts to promote integration between the economies, saying the growing trade between the two countries has already reached the $1.5 billion mark.
Spanta said Afghanistan is equally keen to further improve relations with Pakistan, which he said is the sole purpose of his visit.
He said contacts between leaders of the two countries would help in strengthening relationship and improving understanding.
Accra, June 24 (Xinhua) Prince Al-Waleed Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia has donated $100,000 to Ghana's senior national team, Black Stars, for their spectacular performance in the World Cup match against the US.
The Black Stars won the encounter 2-1 to be placed second in Group E behind Italy and progressed to the last 16 of the quadrennial competition.
The Saudi prince made the presentation during a telephone call to President John Agyekum Kufuor after the match to congratulate him on the Stars' historic victory, said a statement signed by Andrew Awuni, press secretary to the president.
The Saudi prince said he has followed the performance of the Black Stars at the tournament and wished to show his appreciation for the pride they had brought to Ghana and Africa, the statement said.
Prince Al Saud wished the Black Stars well in their next assignment against the Brazilians at the last 16 stage and pledged his support to the team and the entire country.
President Kufuor thanked him for the support and said he was hopeful that the Stars would continue to live up to expectations.
The Black Stars Thursday beat the US 2-1 in their last Group E match at Nuremburg to become the first of the five African countries in the World Cup to move to the second round.
--Xinhua
Thiruvananthapuram, June 24 (IANS) The Indian government was Saturday urged to restore emigration services in Kerala that have come to a virtual standstill after a crackdown on alleged malpractices.
The Overseas Recruitment Travel Agents Association (ORTAS) and the Pravasi Development Society announced they would march to the state assembly Monday to demand that normal operations resume at the Protector of Emigrants Office (POE).
The office used to process some 800 applications every day but this has come down to two dozen after a raid by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) this month and the seizure of incriminating documents pertaining to fraudulent clearances granted by the office at the behest of some travel agents.
Following the raid, the government suspended two emigration officers - Surya Rao and Inder Sain Sharma - for "abusing their official position".
The CBI has also booked Jasu Amirtham, managing partner of Mangalam Travels and Tours, and A.L. Rajeev, proprietor of Alpe International, Thiruvananthapuram, for the same offences.
Emigration clearances are necessary for those who have not passed the Class 12 examination and want to go to the Middle East for employment.
"Normally around 800 clearances are granted every. After the raid, it has come down to around two dozen. Several people who have valid visas to work in Middle East countries are now stranded," ORTAS president A.K. Nazimudeen told reporters.
"We want the government to immediately revert to the emigration rules that were in force till November 2003, giving the recruiting agency full responsibility of issuing necessary documents to those wanting to go abroad," said K. Ravindran, president of the Chamber of Manpower Exports.
Srinagar, June 24 (IANS) More than 5,000 people took out angry protests in Jammu and Kashmir Saturday over the killing of a student, allegedly in a firing by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
A senior police officer said the angry villagers marched to north Kashmir's Pattan town shouting anti-government slogans and later torching the police station as the news of the death of Tariq Ahmad Sofi, a class 12 student, spread in the town.
Tariq, police said, died when guerrillas fired at the motorcade of a deputy inspector general of CRPF and the officer's guards fired back at Palhallan town in Baramulla district, 35 km from here.
The mob blocked traffic on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway as they pelted stones on the police and passing vehicles.
The unruly protesters also and pelted stones on the police station building forcing the police to respond by firing in the air.
The security forces cane-charged and used tear gas to chase away the protestors who later stormed the police station building and set it on fire.
"The situation is tense. More paramilitary and police reinforcements were rushed to the spot to control the scene," said a senior police officer here.
Hanover, June 24 (DPA) Goals by Philippe Senderos and Alexander Frei helped Switzerland overcome South Korea 2-0 in their final Group G clash here Friday to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup as group winners.
--DPA
Ahmedabad, June 24 (IANS) The Gujarat police have made elaborate security arrangements for the annual 129th rath yatra of Lord Jagannath that begins here Tuesday.
More than 8,000 policemen and paramilitary personnel will be deployed under the supervision of 81 senior officials, C.R. Parmar, the additional commissioner of police (Special Branch), told reporters here Sunday.
"We will set up 26 watchtowers and 250 terrace points along the route to keep close vigil. There will also be 55 video recording points," said Parmar.
The 25-km procession in the walled city area will include three chariots, along with 58 trucks, 16 elephants and hundreds of thousands of devotees.
Movements at 23 entry points to the city are being monitored and patrolling and combing operations have been intensified.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is expected to kickstart the yatra from Jagannath Temple.
Ahmedabad was placed under curfew after communal clashes in May.
TIKRIT, Iraq, June 24 (NNN-Xinhua) -- U.S. forces detained a top Sunni Arab cleric in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit early on Saturday, a provincial police source said.
The U.S. troops backed by helicopters stormed the house of top Sunni Mufti Shiekh Jamal Abdul Karim al-Dabbaan and arrested him and two of his sons, the source from the Salahudin province told Xinhua.
Dabbaan's detention led to protests in the predominantly Sunni Arab province, where former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit is located.
"All of the provincial government institutions except services including the medical sector have suspended work to protest the detention of Shiekh Dabbaan," Abdullah Hussein Jbarah, deputy governor of the Salahudin province told Xinhua.
"The provincial council members have also decided to cut ties with the U.S. military authorities in the province until Shiekh Dabbaan is released," he added.
"We have informed the U.S. forces of our decisions and they have to respond immediately because the detention is unjustified," Jbarah added.
The U.S. troops had no immediate comment on the incident. Dabbaan, 63, has moved to Tikrit recently, leaving his residence in Baghdad amid a surge of sectarian tension and reprisal attacks between the Shiites and Sunnis.
WASHINGTON, June 23 (NNN-Xinhua) -- The United States will remove Libya from its list of nations that sponsor terrorism next week, Assistant Secretary of State David Welch said on Friday.
"Libya has put its terrorist past behind it," Welch said at a conference organized by the U.S.-Libya Business Association.
Welch, due to visit Libya next month, said the Bush administration will go ahead with plans to establish normal diplomatic relations with Libya despite pressure to slow the process from families of Americans killed in the Pan Am 103 airliner bombing.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in mid-May that the United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Libya.
Washington has not had formal diplomatic relations with Libya since 1980.
Relations between the U.S. and Libya have improved dramatically since Tripoli agreed in December 2003 to eliminate its chemical and biological weapons, permitting US weapons experts to verify its compliance.
Moreover, Libya has accepted responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people and agreed to pay compensations to the families of the bombing victims.