Centre's advisory to state govts to tackle truckers' strike

NEW DELHI: Fearing a further precipitation of situation due to the ongoing strike by truckers, transport minister T R Baalu on Saturday said his ministry doesn’t want to 'act tough' and suggested an advisory action plan to the state governments to deal with the strikers.

The suggested action plan includes declaring transport services as essential services under the Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) and to use transport vehicles within the state for carrying the essential commodities without permit.

He also suggested that the permits of strikers should be suspended or revoked. The state carriage be allowed permits and contract carriage permit buses including state transport undertaking to carry goods.

He also denied making any recommendation from his ministry to the home ministry to deal with the situation.

The minister's statement comes a day after the Centre had asked states to act firm against the transporters and invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and allow private vehicles without permits to carry essential items, reported PTI.

Considering the intensity of the issue, he asked to police protection in sensitive areas and also called an emergency meeting with all state transport ministers on Saturday to resolve the issue. Balu said, "Government will discuss the matter, but don't want to take tough stands against strikers, who are also our stakeholders. Ice may be broken at any time."

PTI reported, "The striking transporters, under the aegis of the All India Motors Transport Congress (AIMTC), had refused to come for talks asking for the release of their arrested members, including President Charan Singh Lohara and Secretary S Venugopal, besides pressing for their demands. Only a handful of people have been arrested. Other members are there who can come and meet me," Baalu said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Centres_advisory_to_state_govts_on_truckers_strike/articleshow/3960163.cms

India virtually rules out Israel type action against Pak

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday virtually ruled out any Israel type action against Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, saying the situation
is not comparable.

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, maintained that "future course" will decide how India will deal with Pakistan if the latter does not comply with its demands about ending terrorism.

"I do not agree to that. Because this is totally wrong. The situation is not at all comparable," he said when asked whether Israeli type offensive against Hamas in Gaza Strip could be an option for the Government against Pakistan.

"I have not gone and occupied any (of) Pakistan's land which Israel has done (in Palestine). So, how the situation can be comparable," Mukherjee asked during a television interview.

Maintaining that all options are still "open", he said India expects Pakistan to act on the evidence linking elements in the neighbouring country to Mumbai attacks.

"When I say all options are open, all options are open. There is no need of picking up option a, option b, option c, option d. No need of that. I am not responding to that. What I am responding to is options are open," he said.

"We have not reached the end of the road. Pakistan, what they have asked for, we have given them. We expect them to act on it," Mukherjee said.

"If they do not act on it, then what follow up steps we will take and in what space of time it will take place, future course will decide," he said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/No_Israel-type_action_against_Pakistan_India/articleshow/3960158.cms

Banks submit details of Satyam exposure to RBI

MUMBAI: As part of its probe on scam-tainted Satyam, RBI on Saturday collected particulars of transactions that various banks including SBI and ICICI Bank had with the IT company.

"We have submitted the details of our business deals with Satyam to RBI. In the wake of these developments (in Satyam), banks are bound to be extra cautious while lending to such corporates," SBI's chief financial officer Ashok Mukand told in Mumbai.

When asked, Citibank declined to comment if the company was its client and whether the bank had given details to RBI.

"We are unable to comment due to client confidentiality," a spokesperson of the bank said.

SBI is understood to have extended loans to the Hyderabad-based company, but the officials declined to divulge the details of its exposure to Satyam.

Leading public-sector lender, Bank of Baroda, has also submitted the details of its "insignificant" exposure to Satyam to the apex bank, its CMD, M D Mallya said.

"We do not have any fund-based exposure to this company (Satyam)," Mallya said. However, the lender has some current account deposits of Satyam.

Leading private-sector lender, ICICI Bank, is also believed to have provided the details to the RBI about its dealings with Satyam.

The bank, in a statement, had said that it did not have any fund-based exposure to Satyam Computer Services other than a marginal exposure of about Rs 3-crore on account of a forward contract.

Satyam is also maintaining a deposit with ICICI Bank in a current account. The balance in this account is not material, ICICI bank said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India_Business/Banks_submit_details_of_Satyam_exposure_to_RBI/articleshow/3960051.cms

Govt orders inspection of 8 Satyam firms

NEW DELHI: Taking a tough stand on Satyam financial fiasco, corporate affairs minister Prem Chand Gupta said that there would not be laxity against the guilty.

The government has ordered inspection of eight Satyam companies under Companies Act.

"We are very clear and a co-ordinated action would be taken," he told reporters when asked what action would be taken against Raju and auditors.

On the delay by the Andhra Pradesh government, Gupta said "there was no delay...with this kind of action, what has been done so far in the last three days, I think this does not happen anywhere in the world."

“Bank statements of the company are still missing and we will get them as part of the probe,” Gupta said.

“The new board of directors will meet within 7 days,” added the minister.

PTI quoted P C Gupta as saying that the apex body of accounting firms ICAI has sought some information from the auditors of the company and Financial Reporting Review Board, adding that they can ask for working papers of the audit and that has already happened.

"Once that (the papers) is received, ICAI will take its view," Gupta told the agency.

Asked whether he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to brief him the developments, Gupta said "well, let’s hope so."

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govt_orders_inspection_of_8_Satyam_firms/articleshow/3959749.cms

DDA flat allottee found dead in Rajasthan

NEW DELHI: The alleged bungling in the DDA scheme slipped further into trouble when an allottee of a flat was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Rajasthan on Friday evening, according to reports.

The deceased, Hari Singh Koli, a tailor by profession, was one of the three successful allottees from Bayana.

Hari was reportedly allotted a flat under ST quota in the controversial DDA housing scheme without even applying for it.

"He had gone for a drink at a vacant house near his residence around 6 pm on Friday and his wife found him unconscious about an hour-and-a-half later," a Bayana police official said.

"He was declared dead on arrival at the local hospital."

The autopsy would be conducted on Saturday.

A police official said, "We are investigating the case but prima facie it appears an accidental death due to heavy drinking, he probably fell down the stairs."

The economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police on Friday arrested a man from Jhunjhunu, who is believed to have filled more than 300 application forms in the names of locals after obtaining their documents.

A case has been registered under various sections of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and common intention.

The accused, identified as Laxmi Narayan Meena (54), was arrested from Jhunjhunu and brought to Delhi after the EOW probe showed that he allegedly facilitated filling of application forms in connivance with others. “Laxmi had approached several persons of ST category in remote areas of Jhunjhunu and collected their details for applying in the DDA housing scheme. He also took their PAN cards, caste certificates and other documents although he did not ask them for money,’’ said a senior police officer.

Investigators believe Laxmi Narayan was contacted by those involved in the fraud in Delhi to act as a pointperson in Jhunjhunu to lure fake applicants from among STs. ACP (EOW) SBK Singh confirmed the first arrest in the case.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/DDA_flat_allottee_found_dead_in_Rajasthan/articleshow/3959884.cms

DDA flat allottee found dead in Rajasthan

NEW DELHI: The alleged bungling in the DDA scheme slipped further into trouble when an allottee of a flat was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Rajasthan on Friday evening, according to reports.

The deceased, Hari Singh Koli, a tailor by profession, was one of the three successful allottees from Bayana.

Hari was reportedly allotted a flat under ST quota in the controversial DDA housing scheme without even applying for it.

"He had gone for a drink at a vacant house near his residence around 6 pm on Friday and his wife found him unconscious about an hour-and-a-half later," a Bayana police official said.

"He was declared dead on arrival at the local hospital."

The autopsy would be conducted on Saturday.

A police official said, "We are investigating the case but prima facie it appears an accidental death due to heavy drinking, he probably fell down the stairs."

The economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police on Friday arrested a man from Jhunjhunu, who is believed to have filled more than 300 application forms in the names of locals after obtaining their documents.

A case has been registered under various sections of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and common intention.

The accused, identified as Laxmi Narayan Meena (54), was arrested from Jhunjhunu and brought to Delhi after the EOW probe showed that he allegedly facilitated filling of application forms in connivance with others. “Laxmi had approached several persons of ST category in remote areas of Jhunjhunu and collected their details for applying in the DDA housing scheme. He also took their PAN cards, caste certificates and other documents although he did not ask them for money,’’ said a senior police officer.

Investigators believe Laxmi Narayan was contacted by those involved in the fraud in Delhi to act as a pointperson in Jhunjhunu to lure fake applicants from among STs. ACP (EOW) SBK Singh confirmed the first arrest in the case.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/DDA_flat_allottee_found_dead_in_Rajasthan/articleshow/3959884.cms

Fuel price cut in next few days: Deora

MUMBAI: Petroleum minister Murli Deora on Saturday said the government is considering a further up to Rs 5 per litre reduction in petrol, Rs 3 a litre in diesel and Rs 25 per LPG cylinder prices in the next few days.

"We have talked to Prime Minister, in coming days we are trying to reduce the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG...give us 10-15 days," Deora told reporters in Mumbai.

"According to me the advisable reduction would be Rs 5 per litre for petrol, Rs 3 per litre for diesel and Rs 25 on LPG cylinder," he said when asked about the extent of reduction in prices.

Oil companies have minimized the losses on petrol and diesel, as crude oil prices have lowered to $40 per barrel from its peak of $147 a barrel in July last year.

"From this quarter onwards, we expect the oil marketing companies to start making profits. But, if the crude oil price rises beyond 40 dollar per barrel, then it (profit) will not happen," Deora added.

When asked about a reduction in kerosene prices, he said it is already available at the cheapest rate in India of Rs 9 per litre.

On December 6, the Government had reduced prices of petrol and diesel by Rs five and Rs two per litre, respectively, as global crude prices hovered around four year low.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Fuel_price_cut_in_next_few_days_Deora/articleshow/3959969.cms