Friday, May 14, 2010

Bolivia demands penalty from Jindal Steel

Bolivia demands penalty from Jindal Steel
UNITED NATIONS, May 10: Bolivia has said that the multi-billion dollar contract it signed with India’s Jindal Steel to develop an iron ore mine has not been rescinded, but the steel company would have to pay a penalty for not fulfilling the terms of the agreement. “The contract will continue but there is a penalty there because the partners need to respect their contract in Bolivia and the Bolivian people,” he told reporters at the UN headquarters where he was speaking on a different issue of the recently concluded climate change conference in Cochabamba. In 2007, Jindal signed a joint venture agreement with the government to develop the El Mutun mine that may produce two million tonnes of iron ore in its first year. In April, reports emerged that the parties were having disagreements over the contract. Media reports noted that Jindal wanted to invest USD 2.1 billion in El Mutun but wanted to produce 40 per cent less steel and around 20 per cent less iron a year than was agreed in the original contract. (PTI)

BJP wants permission to Muivah withdrawn

BJP wants permission to Muivah withdrawn

NEW DELHI, May 14: The BJP on Friday attacked Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram over the Manipur crisis, alleging that his unilateral decision to allow NSCN (IM) leader T. Muivah to visit the State had created tension there and demanded that the permission to the Naga leader be withdrawn.

“The unilateralism of the Home Minister has once again created tension. Earlier, he had announced creation of a separate Telangana State without taking the Andhra Pradesh government into confidence. This time, he allowed Muivah to visit his village in Manipur without asking the State government for its view,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said here.
A four-member BJP delegation led by Javadekar also met Chidambaram and demanded that territorial integrity of Manipur be protected.

“We told him that government must ensure and give a promise that territorial integrity (of Manipur) would be maintained,” he told PTI.

Manipur is facing economic blockade by supporters of Muivah after he was unable to visit his ancestral village in the State due to objections by the State government.

Javadekar said the party demanded that National Highway No. 39 and 53 be opened immediately and adequate supplies of essential commodities be ensured so that prices come down.

“We also discussed issues about threat to non-Manipuris,” the BJP leader said, adding that the “Home Minister has assured us that appropriate actions will be taken on our demands”.
“If things don’t move further, we may also meet the Prime Minister,” Javadekar said.
The party demanded that permission to Muivah to visit Manipur be withdrawn to defuse the situation. (PTI)