Govt faces cash crunch on tax refunds

NEW DELHI: The government is facing a temporary cash crunch on account of tax refunds of nearly Rs 45,000 crore during April and May, prompting it to resort to short-term borrowing.

While tax refund is an annual affair, the use of electronic return filing and processing has resulted in faster refund of excess income. Corporation tax payment has resulted in the process getting expedited and a lot of bunched payments taking place in the first two months. In April alone, the tax refunds are estimated at Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 32,000 crore and another Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore would be added next month.

During the days of paper returns, a taxpayer's details had to be punched manually. This was then tallied and refunds, if any, were processed. Now, with electronic filing the entire information is available and instructions to banks for electronic refunds are also faster.

The finance ministry, officials said, did not anticipate this kind of a problem when the annual borrowings were planned. Typically the government issues bonds which mature in, say, five, 10 or 15 years to raise resources and fund spending. In addition, it gets funds by way of taxes but this typically starts flowing in from June. It also uses short-term instruments such as treasury bills that have tenure of up to 362 days to meet its cash requirement. In case of an emergency, there is a new instrument – cash management bills – that mature in less than 91 days.

Officials said that the overall government borrowing will stay at over Rs 4 lakh crore despite the fact that the Centre has used cash management bills to raise Rs 26,000 crore from the market. And if the fund crunch remains more such fund raising will take place.

The government's borrowings from RBI also shot up 54% to Rs 48,400 crore on April 22. "We are keeping a watch on the situation. We will take a call if there is a need beyond May for any short-term borrowing. This is a temporary cash flow issue and we will stick to our fiscal deficit target set in the budget," a senior government official said when asked whether the government will issue more cash management bills beyond May.

Now, officials say that from next year the government is expected to tweak the borrowing programme to tide over such unexpected situations. "We will have to see how we devise the borrowing because the Direct Tax Code is expected to be in place and we will have to see the extent of refunds if at all they arise. If there is a need we will frontload the borrowing programme," another official said.

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SC refuses to interfere in Lokpal bill drafting committee

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has refused to interfere in the constitution of the joint committee for drafting of the Lokpal Bill to fight corruption, saying the petitions were "premature".

A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia adjourned the hearing on three public interest litigations (PILs) to mid-July despite being told that the committee would complete its work by June 30.

The bench said, "The petitions are premature and can't be taken as the Lokpal Bill was yet to be passed."

"It is still not the law," the bench, also comprising justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar said.

The bench dealt with the three petitions separately and passed identical orders for hearing them in July.

While dealing with one of the petitions, the bench said, "Some of the averments in the petition are untenable in law."

The petitioners including some public-spirited individuals and advocates had challenged the notification issued by the government relating to the constitution of the committee for drafting of the Lokpal Bill.

"We will go strictly by the law," the bench said while adjourning the matter.

The PILs have stated that the Lokpal cannot act as a watchdog over the judiciary as it would be unconstitutional.

Among the petitions listed before the bench is one by Mahan Dal, which claims to be a political party in Haryana. It has submitted that a bill of vital national importance cannot be drafted in haste or under pressure from Anna Hazare and others as it would set a bad precedent.

"Whether a decision affecting the whole of the nation can be taken so suddenly without having a public debate on such a national issue of great public importance?

"Whether the government could take an action under the threat or pressure from one of the citizens of the country and whether this would not create a bad precedent for future?

"Ultimately the government succumbed to the pressure of Anna Hazare and hurriedly came out with a resolution on April 8 2011," counsel R K Kapoor had said in the petition.

The PIL alleged that the composition of the joint drafting committee was totally partisan, arbitrary and against national interest.

The members of the committee include Union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, M Veerappa Moily, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khursheed.

The civil society representatives are Hazare, Justice (retd) N Santosh Hegde, senior lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his advocate-son Prashant Bhushan and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal.

"Enactment of Lokpal would be against the spirit of Article 50 of the Constitution of India. It will wipe out the separation of the judiciary from the executive.

"A decision affecting the whole nation cannot be taken so suddenly without having a public debate on such a national issue of great public importance. The government cannot take action under threat or pressure from one of the citizens of the country and such succumbing to pressure tactics would create a bad precedent for future," the petitioner had said.

It said ideally the joint drafting committee should be expanded and finalised after seeking public opinion to include diverse interests like women, minorities, media, academics etc. and other known public figures of un-biased and non-partisan persons.

The second petition filed by individual Kaushal Kishore Shukla, through counsel Jitender Singh, had sought induction of the Leader of the Opposition in the drafting panel.

The third PIL was filed by advocate Manoharlal Sharma who not only challenged the notification but also sought a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal activities of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan.

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Air India ultimatum to pilots: Resume work by 5pm today

NEW DELHI: With the Air India pilots' stir entering its third day affecting thousands of travellers, the airline on Friday issued an "ultimatum" to its pilots asking them to resume work by this evening even as the Delhi high court refused to stay a management order derecognising their union.

While Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) leaders said an "ultimatum" was issued by the HR department, company officials said, "We are following the court directions (given yesterday). Through an internal memo, we have asked all pilots whether they can be rostered for duty from 5pm today."

The development came after a substantial number of around 300 executive pilots joined the 800-odd members of the ICPA, which is spearheading the strike.

In another development, the Delhi high court refused to stay the Air India management order derecognising the ICPA. Refusing to accede to ICPA's plea to revoke its derecognition, Justice S Murlidhar issued notice to Air India Ltd and sought its response on the plea by the pilots' body by July 16, the next date of hearing.

Justice Geeta Mittal of the high court had on Wednesday asked the pilots to call off their agitation and resume work in "larger public interest." The court had warned that property of ICPA will be attached if they did not return to work immediately.

A S Bhinder, president of the ICPA which is demanding pay parity among other issues, told reporters that the agitators would resume duty only after the management "makes concrete and time-bound commitments on our demands."

These including a higher fixed component in their salary, a CBI probe into alleged mismanagement and removal of CMD Arvind Jadhav holding him solely responsible for the "financial mess".

"We want the management to resolve the issues within a specific time-frame. Besides, all those the sacked or suspended should be taken back, our offices de-sealed and derecognition of ICPA revoked," he said. The management has terminated the services of seven pilots and suspended six others.

Executive pilots also joined the agitation yesterday and started reporting sick, leading the management to send doctors to their homes. Over 100 senior pilots have so far reported sick, according to ICPA sources.

The cash-strapped carrier is losing Rs four crore per day due to the strike. However, the sources said, this figure might be more as the airline has liabilities towards payment of instalments of new and leased aircraft and the salary of its employees.

With both pilots and management refusing to budge from their stated positions, passengers continued to bear the brunt of the agitation. Most of the flyers have cancelled their tickets on Air India while others were being accommodated in other airlines.

"Under the contingency plan, we are operating 50 flights across the network today," an Air India official said.

From Delhi, the airline is operating just 10 flights and almost an equal number from Mumbai to other metro cities.

Yesterday, the management initiated contempt of court proceedings against the pilots in the Delhi high court but the pilots remained unfazed.

Also, the conciliation talks between the management and the agitating pilots also ended in failure as both were not ready to budge from their position.

Thousands of passengers remained stranded at various airports with Air India operating only 50 of its regular 320 flights today.

Besides combining several flights, the airline is operating Boeing 747 jumbo service on Mumbai-Dubai-Delhi- Mumbai sector.

With both pilots and management refusing to budge from their stated positions, thousands of passengers continued to bear the brunt of the agitation. Most of the flyers have cancelled their tickets on Air India while some others were being accommodated on other airlines.

According to estimates, the cash-strapped national carrier is losing Rs four crore per day due to the strike. However, sources said, this figure might be more as the airline has liabilities towards payment of instalments of new and leased aircraft and the salary of its employees.

Yesterday, the management initiated contempt of court proceedings against the pilots in the Delhi High Court but the pilots remained unfazed. The court has warned that property of their trade union ICPA will be attached if they did not return to work immediately.

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Sathya Sai Baba's last rites begin in Puttaparthi

PUTTAPARTHI: While Prashanthi Nilayam looked like an ocean of humanity in which devotees flowed from all directions on Tuesday, hectic preparations were on for the 'maha samadhi' of Sathya Sai Baba on Wednesday at the Sai Kulwant Hall in Prashanthi Nilayam premises.

Number 9 was Sathya Sai Baba's favourite and lucky number. When the clock strikes 9 in the morning, the final rituals will start and conclude by 10.30am.

Sai Kulwant Hall is the place where Baba sat, delivered discourses and blessed people. According to the ashramites, many years ago, while interacting with the students, he had shown the place and expressed his wish that he should be buried in the Sai Kulwant Hall.

Baba would be laid to rest in the pit (7ft deep and 12ft length), which was dug up 10ft behind from where his body was placed in the glass casket in the hall since Sunday evening.

"The body would be lowered in the pit and filled with 'Kuruskshetra' matti (soil), salt, silver, gold and navaratnas," sources said. The body would be kept in the sleeping position in the samadhi.

However, Prasanthi Nilayam would be out of bounds for devotees during the maha samadhi. Only key family members and Sai Central Trust members would take part in the last rites. The construction of a memorial and fixing of a golden statue of Baba would be planned in a few days time. Though Baba preached universal brotherhood and embraced all religions, his last rites will be performed as per the Hindu tradition.
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Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi (c. 1835 – October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba , was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. Hindu devotees consider him an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Satguru, an enlightened Sufi Pir, or a Qutub. He is a well-known figure in many parts of the world, but especially in India, where he is much revered.

Sāī is of Sanskrit origin, meaning "Sakshat Eshwar" or the divine. The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in Indo-Aryan languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father" or "saintly father".

His parentage, birth details, and life before the age of sixteen are obscure, which has led to speculation about his origins.

Sai Baba had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He remains a very popular saint, and is worshipped by people around the world. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in, practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in a Hindu temple in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek " ("One God governs all"), is associated with both the Bhagavad-Gita and Sufism. He always uttered "Allah Malik" ("God is King").

Though the debate over his Hindu or Muslim origins continues, many of his practices point more to his being a Muslim[citation needed]: believing in the unity of God, reciting Al-Fatiha and other Qur'anic readings at Muslim festival times, listening to hamds and qawwali twice daily, practicing Salah (Namaz), wearing clothing reminiscent of a Sufi fakir, eating meat, and abstaining from alcohol. A mosque still stands in Shirdi, a place in which he once lived and continued to visit regularly. According to Purdom, when Kulkarni Maharaj requested Upasni Maharaj to pay a visit to Sai Baba, Upasni replied 'Why should I go to a Muslim?'

Sai Baba is revered by several notable Hindu and Sufi religious leaders. Some of his disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Upasni Maharaj, Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Jankidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.

Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba born as Sathyanarayana Raju (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011)was an Indian guru, spiritual figure and educator. He is described by his devotees as an avatar, godman,spiritual teacher and miracle worker.The apparent materialising of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches by Baba has been a source of both fame and controversy – skeptics consider these simple conjuring tricks while devotees consider them evidence of divinity.Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be the reincarnation of the spiritual guru, Sai Baba of Shirdi, whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs.

Sathya Sai Baba and his organisations support a variety of free educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable works in India and abroad. The number of active Sathya Sai Baba adherents was estimated in 1999 to be around 6 million, although followers' estimations are far higher.Since there are no formal ties of membership, the actual figure may never be known.The Sathya Sai Organisation reports that there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries worldwide.In India itself, Sai Baba draws followers from predominantly upper-middle-class, urban sections of society who have the "most wealth, education and exposure to Western ideas." He was a cultural icon in India and drew an audience with presidents and prime ministers from India and beyond who have become his devotees; in 2002, he claimed to have followers in 178 countries.

About Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926 in the village of Puttaparthi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. Even as a child, His spiritual inclination and contemplative nature set Him apart from other children of His age, and He was known as ‘Guru’ and “Brahmajnani’ (knower of Brahman or Godhead) among His peers and others in the village. However, it was not until October 20, 1940, the day He made the historic declaration of His Avatarhood, (Avatar - Divinity Incarnate) that the world at large learnt of this divine phenomenon. Today, millions of devotees from all over the world, professing various faiths, and hailing from various walks of life worship Him as an ‘Avatar’, and an incarnation of the Sai Baba of Shirdi. Thousands gather every day at Prasanthi Nilayam, His ashram established beside the village of Puttaparthi, for His Darshan, when He moves among devotees blessing them and providing spiritual succour and solace.

Revealing the purpose of His Advent, Sai Baba has said that He has come to re-establish the rhythm of righteousness in the world and repair the ancient highway to God, which over the years has systematically deteriorated. In His own words, “This Sai has come in order to achieve the supreme task of uniting the entire mankind as one family through the bond of brotherhood, of affirming and illuminating the Atmic Reality (Atma – The Self) of each being, to reveal the Divine which is the basis on which the entire cosmos rests, and of instructing all to recognise the common Divine Heritage that binds man to man, so that man can rid himself of the animal and rise up to the Divine, which is the goal.”

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is an integral manifestation who combines two very significant roles. Firstly, He is a great spiritual Master, famed for His simple and sweet exposition of the greatest and most intricate of spiritual truths which form the fundamental teachings of all the religions of the world. Elucidating on His mission, Bhagawan declares “I have come not to disturb or destroy any faith, but to confirm each in his own faith, so that the Christian becomes a better Christian, the Muslim a better Muslim and the Hindu a better Hindu.” His formula for man to lead a meaningful life is the five-fold path of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-Violence). Love for God, fear of sin and morality in society – these are His prescriptions for our ailing world.

Secondly, He is an inexhaustible reservoir of pure love. His numerous service projects, be it free hospitals, free schools and colleges, free drinking water supply or free housing projects, all stand testimony to His selfless love and compassion for the needy and less privileged. True to His declaration - “My Life is My Message”, He has inspired and continues to inspire millions of His devotees worldwide by His personal example to live the ideal that service to man is service to God. The Sri Sathya Sai Organization today has a presence in over 167 countries in the world and members undertake group service activities that benefit their immediate community.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is thus a beacon of hope in a world that is desperately seeking an end to the unrest and sorrow prevalent today. His message of “Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God” is a spiritual salve that will lead mankind from the darkness of ignorance to the light of immortality. Indeed, very rarely does such a divine power walk the earth. As one devotee said, “Bhagawan Baba is nothing but Love walking on two feet”. Mankind must use this golden opportunity to follow in His footsteps. That is the way to its redemption and its salvation.

Row won't affect drafting of Lokpal Bill: Pranab

New Delhi, April 22 (PTI) Government today said controversies involving some civil society members of the joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill would not affect its working and will work with the members to prepare a strong and sound anti-corruption legislation.

After a meeting of Congress' Core Group headed by Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said controversies "won't affect" the working of Lokpal Bill drafting panel.

"Controversies have been raised about members of the joint committee on the Lokpal Bill. I would like to make it clear that the view of government as also the view of party, the Congress, the working of Lokpal Bill drafting panel won''t be affected by these controversies.

"Government members of the committee look forward to working with Anna Hazare and his colleagues on the committee and to draft a strong and sound Lokpal Bill to fight corruption," he said.

Mukherjee's remarks came after a 90-minute meeting of the Core Group that discussed the issues threadbare.

Hazare had written a letter to Gandhi earlier this week alleging a smear campaign by some Congress leaders and sought to know whether the exercise had her sanction. Replying to it, Gandhi had said her party did not support any kind of smear campaign and was committed to rooting out corruption.

Mukherjee's statement came a day after the Prime Minister's remarks that government hopes to introduce during the monsoon session of Parliament the Lokpal Bill on which a committee of Ministers and representatives of civil society are working.

Admitting that there is little public tolerance for the prevailing state of affairs on the issue of corruption, Singh had yesterday said that his government is committed to facing this challenge boldly as people expect swift and exemplary action.

Talking to PTI today, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, in the thick of a controversy over remarks on the Lokpal committee members Shanti and Prashant Bhushan and Justice Santosh Hegde, said Congress and the government would in no way hamper the work of the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill.

2nd phase of Bengal polls today

KOLKATA: The second phase of Bengal polls is going to be crucial for Congress as it will decide the party's status in the Trinamool Congress-led alliance. What worries Congress is the Trojan horses that may queer the Opposition pitch, paving the way for the Left Front in some of the 50 seats as three districts ^ Murshidabad, Nadia and Birbhum ^ go to the polls on Saturday.

Murshidabad Congress strongman Adhir Chowdhury has the highest stakes in the 22 seats in the district. Adhir ignored Congress president Sonia Gandhi's appeal to vote for the alliance candidates and went ahead with his decision to fight Trinamool and the Left in the district. A slip in the Congress tally is likely to impact Adhir's political career.

Adhir is backing rebel Congressmen in four of the total 22 seats, namely Bhagabangola, Jalangi, Sagardighi and Hariharpara. The risk seems to be highest in the Hariharpara assembly seat ^ a marginal seat in the 2009 LS polls ^ where the Opposition led by a thin margin. Trinamool candidates are in the fray against Congress nominees at Kandi, Behrampore and Raninangar.

Like Adhir, Sankar Singh is backing four rebel Congressmen in four of the 17 seats, namely Karimpur, Kaligunj, Nakashipara and Krishnanagar (South), in Nadia. The Krishnangar (South) was a marginal seat during the 2009 LS polls. BJP holds the key in the constituency. The party bagged 19% votes during the last LS polls. The Congress leadership isn't likely to spare Sankar Singh if any of the four seats goes to the Left.

The Left can expect a few seats from the district. The Left trailed in all the 16 seats other than Kalyani where it led during the 2009 LS polls.

The Left is likely to do well in Birbhum that sprung a surprise in the last LS polls. The Left is banking on five seats ^ Sainthia, Nanoor, Labhpur, Dubrajpur and Mayureswar. Nalhati that had once backed Forward Bloc minister Kalimuddin Shams looks tough for the Left with Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit in the fray. The Opposition is confident of winning five seats ^ Suri, Nalhati Hasan, Rampurhat and Murarai.

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PSLV-C16 launch successful, satellites injected into orbit

SRIHARIKOTA: In a precision launch, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle- C16 placed on a 822-km sunsynchronous orbit three satellites – ResourceSat – 2, an Indo-Russian YouthSat and Singapore's first satellite X Sat, on Wednesday.

The launch went off as per schedule and the satellites were placed in orbit 18 minutes after blast off from the launch pad at the Sriharikota spaceport.

Wednesday's successful launch, which was the 17th consecutive one for India's space warhorse PSLV, has pushed up India'a remote sensing capabilities.

Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K Radhakrishnan said the launch was a grand success. "We wanted to put the satellites into a 820-km orbit, but we got an 822 km orbit," he said. The mission cost Rs 250 crore.

The launch was keenly watched across the world as data from ResourceSat – 2 will be used by 15 countries. The satellite, which weighs 1206 kg will collect data including those on ground water and mineral resources on land and fish density in the sea. The satellite is equipped with three cameras that can cover 740 km wide, 141 km wide and 17 km wide at resolutions ranging from 22 metres to 5 metres.

"The satellite will replace ResourceSat I which is in orbit since 2003. ResourceSat- 2 is a global mission and has many improvements. It has three cameras that can monitor natural resources at different resolutions. It can be used to monitor snow cover, glacier changes, urban landscape and others," said Radhakrishnan.

PSLV-C16 mission director Kunhikrishnan said all the stages of the rocket performed well. "The solid stage propulsion and liquid stage propulsion worked well and we were able to achieve the orbit in 18 minutes after the launch. The solar panel of ResourceSat- 2 has been deployed and the satellite was pushed to the second orbit soon. If all goes well with the satellite, the ground centre in Bangalore will start receiving images from April 18," he said.

The other payloads are 92-kg YouthSat, an Indo-Russian stellar and atmospheric satellite built with the participation of students from Universities. It is the second in A mini satellite series. The YouthSat mission intends to investigate the relationship between solar variability and upper layers of atmosphere.

The third one, X Sat, is Singapore's first satellite and weighs 106 kg. The mini satellite has a multispectral camera IRIS as its main load. The satellite intends to demonstrate technologies related to satellite-based remote sensing and onboard image processing.

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Centre firm on Jaitapur plant

NEW DELHI: A rethink of UPA's nuclear push is ruled out. The riotous protests and death at Jaitapur or the disaster at Fukushimi might slow the rollout of nuclear power plants but it won't derail UPA's plans of a nuclear thrust to the Indian economy, sources in the government told TOI.

The Fukushima impact on Indian shores has been to force the nuclear establishment to do a bit of closed door review but it's not opened the establishment to open scrutiny. At best, it got environment minister Jairam Ramesh to ask for an independent authority to administer the civilian nuclear power business in the country.

The protests leading to death of a person at Jaitapur, one of the four plants Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited has got environmental clearance for, hasn't had much of an impact on the UPA's will to push ahead. At the Centre, it has been dismissed as mishandling of local protests about livelihoods, about the need to negotiate – implying it's about providing the right amount of compensation and perhaps a bit more.

The increasing flare up in the area has been described as 'politicisation' of local discontent by the Left and the right.

But the fact that the environmental clearance, itself full of holes, is not even required to assess questions of nuclear safety is not up for review – a clear indication that not much is expected to change. In a conscious attempt, questions of nuclear safety were kept out of the purview of environmental norms when the laws were framed. That is going to remain so, sources indicated.

Unlike other environmental issues, nuclear safety does not form part of the issues reviewed by either the ministry or third party experts. Nuclear safety is not part of the mandatory public hearings on environmental clearances. It was not at Jaitapur. UPA has no plans of altering that either.

The government is handicapped by the fact that in the case of nuclear power plants, like in other projects, it doesn't have a separation between environmental concerns and land acquisition issues. With land acquisition and R&R bill pending infinitely, that is not going to change soon. But Congress is sure, for now, that it will not hinder its plans to sprout nuclear power plants around the countryside.

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DDA draw of lots today, results to come day later

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is going to hold the draw of lots for its latest housing scheme on Monday. But applicants will get to know about the results of the draw only a day later. The draw will take place at the Noida-based office of the Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC).

DDA roped in the company as the number of flats involved—nearly 16,000—is three times its previous housing scheme. Moreover, the agency believes that C-DAC has the requisite equipment to carry out the computerised draw.

“The draw can take up to four hours and it might not be possible for us to put up the list of successful candidates on our website the same day,” said a senior DDA official. The list will be put on DDA’s website www.dda.org.in and will also be published in major newspapers.

Though no one would be allowed to enter the C-DAC office during the draw, a television would be installed outside for those who want to witness the exercise live.

Noida administration has made tight security arrangements for the draw at C-DAC’s sector-62 office. Keeping in mind a huge gathering, traffic police personnel, and women police officers have also been deployed. “The draw is likely to continue till 4pm . Two companies of the provincial armed constabulary, four SHOs, 15 sub-inspectors, and 40 constables have been deployed,” said a senior police officer. If needed, traffic on some routes could be diverted, he said.

About 7.53 lakh people have applied for the 16,000 flats on offer. “This time, the exercise is more stringent than ever. Applicants have to make payments from their own accounts and details will be sent to the IT department for verification. This will rule out the involvement of speculators and property dealers,” the official said.

Draw of lots tomorrow for DDA housing scheme 2010

NEW DELHI: The wait to know whether you will be able to own a flat in Delhi ends in a couple of days as the DDA holds a draw of lots tomorrow for 16,000 flats offered under its latest housing scheme.

Some 7.53 lakh applicants are vying for the flats, located in areas like Vasant Kunj, Mukherjee Nagar , Motia Khan , Jasola , Dwarka, Rohini, Narela, Jaffarabad, Kondli and Gharoli. There are one, two and three bedroom flats with the prices ranging from Rs 9 lakh to Rs Rs 1.12 crore.

The results of the draw, the biggest ever in the history of DDA, will be uploaded on DDA website and published in newspapers by April 19. The allotment might be given by the end of the year.

The housing scheme was launched on November 25, 2010. Asked about the allegations of irregularities that had cropped up during the last draw of lots for its housing scheme, Delhi Development Authority officials said all necessary checks and balances are in place.

"The draw is being held in a transparent manner in the presence of independent senior observers from diverse fields," an official of the housing agency said.

For the first time, the draw will not be held in DDA headquarters but at the office of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Noida.

"The draw is being held in Noida only due to the fact that the number of applicants and the number of flats being allotted under the scheme is high as compared to earlier schemes. CDAC has better wherewithal and expertise to conduct the draw of such a magnitude and it is not possible to transport the equipments from there," the official said.

The DDA said that as there is limited space at the CDAC premises, it will be difficult to accommodate everyone wishing to witness the draw.

DDA draw of lots on Monday, results next day

CDAC in Noida will be the venue to decide allotments for 16,000 apartments

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will conduct a draw of lots for 16,000 flats on April 18. However, the nearly 7.5 lakh applicants will have to wait a day more to know the results.

For the first time in its history, the draw will not be conducted at the DDA headquarters in Vikas Sadan but the office of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Noida. “The draw is going to be really huge in scope. We have never had the kind of numbers that we have now, with 16,000 flats and 7.5 lakh applicants. The DDA does not have the kind of computing capability that is required for a lottery of this size,” a senior DDA official said.

The official said the draw will be conducted by the DDA itself, using computing equipment provided by the CDAC. Incidentally, CDAC was one of the prime agencies involved in investigating DDA’s last draw held in 2008, which landed in a major controversy over allegations of anomalies in the draw procedure.

However, the DDA official clarified that the decision to conduct the draw in the CDAC’s premises had nothing to do with the controversy, and was instead based on the fact that DDA’s software cannot deal with a number as large as the one involved in this draw.

Again, breaking from tradition, neither the applicants nor the media will be privy to the draw procedure, as is usually the case. “The CDAC campus is not very large, and there will be heavy security while the draw is underway. A screen in the CDAC hallway will broadcast the procedure, but only accredited personnel will be allowed access even to the hallway. However, there will be neutral observers — senior bureaucrats and a senior journalist — who will be invited to observe the draw,” the official added.

DDA draw of lots on Monday

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will conduct a draw of lots for 16,000 flats on April 18. However, the nearly

7.5 lakh applicants will have to wait a day more to know the results.

For the first time in its history, the draw will not be conducted at the DDA headquarters in Vikas Sadan but the office of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Noida. “The draw is going to be really huge in scope. We have never had the kind of numbers that we have now, with 16,000 flats and 7.5 lakh applicants. The DDA does not have the kind of computing capability that is required for a lottery of this size,” a senior DDA official said.

The official said the draw will be conducted by the DDA itself, using computing equipment provided by the CDAC. Incidentally, CDAC was one of the prime agencies involved in investigating DDA’s last draw held in 2008, which landed in a major controversy over allegations of anomalies in the draw procedure.

However, the DDA official clarified that the decision to conduct the draw in the CDAC’s premises had nothing to do with the controversy, and was instead based on the fact that DDA’s software cannot deal with a number as large as the one involved in this draw.

Again, breaking from tradition, neither the applicants nor the media will be privy to the draw procedure, as is usually the case. “The CDAC campus is not very large, and there will be heavy security while the draw is underway. A screen in the CDAC hallway will broadcast the procedure, but only accredited personnel will be allowed access even to the hallway. However, there will be neutral observers — senior bureaucrats and a senior journalist — who will be invited to observe the draw,” the official added.

While the draw itself is unlikely to take more than a couple of hours, applicants will have to wait till the next day to see the results on the DDA website as well as major national newspapers. And with the shadow of the 2008 controversy hanging over the draw, the DDA is keen on ensuring that there are no snags in the system.

Tight security for DDA draw in Noida

NOIDA: Two battalions of PAC and policemen will be deployed at the office of C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advance Computing) in sector 62, where the draw of DDA flats is scheduled, on Monday to make the much-awaited event hassle-free. According to senior police officers, security forces will be deployed in and around the area by 6am and a specific area near the C-DAC office will be cordoned off. Since the draw is being held on the first day of the week, the Noida traffic police have chalked out an alternative route diversion plan, which will be implemented on Monday if required.

Gautambudh Nagar senior superintendent of police S N Singh said a team of senior police officers is handling the security arrangements. On Sunday, the team visited the location. "We have been told that only a few applicants would visit the spot as the results will be uploaded on DDA's website," he said.

"DDA has given a list of visitors. Visitors, including the draw panellists, retired judges and DDA senior officials and selected mediapersons, will be allowed to enter the premises. A special pass has been issued to those who are authorized to gain access to the premises," he added. The draw will start by 8am.

Around 7.53 lakh applicants are vying for the flats located in areas like Vasant Kunj, Mukherjee Nagar, Motia Khan, Jasola, Dwarka, Rohini, Narela, Jaffarabad, Kondli and Gharoli.

India on track for first F1 race

SHANGHAI: Organizers of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix later this year insist that the track will be ready on time for the Oct. 30 race.

The late, late finish of the circuit for last year's first-ever Korean Grand Prix - seats were still being installed in the grandstands over the race weekend - and the chaos surrounding preparations for last year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi had raised concerns about whether the Indian circuit will be ready.

Organizers say most of the work on the track itself, the pit complex and major infrastructure was completed early to avoid the risk posed by wet-weather delays, and it is only the internal work that is outstanding.

"Even if it rains tomorrow, no problem. I'm already inside the building, the civil work is done, and we are absolutely confident and sure that we will not embarrass our country this year," Indian Grand Prix chief executive Sameer Gaur was quoted by Autosport.

India has little pedigree in Formula One, although involvement is growing. Airline and brewing tycoon Vijay Mallya runs the Force India team, while this year Hispania added Narain Karthikeyan as a driver, attracting sponsorship from Indian carmaker Tata.

"October 2011 will be a game changer for India," Gaur said. "Motorsport in India will become very big because there are lots of motorsport lovers all across India.

"At least the first race, the second race, there will be so much hype, and the hype and the marketing will start in a month's time. We should be OK with the crowd, there's a lot of buzz."

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Lokpal Bill panel meet: Civil society members present draft

NEW DELHI: The joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill on Saturday had its first meeting when civil society representatives presented a new draft of the legislation to the government with both sides expressing hope that the new law will be brought in Monsoon session of Parliament.

The 90-minute meeting chaired by finance mnister Pranab Mukherjee and co-chaired by eminent lawyer Shanti Bhushan was audio-recorded and not videographed as demanded by the civil society activists.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal, one of the five ministers nominated to the committee, said after the meeting that both the sides were keen that the new bill should be introduced in the monsoon session, which begins early July.

The next meeting of the ten-member committee will be held on May two.

Sibal said both sides presented their perspective on the proposed legislation. The latest draft presented by the civil society representatives had "significant" proposals, he added.

The minister said the entire meeting was audio-recorded and whenever decisions are taken they would be made public.

He said the committee would discuss the draft provided by the activists along with the draft cleared by the Standing Committee which would be circulated.

The new draft presented by the civil society is believed to have amended an earlier provision relating to the selection committee to choose Lokpal and its members.

Under the new proposal, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have replaced Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker as proposed in the old draft.

Sibal said the next meeting will decide on the modality of public consultations on the legislation.

Another minister, who attended the meeting, said the new draft presented by the civil society was "better" than the last one and it includes better provisions on safeguard mechanism.

He said the government was ready to discuss anything but "time was short" to conduct public consultations.

A member from the civil society in the panel said the government had not agreed to publicising the audio-tapes of though they have agreed to make public the minutes of the meeting.

Government sources said audio recordings of all meetings is done and there was nothing new in it. However, they said audio-recordings will not be shared and only minutes of the meetings will be shared.

Prashant Bhushan, one of the members in the panel from the civil society side, said all concerned organisations will be consulted as part of the public consultations through websites and regional consultations.

The actual modalities will be decided in the next meeting, he said.

He said India is a signatory of the UN Convention against Corruption which is in the process of being ratified. The convention requires an independent Lokpal for which an adequate Bill will be made through discussions.

"The fundamental principles will be decided in the next meeting. After that there would be meetings every week, may be more than one day if required, to complete the work," Bhushan said.

Anna Hazare, who led the campaign that forced the government to agree to the constitution of the joint committee and who is a member of the committee, said the meeting went off well.

"It is because of you we achieved this success," he told the media.


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Lokpal Bill:Government says it has an open mind

STAFF WRITER 15:40 HRS IST

New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) On the eve of the maiden meeting of the 10-member Joint Committee tomorrow to draft the Lokpal Bill, Government today said it has an open mind on the issue.

"The meeting is taking place tomorrow. We are going there with an open mind. The government, civil society and common people - all have one target that there should be greater transparency and responsibilities should be clearly fixed in the bill," Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who is on the panel, told reporters here.

His statement came a day after activist and committee co-chairman Anna Hazare said that the bill proposed by the civil society will not cover higher judiciary and that their representatives in the drafting committee would be "flexible".

Punjab EC sets up call centre to register complaints

STAFF WRITER 17:9 HRS IST

Chandigarh, Apr 15 (PTI) A call centre has been set up at the office of Chief Electoral Officer here for receiving complaints regarding electoral rolls, as per directions of the Election Commission of India.

A spokesman of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, today said anybody could register complaints regarding the electoral rolls of Punjab state or any other complaint related to election matters at the call centre.

Supreme Court grants bail to rights activist Binayak Sen

STAFF WRITER 12:27 HRS IST

New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) The Supreme Court today granted bail to rights activist Binayak Sen, who has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Chhattisgarh trial court for sedition and helping Naxalites to set up a network to fight the State.

The apex court said it was giving no reason for granting bail to 61-year-old Sen and left it to the satisfaction of the trial court concerned to impose the conditions for his release on bail.

A bench comprising Justices H S Bedi and C K Prasad passed the order on the petition moved by Sen challenging the order of Chhattisgarh High Court denying him bail.

Hazare announces jail bharo on April 12 after govt rejects demands

NEW DELHI: The government has rejected the demand of Anna Hazare to issue an official notification to constitute the draft committee for Lokpal Bill and also rejected the proposal for an outsider to lead the new committee of government and civil society.

The protesters announced that Kapil Sibal had conveyed about this decision to them and has also said that Pranab Mukherjee will head the committee.

Reacting to the government's stand, Anna Hazare announced country-wide Jail Bharo agiation on April 12.

An angry Hazare said that the people will teach the government a lesson by joinging the jail bharo agitation against the government.

Meanwhile, Anna Hazare, whose fast entered the fourth day on Friday, has said that he will not become the chairman of the proposed draft committee for the Lokpal Bill.

Addressing the thousands at the protest site, Anna Hazare said that he would only assist the committee in advisory capacity.

The fasting leaders announced that Anna Hazare will write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh forwarding the names of Santosh Hegde and Justice GS Verma to lead the proposed draft committee.

The government has already rejected these names.

Hazare called for immediate decentralisation of power at the centre to ensure that there is end to corruption in governance.

Stating that Mahatma Gandhi stressed on decentralisation of power, he said his fast for Lokpal Bill was like the second fight for Independence. He said, Lokpal Bill will lead to decentralisation of power.

Hazare said Right to Information Act is an example for all to see. The RTI has led to devolution of power.

Taking a dig at the present set up, Hazare said all the agencies to tackle corruption at present are under the government and hence there has never been any positive outcome of any probe.

Hazare said we are demanding that all these agencies should come under the purview of Lokpal. This will ensure that all the corrupt will land in jail, he said.

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Govt rejects demand to make Anna head of Lokpal Bill panel

The government on Friday talked tough on Anna Hazare's demand for an effective Lokpal Bill, saying it cannot accede to the demands of chairmanship of the joint drafting committee being given to a civil society member and for issuing an official notification.

A meeting of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal with activists Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal scheduled this morning did not take place with both sides saying they were waiting for each other. The meeting is now scheduled at 6 pm.

Sibal said only government officials will be members of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill and that no minister will be part of it.

"There is no possibility of an official notification on the constitution of the joint committee but we have told them that we are willing to give an official letter through the law ministry and a press note," he said.

Sibal said he was waiting along with his ministerial colleague Salman Khurshid for Gandhian Hazare's supporters – Arvind Kejriwal and Swami Agnivesh – this morning but as they did not turn up, he called them on phone.

When Agnivesh asked him about the position of the government on the notification issue, Sibal said, "I told him our position remains the same.

"It is not possible for the government to issue a notification with respect to constitution of a joint committee. However, we are willing to issue an official letter through a department of the government, may be the law ministry and, of course, through a press note," he said.

Sibal said it was not possible for the government to accept that the chairman of the joint committee should be a member from the civil society.

"All other conditions and all other points are acceptable to us," the minister said.

"If you insist that a nominee of your side is a chairman of the joint committee, in that event the constitution of the committee will not consist of ministers from our end but it will consist of officials of government of India in which eventuality you can have your nominee as chairman of the joint committee," he said.

Meanwhile, Anna Hazare announced a jail bharo agitation from April 12.

Hazare's fast-unto-death entered the fourth day on Friday even as anti-corruption activists waited for a communication from the government over holding another round of talks to iron out differences over notifying formation of a joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.

Social activist Swami Agnivesh said, "We are waiting for a communication from the government side.

Yesterday, it was informally agreed that we will met around 9 am. We have not got any formal communication".

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal had said that two sides would be meeting this morning for the third round of talks.

"The two sides had agreed on almost all issues but there is no agreement on two issues, that is issuing an official notification to form the committee and making Hazare the chairman of the committee. So we need more time and we will meet again tomorrow and see we can evolve a procedure with which we can move ahead," he had said yesterday.

Three of the five demands raised by Hazare and his supporters have been met by the government. These are formation of a joint committee with five members each from government and civil society, immediate setting up of the panel and bringing the Bill in Monsoon session.

However, government did not agree to the demands of the activists that Hazare be made the chairman of the joint committee and issuing an official notification for the constitution of the committee.

A close aide of Hazare said the 71-year-old activist was in good health though there he was feeling weak. "We are waiting for the results of third round of talks," the aide said.

Last night, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had appealed to Hazare to end the fast. "I am sure that Hazareji's views will receive the government's full attention as we move forward to fight this menace. I appeal to Anna to give up his fast," Gandhi had said in her appeal.


Hazare had asked Gandhi to tell her government to get the Lokpal bill enacted at the earliest.

"I will fight till death," Hazare had said addressing hundreds of supporters gathered near Jantar Mantar here after word spread that talks between government and anti-corruption activists were deadlocked.

On Friday, Hazare said that he would write to Sonia Gandhi seeking her intervention on Lokpal Bill issue.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the government's reluctance to come out with a notification to constitute the committee, he said his fast will continue.

Indian express

Anna Hazare

Kisan Baburao Hazare, popularly known as Anna Hazare (January 15, 1940), is an Indian social activist who is especially recognized for his contribution to the development of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India and his efforts for establishing it as a model village, for which he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Govt. of India, in 1992.

Govt Lokpal Bill

Present

Lokpal Bill has been introduced eight times in Parliament since 1968. All the eight versions have been very weak. Even these weak versions have not been passed so far because Lokpal Bill seeks to investigate politicians. The latest draft of Lokpal Bill prepared by the present UPA government is a complete eyewash. Rather than strengthen anti-corruption systems, it demolishes whatever exists in the name of anti-corruption systems today. It seeks to completely insulate politicians from any kind of action against them

Features of proposed Jan Lokpal Bill

Salient

1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people thus will not linger on for years. Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. Help to common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. One could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month’s time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. Government appointing corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members won’t be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. The existing anti-corruption agencies CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.

Jan Lokpal Bill

In India, the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill that would pave the way for a Jan Lokpal, an independent body like the Election Commission, which would have the power to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission.

The bill has been drafted by Shanti Bhushan, former IPS Kiran Bedi, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, renowned advocate Prashant Bhushan, former chief election commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh in consultation with the leaders of the India Against Corruption movement and the civil society. The bill proposes institution of the office of Lokpal (Ombudsman) at center and Lok Ayukta at state level. Jan Lokpal Bill is designed to create an effective anti-corruption and grievance redressal systems at centre and to assure that effective deterrent is created against corruption and to provide effective protection to whistleblowers.

The Lokpal Bill drafted by the government has languished in the Rajya Sabha for 42 years.The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but could not get through in Rajya Sabha. Subsequently, Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008. Yet none of these bills were ever passed.

Background of Jan Lokpal Bill

The movement for Jan Lokpal Bill started due to the resentment because of the serious differences between the draft Lokpal Bill 2010 prepared by the government and the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by the members of this movement,[6] which has received significant public support. The current lack of any laws to curb endemic corruption has made the need for the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Lokpal Bill hanging fire for 42 years

Successive governments have tried to put in place for the past 42 years a law that would enable citizens to sue even the most powerful arm of the state for corruption.

The short-lived IK Gujral government made an unsuccessful attempt in 1996 to pass the Lokpal bill, a proposed enactment that had fallen five times since 1968.

AB Vajpayee’s NDA governments in 1998 and 2001 also made similar failed bids.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in September 2004 that the Congress-led UPA government would lose no time in enacting the bill. But a small clique in the UPA and a strong lobby in the opposition, which has always felt that transparency isn’t conducive to a multi-party government, blocked it.

The Lokpal Bill, 2010, which awaits a select committee’s nod, provides for filing complaints of corruption against the prime minister, other ministers, and MPs with the ombudsman.

Corruption in various segments of public life is eating into the vitals of our nation. India has slipped from 84th to 87th position on the global corruption perception index. As a result, we have 1 lakh billionaires and 8.7 crore below-poverty-line families (about 40 crore people).

A Raja, former telecommunications minister in the UPA government, is alleged to have deprived the exchequer of Rs1.76 lakh crore. The key players in the Commonwealth Games scandal also belong to the ruling Congress.

Former chief justice of the Delhi high court and rights activist Rajinder Sachar, however, says the Lokpal Bill is “shamefully toothless and meant just to give a false reassurance to the people that the government is serious in its fight against corruption”.

On the other hand, former chief justice of India MN Venkatachelliah, who had headed a national committee to review the working of the Constitution set up by the Vajpayee government, has recommended that the prime minister be kept out of the Lokpal’s purview since “he occupies a unique position and is head of the entire governmental structure”.

But it would be worth an exercise to examine the issue in the light of the Raja row.

Corrupt India:Why is Anna Hazare fasting?What's Lokpal Bill?

New Delhi, Apr 6: It seems that the anger-volcano has, finally, erupted from the hearts of Indians. People of the nation have been exhausted with the overdose of corruption news that have marred the image of the nation so far. Corruption allegations against most of the political leaders and the inaction from the government's side compelled the "aam admi" to join the protest of the anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare.


With innumerable scandals (2G spectrum scam, CWG, Adarsh housing scam and so on) the country is facing now, social activist Anna Hazare has decided to take things in his hand and take on the corrupt "babus" by fasting unto death against corruption.

Hazare's decision for holding the indefinite fast came over his demand to introduce a new Lokpal bill in the Parliament to tackle the numerous corruptions that has ruined the roots of Indian political scenario.

Starting his protest on Tuesday, Apr 5, Hazare claimed, "Like Supreme Court (SC) and Election Commission, an independent body called Jan Lokpal should be set up at the Centre and a Jan Lokayukta should be set up in each state to receive complaints of corruption, investigate them within six months and prosecute the guilty."

What is Lokpal Bill?

Lokpal Bill is a measure to conduct an investigation regarding involvements of people with high profiles (Prime Ministers, Chief Justice of India (CJI) and so on). The bill will provide speedy, cheaper form of justice to people.

The Lokpal bill will not wait for any permission from the high commission to begin the inquiry into the alleged irregularities and corruption charges against political leaders, judge's or even the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

In the proposed system, politicians will not have any say in selections of chairperson and members of Lokpal. Loss caused to government will be recovered from accused. The punishment, if found guilty will be 5 years to maximum life term in the proposed system. Right now the punishment is 6 months to maximum 7 years.

However, Lokpal Bills were introduced in the Parliament several times (1969, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008) but failed to be passed all these times.

Present scenario:

Despite requests from many leaders including the PM Manmohan Singh not to proceed with his decision of indefinite fast, Anna Hazare kicked off his protest. Within 24 hours, more than 300 people took part in a token huger strike to express their solidarity with Hazare.

The movement has irked various political parties that had to bear the brunt of Hazare's fiery rhetoric that doesn't seem to spare anyone. Pawar added on the future of the campaign, "The chain hunger strike will continue till April 11 and a 'Jail Bharo' agitation will be launched on April 12, whereby people and activists will court arrest."

Many star campaigners have joined the protest besides 40 or more organizations showing support to the cause. In a statement issued by the All-India Anti-Corruption Committee, "There is a need to get rid of corruption and the Lokpal bill has to be very stringent. Even the prime minister should come under the purview of this bill."

Meanwhile, one of the main targets of Hazare's criticism, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar chided, "I will be happy if you relieve me from all GoMs, including that GoM (on corruption)."

What is Lokpal Bill

The Lokpal will be a three-member body with a chairperson who is or was a chief justice or Supreme Court judge, and two members who are or have been high courts judges or chief justices.

Implementation of the Lokpal bill will hopefully reduce corruption in India.

The basic idea of the Lokpal is borrowed from the office of the ombudsman in other countries.
It provides for filing complaints of corruption against the prime minister , other ministers and members of parliament with the ombudsman.

Anyone, except for a public servant , can file a complaint and the Lokpal has to complete the inquiry within six months.

For 42 years, governments have tried to put in place the law.

The bill was for the first time presented during the fourth Lok Sabha in 1968, and was passed there in 1969. However, the Lok Sabha was dissolved , resulting in the first death of the bill.

It was revived in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008.

In September 2004, prime minister Manmohan Singh said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government would lose no time in enacting the bill. But strong lobbies blocked it.

The Lokpal Bill, 2010, awaits an okay from a select committee.

Former chief justice of the Delhi high court and rights activist Rajinder Sachar feels the bill is "shamefully toothless and meant to give a false reassurance to the people that the government is serious in its fight against corruption" .

But former chief justice of India M N Venkatachelliah feels the PM must be out of its purview.

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What is Lokpal Bill

The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but could not get through in Rajya Sabha, subsequently, Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008, yet they were never passed. Th Lokpal Bill was visualised as the watchdog institution or ministerial probity. Broadly the provisions of different bills empowered the Lokpal to investigate corruption cases against political persons at the central level.

Main objective of the bill is to provide speedy, cheaper form of justice to people.

In the proposed system Lokpal will have complete powers to dismiss a corrupt official.

Lok Pal will have powers to probe or prosecute any judge, even CJI, without any permission while in present scenario CJI permission is required even to register FIR against any judge.

Also, in the proposed system, politicians will not have any say in selections of chairperson and members of Lokpal.

Loss caused to government will be recovered from accused.

The punishment if found guilty will be 5 years to maximum life term in the proposed system.

Right now the punishment is 6 months to maximum 7 years.

ht

Reliance GM shot dead in Jharkhand

RANCHI: A top Reliance executive was shot dead and seven other company officials wounded in a suspected Maoist attack in Chatra district, around 100 km from Jharkhand's capital, on Wednesday.

Reliance Power general manager Manoj Kumar Ojha was killed by teenaged gunmen reportedly in green 'uniforms' while the company's assistant vice-president Hiren Bhujh was shot in the hip near Hesatu village in Chatra. This is the most high profile killing in Jharkhand since the murder of Ashish Dey, a co-owner of Sreeleather, on November 2, 2007.

"The Reliance Power team from Delhi and Mumbai was on inspection tour for a site for the Rs 20,000 crore mega power plant in Telaiya," said a senior Reliance Power official. The executives visited several villages under Tandwa and Simaria police stations in Chatra on Wednesday morning and were on their way back when they were attacked.

Eyewitnesses said two youngsters between 15 and 19 stepped out of the forest and blocked the two vehicles in which the Reliance Power team was travelling. Without warning, they started shooting from rifles from close range, the official said.

The drivers of the two vehicles stepped on the pedal and tried to escape through the hail of bullets. The lead SUV got through but the second one, carrying Ojha and Bhujh, overturned. While Ojha died on the spot, Bhujh took a bullet in the hip and injuries from the crash.

The other wounded officials are Mayank Murari, Devjit Deogharia, I K Singh, R S Yadav, Anil Kumar and I K Rao. The attackers melted into the forest. The company official said none of them had got threats from the Maoists or any splinter or criminal group.

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At Rs 95cr, Orissa mine owner top taxpayer

ROURKELA: KJS Ahluwalia, a mine owner in Orissa, is the country's top taxpayer in the individual category for 2010-11. Two other mine owners from the state, Prasanta Ahluwalia and Indrani Pattnaik, also figure in the top 10 taxpayers' list.

Income tax officials in Rourkela said Ahluwalia, owner of an iron ore mine and a mini steel plant in Keonjhar, paid Rs 50 crore as advance tax in the last quarter. He paid a total tax of Rs 95 crore, making him the highest taxpayer ahead of some of the richest men in the country, including Mukesh Ambani and Azim Premji.

Ahluwalia's younger brother, Prasanta Ahluwalia, ranked sixth in the list of top taxpayers. He paid an advance tax of Rs 22 crore, taking his total tax in the last fiscal to Rs 44 crore. Prasanta owns one iron ore mine in Keonjhar district with a Rs 350 crore turnover.

Indrani Pattnaik, sister-in-law of Congress leader Niranjan Pattnaik, ranked fourth in the top tax payers' list. She paid Rs 64 crore advance tax. In 2009-10, Indrani had paid Rs 75 crore tax and was the third highest tax payer.

The state vigilance department had filed a chargesheet against Indrani allegedly for illegal mining. Following this, the state government had stopped her mining activities in November 2010. Indrani paid income tax on the business before Nov 2010, an I-T source said. "We are proud to have three mine owners from the state as top taxpayers," said assistant commissioner of IT (Rourkela Circle) Sandip Lakra.

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Aamir Khan says Anna Hazare deserves greater support than cricket team

NEW DELHI: Actor Aamir Khan says the country should extend greater support to Anna Hazare's struggle for a strong anti-corruption law than it did to the Indian cricket team's quest for the World Cup. In a letter to the social activist, who is on fast unto death demanding that the government co-opt the civil society in drafting the Lokpal Bill, the actor said the struggle against corruption was "infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us".

In the letter sent on April 6, the actor called Hazare an inspiration for the youth of India and said that he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to pay heed to Hazare's appeal.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Khan said: "I would like to humbly submit to you that, based on all the material that I have read, what Mr Hazare is saying makes a lot of sense to me."

"I am one of over a billion citizens of this country who is affected by, and most concerned about, corruption in our country. The last few months have witnessed some shocking exposés. In fact our society has been plagued by this sickness over the last few decades. I am one of the many who feel that strong steps need to be taken as corrective measures," the actor wrote to the Prime Minister.

He further wrote: "It is therefore with great hope and all humility that I request you to pay heed to the voice of Mr Anna Hazare. I would like to submit to you that the nation is slowly but surely collecting behind Mr Hazare in appreciation for what he is fighting for. I am merely one of many who support Mr Hazare and have come to appreciate that this upright 72-year-old man is willing to sacrifice his life in the fight against corruption."

Text of Aamir Khan's letter to Anna Hazare


Mumbai,
6th April, 2011.

Dear Mr. Hazare,

Over the last few days I have been following, through the media coverage, news about your struggle against corruption and the fast that you have undertaken.

I have been through your appeal.

I have been through the draft provided by the media of the government proposed Lokpal bill, which is under consideration of the government, which you are opposing.

Through the internet, I have also been through the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill as drafted by the members of the Civil Society, which you are supporting.

I would like you to know that I am amongst thousands who are fully supportive of your efforts. The crusade that you have begun is an extremely important one, and I would like to extend my support to you.

For your information, I have written to our Hon'ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him to pay heed to your appeal. I am attaching my letter to him for you to read.

You are an inspiration for the youth of this country and my prayers are with you.

Like the country has supported the Indian Cricket team in their struggle to win the World Cup, I hope and pray that your struggle, which is infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us, will get an even greater support.

Jai Hind.

Yours sincerely,
Aamir Khan

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PM 'deeply disappointed' at Hazare's decision to start fast

New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday expressed his 'deep disappointment' over social actvist Anna Hazare's decision to go ahead with his planned hunger strike for a strong anti-graft bill, and said he had enormous respect for the social worker and his mission.

A statement issued Monday evening by the Prime Minister's Office said that a ministerial sub-committee headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony met Hazare's colleagues on the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill but the interaction proved fruitless as the activists were insisting on the government accepting their draft in full.

'The Prime Minister's Office has noted with deep disappointment that Shri Anna Hazare, the noted social worker, is still planning to go ahead with his planned hunger strike. Shri Hazare and his colleagues had met the Prime Minister, the law minister and other senior officials on March 7, 2011. During the discussion that lasted more than one hour, the Prime Minister had told the group that 'I appreciate and share your concern on corruption',' the statement said.

It said Hazare and his group had presented the prime minister a draft of their proposal on a Lokpal.

'The Prime Minister offered and the group accepted a suggestion that a sub-committee of the Group of Ministers could interact and discuss the draft with the civil society activists. The Sub-Committee, headed by Shri A.K.Antony, met Shri Hazare's colleagues but the interaction proved fruitless as the activists were insisting on the government accepting their draft in full.'

'The prime minister has enormous respect for Shri Hazare and his mission,' the statement added.

Hazare Monday said he is starting an indefinite fast to press for the demand to involve civil society in formulation of the Lokpal Bill.

'I will fast unto death, as announced earlier, as the prime minister has refused to form a joint committee with civil society members in it for the formulation of the Lokpal Bill. Even if I lose my life, I will have no regret, my life is dedicated to the nation,' Hazare said at a press meet here.

Hazare and several other civil society activists are pressing for adoption of an alternate bill, called Jan Lokpal Bill. In the activists' version, investigation in any case will have to be completed in one year, and punishment would be a jail term of minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

The government's version recommends a prison term of minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years as punishment for corruption.

Man of the series: Nobel laureate Tagore

Man of the series: Nobel laureate Tagore

NEW DELHI: India may be on song, but the man with the top score this World Cup, albeit in musical terms, was Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as the genius behind the national anthems of three countries, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.

It is rare for international sports events to begin and end with players of different nationalities singing anthems written by the same man. But it happened this time around.

Apart from the desire to win, Tagore was the factor that linked them all. The literary giant's 'Amar Shonar Bangla' and 'Jana Gana Mana' kicked off World Cup 2011's first match between Bangladesh and India on February 19 in Dhaka. Saturday's finals in Mumbai had India's anthem being played while the Sri Lankan team sang 'Sri Lanka Mathaa', which also has the Tagore stamp.

Tagore's association with the anthems of India and Bangladesh are well known. What is less well-known is Gurudev's impact on Sri Lanka's anthem. Inspired by Tagore, his student Ananda Samarakoon wrote and composed the Sri Lankan anthem in 1939-40. It was adopted as the island nation's anthem around 1952, though political turmoil has seen it altered over the years.

As a disciple of Tagore at Shantiniketan, Samarakoon's composition is in Rabindra-sangeet style. Some credit Tagore with having composed the music. It was Samarakoon's six-month stint at Tagore's arts college Shantiniketan that inspired him to begin the anthem. The style eventually developed to be the "first traditions of unique Sinhalese music", wrote Sri Lankan news portal Lanka Gazette in celebration Gurudev's 150th birth anniversary this year.

As every Indian knows, Jana Gana Mana was written and set to music by the legendary poet and artist. The first 10 lines of his 1905 poem Amar Shonar Bangla became Bangladesh's anthem in 1972.

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/off-the-field/Man-of-the-series-Nobel-laureate-Tagore/articleshow/7854172.cms

Sensex up 75 pts in morning trade on strong FII buying

MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex firmed up by 75 points in early trade on Monday on persistent buying in select counters, mainly IT and tech, on the back of sustained capital inflows by foreign funds, coupled with higher Asian cues.

The BSE benchmark Sensex resumed higher at 19,473.93 and shot up further to 19,566.29 before quoting at 19,495.75 at 1015 hours, showing a net gain of 75.36 points, or 0.39 per cent, from last weekend's level.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also firmed up by 14.60 points, or 0.25 per cent, to quote at 5,840.65 at 1015 hours.

Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) was trading firm. Wipro surged by 1.50 per cent after the company said it will acquire the oil and gas information technology practice of US-based Science Applications International Corporation ( SAIC).

Other gainers were Hero Honda (1.90 per cent), Infosys Tech (1.51 per cent), M&M (1.51 per cent), HDFC Bank (1.30 per cent), Jindalsteel (1.29 per cent) and TCS (1.21 per cent).

As per provisional figures, foreign funds bought shares worth Rs 415.28 crore last Friday. FII inflow totaled Rs 8,963.42 crore in the nine trading sessions from March 22 to April 1.

Most Asian stocks rose in early trade after a report showed US jobs grew faster than forecast. The key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore were up by between 0.08 per cent and 1.11 per cent. However, South Korea's Seoul Composite slipped by 0.49 per cent. The Chinese market is closed today for a local holiday.

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