Congress decides to hold all-party meet on Lokpal issue

NEW DELHI: With the issue of bringing the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal remaining a controversial issue, the government is expected to soon call an all-party meeting to seek views across the political spectrum.

This became clear on Saturday after a meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had with top party leaders favouring such parleys against the backdrop of widening differences between the government and the civil society representatives led by Anna Hazare on the issue.

Grappling with the issue and other sensitive matters like Telangana, the Congress core group headed by Sonia Gandhi met fon Saturday, the second meeting coming just after its two-hour long deliberations on Friday night. Today's meeting also discussed Telangana problem. .

The Hazare camp is pitching for inclusion of Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the proposed Lokpal Bill during meetings of the Joint Committee to draft the measure. The committee will now be meeting on June 20 and 21.

Government is prima facie opposed to the inclusion of Prime Minister within the ambit of Lokpal but was open to the idea of covering him once he demits office.

HRD minister Sibal said,"within the government, we feel prima facie, the Prime Minister should not be covered (under the Lokpal). But at the same time we want to make sure that if he demits office, he should not be exonerated from prosecution."


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President to disclose assets in push to transparency

NEW DELHI: The first citizen of India is a shining example of transparency. Setting a precedent for ministers and bureaucrats — many of whom are yet to take the cue — President Pratibha Patil is all set to declare her assets.

Earlier this month, the prime minister had reminded the ministers about the annual declaration of assets and business interests along with that of their spouses. Former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar had also written to the ministers on this on June 2. More than 600 IAS officers of the 4,000-odd in the service have missed the May 31 deadline for declaration of assets, and the list of movable and immovable properties of IPS officers are still trickling in.

Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Archana Dutta said: "The President of India is not required to declare his or her assets to any public authority. However, President Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil has decided to make the assets of her and her family public."

Chandrasekhar's letter had stated that ministers' disclosures consist of all immovable properties and the total approximate value of shares and debentures, cash holdings and jewellery apart from a list of their and families' business interests.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Thursday had suggested that it is not mandatory for the President to declare her assets since various other functionaries like ministers, judges and election commissioners are making the disclosure voluntarily.
Information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi passed the order, while underlining that the commission is not empowered to do so since it is not mandated under the RTI Act. He made the observation while hearing a plea of RTI activist Subhash Agarwal, who sought details of the assets of the President and her family and the steps taken to put them on the website.

Sources in Rashtrapati Bhavan said Patil's decision has nothing to do with the CIC suggestion, and she wants to make the disclosures on her own accord. The matter, sources said, had been on her mind ever since the issue came up with respect to the council of ministers, and is in keeping with the government's motto of transparency for all public office-bearers. "There is no connection with the CIC order," the official added.

Satellite imagery allays fears of China's diversion of Brahmaputra waters

NEW DELHI: The government for the first time said on Thursday that India is using satellite imagery to track the movement of the Brahmaputra River following reports about China's plans to divert waters which could impact downstream countries like India and Bangladesh. Government officials said imagery has confirmed that there was no diversion as yet caused by China's Zangmu dam on the main Brahmaputra River, but admitted that Beijing is building other "smaller" dams on tributaries of the Brahmaputra.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday met foreign minister S M Krishna over the issue and was provided the same assurance by Krishna. According to the government, while the construction of Zangmu dam had stopped the river temporarily, there were two channels on the sides that allowed the continuous flow of water. "There is no diversion yet as we have confirmed through satellite imagery and other information available with us. They are constructing smaller dams on tributaries of the Brahmaputra, but these too we are told are run-of-the-river projects," said a source.

Officials insisted that this time their clarification was different because they had ascertained facts on their own. "We don't just discuss or just trust...we also verify," the official said, noting that India has the satellite capability for the past three years.

As for plans being discussed in China to divert water in the upper reaches, officials said they did not want to answer "hypothetical" questions. Government officials sought to shift focus to Krishna's earlier statement that it was perhaps more important for states like Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to harness water properly.

Krishna told reporters after his meeting with Gogoi earlier in the day that China has assured India it is only building a run-of-the-river power project on the Brahmaputra in Tibet, and that it would not divert the river.

"So when this is the case, my earnest suggestion to the governments of Assam as also Arunachal Pradesh is they should go ahead and prepare the necessary project reports in order to utilize the Brahmaputra water to the maximum benefit of the people," he said, adding that the states should prepare a plan in consultation with the Planning Commission and other agencies.

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IED recovered from Kanchenjunga Express, defused

GUWAHATI: An improvised explosive device (IED) was reported to have been recovered from Kanchenjunga Express at the Guwahati Railway Station early Thursday morning. The IED was defused by the police, TV report said.

The bomb, which was said to have been planted inside a tiffin box, was found during a routine check in the train coming from Kolkata.

The IED found on the Kanchenjunga Express, which plies between Kolkata and Guwahati, is reported to be a powerful timer device.

Security forces are on the search to find any more such devices.

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