Andhranews

New Delhi, Oct. 7: Foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon held discussions on the overall direction of Indian foreign policy with CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury at the CPI(M) headquarters here on Saturday. Mr Yechury apparently underlined that for a long time there had been a consensus on foreign policy, but there has been a deviation of late and that there is a need to restore the consensus.

Mr Menon also called on leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani at the latter’s house. A BJP source said it was a “courtesy call”. At the 45-minute one-on-one meeting with Mr Menon, Mr Sitaram Yechury made it clear that the Left parties were against any “deviation” from the country’s independent foreign policy, as assured in the UPA National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP).

“The Left and the government have differences of opinion on several issues. So we deliberated on them. But there was no agenda as such. We have reiterated our position that the government should adhere to the NCMP, which promises that India will follow an independent foreign policy. We will not accept any deviation,” Mr Yechury said.

Mr Menon acknowledged the role played by Mr Yechury during the crisis in Nepal. They recalled their meetings in Beijing when Mr Menon was the ambassador to China. Mr Yechury met Mr Menon twice in Beijing, where he had gone on an invitation from the Chinese. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat was away in Kerala when the meeting took place.

Political observers feel the Congress-led UPA government has been dealing with Mr Yechury as Mr Karat is perceived as a hardliner. According to CPI(M)sources, Mr Sitaram Yechury deals with foreign policy issues and it was for this reason that the government has been dealing with Mr Yechury.

On whether the foreign secretary’s visit to the party headquarters was unusual, Mr Yechury replied in the negative. Mr Yechury said ambassadors of several countries had visited the CPI(M) office in the past. The meeting comes at a time when the Left parties feel the US is acting against India’s interests despite the Manmohan Singh government’s attempts to get closer to the Bush administration.

Relations with the immediate neighbourhood, particularly with Pakistan, the proposed anti-terror joint mechanism, the Indo-US nuclear issue and India’s role in the Non-Aligned Movement were among the issues that figured in the meeting. On the much-talked about Indo-Pak joint mechanism to combat terror, Mr Yechury said he felt that “this was the time to test Pakistan’s sincerity” with regard to its promises to act against terrorism.

Referring to the investigation into the Mumbai blasts, he said, “Our intelligence has found linkages with Pakistan. Hand them the evidence and Pakistan is bound to show not only to India but to the world that it is sincere.” About the nuclear deal, Mr Yechury said the Left is of the view that there should not be any deviation from the 12 assurances that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave on the floor of Parliament. The Prime Minister had said that India will not succumb to US pressure and the Left parties believed him, he said.

Hyderabad, Oct, 7: About 300 unregistered companies are executing crucial works in the prestigious Jalayagam irrigation projects. On record, the works are being executed by 65 construction companies, including 19 under Category-I and the remaining under Category-II. But most of them have engaged subcontractors.

As per guidelines, contractors can sublet 50 per cent of work to firms which have experience and which meet qualification criteria. The subcontractors should have net worth equivalent to the cost of the work allotted to them, besides previous experience of executing similar work, the guidelines say. Inquiries revealed that in majority of cases, multinationals sublet the works to firms which do not have the required experience and net worth.

Though records state that only eight companies had sub-let work, it is known that about 300 such subcontractors are executing the project works. For instance, Gamon India, which was awarded works worth more than Rs 1,000 crore, reportedly sublet all the crucial works to subcontractors. The Hindustan Construction Company, which entered into a joint venture with Kirloskar Brothers and Nagarjuna Constructions for the construction of Devadula project, entrusted the work to different subcontractors such as Taher Ali Construction Company, Koya Construction Company and Ramesh Naidu & Company.

Interestingly, Satyamurthy and Co, which bagged the subcontract for pump house works of Devadula Phase-I, in turn, engaged two other companies to do the earth work and civil work. In Devadula Phase-II, Venkata Subbaiah and Co, Satyamurthy and Co and Sudersan Reddy and Co are doing the tank works, but their names do not figure in the records.

Ironically, the State government, which had roped in experts to carefully select companies to take up the irrigation packages, is blind to the fact that the works are being executed by inexperienced and ineligible subcontractors. When contacted, Irrigation Secretary (projects) Satish Chandra admitted that there could be subletting of more than 50 per cent of the works in some projects.

“It is for the field-level engineers to ensure that subletting is not more than what was stipulated in the agreement,” he said. Mr Satish Chandra said that a strong third-party quality system was in place to check the work on a weekly basis. But the slow progress and reports from the ground tell a different story.

New Delhi, Oct. 7: The Indian Army is now fighting another enemy — the dreaded Aedes mosquito. The Army on Saturday confirmed that 11 persons, comprising both Armymen and their family members, were being treated for dengue fever at the base hospital in the national capital as well as other military hospitals.

Official sources confirmed that 10 of these cases are from Delhi while one is from Agra. Defence ministry sources stated that most of these cases were found to be from the “camp area” adjoining the parade grounds near Delhi Cantonment, where the quarters of junior commissioned officers (JCOs) are located. Sources said a drain located in this “camp area” has been identified as the possible source of the dengue infection.

“Emergency measures have been taken and a fogging operation has been launched. Efforts are also being made to get the drain covered,” sources said. “The Army is also in constant touch with the Delhi Cantonment Board, which administers the Delhi Cantonment area where a large number of Armymen posted in Delhi and their families stay,” sources added.According to preliminary information available with the Army, some of the Army personnel and their families being treated for dengue are also residents of areas such as Kirby Place (near Delhi Cantonment) and Mahipalpur.

While acknowledging that more needs to be done even in Delhi Cantonment to stave off dengue, a senior Army official said, “Not all Armymen and families are staying in the Delhi Cantonment area because of shortage of accommodation. We had carried out fogging operations in this area but there is no provision for us to carry out fogging in other places in the capital where Army personnel and their families are staying. This is a major problem that we are facing.”

Karimnagar, Oct. 7: More than 15 years after Saddam Hussein’s tanks rolled into Kuwait, the victims of the first Gulf War are yet to be paid compensation. Hundreds of them were migrants from Andhra Pradesh and other States of India, suddenly rendered jobless by the invasion. Due to the indifference of authorities, several of them remain untraced even now. Others have been waiting for the second instalment of the compensation for long years.

The deadline set by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), Geneva, for locating and paying compensation to eligible claimants expired on September 30. All over the country as many as 6,500 people did not claim compensation from the UNCC despite several appeals by the Central government. The UNCC has paid out Rs 110 crore to about one lakh Indian victims.

The special Kuwait cell could not trace 6,500 victims of Gulf War because they had either changed their addresses or did not seek compensation. About 400 are from Andhra Pradesh. Despite repeated reminders from both the UNCC and the ministry of external affairs, State governments, including the Andhra Pradesh government, have done pretty little to trace some of the war victims. The task was made more difficult by the lack of awareness among the war victimsthemselves about compensation, and their migration to other places without intimating local authorities.

Added to this were the procedural wrangles related to the payment of compensation in banks. B. Mogli of Elkaturthy, who was employed as a railway worker in Kuwait before the war, said that delay in the prompt disbursement of compensation prevented people like him from using the money properly. “I got the first instalment about six years ago and I am still waiting for the second,” he said.

“If I had got it on time, I could have started a small business with the money and educated my kids.” In Karimnagar, district authorities were unable to trace seven of the 46 Gulf War victims whose names were forwarded by the Special Kuwait cell in the MEA. After making some attempts to trace them, the administration sent a survey report to the Kuwait cell through the State government on July 29. The war victims got the first instalment of the compensation several years ago.

Many of them are desperately in need of financial assistance. Promises of rehabilitation have also come to naught. Laxman Bale Rajanna of Etikyala village in Raikal mandal, who returned from Kuwait to his village after the war broke out in 1991, is still waiting for aid. “War was a nightmarish experience and I arrived home penniless,” said Rajanna, who worked for a building materials firm in Kuwait for six years. “I went there with great hopes but returned distraught. I could not even educate my children.”

After coming back, Rajanna worked as a farm labour. “I became hopeful after hearing that UNCC has sanctioned compensation,” he said. “However, I am yet to receive the full amount.” Laxman, the elder son of Rajanna, said that if his father had been paid the compensation on time, he could have continued with his studies.

“My sister Shankaramma is ailing and we badly need money to provide her with better treatment,” he said. Banks have also been putting up hurdles for the war victims. “The bank staff insists that we should have a previous account to claim compensation,” said P. Laxma Reddy of Kodimyal. “Such rules should be relaxed to help us.” Karimnagar district revenue officer T.A. Jayachander said that a field survey had been conducted to trace all the claimants. “We have sent a report to the government in July itself,” he said. But for the war victims, the interminable wait continues.

Chandigarh, Oct. 7: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Saturday publicly apologised for appearing in an advertisement with his hair open. The cricketer, a practising Sikh expected to wear his unshorn hair under a turban, was featured along with two fellow players — Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni — on advertisement hoardings for a company that is associated with a popular brand of liquor.

The hoardings, splashed all over Delhi, have provoked angry reactions from a number of Sikh organisations, which say the image of the Sikh cricketer portrayed in these is against Sikh religious tenets. Harbhajan Singh tendered a verbal apology for inadvertently hurting the sentiments of Sikhs. “I apologise for this action. I think I should have avoided it. I am proud to be a Sikh and respect the tenets of my religion. I will not do it again.”

But Sikhism’s highest religious body says this is not enough. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) in Amritsar said Harbhajan must submit a written request for forgiveness. SGPC secretary Harbeant Singh told this newspaper the cricketer must also have each one of the offending hoardings recalled and removed from public view.

The SGPC secretary explained that Harbhajan Singh was a practising Sikh and must therefore adhere to the basic religious code required of all adherents. “He not only let his hair down like a kamla aadmi (mad man), but did this for a liquor advertisement in blatant disregard of the sentiments of the teachings of our revered Gurus,” he said.

Mr Harbeant Singh said Sikhs had no objection to the other cricketer, Yuvraj Singh, appearing in the same advertisement because despite being born in a Sikh family, he had chosen not to practice the faith. “He is clean-shaven, you understand, clean-shaven,” said the secretary.

Curiously though, neither the SGPC nor any other Sikh body had raised even the slightest objection when Harbhajan opened an upmarket hair-grooming salon in partnership with another Punjab cricketer three years ago. In fact, the then Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, had specially flown into Chandigarh to inaugurate Harbhajan’s franchise of Sylvie’s in Chandigarh.

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: The Hyderabad District Collectorate will soon be shifted from the dilapidated building at Nampally to the premises housing the Andhra Pradesh Riding Club at Masab Tank.The State government has already taken control of the Riding Club premises after a favourable High Court judgement. It will be relocated at an alternative site in Ibrahim Bagh.

Until now, the State government has been giving a lukewarm response to the persistent demand made by collectorate officials to shift their office to a better site. What swung things in favour of the officials was the pressure by city MLAs to allot the 5.61-acre plot at the Gandhi Medical College campus in Basheerbagh to the collectorate.

This land had been allotted by the State government to GS Group of Companies to develop an entertainment centre. The MLAs asked the government to cancel the deal and give the land to the collectorate. To avoid this, the government moved quickly and secured the Riding Club premises.

At present, the collectorate is located at Chirag Ali Lane in Nampally. The building housing the collectorate is in bad condition and is also within the school zone. The proposal to shift the office was made when Arvind Kumar was the Hyderabad district collector.

However, officials were not able to find a suitable piece of land. Though they initially zeroed in on the campuses of Aalia and Mahbubia educational institutions at Abids, the move was abandoned since both the buildings were considered heritage structures. District Collector R.V. Chandravadan said he had written it to the government to allot the Riding Club premises. “It is spread in nearly one acre and it would be sufficient for the collectorate,” he said. “It is also centrally located.”

Visakhapatnam: Divisional committee member of east division, Andhra Orissa Border Zone, of the banned CPI (Maoist) party, Kadari Ramulu, 46, alias Ravi, was killed in an encounter with the police near Darlagondi village in Vizag Agency here on Saturday, reports our correspondent.

A special police party on regular combing operations were fired upon by the Maoists. In the shootout that ensued, Ramulu was killed on the spot while two Maoists — S. Giri and Hari — surrendered. Police recovered an SLR weapon used by Ramulu and .303 rifle from the surrendered Maoists. Ramulu belongs to Kantladamer village of Karimnagar district and was in the Maoist movement for 22 years.

State yet to clear dues to RTC

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: The State government continues to default payment of dues to the APSRTC, further pushing it down into losses even as employees gear up for strike deman-ding wage revision. The State government owes Rs 610.40 crore to the APSRTC towards reimbursement of bus passes issued by the road transport corporation. Because of delay in clearing the dues, the corporation could not take up development works including improving amenities for passengers. The previous Telugu Desam government introduced the reimbursement scheme in 2001 after RTC employees went on strike demanding that the State government bear the concessions extended by the corporation to certain sections of the society. Right from the first year, the State government defaulted payment to the corporation. “The corporation is suffering heavily because of the delay in reimbursement by the government. After many years, the corporation is now making profit. If the government continues to be unfriendly with the APSRTC, it will aga-in be pushed into losses,” APSRTC National Mazdoor Union working president M. Nageswara Rao said. Of the Rs 251.2 crore due to the corporation in 2001-2002 towards reimbursement of money for 53.57 lakh concessional bus passes, the State government paid just Rs 100 crore. During 2005-2006 the government had to pay Rs 368.50 crore for 75.20 lakh passes, but it did not pay anything. The projected figure for 2006-2007 is Rs 405.31 crore. The RTC incurred loss of Rs 1167.90 crore from the financial year 2001-2002 to 2005-2006 and of this the government reimbursed Rs 557.50 crore. This leaves the State government with Rs 610.40 crore dues to the corporation. Consumer rights activ-ist S. Anoop Kumar said the State government had not yet reimbursed Rs 30 lakh the corporation incurred during first Afro-Asian games held in 2003. “The government owes Rs 56.32 lakh for Pushkaram special buses for Krishna Pushkaram in 2004. It is unfortunate that Rs 4.05 crore is still due from the government for free travel facility ext-ended to intermediate st-udents for annual examinations in 1998,” he said. According to official statistics, the education department (school and higher) stands to be the biggest beneficiary of the APSRTC concessions. The corporation suffers loss of Rs 322.28 crore because of concessional and free bus passes issued to 58.94 lakh students in the State. The information department has to reimburse Rs 9.46 crore towards concessional passes issued to mediapersons. The government also owes Rs 54.62 crore towards warrants and passes issued to police and excise personnel and government employees. \Added to the delay in reimbursement by the government, the RTC is faced with a drop in its occupancy ratio from 70 per cent to 63 per cent which, when translated into financial terms means a loss of Rs 58 crore. The corporation had borrowed loan from a nationalised bank last month to pay salaries to the staff. Transport minister Kanna Lakshminarayana fears that any strike at this juncture would jeopardise the interests of the corporation.

Centre’s interest takes AP by surprise

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: Even as the State government is finding it difficult to get approval from neighbouring States for the Indira Sagar (Polavaram) project on Godavari river, the Centre has suddenly revived the Inchampally major irrigation project which has more inter-State disputes. The Inchampally project, which has been pending since 1960s, was not considered under the “Jalayagnam” of the Congress government. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy expressed his helplessness as it would create fresh disputes with Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. The project with a full-reservoir level of 112.77 metres would submerge 92,555 hectares of land, including 21,734 hectares of reserved forests in Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. It would also have resulted in partial submergence of Indravathi Tiger Reserve. At least 100 villages would have submerged in the reservoir, displacing one lakh people. Hence Maharashtra consented to the dam height of 95 metres, but Chattisgarh sought review of the Godavari Water Tribunal Award. The project proposals have now been suddenly brought to light by the union water resources ministry during the recent meeting with Dr Reddy on the Polavaram project. The meeting was boycotted by Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. In the meeting, the union ministry had come out with the proposal to appoint a joint task force to study the Inchampally project, taking the State government by surprise. The National Water Development Agency has suggested link canals between Inchampally and Nagarjunasagar project and between Inchampally and Pulichintala. The first link canal envisages diversion of gross quantum of 16,4260 million cubic metres of Godavari to Krishna basin over a length of 299 km including 9 km of tunnel. The second link canal project between Inchampally and Pulichintala envisages diversion of 4,370 mcum surplus water from Mahanadi and Godavari basins through a 312 km-long canal off-taking from the Inchampally reservoir and outfalling into Pulichintala reservoir, including 12.50 km long tunnel crossing the ridge between Godavari and Krishna basins. A preliminary study of these projects was conducted by the engineering wing of the NWDA, but the State government does not have any clue on how to implement the projects. “We have not yet thought of the Inchampally project. Only after that, the link canal projects can materialise,” sources said.

Bus union to go ahead with strike

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: The APSRTC National Mazdoor Union (NMU) has decided to go ahead with its proposed strike after October 18 even if other unions do not support it. “NMU is a recognised union enjoying the confidence of 85,000 of the 1.16 lakh employees in APSRTC,” said its leaders Syed Mahmood and M. Nageswara Rao. “Our decision to agitate is in the interests of employees and our strike will be a success.” Talking to mediapersons on Saturday, the NMU leaders said that a strike call attention day would be observed on October 12 at all depots and units of APSRTC to prepare the employees for the strike. They appealed to all the workers, irrespective of uni-on affiliations, to wear red badges and stage demonstrations on October 12 to display their determination. NMU state leaders would start holding meetings in various units from October 11 onwards to prepare the employees for the strike. They appealed to their counterparts in other unions too to extend support to the stir. However, they rejected calls by other employees unions to form a joint action committee comprising leaders from all unions to spearhead the agitation. Only the recognised union had the privilege of holding talks with the management, said NMU leaders. When contacted, K. Padmakar, leader of the second largest APSRTC Employees Union, said that a meeting of its executive committee would be held on October 9 to take a decision on whe-ther or not to join the strike. The NMU served strike notice on the RTC management on October 3 after the talks between the union leaders and the management over pay hike failed.

9-year-old girl abandoned by parents

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: A nine-year-old girl was abandoned on the road by her parents on Friday near AG office in Saifabad. Keerti, who could not tell their address or any phone number of her parents, was shifted to Childline at the traffic police control room. “My father’s name is Narsing and he works with a goldsmith. My mother is Akhila. We stay at Ameerpet. My mother and father quarrelled with each other. My mother left me at AG office and went away,” said Keerti. T. Shivaiah, a co-ordinator at the Childline said, “The girl was found weeping on the road by a passer-by who informed us. We have shifted her to New Hope shelter at Nampally Railway Station. We also informed Saifabad police. The girl couldn’t give her details. Those who can identify her can contact 1098. The girl appears to be disturbed.” Saifabad police flashed the message of the missing girl to all the police stations and a look out notice was issued. Childline also began enquiries in Ameerpet area and alerted SR Nagar police as well. Counsellors are trying to get more details from her.

Modern parking complexes to come up

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: The twin cities will soon have modern multi-level parking complexes. Reputed companies including city-based GVK group of industries, Delhi-based Futurage industries and Mumbai-based Patel industries have come forward to take up construction works in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. MCH additional commissioner (transport and traffic) N.V.S Reddy told this correspondent that the GVK Group of companies are evincing keen interest in developing a multi-crore modern parking complex at Road No. 1 in Banjara Hills while the other companies are interested elsewhere in the city. To start with, the MCH plans to have such parking complexes constructed one each near Jalagam Vengal Rao park at Banjara Hills Road No. 1, Secunderabad Gurudwara bus station and at Khilwat Pension Office in Old City.

Health officials collect food from Katriya

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: Health inspectors of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) collected samples of food being served at Hotel Fortune Katriya on Saturday and sent them to the Institute of Preventive Medicine for tests. Samples of cooked dishes of mutton, chicken, fish be-sides raw meat and curd-rice were collected from the kitchen of the hotel. The officials reportedly acted following a complaint lodged by a guest that the hotel was serving stale food. When contacted, MCH additional commissioner (health and sanitation) Ram Mohan Rao confirmed that samples were collected from Hotel Fortune Katriya located on the Raj Bhavan Road at Somajiguda. “In the tests, if the food items are proved to be adulterated, the management will be prosecuted,” Mr Rao said.

Fund shortage hits MROs

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: Mandal revenue officials (MROs) do not have office vehicles to move around to implement schemes. Being executive magistrates, MROs are responsible for law and order besides maintaining land records and collecting land revenues. They play key role during floods and natural disasters. Of the total 1104 mandals in the State 1000 revenue offices do not have four wheelers. In 2004, the government allowed the revenue officials to hire jeeps and promised to sanction Rs 14,000 per month for the purpose. There was no fund crunch in the first two years. But funds have not been sanctioned for the past nine months and dues have accumulated to Rs 7.5 crore. Jeep owners are refusing to give their vehicles. Andhra Pradesh Revenue Services Association president K. Laxmaiah said MROs were unable to fulfill their duties due to lack of vehicles. “The government sanctioned Rs 13 crore in 2005 against the requirement of Rs 15 crore. In 2006, just 99 lakhs have been sanctioned,” he questioned. He said a MRO in Visakhapatnam died in a road accident two months ago while going on a two wheeler to a village to make arrangements for Chief Minister’s visit. He said that the association made a representation to the finance minister for early sanctioning of funds but no action had been taken. “The minister promised to hold a meeting with the association. But nothing has been done so far,” he alleged. When contacted finance minister Rosaiah said he had sent the representation to officials concerned and asked them to take appropriate decision.

Narendra moves point to bypoll tie-up with BJP

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: Senior Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader A. Narendra’s remark that the TRS would be wound up if party president K. Chandrasekhar Rao loses the Karimnagar byelections has put the party in a tight spot. Mr Narendra told mediapersons on Friday that the byelections was a referendum on Telangana Statehood and said if the TRS was defeated, all the party leaders would take political sanyas. Even on the day of announcement of the TRS president’s candidature, Mr Narendra had said that if Mr Rao wins by a lesser majority compared to the 2004 elections, it would only amount to defeat. But TRS leaders like Nayani Narasimha Reddy tried to disown Mr Narendra’s remarks saying they would continue to fight for Telangana, irrespective of defeat or victory in the Karimnagar elections. According to party sources, it appears to be a pressure tactic from Mr Narendra on Mr Rao to forge an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party, the former’s parent organisation. Right from the beginning, Mr Narendra has been adopting a soft stand towards the BJP and after the latter passed a resolution in support of Telangana at its national executive meeting, he has been talking of TRS quitting the United Progressive Alliance and joining hands with the NDA. He is learnt to be of the view that if the TRS joins hands with the NDA, the UPA would be on the defensive and might concede Telangana State to gain upper hand over the NDA.

Company wants exchange offer on tax rebate

Hyderabad, Oct. 7: Goldstone Technologies, a city based company, has reportedly been found evading sales tax of about Rs 5 crore for the past two years. The government had given the company tax incentives to manufacture a particular product, but the latter has allegedly “misused” the provisions and “illegally” availed the incentives to manufacture another product. The commercial taxes department recently served notices against the company to pay the arrears for two years or face action. Inquiries by this correspondent revealed that Goldstone had secured tax deferment in 1998 on a telecom product. The deferment period runs up to 2012. Under the deferment policy, the government allows the company to collect sales tax on the respective product for which the incentive is given but the same need not be remitted to the government immediately. The company will start paying the amount it collected on the first year after the end of the deferment period and repay the arrears every year thereafter. It stopped production of the telecom product and switched to manufacturing another product — cables — in 2004. Sources said the management requested to the industries department to extend the incentives to the new product. It referred to the Gujarat policy where incentives are automatically extended to a new product if the same company is involved in its production. “The policy in our State is clear in this regard. The incentive extended to a particular product cannot be changed to another product just because the company switched over to another product,” a senior official of the industries department said, adding that the company’s request had been rejected. The commercial taxes department also wrote to the government that the deferment incentive could not be given to the new product because of the view taken by the industries department. “But the company did not pay the tax on the new product also for the past two years,” a senior official of the commercial taxes department said, adding that the department raised a demand for the amount. Sharmila in AIIMS, condition stable New Delhi, Oct. 7: Irom Chanu Sharmila, who has been fasting for the past six years to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur, was shifted to AIIMS late on Friday night after deterioration in her health. She was reported to be stable after she was put on drip. Ms Sharmila, who has not taken anything from her mouth since 2000, sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar from October 4 to highlight her struggle in the capital. She began her struggle in Manipur. Several human rights groups, both from Delhi and Manipur, have promised to continue the dharna at Jantar Mantar to highlight the problem in Manipur. Earlier, concerned about her health, a delegation of different human rights groups met Union home minister Shivraj Patil to appeal to him to make public the findings of the Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission, set up to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). IAF keen on joint space command New Delhi, Oct. 7: The Indian Air Force wants to look beyond the skies into space. The IAF is keen on the formation of a joint services aerospace command for the greater use of space for military purposes. “We (India) are already an aerospace power. We (the IAF) is in touch with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). We need to start thinking about space,” Air Chief Marshal Tyagi said recently. “Many countries are developing their military capabilities in space,” the IAF chief pointed out. “The major user of space throughout the world has always been the air force,” said the IAF chief, adding that there were countries in the world with advanced space capabilities because they “just think and dream space.” The IAF chief said he favoured the participation of all three wings of the armed forces in the use of space for military purposes and that the formation of a joint services aerospace command would reflect this. The use of space in the country will be beneficial not just for the IAF but also for the civil aviation sector. Director general of civil aviation Kanu Gohain had recently stated that work was on for the development of a satellite-based navigation system code-named GAGAN. India worried over rise of Taliban New Delhi, Oct. 7: The Indian intelligence is worried about the rise of the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan but there has been no response, officially or otherwise, by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who did not raise the issue in his meeting with Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in Havana. “The phenomenal growth of the Taliban is simply not on the government’s radar screen,” sources here said, adding that intelligence reports suggested stacking of arms and weapons by the Taliban in areas very close to Kabul. The Taliban, that has strong popular support and is now projecting itself as a “force against foreign (US) occupation”, is well armed and well trained. The Indian intelligence has sufficient information here to show that there has been a major change in the profile of the Taliban, pre-9/11 and now. The earlier Taliban was essentially what former additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat B. Raman describes as a “rag-tag militia of students from the Deobandi madrasas of Pakistan” who did not demonstrate great fighting capability. The cadres were certainly not motivated enough to carry out suicide terror attacks, and disappeared when confronted by the US forces. The new Taliban has shown far greater fighting capability, appears to be very well trained, well armed and highly motivated. Suicide attacks have become part of the Taliban arsenal, and it has been fighting the US and Nato forces directly in fierce battles where it is not always the loser. Well-known journalist and author Ahmed Rashid, writing for the London Daily Telegraph, reported on Friday that Nato commanders are demanding their governments get tough with Pakistan over the support and sanctuary its security services provide to the Taliban. He has mentioned commanders from Britain, the US, Denmark, Canada and Holland as being frustrated over the fact that US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had met President Musharraf, were refusing to call his bluff.\ A Nato commander has been quoted in the report as saying, “Our boys in southern Afghanistan are hurting because of what is coming out of Quetta.” The report states that the Taliban has been using Balochistan to coordinate the insurgency and to recuperate after military action. Nato has captured 160 Taliban, of whom many are reportedly Pakistanis and have described in detail the ISI support to the Taliban. Mr Karzai, and now more recently Afghan defence minister Gen. Rahim Wardak, are on record pointing towards Pakistan as being responsible for the rise of the Taliban. The Afghan general said, “Taliban decision making and its logistics are all inside Pakistan.” India’s national security adviser M.K. Narayanan had earlier, in the wake of the Indian construction workers kidnapping and murder, been categorical that this was masterminded by Pakistan. The government at the time claimed to have sufficient proof of this. Nothing has been heard of this since, despite the fact that the Taliban are getting control of large portions of Afghanistan where India has invested over $650 million in reconstruction work. The Telegraph report details a post-battle intelligence report compiled by the Nato forces that reveals the logistical capability of the Taliban. The Taliban, during the battle in Panjwai area, fired an estimated 400,000 rounds of ammunition, 2,000 rocket propelled grenades and 1,000 mortar shells which arrived slowly from Quetta. Ammunition dumps found after Nato’s Operation Medusa was over showed that the Taliban had stocked over one million rounds of ammunition in Panjwai. The report further maintains that the Taliban had also established a training camp here to teach guerrillas how to penetrate Kandahar, along with a separate camp to train suicide bombers and a full surgical field hospital. President Musharraf has now admitted that “retired” ISI officers might be involved in supporting the Taliban. TN sailor dies, nine Indians missing off Japan Mumbai, Oct. 7: A sailor from Tamil Nadu lost his life and nine other Indian crew members are missing after the freighter Giant Step, with 25 Indian crew members and one Sri Lanka national, caught fire and floundered in stormy weather off the coast of Kamisu, eastern Japan, on Friday evening. Mitsui O.S.K Lines Maritime (India) Pvt. Ltd director Capt. Abhijit Chattopadhyay said, “We have rescued 16 people from the spot. Further rescue operation are on. There are still nine persons to be rescued, out of which two are from Mumbai.” Capt. Chattopadhyay added: “The crew members trapped inside the vessel, which was stranded about two km off Kashima port, 95 km east of Tokyo, were rescued on Saturday morning and airlifted to safety.” The Mumbaikars still missing are Brazin Dias from Borivali and William Thomas Panvel while Melroy Mascarenhas of Navi Mumbai has been rescued. The person killed was Mangesh Chinnapandian, 34, from Tharugapuram in Tamil Nadu. The Panama-registered 98,600-ton Giant Step was caught in strong winds and heavy rains and broke into two. The others missing are Shem Samuel of Bangalore, Veerappa Paramannavar of Bagalkot in Karnataka, Jagadeeswara Tirumala of Gadhigram in Andhra Pradesh, Rajeev Nair of Panaji, Bablu Rastogi of Ballia, Ramesh Pillai of Thalavady in Kerala, Channan Shesh of Kerala, and Sri Lankan Sendi Haware. Unity, theme for Sonia & PM New Delhi, Oct. 7: The Congress is planning to hold public meetings of party chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Hindu-Muslim unity in select places. The meetings will be held as part of the satyagraha centenary.Mrs Gandhi has constituted a seven-member subcommittee to suggest programmes for celebrating the centenary under the chairmanship of Mr A.K. Antony. She has also formed eight groups to chalk out programmes on the theme of “satyagraha”, which includes eradication of untouchability and non-violence. The party has identified 20 cities for its senior leaders to hold public meetings Consultations have begun between UPA partners over the three Lok Sabha byelections from Bihar and Jharkhand with a view to giving a united fight to the NDA. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh is to hold talks with Mr Lalu Prasad (RJD), Mr Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janshakti) and Mr Shibu Soren (JMM). This will be the first major electoral battle after Mr Nitish Kumar became the chief minister in Bihar heading a JD(U)-BJP government. The elections to Nalanda and Bhagalpur in Bihar were necessitated by the resignation of Mr Nitish Kumar on becoming Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on becoming his deputy. The election to Koderma in Jharkhand was caused by the resignation of former chief minister Babulal Marandi after he quit the BJP. Guinness entry for Orissa croc Bhubaneswar, Oct. 7: An estuarine crocodile in the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary has entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The Bhitarkanika reptile has been recorded as the largest specimen of its kind in the world. Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has requested the Centre to issue a postage stamp dedicated to the rare species found in the State. In a letter to Union communication minister Dayanidhi Maran, Mr Patnaik said that the Bhitarkanika national park is home to a rare species of crocodiles that measure over seven metres. The number of these crocodiles had dwindled to less than 100 in 1976, but their population now stands at 1460 due to innovative methods adopted for their rehabilitation. According to a Wildlife Society of Orissa survey, however, crocodiles are still killed for their skin. More than 700 gharial crocodiles were released in the Mahanadi Satkosia gorge in the seventies and early eighties, but very few are seen now, the survey said. The Chief Minister expressed hope that the postage stamp would raise the level of awareness regarding the importance of conservation of wildlife. He has announced that the prize money for the Biju Patnaik Award for wildlife conservation has been increased to Rs 1 lakh. Afzal family returns home with hope New Delhi/Mumbai, Oct. 7: Having presented their case before President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the wife and son of Mohammed Afzal Guru, who is facing the death sentence for his involvement in the Parliament attack case of December 13, 2001, returned to Srinagar on Saturday. Carrying back hope, the family said it was praying for a positive response from the President. “We are anxious but very hopeful that the President will consider our mercy plea in a positive way,” Afzal’s wife Tabassum said here before leaving for home. Tabassum and her seven-year-old son had come to Delhi along with Afzal’s mother Ayesha Begum and two brothers for five days to garner support for Azal. Afzal’s wife, son and mother had during their meeting with the President presented a petition for clemency. Though the President is still in the process of seeking legal opinion on their petition, the family has seen a glimmer of hope with the scheduled execution of Afzal on October 20 being put on hold after filing of the mercy petition. There have been protests from the BJP and its frontal organisations against the plea. The BJP which is opposed to granting clemency to Afzal, has sought an appointment with President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for Sunday to request the punishment should not be commuted to life imprisonment. Man likes snakes to bite him Patna, Oct. 7: Dilip Chauraisa likes being bitten by snakes. The venom of even the most poisonous snake has never affected him — except that he feels drowsy for a while. This man from Dumka, the second capital of Jharkhand, has not slept for the 22 years. “I relax whenever the poison of a snake enters my body and I feel drowsy. But that has never put me in bed,” says Dilip, who owns a small grocery shop at Tin Bazar chowk in Dumka. Dilip claims that in 1984 an angel came in his dreams. “She took me away to an unknown place and then we returned before dawn.” He says this has become a daily affair and he cannot sleep. Army starts Ulfa offensive Guwahati, Oct. 7: The Army has launched an intensive military offensive inside the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district to flush out banned United Liberation Front of Asom militants holed up inside. Highly placed sources said that the Army airdropped commandos inside the forest to assist troops advancing towards the camp area on the ground. The sources coordinating the operations said that the militants were using the forest as an operational headquarters. This is not for the first time that the Army has launched operations inside the Dibru-Saikhowa forest, the last offensive coming in late August, 2005. But operations had to be called off midway following the formation of the People’s Consultative Group (PCG) by Ulfa for holding peace-talks on September 8, 2005. Israel ‘lauds’ Rajnath’s idea New Delhi, Oct. 7: Israel has “appreciated” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Rajnath Singh’s idea to let India take a proactive role in dismantling terror camps in Pakistan and Bangladesh after taking the international community into confidence, the party said on Saturday. Mr Singh, who met Israeli ambassador David Danieli at the party office here, credited Israel with showing respect to the sentiments of the international community by “not targeting areas beyond Hezbollah influence and subsequently withdrawing troops” in the Lebanon conflict. The BJP chief also described the Israeli action on the Hezbollah as a move aimed at “self-defence”, a party release said. “He (Mr Singh) had also suggested in the past that it was necessary for India to have a proactive role in dismantling the terrorist camps in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but only after taking the international community into confidence.” 3 dam projects okayed New Delhi, Oct. 7: Andhra Pradesh special representative Ravi Mallu announced on Saturday that the ministry of environment and forests has accorded the final clearance for three Medium Irrigation Projects — Rallivagu, Gollavagu and Peddavagu Nilwai projects — in Adilabad district. Giving details, Dr Mallu Ravi said the Rallivagu project with an estimated ayacut of 6,000 acres and an estimated cost of Rs 33.30 crore involves diversion of 564 acres of forestland. The Gollavagu Project with an estimated ayacut of 9,500 acres and an estimated cost Rs 83.62 crore, diverts 568 acres of forestland. The Pedavagu Nilwai Project has an estimated ayacut of 13,000 acres is expected to cost Rs 90.50 crore. It involves 384 acres of forestland.