NEWS IN BRIEF – NOV 18, 2011
1. PM to meet Obama, China’s Wen today : NEW DELHI: India heads into
an East Asia-Asean summit faced with the challenge posed by changing
dynamics within the grouping, as the United States marks its formal entry
into the process for the first time and the shadow cast by China’s
increasingly loud claims to maritime passage and the South China Sea’s
rich oil reserves sets the stage for a confrontation. The summit begins
Friday, with Russia also joining the group.[AA p1]
2. Singhvi, Mallya top earners in Rajya Sabha, 140 Crorepati MPs Have
‘No Other Income’: New Delhi: Crorepati MPs in the Rajya Sabha are
making many more crores imparting wisdom elsewhere. Members who
have declared the highest remuneration — adding up income from
directorship, regular remunerated activity and professional engagement —
include Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who tops the chart at Rs 50 crore per
annum; Vijay Mallya (Rs 41.4 crore), Arun Jaitley (Rs 10 crore), Ram
Jethmalani (Rs 8.41 crore) and Naresh Gujral (Rs 4.79) crore. [TOI p1]
3. Govt readies for big next generation reforms push : NEW DELHI: In a
bid to counter perceptions of policy paralysis, governance deficit and
political drift, the UPA government is poised to introduce a slew of longpending
second-generation economic reforms -including allowing foreign
direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and permitting foreign airlines
to invest in domestic aviation companies -over the coming weeks and
months.[HT p1]
4. Food security bill draft ready : NEW DELHI: Food minister K.V. Thomas
on Thursday said that the government is ready with the draft Cabinet note
on the proposed Food Security Bill and that the bill has been circulated for
inter-ministerial comments.[HT p12]
5. Can’t do more on N-liability, India to tell US : NEW DELHI :India
cannot deny its citizens the right to seek compensation against
manufacturers of a nuclear plant if an accident takes place, senior officials
said, ruling out the possibility of accommodating US demands on this
count.[HT p1]
6. Court agrees it was a sting, no conspiracy by BJP MPs : New Delhi :
While granting bail to six accused persons in the cash-for-vote case on
Wednesday, the Delhi High Court virtually gave them a clean chit,
observing that there was no criminal conspiracy on the part of the then
three BJP MPs to demand and accept a bribe to vote in favour of the
confidence motion moved by the UPA government in 2008.[The Hindu
p14]
7. Rahul visit shot in arm for PCC boss : New Delhi: After the chief
ministers, it was the turn of state Congress president J P Aggarwal to
reaffirm his position in the party. On Thursday, he invited AICC general
secretary Rahul Gandhi to the DPCC headquarters at Deen Dayal
Upadhyay Marg. It was a show of strength ahead of the 2012 municipal
elections. Rahul was hailed as a “morale booster” for the party workers.
[TOI p6]
8. NBWs against Sushma,Chouhan for dishonouring national flag,
Higher Court Stays Order : Bhopal: A local court in MP on Thursday
issued non-bailable warrants against leader of the opposition in the Lok
Sabha Sushma Swaraj, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and two others on
charges of dishonouring the tricolour, but a higher court stayed the order
and granted bail. Additional district and sessions judge Vijay Malviya fixed
December 1 as the next date for hearing.[TOI p11]
9. 92 Rajya Sabha MPs Have Pecuniary Interest: RTI, A total of 33 MPs
have declared shareholding of controlling nature: NEW DELHI :
Jairam Ramesh may have stirred up a hornet’s nest when he, as
environment minister, complained of MPs indulging in conflict of interest
by lobbying for environmental projects, but a look at the Register of
Interest of Rajya Sabha members proves how MPs have managed to find
a place in many House panels despite having business interests in the
sectors concerned. [ET p2]
10. Lokpal Bill glossed over in all-party meeting : New Delhi: Key political
parties skipped the mention of Lokpal Bill as the Speakers all-party
meeting on Thursday resulted in all-round assurance of smooth conduct of
proceedings, but with demands to raise issues that are likely to send
tempers soaring in Parliament when the winter session begins on
November 22.[TOI p17]
11. CBI’s files to Swamy bring Chidambaram under radar: New Delhi
:The files containing more than 500 pages furnished to Janata Party
president Subramanian Swamy by CBI on Thursday indicate to then
Finance Minister P Chidambaram having advised jailed former Telecom
Minister A Raja on ways to legalise the controversial sale of equity of
Swan and Unitech to foreign companies.[Pioneer Daily p5]
12. Ramesh Writes to Mayawati Again on Irregularities in NREGA : NEW
DELHI : In a move that will ratchet up the already heated confrontation
between the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, rural development minister Jairam
Ramesh has written a second letter to UP chief minister Mayawati about
the financial irregularities in the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme in the state. [ET p2]
13. Nath slams Maya for failing to push Metro projects : New Delhi: As
assembly elections approach in Uttar Pradesh, the Mayawati regime in UP
is coming under increasing attacks from UPA with urban development
minister Kamal Nath joining his colleague Jairam Ramesh in slamming the
state government.[TOI p11]
14. BSY does a U-turn , to campaign in Bellary polls : Bangalore :Going
back on his earlier decision, B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday said he would
campaign for the BJP in the Bellary Rural constituency elections. The Uturn
comes after party leaders are learnt to have told the former Karnataka
chief minister, during an election strategy meeting on Thursday, that he
was crucial for the party’s prospects in the November 30 polls.[IE p9]
15. CBI gives Swamy 400 pages of 2G files : New Delhi : The CBI
Thursday handed over the documents demanded by Janata Party
president Subramanian Swamy, which, according to him, would prove the
complicity of then finance minister P Chidambaram in the 2G scam.[IE p7]
16. Left,LJP want AFSPA revoked : New Delhi: The Left parties and the
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Thursday demanded repeal of the Armed
Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K and Manipur, and said they
will raise the Kashmir issue in the winter session of Parliament.[TOI p13]
17. Left, BJP divided over price rise motion in LS : NEW DELHI: A division
within Opposition ranks is perceptible on whether the price rise issue
should be raised under an adjournment motion during the Winter Session
beginning Tuesday.[AA p1]
18. Gadkari rakes up temple issue : Ayodhya: BJP President Nitin Gadkari
on Thursday raked up the emotive temple issue saying the Allahabad high
court has paved the way for construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram in
Ayodhya.[TOI p13]
19. In Ayodhya, BJP promises `Ram Rajya’ : LUCKNOW: In the land of
Lord Ram, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday promised to bring in
Ram Rajya in Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, that wore a bright saffron hue with
marigold strings, also reverberated with cries of “Jai Shri Ram“ after a
considerable gap.[AA p2]
20. Gadkari-Modi divide widens further : New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata
Party president Nitin Gadkari has told party leaders that there may be no
need for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to campaign in the highstake
Assembly elections due next year in Uttar Pradesh, BJP sources
told The Hindu.[The Hindu p1]
21. Advani harps on ‘return black money’ slogan : Dehradun : Senior
BJP leader L K Advani on Thursday announced that his party would
crusade for the return of black money stashed away in foreign banks in
the Winter session of Parliament.[The Hindu p5]
22. BJP urges judiciary to reconsider 100cr fine imposed on Times Now :
New Delhi: The main opposition party, BJP, on Thursday said that a fine
of Rs 100 crore imposed on Times Now by a Pune trial court in a
defamation case involving Justice P B Sawant was not justifiable and
appealed to the higher judiciary to reconsider it.[TOI p17]
23. LK: Don’t hasten division of states : CHANDIGARH: A division within
Opposition ranks is perceptible on whether the price rise issue should be
raised under an adjournment motion during the Winter Session beginning
Tuesday.[AA p2]
24. PM’s Letter is Thrown into Dustbin, Says Upset SC, Apex court
chides states for ignoring prime minister on special CBI courts: NEW
DELHI : The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its indignation over
states for the failure to take follow-up action on the prime minister’s order
for setting up special courts to deal with cases being investigated by the
CBI, and lamented that a letter written by the head of government to this
effect in 2009 was thrown into the “dustbin”. [ET p3]
25. CBI Tampered with Evidence, 2G Scam Accused Tell Special Court :
NEW DELHI : The special court hearing the 2G case on Thursday asked
the CBI to respond to allegations that the probe agency tampered with
evidence in the 2G scam case. The court issued these orders after all the
accused in the 2G scam had sought the court’s intervention to stop what
they termed as an unhealthy practice of calling witnesses unofficially and
tampering with evidence.[ET p5]
26. Yashwant Picks Holes in Pension Reforms Bill, Standing
committee’s key recommendations not incorporated in the bill, says
BJP leader : NEW DELHI : Senior BJP leader and chairman of
Parliament’s Standing Committee Yashwant Sinha on Thursday said the
government’s rejection of the panel’s suggestions for fine-tuning the
pension reforms bill is a matter of concern. [ET p3]
27. Don’t cash in on KF crisis, DGCA warns airlines : New Delhi: The
Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday warned airlines against
trying to cash in on the demand-supply crunch caused by Kingfisher’s
massive flight cancellation in this peak travel season. DGCA chief Bharat
Bhushan said air fares are being monitored very closely.[TOI p9]
28. Many surprises as Rajya Sabha members declare assets : New Delhi
: Lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Arun Jaitley and industrialist Vijay
Mallya, owner of the now-beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines, are the top
three moneymakers among 92 Rajya Sabha members who have declared
financial interests in business activities. These range from remunerative
directorship of firms, share holding of controlling nature in companies and
money from professional engagements.[The Tribune p1]
29. Speaker: 45 issues on Opp. agenda : LUCKNOW:The CPI’s Gurudas
Dasgupta wants the Winter Session of Parliament to be extended fearing
that government business -31 bills for passage -may find it difficult as the
session has only 17 sittings.[AA p2]
30. I have not undertaken yatra to project myself as CM: Rajnath :
Ayodhya : The Rajnath Singh-Kalraj Mishra-led BJP’s Jan Swabhiman
Yatra in Uttar Pradesh has triggered speculation about the party’s chief
ministerial candidate. The proposed Jal Yatra by Uma Bharti has also
begun a debate about here chief ministerial ambitions.[Pioneer Daily p7]
31. Need to include Group C,D; they exploit poorest : Kejriwal : New
Delhi : Non-inclusion of Group C and D government employees under the
jurisdiction of the proposed Lokpal would result in a “huge vacuum” and
leave the poorest section of society with no recourse against
institutionalized corruption, Arvind Kejriwal, one of the most prominent
faces of the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement, said today.[IE
p1]
32. Cold vibes from Cong, Ajit Singh cosies up to BJP : NEW DELHI: A
pre-poll arrangement for Uttar Pradesh continues to elude the Congress
and Ajit Singh’s RLD, but other parties have initiated backdoor
negotiations for fresh alliances ahead of the polls next year.[HT p13]
33. Lokayukta notice to U.P. Minister : Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh
Lokayukta has issued notice to state transport minister Ram Acahl
Rajbhar on charges of having disproportionate assets. Lokayukta Justice
N.K. Mehrotra has directed Rajbhar to file a reply within 14 days on a
complaint lodged against him, official sources said here.[AA p3]
34. Maya to move resolution to split UP on Monday : Lucknow : Chief
Minister Mayawati will personally present the resolution to recommend the
division of Uttar Pradesh into four smaller states — Poorvanchal, Paschim
Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Awadh Pradesh — on the first day of the
Assembly’s winter session on November 21.[IE p5]
35. Division of state should not be done in a hurry : Advani : Chandigarh
:Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Thursday said the decision to carve out
Uttar Pradesh into four states should not be done in a hurry and there
should be some basis for dividing the state.[IE p5]
36. Advani’s clean chit to BJP ex-ministers : Chandigarh :Senior BJP
leader LK Advani today gave a clean chit to three former ministers
Manoranjan Kalia, Swarna Ram and Master Mohan Lal who were dropped
from the SAD-BJP Cabinet in May this year, saying that corruption
charges had nothing to do with it.[The Tribune p2]
37. Low-on-wow factor scions in battle for UP : New Delhi : An interesting
battle seems to be emerging between two scions charged with leading
their respective party campaigns for the forthcoming Assembly election in
Uttar Pradesh ~ Mr Akhilesh Yadav, son of Samajwadi chief Mr Mulayam
Singh Yadav, and Mr Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress president Mrs Sonia
Gandhi.[The Statesman p1]
38. Probe Sonia’s role in cash-for-vote case: Gadkari :Ayodhya:
Claiming that the three BJP MPs charged in the cash-for-vote case were
innocent, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari today demanded an
investigation into the role of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the
notorious episode.[The Tribune p2]
39. Bihar sticks to its version of Lokayukta : Patna : Undeterred by Team
Anna’s criticism of the draft Lokayukta Bill, the Nitish Kumar Government
appeared firm to table it during Winter session of the two Houses of Bihar
Legislature which begins on December 2, official sources said on
Thursday.[The Hindu p5]
40. Ex ED official, wife jailed for 3 years, fined : New Delhi: Stating that
corruption is corroding the country like “cancerous lymph nodes”, a trial
court has sentenced a former Enforcement Directorate (ED) official along
with his wife — both senior citizens — to three years rigorous
imprisonment for owning assets disproportionate to their known income.
[TOI p6]
41. CM denies letter from Prez office : NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister
Sheila Dikshit denied receiving any letter from the President’s office, which
slammed the CM for publishing a “false” statement about the Rajeev
Rattan Awas Yojana in year 2008 to lure the voters. Earlier the Delhi
Lokayukta sent the copy of the complaint to the Union home ministry and
the President’s office.[AA p13]
42. MHA to approve trifurcation of MCD by Friday : New Delhi : Delhi CM
Sheila Dikshit will have home ministry’s approval to her plans to trifurcate
the MCD possibly by Friday. The law ministry cleared the proposal to split
the MCD into three bodies on Thursday.[HT p8]
LEGAL/CRIME NEWS
43. ‘Sohrabuddin was killed in a fake encounter’: AHMEDABAD: Senior
lawyer Ram Jethmalani appearing former junior home minister of Gujarat
Amit Shah in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, on Thursday reiterated
that the gangster was killed by Gujarat police in a fake encounter because
he was an “extortionist and a criminal.“ [HT p12]
44. CBI’s false claims invite SC ire : New Delhi : The CBI’s attempt to nail
Gujarat Government’s former Minister Amit Shah as “kingpin” of an
extortion racket in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case was
thoroughly exposed by the Supreme Court on Thursday. The court
concluded that the allegation was an “unwarranted insinuation” on
discovering that the supporting evidence presented by the agency was
“absolute trash”.[Pioneer Daily p1]
