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O HERALD O
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Goa’s Heartbeat: Katrina says no to Sheila... Pg 4
Business: Goldman Sachs warns about India story risks Pg 13
(air surcharge rs 2.00) pages 16+4
Sports: Miandad accepts Pak Pg 16 coaching role
Land acquisition plan by Dec-end, says Kamat
Petrol hike likely next week State-owned oil companies may raise petrol prices by Rs 1.50 to Rs 2 per litre early next week, while a Rs 2 a litre hike in diesel rates is under the government consideration, a senior official said today. — (PTI) (Detail report on page 13)
Development in eco zones banned HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 8
The statue of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception being taken out in a procession on the occasion of the feast day. Photo by Rozario Estibeiro.
Mob halts traffic after truck mishap HERALD CORRESPONDENT CURCHOREM, DEC 8
An irate mob on Wednesday evening paralyzed Quepem-Curchorem traffic for over three hours, after a 28-year-old youth from Dhamadwado-Xeldem was killed in an accident involving a mining truck at Kakumoddi-Curchorem. According to sources, the accident occurred at about 4 pm when Swapnesh Vinayak Xeldekar was returning home on his motorcycle. On reaching near Ganjekar Saw Mill at Kakumoddi, Swapnesh was knocked down by a loaded truck (GA-02Z-6231), which was proceeding from the opposite direction. Swapnesh died on the spot. Curchorem Police Inspector Bhanudas Dessai rushed to the spot and after conducting panchanama sent the body to Hosp i c i o i n M a rg a o f o r p o s t mortem. Later, when Dessai summoned van of Curchorem Fire Brigade to wash away the blood (Continued on page 10)
Centre, UP at odds over Varanasi blast
Security agencies examine CCTV footage PTI VARANASI/LUCKNOW, DEC 8
The Centre and Uttar Pradesh government today sparred on the Varanasi terror attack with Home Minister P Chidambaram saying there was a specific advisory given on the possibility of a strike in one of the Ganga ghats but its utility was contested by the state. The state government also countered Chidambaram’s remarks that there was “some laxity” on the part of authorities that led to yesterday’s blast in Shitlaghat that killed a two-yearold girl and injured 31 others. After a visit to the blast spot and the hospitals where he consoled the injured, Chidambaram told reporters that he had not come to do a “jugalbandi” or blame anyone but asserted that the law and order was primarily
the responsibility of the State. “In fact, as far as UP is concerned, a specific advice was given on February 25, 2010 that the Dashashwamedh Ghat was one of the targets. So this area had been identified as a possible target in February 2010. “I am not here to do a ‘jugalbandi’ to blame anyone but specific advisories were given.... It is for the government of UP to realise that it is first the responsibility of the State government to maintain law and order. Police and public order are state subjects,” he said. However, he added it would not be possible to give pin-point intelligence in advance about any incident. He said on December 5, on the eve of the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, another advisory was given to remain on alert.
CBI raids Raja’s homes, 4 aides and private firm PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 8
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today searched the homes of former Telecom Minister A Raja in New Delhi and Chennai and four of his former aides besides a private firm in connection with the 2G spectrum probe and claimed it had recovered incriminating documents. Besides Raja, the CBI conducted searches at premises of R K Chandolia, his former personal secretary, Siddhartha Behuria, then Department of Telecom (DoT) Secretary, K Sridhar, then member, Telecom Commission, A K Srivastava, then Deputy Director General, Access Service Wing, DoT, and his business partner Sadiqui Batcha,
Managing Director of Chennaibased Greenhouse Exports. CBI sources said Chandolia and Srivastava were questioned and they may be quizzed again tomorrow. The sources sad Raja also may be questioned. The Dravida Munnetra Kazagham leader has been maintaining that he was ready to be quizzed any time. The raids came nearly three weeks after Supreme Court reprimanded CBI over the pace of its probe into the massive 2G spectrum scam and a year after the agency started investigations. “Searches conducted so far at around 14 places have yielded recovery of incriminating documents,” Vineeta Thakur, DIG
of CBI, who is officiating as agency spokesperson said. A team of about 80 CBI sleuths began the operations in the wee hours in Delhi and Chennai at the residences of 47year-old Raja and other officials. Raja was forced to resign as minister on November 14 in the wake of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report that the rates at which 2G spectrum was allotted resulted in a possible loss to the exchequer to the tune of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. Besides being accused of undervaluing 2G spectrum, Raja has also been blamed for circumventing the rules to favour companies that did not meet the eligibility criteria for getting spectrum licences.
HC relief for Kings XI PTI MUMBAI, DEC 8
In a relief for Kings XI Punjab, Bombay High Court today stayed the termination of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise’s agreement by the Cricket Board. Justice S J Vazifdar remarked that going by the documents, Kings XI had “made out a strong case”. The dispute will now again go before a new arbitrator - earlier arbitrator Justice B N Srikrishna having recused himself but as of now Kings XI will be able to participate in the players auction in January. Kings XI will have to, however, furnish bank guarantees for making up the losses that BCCI, as well as the its own players might suffer in case the arbitrator’s award goes against Kings XI.
The judge also said that Kings XI will have to clear the dues of players for the previous IPL season. “It is a question of national prestige,” he said. Interestingly, Justice Srikrishna, who was arbitrator in dispute between Board of Cricket Control in India and Rajasthan
Royals, too had observed that prima facie termination of Royals’ agreement was illegal. The court also recorded a statement made by Kings XI’s lawyer Darius Khambata that the present share-holding pattern of owners - which includes actor Preity Zinta and industrialist Ness Wadia - will not change, and shares will not be sold without the court’s or arbitrator’s permission. BCCI’s defence for terminating the agreement is that Kings XI’s ownership pattern changed, without the cricket body’s consent, which was breach of a vital term in the agreement. The court directed Kings XI to furnish bank guarantee of USD 18 million for the players which it might pick up in the auction, and of USD 3.5 million for BCCI within one month.
“I think the police made some arrangements. But I think what has happened is that because the ‘arti’ takes place every night throughout the year, there may have been some kind of laxity. One may have assumed that it has been peaceful for so many weeks and so many months and that it would remain peaceful. Shortly later, UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told a press conference in Lucknow that “there was no specific actionable intelligence” from the Centre about possible terrorist activity in Varanasi and there was no laxity on the part of the state police. “Holding the state responsible is not justified. There was no specific actionable intelligence input regarding a terrorist act in Varanasi.
Assuring that losers of land for government projects would be suitably compensated, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said that the State’s land acquisition policy would be completed by December-end. Disclosing this at a press conference, Kamat said the government is considering bringing in a policy to suitably compensate the persons whose lands are acquired for public projects. “As an immediate step it has been decided to set up a mechanism which will ensure a proper and commensurate rate to be paid in respect of acquired lands,” he said. Kamat added, “It is proposed to continue that apart from market rate a suitable annuity should also be paid for a period of 20 years in respect of agricultural and orchard land.” “A committee is set up under the chairmanship of the chairman, Law Commission with both collectors as its members to determine the market rate in various areas and method for computation of annuity,” he said. The chief minister further said that the government expects to declare the above measure this year itself. “The policy would be finalized this month itself so that it can be implemented from 2011,” he said. Meanwhile, quashing reports that the criteria of eco-sensitive zones would apply only to Pernem and Canacona, plans of which are notified, Kamat said that development in these areas had been stopped about six months ago prior to the implementation of RP 2021. Kamat said that the Town and Country Planning board meeting held on April 16, 2010 had decided to ban development in eco-sensitive zones.
It is proposed to continue that apart from market rate a suitable annuity should also be paid for a period of 20 years in respect of agricultural and orchard land.
“Accordingly a circular was issued on May 17 banning development or construction in notified forest, private forest identified by the Karapurkar committee and Sawant committee, sloppy land having gradient (Continued on page 10)
Our enhanced security measures are good but what's the use if some of the ministers are having hard time getting in...