New Delhi, Tracking details of foreigners visiting India on valid travel documents, will become easier from Friday with the government inaugurating the central processing office of the Immigration, Visa and Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) system which has, so far, connected as many as 60 Indian Missions and many immigration offices. Besides helping foreigners in getting visa quickly and sharing information across the concerned Indian agencies about foreign travelers, the IVFRT will also help in "software aided passenger profiling for identifying risky travelers at Missions, Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) and FRROs, and generation of automated alerts about over-stay of foreigners beyond their Visa period". The system envisages facilitation services to the travelers including on-line application forms, 24X7 on-line channel, phone support for grievance redressal and e-mail/SMS support for dissemination of information, application status and feedback. Union home minister P Chidambaram will inaugurate the central office of the IVFRT here at Delhi Information Technology Park, Shashtri Park on Friday. The new system has already been implemented and operationalised ...
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New Delhi, The government on Wednesday claimed that political parties were in the know of the move to refer the Lokpal bill to a select committee and that leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley was consulted on its composition. "The committee was drawn up after consultation," parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal said. The government claimed that there might have been a gap in communication within BJP as party MPs protested the move while Jaitley sat without intervening. Jaitley contested the government's suggestion that he was on board, saying that he had only been informed about the move to refer the bill to a select committee. "I was not consulted, the ministers merely told me about the government's plan," he said. He also said that when Bansal met him, he had told the minister that he intended to "raise objections with relation to the incompetent amendment to refer the bill to a select committee". He pointed out that in the House, he had asked the government to be upfront about its intent rather than getting a Samajwadi Party MP to move the amendment. Speaking to the media, Bansal said all parties were consulted over the composition of the ...
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New Delhi, Reacting to the steep petrol price hike, the main opposition party BJP demanded an immediate rollback of what it described as a cruel joke on the people. Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the hike was "atrocious and unbelievable" and announced that his party would launch a stir against the government decision. "We condemn the petrol price hike and seek its rollback. We will not allow it to happen. A strong democratic agitation is on the cards," Javadekar said. Strongly opposing the move, the Left parties called upon their units to immediately launch protests all over the country. "It is a cruel blow on people who are already suffering from severe price rise. The Left parties have called upon all party units to immediately organize powerful protest actions," CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said. His colleague Sitaram Yechury said the move was a "criminal additional burden" on people's livelihood. Leaders of the CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc also opposed the move, with CPI leader D Raja saying this was a "prelude to hike the prices of diesel and other petroleum products". "It is a disaster. It will further push up inflation to the skies, dampen ...
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New Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has expressed herself against MPs' demand to sport red beacons atop their cars in Delhi. In a meeting of Congress parliamentary party executive, Gandhi made it clear that more red beacons in Delhi would create problems. However, she said it should be left to states to take a decision on the issue in their jurisdiction. The Congress president stated this when senior party MP P C Chacko raised the issue during the meeting seeking her view on the matter, sources said. Her remarks came close on the heels of a debate in the Lok Sabha last week which saw MPs from across the political spectrum making a strong demand for being given the right to sport red beacons atop their vehicle and said they would approach the Prime Minister in this regard. They had said that the privileges committee of the Lok Sabha had made recommendation to the effect and sought to know why the government was delaying the measure. Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi had also yesterday come out against red beacon lights on the cars of lawmakers saying in the current climate of cynicism, it could become the "butt of ridicule and derision" "The current climate of ...
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New Delhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader P.A. Sangma, whose name has been proposed for president by the AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Tuesday said he would urge parties to "respond to the call of conscience" and choose a tribal for the post. Sangma, who met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to thank him for backing his presidential candidature, told reporters: "We hope that other political parties, including those in the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), respond to the call of conscience in the nation by the tribal people and support us in the coming presidential election." Marching ahead in the presidential race after being backed by BJD leader Patnaik and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa, Sangma is making attempts to get support from major parties. Sangma, who was accompanied by other tribal lead­ers from different political parties, said: "We belong from different political parties but we are fighting a common cause of projecting a tribal as a presidential candidate." Thanking Patnaik and Jayalalithaa, he said: "Indeed it is time, a distinguished tribal leader needs to be the 'rashtrapati' of this great ...
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New Delhi, Army Chief General V.K. Singh has still not consented to attending the official farewell tea party hosted by the Ministry of Defence in order to avoid his brief profile being read out, including the controversial date of birth in front of Defence Minister A.K. Antony and other top officials. The organisers have contacted the Army Chief's office several times for his consent and are worried that delay is being done to avoid the official function that will start with mention of personal details, including the date of birth of General Singh on which he has been at loggerheads with the Ministry of Defence. The Joint Secretary (Establishment) as per the norms will read out General Singh's profile, provided by his office. It is followed by speeches from the Defence Minister, the Defence Secretary and other top officials of the ministry. The event used to end with the handing over of a plaque. The Army Chief claims that he was born on May 10, 1951, whereas the Ministry of Defence considers his year of birth to be 1950. The organisers are worried that the official farewell tea party to be held on General Singh's retirement date could be used by the Army Chief to ...
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New Delhi, With the government sending the controversial Lokpal Bill to a Rajya Sabha select committee for further scrutiny and discussion on Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has accused the former of not being sincere in its efforts to pass anti-graft proposal. "This has become quiet clear, that the intentions of the government over bringing the Ombudsman (Bill) were not correct since the very beginning. The government has once again exposed its corrupt face protecting corrupt people," Naqvi told media here. Expressing displeasure over sending the bill to a select committee, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Any search proposal for select committee can come only and only by the minister in charge who is in possession of the entire proposal. It could not have come from anyone else." "This kind of procedure was most unwarranted. We deeply regret it, and also condemn it. The present consideration is also permissible in terms of Article 252 of the Constitution, where such considerations are permissible only when two state assemblies empower the Rajya Sabha to consider such a proposal," he added. Communist Party of India (CPI) ...
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New Delhi, In yet another twist, the controversial Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill was on Monday referred to the select committee of Rajya Sabha, further delaying the setting up of the anti-graft ombudsman which has been hanging fire for 42 years. The bill, on which debate had remained inconclusive in the Rajya Sabha during the last winter session, was referred to the select committee through a motion soon after minister of state for personnel V Narayanasamy moved it for consideration and passage. Interestingly, the motion for referring the bill to the select committee was moved initially by Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal. This was strongly objected to by BJP, Left parties and BSP, with their members arguing that only the minister concerned could move such a motion and accusing the ruling coalition of "using the shoulder" of "friendly opposition" party. After high drama marked by arguments and counter-arguments over whether rules permitted any other member to move such a motion, the government yielded and the motion was moved by Narayanasamy which was immediately passed by voice vote. He said the 15-member committee would have to submit its report by the first day of ...
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New Delhi, The government Monday released the much-awaited white paper on black money, which makes a strong pitch for setting up the Lokpal and Lokayuktas but carries no official estimate of the illicit money stashed by Indians abroad. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tabled the white paper in the Lok Sabha. The paper carries no estimates on the quantum of money stashed abroad, but quotes figures released by different agencies. "There are no reliable estimates of black money generation or accumulation, neither is there an accurate well-accepted methodology for making such estimation," the paper said. It pointed out that among the estimates made so far, there is no uniformity, unanimity, or consensus about the best methodology or approach to be used for this purpose. "There have also been wide variations in the figures reported, which further serves to highlight the limitations of the different methods adopted." The paper made a strong pitch for setting up the Lokpal and Lokayuktas to effectively deal with the menace of black money and other corrupt practices. In the foreword to the report, Mukherjee pointed out that in this past year the government has ...
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New Delhi, With the Budget session set to conclude on Tuesday, the much-debated Lokpal Bill, instead of being brought in the Rajya Sabha, could be referred to a Joint Select Committee amid lack of consensus on its key provisions. "A decision will be taken tomorrow", a Union minister involved in the process said when asked whether the bill would go to a Joint Select Committee or Select Committee. When a Bill comes up before a House for discussion, it may be referred to a Select Committee of the House or a Joint Committee of the two Houses. The Select or the Joint Select Committee considers the Bill clause by clause just as the two Houses do. A senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified, said the possibility of the bill being referred to a Joint Select Committee, cannot be ruled out. Reports said that in the absence of consensus on key provisions of the legislation including the one dealing with Lokpal's superintendence over CBI appears to be deterring the government from bringing the bill in the Rajya Sabha this week. The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha. Uncertainty hung over the bill coming up in the Upper House in the current session with ...
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New Delhi, Law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday came out in strong defence of Manmohan Singh, rubbishing criticism of him being a weak prime minister. Khurshid, who admitted that administering the country today was getting tougher, said Singh was the best person for the job and had provided "thoughtful, philosophical" leadership in uncertain times. Admitting that the coalition government was facing a tough ride, the minister said Congress was prepared for all options, including being in opposition, after the general elections in 2014. "I don't think we could have had a better person in these times when we have been under stress... that we have had a lot of questions raised about how India should be governed and how it is being governed," Khurshid said in a TV interview. He maintained that Singh had provided leadership at a time when there were "dark clouds" about the Indian economy, the monsoon, and on how the country moved forward with important economic changes. Asked about the alleged policy paralysis and differences with allies on issues like FDI in retail, the minister said, "Administering this country in our present times is very, very tough but our ...
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New Delhi, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has rejected the Parliamentary standing committee's suggestion to delete a clause in the Land Acquisition Bill allowing the government to acquire land for public-private-partnership (PPP) projects Talking to media here, Sharma said that they would be putting up this point in front of the cabinet as it may hamper investments. "You cannot take a view which is regressive, which prevents the rules of manufacturing, which will virtually hamper the investors' sentiments. We have to encourage investors in our economy particularly in the manufacturing sector and jobs will only be created there. I have taken on board fully the concerns of the manufacturing and engineering sectors of the industry and what has been conveyed by captains of the industry," he said. "We will be placing this very firmly before the cabinet because we cannot take any step which in fact goes against the original spirit and de-industrialises this country or brings down industrial growth and investments," he added Sharma also said that he was in touch with Jairam Ramesh on this matter and hopes for a proper ...
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New Delhi, Global ratings agency Standard & Poor's move to revise India's sovereign credit rating outlook to negative from stable may have some impact on the perception of investors but the government has taken note of the concerns and is taking a series of steps to strengthen and sustain robust economic growth, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday. Replying to a question in Parliament, Mukherjee said S&P's assessment should be viewed in the context of the current economic difficulties that nations around the globe are facing. "Since April 2011, several sovereigns were downgraded especially by S&P and other major rating agencies. In comparison, India's sovereign ratings have either been affirmed or upgraded in segments," Mukherjee said in his reply. The finance minister said S&P had not downgraded India's credit rating but revised the outlook on the long-term ratings to negative from stable. It affirmed India's BBB (minus) long term and A-3 short term sovereign rating. "In their report S&P also raised concerns about issues such as the level of fiscal deficit and debt burden, increase in the current account deficit and the slowdown in economic growth," ...
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New Delhi, The Telangana issue rocked Rajya Sabha on Friday with political parties laming each other for delay in granting separate statehood to the region. The commotion started with Congress MP Hanumantha Rao alleging that home minister P Chidambaram's statement on creation of a separate Telangana state was given in 2010 after TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu pledged his support for it. Soon Rao, participating in a debate on private member's resolution, made the statement, the members from TDP and BJP sought a clarification from the home minister on the issue. Congress MP said Chidambaram had made the statement about starting the process of creation of Telangana on December 9, 2010, after Naidu said on December 7 that he will support it. Rao's comment attracted the ire of TDP member Devendra Goud T who said that Congress was trying to blame his party for the home minister's statement, demanding clarification from Chidambaram. BJP member Prakash Javadekar (BJP) said Congress was seeking opinion of other parties on the Telangana issue but its own stand was not clear. "All parties are present here and let everyone, including Congress, make its stand clear," he ...
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New Delhi, With food silos overflowing, the government has decided to push export of foodgrain. While an in-principle decision was taken at a meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday evening, the details will be thrashed out by the department of food. Commerce & industry minister Anand Sharma said that public sector companies under his charge have been asked to step up the export of foodgrain "on commercial terms" as this will also help the government deal with excess stock of food. He, however, said that no decision had been taken on providing incentives to export foodgrain as the cost of carrying the stock was already high. In April, there was a stock of around 53 million tones of grain, which is expected to exceed 75 million tonnes by next month once the Food Corporation of India's wheat procurement programme is complete. The large pile of grain has added to the government's already bloated food subsidy bill and woes have been mounted by inadequate storage space with tonnes lying in the open. The minister said that Indian Railways has also been asked to provide rakes to move the grain to ports for exports. Public sector companies such as STC, ...
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New Delhi, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh will meet representatives of all recognised trade unions of Air India next week to discuss the Justice Dharmadhikari report on human resource issues, including career progression and promotion of pilots. "I am just going to say that I have decided, I am calling a meeting next week of all the recognised trade unions of Air India because in that recovery plan, there will be big stake, we will discuss them, we will inform them what is the plan and also many of their promotions have been held up for many years," Singh told mediapersons here on Thursday. The meeting is expected to have all the representatives of recognised trade unions excluding the association of Indian pilots, who is spearheading the strike. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India to address various industrial relations issues. The Group of Ministers' (GOM) meeting held on February 7 has also desired that Justice Dharmadhikari committee recommendations be examined by the first week of March 2012. This committee will look into various ...
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New Delhi, A week-long panorama of Kuwaiti culture which opened in the capital May 15 has for the first time brought arts, crafts and performing traditions of the ancient port-nation to India to strengthen people-to-people cultural ties between the two countries. The culture showcase, presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Embassy of Kuwait will move to Jaipur from the capital before closing May 19. "The festival is a reciprocal gesture by Kuwait in response to a Festival of India in Kuwait in 2009. Kuwait and India share similar Islamic influences in architecture, tradition, festivals and rituals. The two countries share ancient trade links as well. Kuwait is one of the most peaceful countries in the Gulf region," director-general of ICCR Suresh Goel told IANS at the inauguration of the festival. "Ties in the contemporary context are more people-centric with a large number of Indian people working in Kuwait and adding value to its economy and social structure," Goel said. Independent surveys say nearly 600,000 Indians are currently living in Kuwait, a source in the embassy said. The Kuwait Cultural Week opened with an extravagant ...
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New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday said his government was committed to ensuring foolproof security of nuclear power plants but it would be harmful for the country to pass an ordinance against nuclear power. "We must put everything to ensure foolproof safety of the nuclear plants and we will not compromise on it. "But at the same time I would respectfully submit it would be harmful for the country's interest to pass an ordinance in the self-denial that we shall give up the option of having nuclear power," the prime minister said during question hour in the Lok Sabha. He said there was no compromise when it came to the question of safety. "We have 19 functional reactors and there has never been any accident. After Fukushima, I ordered a complete revisit to all the reactors and those reports are on the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) website." He said India must keep the option of nuclear power as an additional source of power. "We are not in a situation like Japan, where large amount of power comes from nuclear plants … France also has large number of nuclear power plants. We must keep the nuclear power as an additional ...
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New Delhi, Concern was expressed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday over continuation of the strike by Air India pilots, with Opposition members targeting civil aviation minister Ajit Singh for his statements outside Parliament indicating privatization of the national carrier. Launching a scathing attack on Singh, the Opposition threatened to bring a privilege motion against him for speaking on policy issues on civil aviation outside when the House was in session. They also wanted to know what the government was doing to resolve the 8-day impasse with 71 pilots being sacked for their stir. The protests, led by Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, climaxed with the adjournment of the House ahead of the lunch recess with the Opposition objecting to Singh's absence and asking Speaker Meira Kumar to direct the government to bring him to the House. Swaraj joined the members of her party BJP, CPI(M), CPI and JD-U in saying that Singh's remarks to the media on policy matters like privatization amounted to breach of "propriety of the House and hence its privilege". She said even when Singh had not replied to a discussion on Air India and the ongoing strike in the House, "he is ...
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New Delhi, Former telecommunications minister A Raja was on Tuesday granted bail in the 2G spectrum allocation case. He is the last of the 14 individuals charged in the case still in prison. The bail was granted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge OP Saini. Raja has been in Tihar jail since February last year. Raja's counsel told reporters that the judge called Raja towards him and told him: "Your bail application is allowed." "The bail application is allowed," Special CBI Judge O P Saini said. The court granted bail to the DMK MP on a personal bond of Rs 20 lakh and two sureties of the like amount. The court while granting bail imposed conditions on Raja that he will not visit Tamil Nadu without its prior permission and will not go to the office of the Department of Telecom (DoT). The court, in its 14-page bail order, also said that Raja would not try to influence any witnesses while on bail. Raja was arrested on February 2, last year. The announcement triggered wild slogan shouting and cheering by his DMK supporters mainly from Tamil Nadu, who raised slogans in Tamil like: "Raja, vazhga!" (Long Live Raja!) Besides the 14 individuals, three ...
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