‘Govt. to consult all before bringing Women’s Bill in Lok Sabha’
Mar 11, 2010, NEW DELHIThe stand-off over the Women’s Reservation Bill ended on Thursday with the Government announcing that the proposed legislation would be brought in the Lok Sabha only after consultations with all sections.
The breakthrough came after SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD leader Lalu Prasad and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, the three strong opponents of the Bill, met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and DMK leader T.R. Baalu also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, “some sort of assurance was sought on the progress of the Constitution Amendment Bill (Women’s Reservation Bill) before bringing it to the Lok Sabha. Government will complete the process of consultations with all concerned,” Mr. Mukherjee said in a statement in the Lok Sabha after his discussions.
“I think, this assurance would assuage the feelings of all members and the business would be conducted smoothly,” he said, when the House re-assembled after two adjournments on the issue.
India, Russia to sign deals worth USD 10 bn during Putin visit
Thursday 11 March, 2010: India and Russia are expected to sign deals worth over USD 10 billion, including in defence and civilian nuclear sectors, and conclude the long-delayed agreement on aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's New Delhi visit beginning Friday.
"We expect the signing of 14-15 agreements after the talks and contracts worth over USD 10 billion," Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.
During the talks in New Delhi, special focus would be laid on bilateral interaction in hi-tech sectors like civilian nuclear energy, defence industry and production of telecom equipment, he said.
Additional agreement on retrofitting of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, the contract for supply of additional 29 naval MiG29K fighters and a deal to jointly develop a transport aircraft are among those to be signed during Putin's visit, he said.
According to the delivery agreement for Admiral Gorshkov, an irritant in the bilateral ties, New Delhi would shell out an additional USD 2.35 billion for the up-gradation of the carrier and training of Indian naval crews.
"Besides the two countries are also expected to sign the agreement for the construction of two more nuclear reactors at Kudankulam NPP in addition to two already in the completion stage," Ushakov said.
Putin, who last visited India as Russian president in 2007, would begin the official part of his visit on Friday by calling on President Pratibha Patil and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the official said.
He is also slated to hold a video conference with the Indian business leaders and cultural activists, including active listeners of the Voice of Russia radio's Indian broadcasts, who will gather in Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.
The main talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had visited Russia in December last year, would be held in the later half of Friday, Ushakov said.
No BJP MP against Women’s Bill: Sushma
Thursday, March 11, 2010, New Delhi: Rejecting reports that there were differences within her party over the Women’s Bill, BJP president Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said all her MPs will follow party line on the issue.
Emerging from a meeting at veteran leader and chairperson of the BJP parliamentary party LK Advani’s house with Lok Sabha MPs, she said the MPs differed on the use of Marshals in the Rajya Sabha.
“We will not allow that to happen. All MPs said they were with the party on Women’s Bill issue,” she told reporters.
Sushma also welcomed Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement in the Lok Sabha in which he announced an all party meeting would be called before the bill was brought for voting in the Lower House.
“We hope all issues related to Women’s Bill are sorted out in the meet,” she said.
The meeting was called after BJP MP Yogi Adityanath said there should be "internal democracy" on such issues and cautioned the party not to fall into Congress' "trap" of diverting the nation's attention from other important matters.
"There are other important issues like terrorism and Naxalism, but a week has been wasted in Parliament by discussing reservation for women," he had said.
"Reservation is not the need of the hour, it is not required now, as there are other issues of national interest to discuss. It is a conspiracy on the part of the Congress to divert attention from such issues and if BJP falls in this trap, then it would be unfortunate," Adityanath said.
He said he was not against the bill but the way it was passed in Rajya Sabha through deployment of marshals.
"I am not against the bill, but the way it was cleared in Rajya Sabha with the help of marshals is not acceptable to us. If it is introduced in a similar manner in Lok Sabha, the MPs will be forced to resign," the Gorakhpur MP said.
Hinting at differences in BJP over the party's stand on the bill, he said, "Internal democracy within the party is also important, especially on such issues. All decisions cannot be taken by sitting in Delhi and representatives of people should also be taken into confidence for their opinion and there should be internal discussion on it."
Adityanath claimed that he did not see any possibility of any whip being issued by BJP in the Lok Sabha for the bill, as it would not be introduced there at all.
"The bill has been put in deep freeze, it will not be introduced in Lok Sabha," he said.
Court adjourns Rathore's case till April 15
Chandigarh, March 10, 2010: A court on Wednesday adjourned till April 15 the molestation case against former Haryana police chief SPS Rathore after being told that his counsel was recovering from an injury.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri gave the ruling. His wife and another counsel, Abha Rathore, accompanied Rathore. His main counsel, Narayan Dutt Sharma, was injured last month.
The case will now be heard April 15 and 16.
The court had earlier adjourned Rathore's case till March 10 following a knife attacks on him by a student, Utsav Sharma.
At that time, Rathore had refused to file a complaint against Sharma. But last week he asked the Chandigarh Police to register an attempt to murder charge against the young man.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court held Rathore guilty in December last year of molesting 15-year-old Ruchika in Panchkula town in August 1990. She committed suicide three years later.
He was sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1, 000. Rathore is on bail.
Chef de Missions visit CWG venues
Wednesday 10 March, 2010: Chef de Missions from the participating countries on Wednesday inspected the venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and were impressed with facilities, according to the organisers.
The delegates, including Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Michael Fennell, have gathered in New Delhi for the three-day Chef de Mission seminar, which commenced on Tuesday.
They visited Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex, the Games Village, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and the Rugby 7 venue at Delhi University.
At the Games Village, the delegates were shown a set of furnished apartments, where they got to see the facilities that would be provided to the visiting athletes and officials during the Games, a CWG Organising Committee release said.
"I am confident that Delhi will organise excellent Commonwealth Games. At the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, work is going on, but I am sure that everything will be ready in time.
In India the work in progress is very impressive," Abdul Halil of Malaysia said after the inspection.
Neville Fenton of Antigua said, "I am very impressed with the facilities, which we have seen at different venues for the Commonwealth Games. Surely its going to be a lovely Games, and we will love to be a part of it. Here at the Games Village also, the arrangements are fine."
Two ministers, US Congressman recommended Chatwal for Padma
Mar 10, 2010, NEW DELHI: Two Union Ministers and a prominent US Congressman recommended the name of controversial NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal for the prestigious Padma awards, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The four recommendations came from Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, member of US Congress Joseph Crowley and Dalis Adler, Staff Associate, Sub-Committee on the Middle East and South Asia under the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran told the House in reply to a query that as per guidelines regulating Padma award, nominations for it are open to all.
Besides inviting nominations from institutional sources like state and UT governments, central ministries, departments, institutes of excellence and Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan awardees, a large number of recommendations are also received from various other sources like Governors, Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, MPs, private institutions, bodies and individuals, he said.
All nominations and recommendations received are placed before the Padma Awards committee for its consideration. The committee scrutinises them and makes its recommendations to the competent authority for approval, Ramachandran said.
The selection of Chatwal for the Padma award had sparked a controversy following allegations that he was involved in financial irregularities, a charge denied by him.
