No populism, no rollback in fuel price hike: PM

Edited by Naved Khan Tuesday, June 29, 2010 3:03 PM 0 comments


Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday rejected the Opposition's criticism of the Government's decision to hike fuel prices, saying the move to free petrol and diesel rates was "much needed" reforms and that there should be no "excessive populism".
"The fact that petrol prices have been set free, the same is going to be done to the diesel prices, was much needed reforms," he said on board a special aircraft while on his way back home from Toronto where he attended the G20 Summit. The Government on June 25 decontrolled petrol prices, resulting in a Rs 3.50 a litre increase in rates in Delhi, and raised diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre in preparation for an eventual decontrol.
Besides, domestic LPG prices were hiked by Rs 35 per cylinder and kerosene rates went up by Rs 3 per litre, the first increase in the poor man's cooking fuel in more than 8 years to cut government subsidies.
"And the adjustment that has been made in the prices of kerosene and LPG was also necessary, considering the very high amount of subsidy that is implicit in their pricing structure," he said.
Freeing diesel prices from government control would result in rates going up by another Rs 1.50 per litre but no time frame has been set for doing so. The Prime Minister was replying to a question on the government's decision Friday to effect an increase in the prices of petroleum products to cut losses for oil marketing companies and whether it indicated that the government was getting ready for tougher reforms and further deregulations.
"Well I can't tell you what we are going to do next. I think that when things get crystallised in the government system you will know them," he said.
The Prime Minister said the government had taken due care to ensure that the poorer sections were affected to the least possible extent and that was why the attempt to keep under regulation the prices of kerosene and LPG.
Even after the hike, kerosene is being sold at Rs 15.07 per litre below cost while a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder is under priced by Rs 226.90. The hike in fuel prices was necessitated because of the rising gulf between the cost of production and the retail prices.
Without the increase, public sector oil firms were projected to lose Rs 74,300 crore in revenues in 2010-11 fiscal and after the hikes, they will be saddled with Rs 53,000 crore of losses.
Also, the government has reserved the option of intervention in case of excessive rise or volatility in global oil prices, which are to decide auto fuel prices now.
Asked about the opposition to the fuel price hike and reservations even among the allies, Singh said that he had read about the intentions of the Opposition and had not talked to anyone in the political establishment.
"What I am considering is that what we have done by way of adjusting the petroleum prices is that people of India would appreciate the compulsions, which have compelled us to undertake this measure. And our people are wise enough to understand that excessive populism should not be allowed to derail the progress our country is making and for which it is winning kudos internationally as well," Singh said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the decision on petroleum prices was taken under pressure from some countries. "There is no pressure on the Government of India from any quarter. What we need is to do the right things by our country. The subsidies for the petroleum products have reached a level which is not connected to sound financial management of our economy."
"So it is taking this into account that this decision has been taken to put some burden on the common people, but I think it is manageable," the Prime Minister said.

India to seek Anderson's extradition: Govt

Edited by Naved Khan 3:03 PM 0 comments

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (on board his Special Aircraft) on Tuesday said that his government will try to ensure that the US takes a "more favourable attitude" towards the extradition of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson to stand trial in India in the Bhopal gas leak case.
Singh told journalists accompanying him on his way back home from Toronto that he did not raise the issue in his discussions with US President Barack Obama during his meeting with him on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit.
"Well, we are where we stand. We will try to ensure that US government takes a more favourable attitude towards the extradition. But we have not approached them yet. I did not raise this issue in my discussions with President Obama. We will cross the bridge when we come to it," Singh said in reply to questions.
Asked whether the government and the Congress establishment was not coming clean on who was responsible for letting Anderson go in December 1984, days after the worst industrial disaster that killed more than 15,000 people, Singh said, "What is the reality? We are not hiding anything."
Singh's comments come in the midst of a raging controversy over who was responsible for Anderson's exit from India after his arrest in the Bhopal gas leak case and his decision not to return to stand trial in the case.
The 89-year-old former UCC chief was declared an absconder in the case by a Bhopal court. He now lives outside New York.
"I think the Group of Ministers has looked at records. There is nothing that they have come across by way of definite findings as to who took the decision. These records are not available now."
To a question whether there was not a collective failure on the part of the government, political establishment and judiciary in the Bhopal issue, Singh said what the government proposed to do has been made clear by the GoM whose report has been endorsed by the Cabinet.
"It is a fact, it is true that our judicial processes are time consuming. That it should have taken 25 years before the case could be decided is something that we have to reflect about and the inadequacies of our judicial system," he said.

Army deployed, protests continue in Sopore

Edited by Naved Khan 10:34 AM 0 comments


Srinagar: Army has been deployed in Sopore and Baramulla towns of Kashmir Valley as protests over the alleged killing of civilians in firing by security forces continue. Additional security forces have been sent toSopore, Baramulla and downtown Srinagar.
The situation in Sopore continues to be tense for the forth day on Tuesday. Curfew has been imposed in Sopore while movement of civilians has been severely restricted in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar. Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has given a call for civil disobedience, urging people to come out on streets to protest against the alleged firing and killing of civilians by the Central Reserve Police Force in which eight civilians have been killed in the three weeks.
The state government and the Central forces have been trading charges on the alleged firing incidents.
"The CRPF action is unwarranted. The Home minister (P Chidambaram) should visit Kashmir and rein in the black sheep in the forces. We can not fight people who have chosen us," Jammu and Kashmir Law Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said.
But the Centre responded saying the forces had the right to defend themselves in the face of stone-pelting mobs. Speaking to CNN-IBN on Monday night Union Home Secretary GK Pillai on Monday night blamed the separatist for the violence in the state..
"I think this is all nonsense being whipped up by the separatist elements to create confusion in Jammu and Kashmir. As you are aware, it's been one of the best tourist seasons in J&K, double the number of tourists that have come to Kashmir this year as compared to last year. The overall law and order situation has been improving and I think that is something that the separatist elements find very difficult to stomach," said Pillai.
Forty-eight persons including 32 police and security personnel have also been injured in the latest of a series of clashes with security forces. The clashes have claimed the lives of five persons since June 25 and eight in the last three weeks.

Hat-trick girl Saina eyes top spot, Olympic medal

Edited by Naved Khan 10:33 AM 0 comments


Hyderabad: Badminton player Saina Nehwal is a national icon following her good showing ion the international scene in the past couple of years. Her rapid rise to the top of a sport that has been dominated by Chinese and South East Asian players is nothing short of a miracle.
But has she done enough already to claim the tag of being the greatest sportswoman India has ever produced? Just how far can the 20-year-old world No. 3 badminton player from Hyderabad go? Saina's successful defence of her Indonesia Open Badminton Super Series title on Sunday is another feather in a cap that is rapidly running out of space. The win is a hat-trick of super series titles and a future where the possibilities seem endless. The win in Indonesia came after she won back-to-back titles - India Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series in the last two weeks. "It's a phenomenal achievement. I think what Saina has been doing is great. Lot of Indians especially lot of young Indian women and boys will see what sheer determination and ability can do," says former Indian team skipper Rahul Dravid.
Saina has done enough to warrant a place among the greatest ever sportswomen independent India has produced. The legendary PT Usha took Indian sprinting to incredible heights in a career that saw her miss an Olympic gold by 1/100th of a second. But the sight of her draped in medals after the 1986 Seoul Asian Games is one of India's enduring sporting images.
Karnam Malleswari became India’s first ever female medallist at an Olympic games, bringing herself and the nation to glory in Sydney at the turn of the millennium, with a bronze medal winning lift.
MC Mary Kom, too, makes a strong case as well. Emerging from Manipur, the feisty boxer has won the world championship four times, returning to the ring recently after delivering twins. Mary is now aiming for gold at London Olympics in two years time.
Tennis player Sania Mirza may be down right now, but she has been a pioneer in her own right. She is the first Indian woman to break into the top 30 in the world on the tennis circuit.
Saina was named CNN-IBN's Indian of the Year in Sports recently but her journey has just begun. On her radar now are the world championships, the top spot in the rankings and a medal at the Olympics.

Six terrorists killed in J-K encounter

Edited by Naved Khan 10:33 AM 0 comments

Jammu: Six armed foreign terrorists were killed on and three Armymen lost their lives in a fierce gunbattle that broke out along the Line of Control (LOC) in Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Acting on a tip off, troops picked up the movement of a group of infiltrating terrorists in 104 forward location along LoC in Kupwara belt and launched an operation, triggering the encounter, a senior Armyofficial at Udhampur-based Northern Command told PTI tonight.
Six foreign terrorists and three Army jawans were killed in the gunbattle, which was on when reports last came in from the area.

Put 1984 riots behind, PM tells Canadian Sikhs

Edited by Naved Khan 9:05 AM 0 comments


Toronto: Assuaging the Sikhs in Canada that his government was doing everything possible to heal the wounds of the 1984 riots, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday urged the community to put the past behind them and move forward.
In a meeting with Indo-Canadian parliamentarians before paying his respects to the victims of the Kanishka bombing at the Air India Memorial in Toronto, Manmohan Singh said the riots were a horrible tragedy which should not have happened. The riots had followed the assassination of the then prime ministerIndira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards. The Prime Minister said he apologised for the tragedy in 2005 and his government also opened the issue of compensation to the victims. But the Indian judicial system has the same problems as the Canadian system, he said, hinting at the delay in justice and acquittal of the accused in the riots.
He said though it is difficult to forget a tragedy, the community should not dwell too much on the past and play its larger role in India.
However, he regretted that some groups were trying to keep the issue alive to further their separatist agenda.
The Prime Minister's remarks came in the meeting which also included Indo-Canadian MP Sukh Dhaliwal, who recently introduced a motion in the Canadian Parliament to declare the 1984 riots a "genocide".
Urging the Indian Prime Minister to address the issue of the 1984 riots, former Canadian health minister Ujjal Dosanj warned that many groups were using the issue to further their Khalistani agenda. "Justice for the riots victims is far from their mind," Dosanjh said.
Hailing the Indian government's move to give voting rights to non-resident Indians, Dosanjh however, cautioned Singh against opening booths in Canada as this would further divide the Indian community.
Canadian Parliamentary Secretary Deepak Obhrai, who is currently the highest ranking Indo-Canadian in the government, told Manmohan Singh that the Canadian Prime Minister was committed to working with India to marginalise separatist elements.
"These groups are of no consequence in the Indo-Canadian community," Obhrai assured Manmohan Singh.
Ontario province minister Harinder Takhar, who as chair of Canadian Parliamentarians of Indian Origin took the initiative to organise the meeting with Manmohan Singh, termed it "historic and very positive for India and Canada."
Before leaving for India, the Prime Minister also paid his respects to the Kanishka victims at the Air India Memorial here. He was accompanied by Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to the memorial.

Solid Brazil outplay Chile, reach quarters

Edited by Naved Khan 8:47 AM 0 comments


Johannesburg: Brazil moved closer to a sixth World Cup title on Monday, beating South American rivalChile 3-0 to reach the quarterfinals.
Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robinho scored a goal each for the Brazilians at Ellis Park. Juan gave his team the lead in the 35th minute with a firm header from a corner, sending the ball into the upper left corner and past the outstretched arms of Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
Luis Fabiano added to the lead from a fast breakaway in the 38th, receiving a one-touch pass from Kaka and dribbling past Bravo inside the area before scoring into an open net. Robinho started the play with a run on the left side before finding Kaka at the edge of the area.
Robinho then scored his first goal of the tournament with a shot from the edge of the area in the 59th, receiving a pass from Ramires and shooting inside the far post.
It was Robinho's seventh goal in Brazil's last six matches against the Chileans.
Brazil will next face the Netherlands, which beat Slovakia 2-1 earlier Monday in Durban.
Chile became the first of the five South American teams to be eliminated from the World Cup. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are still in the tournament along with Brazil.
Brazil has now reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup every time since the 1990 tournament in Italy, when it lost to Argentina 1-0 in the second round. Brazil coach Dunga and assistant coach Jorginho were starters in that Brazilian team.
The victory in front of nearly 55,000 fans at Ellis Park extended Brazil's dominance over Chile.
It was the team's eighth consecutive win over its regional rival, and the result extended Brazil's unbeaten streak against the Chileans to 10 matches. The last loss came in a World Cup qualifier in 2000.
Led by Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, Chile was able to keep pace with the five-time champions in the beginning, threatening with some quick ball movement on offense to try to surprise the Brazilians.
But Brazil quickly gained control of the match and created some of the most dangerous opportunities. After Juan's first goal, the Brazilians took advantage of its speedy strikers to keep the pressure on the Chileans.
Bravo already had to work hard on a ninth-minute long-range shot by Gilberto Silva, diving to his left and barely tipping the ball wide. A minute later, Kaka's low shot from the edge of the area also missed.
Humberto Suazo, back in Chile's starting lineup after missing the match against Spain, gave the Chileans their first opportunity in the 13th, but his shot from just outside the box was easily saved by goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The Brazilians wanted a penalty kick in the 27th when captain Lucio went down after a challenge by Pablo Contreras inside the area. Contreras appeared to touch Lucio's leg as the Brazilian tried to make a move.
The Chileans tried to keep possession in the second half, but were not able to significantly threaten Julio Cesar. Brazil kept creating the most dangerous chances on counterattacks.
Substitute Jorge Valdivia had one of Chile's few chances with a shot that sailed over the crossbar in the 66th. Suazo's shot from inside the area was saved by Julio Cesar in the 75th, and the striker also hit the top of the crossbar in the 78th.
Robinho almost added a second goal in the 74th, but Bravo mad a save on his low shot in another breakaway by the Brazilians. Robinho also had a goal disallowed for offside in the 77th.
Chile was trying to advance past the second round for the first time since its home tournament in 1962, when it eventually lost to Brazil in the semifinals. Chile had also lost to Brazil the last time it reached the round of 16, a 4-1 result in the 1998 tournament in France.
Brazil again was without regular starter Elano because of a right ankle injury, and Dunga also could not count on defensive midfielder Felipe Melo because of a left ankle problem.
Chile was without several regular starters, including central defenders Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce because of yellow card suspensions, while Marco Estrada missed the match after being sent off against Spain.

Kashmir tense, state blames CRPF for trouble

Edited by Naved Khan 8:46 AM 0 comments


Srinagar: A 9-year-old boy was among two civilians killed in Kashmir in the CRPF and police action against protestors even as Sopore is reeling under curfew for the third consecutive day. Pressure is mounting on state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to control the situation.
The state government and the Central forces trade charges as the Centre says their forces have the right to defend themselves in the face of stone-pelting mobs. There is no let up in the street rage in both Srinagar and Sopore. Curfew entered third day in Sopore on Monday as eight civilians have been killed in last fortnight. An embarrassed and worried state governmentis pointing fingers at the CRPF. State Law Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said, "The CRPF action is unwarranted. The Home minister should visit Kashmir and rein in the black sheep in the forces. We can not fight people who have chosen us."
The activists say restraint is better than bravado while the Opposition says the Omar government is incapable of handling law and order in the state. A Sultan Mandoo, political activist, said, "Call the policemen and officers who are in the barracks. We have 10,000 police officers who are in barracks. Please pull out the CRPF from the streets."
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, "There is no government. The ministers are busy minting money and this is the worst ever government in office."
The Jammu and Kashmir government, rocked by the series of civilian deaths, is not only embarrassed and clueless but is feeling helpless too. They are now looking towards Delhi for answers. Will the Union Home ministry come to the rescue of the country's youngest chief minister?
Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Vikram Srivastava denied that his men opened fire on protesters in Kashmir on Monday, killing two youth.
Srivastava told media persons here that his personnel had not fired a single bullet in any part of the valley on Monday. "Maybe some rubber bullets might have been fired," he said, adding the basic duty of the CRPF is to assist the state police in maintaining law and order in the state.
Srivastava said that the CRPF has ordered an inquiry into the Sopore firing. Countering the charges against his force, he alleged that the protesters had opened firing on the CRPF troopers.

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