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10 INDIA Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda (L) shakes hands with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during a conference on internal security in New Delhi yesterday. The Prime Minister has convened an internal security meeting of Chief Ministers of all states to discuss the security issues. — AFP Travel tech summit opens tomorrow By Ashraf Padanna THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — A key global conference to help tour operators and travel professionals in India leverage the power of social media, the internet and digital technologies gets underway in Kerala tomorrow. The International Conference on Travel Technology (ICTT) India is the irst event of its kind in the country and is being organised by the Association of Tourism Trade Organizations, India (ATTOI) at The Leela in Kovalam, the group said in a release here yesterday. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the ICTT India, supported by Kerala’s Department of Tourism, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr Shashi Tharoor and state Tourism Minister AP Anil Kumar. The ICTT features 17 eminent E-eyes to monitor Mumbai loods MUMBAI — For the irst time in its 148-year history, electronic eyes will monitor loods and lood-prone areas of Mumbai, courtesy 100 CCTV cameras put up at strategic locations, an oficial said yesterday. Mayor Sunil Prabhu said the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) had installed 16 CCTV cameras while the Mumbai trafic police had set up another 84 CCTV cameras at various locations in the city. "All these have been directly linked to the Mumbai Disaster Management Cell at the MCGM headquarters. As soon as there is looding in any area, the DMC will view it and initiate real-time measures to tackle it," Prabhu said. — IANS speakers from countries such as the US, UK, Australia, UAE and India with expertise in the travel industry and digital entrepreneurship. They include Bicky Carlra, Group President of UAE-based TraVision, “The conference is a natural it for Kerala Tourism since we have always been pioneers in using digital tools for promoting our state,” said Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, who will make a presentation on Kerala Tourism at the inaugural function. “However, the digital space is vast and dynamic and initiatives such as ICTT will help the travel industry keep up with the rapid changes.” More than 300 delegates, mostly tour operators from around the country and abroad are expected to attend the three-day conference which will feature talks and discussions on technologies that can help travel businesses sustain growth in a changing world. Travel media professionals Former Kerala minister dead KOCHI — Former Kerala minister Lonappan Nambadan breathed his last at a private hospital here Wednesday afternoon, family sources said. He was 77. Nambadan was ailing for a while. He is survived by his wife and three children. Popularly known as Nambadan Mash (short for master), Nambadan had served as a schoolteacher. He was renowned for his wit. Each time he stood up to speak in the Kerala assembly, his audience listened with rapt attention, waiting for the next joke. Nambadan began his political career in the Congress party, and later became a founder-member of the Kerala Congress. In the mid-1980s, he contested as a Left-supported in- and bloggers will be among the participants. Social media, online marketing, mobile applications, pricing and distribution strategies, managing reviews and handling competition, revenue management, business intelligence and the future of technology will be among the topics covered in the sessions. Among the speakers are Selina Power, a social media specialist from Australia, Chad Wiebesick, an awardwinning entrepreneur who oversees social media for the tourism ofice in the US State of Michigan, Philip Calvert, a UK based writer, strategist and LinkedIn expert, and Avijit Arya, the founder and CEO of digital marketing company Internet Moguls. “For travel and tourism businesses in India, this is a great opportunity to learn from professionals who have utilised digital technologies to maximum effect,” said ICTT organising secretary Anish Kumar P K. dependent candidate. Nambadan was a minister in the K. Karunakaran government of 1980. When he switched his loyalties in 1982 to the Left Front, the state government fell. After shifting his allegiance, Nambadan became a minister in the Left Front government led by E.K. Nayanar (1987 to 1991). He was six-time legislator, between 1977 and 2001. He contested, but lost the 2001 assembly polls. In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, he tasted political victory again, trouncing K. Karunakaran's daughter Padmaja Venugopal by a margin of more than a lakh votes in the Mukundapuram constituency of Thrissur district. — IANS Pawan Goenka, President of Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors at Mahindra & Mahindra, poses with the newly-unveiled Mahindra Verito Vibe compact car in Mumbai yesterday. Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd , India's largest sports utility vehicle maker, has made its irst push into the country's small car market a week after warning that ierce competition could erode its dominant SUV position. — Reuters Students protest against fake drugs SRINAGAR — Dozens of school children here yesterday staged a peaceful protest against fake drugs in Jammu and Kashmir. Carrying banners and placards saying "Fake drugs kill!", children from schools marched through the city centre Lal Chowk and other markets in the state's summer capital. “We have carried out many protests and marches against fake drugs. But today’s protest is expected to shake the conscience of the society," said Saleem Ibn Sultan, who organised the children's protest. “Sub-standard and fake drugs are being supplied at government-run hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu. This should not go unpardoned," he said. — IANS THURSDAY,JUNE 6, 2013 Chief ministers express reservations over NCTC NEW DELHI — Chief ministers of parties not belonging to the ruling dispensation at the centre expressed strong reservations yesterday over the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre. Some Congress chief ministers too expressed concern. Chief ministers said they feared the move would violate the principle of federalism. Some Congress-ruled states too shared this concern. The NCTC is proposed as a federal anti-terror agency. The proposal for its setting up came in the wake of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said: "I think the new draft has taken into consideration some of the concerns raised by the states. However, some concerns remain. We have reservations about the proposed structure and functioning." He said: "The proposed structure of the NCTC is not in congruence with the principles of federalism and the clear division of powers between the union and the states as envisaged under the constitution." Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stuck to the apprehensions he had expressed last year. "I had expressed serious apprehensions about the structure, powers and functions of the proposed NCTC. The draft order still suffers from several laws," he said at the meet on internal security here. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: "The state government fully appreciates the need for an effective mechanism for sharing of intelligence by the centre and the states. However, the state government had expressed opposition to the manner in which the Ministry of Home Affairs had sought to set up the NCTC." While some Congress chief ministers welcomed the proposed agency, they also sought clarity on the “operational eficacy” and “respective roles” of the centre and the state in case of joint operations. “The proposed draft requires fur- HDIL abandons Kerala project, land up for sale By Ashraf Padanna THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The Housing Development & Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) has shelved the CyberCity project in the Kerala port city of Kochi. The debt-ridden property developer yesterday put out an advertisement seeking buyers or joint developers for 70 acres of land it bought from the public sector Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) ive years back. The then Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan had distanced from the inauguration of the project saying it was not clean, prompting his industries minister Elamaram Kareem to ask if an industry could be set ther examination to understand the implications of these provisions on operational eficacy and clarity of respective roles in such joint operations,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said. “There is a need to carefully calibrate the roles, responsibilities and powers of the proposed agency without undermining the powers of the state government in any way,” said Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, while supporting the NCTC. Agreeing about the relevance of “data- and intelligence-sharing and planning anti-terrorist activities”, Karnataka Chief Minister K. Siddaramaiah said: “Some safeguards are necessary before setting up the NCTC so that they are not given unbridled powers to encroach upon the states’ domain.” However, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy described NCTC as a “well planned initiative to counter terrorism.” — IANS Kashmiri Muslim schoolchildren hold placards as they surround a schoolboy on a stretcher during a protest against the supply of spurious drugs like antibiotics to government hospitals, in Srinagar. Schoolchildren took to the streets against spurious drugs and demanded the punishment of those involved in fake drugs. — AFP BJP wins big in Gujarat by-polls GANDHINAGAR — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday wrested two Lok Sabha and four assembly seats from the Congress in the byelections held in Gujarat. The BJP strength in the assembly has now risen from 115 to 119 and its Lok Sabha tally from Gujarat from 15 to 17. Chief Minister Narendra Modi said the people had rejected the Congress wholesale. "Heartfelt gratitude to the people of Gujarat for reposing faith in the BJP yet again. These victories clearly show (that) people are fed up with Congress," he tweeted. "This indicates how people have lost trust in the centre and want change desperately," he added. In the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat, former Congress legislator and BJP nominee Vithal Radadiya secured a massive 1.34 lakh margin, defeating his nearest Congress rival Vinu Ampara. In the Banaskantha Lok Saba seat, BJP's Hari Chaudhary notched a 71,000 vote victory against Congress' Krishna Gadhvi, the widow of former sitting party legislator Mukesh Gadhvi. Making a clean sweep in the assembly by-polls, the BJP wrested four seats held by the Congress in different parts of the state, including Morva-Hadaf, Limbdi, Dhoraji and Jetpur. In the Congress bastion Morva- Hadaf seat, BJP's Nimisha Suthar defeated Bhupendra Khant of Congress by nearly 18,000 votes. Congress' Satish Patel bit the dust as the BJP's Kiritsinh Rana trounced him by over 24,000 votes at Limbdi. Dhoraji also voted the BJP way when its Pravin Mankadiya wrested the seat from his Congress rival Hari Patel by a margin of over 11,000 votes. Jetpur also nodded for the BJP's Jayesh Radadiya who trounced his nearest Congress rival Jagdish Pambhar by over 52,000 votes. The leader of the opposition in the Gujarat assembly, Shankersinh Vaghela, said: "We will work harder to reach out to the people of the state." — IANS up atop coconut trees. The company had announced a highway-facing IT park in a special economic zone with a planned investment of Rs23bn. The company oficials said they were looking for a buyer for the land in the booming city, which would now fetch ive times the amount it paid to HMT, or a joint venture partner to repay debts. The state government had recently decided to take back land allotted to industrial projects lying idle. The construction of Cyber City, which has all approvals, including environmental clearance, was scheduled to begin on February17, 2011. While Achuthanandan had skipped the ceremony, Kareem laid the foundation. Howrah by-poll result a lesson for Mamata: CPI-M KOLKATA — Claiming that the party has gained in its vote share, the CPI-M yesterday said West Bengal's Howrah Lok Sabha by-poll result should come as a lesson for the ruling Trinamool Congress. "Despite the terror tactics of the Trinamool, we have gained over 4.5 per cent of the vote share, though we could not win. The poll result should come as a lesson for the Trinamool," Communist Party of India-M (CPI-M) leader Surjya Kanta Mishra told reporters here. The Trinamool retained the Howrah Lok Sabha seat, with former footballer Prasun Banerjee defeating the CPI-M's Sridip Bhattacharya by over 27,000 votes. The by-poll was necessitated by the death of Trinamool MP Ambica Banerjee on April 25. He had polled 37,392 votes over the CPI-M nominee in 2009. — IANS
THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2013 Need for shift in strategy to tackle Maoists: PM NEW DELHI — Readting to Maoist attacks like the May 25 strike against Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday the government's strategy of sustained operations and addressing development issues must be strengthened. Addressing the Chief Ministers' Conference on internal security here, Manmohan Singh said attacks like the May 25 one in which at least 26 people, including senior Congress leaders Nand Kumar Patel and Mahendra Karma, were killed and many injured were "periodical setbacks" in the process to tackle extremism. The prime minister said the government's two-pronged strategy to tackle the Maoist problem — "proactive and sustained operations against Maoist extremists; and, addressing development and governance issues" needed to be strengthened. These, the prime minister said, include improving road connectivity in 34 districts, relaxation of norms of various development schemes in the affected areas and the Integrated Action Plan for 82 selected tribal and backward districts. He said the meet could be used to ind "some measures to deal with the very grave threat of Naxalism". "I must point out that the challenge of Naxalism has received our serious attention. We have been successful to quite an extent," he said. According to the prime minister, the government should ensure that people residing in left wing extremism affected areas are able to live in environment of peace and security. The prime minister urged all chief ministers to irmly deal with communal forces as communal harmony was critical for the growth and prosperity of the country. "It is absolutely imperative that we deal very irmly with communal forces of all types," he said. "Simultaneously, we need to recognise and address the special needs of minorities and weaker sections of our society, particularly Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes." He also called for "collective action" by states to put in place an institutional mechanism to ensure the safety and security of women and children. "The issue which requires our collective action is that of crimes against women and children," he said. "We also need to put in place institutional mechanisms to ensure the safety and security of women and children, particularly in the urban context," Manmohan Singh said. Noting the "time has now come to view the challenges of terrorism, communal violence and left wing extremism in a holistic manner", Manmohan Singh urged people to act in national interest rising above narrow political and ideological divides. "I would appeal to all political parties and all sections of society to work together to ind effective ways and means of meeting these grave challenges," he said. To build a broader national consensus on the strategy to tackle the challenge, the government has convened a meeting of all political parties on June 10, said the prime minister. The chief ministers termed the May 25 Maoist strike in Chhattisgarh a "direct attack on democracy and freedom" and resolved "to use all legitimate means at their disposal to counter the activities of the Communist Party of India-Maoist." — IANS Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav (R) shakes hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a conference on internal security in New Delhi yesterday. The Prime Minister has convened an internal security meeting of Chief Ministers of all states to discuss the security issues at all fronts in the country. — AFP IPL scandal: Raj Kundra questioned NEW DELHI — Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra and his friend Umesh Goenka were questioned yesterday by the Delhi Police here in connection with the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot ixing scandal, an oficer said. Kundra was asked to clarify his role in the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals and give more details about three arrested team players — S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, the oficer said. "We sought details on Kundra's ownership in the Rajasthan Royals team. Kundra was also asked to describe his responsibilities as he has 11.7 per cent stake in the team and the rest of the stake is divided among other three owners — Suresh Chellaram, Manoj Badale and Andrew Murdoch," said the oficer. Kundra was asked if he had any other information about the role of Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan in spot Antony discusses defence ties in Australia CANBERRA/NEW DELHI — Defence Minister A K Antony, visiting Australia, met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith over two days to discuss shared strategic and security interests, including maritime security and bilateral defence co-operation. Both ministers issued a joint statement yesterday after talks in Perth and in Canberra. Antony's visit is the irst ever oficial visit by an Indian defence minister to Australia. Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour at Perth, Antony said defence co-operation between India and Australia has increased in the last few years. He said: “India values its strategic partnership with Australia and we are committed to further strengthen our bilateral relations in various areas including defence.” Referring to the Indian Ocean Region, Antony said: “It is critical to our maritime interests. India's economic development is dependent on maritime trade. The security of shipping along with sea lanes is of vital interest to us.” According to a statement, Antony and Smith exchanged ideas concerning regional and international security as well as defence co-operation and exchanges between Australia and India. Both sides agreed to continue to contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Paciic region and to promote co-operation in the Indian Ocean region, according to the joint statement. Both took note of the progress made in defence co-operation, in accordance with the MoU on defence co-operation inked in 2006, the joint declaration on security co-operation issued in 2009 and the joint statement issued during Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's visit to India in 2012, the joint statement said. The ministers “took note of the growing co-operation between the navies of both countries”. Antony accepted Smith's invitation for the participation of Indian naval ships in the International Fleet Re- ixing and he replied in the negative, said the police oficer. Apart from Kundra and Goenka, police also called Rajasthan Royals cricketer Siddharth Trivedi, who is a prosecution witness in the scandal. Trivedi, who has played for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy, was earlier questioned on May 30. "Kundra was contacted by phone and asked to come to Delhi. He was questioned at the Special Cell ofice, starting 10 am," said the oficer. The Rajasthan Royals owner's questioning lasted six hours. "Kundra was also asked if it was not his responsibility to ensure the directions of the anti-corruption unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. When he asked why his franchise did not try to tell players to follow the norms of the board, he replied that the players are mature enough," the oficer said. — IANS view to be held in Sydney in October this year. Both sides acknowledged that maritime security and freedom of navigation in accordance with principles of international law is critical for the growth and prosperity of the Asia-Paciic and Indian Ocean regions. They agreed to continue consultations and co-operation on issues concerning the Asia-Paciic and Indian Ocean regions both bilaterally and multilaterally, including through various like the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus and the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC). Both countries are already cooperating through the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), which Australia will chair next year, along with hosting the IONS Conclave of Chiefs in Perth in March 2014, and the IOR- ARC of which India is currently chair and Australia the next chair. INDIA 11 US Ambassador to India, Nancy J Powell (L) talks with Senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader, L K Advani prior to a meeting in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP First RTI plea on party funding PANAJI — Two days after the Central Information Commission (CIC) ruled political parties were within the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a Goa information crusader is already on the job. Kashinath Shetye, a former government employee, iled an RTI petition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeking information on the party's cash and donation receipts from mining companies, and contributions made by its legislators and ofice bearers. "An application under the RTI Act has been submitted to the BJP. Similar applications will be submitted to the Congress, NCP (Nationalist Congress Party), and regional parties like the Maharshtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Vikas Party (GVP)," Shetye said. One piece of the information Shetye has sought in his RTI plea is: "Total donations received by the BJP from Vedanta/Sesa Goa and other mining companies." Although the cosy relationship between mining irms and political parties is well known in Goa, it is scarcely documented. On record, Sesa Goa Pvt Ltd., the state's biggest ore producer and exporter, paid Rs.85 lakh to the BJP and Rs.30 lakh to the Congress party in 2009-10. The MGP received Rs.2 lakh, while Shiv Sena got Rs.1 lakh during the same year. This roughly coincides with the period when Goa's mining output was at its peak and so was the illegal mining. Shetye has also sought to know if it is compulsory for every BJP legislator to contribute towards party fund. "If yes, please provide complete and detailed information," the petition said. The petitioner has asked the BJP whether it is aware about any of its legislators' involvement in corruption and, if so, what action has been taken by the party. The RTI application also seeks copies of the party's election manifes- to from 1999-2012 to check whether "all the promises made in these election manifestoes (were) fulilled after the BJP formed its government in the state". In his application, Shetye has sought ile notings on the movement of his RTI petition. A senior BJP leader, however, said that the party's central leadership was still studying the CIC order and the state unit is yet to receive any direction from them on the protocol to be followed on RTI applications. "We will need some time to modify the organisational structure and streamline our information channel if we are to entertain RTI applications," the BJP leader said. Shetye, however, said that if he did not receive a reply to his RTI plea, he would push it again and then approach the high court for relief. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Tuesday welcomed the CIC ruling on bringing political parties within the ambit of the RTI Act. — IANS Lightning kills scores in Bihar, UP NEW DELHI — Lightning in two states has killed at least 44 people and injured more than three dozen, oficials and news reports said yesterday. At least 31 people died in the eastern state of Bihar when a storm hit nine districts, state disaster management oficial S K Chaudhary said. At least ive people were killed during pre-monsoon showers yesterday, the minister in charge of Bihar's disaster management said. "It is sad that lightning claimed so many lives," the minister, Renu Ku- mari Kushwaha, said in the state capital Patna. Another ministry oficial said six children were playing outdoors during the showers when they were electrocuted. Lightning strikes during the June- September annual monsoon are fairly common in the state where villagers living in bamboo and grass huts are at risk of death or injury. The monsoon is set to cover loodprone Bihar on June 12, meteorological oficials have said. "Victims who were struck by lightning bolts were mostly farmers or the homeless who were outdoors," Chaudhary said by phone from state capital Patna. "Aurangabad was the worst-affected district, accounting for six deaths," he added. Around 25 people had sustained serious burn injuries and were being treated at hospitals, Chaudhary said. Lightning strikes also claimed 13 lives in four districts of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh adjoining Bihar. More than a dozen were reported injured. — Agencies An Indian worker carries a defunct CRT Monitor for disassembly at Ash Recyclers, a government approved e-waste management irm in Bangalore yesterday, the World Environment Day. India sits on a huge mound of e-waste as annually an estimated 800,000 tonnes are generated giving a new dimension to the already dificult scenario of solid waste management in the country. According to senior scientist of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, NLNS Prasad, as many as 65 cities, headed by Mumbai, contribute more than 60 per cent of the total e-waste generated in the country. — AFP
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