2100 HRS
31st December, 2012

THE HEADLINES:

• Direct Transfer of Benefits scheme to be rolled out in 20 districts from tomorrow; 23 more districts to be added by March 1st.

• New Year Eve celebrations in India at a low key as a mark of respect to Delhi gangrape victim.

• Delhi government launches helpline Number 181 for women in distress.

• Passengers flying out of Delhi airport to pay less from tomorrow.

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The government will roll out the Direct Transfer of Benefits into beneficiaries accounts in 20 districts from tomorrow. The scheme will begin in 11 more districts from 1st of February and in another 12 districts from 1st of March next year. In a press conference, the Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram said that initially there will be a direct benefit transfer in 7 schemes.

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There are seven schemes in which the payment is due on the first of January. These are post-matric scholarship for S/C Students, Pre-matrict scholarship for OBC students, Post-Matric scholarship for S/T students, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayata Yojna, Dhan Laxmi Scheme and Stiphened to trainees under the scheme of welfare of S/C, S/T Job seekers through Coaching-cum-Guidance on Vocational Training.

Mr Chidambaram said, day after tomorrow all future benefit transfers under all the 26 schemes in 20 districts will be through direct benefit transfer whenever they are due.

On replying to a query, the Finance Minister clarified that credit and withdrawal from all accounts will take place irrespective of the fact whether they have an AADHAR card or not.

The fact that some bank account may not have an AADHAR tomorrow or dayafter does not mean that in these 43 districts these 26 scheme the credit will not take place, the credit will take place in bank accounts and withdrawal can also take place by the beneficiaries.

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The Finance Minister also said that the scheme will be rolled out in phases in other parts of the country during 2013 after it has stabilised in these 43 districts.

In reply to a question, Mr. Chidambaram clarified that food, fertiliser, diesel and kerosene subsidies will not to be transferred in cash to beneficiaries under the scheme.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari who was present in the press conference said, the scheme will benefit around two lakh people in the country.

Our correspondent reports that the scheme aims at providing benefits of several government welfare schemes directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to plug leakages and reduce delays in their transfer.

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Peaceful protests were held today in the national capital demanding speedy justice and strictest punishment in the gang rape case. Scores of protesters are gathered at Jantar Mantar in Central Delhi to express solidarity with the victim’s family and press for safety and security of women.

Meanwhile, addressing a meeting in New Delhi, senior party leader Sushma Swaraj said that crimes against women are increasing. She reiterated her party’s demand for a special session of Parliament to pass stringent laws to curb the growing cases of sexual assaults on women.

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In response to the demand of the BJP, the Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said there is presently no need to convene a special session of Parliament. Mr Chidambaram said the government has already set up a committee headed by retired Supreme Court Chief Justice JS Verma to review the existing criminal laws to provide more severe punishment in cases of sexual assualt on women. He said the need for a special session for the passage of more stringent law may arise only after the submission of the report by the committee. The committee is to submit its report within a month.

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Delhi Police today finalised around one thousand page chargesheet in connection with the Delhi gang rape case. The report will be submitted in the Court on Thursday. A senior Police official said that the chargesheet is being vetted by legal experts and has cited 30 witnesses. Delhi Police says they will seek death penalty for the accused in the case.

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In the back drop of death of the Delhi gang rape victim, several State Governments, Business Houses, Clubs and Hotels have either cancelled or toned down their new year eve celebrations.Punjab and Haryana Governments have cancelled their planned programmes while Rajasthan Chief Minister has decided to stay away from new year celebrations. Several clubs including the Press Club of India have cancelled the new year celebrations.

The Defence Ministry and the three Armed Forces have decided against organising new year parties. The Army, the Navy and the Air Force have issued advisories to their formations in this regard.

President Pranab Mukherjee also has decided to cancel all New Year celebrations and appealed to the people not come to greet him at 'Rashtrapati Nilayam' in Hyderabad, one of his two official retreats. The decision has been taken in view of the recent tragic event leading to the loss of a young girl in the national capital.

In his New Year message the President called for dedicating 2013 for improving security and welfare of women in the country.

In his message the Vice President M. Hamid Ansari said that people should collectively resolve to dedicate ourselves to building a peaceful, harmonious and just society.

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The helpline number 181 for women in distress in Delhi Chief Minister’s office, has become operational. The helpline was announced in the wake of the recent gang rape incident in the national capital. The toll free number, which can be dialed from landline and mobile phones, will be connected with all the police stations across the city.

Meanwhile, in another development, the Railway Miniser, Mr. Pawan Kumar Bansal today said in Kalka in Himachal Pradesh that the Railway authorities have been instructed to take measures to improve the security of women passengers in the trains.

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The Delhi government today announced a compensation of 15 lakh rupees for the family of the gangrape victim who died on Saturday. It has also offered a job to one of the family members of the victim. A decision in this regard was taken by the Delhi Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in New Delhi.

The Uttar Pradesh Government also announced to provide a financial assistance of 20 lakh rupees to the family of victim girl of Delhi gang rape case. The UP Chief Minister Mr. Akhilesh Yadav announced in the evening.

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Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal announced in Chandigarh today a number of measures to ensure self-esteem and modesty of women and children. He said that no complainant of gender related crimes would be called at police stations in future.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Government has given government job to a family member of a rape victim of Patiala district, who committed suicide last week.

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In Uttar Pradesh all the pilgrims coming to the Kumbh Mela 2013 at Allahabad will be provided insurance cover. Talking to our Allahabad correspondent the district magistrate Kumbh Mela Mani Prasad Mishra said that the administration is in touch with different insurance companies both from public and private sectors in this regard.

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Flying out of Delhi would become cheaper from tomorrow. Domestic passengers would have to pay development fee, DF, 100 rupees less each and the international passenger 700 rupees less to the operator of Indira Gandhi International Airport. At present, DF is 200 rupees for domestic passenger and 1300 rupees for the international passenger. The decision to reduce the charges was taken by the Delhi International Airport Limited-DIAL following a directive by Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA). The slashed rates would remain effective till April 2016.

Earlier, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had directed DIAL and Mumbai International Airport Limited to abolish development fee at the two airports with effect from tomorrow.

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The Government has initiated the process of allocation of 17 Coal Blocks under the amended Mines and Mineral Development Regulation, MMDR Act and Rules to PSUs for specific end use (power) and Coal mining. It has been decided to offer 14 coal blocks for power and three coal blocks for mining. Detailed information of each of these coal blocks covering area, location and basic infrastructure and other information are available in the Ministry of Coal website (http://coal.nic.in) inviting applications. The applications have to be submitted upto 30th of next month.

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Entire north India continues to reel under severe cold wave. In Himachal Pradesh tourists places Shimla , Manali, Dalhousie and Narkanda witness a sunny day today although the minimum temperature dipped from two to three degree celsius in most parts of the state.

In Uttar Pradesh, western parts are reeling under cold wave due to snowfall on the heights of Uttarakhand. The death toll due to intense cold wave has mounted to 97 as two more people succumbed in Varanasi and Gorakhpur today.

In Rajasthan, cold wave condition are prevailing in almost all the places of the the state. Night temperatures have fallen below freezing point at some places. In Sikar district the normal life out of gear.

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THE BUSINESS WORLD

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange dropped a marginal 18 points, or 0.1 per cent, to close at 19,427 on the last trading session of 2012, on investor caution, amid subdued global markets, today. The Nifty fell 3 points, to 5,905. But in year 2012, the Sensex rose 26 percent, to post its biggest annual gain since 2009. Stock markets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore ended mixed. The rupee depreciated lost 22 paise, to a one-week closing low of 54.99 against the dollar. In calendar year 2012, the rupee has lost 3.5 per cent against the dollar. Gold rose 65 rupees, to 30,990 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. But silver dropped 600 rupees, to 57,000 rupees per kilo. And Brent crude oil futures fell towards 110 dollars a barrel, while US crude declined 9 cents, to 90.71 dollars a barrel.Pradeep Kumar, AIR News

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Mrs. Archana Datta today took over as the Director General of News, All India Radio. She succeeds Mr. G. Mohanty, who has been posted as Director General of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.

Mrs. Datta belongs to 1983 batch of the Indian Information Service. She was earlier Press Secretary to the former President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

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The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly "PUBLIC SPEAK" programme will bring you a discussion tonight on "Reservation in Promotions."

This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies at 9.30 p.m. Listeners can ask questions to the experts sitting in our studio on telephone number: 2331-4444.

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Bangladesh today shelved plans to become the first cricket team to tour Pakistan since a 2009 attack on Sri Lanka team's bus. The chief of Bangladesh Cricket Board Nazmul Hassan told reporters in Dhakathat the decision was taken considering the overall security situation in Pakistan and the concern that people in Bangladesh have expressed over the safety of their players. Bangladesh had earlier indicated that they would play a Twenty-20 and a one-day on January 12 and 13 respectively, both in Lahore.

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Celebrations are being held around the world to mark the new year, with the city of Auckland in New Zealand holding the first major events of 2013. Crowds began to gather this evening in Sydney in anticipation of the city's famous firework display. Big shows are also planned in many other cities globally. Festivals will be held in European cities including Moscow, Paris and London. More than two million people are expected to be on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach. New York will mark the new year with the traditional New Year's Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square.

Celebrations will also be held for the first time in Myanmar, where large public gatherings were banned by its previous military rulers.