0815 HRS
15th February, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Government issues factsheet on vvip choppers deal; says mandatory technical requirements in the tender changed during NDA rule.
• India and France conclude negotiations on 6 billion dollar surface to air missile deal.
• Tripura records highest ever polling of 93 per cent in the country.
• Pakistani troops breach ceasefire again at LoC in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Property worth lakhs of rupees destroyed in fire at Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.
• In ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, the third and fifth position play off matches to be played today.

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Defence Ministry has come out with a fact-sheet detailing the sequence of the 3,600 crore rupees deal for 12 VVIP helicopters clinched in 2010 by a Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland. It notes that the mandatory technical requirements of the chopper were changed in the tender during the Vajpayee government in 2003, with the then National Security Adviser, NSA Brajesh Mishra playing a key role. Giving details, the fact-sheet said that the first Request for Proposal was issued in March 2002 mandating requirement of 6,000 meters (18,000 feet) flying altitude for selection of the chopper. This requirement made it clear that AgustaWestland could not participate in the deal. However, in a meeting taken by the then NSA (Brajesh Mishra), it was noted that the President and the Prime Minister have rarely made visits to places involving flying at an altitude beyond 4500 meters (15,000 feet) and it was decided to make the mandatory requirement for operational altitude 4500 meters.

India yesterday formally asked Italian firm Finmeccanica to state whether any money was illegally paid to any Indian entity or individual in VVIP choppers deal. The CEO of AgustaWestland has been asked to categorically state the clear position in view of the current developments indicating specifically if any financial transaction has taken place with any Indian individual or entity which would be violative of the Integrity Pact or any other terms and conditions of the contract.

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India and France have concluded negotiations on a six billion US Dollar pact for short range surface to air missiles, SR-SAM for use by the Indian Air Force and Navy. An announcement to this effect was made at the end of talks between visiting French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi yesterday. Addressing a joint press conference with the French President, Dr Manmohan Singh Singh said, the two sides concluded negotiations on the SR-SAM, which, once approved by the government, will be co-developed and co- produced in India.

We have concluded negotiations on the short range surface to air missile which once approved by the government will be co-developed and co-produced in India. There is a welcome shift from defence trade to co-development and co-production of advance defence items in India which will help expand our domestic production base & strengthen the India France strategic partnership.

Expressing satisfaction with the progress in defence cooperation, the Prime Minister said, discussions on the 10 billion dollar deal for supply of Rafale fighter aircraft to India is progressing well. Dr Singh said, two sides reviewed progress on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project and reiterated their commitment to its early implementation as soon as the commercial and technical negotiations are completed. The two leaders said, views were exchanged on a number of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of common interest including defence ties, civil nuclear cooperation, counter-terrorism and situation in Mali.

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Tripura has recorded the highest ever polling of 93 per cent in the country. This was disclosed by Chief Electoral Officer of the State in Agartala last night. The State went to polls yesterday to elect a new 60-member Assembly. During the last Assembly elections in 2008, Tripura had recorded a polling of 91.22 per cent which was highest in the country till date. The counting of votes will be taken up on the 28th of this month.

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In Nagaland the campaigning for the 60 member Assembly election is at its peak. All the leaders from different political parties are high on campaigning trail to woo the voters for elections on 23rd of February.

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In a fresh ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control, in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir last night. Defence PRO SN Acharya said there is no loss of life on the Indian side in the Pakistani firing. More from our correspondent:

Pak troops opened firing with small, light and heavy automatic weapons in the Balnoi area of Krishna Ghati Sector that lasted for about one hour. The troops exercised utmost restraint and responded to Pak fire in controlled but effective way. The security forces have also recovered a consignment of ammunition and explosives from Sarhuti Gala forests in Taryath area of Kalakote in Rajouri district. Yogesh Sharma, AIR News, Jammu.

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About 10 tents were gutted and property worth lakhs of rupees destroyed in a fire at Kumbh Mela in Allahabad last night. Three persons received minor burn injuries in the incident which took place in the sector 9 of the Kumbh Mela. Though the cause of fire is yet to be ascertained, eye witnesses blame it on short circuit.

A large number of pilgrims are taking holy dip at the Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers in Allahabad on the occasion of Vasant Panchami today. Our correspondent reports that about two crore devotees are expected to take holy dip at the Samgam today, which is the fourth main bathing day of the ongoing Kumbh Mela.

Third and last Shahi Snan of Akharas is underway and Saints and sears from four Sanyasi Akharas have completed bathing. Shahi Snan will be completed with the bathing of Shri Panchayati Nirmala Akhara from Udasin sect. Saints and sears also performed religious rituals for the pilgrims killed in the stampede. Massive security arrangements are in place and large numbers of security personnel including Para military forces are deployed. With Shariq Noor this is Sunil Shukla, AIR News Kumbh Mela Allahabad.

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Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan will open for general public from today. The month-long annual Udyanotsav will be opened by President Pranab Mukherjee. The gardens will be open to public from 12.30 PM to 4 PM today. The gardens will open from 16th of this month to 17th of March between 10 AM and 4 PM except on Mondays, which are the days of maintenance.

This year, the main attraction in Mughal gardens are the dahlias in different colours, which number more than 2,500.

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The third and fifth position play off matches of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup will be played today. The third position play-off, between England and New Zealand, will take place at Mumbai, while the fifth position play-off fixture between South Africa and Sri Lanka will be played at Cuttack. Both the matches will begin at 9 in the morning.
Meanwhile, the title clash of the competition between Australia and the West Indies will be played at Mumbai on Sunday.

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News just in, one person was killed and two others injured in another fire at Kumbh Mela in Allahabad last night.

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TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

The Hindu on its front page states Inflation fell to a three year low of 6.62 percent in January, giving some leeway to the RBI to cut interest rates. This is the 4th straight month that inflation has fallen.
According to Asian Age an asteroid about half the size of a football field will pass in close proximity to earth, closer than the orbits of some geosynchronous satellites. The asteroid "2012 DA 14" will fly by earth at a distance of 27,700 km at 10 minutes past midnight.

The Hindustan Times under the headline "Access, print certificates from the comfort of home"writes that getting birth, death, caste and other such certificates from various Delhi government departments is going to be easy with its information technology department proposing to create a repository where the applicants will be able to get printouts of digitally signed certificates from anywhere, anytime!

Almost all papers have carried the story, along with photographs, of the paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius, South Africa's " Blade Runner" national hero, being charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steen Kamp who was shot inside his home in Pretoria. The Hindu covers it under the headline "Ghastly Oscar Night".

Post year long negotiations, US Airways and American Airlines have agreed to merge in a whopping eleven billion dollars landmark deal to create the world's biggest Airline reports the Hindustan Times.
The Statesman on its front page writes that thousands of Men and Women came out on the streets under the global campaign of one billion rising to end violence against women.
At a height of 359 meters, and touted as the next man-made wonder, the world's highest rail bridge, being built across Chenab riverbed in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, is five times higher than Qutub Minar and way higher than Eiffel Tower. This bridge will be operational by 2016 reports the Mail Today