1400 HRS

18th April, 2013

THE HEADLINES

• Political parties reach broad consensus on Land Acquisition Bill; to be presented in the current session of Parliament.

• Government extends zero-duty Export Promotion Capital Goods scheme to all sectors to promote exports.

• Supreme Court allows reopening of 118 mines in Karnataka after a gap of two years: Rules Gram Sabhas to decide on Bauxite mining in Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha.

• Islamabad High Court orders former president Pervez Musharraf's arrest in judges’ confinement case.

• 70 feared killed in the US in a blast at a fertilizer plant in Texas.

• Sensex gains over 150 points in afternoon trade.

[]<><><>[]

Political parties have arrived at a broad consensus to bring the Land Acquisition Bill for consideration and passing in the second half of Budget session of Parliament beginning onMonday. Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, after the all party meeting held at the Parliament Complex this morning, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said, the political parties have reached a broad consensus on the Land Acquisition Bill.

We had had a very successful all party meeting on the land acquisition bill and the bill will now move to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We move towards consensus. Largely there is consensus. Off course there can't be unanimity.

Speaking to a private TV channel Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh said, the issue is fair compensation to farmers whose land is acquired. He said, the bill also has to be industry friendly. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said her party had put forward twelve points and the government had agreed to almost all of them.

Land should not be acquired only but should be given on lease. Government had some constitutional problem on this point as it is state government subject but the government said that it will bring enabling provision under which if state governments want to bring lease by doing some amendments in acts, they can do it. So a broad consensus has been reached.

Basudev Acharya of the CPM said, there is a lot of difference between the original and the revised bill. Terming the earlier one as better, he said, his party will move for amendments and demand voting on it.

Our correspondent reports that the Bill seeks to address problems of fair compensation to farmers and concerns of industry regarding acquisition of Land for setting up projects. The revised legislation provides for Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Settlement of displaced people and proposes to replace the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

[]<><><>[]

The Supreme Court has said that it's up to the Gram Sabha or local self-government to decide on Bauxite mining in Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha. They have been asked to share their decision within three months with the union Environment Ministry. The mining project is a joint venture between the UK-Based Vendanta resources and the State Government. It is meant to supply bauxite, the main raw material for Aluminum, to an alumina refinery it has set up at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district, about 450 kilometres from the state capital. The refinery was shut in December because of a shortage of bauxite. The Union Government in 2011 had refused environmental clearances to the mining project. The Odisha government had challenged the centre's decision in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has also allowed 118 legal mines to reopen in three districts of Karnataka after a gap of two years. The Apex Court, however, cancelled leases of all mine projects planned outside the sanctioned area of Karnataka's Bellary district. The illegal iron ore mining on the Andhra-Karnataka border would remain suspended till demarcation of boundary between the two states is completed, the court said. The apex court's decision was based on the recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee, which was constituted by the Supreme Court to look into the mining issues in Karanataka. The court delivered its judgement on a PIL seeking a ban on illegal mining which was filed three years ago.

[]<><><>[]

The government today extended several benefits to spur exports and to encourage domestic manufacturing to reduce dependence on imports. Releasing the annual supplement to the Foreign Trade policy, Commerce and Industry minister Anand Sharma today said that 2012 had been a difficult year and the country's exports during 2012-13 declined 1.76 per cent to 300.6 billion dollars mainly on account of slowdown in the global economy. Mr. Sharma said, it was a matter of concern that the trade deficit has increased from 183.4 billion US Dollars last year to 190.9 billion US Dollars. He said the trade deficit impacts the Current Account Deficit (CAD) and exports are viewed as valuable source of foreign exchange which help in stabilizing the Current Account Deficit situation.

We are conscious of the need to enhance exports so that we can address the real challenge of bringing down the trade account deficit which directly impacts the current account deficit. Because of the rising cost of imports of certain commodities including petroleum and gas, we have to remain conscious.

He said, the government has aggressively pursued a policy of trade liberalisation in the last four years. The host of beneficial measures announced by the Commerce Minister includes, extension of the zero-duty Export Promotion Capital Goods, EPCG, scheme beyond March 2013. He said, the EPCG scheme, a major incentive programme of the government, will now be available to all sectors.

The zero duty EPCG scheme has been an important instrument for increasing technology, intensity of our experts. This scheme was scheduled to expire in March 2013. In a major decision, we have decided not only to extend the zero duty EPCG scheme beyond March 2013, but also to merge it with 3 per cent EPCG scheme. Now the zero duty EPCG scheme will be available to all sectors.

[]<><><>[]

Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shetter is holding a high level meeting in Bangalore today to review the security and progress in the investigation in the bomb blast yesterday. He visited the injured in the hospital this morning. Later, he said all the injured are out of danger and their treatment charges will be born by the government. He also said that those who lost property will be compensated and appealed people to maintain peace. 

The DGP of the state - Lal Rokoma Pachau has informed that four special investigation teams are formed to investigate the blast incident that occurred in Bangalore yesterday. He said, CCTV images in and around the spot are being examined. He announced a cash reward of 5 lakh rupees for person providing information leading to the arrest of real accused person. The National Investigation Agency, Bomb Disposal Squad has arrived in Bangalore to inspect the spot. With Devinder, Sudhindra, AIR News, Bangalore.

[]<><><>[]

Meanwhile, the scrutiny of nominations for Karnataka Assembly election is in progress. Yesterday was the last day to file nominations. 2295 candidates are in the fray. Saturday is last day for withdrawal of nominations. Both the Congress and the BJP are contesting from all the 224 seats, KJP of Yeddyurappa is contesting from 216 seats and JD(S) from 222 seats.

[]<><><>[]

The Supreme Court today granted four more weeks to three 1993 Mumbai blasts case convicts to surrender to complete the jail term awarded to them in the case. The court granted extension to Altaf Ali Sayeed, Anjum Abdul Rajjak and Yusuf Nulwalla a day after the Supreme Court granted four more weeks to actor Sanjay Dutt, also convicted in the case for illegal possession of firearms. The apex court passed its order in response to their plea seeking more time to surrender on humanitarian grounds. Meanwhile, the apex court also agreed to hear Zaibunissa Kazi, and two other convicts' plea for extension of time to surrender later today.

[]<><><>[]

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has accused the NDA leaders of pursuing personal interests and ambitions. Talking to reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of 4th Round table on Broadcast, he said it is for people to judge and decide on picking the UPA or NDA alliance. He said the UPA government is focused on the development of the country whereas NDA leaders are fighting against each other.

The UPA has focused on public interest, on the development of this country. Within the NDA, all that you hear are individual ambitions which are trying to compete against each other.

On Special Investigation team, SIT, seeking death for former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, Mr Tewari said it is entirely the task of the State government and the SIT.

[]><><><[]

For news updates, follow us on Twitter @ airnewsalerts. For regional and national news of AIR download All India Radio News app on any android based mobile phone".

[]><><><[]

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today maintained that the government has no intention to regulate media content. Addressing fourth CEOs roundtable on broadcast in New Delhi, he said regulation of the content in the media space will not come from the executive but through the judicial process.

Regulation in media space on the content side is not going to come out of political executive. As and when it comes, it is going to come out of the judicial process.

On Television rating points (TRPs), Mr Tewari said the government has been insisting on creation of a body by the industry at the earliest.

There can be two way of flow of information and government from its side is more than prepared if you were to create an industry body to hand over the data directly to you, without government intervening in any manner. So that you can process it, analyse it, put it out in the public place.

Talking about the TRAI notification putting a cap of 12 minutes for advertisements in every clock hour on TV channels, Mr Tewari once again encouraged a way out whereby the imperatives of consumer's value for money as well as the imperatives of broadcasters' revenue model can be balanced.

[]><><><[]

Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said the downturn in Indian economy was temporary and growth will return to 8 per cent in two years. He asserted that India can absorb 50 billion Dollars foreign investment annually. Acknowledging the largeness of the current account deficit (CAD) at around 5 per cent of GDP in 2012-13, he said the government had no timelines or targets in mind for bringing it down. He expressed hope that softening of oil prices will help bring down CAD.

Addressing the international media in New York, Chidambaram said the government was reviewing sectoral FDI caps as many of them were imposed at different points of time.

[]><><><[]

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 74 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,806 in opening trade, this morning, on fresh buying by funds, after the country's largest software exporter, TCS posted encouraging fourth-quarter results. Later, the Sensex extended its initial gains, to stand 156 points, or 0.8 percent in the green, at 18,887 in afternoon trade, a short while ago. But stock markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Indonesia had lost between 0.1 percent and 0.8 percent, today, after sentiment was hit by falling commodity prices and some weak US corporate results.

[]><><><[]

In Pakistan, the Islamabad High Court today dismissed former president Pervaiz Musharraf's interim bail extension plea and ordered his arrest in the judges’ confinement case. Pervez Musharraf appeared before the Islamabad High Court today to seek extension in his bail in the judges’ confinement case. However, the court dismissed his plea and ordered his arrest. The former president managed to escape with his private security guards from the court. In the previous hearing, the High Court had extended the interim bail of former president General Pervez Musharraf till April 18.

[]><><><[]

In the United States a blast ripped through a fertilizer plant in Texas, killing many people and injuring hundreds of others as many buildings were destroyed after the factory exploded in a fireball. The blast took place last night at the West Fertilizer plant in the town of West, outside Waco, with more than 130 people evacuated from a nearby nursing home, and at least 100 patients admitted to hospitals following the incident. Some local media reports put the death toll to about 70. West emergency services Director Dr George Smith said earlier that as many as 60 or 70 people died in the blast, but Department of Public Safety spokesman D L Wilson said during a news conference that the number of dead is unknown. Authorities are going door to door in the area checking on residents. The explosion, started as a structure fire and was later followed by explosion. The blast knocked out power to a large area surrounding the plant.

[]><><><[]

A Sri Lankan court today extended the remand of 30 Indian fishermen who were arrested on 6th of April near Talaimannar coast. They were earlier sent to remand till today, but the remand period was further extended for another week till 26th of April.

[]><><><[]

World Heritage Day is being celebrated today to create awareness among people for conserving and protecting the valuable asset and cultural heritage across the world