1400 HRS

29th April, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Opposition disrupts Parliament proceedings over demand for Prime Minister's resignation on coal gate; both houses adjourned till 2 p.m.

• Finance bill to be taken up in Parliament tomorrow says Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

• Four member panel of Pakistan medical experts dismisses plea of Sarabajit's family to shift him abroad for treatment.

• Delhi court fixes July 8th for further proceedings in the additional 2G spectrum allocation case.

• Further hearing required in Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea challenging trial court's order in 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, says Delhi High Court.

• Six persons killed and 40 others injured in a blast near Peshawar in Pakistan.

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Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the second time till 2 PM today. The BJP members stalled the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha demanding the Prime Minister's resignation on the coal blocks allocation issue. In the Lok Sabha, the Samajwadi Party members trooped into the well asking for government's reaction on the Chinese incursion into the Indian territory of Ladakh. The BJP, BJD and Trinamool Congress members were also on their feet when the House re-assembled after an hour-long adjournment in the morning. They asked the government to explain its stand on the matter. Amidst the din, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav termed the Chinese incursion in Ladakh as a national humiliation. Mr Yadav was critical of the government's stand on the Chinese provocation and wondered about the rationale behind the External Affairs Minister's proposed visit to Beijing next month.

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The Finance Bill will be taken up in the Lok Sabha tomorrow ending the opposition deadlock. Talking to media persons after a meeting of the UPA floor leaders today,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamalnath said that the bill will be taken up for passage. Both Houses have seen repeated disruptions by the opposition parties over issues related to allocations in coal blocks and 2G spectrum. Only nine days remain before the session ends. As many as 115 bills,excluding the finance bill, are pending before Parliament. Among these are the land acquisition and food security bills. In a reply to a question, Mr Kamalnath said the present session of Parliament will continue as scheduled and will not be adjourned sine die.

"It's very unfortunate that the last five days of Parliament never ran and I am optimistic and hopeful,appeal to all Political parties that we should run Parliament. Parliament is for all members for all parties and is the only forum in our democracy which is a stage for discussion and debate."

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A four-member panel of Pakistani medical experts supervising the treatment of Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh, has turned down the demand of his family for treatment abroad. The panel headed by Mehmood Shaukat was directed by the government to decide whether Sarabjit, should be sent abroad or foreign neurosurgeons should be called to Pakistan to treat him. The panel of experts examined Sarabjit again today and studied the results of tests done on him so far, including two CT scans. There was no official word on the development. Sarabjit sustained several injuries, including a skull fracture, when six prisoners attacked him in Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday and doctors said his chances of survival are slim.

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India today expressed its readiness to ensure all medical help to Sarabjit Singh who is battling for life in a Lahore jail after being assaulted by fellow prisoners. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, the minister of state for Home, RPN Singh said the government will do all it can to save Sarabjit.

"It is something we can talk to them diplomatically. It is our endeavor and we will do whatever is in our hands to make sure that all proper medical treatment is given to Sarabjit."

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A Delhi court today fixed July 8th for further proceedings in the additional 2G spectrum allocation case in which Bharti Cellular CMD Sunil Mittal,Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia and others have been summoned as accused. Special CBI Judge O P Saini deferred the matter as the Supreme Court on April 26th had issued notice to the CBI on Mittal's plea challenging the summons issued against him and had said that the proceedings in the trial court will remain postponed until further orders. The apex court had also exempted Ruia and Mittal from personal appearance before the trial court. It had given four weeks time to the agency to file its response followed by three weeks time to Mittal to file a rejoinder to the CBI's reply. Mittal and Ruia did not appear in the Special CBI Court today. Former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh, also an accused in the case, today appeared before the court. After the recusal of the two judges, a new bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir is hearing Mittal and Ruia's plea challenging the summoning order of the trial court.

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The Delhi High Court today said, further hearing is required in the plea of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who had challenged the trial court order framing charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case related to the killings of six persons. Justice Suresh Kait, fixed May 15th as the date for further hearing in the matter. The judgement was reserved in the case by the high court in December last year. The trial court is scheduled to pronounce the verdict tomorrow in a similar case against Kumar and five others in which the former Outer Delhi MP is accused of instigating the mob to kill Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment area during the 1984 riots. 

Complainant Sheela Kaur had filed a cross-appeal in the high court seeking to invoke the charges of criminal conspiracy against Kumar and other four accused in the case. In July 2010, a trial court had framed charges against Sajjan Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta, Peru, Khushal Singh and Ved Prakash in connection with the case in which six persons were killed in Sultanpuri in anti-Sikhs riots that erupted in Delhi and elsewhere after the assassination of then the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the 31st of October, 1984. Besides charges of murder and rioting, the court had also framed charges for the offence of spreading enmity between two communities against the accused. The CBI had filed two charge sheets against Kumar and others in January 2010 in the cases registered in 2005 on the recommendation of Justice G T Nanavati Commission which probed the sequence of events leading to the riots.

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The date for the next sitting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum will be decided today. Talking to reporters outside Parliament JPC Chairman P C Chacko said that he will finalize the date after holding discussions with other Committee members. He said that he also met the Lok Sabha Speaker in this connection. On the possibility of making changes in the draft report, Mr Chacko said the text can be adopted along with the dissenting note of the members, so that both the views can be placed before the Parliament.

"Without the report discussing in the committee, nobody can make any offer of change and it is totally not possible. So what we are going to start we will decide the date today and then we will discuss it. If the members wants to have a detailed discussion of each chapter I am ready to do that."

Referring to a question on the demand for his removal, Mr Chacko pointed out that he was of the view that there is no provision to change or remove the Chairman of any Parliamentary committee. He however added that it is up to the Speaker to decide.

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The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today stressed that in Karnataka , development will be given priority and the Congress government will overcome shortage of power and water faced by people now. Addressing a public rally in Hubli as part of election campaign in Karnataka the Prime Minister said pro- people model of governance adopted by the Central government will be introduced in the state.

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In Pakistan, six persons were killed and 40 others injured in a blast near a bus stop at University Road in Peshawar this morning. Witnesses said that a police van was the target of the blast. Rescue teams have shifted the bodies and injured to Khyber Teaching Hospital while police cordoned off the area and started investigation. Police Commissioner of Peshawar was travelling on the same route when the blast occurred. Sources say the Police Commissioner is safe but a passenger bus came under the attack leading to casualties.
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The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina today visited the wreckage of the garment factory which collapsed on Wednesday, trapping and killing hundreds of people. She also met survivors and families of those missing in the disaster. Rescue teams have started using heavy machinery to lift huge concrete slabs from the site of the collapsed building. Relatives of those missing are waiting anxiously as cranes started removing the debris. The owner of the building, Sohel Rana, was arrested dramatically while attempting to flee to India. He faces charges of negligence. Rana was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion of Bangladesh from Benapole, one of the 14 land ports with India, just as he was about to cross into West Bengal. This is the fifth arrest in the case.

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The fire that broke our in an underground magazine store of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at Chandipur in Odisha, this morning has been controlled. The fire which triggered a string of explosions took place in the magazine store of Proof and Experimental Establishment of DRDO. According to Director of Proof and Experiment Establishment R A Raja, shells and ammunition of different capacities and sizes were stored in the magazine store for test. More from our correspondent.

"The total loss of arms and ammunitions are yet to be ascertained. There has been no reports of any casualty so far and fire tenders have controlled the blaze. The entire complex has been sealed. A committee has been formed by DRDO to ascertain the cause behind the fire in the establishment which is located near the premier missile trial centre Integrated Test Range . According to reports, different shells and ammunition of various artillery systems, including the 155 mm Bofors field guns are brought to the establishment for test. Prakash Dash,Bhubaneswar,AIR NEWS."

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Finance minister Chidambaram today asked the District magistrates and lead Bank Managers to fast track the implementation of the Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT) scheme. Inaugurating the Meeting of the District Magistrates of all 121 targeted districts in New Delhi, Mr. Chidambaram said, to speed up the implementation of the DBT, digitization and constant updation of beneficiary data, widening of ADHAAR enrollment and opening of Bank Accounts have to be focussed on. Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said, the DBT electronic payments tried out in Chitoor and Godavari districts have been successful. Mr. Ramesh also said it was found that Post office have done better than the banks in the DBT pilots carried out. He stressed on the use of the postal network for the DBT Scheme.

Today's meeting is discussing ways to remove the glitches in the implementation of Direct Benefits Transfer, DBT Programme.

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A Special two-day session of the State Assembly began in Kolkata today to discuss the situation arising out of the Chit Fund scam. A new bill will be tabled in the House tomorrow for protection of investors following the Saradha Group scam which has hit thousands of investors. Our Kolkata correspondent reports that this is the second special session in the history of assembly after 1960 when the then Chief Minister B.C.Roy had called it in view of eviction of Bengalis from Assam. Meanwhile, a team of police officers of Assam is interrogating the Saradha group chief Sudipta Sen and two others accused in the scam in Kolkata besides the probe initiated by the West Bengal police. The opposition CPI(M) state committee has met in Kolkata this morning to discuses the chit fund episode and future strategy of the party to deal with the situation.

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The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange was trading with a marginal gain of 19 points, at 19,306, in the afternoon trade, a short while ago. The Nifty of the National Stock Exchange moved up 5 points, to 5,877. In other Asian markets, key indices in Hong Kong, South Korea and Sinagaore were trading mixed, in intra-day trade; while stock markets in China and Japan were closed for a holiday.

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The rupee today gained six paise to 54.31 against the dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market on increased selling of the US currency by exporters. Strengthening of euro and yen against the dollar in overseas market and a higher opening in the equity market also supported the rupee. The rupee had lost 15 paise to close at 54.37 on Friday on month-end dollar demand from importers and heavy capital outflows, amid weak local stocks