Govt admits it goofed up export data by $9 billion!FDI in retail to benefit Indian farmers, citizens, says US!Govt defends Chidambaram in 2G case, praises his integrity!Government rejects all allegations against P Chidambaram!Unhappy Anna to reach Delhi, protest 'toothless' Lokpal!We will campaign against govt in general elections: Anna Hazare

AMRI fire: Two Kerala nurses save 8 patients, die trying to rescue 9th.Mamata Banerjee orders judicial inquiry

Subramanian Swamy demands Chidambaram's resignation

Govt develops cold feet over action against RIL

PM convenes all-party meeting on Lokpal on December 19

Ramdev plan A, Anna plan B, Sri Sri Ravishankar plan C of RSS: Digvijay Singh

Villagers lay siege to Tamil Nadu's Kudankulam nuclear plant!

Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams ,Chapter 719

Palash Biswas

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http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

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PM convenes all-party meeting on Lokpal on December 19.

A day before Anna Hazare's day-long fast, Delhi Police said they planned to beef up security at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi Sunday.Meanwhile,a day after 91 people were killed in a massive fire at the AMRI hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Coming out in strong defence of home minister P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal on Saturday attacked the BJP-led NDA of attempting to "foist" culpability on him in the2G scam saying it was a desperate attempt to make Parliamentary democracy dysfunctional.
Subramanian Swamy demands Chidambaram's resignation!

GORAKHPUR: Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram claiming he had decided the price of 2G spectrum with formerTelecom Minister A Raja.

Addressing a press conference, he said he had submitted relevant documents to the court that bore signatures of both the ministers.

Swamy said Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal was unnecessarily defending Chidambaram, a reference to Sibal's press conference in Delhi today when he rejected all allegations against Chidambaram.

He supported BJP's stand of boycotting Chidambaram in parliament.

He also claimed that the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill,2011 was prepared on the dictates of Sonia Gandhi by National Advisory Council.

The Bill would divide the country in several parts and groups as it provides remedies only to the minorities, he alleged.

After six directors of the AMRI Hospital were sent to police custody till December 20 by a Kolkata court, the West Bengal government on Saturday remained non-committal on whether a fresh licence would be issued to the hospital management to resume operations in its annexe-I building where 91 persons choked to death in a fire on Friday.
Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh, when asked whether the AMRI management could apply for a fresh licence, said, "May apply for fresh licences. But the government will consider all aspects. What happened in the past (for cancellation of licence) will also be considered."
The six directors of the hospital - including RS Goenka of Emami and SK Todi of Shrachi - have been remanded to 10-day police custody on Saturday.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday ordered judicial inquiry into the AMRI Hospital fire, even as the hospital has come out with a statement, promising setting up of a five-member enquiry committee to probe into the tragedy.
Earlier, angry lawyers staged a protest, demanding exemplary punishment for the offenders. They also stopped the lawyers of the accused from appearing in court.
"This is a crime, which cannot be tolerated. Even the advocate, who will appear, should know that we are among the society," said ex-president of Alipore Court Bar Bibhabrata Dasgupta.
"The accused went unrepresented. Because of that, they have not been able to move any application being deterred by certain factors. We were requested not to move," said Amitava Ganguly, counsel for the accused.
The fact that the accused were forced to go unrepresented in court could be subversion of justice, but it also reflects the public outrage that currently prevails in the city against the alleged offenders.
The AMRI fire has been a rude wake up call for the state government. It has formed a 17-member special investigation team of the Kolkata Police to probe the disaster. A five-member permanent committee has also been set up to monitor fire safety in the city.
"The way the Chief Minister has handled this tragedy - consoled the people with deft, courage and fortitude - we deeply appreciate that," said Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee (with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by his side).
Mukherjee visited the hospital on Friday night and met the injured who have been admitted to the SSKM Hospital.
"It is unfortunate that a tragedy of this kind occurred in a place where people come to get well. The Chief Minister is handling the situation. The Centre is willing to help if asked by the state," Pranab said.
Meanwhile, a minor fire was again discovered at the basement of the hospital.
One fire engine, which was already stationed at the hospital, doused the fire.
Earlier, the city's joint commissioner, Damayanti Sen, said that the fire department had found AMRI's safety systems inadequate and had instructed the hospital authorities to upgrade it in July this year.
Damayanti Sen said, "In the month of July, the fire service department held an inspection at the hospital and found fire safety mechanism inadequate. They instructed the hospital authorities to upgrade the mechanism and especially instructed them to clear the basement."
However, questions remain how the hospital managed to renew its trade license from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation despite violating building norms. The fire services department is also under the scanner for issuing a no-objection certificate to the hospital. The onus is now on the government to nail the guilty and build an effective monitoring system to prevent such disasters in future.
The Friday morning fire
It was at 3:30 am on Friday morning that the devastating fire that would claim at least 90 lives began in the basement of the AMRI Hospital. Relatives of the victims though say the hospital knew that the fire had begun as early as 1 am. But it was only at 4:45 am that the first fire tender reached the spot.
When a CNN-IBN team reached the site they found rescue officials desperately coping with the mammoth task of evacuating hundreds of patients locked inside smoke filled rooms of the hospital.
Critical patients were trapped inside the smoke-filled ICU were the biggest casualties. In a desperate bid to rescue them, windows were broken.
Locals rushed in, as fire-fighters collapsed unable to cope with the smoke.
The families of the trapped patients waited outside in anxiety, and a few hours later for many of them their worst fears were confirmed.
Aftermath of the fire
The official death toll from the fire in the private hospital is said to be 91, with many injured still being deemed as critical.
The AMRI hospital has lost its license. It claims it had adequate fire safety equipments but for patients who were already receiving critical care confined to their beds, all they had were stairs to climb down from and help that came several hours too late.
Political reactions
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday expressed "shock and anguish" over loss of lives in a massive fire that broke out in a Kolkata hospital and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
Singh also conveyed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy, a PMO spokesman said.
Not just the Prime Minister, even the Trinamool Congress expressed their grief over the hospital fire. The TMC said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was correct is cancelling the hospital's license as there were major lapses on the part of the hospital authorities.
"We think that there is definitely some negligence on the part of the authorities who were running this place and from what I gather that the common people from the locality wanted to break in and help the patients but they were not allowed by the authorities and nearly for one and half, two hours they allowed the fire to surge ahead," said TMC leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.
"It is condemnable that the authorities didn't take proper notice of the serious misconduct on the part of the administration, and the Chief Minister has already ordered cancellation of their license," Kakoli added.
West Bengal Health Minister Sudip Bandhyopadhyay said that he was shocked and surprised that a super specialty hospital like AMRI did not have proper fire safety norms.
"Yes its a super specialty hospital and it is surprising that there were no fire safety norms. Mamata is state health minister and she is concerned," said Bandhyopadhyay.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/amri-hospital-may-not-be-allowed-to-reopen/210678-3.html
10/12/2011

Mystery van causes furore at Kolkata hospital

Kolkata: Fresh trouble broke out at the AMRI Hospital here after a van tried to slip out with some mysterious goods, which the locals claimed were dead bodies.

The white van was cordoned off by locals around 6.15 p.m. when it tried to slip out of the hospital compound. Furious locals claimed that many more people have died than the official toll of 90 and authorities were trying to shift those bodies.
"I saw the van coming out. I along with my friends stopped the van in order to know what was inside the van," said Babu Ghosh, who was present at the spot. In the worst fire tragedy in any hospital in India, 90 patients and staffers were killed in the well-known AMRI Hospital of Kolkata when a blaze engulfed its annexe building early Friday, trapping dozens of helpless patients while doctors and others fled to safety.
Source:IANS
Full coverage on AMRI hospital

Hazare and supporters will stage a token fast to protest the government's version of the anti-graft Lokpal bill.

"We will beef up security in and around Jantar Mantar (Sunday). Around 1,000 police personnel will be deployed. Apart from this, metal detectors and other arrangements will be made near the stage," a police officer told IANS.

He said there were no prohibitory orders in the area, therefore, Hazare's group India Against Corruption (IAC) was allowed to hold the protest for a day. The IAC is the umbrella organisation of Hazare's anti-graft movement.

"We have no idea about how many people are expected to turn up for the protest. We have told the organisers not to hold a gathering of over 7,000 people as the area could not accommodate more than this number," said police officer.

Earlier in August, the 74-year-old activist sat on a 12-day fast at Ramlila ground in central Delhi and terminated it only after Parliament agreed to frame a stringent anti-graft law.

Accusing Team Anna of "practising an extreme form of intolerance", Abhishek Singhvi, senior Congress leader and chairman of the Parliamentary panel on Lokpal, said attacking those who do not agree with their view is a negation of democracy.

"None of this is surprising. As usual and true to form Team Anna is practising an extreme form of intolerance, namely those who do not agree 100 per cent with their view must be condemned with personal attack and vilification," Singvi said.

He said this is a "negation of democracy" itself because Team Anna has decided that "no one in the nation, be it Parliamentary Committee, Parliament or the Cabinet, can ever disagree with them."

"This is most unfortunate and regrettable," said Singhvi who is also an eminent lawyer and spokesperson of Congress.

His remarks came close on the heels of Anna Hazare's attack on the Committee for its "weak report" on the eve of his day-long fast.

Govt has cheated entire country: Anna

On the eve of day-long fast to protest against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report onLokpal Bill, Anna Hazare today said government has "cheated" the entire country and that he will carry on his campaign till next Lok Sabha elections to create awareness against UPA.

The social activist said he suspected that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was behind Standing Committee rejecting even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise to include the Citizen's charter, lower bureaucracy and establishment of Lok Ayuktas in the states.

"They have cheated the whole country. The Prime Minister had given in writing that these three issues would be brought under the Lokpal Bill...The Prime Minister's letter was thrown into the dustbin. Why this volte face? Is Singhvi's post higher than that of the Prime Minister," Hazare told reporters here.

"There is somebody behind... Who is bigger than the Prime Minister?... We suspect Rahul Gandhi could be behind this... Who else can dare to challenge the Prime Minister? That is why there are these problems," Hazare said, alleging that their intentions are "not good".

He was referring to Standing Committee headed by Abhishek Singhvi which has disfavoured inclusion of Group C and D employees and kept out Citizen's charter and Lokayukta.

Hazare, who will hold a day-log fast at jantar mantar tomorrow, said he will resume his anti-corruption agitation from December 27 and then carry on this for next two years till the Lok Sabha elections.

"We will continue to fight for the next two years. We will move around the whole country before the general elections to create public awareness," he said and asked "Why to retain those who have destroyed the country?"

Strongly advocating bringing CBI under the ambit of the Lokpal bill, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi today alleged the agency was not independent and said a third phase of agitation by the civil society on the anti-graft legislation was 'inevitable'.

CBI officials were appointed by the government and could be removed by it. They were investigating the government. "Isn't there a conflict of interest?..That's why it took so long (to file cases) in 2G, Commonwealth (scams)," the former IPS officer said at the India Today Youth Summit here.

"Many policy decisions go to the PMO's door step..This CBI is not independent," she said adding "I think the third phase of agitation is inevitable."

Bedi also pitched for doing away with preliminary probe in corruption cases where evidence was available and cited the instance of former telecom minister Sukh Ram, from whose residence huge amount of cash was seized.
Asked why Team Anna has not compromised on certain provisions of the government proposed Lokpal bill, she said, "Is there a compromise in shedding corruption? What is the kind of compromise we are looking at? So what do you want status quo or change?"

Referring to Parliamentarians, she said, "Do you know more than 70 people in the Lok Sabha have criminal records? It is 110 people, if you combine Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha".

AMRI fire: Two Kerala nurses save 8 patients, die trying to rescue 9th

Two young nurses from Kerala, who were working in the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata, saved eight patients before their own lives were snuffed out while trying to rescue another victim.

Remya and Vineetha, both 24, pulled out eight of the nine patients in the noxious smoke-filled female ward and when they had gone up to save the ninth patient, who had suffered a fracture, succumbed to the smoke and heat, said Sumini, the Deputy Nursing Superintendent.

In fact, even as she was engaged in the valiant rescue effort, she had called up her home from Kolkata in the wee hours on Friday and spoken to her mother who had little inkling that this would be the last time she would hear her daughter.

She told her mother that the hospital was filled with thick smoke and fume and it was very difficult for her to breathe, a close relative here said.

Before she completed the talk the telephone line got disconnected. Later, it was another nurse from Kolkata who informed Remya's relatives that she was one of the two Malayali nurses who perished in the fire.

Vineetha hailed from a poor family also from Kottayam. She had joined AMRI hospital just two months back after quitting a hospital in Chandigarh.

According to Remya's relatives, she had visited them three months back and stayed for a few days before returning to Kolkata.

Remya's father, a daily wager earner, died before she completed her nursing course. It was with great difficulty that her mother and brother supported her to complete the course.

10 DEC, 2011, 07.42AM IST, ET BUREAU

Computer, human goof-ups overstated export figures by almost $9 bn: Govt

EDITORS PICK

NEW DELHI: Computer and human errors have overstated India's export figures by almost $9 billion, the government said on Friday. This confirms fears about the robustness of the country's export performance and adds to the vulnerability of the rupee.

Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said exports for the first seven months of the fiscal would now need to be restated down by $9 billion to $170.8 billion, a calculation error he said occurred due to a system crash in the DGCI&S and mistakes in classification and data entry by officials.

"Mistakes take place. Every number for the last seven months was revised. This notion that the government is deliberately cooking up and telling you lies has got to stop," Khullar said at a press conference on Friday.

While the downward revision will mean a small, low single-digit knock to the country's overall export numbers, originally estimated to end the year at around $300 billion, it would magnify an already precarious current account deficit with trade deficit estimated to touch $160 billion in the fiscal. "It is not that we had a balance of payments crisis on hand and did not know it. It is just that the deficit is slightly worse than we estimated," Khullar said.

Export growth in November decelerated sharply to 3.7% to $22.3 billion while imports increased 22.5% to $35.9 billion. Cumulatively, exports in April-November posted a 33.2% growth to $192.7billion while imports grew 30.2% to $309.5 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $116.8 billion.

What is embarrassing for the government is the huge overestimation of exports to the tune of $15 billion for engineering goods and underestimation of $12 billion in case of gems & jewellery and petroleum products in the April-October period.

The revision will further undermine the credibility of India's economic statistics that many experts have come to disregard. "We estimate export figures based on the amount that other countries have imported," said Jahangir Aziz, Asia economist, JP Morgan.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/computer-human-goof-ups-overstated-export-figures-by-almost-9-bn-govt/articleshow/11051892.cms

Govt admits it goofed up export data by $9 billion!

Govt defends Chidambaram in 2G case, praises his integrity!Unhappy Anna to reach Delhi, protest 'toothless' Lokpal!

We will campaign against govt in general elections: Anna Hazare

With the threat of Anna Hazare's agitation looming large, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called an all-party meeting next week to evolve a broad consensus on the Lokpal Bill and ensure its passage during the current session of Parliament that ends on December 22.
Before the all party meeting, the UPA allies will hold confabulations among themselves on December 13 to devise a common strategy and speak in one voice in Parliament.
Sources said the Union Cabinet will also meet on Tuesday during which it is expected to consider the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel and Law and Justice on the Lokpal Bill.
Singh has invited all political parties to a meeting at his residence on December 14 to discuss the Lokpal issue and build a broad consensus on the Bill so that it can be passed without much hindrance during the on-going winter session.
Sources have indicated that the Lokpal Bill is likely to be passed by the Cabinet after incorporating some of the suggestions made by the Parliamentary panel.
The Lokpal Bill, with amendments, is likely to be introduced in Parliament on December 19.
The Standing Committee report on the Bill, which was presented in both Houses of Parliament yesterday, has earned the ire of the opposition parties and Team Anna for deviating from several issues on which a broad agreement had been reached earlier.
The opposition and Team Anna want that a Citizens' Charter and lower bureaucracy be put under the Lokpal. They also want the Prime Minister within the ambit of Lokpal but exempt him on matters related to public order and national security.

FDI in retail to benefit Indian farmers, citizens, says US!

Government rejects all allegations against P Chidambaram!The opposition's call for Home MinisterP. Chidambaram's ouster intensified Thursday with a special CBI court permitting Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy to prove his claim of the minister's alleged complicity in the 2G spectrum scam.

On theother hand,Supporting the ongoing discourse in India over the issue of FDI in the retail sector, a top US officials has said even though he believed the reform would would benefit Indians, he would refrain from advising them on the issue.

Already battered by corruption scandals, and less than a week after an embarrassing policy U-turn, the Indian government admitted on Friday that it had accidentally inflated this year's export figures by more than $9 billion.

The cause was a glitch in the computer system that collates the trade data, Trade Secretary Rahul Khullar told reporters. Months of export and trade deficit data have had to be revised.

"How many people would come and tell you, 'OK we goofed'? There was a mistake," Khullar said. "There is no shame in admitting that there is something wrong," he added.

With export growth slower than first thought, the trade deficit has now swelled by $9 billion, a worrying sign that emerged on the same day that New Delhi revised down its annual economic growth forecast to 7.5 percent from about 9 percent.

Growth rates for individual sectors were also distorted by computer errors, Khullar said. For example, the performance of the engineering goods sector had been exaggerated because certain shipments had been incorrectly classified. Exports of petroleum products, on the other hand, had been under-estimated.

The ministry had consistently emphasised that the data released each month was provisional, and it had been open about concerns that the figures were unreliable.

The admission came after months of speculation in business newspapers about possible flaws in the data. In particular, suspicions were aroused by a big jump in exports, by as much as 82 percent in July, at a time when industrial growth and other indicators were showing signs of an economic slowdown.

"Many of you have been commenting ... in the media about how are exports doing so well if manufacturing is doing badly, and the implicit understanding was that look, either the export numbers are wrong, or the IIP (index of industrial production)numbers are wrong, or both are wrong," Khullar said.

At a previous news conference, Khullar bristled at the suggestion that the ministry was "cooking the books", to use his phrase. Khullar also emphasised that while the figures were inaccurate, the overall export trends portrayed were reliable. Exports grew 33 percent between April and November, hitting $193 billion, according to the revised data.

"The big picture still remains that the exports are still doing pretty damn well at 193," he said.

Exporters in Asia's third-largest economy enjoyed record growth last year, rebounding from the global financial crisis as demand from Europe and the United States revived. This fiscal year had also started with strong double-digit growth, according to the original figures.

But with the euro zone lurching from crisis to crisis, and a sluggish US economy, demand has once again been shaken. That will put pressure on India's trade deficit, which could amount to $155-160 billion for this fiscal year, Khullar said.

"I think they have to work through their domestic political process and I don't want to comment on their internal affairs at this point," said Robert D Hormats, the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.

Responding to questions about the move of the Union Cabinet to put on hold its decision with regard to FDI in the multi-brand retail sector till the time a consensus is developed among all its stake holders, Hormats said that the United States has been discussing the issues with India for some time.

"The Indians are working it through their process. I think the Indians know our position. They know the benefits that we think would result from allowing this multi - brand retailing to take place in India," he said.

"I think they(India) know our view that it would be very beneficial to Indian farmers, Indian citizens, Indian consumers in general.

"But the details of how the Indian Government and the Indian Parliament and the Indian officials work this through, I think I'll leave to the Indians and not try to advise them on how to proceed," he said.

Later at another news conference, State Department spokesman Mark Toner asserted that this is a "domestic Indian issue" and it is not for the US to comment on it.

"We understand the government's decision to allow time for a consensus to be forged. You know, we believe that this is a deal that's in both our countries' interests," he said.

"I'm neither happy nor disappointed," Toner said when asked if the US is disappointed with the decision of the Indian government to put on hold FDI in retail.

"The debate that's going on now in India is similar to debates over economic policy in the United States. It's a domestic debate right now. We're very clear in our position. This is good for both our countries. We believe it should go forward, but, you know, we'll allow that debate to play out in India," he said adding that the Indian government knows how the US feel about this.

"Look, they have their democratic system. This is how a democracy works. These big policy decisions need to be vetted and agreed upon and reached through political consensus.

"That process is playing itself out in both regards and we're going to let it do so," Toner said.

Coming out in strong defence of home minister P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal on Saturday attacked the BJP-led NDA of attempting to "foist" culpability on him in the 2G scam saying it was a desperate attempt to make Parliamentary democracy dysfunctional.Anna Hazare on Saturday morning left for New Delhi for his daylong token fast Sunday to protest the government's version of the Lokpal Bill.He vowed that he would continue his fight for a strong Jan Lokpal Bill till his last breath. "This is the second struggle for

Govt develops cold feet over action against RIL

TNN | Dec 10, 2011, 12.49AM IST
NEW DELHI: Faced with the prospect of a long-drawn legal battle with Reliance Industries Ltd(RIL), the government appears to have developed cold feet over taking action against the Mukesh Ambani-led company for a drastic fall in gas output from its showcase Andhra offshore field. The oil ministry and its regulatory arm for explorers, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, has been working on their plan to reclaim about $1.8 billion of the $5 billion investment in the field thatRIL had recouped from gas sales.

The ministry was also looking at changing the RIL's contract with the state that allows the company to first recover its total investment before sharing profit with the government. The ministry wanted to bring in provisions to limit the recovery in some proportion to the output committed while seeking approval of investment plans.

Now, the ministry appears to have put such steps on the backburner in the wake of an arbitration notice that RIL served on November 24. "We are not taking action. We have, however, begun to look at the quantum of fall in output. In the meantime, RIL has given a notice of arbitration," Reddy said. "There will be no change in the PSC (production sharing contract with RIL for the field)... If there are changes (in the PSC), they will be introduced from future NELP (acreage auction) rounds. They will have prospective effect," he added.
"There is a provision in the PSC for arbitration in case of a dispute. Therefore, I see no problem in this. However, we need to consult and seek advise from others... The interpretation of PSC (if it allows restriction of cost-recovery) will be among the issues for arbitration, apart from the cost," he said. Last Monday, minister of state for petroleum R P N Singh too had struck a similar note. "We have got a letter from RIL. Whatever issues have been raised, we would study and whatever needs to be done, will be done... We are clearly not rushing into (arbitration)... we will look into issues raised by RIL," he had said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Govt-develops-cold-feet-over-action-against-RIL/articleshow/11051667.cms

CAG reports indict govt on KG basin contracts, AI acquisitions

Agencies | Sep 8, 2011, 12.57PM IST

NEW DELHI: Fresh trouble seems to be brewing for the UPA government, as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled two more high-profile audit reports that could bring attention back to political corruption and misdeeds at the highest levels. The audit reports on Air India and oil exploration contracts, including the one for Reliance's KG Basin were tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

In its report on RIL's KGD6 contract, the CAG stated that the company notified discoveries without details and declared entire contract area as discovery area. RIL was found guilty of non-relinquishment of area. CAG said that the Director General of Hydrocarbon should have stopped RIL from proceeding with phase 2.

The report said that the Oil Ministry should have reviewed the determination of contract area. It highlighted that that RIL's development activities were not guided by initial development plan. CAG has asked the government to amend all future production sharing contracts.

The CAG report on Air India covers, among other things, the purchase of 111 aircraft for over Rs 40,000 crore in 2006. CAG has made adverse observations on several aspects, ranging from the wisdom behind ordering so many aircraft by a financially weak body to the financing of the deal. The report said that Air India has accumulated debt of Rs 38,000 crore.

The Air India audit covers the period of 2002 to 2010, most of which falls under the UPA, when Praful Patel was the civil aviation minister. Raising questions about the very contract for the aircraft purchase. It has examined the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines as well.

Some points CAG mentioned in its reports

On KG Basin

RIL undertook procurement activities late

RIL is guilty of non-relinquishment of area

RIL extended contracts violating Production Sharing Pact

RIL did not relinquish non-performing wells

Amend all future production sharing contracts: CAG

DGH ill equipped to oversee Production Sharing Contracts

RIL to CAG: Contract area had hydrocarbon potential

DGH should have stopped RIL from proceeding with phase 2

RIL violated production sharing contract in KG-D6

On Air India

CAG terms Air India's acquisition of "large number" of aircraft as "risky", calls airlines' merger "ill-timed"

Air India has accumulated debt of Rs 38,000 crore

In June, a draft CAG audit report on performance of private energy companies, including RIL and Cairn, had criticised them for mismanaging oil and gas blocks, leading to significant erosion of companies' valuations.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CAG-reports-indict-govt-on-KG-basin-contracts-AI-acquisitions/articleshow/9909206.cms
Villagers lay siege to Tamil Nadu's Kudankulam nuclear plant
Around 1,500 villagers on Saturday laid siege to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu to demand immediate cessation of all work at the site, said an activist.
" This morning, around 10 people from West Bengal came to Kudankulam and asked for directions to the plant site. When villagers enquired about their mission, they said they were labourers hired by a contractor to carry out work inside the project site," S. Sivasubramanian, coordinator of the People's Rights Movement, an organisation fighting for the plant's closure, told IANS.
"This only proves our charge that the NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) is not respecting the Tamil Nadu government's resolution to stop all activities till the fears of the locals are allayed," he added.
As the word spread around, people from Kudankulam and surrounding villagers gathered outside the KNPP site gate and sat on protest.
"Men and women are sitting on both sides of the road and traffic is not blocked. However, nobody can go inside the KNPP site. More people are coming from neighbouring villagers," R. Thadeus, an activist, told IANS.
He said more than 500 people are working inside the plant site and Saturday around 150 labourers were supplied breakfast from the NPCIL canteen.
There have been widespread protests against the two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors that the NPCIL is building with Russian technology and equipment in Kudankulam, around 650 km from here.
The project cost is estimated to come up at Rs 13,171 crore.
Villagers fear for their lives and safety in case of any nuclear accident and the long-term impact it would have on the population.
They had earlier laid siege to the plant on Oct 13 and did not allow anyone to go in. The state government had asked NPCIL officials to keep away till the situation normalised.
However, as the trial run - technically called hot run - of the first unit was over, NPCIL said it was carrying out essential maintenance work so that the equipments do not fail or the reactor and pipelines do not rust due to stagnant coolant water.
The agitation has put a stop to the project work, thereby delaying the commissioning of the first unit by several months.
In order to allay the fears of the public, the central and the state governments had formed two separate committees. The state panel includes representatives of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) that spearheads the protest.
Meanwhile, the central government appointed 15-member expert panel is likely to meet on Dec 13 at Kanyakumari to discuss its responses to the issues raised by protesters and people. The central panel is expected to meet the state panel on Dec 15.
"Hopefully, it would be the last meeting and the project will be allowed to progress further," a senior NPCIL official told IANS preferring anonymity.

Ramdev plan A, Anna plan B, Sri Sri Ravishankar plan C of RSS: Digvijay Singh

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today said Anna Hazare is "under the influence of people who have their separate political agenda" and asked Team Anna to wait for the decision of parliament before attacking party leader Rahul Gandhi on the Lokpal Bill.
"I request Anna Hazare and members of his team to wait for the decision of Parliament before attacking Rahul Gandhi on the Lokpal Bill", Singh said in response to a question during the press conference convened to apprise the media about the visit of Rahul Gandhi to the state capital.
"Actually, Anna Hazare is a simple person and says whatever people surrounding him ask him to say", Singh said adding he is under the influence of people who have their separate political agenda.
"The central government wants to bring a strong and good Lokpal bill. Members of all political parties were members of the standing committee and some of them have also expressed doubts about some parts of the draft prepared by it. Now, it is for Parliament to either pass it or reject it", he said asking Team Anna to await for the decision of parliament.
To a question on Hazare's threat to campaign against Congress in the assembly poll-bound states in case the Lokpal bill was not passed in the winter session of parliament, Singh quipped "Anna ka swagat hai" (we welcome Anna).
Reiterating his allegation that Anna's agitation is sponsored by RSS, Digvijay Singh said that as stated by him earlier RSS planned to make corruption an issue to "divert" people's attention.
"Baba Ramdev was their plan A while Anna Hazare is their plan B and Sri Sri Ravishankar plan C", he said.
On the coming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh said 213 candidates of the total 403 have already been announced while efforts were on to decide the remaining names also by this month-end.
Claiming that his party would put up a surprisingly good performance in coming polls, Singh said RLD has decided to join UPA and both the parties would together contest the elections with mutual understanding and the list of such seats would be announced soon.
The Congress leader claimed several leaders of UP's ruling BSP were in touch with him and the situation was the same in SP also.

Rahul Gandhi wanted strong Lokpal bill: Salman Khurshid

Against the backdrop of Anna Hazare attacking Rahul Gandhi on Lokpal Bill, Law Minister Salman Khurshid today defended the Congress General Secretary saying it was he who had asked him to bring a strong Lokpal for which the country should be proud of.

"Rahul Gandhi told me only one thing and that is to bring a strong and effective Lokpal Bill, on which the country should be proud of...if this is what you call is weakening it, then I don't know what strong (Lokpal) is," he told reporters here.

Earlier, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Hazare claimed his team suspects that Gandhi is behind government "going back" on its promises on Lokpal.

8 DEC, 2011, 07.27AM IST, ROHINI SINGH & SOMA BANERJEE,ET BUREAU

FDI in retail: UPA's multiple dysfunctions created the perfect FDI storm

NEW DELHI: The government's decision to suspend opening up of India's retail sector to foreign investors, 12 days after it was announced with much fanfare, marks a new nadir in the fortunes of the second UPAgovernment. Optimists, and there a few, think retail FDI could play out like the nuclear deal, where it was initially put on hold after the Left objected, and later revived.

But the second avatar of the UPA appears to be difficult from the previous one, a number of ministers in the current government said, with key players often working at cross purposes. The ministers, as well as several politicians, both belonging to the Congress and the government's allies, largely spoke on condition of anonymity.

The fiasco has highlighted what was till recently only whispered about - infighting in the cabinet and a rapid diminution in the authority of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Barely 24 hours after the cabinet meeting, for instance, senior ministers from the ruling and allied parties were expressing their reservation about the move, some openly. It soon became well known, for instance, that defence minister AK Antony and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh were opposed, though neither have spoken in public.

PROBLEMS AT THE TOP

But the discord, according to the ministers and a number of political leaders, is not restricted to the cabinet. According to a number of people familiar with the matter, equations between Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, and the man she appointed as Prime Minister more than seven years ago, is no longer what it used to be.

"The Congress is like a three-legged animal, with each being pulled in different directions. So, if there is one section that is toeing Mrs Gandhi's line, there is another that appears to have Rahul Gandhi's mandate. And a handful of people supporting the PM," a cabinet minister said.

Sonia Gandhi's illness has been a complicating factor.

"Who is in charge here? Sonia Gandhi is distracted with her illness and she is no longer as hands on as she was during UPA 1. Rahul Gandhi is a landlord in absentia - his interventions are few and far between and he keeps himself away from the government mostly. That leaves the Prime Minister whom his own party members don't take too seriously. His authority is constantly challenged ironically not as much by the allies but by Congress cabinet ministers. And it doesn't help when the PMO is perceived to be playing games with various ministers," another senior UPA minister says.

"This term of the UPA has killed the spirit of doing business in India," a top industrialist told ET. "It's not just an activist judiciary, an out-of-control law enforcement agencies but also other issues such as inflation. Who can do business with interest rates at 16%? This government has some outstanding, bright individuals but nobody is willing to do anything," the industrialist says.

The division in the cabinet has not helped.

"The FDI in retail is a classic example of how the PM was let down by his own cabinet. Which of the powerful ministers came out in strong support? Not because in principal they didn't support it but because they are upset and disillusioned by the PM," says a minister belonging to a party allied with the Congress.

According to this person, Chidambaram feels let down by the PM as he feels the Prime Minister's Office has not been particularly helpful at a time when he is under relentless attack from Subramaniam Swamy, the maverick politician who has petitioned the courts seeking resignation of home minister, who was finance minister in 2008 when a set of controversial telecom licences were issued by A Raja, the former telecom minister.

A controversial note from the finance ministry, which appeared to partly blame Chidambaram for failing to prevent the scam, has not helped matters.

"It later emerged, of course, that the finance ministry was forced to write this by the PMO and Pranab was quite upset by how he was made to look in all of this for no fault of his," the minister says.

One cabinet minister also points out that Kapil Sibal, the telecom and HRD minister, who till a few months ago did a fair amount of fire fighting for the government, kept mostly silent during the FDI debate as he feels he went out on a limb opposing the popular anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare, with little backing from the party.

Government officials say an attempt was made by the Congress high command to bring in order by appointing Pulok Chatterji as the PM's principal secretary. Chatterji comes with the formidable reputation of being a professional, low profile and no- nonsense bureaucrat. He has an onerous task at hand, say people in the know, with the relationships between some of the most powerful cabinet ministers at an all-time low.

WALKING INTO DISASTER

Landmark legislation and reforms initiated by the UPA have had one characteristic. With the important exception of the nuclear deal legislation such as NREGA - which provides 100 days of guaranteed employment - and the proposed Food Security Bill have been personally been driven by Sonia Gandhi. The government's role has been to implement the party's wishes.

In case of multi-brand retail it was different, with the Prime Minister driving the initiative. The government had to sell this idea to the party once the core committee took a view.

"In other cases, the decision or a policy is moved by the Congress or Mrs Gandhi like the food bill. In this case, it was led by the PM along with industry minister Anand Sharma initially. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee lent his weight to it, only after the core committee gave its nod." The Congress core committee consists of Mrs Gandhi, the PM, and some of the top cabinet ministers.

But the core committee's support proved to be not much help as the opposition remained relentless and in-house dissenters, including a number of MPs from poll-bound UP, failed to fall in line.
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At Indian IT and BPO companies, 65-70 % of the hiring is for fresh recruits, while 90% is for MNCs and captive units.

India's growth: Reality or puzzle

RBI will intervene in forex market only on volatility: Govt
Attributing the depreciation of rupee to global factors, govt said RBI will intervene in the forex market only in case of volatility.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/fdi-in-retail-upas-multiple-dysfunctions-created-the-perfect-fdi-storm/articleshow/11027703.cms

10 DEC, 2011, 10.17AM IST, ET BUREAU

AMRI hospital fire: Emami boss RS Goenka and partner SK Todi among 6 held

KOLKATA: A devastating fire swept through a private hospital in Kolkata in the early hours of Friday killing close to 90 people, mostly patients, and raising questions about lack of regulation and possible cutting of corners in pursuit of profit in India's rapidly growing private healthcare sector. The West Bengal government reacted swiftly, cancelling the licence of the hospital, known as AMRI, and ordering a police investigation.

Six executives of AMRI, a joint venture between Kolkata-based Emami and Shrachi groups, were taken into custody after they surrendered at Lalbazar, the police headquarters.

Those in custody include Emami Group Chairman RS Goenka and his son Manish, Shrachi Group ChairmanSK Todi and his son Ravi, besides DM Agarwal, executive director of the hospital. They were arrested under two Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 304 and 308, which deal with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The Section usually deals with reckless acts which can cause death.

"Six AMRI board members have been arrested in connection with the incident," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. The CM rushed to the spot early in the day and stayed on for many hours to personally organise rescue operations. The hospital is located in Dhakuria in South Kolkata.

The high death toll makes it possibly the worst disaster involving an accident in a hospital in India. The fire appears to have started in the basement of the hospital in the early hours of Friday. Toxic fumes from the blaze soon spread to other floors, trapping the patients, many of them critical.

The tragedy unfolded over many hours as patients suffocated to death.

ANGER AGAINST HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT

Some patients were trapped in their beds, while others died in their sleep, too infirm to escape the smoke. The lucky few were brought down the side of the four-storey glass facade building using ropes and ladders as thousands looked on in horror.

Anger against the hospital management, which announced a compensation of 5 lakh each for the next of kin of dead, was magnified by reports that most of the staff on duty on Thursday night had fled, barring a few. There are also allegations the fire department was informed late.

Even the manner in which the compensation was announced stoked anger. The hospital had initially offered to pay 3 lakh each to the families of victims, but raised the amount to 5 lakh following criticism.

"The hospital authorities did not inform the fire brigade. The fire personnel were alerted by Lake police station at around 3.30 am and fire tenders reached the spot within 5 minutes," said a livid Javed Ahmed Khan, West Bengal's fire services and disaster management minister. Even as fire fighters used sky lifts, BSF's disaster management group and the police were pressed into service.

The BSF squad was summoned to investigate whether there was any radioactive leak from the radiotherapy machines housed in the lower basement for treating cancer patients. The managements of the two groups were known to be close to the leadership of the CPM-led Left Front government, which lost power to TrinamoolCongress in May this year. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu and CPM heavyweight Subhash Chakraborti had both breathed their last at AMRI's Salt Lake unit.
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/amri-hospital-fire-emami-boss-rs-goenka-and-partner-sk-todi-among-6-held/articleshow/11052168.cms

10 DEC, 2011, 03.20AM IST, SREERADHA D BASU,ET BUREAU

AMRI: One of the best hospitals turn into a grim death place overnight

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KOLKATA: Within hours of a fire killing scores of sick people at Advanced Medicare and Research Institute(AMRI) Hospitals, the Kolkata-based hospital replaced a laudatory English magazine cover on its website with a grim box detailing the casualty list.

Till early Friday, the website had a poster of the November-end issue of the weekly magazine that ranked it among the best hospitals in the country for 2011. The pre-dawn fire that swept through the seven-storey hospital building has changed that.

The death toll had risen to 90 at the time of going to the press.

Shocked and angry relatives of those killed and witnesses said fire tenders arrived late and hospital staff barred outsiders from entering to help, snuffing out any chance of saving more people. Survivors say the staff mostly tried to run away, or were busy blocking local youth from coming to the rescue. That was in the wee hours of Friday, when some more could perhaps have been saved if help had arrived timely or at least the alarm bells sounded in time.

"Why can't I take our mother's body out? You all have killed her...," two young girls screamed.

As a shocked nation tracked the news on television, ET spoke to the relatives of some people who had died in the blaze.

"We locals are never able to go inside. Who will foot the cost," asked Netai Das, a 'basti-dweller'.

"My patient was admitted here and I had already spent Rs 5 lakh on her treatment. I cared little for money. I just wanted to see my wife well. They kept doing tests, kept asking for more...was it for this?" said Aloke, as fire brigade and police officers took her body away.

A woman sitting outside AMRI said, "If Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister, is to take a cue from the AMRI incident, she should immediately look into the affairs of every such private healthcare facility in the city. I believe my husband is no more, but they have still not been able to show me his body. I will not budge unless I am given an answer."

Six top AMRI executives, including promoters RS Goenka of Emami Ltd and S K Todi of Shrachi, have been arrested. The promoters have announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of those killed. Earlier in the day, they had offered Rs 2 lakh. Emami's turnover is Rs 3,700 crore while that of Shrachi's is Rs 800 crore.

The tragedy highlights the state of the country's private healthcare system, which tends to draw allegations of graft, falling nursing standards and inflated bills. Media has widely reported incidents of medical negligence at private hospitals and of doctors pushing the more expensive varieties of antibiotics and medicines at the behest of big pharmaceutical companies.

Some such cases have even made their way to courts, such as the one filed by an NRI doctor against AMRI and three physicians for "negligence and breaching medical protocol" vis-a -vis the death of his wife in 1998.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/amri-one-of-the-best-hospitals-turn-into-a-grim-death-place-overnight/articleshow/11053085.cms
Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:42:08 GMT
Kolkata hospital fire: In pics

Kolkata hospital fire: In pics

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A fire fighter evacuates a patient from a hospital after it caught fire in Kolkata
Also:
At least 73 dead as fire engulfs private hospital in Kolkata
Six AMRI directors arrested, hospital licence cancelled
Kolkata fire: Family members vandalise hospital
Families affected by fire resent presence of Mamata Banerjee, media
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Meeting Rs 40,000-cr disinvestment target a stiff task: Govt

The government today said that mopping up Rs 40,000 crore through disinvestment is a "stiff task" amid volatility in the capital markets even as it is looking at other options, like buyback of shares by PSUs, to meet the target.

"With the present trend and prevailing scenario in the capital market, achieving the disinvestment target of Rs 40,000 crore during the remaining period of 2011-12 would be a stiff task," said the Mid-Year Analysis, 2011-12, tabled in Parliament.

The government is envisaging mobilising Rs 40,000 crore by selling its stake in public sector undertakings (PSUs) through public offers, but has so far managed to collect only Rs 1,145 crore from Power Finance Corporation's follow-on public offer (FPO).

Given the volatility in the capital market, in the backdrop of the global and domestic economic situation, the government has not come out with any public offer to sell its stake in PSUs, except PFC, this fiscal.

So far this fiscal, receipts from disinvestment and miscellaneous heads are Rs 2,731 crore, as against Rs 2,235 crore in the comparable period last year.

Meanwhile, Finance Secretary R S Gujral said, "we still feel that there is a possibility of it (achieving the target)," and the government is looking at other options, including buyback of shares by PSUs, besides public offerings.

Asked if share buyback by PSUs is also among the options, Gujral said: "There are options, including buyback. That is one of the options".

The Secretary, however, said the decision on the process of disinvestment would be taken by Finance MinisterPranab Mukherjee in consultation with Department of Disinvestment (DoD).

"It is between Disinvestment Secretary and the Finance Minister. If any of those options require Cabinetapproval, the ministry will take it. We are working on it," he said.

According to sources, the DoD has circulated a Cabinet note to seek views of different ministries to sell government equity through buy-back mode in PSUs.

About a dozen cash-rich units, like Coal India, SAIL, NMDC, ONGC and NTPC, have been identified for the purpose, they added.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also approved disinvestments in SAIL, ONGC, HCL, BHEL and NBCC.
India advocates growth promoting policies for economic recovery

UNITED NATIONS: Amid fears that the world was edging toward's another economic meltdown that would hit growth targets of developing nations, Indiahas said countries should pursue "growth-promoting"policies to strengthen global economic recovery.

"With global output continuing to show a downward trend in 2011, the prospect of developing countries increasing their exports, managing external debt and attracting foreign direct investments appear to be less encouraging," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said at a UN General Assembly session here on Financing for Development.

Puri said it is "essential that growth-promoting policies are pursued to strengthen global economic recoverywhich in turn would allow countries to raise higher public revenues".

In this regard, it is imperative that countries work not only towards financial inclusion and progressive tax policies but also to strengthen and democratise international tax cooperation and policy making.

He said while gap in aid delivery and external finance has undermined the capacity of the developing world to meet their development aspirations, the global economic crisis has further burdened them with limited growth, higher unemployment and increasing poverty resulting in lower domestic resources targeted at development.

Terming Foreign Direct Investment as important for financing development, Puri said its quantum cannot be expected on its own to tackle poverty, hunger and disease in developing countries.

"FDI must also forge productive linkages with the wider local economy and be consistent with the broader objectives of Sustainable Development to have a meaningful impact".

10/12/2011

Anna blames Rahul Gandhi for parliamentary committee's Lokpal report

Anna Hazare today attacked the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal, saying it was fooling people while his team questioned its "credibility" saying it had the support of only 12 MPs.

He alleged the report will not help in any way to fight corruption and repeated his charge that Rahul Gandhi was behind the recommendations of the panel.
"The issues remain the same. This means the Standing Committee has fooled the public. Their report does not help in fighting corruption," he told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi.
Renewing his demand for inclusion of the lower bureaucracy under the ambit of Lokpal, Hazare said government wants to bring Group C and D employees under Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). "The CVC is under government, it will do what the government says. Then what is the point," he said.

Anna also objected to the Standing Committee's recommendation to keep MPs' conduct inside Parliament out of the ombudsman's ambit asking "why are they scared".
"Even a school boy would know that it is a trick," he said.

His colleagues in Delhi, meanwhile, attacked the Parliamentary Standing Committee questioning the credibility of its report.
"Standing Committee had 30 members. Two never attended. Sixteen dissented. So this report is supported by the balance 12. Seven are from the Congress, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Amar Singh and rest from Mayawati's BSP. So much for the credibility of this report," prominent Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said.
However, panel chairman Abhishek Singhvi had earlier said that a dissent note by an MP does not mean that he or she is against the entire report and they may be expressing their reservations against one or more points.

Hazare, who will be fasting on Sunday in protest against the exclusion of his key demands like bringing the lower bureaucracy under Lokpal, said the government was saying from the beginning that they will bring a strong Lokpal Bill but they have brought a very weak bill.
"Who is behind this? The Prime Minister has written to me.
Pranab Mukherjee wrote to the Standing Committee that Parliament has passed a resolution. But the Standing Committee says it has not received any communication. Is this a government or a trader's shop?" he said.
However, the Standing Committee report made public today clearly mentions that the panel was in the know of the Parliament resolution. "...There was a detailed discussion on the statement of the Minister of Finance on the issues relating to the setting up of the Lokpal in both the Houses of Parliament on the 27th August, 2011," it said.

Hazare said he trusts Parliament but asserted that a "show-off" draft will not help things.
Team Anna also said they will oppose "tooth and nail" the Standing Committee proposals on the ombudsman which they claimed is taking the anti-corruption systems in the country two steps backward.
Claiming that the committee recommendations, if implemented, would increase corruption and disintegrate CBI's functioning, Kejriwal said, "This report takes our anti- corruption systems two steps back. We must oppose this report tooth and nail".
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the proposals were likely to increase corruption rather than being able to control it.
Activist Kiran Bedi said, "Damage is done by keeping CBI's investigation powers out of Lokpal - whole reason for the Lokpal? Will Parliament undo?"
Bedi said the fears about diluting the Lokpal were not unfounded.

Source: PTI

10/12/2011

AMRI directors sent to 10 days in police custody

Kolkata: A court in West Bengal Saturday ordered six directors of the city's AMRI Hospital, where fire claimed 90 lives, to 10 days in police custody. Six of the seven directors arrested Friday were presented before the court.

One director, R.S. Agarwal, could not be presented before the court on medical grounds. Alipore Chief Judicial Magistrate S.M. Shahnawaz Khan, accepting the plea of the prosecution, ordered the six directors, including Shrachi Group chairman S.K. Todi and his counterpart in the Emami Group R.S. Goenka, to 10 days in police custody for their role in the AMRI hospital blaze.
Seven directors were arrested Friday for several non-bailable offences, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder which attracts a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Agarwal got himself admitted to a private hospital Friday evening and has been kept under arrest there.
The accused were brought to court premises under tight security as hundreds of people had gathered around, shouting slogans and demanding death penalty for them. The Alipore Lawyers Association also joined the demonstrations and said they will not allow any legal practitioner to stand in defence for the directors.
"We have decided that no lawyer will stand for defence for these people. We not only demand death penalty for them but also urge the court not to grant bail," said Kalachand Talukdar, secretary of the association.

Accusing the hospital authorities of being reckless and causing deaths deliberately, government counsel Kalyan Bandopadhyay said: "The directors were rightly sent to custody by the court. They had deliberately switched off the fire alarms and had locked the exit doors. They had blatantly violated fire safety norms." In the worst fire tragedy in any hospital in India, 90 patients and three staffers were killed in the city's well-known AMRI Hospital when a blaze started in the basement of the annexe building early Friday and quickly spread, trapping hundreds of people.
The pre-dawn blaze broke out at 3.30 a.m., catching many patients in their sleep. While most nurses, doctors and other staffers were able to get away, many critically ill patients died in their hospital beds.
Source:IANS
Full coverage on AMRI hospital blaze
10/12/2011

Ajit Singh meets Sonia, RLD to join UPA

New Delhi: Amid buzz that he may be made a minister in the union cabinet, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh Saturday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here and sealed his party's tie-up with the Congress for the coming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

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"Sonia Gandhi has accepted in principle to make RLD a constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)," Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters after the meeting.Ajit Singh will write a letter to Gandhi, who is also the UPA chairperson, and the formalities of his party's entry into the UPA will be undertaken, Dwivedi added.
After the UPA admits the RLD into its fold, Ajit Singh will be offered a cabinet post, sources said. The RLD, which had an electoral understanding with the BJP in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, had won five seats. Both Ajit Singh and his son, Jayant Chaudhary, are Lok Sabha members.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh also said that the electoral deal with the RLD has been approved. The deal was reached at a meeting between Ajit Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday, according to the sources.
The deal was reached at a meeting between Ajit Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday, according to the sources. RLD sources said Ajit Singh was expecting a ministry which suits his "seniority and experience". He will be sworn in as a minister this month, they added.
Source:IANS
Msn Topic is - Ajit Singh
10/12/2011

Govt admits $9 billion mistake in export figures

Fears about exports being shown on the higher side have come true with the government conceding today that it made a mistake as the numbers got inflated by US $9 billion in the April-November period of the current fiscal.

"Every damn number for the last eight months has been revised..." Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said, conceding the crucial balance of trade deficit was also kept under-valued at US $107 billion instead of US $117 billion.
"There were not only mis-classifications but also error in double counting and all sorts of things due to problems in the computer software which was recently upgraded," he said.
Having admitted mistakes, Mr Khullar said that at least now "the notion that the government is deliberately cooking up and telling lies... has got to stop. How many people will come and tell you that we have goofed up; there was a mistake. I have said it openly there is nothing to hide; there is no shame in admitting that there is something wrong".
However, he said that even after factoring in mistakes, the exports grew by 33.2 per cent between April-November.
The data goof-up was 4-5 per cent of the export billing and on an average it was inflated by US $1 billion a month, Mr Khullar said.
There were doubts on huge growth in exports which was even shown at 82 per cent in July at a time when the manufacturing was going down.
"Exports are still doing pretty damn well. (Earlier) you thought it (growth) would be 40-45 per cent, now it is down to 33 per cent (during April-November this fiscal)," he said.
For the eight month period, total exports have been calculated at US $192.7 billion, while imports at US $309.5 billion (growth of 30.2 per cent).
The fiscal-end trade gap may be US $150-160 billion, he said.
Source: PTI
09/12/2011

RBI may revise inflation projection

Stating that it had already factored in rupee depreciation and soaring crude oil prices into its projection of 7 percent overall inflation by March next year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Thursday said it will come out with an update in its mid-quarter policy review Dec 16.

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"We have done the numbers...rupee has depreciated about by 14 percent or so since early August and certainly the depreciation of rupee adds to inflationary pressures. We will be coming out with the more definitive statement on this in our statement Dec 16," RBI Governor D. Subbarao told newspersons here after a board meeting of the central bank.
"But as of now our understanding is some amount of rupee depreciation and a certain assessment of oil price has been built into our projection of 7 percent WPI (Wholesale Price Index) inflation in March 2012," he added.
On whether the apex bank has intervened in the market to check the rupee fall, Subbarao said: "It is not possible for me to say what RBI has done or not done in the foreign exchange market...that you will know when we release the numbers. I believe we release the numbers with two months lag."
The rupee fell to a record low of 52.73 per dollar last fortnight.
Most of rupee's decline came since August this year, when downgrading of the US economy by Standard & Poor's led to greater uncertainty and turmoil in the global economy.
There has been criticism from several quarters that the apex bank is dithering on reining in the rupee fall by market intervention.

Full coverage

Kolkata hospital fire: Mamata Banerjee orders judicial inquiry

NDTV - ‎1 hour ago‎

Kolkata: A day after 91 people were killed in a massive fire at the AMRI hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. Earlier in the day, the seven accused in the case, ...

AMRI hospital fire in Kolkata: Death toll climbs to 91, including two nurses

Times of India - ‎39 minutes ago‎

KOLKATA: The toll in the AMRI Hospital fire -- the worst fire tragedy in any hospital in India -- reached 91 on Saturday, the hospital management said. "The total deaths stand at 91," S. Upadhyay, senior vice president, Advanced Medicare Research ...

AMRI Hospital may not be allowed to reopen

IBNLive.com - ‎1 hour ago‎

Kolkata: After six directors of the AMRI Hospital were sent to police custody till December 20 by a Kolkata court, the West Bengal government on Saturday remained non-committal on whether a fresh licence would be issued to the hospital management to ...

Judicial inquiry ordered into AMRI fire tragedy

Times Now.tv - ‎6 minutes ago‎

A judicial inquiry was on Saturday night (December 10) ordered by West Bengal government into the fire at the AMRI Hospital even as a forensic investigations into the incident failed to take off due to water-logging in the hospital. ...

AMRI toll 91, 6 directors sent to police custody

Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎

Slapped with charges of negligence and culpable homicide, six arrested directors of the super speciality AMRI hospital were on Saturday remanded to police custody for 10 days as one more patient died in Friday's fire tragedy taking the toll to 91. ...

Mamata orders judicial probe into AMRI fire

Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎

PTI West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday night ordered a judicial inquiry into the AMRI hospital fire that snuffed out 91 lives. "The state government has decided to order a judicial inquiry into the hospital fire," she told reporters ...

AMRI hospital fire in Kolkata: Two Kerala nurses save 8 patients but die in ...

Times of India - ‎2 hours ago‎

AMRI hospital authorities have been charged with culpable homicide tantamount to murder. The licence of the hospital has been cancelled too. KOTTAYAM: Two young bravehearts from Kerala, who were nurses in the fire-ravaged AMRI Hospital in Kolkata, ...

Mystery van causes furore at Kolkata's AMRI hospital

Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎

Fresh trouble broke out at the AMRI Hospital here after a van tried to slip out with some mysterious goods, which the locals claimed were dead bodies. The white van was cordoned off by locals around 6.15 pm when it tried to slip out of the hospital ...

Directors of Calcutta hospital denied bail over fire

BBC News - ‎1 hour ago‎

Six directors of a private hospital in Calcutta have appeared in court over a fire on Friday which killed 90 people. The six face charges of culpable homicide and were refused bail. Officials have suggested the hospital did not meet safety regulations. ...

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	Kolkata hospital fire: Mamata Banerjee orders judicial inquiry ‎1 hour ago‎ - NDTV
	AMRI hospital fire: Emami boss RS Goenka and partner SK Todi among 6 held ‎20 hours ago‎ - Economic Times
	84 die of suffocation in hospital fire, 6 arrested ‎Dec 9, 2011‎ - IBNLive.com
	PM's grief over loss of lives in Fire tagedy in Ktk ‎Dec 9, 2011‎ - Zee News
	At least 73 killed in Kolkata hospital blaze ‎Dec 9, 2011‎ - Economic Times