Category: KanglaOnline

NEW DELHI, March 19 (agencies): In a major relief for the government over the fiercely contested National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), three amendment motions moved by the opposition on the anti-terror intelligence hub were defeated in the Lok Sabha Monday.

The Trinamool Congress, a bitter critic of NCTC but part of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), lent tacit support to the government in defeating the amendments after its MPs walked out of the house and didn`t participate in the voting.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), which also backs the government from outside, voted against the amendments that helped in defeating the motions. The ruling Uttar Pradesh party is also bitterly opposed to the NCTC.

MPs of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which supports the UPA from outside but was also opposed to the anti-terror agency, also walked out, reducing the number of effective members present in the house and voting.

The amendments were moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after Prime Manmohan Singh told the house that the proposed anti-terror agency was “an important step” in “dealing with terrorism and dealing effectively” with it.

Manmohan Singh in his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President Pratibha Patil`s address dealt at length with NCTC row to address the concern that by setting up the proposed agency “the central government is trying to encroach upon the jurisdiction of the state government”.

The prime minister said consultations with state governments over the issue would continue and that the anti-terror agency would not be commissioned till a meeting was held with all chief ministers April 16.

“The idea of NCTC, you have all agreed is unexceptional. And the manner in which NCTC will function, there may be differences about tingle but I am confident that through discussions and dialogues, these differences could be narrowed down and a consensus can be arrived and that will be our sincere efforts.”

Not impressed by Manmohan Singh`s assurances, BJP`s Sushma Swaraj, who is also leader of opposition in the house, pressed for a vote on her amendment seeking deletion of the reference of NCTC from the president`s March 12 address to the joint session of parliament.

But the house rejected Sushma Swaraj`s motion. At least 141 members voted for the amendment and 226 voted against it. One member abstained.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) moved the second amendment motion. The motion by Basudeb Acharia of the CPI-M also met the same fate.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the ruling party in Odisha, moved the third motion, which was also defeated.

Trinamool leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been among the front runners along with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in opposing the formation of NCTC on the grounds that powers given to the agency would infringe on the rights of state governments.

But by walking out during the NCTC vote, Trinamool MPs tried to kill two birds with one stone. They didn`t vote in favour of a policy they have ferociously opposed and also saved some embarrassment for the government it is part of by not voting against it.

Banerjee who is in Delhi later said her party would continue opposing NCTC which she described as “worse than TADA and POTA” – the two anti-terror acts that were scrapped after complaints over their misuse.

The West Bengal chief minister met the prime minister and among other things discussed with him the issue.

The agency was supposed to be formed March 1, but this was delayed after all non-Congress states wrote to the prime minister opposing it.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/government-wins-first-nctc-battle-defeats-opposition-amendments/

NEW DELHI, March 19 (agencies): Trinamool Congress`s Mukul Roy will be sworn-in Tuesday as cabinet minister to replace his party colleague Dinesh Trivedi who has resigned as railway minister, official sources said here.

Roy, minister of state for shipping, would take the oaths of office and secrecy Tuesday morning as cabinet minister, the sources said.

Trivedi had to resign after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee opposed the hike in passenger fares announced by him in the rail budget presented to Parliament last week.

Banerjee had written to the prime minister that Trivedi should be replaced by Roy.

Trivedi sent his resignation to the prime minister Sunday evening.

The prime minister told the Lok Sabha Monday that Trivedi`s resignation will be sent to the president with the recommendation that it should be accepted.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/mukul-roy-to-be-new-railway-minister-swearing-in-tuesday/

NEW DELHI, March 19 (agencies): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in an interview to CNN IBN said that her party will quit the United Progressive Alliance, if humiliated.

Defending her decision to sack railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, the Trinamool Congress chief said that Trivedi had kept her and the party in the dark about the hike in passenger fare.

Mamata told CNN IBN: “I was kept in the dark by the minister. But first I chose to overlook. I was kept in the dark (about amendment to RPF Act), came to know only when the chief minister of a state wrote to the prime minister. The railway minister did not consult me.”

CNN IBN qouted her saying, “Can you think that without discussing the policy decision with Soniaiji the Congress can place the Budget? In every party there is a `parampara` (tradition).”

She also said that it was her right to decide who would become the railway minister but also added that her party did not want to topple the UPA.

She also told CNN IBN: “We do not want that the government should be toppled, but we want respect. We are not blackmailing the government. It is an alliance government.”

Earlier in the day, Mamata meet Manmohan Singh about the hike in passenger fare.

“It was a good meeting… the issue of rollback of passenger fare hike and making party leader Mukul Roy as the new railway minister are the prerogatives of the prime minister,” Banerjee said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/tmc-will-quit-upa-if-humiliated/

IMPHAL, Mar 19: A hunter was shot dead by another mistaking him for an animal. The incident happened this evening around 4 pm at the forest area between Pheilanbung and Vokboul village of Churchandpur district.

The victim has been identified as Lalminsang, 32 son of Henlianpau of Phailenbung village.

According to sources, he had gone hunting with his uncle and another friend, when the other hunter identified as Ginswamlan son of Khanthinkai, shot him mistaking him to be an animal in a jungle of Churachandpur district. 

Interestingly, a report from the Newmai News Network has stated that Saturday`s incident was not the only case when Ginsauwmlal had shot a person mistaken it for an animal. The source said that he had shot a person last year during a hunting trip but the victim somehow survived after a long hospitalisation.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/man-shoots-cohunter/

IMPHAL, March 19: The Centre for Organisation Research and Education while welcoming the statement of the Home Minister of Manipur, Gaikhangam that his first priority is to develop a people-friendly police force in the state of Manipur has provided suggestions to the new Home Minister.

Consenting to the assurance from the minister, a statement of the organisation has stated that providing a secure environment and taking up confidence building measures requires two priorities, first and foremost, the issue of making the police a disciplined force.

It has stated that there are many serious shortcomings in the recruitment, training, deployment and supervision of the force by competent, honest and dedicated senior police officers that need to be seriously revised. Furthermore, there is widespread and regular interference in the work of police while conducting their duties from politicians and other authorities. Such interference not only hampers police work but also discourages and undermines their morale, status and role in society, the statement added.

The Centre for Organisation Research and Education therefore, urges the Home Minister to take a serious view of these priority issues while taking up his plan of action.

It has further stated that it is a matter of grave concern to the public that important key posts in the police department have been left unfilled and added that one of the key objectives of the police reform is to ensure the police department is appropriately and fully staffed so that it can function as a well-disciplined arm of the government,

It has also added that it would be wise for the minister to consider the fact that a disciplined policeman is a friendly policeman.

On the presence of women in the force, the statement has stated that a modern police force today is characterised by the presence of women in the force.

Welcoming the recruitment of women among its file by the state police department in an act of modernising the department, the CORE statement has stated that the women police personnel must be given adequate exposure and training to conduct their challenging duty in the service of the people.

The Minister also reportedly said that in order to provide a secure environment in the state, confidence building measures need to be taken up so that the general public could feel secure when they see policemen in the street and in their homes.

It has further referred the need to develop wide and meaningful participation of different sections of our society, such as women, elderly, NGOs and human rights defenders, academics, youths and students, civil society, etc while taking up confidence building measures.

While stating that the police have multiple roles and functions, it has added that confidence building measures must address the different roles that the police have, such as, maintaining law and order, investigation of crime, controlling the traffic, providing security to state property and high functionaries, public awareness of law, etc.

“To be a people-friendly department every police person must first became an exemplary citizen and member of society. Our police stations and out-posts, police pickets and manned barricades, police guard posts, etc. are to be the face of our society. The staff and personnel officiating and conducting their duties at these important points of interface with the public are required to exhibit the highest level of discipline and polite behaviour”.

No citizen, young and old, male and female should approach our police with fear, shame or uncertainty about how they will be received and treated by the police personnel.

A people-friendly police force is a dignified police force. The public cannot expect and tolerate a police force that has no dignity. Police personnel must be adequately supported and paid salaries commensurate with their special role, the statement added.

It has further appreciated the assurance of the minister that the present strength of the police force is adequate and vacancies in the police department will be filled and he will be focusing on police reforms. The responsibilities and tasks of the Home Minister of Manipur are extremely challenging, the statement added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/core-counsels-home-minister-on-peoplefriendly-police-force/