NEWS
THE HEADLINES,
- Government to review restrictions imposed on gold imports
by the end of this fiscal.
- EGoM approves spectrum usage charge of 5 per cent of
annual gross revenue on all new airwaves acquired in auction.
- Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar
Islands constitutes a high level Committee to review safety
standards of all tourist vessels.
- Talks between India
and Sri Lanka
on fishermen issue begin in Chennai.
- Supreme Court issues notices to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
governments taking suo motu cognisance of media report about chopping off hands
of two labourers by a contractor.
- Syrian Government agrees for safe passage for women and
children from the besieged city of Homs.
- tracking falling global markets, Sensex drops over
300 points in afternoon trade; Rupee weakens by 11 paise to 62.77.
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The Government will
review some of the restrictions imposed on gold imports by the end of this
fiscal. Addressing a function on the occasion of International Customs Day in New Delhi today, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram said, if the government had not imposed restrictions,
it could not have managed the balance of payments or the current account
deficit, CAD.
"It is these restrictions which have brought down Gold imports,
which in the beginning of this year, April and May, had crossed 300 tonnes in 2
months. If we had not imposed those restrictions, there is now way in which we
could have managed the Current Account Deficit. So while we have lost some,
perhaps slightly more Gold smuggling, we have gained tremendously in terms of
being able to contain the Current Account Deficit, and bringing about a large
degree of stability in the currency."
Our correspondent
reports, the government had revised upward the customs duty on gold, thrice
last year to contain the rising gold imports. The levy currently stands at ten
per cent. In value terms, gold and silver imports in April to December period,
declined 30.3 per cent to 27.3 billion dollars from 39.2 billion dollars during
the same period a year earlier.
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The Empowered Group of
Ministers, EGoM has approved a spectrum usage charge, SUC of 5 per cent of the
annual gross revenue on all the new airwaves acquired in auction. Talking to
reporters in New Delhi
today, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said, existing telecom operators will have
to pay the weighted average of their existing SUC, and 5 per cent if they
acquire new spectrum.
"The issue before the EGoM was the SUC charges, and it was decided
by the EGoM that for the 900 and 1,800 mega hertz band, the spectrum usage
charges shall be at the rate of 5 per cent. But, what will be charged from the
Telecom operators, other than BWA, would be the weighted average of the new
spectrum that they buy and the use of the old spectrum. But in no case shall
that charge be more than 5 per cent."
The Minister added
there is no protection of revenue. He said that the decision will go to the
Cabinet for final approval. The SUC for broadband wireless access, BWA spectrum
will continue to remain at 1 per cent as the government has not amended the
existing contractual obligation.
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The Lt. Governor of
Andaman and Nicobar islands, Lt. Gen. AK Singh
has constituted a high level Committee headed by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary
of Shipping, to review the safety standards of all the tourist vessels that are
currently being operated at different tourist spots. The vessels will be
permitted to operate only after the clearance given by the Committee for their
safety standards. He has also ordered a Magisterial inquiry into the boat
tragedy that claimed 21 lives including 13 women yesterday. More from our
correspondent:
"Lt. Governor AK Singh announced ex-gratia of Rs. one lakh each to
the bereaved families of the deceased. The bodies of all the 21 victims have
been identified. While 16 of them are from Kanchipuram District in Tamil Nadu,
3 from Maharashtra and one each from West Bengal
and Uttar Pradesh. One person from Tamil Nadu is still reported to be missing.
Of the 29 persons rescued, 9 are still undergoing treatment at GB Pant Hospital
at Port Blair here. The Commissioner-cum-Secretary for Disaster Management,
Punya Salila Srivastav told AIR that the islands administration is in touch
with the respective state governments.
The administration is
in touch with the respective state governments to ensure that all the requisite
arrangements are made. Helpline numbers in the District Control Room and
government hospitals are functioning 24X7 to provide the required information
to the public.
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The much awaited meeting between
fishermen of India and Sri Lanka,
began at Chennai. The Indian side of the meet is represented by 13 fishermen
from Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram districts and Puducherry UT.
Both sides are continuing their talks on issues affecting them, including free
fishing rights in Palk
Bay, preventing seizure
and confiscation of boats and fishing equipment by the Lankan Navy. The Joint
secretary of External Affairs, Suchitra Durai, Counsellor of Indian High
Comission, SD Singh and Deputy Secretary of the High Commission in Sri Lanka,
Mayank Joshi are among the 11 members of the official delegation. The State
Fisheries Minister Jayapal is also present in the meeting. Ten fishermen and
eight officials including the Director General of Department of Fisheries,
Nimal Hettiarachchi and State Councillor of the office of the Attorney General
of Sri Lanka, Nuwan Peiris are representing
the Sri Lankan side. A report from our correspondent:
"The representation from the
Sri Lankan side has stressed upon the use of traditional methods rather than
the use of sophisticated nets which
prove a threat to the ecological and livelihood resources in the Palk bay by
the Indian fishermen. The Tamil fishermen on the other hand have underlined the
need for allowing them to fish around
the Palk Bay for a period of six months. The State Government did not
want to discuss the Katchatheevu issue during the talks as the matter was pending in the Supreme Court.
However, the outcome of today's discussion would be implemented only after the
State Government's approval. Joy, AIR
NEWS, Chennai."
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The Supreme Court today
took suo motu cognisance of a horrific incident of chopping off the right hands
of two migrant labourers from Odisha, by a contractor from Andhra Pradesh, in
December last year. Taking cognisance of a media report on the incident, a
bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi issued notice to
Chief Secretaries of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. According to the report, the
incident occurred near a jungle in Belpada village in Kalahandi district of
Odisha when the two labourers were being taken back to their homes. The
contractor did it to recover the money paid to them in advance when they were
hired. They were being taken back as they had refused to work in a brick kiln
in Raipur district
of Chhattisgarh. The police have launched a manhunt for the contractor and his
accomplice.The two labourers were part of a group of 12 hired for 14,000 rupees
each by the contractor to work in a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh. However, the
contractor tried to forcibly take all of them to Raipur in Chhattisgarh, to work in a brick
kiln there, to which the labourers refused and 10 of them managed to escape.
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In Andhra Pradesh, members
including Ministers from Telangana region, stalled the proceedings of the
Assembly, protesting against Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy’s notice seeking
rejection of the state Re-organisation Bill. Speaker N. Monohar adjourned the
House twice amidst pandemonium as the members including ministers thronged his
podium demanding to reject the Chief Minister’s notice. The House witnessed
uproar as the members from Seemandhra also raised slogans and thronged the
podium seeking that voting should be held on the re-organisation Bill. Members
from all sides and parties were divided on the lines of the regions, as Deputy
Chief Minister Rajanarasimha was himself seen encouraging the Ministers against
the Chief Minister. Amidst uproar, the House was adjourned initially for half
an hour and later, for an hour.The Chief Minister had issued notice to the
Speaker, earlier, seeking rejection of the Bill that proposes bifurcation of
the state.
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Geneva talks between the Syrian
Government and the opposition mediated by UN Special envoy have made a headway.
The Syrian Government has agreed to a safe passage for the women and children
from the besieged city of Homs.
The opposition activists in besieged, rebel-held areas of Homs
said that they want guarantees that authorities will not detain anyone
evacuated as part of the safe passage deal announced in Geneva. More from our West
Asia correspondent:
"After two days of negotiations in Geneva,
Syrian Government has agreed on safe passage for women and children from the
besieged city of Homs.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad confirmed the move and said the
list of names of men to be released is needed. UN Special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi
expressed happiness over the progress and said humanitarian aid for those
trapped in Homs
is a priority. He told that a humanitarian convoy from the UN and the Red Cross
will be able to go to Homs
today. The lack of food supplies, shelter and medicines along with a harsh
winter have added to the concerns of relief agencies. Brahimi admitted that the
progress is slow but steady and hoped
the same spirit will continue. Atul
Tiwary, AIR News."
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South Korea proposed today holding family reunions
in mid-February, for those separated by the Korean War. Seoul
came up with the dates after North Korea
unexpectedly announced on Friday that it was willing to hold the event, the
latest in a series of conciliatory gestures from Pyongyang. The South suggested the reunions
take place at the North's Mount Kumgang resort from 17th to 21st next month. The
reunion programme has been suspended since
North Korea's
shelling of a South Korean border island in November 2010.
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In Pakistan, a pipeline-carrying
natural gas, was blown up in Balochistan's Dera Bugti district yesterday,
disrupting the gas-supply to the Sui plant in Pir Koh gas field. An official
said that unidentified miscreants planted an explosive device on the 16
inch-diameter pipeline. The device detonated with a huge bang caused extensive
damage to the gas pipeline.
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Tracking falling global
markets, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange remained weak in afternoon
trade, and had plunged 307 points, to 20,827, a short while ago. Earlier, in
morning trade, the Sensex had tumbled 335 points, or 1.6 percent, to slip below
the 21,000-level. Elsewhere
in Asia, stock markets in Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia
and South Korea had posted big losses of between 0.9 percent and 2.5 percent,
today, with investor sentiment hit by anxiety over
continued tapering of its stimulus program by the the US Federal Reserve, or
central bank, and concerns of a slowdown in China. The US Dow Jones Industrial
Average had plummeted 2 per cent in Friday's trade.
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The rupee trimmed
initial losses against the American currency but was still quoted down by 11
paise to 62.77 per dollar on good demand for the greenback from banks and
importers. It hovered in a range of 62.73 and 62.85 per dollar during the
morning trade.
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India
has said, it will seek
re-election to the UN's human rights body this year and would continue
to
strongly push for early reform of Security Council. On the occasion of
India's 65th Republic Day yesterday, India's Ambassador to the UN, Asoke
Kumar
Mukerji said that India
would actively participate in the work of the United Nations during the
coming
year based on its national objectives and priorities. He said, early
reform of
the UN Security Council will continue to be a priority for India, adding
that
maintenance of international peace and security is also a necessary
external
environment for India's developmental objectives.
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The Supreme Court today
deferred the opening of sealed envelope containing results of Rajasthan Cricket
Association polls in which ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi is in the fray. The apex
court postponed the hearing till March 4 after Board of Control for Cricket in
India, BCCI, opposed the opening of the result. Both, BCCI President N.
Srinivasan and Modi traded personal charges during the hearing.
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The News Services
Division of All India Radio in its weekly Live Phone-in programme, 'PUBLIC
SPEAK', will bring you a discussion tonight on 'Dharans, demonstrations and
Indian democracy'. This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional
frequencies from 9.30 to 10.05 pm.
Listeners can pose questions to the experts in our studio. The telephone number
is: 011: 2331-4444. This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.
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