Times Chennai E Paper March 10, 2009

VOL: 2 ISSUE 53

March 10, 2009

Chennai gets GPS-enabled bus service Chennai, March 10: Bus travel just went high-tech in India’s southern cultural capital. Every bus stop in the city

though, who ask as to why a bus service should have a GPS system. The first gain,

will soon have a Global Positioning System or GPS, a vending machine, a public telephone, a cellphone charging outlet, ceiling fans and security g u a r d s . T h e administration hopes to get the set up installed within six months next. “I think it's a very nice idea and all the bus stops in Tamil Nadu should become like this,” said a commuter. “If there are more such bus shelters in Chennai, this city will be totally different,” said another commuter who was happy about the comfort factor. There are many

explain the people running it, will be that one will have an exact idea of how soon the next bus will arrive. If any bus suffers a break-down or is over-speeding, or even if it decides to take a detour on another route, the fleet managers will know immediately. Apart from all these features, these bus-stops might soon have surveillance cameras, FM radio, water vending machine and an ATM machine. With 500 more such bus-stops coming up in the city before

Multiplexes to telecast IPL matches Mumbai, March 10 : Indian Premier League (IPL) matches will be telecast live at multiplexes in the country. Announcing this h e r e Tu e s d a y, I P L c h a i r m a n a n d commissioner Lalit Modi said tendering for the telecast rights at multiplexes is in the process. “It is an ongoing process and we have invited bids from the

multiplexes. However, the multiplexes in the city in which the match is played will not show it live. For instance, a match in Mumbai can’t be shown there,” he said. Modi also said the IPL is planning to have commentary in various languages to attract local fans. “A person in Chennai can listen to the commentary in Tamil,” he said.

September, the management has a request to make to the commuters. “ M y o n l y request to the passengers is to please support us in this. If they

help us in maintaining this and promise not to allow damages to come about, we can give them more such features. It is public property and since a lot of people will be using it, we will need all

the support we can get,” said the managing Director of Metro Multimedia, D Muralidharan. The only fears are that a few months down the line, the hi-

tech gadgetry may not work well or may get vandalised and abandoned like many other ambitious government projects.

Page 2

Times Chennai E-Paper

March 10, 2009

Lawyers body move court seeking suspension of police officials Chennai, March 10 A lawyers' body here has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking suspension of 15 police personnel, including city Police Commissioner K. Radhakrishnan, for the alleged attack on advocates, judges, court staff and litigants on its premises on February 19. The petition, filed by Madras High Court Advocates' Association (MHAA) President R.C. Paul Kanakaraj on Monday, also sought criminal contempt proceedings against Chief Secretary K.S. Sripathi and Home Secretary S. Malathi, DGP K.P. Jain, additional DGP Intelligence Anup Jaiswal and 18 State government officials in connection with the incident. It also sought transfer of the DGP. The petition also wanted police to deposit its entire log of internal communication from February 17 to 19 with the court and "withdrawal of shoot-at-sight orders given on February 20". On February 19, police entered the Madras

High Court premises and resorted to lathi charge on lawyers agitating on the Sri Lankan Tamils and Chidambaram Temple issues. The police action left many advocates injured and court property damaged. Ever since the incident, the lawyers have been boycotting work demanding action against the police officers responsible for entering the court premises without permission. In a bid to end the stalemate, the Supreme Court had appointed the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Commission to look into the issue and fix responsibility for the events of February 19. In its report to the apex court, the panel slammed the lawyers calling them as "hooligans" and "miscreants". However, it did not spare the police either and said that they had gone "berserk" and resorted to force "beyond what was permissible." The committee

also held the judges of the Madras High Court responsible for the present "piquant situation" by following a "soft-pedalling policy" in the context of the protests by lawyers sympathising with the LTTE cause. The provocation for the violence in the High Court premises on February 19 was started by the "unruly mob of lawyers" but "once the police got into action, there was no stopping them" and they went "berserk" and damaged the court properties, Justice Srikrishna, a retired apex court judge, said in his interim report. The State level Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Bar Associations has, however, rejected the Justice Srikrishna interim report. In a press release here, it alleged that the report "is riddled w i t h f a c t u a l contradictions and inconsistencies". - Agencies

Flight makes emergency landing in Chennai Chennai, March 10 : An Hyderabadbound Paramount Airways

flight with 32 passengers today made an emergency landing at the airport here

following a technical snag. The flight, which took off from here at 6.50 a m , develop e d a technica l snag mid-air a n d returned , airport sources s a i d . T h e passeng ers were accommodated in another private airline

flight bound for Hyderabad, they added. A clarification issued by the Airline says that the pilot of Paramount Airways flight I7 463(ChennaiHyderabad) after take off on a suspicion of a minor technical fault and decided to return to the base. The Flight landed normally and the technicians found no major fault and cleared the aircraft in 30 minutes. This flight thereafter departed as scheduled. - Bureau Report

CJ recommends transfer of Mukhopadhaya to save MHC decorum Chennai, March 10 N e w l y appointed Madras High Court Chief Justice H L Gokhale on Monday recommended to the Supreme Court that former acting Chief J u s t i c e S J Mukhopadhaya, who came under attack by the Srikrishna Commission, who probed the policelawyers clash on February 19, be transferred to some other High court with promotion. On the day of assuming office, the C h i e f J u s t i c e recommended that the apex court transfer

Justice Mukhopadhaya to any other court in the country with elevation ''to save the decorum of the High Court and the judge'' in the wake of Srikrishna Commission passing adverse remarks against the former acting Chief Justice. High Court Registrar General R Mala sent the letter to the Supreme court on behalf of the Chief Justice, highly placed sources told a news agency. J u s t i c e Srikrishna, in his interim report, accused the lawyers of behaving like hooligans, while indicting the police for their

The college would begin in K K Nagar itself. The entire cost of the project and the fortnight celebrations will be Rs 200 crore, informed Dr Seth. The nine departments would include medicine, gynecology, surgery, pediatrics, pathology, microbiology and biochemistry among others. With a massive facelift, the patients at the hospital are in for a luxurious treat. Waiting for them is a state of the

art Intensive Care Unit and a renovated Pediatric ward. The hospital has tied up with reputed hospitals in the city for providing super specialty treatment to the eligible beneficiaries. Dr Seth informs that the hospital has been upgraded and the additional infrastructure is in place. About Rs 1 crore has been procured as part of the upgradation project. -Agencies

-Agencies

BSNL and Novatium launch Experience Zone Van Chennai, March 10: Novatium Solutions, the leading providers of rich computing services, in association with BSNL has launched an awareness program – for the BSNL Nova netPC to publicise its benefits through live demos at various localities. Novatium has An “Experience Zone Van” which will visit one key locality of Chennai everyday and give the people a chance to experience the Nova netPC for themselves. The van will cover 26 areas around the city over a period of 26 days. The road show is designed to promote the concept of computing as a service- which is far more advanced, secure and efficient than regular computing and comes at a fairly low price. The

BSNL Nova netPC is the world’s first $100 PC; therefore it carries an obvious promise of being accessible to the masses of India. The netPC is not only the most affordable computer, but unlike any other computer available in the market, it is an entirely maintenanc e free PC free from the hassles of antivirus installation s, software upgradatio ns, data loss, while being extremely powerful. Speaki ng on this initiative, Mr. Alok Singh, CEO, Novatium said, “Novatium believes in simple computing for the masses. Novatium’s Nova netPC is a powerful while being an affordable and simple desktop. We

have made it very user friendly so that it can now be operated like any household appliance at the touch of a button. This is a unique way of spreading computing literacy in Chennai”. The vision of Novatium, he added, is to provide powerful yet

simple and affordable computing for the next billion. One can buy the pc online too click this url www.novatium.com/buy.ht m or you can call on their toll free number: 1800 425 6682. -Agencies

MTC MD’s office raided by DVAC sleuths Chennai, March 10 : Officials of the

Metropolitan Transport Corporation, here on

ESIC Hospital to set up medical college Chennai, March 10 The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in K K Nagar will start its own Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research from this academic year, said Dr Suman Seth, Medical Superintendent today on the occasion of the ongoing ESI fortnight celebration. About 30 PG seats would be filled up in nine departments in the medical colleges for the academic year of 2010-11.

excesses. The retired judge also said the soft attitude of the former acting Chief Justice had resulted in the clash and virtually blamed him for his inaction. A f t e r t h e Commission's interim report, Justice Mukhopadhaya fell sick with high Blood Pressure and viral fever and was admitted to a hospital, the Chief Justice said, while recommending his elevation. ''This is to save the decorum of the Madras High Court and the former acting Chief Justice'', he said.

DVAC sleuths coming out after conducting the raid from mTC MD's office on Monday

Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption conducted a surprise check on the office of the M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r,

Monday and seized Rs.6.19 lakh. According to DVAC sources, the cash was seized from the official car, drawers and

Personal Assistant of the M D , M . R a m a Subramanian. Based on information that the official was taking bribe from contractors during working hours, a special team led by Deputy Superintendents of Police M.B.N. Natarajan and S. Thirunavukkarasu conducted the surprise check that lasted about three hours. “We have seized Rs.6.19 lakh during the search. He (Rama Subramanian) also has about Rs.3 lakh in his bank account. Officials of the District Inspection Cell were present during the operation,” Mr. Thirunavukkarasu said adding that investigation was on to ascertain the source of the money seized.

March 10, 2009 Times Chennai E-Paper

'Reopen our college’ Chennai, March 10 The Dr Ambedkar Government Law College premises suddenly became the focus of media and public attention on Monday when a group of students entered the college, closed indefinitely on January 31, and staged a sitin dharna demanding the immediate reopening of the college. The college principal, Prof Iqbal, said that a group of six students ‘sneaked’ into the compound and demanded that they be allowed to continue with their education but were told that it was for the government to take a

decision on that. However, police said that about a score of students staged a protest inside the campus and dispersed in the evening. Police pickets at the gates roused public curiosity as memories of the violent clash on the college premises in November last year were fresh in the minds of many. The college that was closed on November 13 opened on January 19 after examinations were held with heavy police protection. It was closed indefinitely again on January 31 along with other educational

institutions following the students’ protest over the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. After ten days, educational institutions were opened in a phased manner starting with engineering colleges followed by arts and science colleges but law colleges remained closed. Law students are now a worried lot. “How are they going to complete the syllabus and conduct the examinations for this semester?” asked a student. Many students felt that they were being discriminated against. -Agencies

You are never too old to lead a quality Life Chennai, March 10: 99 year old Patrick Manning is a happy man today, able to walk and lead an active life, thanks to the hip surgery he successfully underwent at Malar Hospital in Chennai. D r . Nandkumar Sundaram, S e n i o r Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon with his team of Doctors at M a l a r Hospitals ( a n associate of F o r t i s H e a l t h c a r e ) operated on this 99-yr old patient recently for a fractured hip. This orthopedic procedure at Malar Hospitals is a testimony to the fact that regardless of your age, the best treatment practices can assist you leading a healthy, independent and dignified life. Mr.Patrick Manning was at the peak of his health, a successful entrepreneur, leading an active, independent life. Eagerly looking forward to h i s c e n t e n n i a l celebrations, Mr. Manning fell down three months ago, at home and broke his right hip. He was refused surgery at many of the prominent hospitals of the city, because of his age, despite the fact that he was otherwise medically fit. Mr. Manning was medically advised to confine himself to the bed till the fracture healed. He was bed- ridden for more than 3 months, totally dependent on others for his care. The fracture healed in a wrong position

so he could not walk and he was suffering with severe pain. Mr. Manning’s relatives approached Dr. Nandkumar Sundaram, Senior Consultant, Trauma & Joint,

Replacement Surgeon at Malar Hospitals, Dr. Nandkumar and his medical team after reassuring themselves about the physical fitness of Patrick took up the challenge of performing this complicated operation. Mr. Manning has recovered well and is today walking with the aid of a walking frame. He seems to have got a new lease of life and is eagerly looking forward to cracking a century at the end of this year W h i l e elaborating the rare surgery conducted at the hospital, Dr. Nandkumar, Senior Consultant, Trauma & Joint, orthopedic Surgeon, Malar Hospitals Said, The challenges before us were multiple. The hipbone had started to join in a wrong position. Also the bones were quite osteoporotic due to age and lack of use. The

prolonged immobilization in bed had also caused lung congestion. The anesthetist administered general anesthesia combined with epidural analgesia for pain- relief in the post-operative period. We had to correct the deformity before fixing the fracture with a dynamic hip screw. The gratifying result has justified our bold approach in this case. We at Malar have always and will continue to provi de world class medical facilities to our patients”, added Dr. Nandkumar. H i p replacement surgery in India is well known among surgeons to be an efficient solution for curing hip arthritis and hip disorders. Hip replacement surgery is also called hip arthroplasty. It is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic metallic implant. Hip replacement surgery is done to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe damaged physical joint as a part of the hip fracture treatment. The success of hip replacement surgery depends on the experience and expertise of the patient to follow the post surgery precautions. The hospital stay for hip replacement surgery may vary from 2-6 days and recovery time may vary from 4 weeks to 3 months. -Agencies

Page 3

New helpline for students Chennai, March 10 : T h o u g h students study well and hard, undergo practice sessions, it’s a fact that the 10th and 12th students facing their board exams have a fear

when it comes to execution. To support and motivate students in the challenging times, Only Success Learning Technologies, a T r a i n i n g

company has created a Help Line for Students and Parents to overcome their anxiety and fear. Dial in @ 96000 80058 to talk to their motivational coaches for any assistance and help says a press release.

Committee formed to certify political ads on TV channels Chennai, March 10 E l e c t i o n Commission’s clearance is a must for political advertisements to be telecast through television channels including Doordarshan Kendra, cable networks and All India Radio meant for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. While the registered parties have to get prior permission from the EC at least three days before the telecast of their advertisements, the unregistered parties and others have to apply for permission at least one week ahead of the telecast. Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said a State-level committee for certifying political advertisements, headed by Joint Chief Electoral Officer Jayashree Muralidharan had been formed. Collector of Chennai

District, Assistant Station D i r e c t o r s o f Doordarshan Kendra and All India Radio would be the members of the panel. Responding to a query, the CEO said the purpose of certification f o r p o l i t i c a l advertisement was to prevent any violation of model code of conduct -personal attacks, use of religion and caste etc. If any political party is aggrieved by the decision of the above panel regarding its decision to approve or r e j e c t t h e advertisements, then it can approach the committee headed by the CEO V Sriram, Assistant S t a t i o n D i r e c t o r, Doordarshan Kendra, R Balasubramanian, S t a t i o n D i r e c t o r, C o m m e r c i a l Broadcasting Service, All India Radio and the Election Observor (to be appointed) would be the members of the panel. Answering a

query, Gupta said the EC had received complaints about violation of model code of conduct, but none of them were about major violation. Regarding the appointments made in the Agriculture Department after the model code came into force, the Commission had sought explanation from the Agriculture Secretary. There was a complaint about distribution of freebies in Trichi. To another question, the CEO said eligible voters could file applications for inclusion of their names in the voters list till the last day of filing nominations. CEO’S The CEO’s website has been revamped for the Lok Sabha elections with latest details about the constituencies, final electoral rolls, EVMs, list of sitting MPs, MLAs etc. The website addresses are: www.elections.tn.gov.in a n d www.ceotamilnadu.nic.in.

Oceanic Consultants opens office in Chennai Chennai, March 10, In response to the overwhelming demand for overseas education solutions in South India, Oceanic Consultants, the market leader in the international education industry, will launch offices in Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli. For students from South India interested in an overseas education opportunity, these offices will be world class advisories and a one stop solution for career guidance, admission to top institutions and visa formalities involved in the entire application process. Speaking at the l a u n c h M r. N a r e s h Gulati, CEO of Oceanic Consultants said, "Oceanic Consultants is driven by core values of 'Ethics, Expertise and Leadership.' We strive to provide the most efficient and transparent processes built over a decade of expertise in this industry to ensure students get the value for

their time, effort and money to realize their ambitions. We have a network of offices in India and our foray into South India is in response to the huge demand for quality advisory services in this region.” According to a recent report published by the industry body The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) around 500, 000 Indian students every year go overseas for university education. Confirming this trend the British Council too reported that the year on year percentage of students going to the UK for education from South India has increased over 63 per cent in September 2007-October 2008 when compared to the previous year. Around 44% of UK student visas issued from the country were from the four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. “Oceanic Consultants will aim to

service this crucial demand leveraging it’s over a decade of experience in the field of overseas education. The regional offices will be premier advice centres focussed on world class service through dedicated counsellors combining state of art technology with world class infrastructure,” added Mr Gulati. They are also the official representative of reputed educational institutions in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and will be a one stop solution that addresses the needs of prospective students ranging from career advice to getting admissions, financial planning, student visa, pre departure guidance and travel assistance. The group also offers a needs-based scholarship worth Rs. 1 crore -- “Oceanic International Education Scholarships” -- to encourage students who demonstrate seriousness to pursue higher education in any discipline in Australia, New Zealand or United Kingdom.

Page 4

National

Times Chennai E-Paper

No one has licence to criticise other religions: Manmohan New Delhi, March 10 : In his first public function after recovering

"criticise or run down" other religions. Though Singh's f i r s t official engagem ent was h i s meeting with a head of a State of an African country last week, h i s interactio n with the children t o d a y was his f i r s t public engagem Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with school ent. children on the occasion Milad-un-Nabi at his Greeting residence in New Delhi on Tuesday t h e children from cardiac bypass on the occasion of Miladsurgery, Prime Minister un-Nabi, he said "our Manmohan Singh on Constitution gives full Tuesday met a group of freedom to the people to Muslim girls and used the practice any religion of occasion to assert that no their choice, but it does one had the license to

not give anyone the license to criticize or run down other religions." Addressing the students studying in Urdu medium schools in the capital on the occasion of Prophet Mohammed's birth anniversary, he said the country cannot prosper until women progress and girls were given equal opportunities to study in schools and colleges. The Prime Minister said his government has done much to promote Urdu and promised to continue to do all that was necessary to promote the language. H e a l s o expressed satisfaction over the good results of the Urdu medium schools, saying that Urdu language is a living example of "our GangaJamuna tehzeeb (composite culture)". -Agencies

Lalu, Nitish fight over pichkari before LS polls Patna, March 10: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are not only rivals in the political turf war before Lok Sabha polls, they are fighting on the covers of pichkaris on the eve of Holi in Bihar. P i c h k a r i s (sprayers) carrying photos of Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar are in heavy demand among the Holi revellers. Top cricketers and bollywood stars also continue to be popular along with them in the market before the festival of colours. The pichkarimakers have put on

display the pichkaris of d i ff e r e n t s i z e s a n d colours named after Railway minister and RJD supremo, Lalu Prasad, his arch rival and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Team India captain M S Dhoni, Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu to encash on their popularity. Pichkaris shaped as guns, grenades, rocketlaunchers with flashing lights as well as the traditional ones with prices ranging from Rs 10-1,000 have flooded the market. "Lalu-Bholu" pichkaris in the shape of

rocket-launchers and deadly weapons are being demanded by children, Roshan Kumar, a shopowner at Boring Canal Road here said. Customers are preferring pichkaris with photos of politicians over cricketers and Bollywood stars as election fever grips the state, shopowners said. "Sprayers bearing the names of wrestler Khali, James Bond-2007, Terminator, Superman and Spiderman are also selling well," Md Hafiz, a pichkari seller in Patna said. -Agencies

Saras project: Scientists to continue developing country’s first indigenous plane New Delhi, March 10: Unfazed by the crash of its prototype 14seater passenger aircraft, scientists will go ahead with the project to develop the country's first indigenous plane. "The Saras project will continue, we will not shelve it," S K Brahmachari, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) told reporters. The second prototype of Saras civilian plane had crashed on

Friday near Bangalore killing three IAF test pilots. The aircraft built by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) was completely destroyed in the accident. NAL is one of the 37 research institutes governed by CSIR. Brahmachari has held discussions with officers of the Indian Air Force and civil aviation authorties after the accident. He said the prototype - I of the aircraft will be modified and converted to a prototype

III by fitting the higher thrust Pratt and Whitney engines. The Union Cabinet has already approved additional funds for the project as well as for developing a 70-seater passenger aircraft. Brahmachari, who met scientists at NAL and relatives of the deceased pilots on Saturday, said that father of one of the pilots told him that completion of the project would be a fitting tribute to his son. -Agencies

March 10, 2009

CBI questions Rajus, ex-CFO in Satyam scam Hyderabad, March 10: T h e investigations into Rs.7,800 crore scam in Satyam Computer Services picked up momentum as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday questioned the IT firm's disgraced former chairman B. Ramalinga Raju and four other accused. The CBI's multi-disciplinary investigation team (MDIT) headed by the a g e n c y ' s D I G V. V. Lakshmi Narayana is quizzing the accused at the state-owned Dilkusha Guest House near the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor. T h e questioning began immediately after CBI officials took custody of the accused following a court order. A team of CBI officials went to Chanchalguda Central Jail and brought the accused to the guest house, which is serving as the camp office of the investigating team. A court had Monday allowed the CBI

to take custody of Ramalinga Raju, his brother and former managing director B. Rama Raju, ex-chief financial officer Vadlamani Srinivas and s a c k e d PriceWaterhouse p a r t n e r s S . Gopalakrishnan and Talluri Srinivas. The accused will be in CBI custody for seven days. The CBI hopes to gather vital information from the accused during the week-long questioning, the first since the federal agency took up investigation last month from the Andhra Pradesh Police. T h e investigating agency is likely grill Ramalinga Raju about how the massive fraud was committed, the involvement of other company officials, diversion of Satyam funds to over 300 companies floated by him and his family members and purchase of lands and other property by the accused. This is the first time an

investigation team involving experts from different fields is questioning the accused. The 16-member MDIT includes banking experts, chartered accountants and officials from the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Registrar of Companies, S e r i o u s F r a u d Investigation Office, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax. The CBI last month booked the accused for criminal c o n s p i r a c y, c r i m i n a l breach of trust, cheating, forgery and falsification of accounts. Ramalinga Raju had Jan 7 confessed that he had cooked the company's account books and inflated profits over the past several years. The company founder and his brother Rama Raju were arrested Jan 9. Former chief financial officer Vadlamani was picked up the next day. Two former auditors from PriceWaterhouse were detained later. -Agencies

More parties may join Third Front: CPI-M New Delhi, March 10: T h e Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which is giving shape to a Third Front, Tuesday said that more parties were likely to join the new formation before the April-May elections. "There are indications that more secular parties associated with both the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) a n d U PA ( U n i t e d Progressive Alliance) may join the new force," said CPI-M politburo member M.K. Pandhe. His comments followed the dramatic collapse of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Biju Janata Dal (BJD) coalition in Orissa. The CPI-M

leader said differences among the parties in the alliances led by the BJP and the Congress were widening and his party was in touch with likeminded outfits in both the coalitions. "The small parties within the Congress- and BJP-led alliances are facing difficulties. There are many developments," Pandhe, a veteran trade union leader, told IANS. "The BJD's decision to end their decade-long alliance with the BJP is strong proof that our effort to form an alternative (against the Congress and BJP) is gathering strength," Pandhe said. The CPI-M along with its Left allies has already formed an

alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the AIADMK and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). The launch rally of the future formation would be held in Tumkur near Bangalore Thursday. The rally is being organised by former prime minister and JD-S supremo H.D. Deve Gowda. Representatives of all the anti-Congress, anti-BJP constituents are expected to attend the rally. Though the BJD has not revealed its plan, the JD-S leadership has stated that the Orissa party would be invited to the Tumkur rally. -Agencies

March 10, 2009 Times Chennai E-Paper Other States

Dr Deka appointed AIIMS director New Delhi, March 10: The search for a new AIIMS director has ended as the government on Tuesday appointed Dr RC Deka, who is currently the head of department of

ENT, as the new head of the country's premier health institute. The appointment of Dr Deka as the new AIIMS director by a Cabinet

committee has also put to rest a nine-month-long uncertainty over a suitable candidate. A f o r m a l government notification will be sent to AIIMS later today. The search for a new AIIMS director began with the retirement of former head P Venugopal in July last year. The dean of examination of AIIMS, R C Deka, was long tipped to be the new director of AIIMS. Deka’s name is understood to have been finalised at a meeting of the high-powered institute body after a special committee set up to select a new director for AIIMS submitted a

shortlisted list of candidates for the post. Deka's name was then forwarded to the Prime Minister's office by Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. The search committee also approved the last month's governing body decision on a 200-point roster based reservation superseding the earlier system of floating reservation. Besides, it also permitted to amend AIIMS Regulation 30 to increase the age of superannuation of employees from 62 to 65. -Agencies

Naveen Patnaik-led BJD confident of sailing through trust vote Bhubaneswar, March 10: Ahead of the crucial trial of strength of the Naveen Patnaik government in Orissa Wednesday, the ruling BJD was today confident of sailing through. "Our government is absolutely safe. While the chief minister has submitted a list of 76 supporting MLAs to the governor, more legislators are likely to vote in favour," BJD's Secretary General

Damodar Rout said Tueday. The Chief Minister had paraded 75 of the 147 MLAs before Governor M C Bhandare o n M a r c h 11 a f t e r withdrawal of support by the BJP. The ruling BJD, which has 61 members including the Speaker Kishore Mohanty, has received the support of legislators belonging to JMM (4), NCP (2), CPI (1)

and CPI(M) (1). In addition, seven of the eight independent members have also extended support, while another has decided to abstain from voting during the floor test. The Speaker said all arrangements have been made for tomorrow's special session. -Agencies

BJP trying to wean away MGP from Congress fold in Goa Panaji, Mar 10: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated a move to wean away Goa's oldest regional outfit Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) from its alliance with the ruling Congress. The move is initiated by leader of the Opposition BJP's Manohar Parrikar ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in a bid to consolidate "like-minded" votes. Parrikar said that the BJP will also discuss the possibility of seat sharing for the next state

legislative assembly elections and long term coalition with MGP in the next couple of days. BJP trying to wean away MGP from Congress fold in Goa T h e M G P, which had fought two elections in partnership with the BJP and was also a coalition partner in the Parrikar-led government, had drifted to the Congress-led alliance. The party has now two legislators, one of whom is a minister in the Digamber Kamat-led

state government. B J P h a s launched this move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls as MGP has expressed its willingness to fight in both Goa p a r l i a m e n t a r y constituencies. Parrikar said that the MGP will be requested to support the BJP candidate in both the constituencies. “ I n fact, MGP and Congress is a vague equation. They differ with Congress on every important matter," Parrikar said. -Agencies

Congress seeks EC, President's intervention to stop show of strength in Orissa Bhubaneswar, March 10: On the eve of the trial of strength of the Naveen Patnaik government in Orissa, the Congress Tuesday sought the Election Commission and President's intervention to stop it, claiming it violated the Model Code of Conduct. "When the General Election date has been announced and the code of conduct enforced there is no necessity to call

the assembly and give an opportunity to the state government to prove its strength," Campaign Committee chairman of the state Congress Srikanta Jena said in a statement. "We appeal to the Election Commission and the President of India t o i n t e r v e n e immediately," he said. “This is in violation of the code of conduct as it is likely to

influence the voters' mind," he said and demanded immediate resignation of the chief minister in view of withdrawal of support by the BJP. He alleged that a minority government was trying to get a certificate indirectly to prove its legitimacy through 'horse trading' for utilising officials and government machinery for elections. -Agencies

Page 5

Delhi govt’s Bus Rapid Transit project selected for Taiwan award New Delhi, March 10: D e l h i Government might be receiving flak for the controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor here, but the project has been selected for an award by a Tawainbased organisation. Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta has left for Tainan city in Taiwan to receive the award at a function tomorrow at an Asia

Pacific conference being organised by a voluntary body, People to People International's Tainan Chapter. Before leaving for Tawain, Mehta said international experts have complimented the project and there is need to educate people about usage of the corridor. "BRT is going to provide efficient mass transportation," he said, adding the fact that the

project has been chosen for the Asia Pacific award indicates its importance. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its latest report had pulled up the Delhi Government for implementing the project in haste ignoring suggestions from the concerned experts. -Agencies

Naveen Patnaik’s BJD will regret leaving NDA: Sushma Swaraj Bhopal, March 10: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will regret its decision to part ways with the NDA after the General Elections. "Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikled BJD will regret the decision to part ways with the NDA after the elections," Swaraj incharge of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand told reporters last night.

Patnaik was unable to assess the situation correctly as those close to him have misguided him on the issue, she said. Swaraj, who arrived here after her name was announced as the party candidate for the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat which had earlier elected stalwarts like former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and noted journalist Ramnath Goenka, said that she has no ambition to run a parallel power centre in

Madhya Pradesh. " I a m n o t interested in becoming a parallel power centre in Madhya Pradesh nor in state politics," she said. When told that the bungalow allotted to her was the parallel power centre in the state, as earlier it was occupied by former MP Chief Minister V K Saklecha and former Deputy Chief Minister Subhash Yadav, Swaraj said if that was the case then she would change the course of history. -Agencies

Page 6

15 dead, minister injured in Sri Lanka suicide blast Colombo, March 10: At least 15 people were killed and 20 others injured – including a Cabinet minister – in a suicide bombing near a ceremony in southern Sri Lanka on Tuesday. M i l i t a r y spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said the rebel suicide attacker struck early this morning,

during a national festival to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. The blast – which took place near a mosque in the town of Akuressa, in Matara district, about 160 km south of the capital Colombo – came as the rebels continue to lose ground in the face of a fierce government offensive on their shrinking northeast base. Postal Services Minister Mahinda Wijesekera was also injured in the attack. He was reported to be fighting for his life in a local hospital. Culture Minister M a h i n d a Y a p a Abeywardene was initially listed as wounded because he was covered in blood, but was given the all-clear and found to have been covered with the blood of other victims. "We were talking

in procession and just passing the entrance to the mosque when there was a blast. I thought it was a big fire-cracker," Abeywardene said. "My clothes were covered in blood and I started running. Later I realised that I was not hurt, but I had blood from someone who was hit in the blast.”

"There were lot of school children and I fear a lot of them were wounded." "Six ministers were there and terrorists used this opportunity to target us," Oil Resources Minister AHM Fowzie said from the scene. B r i g Nanayakkara blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "It is an LTTE suicide bombing," he said. The guerrillas carried out a similar attack in April 2008, killing Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle as he took part in a national celebration ahead of the traditional New Year. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Tamil Tigers over the latest attack. The pro-rebel

Ta m i l n e t w e b s i t e however reported that at least 74 civilians – many of them children – had been killed and 100 others wounded Monday and Tuesday in Army s h e l l i n g o f LT T E controlled areas in the north. It accused the Sri Lankan Army of engaging in "intensified indiscriminate shelling" of known civilian areas. T h e government insists it is trying to protect civilians and accuses the Tigers of using them as "human shields". Two years ago, the Tigers – who have a long and bloody record of suicide attacks – controlled large swathes of the north and east of this South Asian island, but have suffered a series of major setbacks in the ethnic conflict. According to the Defence Ministry, at least 250 rebels were killed at the weekend as they fought to defend the small area of territory still under their control. On Sunday, the government said its plan to defeat the LTTE once and for all had entered its "final phase". The Sri Lankan government bans most journalists and aid workers from the north of the island, meaning such claims cannot be verified. T h e government withdrew from a Norwegianbrokered truce at the start o f l a s t y e a r, a f t e r accusing the Tigers of using the peace process to re-arm. - Agencies

Pakistanis in US demand reinstatement of ex-Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohd Chaudhry New York, March 10: B l a m i n g President Asif Ali Zardari and former military ruler Prevez Musharraf for current political crisis in Pakistan, dozens of country's citizens went on hunger strike and demanded reinstatement of former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. Shouting slogans like "We want democracy, not dictatorship," "We want

Justice," the Pakistanis belonging to different political affiliations also demanded end of governor's rule in Punjab during their day-long hunger strike outside their country's consulate. They shouted slogans against Zardari and former president Musharraf holding them responsible for the current troubles the country is facing both on political and security

March 10, 2009

World

Times Chennai E-Paper

front. About a dozen police officers kept a close watch on the demonstrators. Representative s o f Te h r i k - i - I n s a f , Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Freedom Forum, Pakistan-US Lawyers Forum, and Pukhtunkhwa Movement were among those who staged the hunger strike. - Agencies

U.S. wants Pakistan to do more to bring Mumbai attackers to book Washington, March 10: US wants Pakistan to do more to bring those responsible for the November 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai to justice. "Overall our assessment has been that Pakistan has been providing some helpful information, but clearly, you know, more can be done," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said on Monday ahead of a meeting between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “And what's critical here is that we do

everything in our power to try to bring the folks who are responsible for those attacks to justice," he said. Asked what would be the main issues coming up at the ClintonMenon meeting, Mr. Wood said: "It's hard for me to speculate on all the issues that may come up. Certainly, the Secretary is going to want to hear from the foreign secretary about how things are progressing with regard to the Mumbai investigation. "But you know, I can't guarantee that that will come up. I certainly expect that it would, and we'll be very interested in

hearing how things are going on that front," he said. Apart from the investigation into the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the two officials would discuss the conflict in Afghanistan among a host of issues, he said. But Indian officials would not say what transpired at Mr. Menon's meetings with Ms. Clinton and other top officials like national security advisor James Jones, Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg and U.S. special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke. - Agencies

Dhaka mutiny was pre-planned, reveals investigation Dhaka March 10: T h e investigation into the Bangladesh Rifles troopers' mutiny last month has shown that the carnage could be "preplanned" and around 450 border guards were involved in the massacre in which 74 people were killed. T h e investigation into the BDR mutiny revealed that "some outsiders" had knowledge about the rebellion, a top official of a law enforcement agency said. "We have found involvement of around 450 BDR officials and jawans in the mutiny after scrutinising the video f o o t a g e s a n d photographs," The Daily Star on Tuesday quoted an investigator as saying. The official said they are now trying to get details about the 450-odd m u t i n e e r s b y interrogating those who were arrested. The border guards revolted Feb 2526 over low wages and

poor working conditions. "We have so far identified 10 to 12 BDR members who led several groups of mutineers during the 33hour-long bloody mutiny," said the official. A n o t h e r investigator said: "The investigation found that it was done in a planned way. When a group of mutineers attacked and killed BDR Director General Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed at the Darbar Hall, another group simultaneously attacked his residence and injured two guards there." After killing army officers at the BDR headquarters, the rebels dumped the bodies in the sewer and mass graves in such a way that the rescuers found it difficult to trace those, the report said on Tuesday. Investigators said they are finding it hard to identify the BDR personnel who were on duty at the BDR gates and five armouries inside the BDR headquarters as the duty rosters had either been burnt or torn

up. "This suggests that it was a pre-planned act and we are trying to find the mastermind behind it," said an investigator. The mutiny by the BDR troopers broke out Feb 25 when they took control of their headquarters in the capital. The troopers revolted over low wages and poor working conditions. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered general amnesty to them, but the troopers were defiant and refused to lay down arms. The government held talks with a delegation of the mutineers Feb 26 and an agreement was reached but by that time, the mutiny spread to other BDR camps around the country. The revolt ended in the face of an imminent attack by the Bangladesh Army which moved tanks into position outside the BDR headquarters. The mutineers then laid down their arms. - Agencies

Musharraf was ready to name Benazir as Prime Minister Lahore, March 10: Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed has claimed that former president Pervez Musharraf was ready to name Benazir Bhutto the Prime Minister for the third time. According to a private TV channel, Rasheed said that

Benazir was in contact with Musharraf prior to the signing of the Charter of Democracy. “The long march does not remain in the lawyers’ hand now, as the politicians have joined the show,” the Daily Times quoted him, as saying. Rashid also

criticised Nawaz Sharif’s decision to take to the streets, which would provide extra time to Zardari, but “the third force” would overthrow both of them if the confrontation continued. - Agencies

March 10, 2009 Times Chennai E-Paper

Degree and Diploma holders can be treated on par: Supreme Court

'Rain Museum', UNESCO tag mooted for Cherrapunjee Cherrapunjee,March 10 : The world's first Rain Museum may come up at the world's wettest place. Sub Divisional a u t h o r i t i e s i n Cherrapunjee, now called Sohra, have given an innovative proposal in this regard to the State government. " W e h a v e forwarded a proposal for setting up the world's first rain museum in Cherrapunjee to the state's tourism minister, Conrad Sangma, and the director of tourism," Sub-Divisional Officer of Cherrapunjee Brahm Deo Ram Tiwari, said. As per the proposal, the 'rain museum' would involve recreation of artificial showers during the dry seasons with light and sound effects. The project also includes explaining the scientific aspects of rain.

"People will get to know as to how many types of clouds and rains are there and scientists can study the pattern of weather change in the museum," the SDO, who has mooted the idea, said. Besides this, efforts are also on to include Cherrapunjee in the list of the UNESCO list of natural heritage centres of the world, Tiwari said adding the matter was in the initial stage of discussion with UNESCO officials. The SDO said that a survey was underway in the area, the report of which would be forwarded to the UNESCO. "The chief secretary will soon hold a meeting with UNESCO officials to determine the future course of action in this regard," he said. At present there

are 29 UNESCOrecognised sites in India of which five are in the natural category Kaziranga and Manas National Parks in Assam, Sunderbans in West Bengal, Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) and Nandadevi and the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, with an aim to promote Cherrapunjee as an ecotourism destination and create awareness about its ecology amongst the people, the Sohra Civil Administration in collaboration with the S o h r a To u r i s m Development Society and Press Information Bureau will organize a two-day 'Rain Rock Sohra Festival' on February 20 and 21 at the Sa-I-Mika Park here. -Agencies

Journalism's GenNext sees newspapers losing out to Net Sydney,

March 10 : Newspapers will wither and perhaps die unless they convert into online platforms, according to a survey of next generation journalists. Alan Knight, professor of journalism at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), said more than 200 first-year journalism students took part in his international online survey of their news reading habits. "More than 90 per cent of the respondents were aged under 21 and many of these want-to-be journalists don't read newspapers," Knight said. "More than 60 per cent read a printed

newspaper once a week or less. Yet 95 per cent said they enjoyed keeping up with news. “Their preferred source of news was broadcast on television, particularly commercial television, with at least half watching television news at least once a day." Knight said online news was their next preferred source with students nominating Google and Ninemsn followed by other mainstream journalism sites. Facebook, specialist websites and Wikipedia were also popular. "The results confirmed educators' suspicions — even

journalism students are n o t r e a d i n g newspapers," Knight said, according to a QUT statement. “This poses a greater threat to the printed press than the global economic crisis or the loss of advertising revenue to the Web. If the journalists of the future don't want to read newspapers, who will?" Knight said the next stage of the study would involve focus groups of students discussing how news could be made more interesting and attractive to netizens. -Agencies

Sans money, man walks 34 days to reach home Beijing,

March 10 : A man walked 800 km over 34 days to reach home to join his 70year-old mother for the L u n a r N e w Ye a r celebrations after his money was stolen, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. Li Haitao, 30, a migrant worker from central China's Henan province, walked from Beijing to Zhengzhou from Feb 3 to March 9 to spend the Spring Festival with his mother, said the Dahe Daily. Mr. Li found that

2,000 yuan ($290) kept in his pocket had been stolen Jan 21 before he could pay for a ticket at the railway station at Baotou in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where he worked as a welder. A n o t h e r n e w s p a p e r, H e n a n Business News, reported that the penniless man was then sent to a local rescue station. Mr. Li was given a ticket to Beijing Feb 1. After staying in the rescue station for a

Page 7

News You Can Use

day, Mr. Li chose to walk home, and picked up and sold empty mineral water bottles along the way in order to get money to eat. He slept during the day because it was too cold to sleep at night with only a blanket in the open air, reported Orient Today, another newspaper. He arrived in the provincial capital Zhengzhou at 8 a.m. on Monday morning when the police found the unkempt man with a pair of worn-out shoes, said Orient Today. -Agencies

New Delhi, March 10: There is nothing unconstitutional if the government treats degree and diploma engineers on par for the purpose of promotion to a higher cadre, the Supreme Court has ruled. A bench of justices R V Raveendran and Markandeya Katju rejected the argument of the degree holders that such a treatment amounts to violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. The degree holders argued that the Article is violated not only by treating "equals as unequals", but also by treating "unequals as equals." "It is entirely for the authorities to decide whether the degree holders and diploma holders should be treated at par or not for the purpose of promotion from the post of junior engineer to the post of Assistant Engineer," the bench observed while dismissing the special leave petition(SLP) filed by Dilip Kumar Garg and others. Garg and the other degree holders had challenged the validity of Rule 5 (ii) of the UP

P u b l i c W o r k s Department Group-B Civil Engineering Rules 2004. Under the said rule, the State Government dispensed with the earlier provision for diploma engineers to either acquire the requisite technical qualification or pass a qualifying examination for promotion as Assistant Engineers. The Allahabad High Court upheld the validity of the rule, following which the degree holders appealed in the apex court. In the apex court, Garg and his colleagues took the plea that Article 14 is violated not only by treating "equals as unequals", but also by treating "unequals as equals." Their argument was that as degree holders they were better qualified for the post of Assistant Engineers than the diploma holders. And by treating the degree and diploma holders on p a r, t h e S t a t e h a d violated Article 14. However, the apex court rejected the argument and observed, "In our opinion, merely because in the past they have been treated

differently does not mean that they cannot be treated identically subsequently. "In our opinion Article 14 should not be s t r e t c h e d t o o f a r, otherwise it will make the functioning of the a d m i n i s t r a t i o n impossible." According to the bench, it is for the administrators to decide the qualifying conditions for promoting an employee. " T h e administrative authorities are in the best position to decide the requisite qualification for promotion from junior engineer to assistant engineer, and it is not for this court to sit over their decision like a court of appeal. " T h e administrative authorities have experience in administration, and the court must respect this and should not interfere readily with administrative decisions," the bench said. The bench said courts should not ordinarily interfere in policy decisions unless there is clear violation of some Constitutional provision of the statute. "We find no such violation in this case," the court observed. -Agencies

Electorates should have right to recall elected representatives: CBCI Panaji,

March 10: Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Indian Church has said that electorate should have right to recall their elected representatives on grounds of non performance, corruption and lack of personal integrity. "The voters should consider those candidates who empower the electorate with the right to recall t h e i r e l e c t e d representatives on grounds of nonperformance, corruption and lack of personal integrity," the resolution adopted by Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) mentions. The conference has said that the voters should select and promote candidates without any criminal record or background and having the genuine concerns of youth, women and particularly poor and marginalised at

heart. The appeal drafted by CBCI and issued by Rev Stanislaus Fernandes, said that the candidate should promote communal harmony by scrupulous observance of the constitutional provisions and guarantees as well as state laws. "Be ready to take immediate preventive steps and punitive action against any dissemination of divisive, hate generating literature and campaign, communalisation of politics of defence forces, of police and of bureaucracy," it reads. The CBCI appeal calls upon citizens who are about to go to the polls, to exercise judiciously their right to e l e c t t h o s e representatives who will facilitate the emergence of a nation that we want to be through a responsible and accountable governance.

The appeal also decries the global terrorism, the delay tactics on the part of the state, intolerance towards the creative artists, idolisation of money and power displacing God. "It is time to ask ourselves, in all sincerity, whether true democracy has been always respected and upheld in the largest democracy of the world, particularly by those who seek the votes," Archbishop of Goa and Daman Rev Fr Filipe Neri Ferrao, who is the part of conference, has said. Archbishop Ferrao voiced caution of a long journey towards progress, which needs to be defined beyond glamour and glitter. "The fine qualities of what is truly human and what enhances the humanity of humankind need to be perceived and cultivated more and more," he said. -Agencies

Times Chennai E-Paper Business

Page 8

Markets closed Mumbai, March 10: On Monday, the 30-share BSE index fell 2 percent to 8,160.40, its lowest close since Nov. 2, 2005, as deepening concern about the health of the world economy weighed down markets across the region.

The partially convertible rupee ended at 51.85/87 per dollar, above an intraday low of 52.01 but 0.4 percent weaker than Friday's close of 51.65/71. It had hit an all-time low of 52.20 last week. The yield on the

most actively traded 8.24 percent 2018 bond ended at 6.84 percent, higher than Friday's 6.75 percent. To d a y t h e markets were closed on account of Holi and Milad - un - Nabi - Bureau Report

March 10, 2009

Handicrafts exports dip 54.62% in April-Feb New Delhi, March 10: I n d i a ' s handicrafts exports, one of the worst sufferers because of the global economic meltdown,

billion in the same period last fiscal. "The decrease in exports of handicrafts is due to slump in demand in major markets

dipped by over 50 per cent to USD 13.53 billion during April-February this fiscal. According to Export Promotion Council for Handicraft (EPCH) data, handicrafts exports fell by 54.62 per cent from USD 29.88

of the US and Europe," EPCH said. T h e s e c t o r, which employs about seven million artisans, exports over 50 per cent of its products to the US. Despite the government having announced several

India's insurance sector faces no downside risks: Regulatory Body IRDA New Delhi, March 10: India's insurance sector faces no downside risks because investment in derivatives or credit default swaps is largely not permitted, the head of the country's insurance regulatory body said on Monday. J. Hari Narayan, chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, told, "For one thing we don't permit investment in derivatives and so on. We also don't permit CDSs

(credit default swaps). We don't permit any insurance against default. We permit it only to a limited extent, in terms on debt." When asked if the country's insurers were facing downside risks, he said: "No, nothing in particular." Narayan was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of insurance regulators at the Bank for International Settlements in the Swiss city of Basel. The insurance

sector in India, a traditionally underinsured country, has been so far unaffected by the global financial crisis. Life insurers, who make up the bulk of the market, grew their business by 23.3 percent to 930 billion rupees in 2007/08, while general insurers posted growth of about 14 percent in premium income to 298 billion rupees, according to IRDA data. - Agencies

Volvo Buses diversifies in India Bangalore, March 10: Faced with slowdown in growth, Volvo Buses India today announced a foray into the consultancy services business expecting 50 per cent of its revenues to come from engagements other than sales in five years. Vo l v o B u s e s India sold 440 buses in the country in the calendar year 2008, up from 200 in the previous year, its Managing Director Akash Passey said. But for 2009, the

company is expecting a sales growth of 20 per cent. Passey told reporters here that the company expects "soft offers" -- consultancy services, activities pertaining to managing customers' fleet and any engagement other than sales of buses -- to constitute 50 per cent of its total annual revenues by the end of five years. Speaking on the consultancy business, he said Volvo Buses is looking for

partnerships and collaborations with civic and transport authorities to decongest cities, help create a more efficient system and take up projects to provide sustainable solutions customised for a city's transportation needs. Under this initiative, global Volvo experts would soon interact with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. - Agencies

Nokia in talks with content providers 23441 Jaipur, March 10: Finnish mobile handset maker Nokia is in talks with leading music content providers and music companies for rolling out its virtual music stores in India. The company is tying up with around 150 music companies including Universal Music, Warner Bros, Sony BMG and other national music leaders, Nokia India Regional General Manager (North) Chandan Dang said. Nokia is likely to offer the service in India with a free one-year subscription on purchase of select Nokia handsets. "We are planning the launch the services in the first half of this year. Our similar services in the UK launched on 5310Xpress music device is evincing good response from music lovers. However, our format may be different than the one in UK as preferences of Indians are different from the English. "Also, unlike the UK, in India the service should be made

compatible on low-end handsets for a better click with Indian customers. The service will also help in boosting the handset sales," he said. Consumers would be able to access

and download music on their mobile phones and PCs. The service would allow users to download and store unlimited songs and even after the subscription expires. - Agencies

RIL to sign pact with fertiliser units New Delhi, March 10: Reliance Industries has resolved almost all issues with fertiliser firms, who are first in line to receive natural gas supplies from the Mukesh Ambani-run company's prolific KG-D6 fields, and is likely to sign gas supply agreements this month. Reliance has offered liberal take-or-pay terms in the revised Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement that is being sent to nine fertiliser units this week for possible signing along with Gas Transportation Agreement this month. Sources said fertiliser units will necessarily have to pay for 90 per cent of the volumes allocated to them in a year even though they may not draw even a single cubic meter. But they will have the liberty to take the quantities not drawn, in the next year. Reliance would extend the five-year supply contract by three months to enable companies to draw the volumes they may not have taken previously. The company will refund money for volumes remaining even after this three-month period. Sources said the company, which is likely to begin gas supplies from KG-D6 next month, would not sign supply-or-pay agreement (Reliance having to pay if it defaults on supplies) as it has no marketing freedom to sell the fuel. The refund clause in the take-or-pay agreement would be the first of its kind in the world as globally gas supplies give only a grace period for drawal of fuel not taken previously, they said.

measures, including extending interest subsidy up to September this year and giving in-principle approval for including all handicrafts items in the Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojna (VKGUY), the situation is yet to improve. "The stimulus packages are not very attractive for the sector," EPCH Executive Director Rakesh Kumar said. He said the VKGUY scheme, which offers 5 per cent duty-free scrips to exporters, is helping the handicrafts sector, but all the items are not included in the scheme. "Seventy items are included, only one-third of the total, (while) 140 items are pending to be declared by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade," he added. -Agencies

March 10, 2009 Times Chennai E-Paper

Sports

Tendulkar ruled out of Hamilton ODI Hamilton, March 10 : In a setback to the Indian cricket team, in-form Sachin Tendulkar was on Tuesday ruled out of the

"It is painful that I have to miss a game when there has been good momentum. I have been hitting the ball well."

fourth one-dayer against New Zealand due to an abdomen injury but the premier batsman has promised to play the fifth and final match. Tendulkar had suffered a painful blow from Blackcaps fast bowler Iain O'Brien during the second ODI at Wellington. Despite stiffness in the abdomen region, he played the third game and aggravated the injury while scoring a magnificent century, his 43rd in limited overs cricket. An MRI done on Monday at a hospital in Christchurch revealed that there had been traces of internal bleeding, ruling him out of Wednesday's match here. "The report has indicated there has been internal bleeding in the stomach. But I should be ready to play in the next couple of days," said Tendulkar.

The master batsman will sorely miss on-field action as he has been in prime from, strumming up scores of 20, 61 and 163 retired hurt for an aggregate of 244 runs. In 20 years of international cricket, this is possibly the first instance that the Mumbaikar has suffered internal bleeding to a blow with a cricket ball. Te n d u l k a r ' s chest had been peppered with bouncers in the Caribbean. But despite suffering clots on the rib-cage, he had braved to take on Mervyn Dillon's artillery in the 2002 series against the West Indies. His ankle, elbow, back, foot and little finger have troubled him one time or the other during his illustrious career. But this is the

only instance when internal bleeding has stopped him from playing, frustratingly when he has been producing delectable symphonies at the crease. "I would not know if this has been the worst. But it has caused me discomfort. The abs are really stiff," he said. O n l y a braveheart, or one so committed as he is, could have played an innings of such calibre and intensity with the enormity of injury he was carrying. “It got very difficult as the innings wore on. At one stage, I felt a twitch. It would have been great to go on and complete a double hundred, which was on my mind, but the body could not take it any more," said Tendulkar. It is learnt that the team wanted him to go continue and score a double hundred. In fact, he had been offered a runner as well. But Tendulkar had put team before self, deeming it would benefit the side if he retired. The team management felt that it is better he rests as the Test matches where around the corner. Even if he misses the fifth ODI at Auckland, the master batsman will be tready and kicking for the first test at Hamilton on March 18. -Agencies

ICC to discuss Champions Trophy's fate in Sri Lanka Dubai, March 10: T h e C h i e f Executive Committee meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) will discuss on Wednesday if weather conditions in Sri Lanka are 'appropriate' to hold Champions Trophy in the island nation. The CEC meeting will be held via teleconference and will make recommendation to the ICC Board, who will take a final decision on March 16. T h e e l i t e

tournament, promoted as mini world cup, is s c h e d u l e d f o r September/October this year. The ICC Board in its last meeting in Perth had taken away the tournament from Pakistan. Sri Lanka was the reserve venue for the event. "During its teleconference, the CEC will also consider dates for next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament, to be staged in the West

Indies," an ICC statement said. T h e C E C comprises the chief executives of the 10 Testplaying Members and three representatives from ICC Associate Members. It is chaired by the ICC Chief Executive. The ICC President and the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee also attend the meeting. -Agencies

Page 9

IPL security to be centrally managed, budget up 10 times Mumbai, March 10: The second season of the extravagant and lucrative Indian Premier League was officially launched by the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi here on Tuesday. The new logo was also unveiled. The anticipated tournament will kick off on April 10 with both the opening and closing ceremonies to be held in DY Patil Stadium. Modi also said that the ceremonies will be a 30 m i n u t e v i s u a l extravaganza, something that will be seen for the first time in India. Modi addressed a press conference in Mumbai and he had started off with the achievements in the first edition of the T20 tournament and moved on to reveal that the second season would see two new venues – Ahmedabad and Vishakapatnam. He said that the schedule was under the process of being fine tuned and that they were also looking at N a g p u r a n d Dharamshala on the roster. "We are talking to Dharmshala and Nagpur is also in fray. Schedule is still being fine-tuned as I speak," he said. Regarding security, the biggest concern of the cricket playing nations, and the reason for the speculations of IPL being c a l l e d o ff , t h e I P L commissioner said that the security provided will be top class and better than last year. He said that there will be no stones left unturned to provide the best possible security to the players. Explaining the security plan, Modi revealed the IPL will not leave to the teams this year and take control of the arrangements centrally. “We have gone venue by venue this time. T h e s e c u r i t y arrangement will be handled centrally. From the minute a (foreign) player lands here to the minute he leaves India. From the minute an Indian players enters the hotel to the minute he leaves, we will be managing the security. It's a cumbersome template that was used

during the India-England Test series last year,” he said. "That was a rigorous plan put in place, shared with the government and the international board, in that case the England a n d Wa l e s C r i c k e t Board," he added. "Security (budget) will be 10 times more than last year," he said without divulging the exact figure. He went on to state that contingency plans had been made and shared with state governments, security agencies and boards of

discussed with every state government and their conditions were taken into account before coming to a final decision. The schedule, however, is still not concrete and is being fine tuned.” M o d i a l s o rejected the Federation of International Cricketers Association's demands for a say in the security arrangements for IPL. "The IPL is conducted by BCCI and the BCCI talks directly to the Boards. We have never been in touch with FICA. But of course they will talk to the other Boards and coordinate with them," he

other countries. He stressed on the fact that the security for the players will entirely be IPL’s. He also cleared that no contracted player had expressed concerns personally regarding the security as earlier reported by some media organisations. "No foreign player has so far contacted the IPL to say that he is apprehensive. They have never been uncomfortable about coming here. India is not Pakistan, we are a safe country," he said. He further said that there will be matches on all days of the IPL window except on May 16, the date of vote counting of the elections. On the reported apprehensions of the foreign players and the host state governments, Modi said, "Three state governments (of the eight involved) have already given us their clearance in writing. The other five are expected to give it in a day or so. One state government had asked for a change of date and we are working it out." “The itinerary of the tournament was

said. The tickets will be on sale starting next week. Modi said that the seating positions had also been upgraded technologically and that the audience will be able to know where exactly their seats are located in the stadium from the comfort of their homes. The venues for the tournament are Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Vizag. The stadiums have been superficially upgraded too. All the stadiums would have the colors of the home team all around the ground and stands. Chennai will not host all the seven games allotted to every home team due to the blackouts that had halted a game last season. “A few of Chennai’s games will be shifted to another city,” Modi said. A new addition to the entertainment factor of the Indian Premier League is the proposal to screen the matches in multiplexes across the country with a slight catch in the clause. The host city will not be allowed to screen the matches of the home team. -Agencies

Page 10 Times Chennai E-Paper

Medley

March 10, 2009