Monday, January 29, 2018

SADD condemns Sirsa’s sectarian statement

SADD condemns Sirsa’s sectarian statement, asks Badals if they sanctioned it
NEW DELHI, Jan 29 — MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s statement on Tipu Sultan is aimed at turning two minorities against each other and is part of dangerous sectarian politics perpetrated in the country by bigger forces, SADD chief Paramjit Singh Sarna has declared.
Sirsa, who is historically and religiously completely illiterate, was heard referring to 1970 as a period for Tipu Sultan to have written some letters when the Mysore king had died long back in 1799.“Illiterate Sirsa was clearly parroting what was dictated to him by Nagpur. If he was a true Sikh, he would have no business whatsoever raising a non-issue ofTipu Sultan’s portraits in the Delhi assembly into a Sikh versus Muslim matter. But he did it brazenly at the behest of communal forces,” S. Sarna noted.He asked the Badals if they had issued a prior sanction to Sirsa to raise completely uncalled-for objections over the Mysore ruler’s posters. “If he did what hedid came after Badals’ approval, then the father-son duo must now hang their heads in shame,” the SADD president thundered.
S. Sarna recalled how Sirsa smiled sheepishly standing beside Sadhvi Jyoti when she made a disgusting comment at an election rally few years ago.“Uneducated Sirsa, who’s raised on drug and extortion money, has become Nagpur’s agent in the turban to drive their divisive agenda forward.
His every public statement, every gesture is dictated by the anti-minority, anti-Muslim Sangh Parivar that treats even the Sikhs as menial bodyguards of the Hindus,” S.Sarna observed. He’s a shame on the Sikh community, the SADD president said. “The Sikhs have no truck with brokers and middlemen of communalism. Given Sirsa’s statement, we don’t know if the Badals qualify to be called Sikhs any longer.
Kulwinder Singh Mattoo
Advocate

West Bengal stretch of Prime Minister Urja Ganga Pipeline Project begins

GAIL commences construction work for the West Bengal stretch of Prime Minister Urja Ganga Pipeline Project.
New Delhi, 29th January, 2018: GAIL (India) Limited has started pipeline construction work in the state of West Bengal for providing gas supply to Matix Fertilizers, Durgapur. This project is being executed as a part of ‘Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga’ pipeline project i.e. Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) project and is being executed on a fast track basis. A total of 555 Km long pipeline with an approved cost of approximately Rs. 2700 crore in West Bengal will pass through eight districts like Puruliya, Bankura, Burdwan, Nadia, Hooghly, Howrah, East Medinapur and 24 North Paragana. Further project activities for execution of pipeline in the state of West Bengal upto Haldia and City Gas Distribution in Kolkata are also expected to commence shortly.
The prestigious 2655 Km long JHBDPL project was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India in July’2015. The project is progressing in full swing. The pipeline will pass through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
The project is being executed in a phased manner. Phase I consists of pipeline network from Phulpur – Dobhi with spurlines to Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Patna and Barauni (755 Km) and is scheduled to be completed by Dec ‘18. Phase II of the project beyond Dobhi (Gaya) towards Durgapur Haldia & Bokaro – Ranchi and Angul – Dhamra (1900 Km) is scheduled to be completed progressively by Dec’20.
The project will usher Industrial development in Eastern part of India by supplying environmentally clean Natural Gas to Fertilizer & Power plant, Refineries, Steel plants and other Industries. Further, the arrival of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga will provide direct and indirect employment to thousands of people.
The project will also provide clean energy to households and transportation in the cities en-route the pipeline. The City gas Network laying activity in Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Cuttack has already commenced and activities in other cities namely Patna and Jamshedpur will start by next month. The pilot project in  Bhubaneshwar for providing PNG & CNG has already been inaugurated in October 2017 & December 2017 respectively, by Hon’ble Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

Nine dead in Mexico shooting

Mexican authorities investigating killing of  nine men at a house in Monterrey, said Sunday small local drug-trafficking groups appeared to be involved but not major drug cartels.
The men were watching a football match on television on Saturday when armed attackers burst into the house, herded women into the bathroom and then opened fire on the men, the attorney general of the state of Nuevo Leon, Bernardo Gonzalez, said.
Seven men were killed on the spot and two others died of their wounds after being taken to local hospitals, he said.
Gonzalez said drugs were found in the house, and the attack appeared to involve local drug traffickers. But in an interview on local television, he insisted, “This is an isolated incident. It has nothing to do with a dispute between cartels in our state.”
Monterrey, an important industrial centre in northern Mexico, has been shaken by drug violence in recent years, stemming from a conflict between the Gulf and Zeta cartels.Omar Trevino, the Zeta leader known as Z-42 and considered one of Mexico´s most ruthless drug bosses, was arrested in 2015 in a posh Monterrey suburb.

Israel seek Polish clarification

Israel seek Polish clarification, on Nazi death camps.
Israel summoned a top Polish diplomat today to express concerns over legislation Warsaw was advancing regarding the Holocaust and the definition of Nazi death camps. Poland’s rightwing-dominated Parliament adopted legislation on Friday setting a maximum three-year jail term for anyone who accuses the Polish nation or state of complicity with Nazi crimes, or who refers to Nazi German death camps as being Polish.
The measure, intended to apply to both Poles and foreigners, must still pass the Senate before being signed by the President. The Foreign Ministry said the charge d’affaires for Poland’s embassy in Israel, Piotr Kozlowski, was summoned to for a “clarification” with senior officials. A statement of the said, Israel’s opposition to the wording of the bill was expressed to him. The timing of the bill — the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day — was particularly surprising and unfortunate.
Late on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Poland of seeking to deny history with the bill. Polish officials routinely request corrections when global media or politicians describe as “Polish” former death camps such as Auschwitz set up by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland.

Yemen PM accuses separatists take over of Aden

Yemen’s Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher has accused separatist forces backed by UAE of staging a coup in the city of Aden after they took over government headquarters. He also called on the Saudi-led military coalition to intervene, stressing that UAE was the decision-maker in the city.
Clashes broke out yesterday between the army of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is supported by Saudi Arabia, and UAE-backed forces seeking separation from the country’s north.
Reports BBC, at least 10 people have died and dozens of people are reported injured. The development further complicates an already dire situation in Yemen, where millions need aid.

UK May faces fresh challenge on Brexit

theresa-may-1
British Prime Minister Theresa May faces new challenges to her flagship Brexit law through parliament after lawmakers demanded changes only a day before parliament’s upper house begins to debate the legislation. The House of Lords Constitution Committee said in a report published today that the legislation to end Britain’s European Union membership has fundamental flaws, including ministerial powers it considers too sweeping.
The Lords committee expressed concern that the government will use the Brexit process to reshape EU laws without proper parliamentary scrutiny as they move into British law. It urged the government to reach agreement about which powers currently held in Brussels will return to Britain’s central government and which will be devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The legislation was cleared by the House of Commons this month and will come before the upper house- House of Lords tomorrow.

Japan and France meet for defense cooperation.

Japan and France have agreed to boost defense cooperation.
Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera met with his French counterpart Florence Parly in Tokyo on Saturday. Onodera said France, with its vast exclusive economic zone in the Pacific region, is Japan’s special partner. Two ministers agreed to boost bilateral cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Ministers  confirmed that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses a grave and imminent threat to the international community and have agreed to use all possible measures to step up pressure against the North to a maximum level.
Both ministers agree  to conduct joint military drills on land and at sea.
Onodera and Parly then inspected a Japanese Self-Defense Force unit in charge of PAC3 interceptor missiles deployed in the Defense Ministry compound.
Onodera later told reporters that they also spoke in the meeting about China’s maritime activities in the South China Sea.

ASSOCHAM INDUSTRY-MEDIA INTERACTION ON UNION BUDGET 2018-19

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To
– Managing Committee Members
– Patron Members
– Promoter Chambers
– Corporate Associates
– Associated Chambers
– Ordinary Members
ASSOCHAM INDUSTRY-MEDIA INTERACTION ON UNION BUDGET 2018-19 
Thursday, 1 February 2018 
Hotel: The Shangri-La, New Delhi

On the occasion of presentation of Union Budget by the Hon’ble Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley ji on Thursday, 1st February 2018. ASSOCHAM would be organizing a budget viewing session at Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday.
The TV channels which will cover the Industry interaction comprise: 
  • CNBC Awaaz
  • ZEE Business
  • Bloomberg UTV
  • Headlines Today, AAJ TAK
  • NewsX
  • News Nation
  • News 24
  • ABP News
  • DD News
  • Sahara News
  • India News
  • Live India
  • ANI
In view of your acceptance in media as well stature of your industry, may I call upon you to kindly participate in the event at 10.00 a.m. on February 1, 2018 at Hotel The Shangri-La, New Delhi.  The Interaction will be followed by Lunch. 
I hope my request will be favourably considered. 
We look forward for your kind cooperation. 
With warm regards,

Yours sincerely,
D.S. Rawat
Secretary General
—————————— ———————–
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
ASSOCHAM Corporate Office
5, Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110 021
Tel: 011-46550555 Fax: 23017008/9 

M6.6 – southwest of Africa

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude6.6
Date-Time
  • 28 Jan 2018 16:03:04 UTC
  • 28 Jan 2018 16:03:04 near epicenter
  • 28 Jan 2018 20:03:04 standard time in your timezone
Location53.050S 9.645E
Depth10 km
Distances
  • 2204.9 km (1367.0 mi) SSW of Hermanus, South Africa
  • 2215.7 km (1373.7 mi) SSW of Bredasdorp, South Africa
  • 2223.8 km (1378.7 mi) SSW of Retreat, South Africa
  • 2227.4 km (1381.0 mi) SSW of Grabouw, South Africa
  • 2236.3 km (1386.5 mi) SSW of Cape Town, South Africa
Location UncertaintyHorizontal:

” Safe Spaces”

“Safe Spaces” Offer Psychosocial Support to Rohingya Women

Cox’s Bazar – “The reason we have the mirror is that after everything that has happened to them, many of the women cannot bear to look at themselves,” says Lufta Bokshi, a psychosocial support officer who is helping Rohingya women refugees in Bangladesh come to terms with life after fleeing deadly violence and rape in Myanmar.
“We encourage them to look in the mirror so they can see they are still beautiful and that life can still be beautiful too,” she says.
At this new women’s safe space created by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, for Rohingya women in one of Cox’s Bazar’s vast refugee camps, a lot of work has gone into making things beautiful with the most basic of materials.
Outside, a sunflower is already showing its face in the newly planted garden. Inside, colourful hand-made paper flowers adorn the walls.
Despite the clamour and the chaos outside – where life in the camp is noisy and hard and holds many dangers – inside the security of the high bamboo fence that protects this space, a feeling of calm and safety reigns.
Only women are allowed to enter. Even the guard, who sits in a little bamboo cabin at the entrance, is female. And for those who come here, that matters so much.
IOM has recently opened four such spaces, with another four more planned and set to become operational in coming weeks.
“The spaces play a vital role in ensuring women and adolescent girls have somewhere they feel safe to express themselves, access important information, develop social networks, and strengthen their  resilience to find positive ways to cope in the future,” said Megan Denise Smith, an IOM operations officer in Cox’s Bazar specializing in cases of gender-based violence (GBV).
More than 688,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since a major upsurge in violence in Myanmar’s North Rakhine State in August 2017.
While women at the centre say they feel safer here than they did in Myanmar, the violence and loss that they and their families experienced in Myanmar are experiences that remain with them in Bangladesh. The space to discuss their worries past and present helps them to develop coping mechanisms.

“When we share our worries with our sisters here, we feel much better. I feel happy because we can learn things from each other,” says Asama*, a young mother who attends the centre.
“In Myanmar we weren’t used to this. We never got a chance to get together to gossip, because the [authorities] thought that when we got together in a group we were organizing something against them.”
When women in the camps mention “family problems” they may be referring to normal ups and downs in relationships. But Mostafizur Rahman, an IOM psychologist, explains that usually they mean that they are trying to cope with the loss of one or more relatives in the violence they fled.
Raysuana, a participant in a focus group about what kind of support women attending the centres need, scores her relationship with close family and other relatives as 2 out of a possible 5. She says she doesn’t have any immediate family left. They all died in Myanmar.
The opportunity to discuss feelings out loud in a secure and supportive environment is crucial, according to staff and the women who attend the spaces. In Rohingya traditional society, women are rarely afforded the opportunity to speak up publicly. Here, they say, they can talk “fruitfully”, free from the “dominance of men”.
“When I stay in my own house, I worry more. But in the safe space I can be with other people who are similar to me and we can share our emotions,” says Fatima, another focus group participant.
At the IOM safe spaces women receive individual and group counselling. There are also craft materials, board games and television, where they can watch films and other programmes to help them build up their confidence and resilience.
“I can’t sleep at night for thinking about all the different things we can do (to help) these women,” says Bokshi, whose local organization PULSE is an IOM partner at the safe spaces.
Women and girls in the camps need psychosocial support not just to deal with the violence and traumatic experiences of the past, but also the current difficulties that they now face. The everyday challenges of surviving in a place surrounded by hundreds of thousands of strangers; coping with a life lived under tarpaulins, reliant on food aid just to survive; and the increased risk of gender-based violence that comes with life in a refugee camp.
Women and adolescent girls who visit the safe spaces also learn about the dangers of human trafficking. This is a very real risk in the camps, where traffickers can lure vulnerable adults and children with promises of good jobs and a better life, but in reality deal in slavery, forced labour, sexual exploitation and other abuses.
There is no single solution to finding ways to offer support to women in the refugee camps. While stories of violence, rape and loss are all too common, each person’s experience and response is unique.
But the IOM safe spaces offer a place for women to come together and find their strengths as individuals and through shared experiences.
The mirror is not just used in psychosocial support sessions. “When the women come in here, they are able to take off their head scarves away from the view of men. They can use the mirror to apply face cream or put on some make up. Little things. But things that give them a chance to feel normal,” says Bokshi.
During the past week, IOM responded to 159 protection/gender-based violence (GBV) cases. Since the start of the current crisis in August 2017, IOM has identified 15,151 extremely vulnerable individuals. Some 447 GBV cases have been assisted through IOM’s case management. Another 4,153 individuals have received psychosocial first aid and 24 victims of trafficking have been identified and assisted.
(*Some names have been changed for protection reasons.)
For more information please contact Fiona MacGregor at IOM Cox’s Bazar. Email: fmacgregor@iom.int, Tel. +8801733335221

CEA operations ?

CEA Operated As Commission Agents $250b Junk Investment   
January27, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com
This following Shocking discovery was made while investigating reports of India slipping to 177 Rank out of 180 in Environmental Index. Since CEA doesn’t give Capital Expenditure & Performance report I had to rely on data of Capacity Additions in 4 years.
In fight against Corruption things have worsened, when things could have improved substantially. Just as I was writing this BRPL Power Supply was tripped and Switched on 4 Times. A 1000 KVA Transformer was Switched On & Off as UNSKILLED Labor of BRPL was repairing a Temporary SINGLE PHASE Connection of building under construction.
$250b CEA JUNK GRADE POWER INVESTMENTS IN 4 YEARS
Here in the CEA data generation growth in 4 Years is only 24.7%since 2014, 241 BU
and Consumption Growth just 180 BU which is average power demand of only 27,511 MW – Consumer Requirement 20,500 MW, Peak Demand growth 30,937 MW in 4 Years.
Description
3/2014
3/2015
3/2016
3/2017
12/2017
3/2018*
4 Yrs
Cost Rs. Lakh Cr
Capacity Add MW
17,825
22,566
23,977
14,210
4,765
9,094
69,874
5,00,000
Peak Demand MW
129,815
141,460
148,463
156,934
160,752
160,752
28.3%
EHT Trans Lines Km
16,748
22,101
28,114
26,300
16,236
20,760
97,275
1,50,000
EHT Transform MVA
57,330
65,554
62,849
81,816
63,765
85,536
271,269
3,50,000
Generation BU
967
1,048
1,108
1,160
903
1,206
24.7%
*Expected based on April-Dec2017 Trend.
CEA and Ministry of Power Spent Rs.10,00,000 Cr to Supply Average Growth in Consumer Consumption of only 20,500 MW. Railways & Coal Ministry also Invested say Rs.2,00,000 Cr, States spend Rs.1,50,000 Cr on HT & LT Distribution Infra, their Loses Rs.2,50,000 Cr. = Rs.16,00,000 Cr.
Ø Alternate CLEAN Option 1.  India could have 100,000 MW Multipurpose Hydro Power producting 400 BU of Power, Storage of 200 BCM, Canals + T&D Lines.
Ø Alternate CLEAN Option 2.  India could have installed 4,00,000 MW of Solar Rooftops or Solar Farms producing 600 BU of Clean Power Annually.
Ø Alternate CLEAN Option 3.  India could have installed 60,000 MW of ‘Mitsubishi Advanced Nuclear Reactors’ in Coastal zones.

Ø Alternate CLEAN Option 4.  This Inventor Led ‘ENERGY EFFICIENCY’ Program – Cost Rs.16,000 Cr as Consultancy – Rs.84,000 Cr Invest – saving 200 BU of Power + Rs.15,00,000 Cr for Industry/Food Processing Farm to Fork Program.
Ø OUTCOME – INDIA RANKED AMONG TOP 30 CLEANEST COUNTRIES
Ø  ADD $TRILLION TO GDP GROWTH – HEALTHY HUNGER FREE INDIA
Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS
Y-77, Hauz Khas, ND -110016, India. Ph: 091- 8826415770, 9871056471, 9650421857

Delhi Traders Bandh

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28th  January, 2018
TRADERS 48 HOURS DELHI TRADE BANDH IS GETTING MOMENTUM
ALL MARKETS ACROSS DELHI WILL REMAIN CLOSED
The resentment and anguish of the traders of Delhi against ongoing sealing is increasing day by day leading to a call of 48 hours Delhi Trade Bandh on forthcoming 2nd & 3rd February by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). Support to Trade Bandh is began pouring in as the Delhi Hindustani Mercantile Association has declared to shut down Chandni Chowk market during the Trade Bandh and on the other side the North Delhi Traders Federation has also declared its support and entire North Delhi will remain closed. Closed to the heels the Ashok Vihar Vyapar Mandal and South Extension Market Association has also declared to remain closed. It is expected that during next two days, most of the markets in Delhi will officially declare their support.All wholesale, retail & commercial markets in Delhi shall remain closed for 48 hours.
CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that decision of Delhi Trade Bandh was taken yesterday at a meeting of Delhi Traders attended by representatives of about 500 leading Trade Associations from all corners of Delhi. The traders are agitated as they feel that under the guise of stopping misuse of buildings they are being targeted in a most arbitrary manner without giving any opportunity of placing their defence.What to say of defence, they are even not being informed of the offence committed by them and just a single line order to seal their business establishments has become the order of the day. It is pity that in a Country where terrorist like Qasab is given enough opportunity to place his defence, the traders of Delhi are being denied the right of show cause notice and opportunity of hearing as also making appeal to Appellate Tribunal & Administrator of Delhi.
Mr. Khandelwal informed that the first plan of the City was drawn in the year 1865 & 1866 by Lala Hardeo Das & Tika Ram under the superintendence of Mr. E.J.Martin, Executive Engineer which also contains several areas as Commercial and later on commercial activities keep increasing and were declared as Commercial or Mixed Land Use by the Authorities. But no one is bothered to study these areas and more interested in sealing of commercial establishments.
Not only Indian Jurisprudence but even Principle of Natural Justice lay great emphasis on following the due process of law before taking any punitive action. But in the matter of sealing the traders are mercilessly being deprived of these rights though the provisions of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act are explicit and clear.In case of misuse of building the Commissioner under Section 466A & 467 is duty bound to first make a complaint with the Municipal Magistrate within six months from the date when such misuse is came to his knowledge .Any complaint made after six months is liable to be rejected and no action can be taken.The facts of existence of offence can be borrowed from MCD record itself as under Section 124 MCD has to maintain a Municipal Assessment Book which contains details of user of all properties in Delhi.The MCD is under obligation to issue a Show Cause Notice under Section 343(1) with sufficient time to be given to reply.Even after the order of Commissioner to take punitive action, the person under Section 347B (O) (i) can make first appeal to Appellate Tribunal and then to Administrator of Delhi i.e. Lt. Governor. It is more interesting to note that so far Commissioner under Section 419 has not prohibited any area for commercial use. All these rights are snatched and the sealing is being done in a most anarchic manner leading to gross violation of MCD Act.

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