CJI heads Ayodhya bench

TT, New Delhi, Sept. 25: Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia will head the three-judge bench that will on Tuesday hear the petition to put off the Ayodhya verdict, indicating the utmost priority the Supreme Court is giving the issue.

Justice Kapadia, whose core area of expertise is commercial and corporate law and income tax, will sit on the new bench with Justice Aftab Alam and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan. These three judges make up the court’s forest bench which, every Friday, hears cases relating to diversion of forests for non-forest use.

Earlier, the two-judge bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice H.L. Gokhale had imposed an interim stay on the Ayodhya verdict a day before its scheduled announcement by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on September 24. The decision came on a plea by Ramesh Chandra Tripathi, a defendant in the Ayodhya title (ownership) suit who feared the verdict would harm communal peace.

The two judges had, however, referred the matter to a larger bench in view of the differences between them on the issue.

Sources said that whenever there was a tie on a bench, the case usually went to a larger bench that did not include the judges who originally heard the case. But, they said, what was significant was that the Chief Justice would personally hear the case on September 28.

On that day, all the 24 parties to the Ayodhya title suit and the Centre, represented by the attorney-general, will appear before the apex court and give their views on whether the Ayodhya verdict should be postponed and mediation given another chance.

Ironically, the continued existence of the forest bench has been a matter of dismay for the Centre, which believes that forests are the domain of the executive.

The government had even filed an application asking the court to wind up the bench.
But the Chief Justice had ignored it and constituted a second forest bench that sits on Mondays, though it only implements the orders passed by the first bench.

Mamta ultimatum to center for 3 days  

SNS, SINGUR, 25 SEPT: The Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee, today gave a three-day deadline to the Centre to withdraw the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from Lalgarh. She alleged that the ruling CPI-M was capturing village after village and driving out people from their homes in the Junglemahal with the help of the Central forces.
Miss Banerjee said this while speaking at a huge rally at Singur this evening. “We have been demanding withdrawal of the Central forces since the past one year. We will wait for three more days. If the Central forces are not withdrawn by then, we will have to take a decision,” Miss Banerjee said.
Miss Banerjee said the party will send a parliamentary delegation to Delhi to ensure withdrawal of the Central forces. Alleging that the mother of one of her party workers in Lalgarh was shot at by CPI(M)-backed goons today, she said a sustained movement will be launched. Calling Mr Manoj Verma, superintendent of police of West Midnapore, a “worthless officer”, Miss Banerjee said he is facilitating the CPI-M's armed operation by keeping the Central forces in the forefront.
“What does operation against Maoists mean? Is allowing the CPI-M goons to capture village after village at gun-point the point of such operation?” she asked.
“We are with the people and the CPI-M is with the goons. The people will snatch guns from CPI(M)-backed hoodlums in Lalgarh," Miss Banerjee said. She announced that “anti-terrorism day” would be observed across the state on 2 October when CPI-M leaders will observe victory day in Lalgarh.
“If CPI-M leaders go to Lalgarh on 2 October, I will go there on 5 October,” Miss Banerjee said throwing a challenge to the CPI-M to counter her politically.
“I have just one ministry while the CPI-M has several. Having failed to counter me politically, they are sabotaging the railways. If you really want to counter me, do some development work,” she said.
Miss Banerjee alleged that the CPI-M had evicted at least 10 lakh people from Rajarhat by forcibly acquiring their land. “The CPI-M and the police never allow people to speak against forcible acquisition of land,” she alleged. The railway minister reiterated that 600 acres of land “acquired forcefully” at Singur by the state government would be returned to unwilling farmers after the Trinamul Congress comes to power. In the remaining 400 acres of land, the railways will build two factories, she reiterated.

Passang Tshering died

KalimNews: Mathematician, writer and teacher Passang Tshering died of diabetes. 73 years old Passang Tshering was an ex teacher of Kumudini Homes, Kalimpong. He had written several text and help books on Mathematics including a Nepali English Official terminology dictionary. His last rite will be held on 27 September at Rosebank in Darjeeling.
JKS proposed hunger strike withdrawn
KalimNews: Janmukti Karmachari Sangathan withdrew its indefinite hunger strike which was supposed to start from 28 September. On getting an assurance from Bimal Gurung, President of GJMM that the regularisation of all Adhoc and contractual employees of DGHC will be completed before the formation of GRA. Gurung had assured JKS leaders that GJMM will keep the matter of regularisation of DGHC staff in the agenda of the tripartite talks of 30 September and will try to solve the matter  in no time.
In the mean time it has pasted posters in the town stating that though the order of regularisation was ordered it was not implemented by BL Meena present Administartor of DGHC, as such JKS has demanded resisgnation of Meena. 
Indefinite hunger strike to death in the premises of DM Office which started from 17th September entered into 10th day on 26 September. State of the two participants in Darjeeling are deteriorating and they have refused medication .
Mamta arriving Darjeeling
KalimNews: TMC and GJMM will have talks on the sharing and contesting together in the next Bidhan sabha election of 2011. It is learnt that TMC has proposal for 11 seats of Dooars  Terai and Darjeeling.
Mamta Banerjee Railway Minister will inaugurate a multifunctional complex in Darjeeling Railway station, she will also inaugurate a new heritage toy train for tourists Pahari Kanya from Darjeeling to Ghoom. It is recalled that DHR was given the status of National heritage when she was Railway Minister in 1999. Mamta is arriving  by Padatik Express from Kolkata to NJP in the morning and by road travelling to Darjeeling in the afternoon of 26 September.She is staying in Circuit House of Darjeeling.  

JSTO to visit Kolkata

KalimNews: Janmukti Secondary Teachers' Organisation has expressed its dissatisfaction on the role of State government in solving the problems of hill education. During a press conference Biay Pradhan its Secretary said that inspite of forming a board for regularisation of teaching staff education department of the state failed to fulfill its promise. It has further said that it has proposed recognisation of 41 new junior high School and upgradation of 11 high school to higher secondary school as well as regularisation of teachers numbering 478 in recognised and 145 in private school and 78 non teaching staff.

Kalmadi takes responsibility- Fennell gets into the preaching act

TT, New Delhi: Suresh Kalmadi, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) chairman, on Saturday finally admitted to being morally responsible for the mess surrounding the multi-sport event, but also blamed the government for delaying the completion of the infrastructure.

While Kalmadi said the scenario would have been better had the government agencies handed over the Games venues in time, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell felt the Games had dented India’s image.

Addressing a news conference jointly with Fennell at the swanky Media Press Centre (MPC), Kalmadi said: “I am the chairman of Organising Committee and I will take all the responsibility. There is no issue. But I wish the venues were handed to us a little earlier.

However, when asked whether he would quit from his post, Kalmadi, who at times was fumbling with his answers under the continuous grilling of mediapersons, refused to resign.

“The role of the Organising Committee is the conduct of the Games. I am not involved in construction. It is not my responsibility.

“Yes, monitoring is my responsibility. I am not going to quit,” said Kalmadi, adding he would talk to all doubting Thomases after the Games was over.

He also refused to admit that Fennell and other the CGF officials are putting the blame solely on the OC.

“I don’t think he (Fennell) has blamed the OC. The developer has to hand the venues over to OC and our responsibility comes after that.

“As far as the Games Village is concerned, 18 towers were handed to us and we completed the work on time. The rest 18 were handed over late and that what the problem is,” he said.

“Contrary to popular belief that OC had the right to spend Rs 30-40,000 crores on the organisation, we only had Rs 1,600 crore allotted. The rest was taken care by the government and Indian Olympic Association.

Kalmadi sought to blame various agencies who were handed the rights for construction and renovation of the stadiums and Games Village.

“Everyone had fixed responsibilities. Our job was to ensure that the athletes of all countries would reach safely, ensure that there stay is comfortable,” Kalmadi said.

Kalmadi also said that he was “confident” that everything will be completed before the opening ceremony on October 3.

According to Kalmadi, the Games Village is “fine”. “We have some issues in the Games Village but I think it is a fine Village,” he said.

“Only that some blocks have to be cleaned up. But the entire infrastructure is good... I can assure you that our aim is to host a good Games. Our aim is to do as good as Melbourne did in 2006.”

Fennell also agreed to share the blame for the mess. “We all have to share the blame and take responsibility. In any Games, there are a number of stakeholders. Overall, we have to ensure that we do everything to conduct the Games.

“Other Games have had problems and I believe that here too the problems would be sorted.

“A number of issues should have been and could have been avoided. Necessary corrective steps should be taken in good time,” Fennell said.

“I hope India would learn a lesson. We,too, have learnt a lesson” he said.

[PTI adds: Fennell has rubbished Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot’s view that the other nations’ standard of hygiene is different from that of India, saying his opinion was “unacceptable”.

“That was unacceptable. Hygiene has no nationality. It’s same all over the world,” Fennell said.

Reacting on the issue, Kalmadi said that the controversy could have been avoided.]

The CGF boss did not criticise the Games Village and said that calling off the Games was never on the agenda of the CGF.

“There are difficulties in areas like wi-fi service, medical services and generally speaking, all the matters that relate to living in the Village. They are being worked out,” he said.

“Following the action that has been taken by the government to ensure that the remedial work is done, I am very pleased to receive the news that the countries who were not convinced, have instructed their teams to travel to Delhi,” Fennell added.

SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION OF INDO-TIBETAN HIGH SCHOOL organised on 25 September 2010

in Ramkrishna Rangamanch, Kalimpong 

Pix: Samiran Paul