PM to intervene
24 08 2013|
PM may intervene in discussion on missing coal ministry files
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“Prime
Minister may also intervene in case it is required,” Shukla told the
House, which saw a brief adjournment after it met for the day.
He
said that in response to demands by Leader of the Opposition Arun
Jaitley and several members, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal made a
statement on the issue on Tuesday.
“Some
clarifications were sought (and) clarifications were given. (However)
it remained inconclusive. We are ready to conclude that discussion and
if necessary Prime Minister may also intervene,” he said.
The
response came after Jaitley said the opposition was not convinced by
Jaiswal’s statement and Prime Minister should give clarification.
“Prime
Minister is in the House… Prime Minister should give his reaction,” he
said as Singh watched the proceedings from his seat.
V
Maitreyan (AIADMK), who had given a notice for suspension of Question
Hour, said missing of important files has been termed by CBI Director as
a “serious setback” to investigation.
The
CBI Director had stated that “you can draw your own conclusions” when
asked if there was a conspiracy in files going missing, Maitreyan said,
adding this was a serious issue and “Prime Minister necessarily needs to
intervene and clarify the matter.”
Earlier,
when the House met Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) said Jaiswal should not
have made the statement as it was in conflict of interest since he was
arbitrator in deciding on a family feud in AMR Co, which was a
beneficiary of coal block allocation.Edit : Edit
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Categories : Business, Politics, Uncategorized
2G: Tina Ambani deposes, says has no role in Reliance ADAG
24 08 2013
Tina Ambani on Friday appeared as a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum case and told a special court that she had “no role” in the affairs of Reliance ADAG.
A
day after her husband and Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani’s
deposition as a CBI witness, she told the court that she has never been
associated with any firm of Reliance ADAG.
“I
have no role in Reliance ADAG as I am a housewife, run a hospital…I
have never been associated with any Reliance ADAG company,” she told
Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
55-year-old
Tina Ambani was shown documents of various firms said to be associated
with Reliance ADAG, including Zebra Consultant Pvt Ltd, Swan Consultant
Pvt Ltd.
She, however, said she does not have “any knowledge” about these firms.
During
her examination-in-chief by CBI prosecutor K K Goel, she was shown
various documents related to the case and she identified her signatures
on them.
When
she was asked to identify the signatures of Anil Ambani on some of the
documents, defence counsel objected to it saying when the Reliance ADAG
chairman had already identified his signatures then why was she being
asked to identify them.
Senior advocate Harish Salve said that it seems that CBI is “doubting” Anil Ambani’s signatures.
“They
bring a witness and do not trust his/her memory. What is this?,” Salve
said, adding, “If he has appeared and has identified his signature then
why are they showing her (Tina) his signatures. Are they doubting his
(Anil Ambani’s) signature?.”
To this, the judge told Salve, “I agree with you.”
Yesterday,
Anil Ambani had deposed as a CBI witness in the case during which he
resiled from a statement made during the probe and “did not support”
CBI’s case.
In
his four-hour long deposition, he had denied that Swan Telecom was a
front company of his group RADAG for securing the precious radiowaves.
Since
Anil Ambani had not supported CBI’s case, the agency decided not to
drop Tina Ambani as prosecution witness saying he “has not supported the
prosecution case” requiring her to stand in the witness box.
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New report calls for a ‘fundamental shift’ in disaster management practices in India.
24 08 2013
‘India Disasters Report II: Redefining disasters’being launched in New Delhi today.
“India faces the omnipresent reality of disaster vulnerability due to natural causes and human interventions, including developmental initiatives” observes India Disasters Report II- Redefining Disasters (IDR II).
IDR
II, an Oxford University Press (OUP) publication, being launched in New
Delhi today, comes in the context of people in Uttarakhand recovering
from the recent floods. The report cautions that some of the current development
practices “tend to put at risk the safety of local communities, the
sustainability of their habitat, and their livelihoods, and at times
even cause displacement”.
“Addressing disaster vulnerabilities caused by human factors is the best bet to reduce disaster risks and human suffering,” said the editors,
while addressing a press conference in New Delhi today. Dr. Prannoy
Roy, eminent media personality and Founder and Executive Chairperson,
NDTV, is launching the report today at a function at Nehru Memorial Library, Tin Murti, New Delhi. To mark the event, TISS and OUP are organising a panel discussion of eminent academics, UN and government representatives and the editors of IDR II.
IDR
II takes a fresh look at disasters from different vantage points. It is
written by academics, humanitarian workers, scientists, engineers,
journalists and analysts. It is edited by Prof. S. Parasuraman, Director of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and Dr. Unni Krishnan, Head of Disaster Response, Plan International, London.
“A holistic view and long-term efforts are necessary to address disasters” said Prof.
Parasuraman. “Capacity building at the community level and investments
that will strike at the roots of poverty are paramount”, he said. The
report calls to include disaster risk reduction and preparedness work at
the community level as ingredients of large government initiatives such
as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
“In the context of recurring disasters in India, pre-disaster, disaster and post-disaster situations are inseparable” said Dr
Krishnan. “We may not be able to stop an earthquake. But we can very
well reduce their impacts and minimise deaths and sufferings”. The
report calls to strengthen disaster preparedness measures and strictly
implement building safety codes. “We need to build a culture of ‘zero
tolerance’ towards safety and disaster management issues” he said.
The
report makes the case that disasters are not just sudden interruptions
of normal life, but cumulative outcomes of complex processes, sometimes
accentuated by dramatic events and even policies- thus calling for multi
disciplinary approaches to minimize risks and reduce human sufferings.
This
report is a sequel to India Disaster Report: Towards a policy
initiative. Published in 2000 by the Oxford University Press, that
report worked as a catalyst to generate an informed debate about
disaster management and galvanised public opinion to demand a disaster
management policy for India. Indian government passed the Disaster Management Act in 2005.
India Disasters Report II: Redefining Disasters:
· emphasizes
the importance of understanding the concept of natural, technological,
and human-made disasters in shaping policy, practice, and research
· addresses
diverse issues like vulnerability, development, environment, gender,
health, information, communication, and technology in disasters;
· explores disasters in India, and policies and administrative set-ups for disaster management; and
· discusses disasters as an outcome of processes rather than stand-alone events.
Adopting
a multidisciplinary approach, this report asserts the need to link
natural systems, social systems, and technological limitations to devise
policies and action plans for disaster prevention, relief operations,
and environmentally inclusive development.
Key messages from the report:
•When we discuss disasters, ‘nature’, human factors, social systems, policies, politics and poverty are inseparable.
•It is necessary to have constant and long term engagement: In pre disaster, disaster and post disaster settings.
•Focus on ‘vulnerable groups’ such as children, women, differently abled, aged people, and migrants.
•Remove poverty: Disaster risk reduction needs to be included as part of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
•Make schools, hospitals and homes safer: Implement building codes and fire safety norms.
•Engage children and youth: Make disaster management as part of school and college lessons.
•Strengthen first responders through community drills and skills training.
•Build better awareness, early warning and undertake preventive measures. Learn from good examples from Cuba and Bangladesh.
•Develop and implement better laws against discrimination and rights violation in disaster settings.
•Media need to play a pro-active role. Social media, information and communication technology can inform, educate and empower.
On behalf of TISS and Editors, India Disasters Report II- Redefining Disasters
Sudarshan Rodriguez
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Indot Color World Installs its third HP Indigo digital offset press
24 08 2013 Company to capitalize on new opportunities in photo printing with HP Indigo 7600 digital offset pressKerala, August 23, 2013: Hewlett-Packard today announced that Kerala based Indot Color World have installed their third HP Indigo digital offset press. The latest addition to their fleet is the new HP Indigo 7600, the fastest 13 x 19 inch format digital sheet-fed press.
Indot purchased its first HP Indigo Digital Press in 2011. Since then, HP technology has paved the way for the business’ success in the fast-growing photo printing market. Today, thanks to their most recent acquisition, the HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press, they are further expanding their portfolio to high-end photo speciality products like wedding albums.
Celebrating the launch, Sushil Kumar CP, managing partner, Indot Color World commented: “Our perception towards the photo business changed when we installed the first HP Indigo digital offset press. We felt a need to stay on top of new and emerging opportunities and to constantly innovate to meet customer demands. With this goal in mind we have started Indot Color World in Chalakudy. Installing the new HP Indigo 7600 has widened the scope of our business and will help us meet our customers’ high-end printing needs especially in the photo-book market.”
He further added, “We are very pleased to be associated with HP as a technology partner. Over the years we have found them to be consistently supportive, innovative and involved in ensuring our presses deliver the highest level of quality.”
An area which has seen a huge shift is the photo segment is traditional silver halide prints which are rapidly being replaced due to the excellent quality offered by the Indigo machines. The HP Indigo 7600 digital offset press is equipped with new special effect capabilities—like raised print and textured effects, which expands the opportunity for Indot to deliver high-value applications and other innovative products to their existing photo customers who are looking for something new and different to show case their images.
Speaking at the launch, A. Appadurai, Country Manager, HP Indigo & IHPS India & Sri Lanka, HP said, “Our association with Indot Color World goes back a long way and we are proud to be associated with them. HP has always led innovation in the digital printing industry and has turned out to be the leading provider of photo printing solutions to the photo labs in the country. We are excited about Indot Color World’s third installation of our Indigo digital offset press, which is considered a digital printing powerhouse. They will now have the facility to provide high quality reproduction of photographic images and other content on a wide range of coated and uncoated media. As the Indian photo market continues to evolve, professional photo labs are searching for solutions that produce high-quality photo prints with cost and environmental advantages and our HP Indigo digital presses stand out in this regard.”
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