Cut prices by Apr 15, or we'll agitate: CPM

The CPI(M) said on Sunday that it would launch a nationwide agitation along with like minded parties if the UPA government failed to take measures to control the rising prices of essential commodities by April 15.

The Marxist threat comes on the eve of a meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to review the situation arising out of surging prices, particularly of some food and metal items, in the backdrop of spiralling inflation.

The 19th national congress of the CPI (M), now in session here, adopted a resolution expressing grave concern at the galloping prices and called upon the government to "shed its neo-liberal approach and initiate immediate steps to check the price rise." Briefing the media later, politburo member Sitaram Yechury said his party congress wanted the UPA government to strengthen the public distribution system, ban futures trading in essential commodities, restructure customs and excise duties on oil imports and punish hoarders.

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Mobile calls likely to get cheaper as fee scrapped

Mobile phone call rates are likely to come down slightly with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Thursday abolishing the access deficit charge (ADC) in the domestic sector. Entry charges for new rural subscribers will also decrease, with Trai pushing for it.

ADC was framed to support the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) for some time after the sector was liberalised. ADC has two components. Domestic telecom operators had to pay 0.75 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) to BSNL as ADC, which has now been abolished by Trai. International long-distance operators, who had to pay Re 1 per minute on international incoming calls to BSNL, will now have to pay 50 paise.This mean that making calls to India from overseas will also get cheaper.

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Nuclear Deal has to wair till differences are settled, Pranab told Bush

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has told US President George W. Bush that the Indo-US nuclear deal will have to wait till the differences with the UPA's Communist allies and the Opposition BJP are resolved.

"We are trying to resolve the issues but it may take some more time," he said, in the clearest indication yet that New Delhi will not meet Washington's deadline of getting the deal past the US Congress before Mr Bush leaves the White House in January 2009.

Mr Mukherjee on Tuesday told a press conference held at the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C. towards the end of his two-day visit to the US that it would be difficult for him to indicate a particular time frame by which the UPA government would be able to close the deal.

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Sonia names new chief of Andhra Congress

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday night named Andhra Pradesh higher education minister D. Srinivas the new president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee.

On the other hand, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president Gurudas Kamat resigned, but the party high command has not decided whether or not to accept it.

Mr Kamat, a sitting Lok Sabha member, sent his resignation letter to the central leadership about eight days ago on the ground that he has completed five years in office and does not want to continue for long, like other leaders in the party.

Congress president Sonia ed five years in office and does not want to continue for long, like other leaders in the party.

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Babus To Get Bonanza

Bringing cheer to four million Union government employees, the Sixth Pay Commission on Monday recommended an average 40 per cent hike in their salaries.

The commission recommended a number of incentives for the disabled, women, the armed forces and pensioners. It announced plans to reward good performers in an effort to increase the efficiency of government employees.

The commission, in its report submitted to Union finance minister P. Chidambaram here on Monday, recommended a minimum salary of Rs 6,660 for a Union government employee. The Cabinet Secretary stands to gain the most, with the recommendation that the top bureaucrat's salary be revised upward to Rs 90,000 from Rs 30,000 a month. The salaries of secretary-level officers are to be revised to Rs 80,000.

The commission's report is yet to be accepted by the Union government.

For the armed forces, the commission recommended a hefty pay hike that includes military service pay, a huge hike on grade pay, and a near 100 per cent hike in their basic salary. It also recommended doubling counter-insurgency allowances.

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Left pushes for a Third Front

The four major Left parties on Sunday stressed the need to create and present a third alternative before the people.

Leaders of the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the All India Forward Bloc came together on the occasion of the 20th party congress of the CPI held here.

Delivering the inaugural address, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, said every effort should be made to build a Left democratic alternative to the Congress as well as the BJP."We should present an alternative programme," he said.

Mr Bardhan also warned that the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal was an attempt to cap a strategic partnership with the United States. "We have no problems with the India-specific safeguards agreement (with the IAEA), our opposition is to the Indo-US nuclear agreement as such," he said.

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Rahul turns to SMS for young India mobilisation

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi's latest initiative could become his "calling card".The Indian Youth Congress is in talks with telecom operators to assign toll free numbers for the party. Mr Gandhi is keen to encourage what he calls an "open membership culture" in the Youth Congress. Aspiring members from any part of the country can simply send an SMS or make a call on the designated special numbers and express their interest. Youth Congress offices will initiate the necessary formalities for his/her inclusion in the organisation.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has mandated that we create an open membership culture in the party, as against the current system, which to a great extent is access-controlled," Youth Congress president Ashok Tanwar told this newspaper.

For telcos, it's clearly a recognition of their growing penetration at the grass- roots levels. "Mobile telephony has a presence in every nook and corner of the country. The reach is particularly impressive among the youth.

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12 Hindi speakers killed by militants in Manipur

Non-Manipuri residents of the north eastern state of Manipur are in a state of panic after suspected militants gunned down 12 Hindi-speaking migrant labourers in separate incidents since Monday night.

In one instance, however, 10 Hindispeaking workers had a lucky escape at a village near Imphal when local residents rescued them from militants who were going to shoot them dead in broad daylight. The militants, however, managed to escape and they took with them two workers, whose bullet-ridden bodies were later recovered from the vicinity.

In another instance, the police said, more than a dozen armed militants brought a group of workers to Hangul village in Imphal West district in a van.

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Gold touches record high, good news for Indians

The price of gold moved up even as stock markets tanked around the world. The ongoing turmoil has shown gold to be an effective hedge against financial uncertainty. Gold prices crossed Rs 13,500 in the Indian market on Monday while the price of a gold sovereign crossed Rs 10,000 for the first time. For Indians, this is good news as they hold almost 15 per cent of the world's total stock of gold, now worth $576 billion.

"The fundamental reason for the high price of gold is the demand-supply mismatch.
While the supply of gold being mined is constant, demand is growing because of India, China and the Gulf countries," said Mr Keyur Shah, associate director, World Gold Council, an industry body. "During the near term, however, gold prices are rising because investors are trying to hedge against inflation. The US dollar is weakening and crude oil prices are high, all signs of inflation," he added.

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Sarabjit hanging April 1, family is in shock

Sarabjit Singh's distraught family members have been collectively huddled in constant prayer ever since they were told that officials at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail have received warrants to carry out his hanging early morning on April 1.

Sarabjit Singh, condemned to death for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in Pakistan in 1990, would be hanged on April 1.The death warrant had been received by the jail authorities.

Sarabjit was sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed about 14 people. His family denies he was a spy as claimed by Pakistan, and insists that he accidentally strayed into Pakistani territory.

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No ration card for ex-general

Lt. Gen. S.Pattabhiraman (Retd), a former Army vice-chief, who retired from service in 2006 and returned to Chennai to settle down, has been struggling for the past 14 months to get a ration card for his family.

While in service, he had held a number of senior posts besides vice-chief; including that of general officer commanding-in-chief of the crucial Western Command.

"The lieutenant-general has been denied a ration card as he refuses to grease the palms of the concerned officials. Despite making several complaints to the civil supplies department, officials there have not taken any steps to provide him with a ration card,'' a senior Army officer told this newspaper.

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17 Indians on WEF's list of young global leaders

The World Economic Forum has named 17 Indians, including budget carrier Go Air managing director Jeh Wadia and market regulator Sebi's executive director Sandeep Parekh, in its annual list of Young Global Leaders for 2008.

India, however, has scored below China in terms of total presence in the list of 245 leaders from across the world.There are as many as 31 Chinese individuals on the list, against the 17 from India. The chosen ones are from all walks of life, including business and politics.

WEF said in a statement that the honour is bestowed each year to recognise the top 200300 young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

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Sonia rules out early LS election

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday ruled out early parliamentary elections."We have a little over a year left of this Parliament," she said. Mrs Gandhi also indicated that this year's Union Budget would be the centre piece of the party's campaign plank as it reflected the interests and needs of all sections of the population.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting at the Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday, Mrs Gandhi said: "Inevitably, we have also to start preparing for the Lok Sabha polls next year. We will go into these polls with an outstanding record of achievements, both in terms of government programmes and of legislation enacted. These achievements should earn us the trust and mandate of the people once again. These achievements give us a firm sense of self-confidence to take on our political opponents." In an apparent reference to the string of electoral setbacks, Mrs Sonia Gandhi said there was a need for much more careful selection of candidates and strategies.

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Airport staff to begin stir tomorrow across India

The Airports Authority of India Employees Union (AAEU) has called for the start of "non cooperation", an euphemism for a strike, by its non-executive staff at airports across the country from March 12, in a move that could have an adverse impact on air traffic.

"We have called for non cooperation to protest on several issues, including the proposed closure of the existing airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore (for aeronautical purposes)," AAEU leader M.K. Ghoshal told this newspaper. The decision was announced and communicated by the AAEU to the government on Monday evening after talks with the government failed. Sources at Delhi airport said that a contingency plan was being prepared by the authorities to face the strike.

"We asked the government to defer, by three months, the proposed closure of the Bangalore and Hyderabad airports in view of the recent report of the parliamentary committee that had opposed the closure of the existing airports. The government indicated that this would be difficult.

So the talks have failed, and we have called for non-cooperation which will begin from the midnight of Tuesday Wednesday," Mr Ghoshal said. An AAEU source said this would mean a strike even though the word had not been used. The existing airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore are scheduled to be closed by the government the day the new greenfield airports in these cities are inaugurated. In Hyderabad, this is due by the weekend.

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RSS-BJP men attack CPM Head Quarters

Four teen people, including six BJP municipal councillors, were arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of rioting after workers from the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh allegedly attacked the CPI(M)'s national headquarters, A.K. Gopalan Bhavan, at Bhai Vir Singh Marg in the heart of New Delhi with stones on Sunday morning.The police was caught completely off-guard.

Four CPI(M) central committee members were injured in the stone-throwing, in which panes of several parked vehicles, including that of senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, were smashed.

Eight policemen and ten others were also injured in the violence.

The BJP and RSS workers were protesting against attacks on RSS workers in Kannur district of Kerala during the recent CPI(M)RSS clashes there in which cadres of both sides have lost their lives.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said that party members outside the headquarters at the time had identified BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi and Delhi mayor Aarti Mehra as being present at the time when the attack took place, and that FIRs had been filed with the police. But while Aarti Mehra flatly denied that she was ever present at the scene of the incident, Mr. Mukhi denied any role in the violence. The BJP and RSS claimed that CPI(M) cadres had started the stone-throwing.


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Buffett is richest, 4 Indians in Top 10

In changing sweepstakes in the world's billionaire club, India's Anil Ambani has emerged as the biggest wealth creator while famed American investor Warren Buffett has overtaken software czar Bill Gates and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim to lead Forbes' list of the world's richest people.

Four Indians - steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, Mukesh Ambani, his estranged younger brother Anil and realty baron K.P. Singh - have made it to the top 10 positions, as against just one, Mr Mittal, a year ago.

India has retained its position as the top source of billionaires in Asia with a total of 53 people, who have a cumulative net worth of $340.9 billion on Forbes' 2008 World's Billionaires list.The list consists of 1,125 people with a combined wealth of $4.4 trillion. A

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Comeback by Hillary

Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Barack Obama in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday, ending a string of defeats and allowing her to soldier on in a Democratic presidential nomination race that now seems unlikely to end any time soon.

Ms Clinton also won Rhode Island, while Mr Obama won in Vermont. But the results mean that Ms Clinton won the two states she most needed to keep her candidacy alive.

Her victory in Texas was razor thin and came only after most Americans had gone to bed. But by winning decisively in Ohio earlier in the evening, Ms Clinton was able to deliver a televised victory speech in time for the late-night news. And the result there allowed her to cast Tuesday as the beginning of a comeback even though she stood a good chance of gaining no ground against Mr Obama in the hunt for delegates.

"No candidate in recent history Democratic or Republican - has won the White House without winning the Ohio primary," Ms Clinton said at a rally in Columbus, Ohio. "We all know that if we want a Democratic President, we need a Democratic nominee who can win Democratic states just like Ohio."

On the Republican side, Senator John McCain swept to victory in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont and claimed his party's nomination, capping a remarkable comeback in his second bid for the presidency.



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CHAMPAGNE VICTORY IN OZ

India's tour of Australia, replete with controversies on and off the field, had a happy ending on Tuesday when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's young side had the more experienced Australians on their knees in the second final too to settle the CB Series at the Gabba here on Tuesday.

The nine-run margin does not exactly suggest the gaper in the game as Australia were always more than two steps behind after India had posted 258, riding on Sachin Tendulkar's 91.

Pace bowler Praveen Kumar swung the ball both ways to put the skids under the hosts with a terrific first spell that got rid of the top three batsmen - Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke - with the score reading 32. It was always going to be an uphill task to recover from there onwards.

Mathew Hayden (55) and Andrew Symonds (42) tried to pull the team through with a stand of 89 for the fourth wicket, but a Harbhajan dou ble whammy did them in. Bhajji broke the stumps at the non-striker's end after collecting a throw from Yuvraj that left Hayden struggling to make the crease.

Two balls later, he trapped Symonds leg before to leave the Australians topless at 123. It was only a matter of time before the wheels came off completely. A male streaker made a symbolic run to the pitch.


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Sensex Down 900

The US has the flu and India, like the rest of Asia, got a cold, said Mr Rajesh Jain, CEO, Pranav Securities. The Sensex saw its biggest ever fall of 900.84 points, dragging it below the 17,000 mark at 16,677.88, and the Nifty swooned below the 5,000 mark to close at 4,963, down 270.50 points.

The Asian markets were down following the collapse of the US markets on Friday, said Mr Jain, and this coincided with the rationalisation of the securities transaction tax (STT) announced in the Budget proposals for 2008-09 on Friday.

"This is a big negative for the market," said Mr Jain, adding, "It's a big body blow for the trader and arbitrage players, and will affect liquidity, depth and volumes in the market."

Mr Ambareesh Baliga, vice-president, Karvy Stock Broking, attributed Monday's loss to the global cues.

"The markets opened lower on global cues, recovered a bit, but plunged after the European markets opened weak post 2 pm. In the last one hour there was major selling across the board, except in pharma stocks and some FMCG stocks," Mr Baliga said, adding that he failed to see why bank stocks were hammered.

"There will be a write-off of loans over the next two quarters, but, after that, the balance sheet will be clean and the banks will be reimbursed in three years for this amount. The total amount, as we have calculated, comes to around Rs 6,700 crores for public sector banks, and Rs 3,000 crores for rural regional banks.This comes to around Rs 10,000 crores. One does not know how the figure of Rs 60,000 crores has been arrived at."


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Double Thriller

It was a Super Sunday for Indian cricket as two young sides dished out exhilarating performances to stamp the subcontinent's authority on the world stage. While the senior team won the first of the best-of-three finals, beating Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Under-19 team emerged world champions with a thrilling win over South Africa in Kuala Lumpur.

Sachin Tendulkar provided the master class at the Sydney Cricket Ground by batting through the innings to score an unbeaten 117 that helped India overhaul Australia's 239 with much to spare. That was Sachin's first century in a one-dayer in Australia, something which he "wanted", and the 42nd of his 18-year career decorated with numerous records.

His staying at the wicket for over three hours and controlling the game was perhaps a statement that the 34-year-old could still compete with the youngsters in the side, one of whom named Rohit Sharma rallied around him with a significant 66 on Sunday. On another continent, the boys


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