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K’taka cabinet expansion unlikely to postpone’

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Several senior Congress leaders that media spoke to said that many legislators in the JD(S) would not agree to the expansion on December 22 due to superstitious beliefs.

While the much awaited Karnataka cabinet expansion was slated to take place on December 22, leaders in the Congress party say that it is likely to be pushed for a later date. Congress insiders say that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will not be attending the Congress legislative party meeting slated to be held on December 22 in Belagavi.

This comes just days after Congress Legislative Party chief and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the date of the expansion.

Several senior Congress leaders that media spoke to said that many legislators in the JD(S) would not agree to the expansion on December 22 due to superstitious beliefs.

“Currently shunya maasa (a month in the hindu lunar calendar, which is considered inauspicious) is prevailing. Most of the legislators in the JD(S) and a few in the Congress are against expanding the cabinet now. They feel it will bring bad luck and lead to the collapse of the coalition,” a senior Congress leader told media.  

According to Hindu mythology, every year, roughly from December 15 to the day before Shankranti, shunya maasa is observed.

While superstition may push the date of any announcement, there is hectic lobbying from within congress and JD(S) to stop any expansion. A top Congress leader told media that Kumaraswamy may fill the six vacancies in the cabinet. He is also likely to change two ministers and induct two others in their place.  

Sources also said that a few Congress leaders in the party were apprehensive of expanding the cabinet ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“There is going to be a lot of lobbying and competition. The party leaders are wary because those who feel neglected may cause more damage to the party during the general election. I have a feeling that they will push it to January 15, later they will say after April,” another Congress leader told media.

“The expansion is likely not going to happen. Most of the MLAs know that. The Congress MLAs are having a lot of trouble regarding allocation of funds for their constituencies. There is a lot of problems being created because of the transfer of bureaucrats. Only constituencies where JD(S) MLAs have been elected are getting grants quickly. This will be the first thing that will be discussed,” a Congress leader said.

On December 6, Siddaramaiah had told the media that the cabinet expansion will take place on December 22 after the CLP meeting. “We have arrived at a decision to expand the cabinet on December 22, after the state legislature’s winter session from December 10 at Belagavi,” Siddaramaiah had said.

The leaders will also decide who will be named as the chairpersons of 30 state-run boards and corporations.

After eating hostel food nearly 80 college students fall sick

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Most of the students have been discharged, while around 20 remain hospitalised for food poisoning.

Nearly 80 students of the Veterinary Science Diploma College in Tiptur taluk of Tumkur district, fell sick after eating breakfast served at the college mess. On Sunday morning, students had gone to the mess for breakfast, where idli, sambar and chutney were served to them. At around 11am, several of the students began experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

They were subsequently taken to the government hospital in Tiptur and diagnosed with food poisoning and were treated. Most were treated on an outpatient basis and sent home, while a few have been admitted and are undergoing treatment at present.

“Around 80 students in the hostel had eaten breakfast in the mess. They’d had some idli, sambar, and chutney. Within an hour they all presented with stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting,” said Dr Chandrika, Tumkur District Health Officer (DHO), speaking to media. “Most were given supportive treatment and were discharged yesterday itself, however around 20 to 23 students are still in the in-patient wards, getting treatment for the same.”

Food samples were sent to a lab for testing, it has yet to be determined what caused so many students to fall ill at once. The students have alleged that the warden of the hostel, Rudraswamy, would not visit the premises or ensure that hygiene was maintained in the mess. It was reported that the warden was out of town during the time of this incident as well.

In a similar incident last month in Telangana, around 40 girls from a hostel in Suryapet area came down with food poisoning after eating dinner at their hostel mess. Doctors began treating them immediately and all of them recovered subsequently. Following this, district health officials conducted medical camps to spread awareness about food poisoning.

BMTC bus with faulty brakes rams into Two teens

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The cash-strapped Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is in a fix. Several of its buses are old and in need of serious repairs. But the transport agency’s laxity in repairing faulty brakes in buses may have once again resulted in the death of two teenage boys in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Two pre-university college students were killed on Tuesday morning after being hit by a BMTC bus on Mysuru Road. The incident occurred at 8 am in the morning when Chandrakanta (16) and Yadu Kumar SY (15), students of BBMP Kasturba PU College, KB Nagar on Mysuru Road were waiting near the KSRTC Satellite bus stand trying to cross the road.

A BMTC bus travelling from Mysuru Road to Kempegowda Bus Stand in Majestic rammed into two boys after a reported brake failure. The incident took place close to Gopalan Mall on Mysuru Road.

Chandrakanth was a first year pre-university student while Yadu Kumar was a second year pre-university student and both were pursuing commerce. While Chandrakanth worked part- time at the Gopalan wall, his mother works as a domestic help. Yadu Kumar meanwhile delivered newspapers in the morning before attending college.

“They were standing on the footpath waiting to cross the road when the bus lost control and hit them,” said a police official at Byatarayanapura. Police officials at the station are investigating the case and an FIR will be registered after a preliminary probe, police said.

Students of BBMP Kasturba College staged a protest on Mysuru Road along with the families of the victims demanding that action should be taken on those who caused the accident.

Speaking to media, BMTC PRO Deepak said that the transport agency was looking into the incident. He said that the bus in question had travelled close to 5 lakh km.

“A week ago, the bus driver had entered in the drivers’ log book that the bus’s brakes need to be replaced. BMTC always tell the drivers that they do not have money for repairs. The brakes were just cleaned and not changed. When he complained that it was risky, he was asked to drive slowly,” said Nagaraj, a BMTC driver, who is also a member of the All India Trade Union Congress.

Sources in the BMTC say that 40% of the buses have travelled 4 to 6 lakh kilometers and are in dire need of repairs and spare parts.

“This year, the government gave the BMTC Rs 100 crore. This money was used to pay off the gratuity of employees who retired two to three years ago. Still, many retired personnel need to be paid their gratuity and insurance money. We had asked for a Rs 3,000 crore grant from the government. There is no money to buy spare parts, let alone get buses repaired,” a senior BMTC official said.   

The bodies of the students were shifted to Victoria Hospital. BBMP Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs for both families of victims.

ccording to a study by Underwriters Laboratories and World Resources Institute, from 2010 to 2017— a total of 306 fatal accidents had occurred involving BMTC buses. But majority of the accidents (91%) had occurred while passengers were getting on and off the bus.

Indian worker thanks Dubai for protecting labourers’ rights

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Dubai,  An Indian worker said that he was grateful to Dubai for hosting him and thousands of other workers and for safeguarding labour rights in their workplaces.

Acting as a representative of thousands of workers, Uday Kumar, 30, addressed top officials and managers at a ceremony here on Monday to honour companies for protecting labourers rights, Gulf News reported.

“I came to Dubai before one year to achieve my dreams. The company provided good facilities for us with best accommodation and food. I’m happy in UAE,” Kumar said during the ceremony to honour the winners of the Taqdeer (appreciation) Award Programme, an initiative that recognises companies which implement best global practices in safeguarding labour rights in the workplace.

Kumar said he has nothing but “appreciation to Dubai for the joy and progress that we proudly give our families back home”.

In its third year, the award has managed to include more than one million workers and has come to witness a 77 per cent growth in the number of participating companies in different sectors.


Mumbai man released from Pakistani jail, heads home’

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Mumbai, A Mumbai man, who spent around six years in a Pakistani jail on espionage charges, has been released and will return home on Tuesday, an activist said here.

“Yes it’s really a great news. Hamid Nehal Ansari has been released from jail and will be handed over to India at the Wagah Border later this afternoon,” Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) General Secretary Jatin Desai told media.

Ansari’s family members, including father Nehal and mother Fauzia, a large number of India-Pakistan friendship activists, officials and political personalities will be present at the border to welcome him.

Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activist and former legislator Krishna Hegde, who helped the family in the past few years, said they had gone to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to complete the formalities and secure his repatriation.

Pakistan had alleged that Ansari, 33, an engineer, was an “Indian spy” who illegally entered the country, and accused him of involvement in anti-state crimes, forging documents, and jailed him.

For the Ansari family, it was an ordeal since November 2012 when he left the country for Kabul for employment and then was reported “missing”.

He reportedly became friendly with a Pakistan girl on social media and reached Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to save her from a forced marriage.

On November 12, 2012, Ansari crossed over from Afghanistan border in Jalalabad to Peshawar in Pakistan where he was nabbed by Pakistan intelligence.

Later, a military court sentenced him to three years in jail.

Despite his three-year jail term having ended, he was kept in prison.

On Monday, the External Affairs Ministry said that it has received a note from Pakistan that they would be releasing Ansari on Tuesday.

“It is a matter of great relief, especially for the family members, that six years of incarceration of the Indian civilian in Pakistan jail is coming to an end,” Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

“We would like Pakistan to take action to also end misery of other Indian nationals and fishermen whose nationality has been confirmed and who have completed their sentences, but continue to languish in Pakistan jails.”

Twitter detects ‘unusual activity’ from China and Saudi Arabia

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Twitter Inc shares fell almost 7 percent after the company said it was investigating unusual traffic that it said might be from state-sponsored hackers.

In what appeared to be an unrelated issue, a security firm also said that hackers used the platform to try to steal user data.

Twitter said in a blog that it discovered suspicious traffic to a customer-support forum while investigating a security bug that exposed user data, including users’ phone country codes and details on locked accounts. It said the bug was fixed on November 16.

Twitter said it observed a large amount of traffic to the customer support site coming from individual internet IP addresses in China and Saudi Arabia.

“During our investigation, we noticed some unusual activity involving the affected customer support form API. Specifically, we observed a large number of inquiries coming from individual IP addresses located in China and Saudi Arabia,” Twitter said in a press release.

“While we cannot confirm intent or attribution for certain, it is possible that some of these IP addresses may have ties to state-sponsored actors,” the blog said.

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Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter blamed the share price tumble on concerns that news of a breach could hurt growth and user engagement.

“Clearly, a breach like this impairs user trust in the platform,” he said.

Separately, security software maker Trend Micro Inc said in a blog earlier on Monday that attackers sent out two tweets in October in a bid to steal data from previously infected machines.

The hackers hid instructions in tweeted memes that secretly ordered infected devices to send information, including usernames, screen images and other content, Trend Micro said.

A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment on the Trend Micro report.

Biggest bank fraud and RBI Governor’s resignation mark a dismal banking year (2018 In Retrospect)

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New Delhi,  The year leading up to the 2019 general elections was defined by a slowdown in investment, slackening growth, falling GST revenues, the biggest bank fraud and a credit crunch that provoked the most significant crisis in government-RBI relations.

It was topped up by the abrupt resignation of Urjit Patel as the RBI Governor, a rare phenomenon in the banking world. He was immediately replaced by former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das the man who was the vocal face during demonetisation and seen as a ‘yes’ man of the government.

India, meanwhile, continued to be the fastest growing big economy during 2018 with its gross domestic product (GDP) rising at above 7 per cent, after having slipped to 6.7 per cent in the previous financial year, mainly on account of the impact of demonetisation. 

Even as it is projected to overtake China by GDP in the coming year, India jumped 23 spots in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings to 77th place, continuing its impressive climb on this score for the third year running. 

The pace of the country’s GDP growth slowed substantially during the second quarter of the current fiscal to 7.1 per cent, from 8.2 per cent in the previous quarter, mainly on the back of a drop in manufacturing, agriculture and mining. By criteria of gross value added (GVA), which includes taxes and excludes subsidies, growth fell to 6.9 per cent from 8 per cent during the April-June period.

On the inflation front, lower food prices kept headline inflation down, which touched a 13-month low of 3.3 per cent in October, and fell further to 2.3 per cent last month. Core inflation, however, continued to remain elevated.

Following the release of the GDP numbers, US agency Fitch Ratings lowered India’s growth forecast for the fiscal to 7.2 per cent, from an earlier projection of 7.8 per cent rise, “on weaker-than-expected momentum in the data, higher financing costs and reduced credit availability.”

The year witnessed the biggest fraud in Indian banking history with the Rs 14,000 crore scam on state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) committed over a number of years and reported in February. The fraud was committed from 2011 till 2017 by illegally issuing letters of undertaking and rolling over foreign letters of credit to diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi from PNB’s Brady House branch in Mumbai. 

Both are currently absconding and Interpol has issued red corner notices against them.

Twin storms hit the country in September — rising fuel prices that climbed new highs daily and a falling rupee that spiralled down to new lows against the US dollar before recovering somewhat towards the end of the month.

The year’s global protectionist measures unfolding through the US-China trade war, along with high crude oil prices, put the rupee on a downward spiral, dragging it down to a record low of 72.98 against the US dollar on September 18.

According to analysts, concerns over a rise in inflation rate, growing protectionism in global trade and an outflow of foreign funds from the country’s equity markets have had an adverse impact on the Indian currency. It fell nearly 15 per cent since the start of the year to become Asia’s worst-performing currency.

On the other hand, transport fuel prices in the country began going up almost daily since August 1, incessantly recording new highs across the country, even as the UK Brent crude oil climbed to $86 per barrel. A weak rupee and high excise duty added to the heady mix that made for high petrol and diesel prices in the country before beginning to fall from late October in tandem with global crude prices. 

“The widening of the current account deficit amidst tighter global financing conditions should put downward pressure on the currency, and we forecast the rupee to weaken to 75 against the dollar by end-2019,” Fitch said. 

The defining moment, however, came in December with the resignation of the RBI Governor nine months prematurely and the first such instance since Independence, which prompted Patel’s predecessor Raghuram Rajan to say that it should be a cause of concern for all Indians. 

The historic tensions in government-central bank relations were re-ignited in October when, in a public lecture, RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya talked about the independence of the Reserve Bank, arguing that any compromise could be “potentially catastrophic” for the economy. 

The government responded with the Finance Ministry seeking discussions with the central bank under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor, who then summoned a meeting of the bank board. 

Central to the issue was the government’s demand that the RBI hand over its surplus reserves by making changes to the “economic capital framework”. Analysts noted that the government’s demand came in the face of a huge fiscal deficit and the need to boost the economy in an election year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Governor Patel before the board meeting and what emerged on November 19 was seen as settling the debate on the central bank’s autonomy and clearly establishing the government as a stakeholder in policy making.

The current liquidity crunch, particularly among non-banking finance companies, follows a series of defaults in late October by the privately-run IL&FS. 

In hindsight, the words of Sudipto Mundle on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, after the November board meeting proved prophetic.

“The RBI-government fight has been pushed down, abated for now and postponed, but the NPAs issue continues to remain,” he said. 

Imran Khan hopes US-Taliban talks end Afghan suffering

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Islamabad,  Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said he hoped that the Islamabad-backed US-Taliban negotiations which was held a day earlier in the UAE, could bring an end to “almost three decades of suffering of the brave Afghan people”.

“Pakistan has helped in the dialogue between Taliban and the US in Abu Dhabi,” Khan tweeted.

“Let us pray that this leads to peace and ends almost three decades of suffering of the brave Afghan people. Pakistan will be doing everything within its power to further the peace process.”

Khan’s remarks come a day after US diplomats and Taliban representatives met in the United Arab Emirates for the first round of talks facilitated by Pakistan on finding a negotiated settlement for the Afghan war, Dawn news reported.

The meeting in Abu Dhabi was also attended by officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

There were no statements from the participating parties at the end of the daylong meeting, although Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had officially announced the start of the talks through a tweet.

It was the third meeting between the Taliban and US officials since the appointment of Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad as Washington’s special envoy for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. 

Their meeting last month had continued for three days.

However, it was the first meeting sponsored by Islamabad and also the first outside Doha which hosts Taliban’s political office and was the venue of the earlier two rounds. 

Pakistan had arranged the meeting after receiving a request from US President Donald Trump for help in the peace process a fortnight ago. 

The Afghan government was not represented at Monday’s meeting because Taliban have stood firmly on not talking to them whom they call the “puppet regime” and insisted on speaking directly to the US.

Replace Modi with Gadkari: Maharashtra leader tells RSS

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Mumbai, In a huge embarrassment, a prominent Maharashtra farmer leader has demanded that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) must replace Prime Minster Narendra Modi with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wishes to win the 2019 general elections.

The demand has come from a state-government panel, Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM) Chairman Kishore Tiwari, on a day when Modi was in Maharashtra to attend a series of events, including laying foundation stones for Metro Rails in Thane and Pune.

In his letter to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Suresh Joshi, Tiwari said the BJP’s defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was the direct outcome of “arrogant leaders” who implemented devastating decisions like demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), fuel prices hike and other anti-people measures.

“Leaders who pursue an extremist and dictatorial attitude in the party and government are dangerous for the society and the country… This has been witnessed before and if history is not to be repeated, hand over the reins to Gadkari for the 2019 polls,” Tiwari said.

On December 11, the VNSSM chief, who is accorded a Ministerial status, had categorically asked the BJP to “get rid of both Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah” for their anti-farmers and anti-people policies, which led to the party’s stunning defeats in the just concluded elections.

Accusing Modi and Shah of upturning the good works done by the former BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Tiwari said they (Modi-Shah) seem to be interested “only in grandiose Bullet Trains and Metro Rail projects”.

In his letters to the RSS top brass, Tiwari said that considering the “dictatorial approach” of Modi and Shah, which has unleashed fear in the country, it was imperative to have an acceptable and gentle leader like Gadkari, who can take along all viewpoints and friendly parties, evolve consensus and remove fear among people.

He said the 61-year-old Gadkari, a staunch BJP-RSS activist since decades, was “adequately qualified” for the top post since he has also headed the BJP as National President, besides ministerial capacities in Maharashtra and now at the Centre.

We don’t deny shelter to the needy: Mamata on Bengal

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Kolkata,  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said her government is equally considerate towards all minorities and the state never denies shelter to anyone.

On the issue of migration, she said: “Today is International Migrants Day. It is our humanitarian obligation to give refuge to migrants.

“In Bangla we will take care of anyone who seeks shelter in our state, to the best of our abilities.”

She added that her government does not differentiate between people in their hour of need. 

“Today is Minority Rights Day. We are all equal and united. Unity in diversity is our strength,” Banerjee tweeted.

Highlighting her Trinamool Congress’ contribution towards the minorities, she said: “You will be happy to know that in Bangla, we have distributed scholarships to over 1.7 crore minority students, the highest in the country.”

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