The Tribune – Patiala shows the way in gender ratio; Girls outnumber boys in 72 villages

Gagan K Teja, Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 11. The Health and Family Welfare Department, Patiala, claims there has been a remarkable improvement in the gender ratio in 72 villages in the district. However, inquiries by The Tribune reveal that there are several villages in the district where numbers of girls as compared to boys are either half (1000:500) or less than half.

As per the survey conducted by the Health Department in the district three months back on children in the age group of 0 to 6 years, there are 72 villages in which there has been a remarkable improvement in the gender ratio. The number of girls in these villages is higher than boys with Kulara village topping the district with 1,556 girls as compared to 1,000 boys. The other frontrunner villages are Easerheri with 1,394 girls, Aloona (1,384), Gurdialpura (1,375), Galwati (1,362), Bir Keli (1,357) and Nasirpur (1,316).

On the other hand, there are around 100 villages in the district where the number of girls is even less than half the number of boys. While Naina village of the district has the worst sex ratio with merely 222 girls against 1,000 boys, Mirzapur village and Ram Nagar have 231 and 250 girls, respectively, in comparison to 1,000 boys.

Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Virinder Singh Mohi said they had already identified these villages and would exclusively focus on these villages for improving gender ratio. “Though this is not a great situation but one cannot take away the credit of those 72 villages that have shown spectacular improvement. Last year, there were 52 villages in which the number of girls was either equal to or more than boys, but this number has gone up by 20, which certainly is not bad. Now, we will focus on these identified villages and organize awareness camps and ensure strict enforcement of the PNDT Act for better results,” he added.

A senior doctor of the health department said that it was not the case just with Patiala, but there were many other districts where the sex ratio was worse than this. Patiala still has come a long way and the health department must acknowledge the efforts of these 72 villages.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120112/punjab.htm#12

The Tribune – Poll outcome: Small parties can make a big difference

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 11 The assembly elections are expected to throw up astounding results as the delimitation exercise has changed demography in 60 of the 117 constituencies.

If the ruling SAD-BJP is facing anti-incumbency in the state, the Congress is facing the same on account of it heading the government at the Centre. The Congress could not form government in 2007 despite polling 40.94 per cent votes, a jump of 5.13 per cent votes over the 2002 elections. Even as the Congress’ vote percentage is likely to go up this time, it will not determine the number of seats that it will win.

The SAD had got 37.09 per cent votes in the 2007 elections, an improvement over its 2002 performance when it secured 31.08 per cent votes. Since the SAD fought these elections in alliance with the BJP, the votes polled by the latter influenced the results. When the Congress came into power in 2002, the BJP votes had dropped to 5.67 per cent but in 2007, the party secured 8.28 per cent votes.

In 1997, the SAD-BJP together polled 45.97 per cent votes and in 2007, the alliance polled 45.37 votes. In 2002, the SAD-BJP polled 36.75 per cent votes as compared to 35.81 per cent polled by the Congress. In the 1997, 2002 and 2007 elections, Independents, mostly rebels, polled more votes than all the other political parties put together (except the Congress, the SAD and the BJP).

If the anti-incumbency factor is considered, the percentage of votes that the SAD-BJP alliance is likely to poll is likely to go down . Ultimately, it will be the votes polled by the Independents and smaller parties that will determine the poll outcome.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120112/punjab.htm#21

The Asian Age – Fake notes come via Pakistani diplomatic bag

Rajnish Sharma

New Delhi, 12 January 2012. The National Investigation Agency and other outfits have established that the network running India’s biggest fake currency racket is being operated with the aid of officials at Pakistan’s high commission in Dhaka.

Classified reports accessed by this newspaper show high commission staff in Dhaka are using diplomatic bags to transport high-quality fake Indian currency from Karachi to Bangladesh.

Using both technical and human intelligence sources, the NIA has confirmed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence was printing fine-quality fake Indian currency notes at a highsecurity press at Karachi’s Maler Cantonment. This is then airlifted to Bangladesh via diplomatic bags to bypass any inspection.

Indian intelligence even mounted surveillance on some airlines frequently used by the mission staff. Some consignments are routed through the Pakistani embassy in Kathmandu using similar a modus operandi.

Once in Bangladesh, the fake currency is smuggled into India through the porous Indo-Bangladesh border, with Malda in West Bengal being a major hub.

In a massive operation across 12 states, the NIA has arrested 13 persons and seized a huge quantity of fake currency.

It is suspected the entire network is run by 30 people.

“The ISI is printing the fake Indian currency at four presses — in Karachi, Quetta, Lahore and Peshawar. But Maler Cantonment is the most sophisticated, where currency notes are of very good quality with a proper security thread and optically variable ink,” a senior official said.

The sources confirmed Hyderabad is a key transit point for smuggling the fake currency into South India: four arrests were from that city.

http://www.asianage.com/india/fake-notes-come-pak-diplomatic-bag-975

Sint-Truiden – Hasselt – Antwerpen – Rotterdam – Den Haag vv 26 and 27 November 2011

26/11 Koningin Astridplein, De Lijn Tram 10 and 11

26/11 Koningin Astridplein, De Lijn Tram 10 with trailer

 26/11 Koningin Astridplein, De Lijn Tram 10 with trailer

26/11 Koningin Astridplein, De Lijn Tram 10 with trailer

To see more Belgium/Netherlands Public Transport pictures go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/ 

More Belgian/Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Sheikh Hasina urges India to be liberal in resolving water issues

Bijay Sankar Bora, Tribune News Service

Agartala, January 11. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed today urged the Government of “vast” India to be liberal in the efforts to resolve water issues between the two countries as well as to remove the prevailing bilateral trade imbalance.

Addressing the India-Bangladesh conclave at Pragna Bhawan here, Hasina, who arrived this afternoon to a red carpet welcome, said “Improved bilateral trade relations hold the key to remove poverty, the common problem of both the countries.

“We need peace in the region for trade to flourish across the borders and Bangladesh will not tolerate any act of terror and insurgency in the region.”

She added, “The stage has been set for the resolution of many issues between the two countries including those related to demarcation of the border in the wake of my earlier visit to India and the visit of Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh last year. We expect our vast neighbour India to adopt a liberal approach in resolving the water issues.”

She said the trade imbalance between the countries was in favour of India. “Bangladesh imports goods worth about $4.5 billion from India every year compared to Indian import from Bangladesh worth about $521 million.

“There is, of course, need for political cooperation between the two countries for bilateral trade to flourish. Now that India and Bangladesh are enjoying close political ties, industry and business communities from both the countries need to exploit it to their advantage.”

Calling upon Indian businessmen to invest more in various sectors like power, telecommunication, textiles, health care etc, Hasina, at the same time, appealed to Bangladesh industry captains to improve their output to make inroads into the vast Indian market at this juncture when the Government of India was opening it up for them.

Earlier, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, who accompanied Hasina, lauded the recent statement by Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram about Government of India’s intention to accord most-favoured-nation status to Bangladesh in trade and commerce.

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal, who was here to welcome Hasina, said India was keen to help Bangladesh in skill development of its youth.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120112/main5.htm

Dawn – Defence secretary Naeem Lodhi sacked

Islamabad, 12 January 2012. Wednesday evening saw high drama as the army warned the prime minister of “grievous consequences” for his allegations against the Chief of Army Staff and the ISI spymaster and the government struck back by sacking the defence secretary. However as night fell, sanity prevailed with the news of telephone conversation between Yousuf Raza Gilani and General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Talking to reporters, the prime minister said General Kayani had spoken to him before ISPR, the military’s public affairs wing, issued a rejoinder to the former’s interview with China’s People’s Daily Online.

He didn’t share details of his conversation with the army chief, but it was interesting to note that both the ISPR statement and the subsequent notification about the sacking of defence secretary Lieutenant-General Naeem Khalid Lodhi had one element in common — both held General Lodhi responsible for the snafu.

But this did not mean an end to the crisis in troubled civil-military ties that started with the ‘memogate’ and all eyes are now on the National Assembly’s Thursday session.

The ISPR statement, whose subsequent television reporting was garnished with gimmicky comments, denied that the army chief and the ISI director general acted “unconstitutionally and illegally” while filing their replies in memo issue and noted that Mr Gilani’s allegations could have “very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country”.

Beyond that, ISPR said: “The responses by the respondents were sent to the Ministry of Defence for onward submission to the Honourable Supreme Court, through Attorney General (Law Ministry)”. And that: “Responsibility for moving summaries and obtaining approvals of competent authority thereafter lay with the relevant ministries and not with the respondents.”

This was much similar to the position taken by the government while notifying termination of General Lodhi’s services.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement: “General Lodhi was dismissed for gross misconduct and illegal action … and for creating misunderstanding between institutions.”

The government gave additional charge of the defence ministry to Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi. The new defence secretary happens to be the first woman bureaucrat to lead the ministry — a position that in the past was mostly occupied by retired generals.

Mr Gilani further explained: “Under the rules of business, the defence secretary did not get the summary in writing or sought confirmation from the minister and bypassed the Ministry of Law and Justice and sent a copy of replies to the attorney general and also sent the reply directly to the Supreme Court registrar.” He said General Lodhi had been removed after “thoroughly investigating the matter”, adding that the former defence secretary had himself conceded that he did not get the replies approved by the defence minister or the attorney general.

“And he has written himself that neither the minister nor the attorney general was available. We have nothing against anybody.”

General Lodhi, who took over as the defence secretary on November 28 last year, was considered to be a close confidant of General Kayani.

Along came the news of appointment of a new 111 Brigade Commander, which sent adrenaline pumping through the veins of all those who had been anxiously watching the situation because this brigade had in the past remained associated with coups d’etat.

Some took it as a clear signal that the military was thinking of overthrowing the government, but ISPR once again stepped in with a clarification that the change was a routine posting matter because the former commander had been posted out as General Officer Commanding Lahore following his promotion to the rank of major general.

Moreover, it was widely rumoured that General Kayani, following the troubling developments, had convened a meeting of his senior aides at the GHQ known by their designation as principal staff officers.

That too, an ISPR official later said, was not happening.

All happened a day after the Supreme Court set into motion a slow coup by warning that it could act against the president and the prime minister for failing to revive high-profile corruption cases.

Even as the army insists that it is being unnecessarily dragged into the controversy between the Supreme Court and the government, there are few takers and it is believed the apex court’s activism was backed by the military, which always felt uncomfortable working with the PPP leadership.(BSS)

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/defence-secretary-naeem-lodhi-sacked.html