3

Cabinet Minister Vijay Shah known for playing pressure politics

We

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

Jogi's ends self-imposed sanyas, attacks BJP govt

Farmers taking extreme step in MP but compensation could be delayed

Published simultaneously from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

he State

Advani still capable of standing counter to Modi

Khushwant was a source of inspiration for writers and the society

Vol-02. Issue-26. Bhopal. Monday Page-12 Price-5/Online edition availble at wethestate.com and wethestate.blogspot.in
POSTAL REGD. MP/BHOPAL/4-323/2013-15

Mamta should criticize Modi to prove she is secular: Imam

10

NEWS max
Sensitive election activities to be video-graphed
Bhopal: Election Commission of India has directed election officers that all political activities and sensitive events should be videographed necessarily. The commission has given similar instructions to election observers also. It has been said in directives that general and public meetings of major political leaders should be video-graphed to keep watch over election expenses of political parties and candidates. This will facilitate in assessing election expenses incurred on such rallies. The commission has directed to preserve CDs of such events' video-graphy for reference. Referring to section 78 of the Representation of People Act, the commission said that candidates have to provide information about their election expenses to election officer. Besides, District Election Officers will also inspect election expenses accounts. According to commission, CDs can be important evidence during such inspections. Flying squads and SST intensify their operations in state: Flying squads and SST constituted after announcement for Lok Sabha elections in the state have intensified their operations after notification for first second phase of elections. So far, flying squads have seized Rs. 6 lakh 50 thousand cash. Police and other authorities have seized cash and other materials worth Rs. 3 crore 7 lakh. During last 24 hours, Static Surveillance Team (SST) seized Rs. 14 lakh 5 thousand 740 from one Sudhir Gugliya in Jabalpur and deposited the same with Assistant Treasury Officer. This cash was seized during search operation of vehicles. So far, SST has seized Rs. 16 lakh 5 thousand 740. Illicit liquor: Excise Department seized 529 litre illicit country-made liquor in 213 raids on March 17 last. Cases have been registered against 96 persons of which 80 have been taken into custody. Meanwhile, 39 litre IMFL was also seized and 11 persons arrested.

Tension over ticket distribution escalating in BJP

How WE look it !
JP's ticket distribution process has hit rough weather. Party snubbed senior leader Jaswant Singh by denying him a ticket in the Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan and instead decided to field Col Sonaram Choudhary in Barmer, which Singh was seeking. The denial of ticket to Singh, who is considered close to LK Advani, comes soon after the party patriarch was virtually forced to choose the Gandhinagar seat in Gujarat, against his wishes to contest from Bhopal. Earlier, senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi made his displeasure known for being asked to vacate his Varanasi seat for Narendra Modi. However, BJP's ticket

distribution woes are not confined to the party's top leadership alone. While disgruntled ticket seekers and their supporters in UP haven't refrained from burning effigies of BJP president Rajnath Singh and Modi, party nominees General VK Singh and Kirron Kher from Ghaziabad and Chandigarh respectively have had to face protests from a section of party workers. Given the rush for BJP nominations, some leaders are bound to be disappointed. In that sense, tensions over ticket distribution were inevitable. But they must not be allowed to escalate beyond a point. There's no denying that BJP is in the throes of a generational shift with some of

its old leaders having to make way for younger ones. In fact, the very appeal of the Modi camp is that it has found resonance among the country's youth and aspirational sections, unlike the older stalwarts. While Advani and his contemporaries are stuck on the old cultural nationalist message, Modi promises development and jobs. But Modi's reputation of being a polarising personality who rides over dissent instead of taking others along is working against him. Modi must manage these tensions before BJP starts appearing like a divided house. Else the party will lose crucial momentum in the run-up to polls.

CHHATTISGARH EXPLORE

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Chhattisgarh to market its tourist spots through social media

Raipur Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB) is working on a plan to market its tourist destinations through a campaign in social media. In this context, the board would be developing a specific website that will link social media marketing with the promotion of the tourism in the state. CTB wants to design and maintain a website to facilitate the tourists accordingly to their types such as domestic, foreigner, business and pleasure. It will offer tour of 24 hours and 48 hours in Raipur and 3 and 5 days in Chhattisgarh. The basic feature of the website will highlight facilities like online booking management, maps, category wise search for tourist destinations, distant calculator module, multi lingual, contact us, what's new, packages, complain register, virtual tour, photo gallery, testimonials and guest comments and responses to their comments, event management, blogs, online payment facilities, news section and many others. CTB's marketing team will keep a mutual interaction and close working proximity with the design team to obtain Management plans, visions and corporate objectives such as analysing state tourism products, study the products perceptions in the market identifying the competitions and the image of their products, identifying core target audience and getting the consumer

insight and media planning and media buying. To bring it on an international platform, CTB has embarked upon an ambitious journey to promote the state among a well-defined target group and to business

to business segments. The state has gained substantial foothold in the domestic tourism sector, acquiring recognition as one of the most promising tourist destinations in inbound segment.

Chhattisgarh among top 3 states in mineral production

RAIPUR Chhattisgarh has been ranked among top three states of India in production of various kinds of minerals. In the last financial year 2012-13, various kinds of minerals worth Rs 16,292 crore were produced in the state, which is about 10% more than total production of minerals. Besides, revenue of Rs 3,121.70 crore was recovered from mining activities in state. This information was provided by Atomic Mineral Directorate for Exploration and Research, Government of India. The Directorate with assistance from National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, has recently started a survey in Chhattisgarh for mapping uranium and other minerals in state. So far 5,000km of area has been surveyed while another 31,000km remains. The survey project is for a three-year duration. National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) scientist Ramachandran said that three parameters- electromagnetic, magnetic and radiometric, were being used for identifying minerals. "23 people, including 10 from NGRI and three from atomic mineral division are involved in the survey," he said. The remaining 10 included helicopter pilots, technicians and engineers. The survey in Chhattisgarh was started after a similar exercise in Jharkhand, which commenced in 2009 and was completed in 2012.

Raipur lakes choked, dying slow death

Raipur The serene spread of the city lakes are turning into an eyesore. Thanks to the callous attitude of the municipal authorities, the inflow of untreated sewage and rubbish is choking the precarious water bodies and its aquatic life of oxygen. The weeds are spreading at an alarming rate. Unauthorized constructions, algae, dirt, weeds and unkempt surroundings welcome visitors to most of the lakes in this city. Things are only going to deteriorate further, as authorities rarely follow the guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board. Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC), responsible for the upkeep of lakes, has found an easy way to wash its hands off the task by claiming that the dirty ones are 'privately owned' and thus they can't do much about it. But, as one goes a little 'deeper', it turns out that some of the lakes that the RMC tried to pass off as 'private', actually fall under its ambit and are in a pathetic state, to say the least. Take the case of Kari Talab at Amapara. Though records clearly show that it is under RMC's control, officials say it's not. The Kari Talab is a perfect example of neglect and over the years it has shrunk to half its original size due to encroachments. The situation is no better at Kankali Talab at Tatyapara, Kho-Kho Para Talab at Kho-Kho Para and Maharaja-Band Talab at Mathpara, which the RMC again disowns, despite records showing the contrary. Raipur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Taran Prakash Sinha, says there are about 100 lakes in Raipur and majority of them are owned privately. He says while they cannot take the responsibility of private lakes, they are working for the beautification and cleaning up lakes that come under its ambit.

BHOPAL

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

In rejecting Advani's request, BJP also hands a message to Shivraj

Cabinet Minister Vijay Shah known for playing pressure politics

BHOPAL Cabinet minister Vijay Shah, whose younger brother Ajay Shah recently left BJP and joined Congress, is known for playing pressure politics. In the year 2008, he had demanded ticket for his younger brother Sanjay Shah from Timarni assembly constituency. When he was denied ticket, Sanjay contested as an independent candidate and emerged victorious. In the last Assembly polls, Vijay Shah succeeded in getting BJP ticket for Sanjay from Timarni and at present he is a BJP legislator. Besides, Vijay Shah also succeeded in getting party ticket for his wife in the civic body polls and his wife Bhawana Shah is at present the Mayor of Khandwa. Last year, when Shah was sacked from the Shivraj Cabinet, Vijay the whole Shah family was behind the decision taken by Ajay Shah. Ajay said he never supported the BJP. However, apparently, he seems annoyed with the BJP, as his candidature from Betul was not accepted. Meanwhile, State BJP organisational general secretary Arvind Menon summoned Minister Vijay Shah and he reached the BJP headquarters to clarify his point of view regarding the political development. While talking to mediapersons, Ajay Shah stated that there are some issues which the BJP was not ready to address, but he did not clarify as why he joined the Congress. The Shah family belongs to the Makdai riyasat in Harda district and has influence in the whole region. It is believed that any decision regarding family member is taken unanimously by the whole family.

BHOPAL
In rejecting Advani's request the BJP has also handed a message to MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan who invited Advani to contest from Bhopal. Which is that he should not see himself as another power centre within the party. Chauhan has been repositioning himself after the party's third successive victory in the Assembly elections. His supporters have projected him as a moderate face acceptable to other NDA allies if the BJP fails to muster the right numbers for Modi. The snub raises quite a few questions for and about Advani. What does he gain by contesting and winning the Gandhinagar seat? What does he lose by simply refusing to be in the fray? Bhopal was agog with expectations till late night. Hoardings welcoming him to the Bhopal constituency were up long before the party took a call on his candidature. State home minister Babulal Gaur, who was lobbying for his daughter-in-law Krishna, kept insisting on having received the central leaders' assurance for her. Advani's shift followed his reluctance to contest his current seat in Gandhinagar. He has represented Gandhinagar five times. Political and media circles at Bhopal, however, made it out as though Advani acceded to the requests of Chauhan and the sitting member Kailash Joshi to move here. "I spoke to Advani about three days ago and made an offer to him to contest from Bhopal," Joshi had said recently. Incidentally Joshi, 84, was persuaded through his son against contesting due to his age. Advani, two years his senior, was to replace him in the fray. The Modi group was vocal about Advani's inability to connect with the party rank and file. His supporters even said Advani had done little for the Gujarat capital. But, realising that discarding Advani could send a wrong signal among the voters Modi apparently got the state unit to propose his name. In Bhopal, Chauhan reportedly called up party president Rajnath Singh to offer the state seat to Advani. Though the party keeps denying it, the chasm in the party persists over Modi's style of functioning. Ever since he was approved as the prime ministerial candidate, Advani has kept registering his protests.

Shah had convened a public meeting in his constituency and told publicly that he was not sacked but had kicked the post of minister for the welfare of his people. The Minister had been lobbying for Ajay Shah seeking BJP ticket from Betul Lok Sabha constituency.It is believed that

School kids to motivate parents to cast vote

Bhopal State nodal officer of Systematic Voter's Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Sanjay Singh Baghel has said that the Election Commission's (ECI) aim is improve participation of all sections of the electorate and in this direction SVEEP has provided a pledge letter to schoolchildren.He said the students will get it signed by their parents and those letters will be sent to the collector. "We needed to enhance the awareness, especially amongst the newly eligible youth, the uneducated, residents of inaccessible and remote areas," said Baghel adding parents' signatures will show their commitment to vote. The SVEEP programme aims at maximising electoral participation by getting the maximum number of people to vote in elections. Schoolchildren of the state are taking initiative to make their parents sign on pledge letters to make sure that they vote in coming Lok Sabha elections. Election Commission (EC) officials are holding awareness programmes and campaigns in schools for children with the aim of increasing the voting percentage in Madhya Pradesh. Baghel said around 3000 to 5000 letters have been signed in each district. In Betul SVEEP officers have received around 5000 letters and similar is the case in other districts, he said. The children would return the pledge letters to the school principal or headmaster after getting them signed by parents. The school officials will inform the EC about the total number of pledge letters received from the children. "We expect these campaigns to be a hit again, and will increase the number of voters," Baghel said adding the exercise will be carried out in schools across the state along with various participatory activities like debates, poster-making, essay writing, slogans, folk songs and plays schools to spread word about the importance of voting. "We are running these awareness campaigns in private and government schools," he said. He claimed voting percentage has also jumped by 70 to 75 % in the last assembly elections held in December.

Over 21 thousand non-bailable warrants served

Bhopal: Large-scale security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. To prevent misuse of weapons, illegal arms are being recovered and licensed weapons got deposited. So far, 2 lakh 50 thousand 70 licensed weapons have been deposited. In the series, 1166 licensed weapons have been seized and 3033 arms licenses cancelled. So far, 21 thousand 599 non-bailable warrants have been issued of which 1293 were issued in last 24 hours. Similarly, police has seized 1615 illegal weapons. Action has been taken under various sections of CrPC against one lakh 6 thousand 332 persons so far and 89 thousand 61 persons have been bound over. Action was taken against 716 persons for violating this provision. In police action, explosives of 4 types have been seized. Besides, 11 different kinds of bombs and 425 live cartridges have also been seized.

RAIPUR TRAIL

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Jogi's ends self-imposed sanyas, attacks BJP govt

Congressmen were favouring candidature of Pratibha Pandey, daughter of former Union minister VC Shukla, who was among Congressmen killed in deadly Maoist attack in Bastar in May last year. Replying to question as to why the Congress had denied ticket to Pratibha Pandey, who too was a claimant for the Mahasamund seat, Jogi said all decision regarding allotment of tickets is taken by the high command. "We all are disciplined soldiers of the party and we abide by the high command's decision", he said. Incidentally, the announcement of Jogi's name for the Mahasamund Constituency also marked the end of his brief self-imposed 'sanyas' that he wowed to take after the congress debacle in the assembly polls. Jogi was back at attacking the BJP government in the state, as he accused it of complete failure on the law and order front. Jogi termed the killing of 15 security personnel by Naxalites in Jiram Ghati on March 11 as Raman Singh government's only achievement. He said no one was safe in the state. The government has completely failed to tackle the Naxalites, who are killing at will, he alleged. He was also critical of the Raman Singh government's failure to enhance the support price for paddy for farmers, as was promised in the BJP manifesto. "The increased MSP still remains a dream", he said. In 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Jogi had won Mahasamund seat by an impressive margin, defeating VC Shukla, who had then contested Lok sabha election on a BJP ticket. Jogi had won the seat by a record margin of more than 1.18 lakh votes.

Over 2 lakh jobs can be created in Chhattisgarh: Assocham

RAIPUR Over two lakh new jobs can be created in organized as well as unorganized sectors in Chhattisgarh at the present growth rate of 8.8%, claims A s s o c i a t e d Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). The apex industrial body, in a vision document detailing a seven-point action plan submitted to the government recently, said that there is tremendous scope of creating more jobs even when combined workforce engaged in both industry and services sectors has increased from 21 lakh to 24.25 lakh between 2004-05 and 2011-12. Assocham secretary general DS Rawat, said the industry body's projection is based upon simple regression model according to which assumption of employment generation is largely dependent on economic growth, which has immediate effect on job creation. Assocham has also proposed to partner state government to implement and achieve objective of its vision document for Chhattisgarh. The note states that Chhattisgarh has registered robust economic growth rate of 8.8% higher than the national average of 6.8% during 2008-09 and 2012-13. Besides, the state has also clocked high growth in agriculture, industry and services sectors and remained ahead of national average in all three aspects," highlighted the study prepared by the Assocham Economic Research Bureau ( A E R B ) . H o w e v e r, the note points out that much needs to be done to grapple existing shortcomings of inadequate infrastructure, huge unemployment, rising industrial sickness amid marginal, small and medium e n t e r p r i s e s (MSMEs), Naxalism and environment related issues. The note suggests that government needs to fight Naxalism through close co-ordination with central government and carry out police reforms to ensure stringent enforcement of law. It also suggest for ensuring project completion within stipulated timeframes, implement e-governance modules across the state, undertaking skill development initiatives to impart vocational education to people belonging to lower strata, banning child labour and implementing labour reforms for ensuring safety, security and health of people engaged in unorganized sectors.

RAIPUR Ajit Jogi's self-imposed 'sanyas' from public life has come to an end with the announcement of his candidature for the Lok Sabha polls from Mahasamund. Sources said Jogi's political adversaries were lobbying against fielding him in this election, pointing out that he had made a public announcement about taking 'sanyas' for an year after Congress suffered a drubbing in assembly polls in November last year. Besides, a section of

Five Naxals nabbed from weekly market in Chhattisgarh

Raipur Five Naxalites were arrested from a weekly market in the insurgency-hit Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, the cadres were nabbed from Narayanpur police station limits by a team of local police last night, Narayanpur Additional Superintendent of Police O P Sharma told PTI. Based on information about some rebels having arrived at the Narayanpur weekly market, security personnel launched an investigation at the spot during which five suspects were held, he said. Later, during interrogation they admitted being

involved in the movement, he said. Those arrested were identified as Chamru Gota (26), Soma Salaam (50), Antu Korram (36), Soma Pattavi (48) and Jainu Gota (36). They were

involved in several incidents of crime in the region, the ASP said, adding that it was yet to be ascertained to which 'dalam' or group of Maoist they belong.

MADHYA PRADESH

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

BRIEF
Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalay celebrates foundation day
BHOPAL The 38th foundation day of Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalay was celebrated recently. On this occasion Governor Ram Naresh Yadav said that tribal culture of our country is most unique and richest among tribal cultures across the world. This culture gives a new direction to keep alive human civilization and efforts to reach it out to the nook and corner of the world are praiseworthy. On the occasion, the Governor felicitated 4 officers and employees for their contribution to art with shawls, mementos and coconuts. The Governor lit "Alvilaku" illuminated with 1001 lamps. Governor Yadav said that earlier, efforts were undertaken by the Central Government to lay down a cultural policy, but it could not be given a concrete shape. Yadav said that the place earned by Manav Sangrahalay in the country and world is a matter of pride. The museum is an important tool for reaching out state's identity of unity in diversity in the country and world. Message of Vashudhaiv Kutumbakam will spread out to the world from here. Chairman of Lalit Kala Academy K.K. Chaturvedi said that establishment of Manav Sangrahalay is the concretization of the culture based on Panchsheel policy. This is a museum where diverse concepts have been given concrete shape. Objective of establishing this museum is to help tribal arts survive. It servers as a bridge for developing human and natural resources. Museum's Director Arun Kumar vastava presented the annual report. Assistant Curator Arun Kiro delivered the welcome address. Dr. R.M. Nayal proposed a vote of thanks. Distinguished citizens and artistes from all over the country were present on the occasion.

National Literacy Mission to help in increasing polling percentage

BHOPAL Apart from government organisations, assistance of voluntary organisations is also being sought for increasing polling percentage during Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. Election Commission has entered into an MoU in this regard with National Literacy Mission. The Mission's staff is informing urban as well as rural voters, specially weaker and deprived sections' women, ST, ST and minorities' voters about importance of casting vote to strengthen democracy. Jan Shikshaks are also paying special attention to get included cent percent names of voters in electoral rolls in their respective areas. The commission has praised these efforts of the Literacy Mission. The commission has urged the Literacy Mission to further intensify its activities during the Lok Sabha elections. and other expenses will be included in his account and he will not enjoy status of star campaigner there.

Expenses on media personnel travelling with star campaigners

Election Commission has directed to include expenses on security guards and media personnel travelling with star campaigners in concerning political party's election expenses account. The commission has clarified that these expenses will be included if leaders of concerning political parties are not candidates in concerning Lok Sabha constituencies. If a candidate travels with a star campaigner on board a helicopter or aircraft, then 50 percent expenses on this travel will be included in candidate's election expenses. The commission has also clarified that if a star campaigner is a candidate in a Lok Sabha constituency then expenses on his travel to the constituency

Expenses on electioneering material and advertisements

The commission has also clarified about expenses on advertisements in electronic and print media. If an advertisement is published with photograph of star campaigner without name of the candidate, then expenses on it will be included in political party's account. Similarly, expenses on posters, banners, flags carrying an appeal with photograph of star campaigner but not bearing candidate's name will also be included in political party's account. If a star campaigner is a candidate in his constituency then his election expenses will be proportionately included in his election expenses account.

Farmers taking extreme step in MP but compensation could be delayed

BHOPAL A string of farmers' suicides, in the aftermath of hailstorms and unseasonal rainfall, in Madhya Pradesh sheds light on the risky state of Indian agriculture. Indebtedness, crop failure, and harassment by lenders led farmers to take such extreme measures. Besides many farmers died of shock in the state after their crops were devastated by hailstorm. The damage to Rabi crop in MP comes at a particularly bad time for farmers. With the model code of conduct coming into effect and the administration in election-mode, the announcement and the doling out of compensation could be delayed. Farmers in the state have not yet received compensation for the Kharif crop, which was also damaged due to excessive rainfall.Farmers' suicides are as much a consequence of indebtedness as the failure of the government to offer solutions to make agriculture a viable profession. The risks associated with agriculture have made it a particularly demanding, yet indispensable, occupation. Tales of drought or unseasonal rainfall leading to crop failures, indebtedness and ruin has been oft-told for centuries. At Independence, India was confronted with the choice of redistributing agricultural land to landless peasants and sharecroppers. Instead, political expediency led to a technocratic solution, now known as green revolution. Technological improvements have bolstered food-grain yields, but the expenditure incurred in fertilizers, pesti-

cides, seeds, machinery and other inputs have affected the viability of small farms. Without institutional financing, moneylenders and middlemen were granted a free run of the field. When margins fell because of higher input costs, farmers have taken to risky experiments with multiple crops to tap market preferences. But the returns have

been erratic. Other than power and urea subsidies, farmers hardly get any support from the government. This crisis in agriculture has tragic consequences for India in the short run. Though it now contributes only 13 per cent of India's GDP, agriculture employs 49 per cent of the Indian workforce, a sizeable number.

EDITORIAL

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

ASTROLOGY
26-03-2014- Wednesday - Chaitra Mah Krishnapaksh- Dashmi Positive directions - South and East Bad time 12:33 pm to 2:04 pm Good time 6:26 am to 9:29 am and 11:01am to 12:32 pm and 3:36 pm to 6:39 pm 27-03-2014-Thursday- Chaitra Mah Krishnapaksh- Ekadashi Positive directions - South and West Bad time 2:04 pm to 3:36 pm Good time 6:25 am to 7:57 am and 11:01 am to 2:03 pm and 5:07 pm to 6:39 pm 28-03-2014- Friday -Chaitra Mah Krishnapaksh- Dwadashi- Pradosh ( Trayodashi Tithi Kshay) Positive directions - West and South Bad time 11:00 am to 12:32 pm Good time 6:25 am to 10:59 am and 12:33 pm to 2:04 pm and 5:07 pm to 6:39 pm 29-03-2014- Saturday -Chaitra Mah Krishnapaksh- Chaturdashi Positive directions-South and West Bad time 9:28 am to 10:59am Good time 7:56 am to 9:27 am and 12:32 pm to 5:08 pm 30-03-2014- Sunday - Chaitra Mah Krishnapaksh- Amavasya Positive directions - North and West Bad time 5:08 pm to 6:40 pm Good time 7:55 am to 12:31 pm and 2:03 pm to 3:36 pm 31-03-2014- Monday -Chaitra Mah Shuklapaksh- Ekam Positive directions- West and North Bad time 7:54 am to 9:26 am Good time 6:22 am to 7:53 am and 9:27 am to 10:59 am and 2:03 pm to 6:40 pm 01-04-2014- Tuesday -Chaitra Mah Shuklapaksh - Dwitiya Positive directions-North and East Bad time 3:36 pm to 5:08 pm Good time 9:26 am to 2:03 pm By AACHARYA SARVESH E-Mail: acharya.sarvesh@yahoo.com Mobile: 9826609192

India's model green city?

Could Chennai become

apid

urbanisation

across

India poses a new set of chal-

lenge for the country's cities. With few blueprints in place to handle the explosive growth, ad hoc urban planning has dominated. Nowhere is this more apparent than in urban public transport. Inadequate public systems force millions of daily commuters in cities like Chennai - commercial capital of south India - to inch for room in overcrowded buses and trains. Chennai's buses carry 30% more passengers every day than the international average. More and more affluent commuters abandon the system and take to their own vehicles. Tamil Nadu, Chennai's home state, has seen a 95% increase in car ownership in the past decade. Short-sighted solutions tend to focus on bridges, flyovers and roads to ease congestion. The trend disproportionately impacts the health and safety of the poor who primarily walk or use public transport. A study in Mumbai found that overall, 44% of the city walks to work, though among the poor, that number jumps to 63%. Still, the everexpanding number of cars has brought major complica tions beyond traffic jams: extremely poor air quality and a spike in road accidents has put vulnerable communities- those who often live and work on the roadsides - at greatest risk. The city of Chennai is a testament to these unsustainable car-centric choices, but it has set out to right its wrongs. In an unprecedented move, 15 key urban departments came together in 2010 to form a central decision-making body, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), to reroute the city on a path to sustainable, integrated transport. Their goal is ambitious: to focus on cycling, walking and rapid bus transit in an increasingly carloving country. "If you speak to people, there is a sea change in attitude. Everyone is talking about how to create better facilities for paedestrians and improving public transport," says Shreya Gadepalli, director of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), an international organisation that has stepped in to catalyse and expand CUMTA's efforts. She says it has been inspiring to watch Chennai's municipal engineers act as evangelists for making India's urban areas more pedestrian friendly. Chennai's new approach hopes to provide new, safer transport linkages for poor communities. The message Chennai is sending out is an important one in India. With urbanisation overwhelming cities, a state of paralysis has ensued. More common than fixing the current situation in cities is building smaller satellite cities. But there is a way to untangle the mess, and Chennai officials hope to showcase the possibilities forward. The changes have the potential to bring economic growth and improve air quality. Most importantly, however, widespread integrated public transport shifts the city's focus to the poor, and in bringing about changes for the most marginalised, has the potential to bring about a more equitable city for everyone.

Vastu tips for wealth

Keep Eshaan corner clean, open and free from any construction. If possible construct worship room in this area. As the south-west region represents power and stability (an area of Sthir Lakshmi), so the professionals should make sure proper use of this direction to receive more power. Blocking East and North can band up money inflow and block your income thereby increase expenses over earning. Ensure that front door and entrance of your house is not obstructed by any pole, wire, pit or other thing.

MISCELLANEOUS

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Orissa enforcement agencies to curb poaching, illegal wildlife trade

BHUBNESHWAR Poaching of wildlife in the dense forests of Simlipal Tiger Reserve, located near Baripada in Odisha, has emerged as one of the most significant threats to various wildlife species in the reserve. Abundant with natural resources and wild flora and fauna, Simlipal is home to Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, various deer species, Gaur, Giant Squirrel, and bird species like the Red Jungle Fowl, Hill Mynah, Peacock, Alexandrine Parakeet, Crested Serpent Eagle, reptile species like the King Cobra among other wildlife species. Illegal wildlife trade that has evolved into an organized criminal activity extends beyond borders and threatens the national security in many ways. It is therefore imperative to enforce the laws stringently and take the actions tactically to combat poaching. TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, in collaboration with the Orissa Forest Department (OFD) recently organized a specialized capacity-building training programme for the enforcement officials of the Simlipal Tiger Reserve and the police forces. The training programme is aimed at strengthening the skills of the enforcement officials, enhancing tactical collaboration and understanding the wildlife crimes and illegal trade in curbing these growing threats. Anup Kumar Naik, IFS, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests cum Field Director of Simlipal Tiger Reserve, said that this type of training helps to inculcate knowledge among the ground staff on present scenarios of wildlife crimes. Nikhil Kumar Khanoriya, IPS, SSP, Baripada, Odisha who deputed a large number of police officials for the training said it is necessary for the police and the forest to cooperate in curbing wildlife crime. The participants were provided an overview of what is meant by illegal wildlife trade, the current trade dynamics and international illegal wildlife trade trends. They were also introduced to various latest tools and techniques available to the enforcement agencies in fighting this crime. TRAFFIC had deployed a strong team of eight well-experienced and accomplished resource persons for various sessions at the workshop. Varun Kapoor, Inspector General of Police, conducted an exclusive session on police techniques in combating wildlife crimes, tools and techniques of intelligence collection, collation for improving preventive and investigative techniques for combating wildlife crimes. The Odisha Forest Department headquarters lost no time in sending a quick request to TRAFFIC to conduct a similar training programme for a multiple enforcement agency groups of the state. The OFD has offered to fund the programme through a World Bank project which TRAFFIC will conduct in April 2014.

Actors, aggrieved politicians joining BJP

Lucknow
Eyeing better future prospects, several actors, social activists and aggrieved politicians across the country are joining political parties offering them greener pastures ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Former Congress MP and Uttar Pradesh unit chief Jagdambika Pal, who quit Congress earlier this month, has joined BJP. Pal (63), who has been a three-time legislator and minister in the state, resigned from the Lok Sabha as well as from Congress, saying that the emerging leadership did not need leaders like him. Earlier, BJP workers from Domariyaganj, which is Pal's Lok Sabha constituency, and its surrounding areas staged a sit-in at BJP headquarters demanding denial of ticket to the leader, who recently quit the Congress as well as the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, actor and standup comedian Raju Srivastava, who on March 11 returned the Samajwadi Party's Lok Sabha ticket from Kanpur, has also joined BJP. Srivastava got the ticket last year and had been campaigning for the SP since then. After several retired bureaucrats and diplomats joined politics in the recent past, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Sanjeev Tripathi has also found a career in politics and joined the BJP. Tripathi, a 1972batch IPS officer, is the latest to join the saffron party after former Home Secretary R K Singh, former Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey and India's former permanent representative at the UN Hardeep Singh Puri.

Advani still capable of standing counter to Modi

I
n the end Lal Krishna Advani had his way -he was granted the privilege of deciding his parliamentary constituency. But then the fact that he opted for Gandhinagar after around 30 hours of brinkmanship from both sides, as proposed by Narendra Modi and approved by BJP central election committee, makes for another conclusion - it is actually the BJP prime ministerial candidate and not the patriarch who prevailed. However, even though Modi has gained control over the party he is not the sole authority yet. Advani even with diminished authority and bruises is capable of standing as a counter to Modi's brute force and he has some willing influential allies within both the party and Parivar. It is just that Advani, for both his own and the BJP's sake, needs to be very judicious in raising the flag. All that happened was that the party once again publicly acknowledged the reverential position that Modi occupies. In the process, Advani suffered some fresh bruises and the BJP temporarily lost some of the momentum in its focused campaigning against the Congress. Modi's rivals got new ammunition to launch an attack against him - which was that he does not even respect his own mentor and elder. An amicable settlement to the crisis has brought a huge sense of relief to leaders and workers at large. "We all knew that Advani would eventually have the larger interest of the party in mind. The hiccups that came and controversies generated were entirely avoidable", a BJP leader said. From the perspective of the BJP, thankfully this time around, unlike on two previous occasions, it did not become an Advani versus Modi story, as the situation was contained before it was blown out of proportion. Senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu said, "We are happy that Advaniji is contesting from Gandhinagar. Our critics are disappointed." More than anyone else, it was Modi who was acutely aware of the potential damages. His one-time mentor shifting his base from his home turf Gandhinagar to Bhopal, into the domain of a humbler Shivraj Singh Chouhan could have caused a deep dent to his image. This was something neither the party nor he could afford, at least in so close to the polling dates.

MUST READ

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Solar energy electrifies remote villages in Chhattisgarh

Raipur Chhattisgarh government initiative has succeeded in electrifying many remote villages with solar energy where other states have failed. Around 50 villages in Chhattisgarh's Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, that are not connected to the national grid because they are in a remote area, have been enjoying the benefits of electrification since 2010 under the Remote Village Electrification Programme of the Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The four-kilowatt solar power plant that provides seven hours of electricity every day to all 75 households and lanes in Deba village, in the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, for instance, generates 28 units (1 unit=1 kWh) of electricity a day. The technology for such projects is simple and the source of power abundant, making it the obvious choice for electrification in rural areas. Yet solar off-grid projects under the programme have not been as successful as expected across the country. Chhattisgarh is an exception with 1,400 solar-powered villages. The failure of the system is said to be due to poor maintenance and lack of monitoring. Equipment has been stolen or is lying defunct in several states. In Kalahandi district of Orissa, for example, the government installed solar home lighting and street lighting systems in 40 villages in 2009. A survey by Desi

Technology Solutions, a consultancy firm in Bhubaneswar, reveals that the system in 30 villages became defunct within a year. Chhattisgarh experienced much the same problems initially. In 2003, the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) installed solar home lighting systems in 500 villages. The system is an assembly of solar panels, cables, an inverter, a battery and two 11 Watt CFLs. "Half of the panels got stolen within a year. Some people even sold them or mortgaged them for money," says SK Shukla, director of CREDA. A survey in 2004 showed that of the 617 solar modules installed in tribal hostels, ashrams and primary health centres, 500 were stolen. And so CREDA opted for microgrids.A solar module of 37 W costs Rs 14,000. With the 90% subsidy provided by MNRE, each module costs the state Rs 2,750. Compare this with the cost of setting up a micro-grid (solar photovoltaic power plant and transmission cables) per household, which is approximately Rs 25,000. The state shells out about three times more for a micro-grid than a solar home lighting system. "Micro-grids require more investment from the state exchequer because the subsidy by MNRE is limited (90% of the installation cost or Rs 18,000, whichever is more). But they prevent theft and require minimal maintenance," says Shukla. CREDA organisation installed the first micro-grid in 2004. CREDA started electrifying villages in

two ways. Micro-grids were installed in big concentrated villages (of the 1,400 solar-powered villages, 500 have microgrids of a total installed capacity of 2.35 MW, providing electricity to over 35,000 households), while in villages and hamlets where houses are scattered solar home lighting systems were installed as it was not feasible to invest in wiring over long distances. The problem of maintenance remained and to tackle it CREDA envisaged a three-tier system: a local operator from the village to carry out simple repairs and clean the solar modules, for which he receives Rs 5 from every household; a contractor appointed by CREDA who employs technicians to service a cluster of 10-15 villages and carries out regular servicing of batteries and invertors and more serious repairs; and CREDA itself. The contractorappointed technician files a monthly report on the status of all the work he has done and is paid Rs 25 per household per month by the state government. CREDA

monitors all installations through the monthly reports and replaces faulty equipment. The system works well when the demand for power is limited. If villagers begin to use TV sets and other electrical equipment it proves inadequate. Under the programme, a 37 W solar system is provided to a family, which does not even meet the minimum electricity requirement of 1 unit a day mentioned in the Electricity Act. Despite this, demand is growing in the state of Chhattisgarh. A solar power distributor in Sarguja district says sales have increased almost five times in the past seven years -- from Rs 15-20 lakh in 2004 to Rs 4 crore this year. Solar power is not used only in remote areas but augments grid power too in many places. Solar power is clearly a viable option to hasten the electrification of India without involving environment-destroying and capital-intensive costs. How well governments use it remains the crucial question.

Rainwater harvesting can solve Bhopal's water woes

BHOPAL he Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) took a decision of taking Rs. 5000 from the seekers of building plan, as security money to ensure that these people implement rainwater harvesting system in their premises. This must be in response to the declining groundwater level in the city. Bhopal is the second largest city in MP after Indore. Bhopal city is the most urbanized centre of the state with a rate of urbanization of about 80 %. In the past, the people of Bhopal depended on the rainfed Upper Lake for water supply. In the summer months, the BMC supplies water through tankers. Still this water supply cannot cope with the population density in the city and as a result people face severe water crisis. A comprehensive rainwater harvesting can overcome the gap between supply and demand. The current piped water reaches only 67 % of the population. The system network requires repair and maintenance and the water treatment plants are also not running with full efficiency. As a result, the dependence on groundwater, which is not a sustainable source, is increasing day by

day. The tube wells in the city run dry during the lean period. Rainwater harvesting is already compulsory in the state but the database of people who have actually implemented the system in Bhopal was not available with the BMC. This situation has forced the BMC to think in a different way so that rainwater harvesting is ensured for all new building having rooftop area greater than 140 sq m. In 2009, the BMC in its Mayor-in -Council (MIC) meet decided to take a security money of Rs. 5000 from the building permission seekers to ensure that they imple-

ment rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in their premises. If these new houses have the RWH system as directed then their money will be returned back, otherwise the BMC would construct the structure on its own. To get back the security money, people have to get certificates from architects registered in the BMC panel. BMC officials said that the people who will construct the system will get 6 % exemption on their property tax, an action taken following the footsteps of Indore. The municipality can help the individuals in implementing the RWH system if they approach them. The BMC has its own standard design and the contractors registered in BMC can implement the structure. According to a Bhopal based NGO, Association for Motivation of Bio-Sphere and Environmental Revolution (AMBER), the BMC so far has failed to cross check whether the individuals or builders have implemented system following the original plan. "It is only on paper", says Brijesh Namdeo of AMBER. According to BMC, it will take time to make this decision a notification. The system will surely help the BMC in keeping a proper track of the rainwater harvesting systems installed in the city.

FEATURE

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Khushwant was a source of inspiration for writers and the society

U
narguably one of the best known writers, columnists and journalists that India has ever produced, Khushwant Singh passed away at an age of 99. Spheres of journalism and literature have suffered an irreparable loss in Khushwant Singh's death. He earned worldwide fame as litterateur, historian and journalist. He was conferred Padma and Padmabhushan for his outstanding contribution to literature and education. Khushwant Singh was known for his boldness, nationalism and candidness. He was a man of truth and honesty. Through his writings, rich from historic, literary and contemporary viewpoint, Khushwant Singh groomed a new generation of writers and journalists. His comments on Indian culture, literature and philosophy of life became sources of inspiration for the writers, scribes as well as members of society. Author of various classics including "Train to Pakistan", Khushwant Singh was known for his unique style of carefree writing that was devoid of any kind of inhibitions. He was born on February 2 in Hadali, now in Pakistan's Punjab. He was born into a very wealthy family. His father, Sir Sobha Singh was one of the ten contractors that built Lutyens' Delhi and was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly during the British days. Khushwant did not really need a job. But he was determined to earn his keep. After finishing school and college in Delhi, he went to England, where he stayed a long time and was called to the Bar. On his return home, he taught law at the Law College, Lahore. But he was soon persuaded to go back to London as press attache to the High Commissioner, Krishna Menon. It was on his return home shortly thereafter that he decided to make writing his whole-time vocation. He worked in All India Radio and afterwards, as editor of the Planning Commission's weekly journal, 'Yojna.' Singh, who was best known for his hard core secularism, was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Army. He was awarded the honor again in the year 2007. He served as editor of several literary and news magazines, as well as two newspapers, through the 1970s and 1980s. His weekly column 'With Malice Towards One and All' was very popular and was syndicated in many dailies. Singh was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the government under late Indira Gandhi. He was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986. Singh was known for his classics such as 'Train to Pakistan' and 'I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale'.

Congress' Saharanpur candidate threatens Narendra Modi, apologises

Lucknow: In a shocking comment, the Congress candidate from Saharanpur has threatened to chop Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi into pieces. A video shows Congress candidate from Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency in UP, Imran Masood, as saying: Hum Modi ki kutti kaat denge (We will chop Modi into pieces). A case has been registered against the nephew of former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rashid Masood for making provocative statement against Modi. The comment made by Masood has evoked sharp reactions. Former Congress leader and now BJP's Domariyaganj candidate, Jagdambika Pal, has sought Congress' apology.

Disgruntled Advani persuaded to contest from Gujarat

Ahmedabad With veteran leader LK Advani not attending the Bharatiya Janata Party's Central Election Committee (CEC) meet held recently, it became apparent that all was not well in the BJP. BJP President Rajnath Singh telephoned Advani and urged him to attend the meet. He also urged him to contest from Gandhinagar seat. According to sources, Advani did not want to be fielded again from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. Advani reportedly informed Rajnath Singh about his preference for Bhopal. The 86-year-old leader is said to have argued that since most of the senior party leaders were giving their preferences of seats, he too should be allowed to make a choice. Sources said he was so angry that RSS has to intervene and he was forcefully persuaded to contest from Gandhinagar. Madhya Pradesh Election Committee of the BJP reportedly wanted him to Advani to contest from the state capital. Meanwhile, given the predicament in the party over Advani's seat, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan reportedly called Rajnath. The party insisted that Advani should contest from Gandhinagar as his shifting of constituency will send wrong signals, the sources said. Advani is not in the best of terms with Modi after he opposed the Gujarat Chief Minister's anointment as BJP's PM candidate recently. Meanwhile, sitting Bhopal MP and BJP veteran Kailash Joshi said he was not keen on contesting from the seat and he had offered the seat to the BJP patriarch. Sources said Advani wished to shift his seat from Gandhinagar to Bhopal, after he opposed Modi's ascension as the National Democratic Alliance's PM candidate last year.

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NATION

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

AAP leads in using social media to connect to voters, Cong lags behind
hat social media connects people and gets them talking and sharing is one thing, but it becomes more meaningful when it allows campaigners to know the voters, target a specific audience, mobilise support, and urge people to participate. When some of these people actively engage in political debates, they become a great tool in spreading the word and influencing opinion. Researchers have suggested that there will be about 14.9 crore first-time voters in 2014, a majority to whom technology comes easy. That is why, irrespective of campaigning, the real impact of technology will be in sensitizing and popularising voter registration among the youth. Riding this wave, the AAP used social media in an unprecedented way making engagement with the public and donationseeking its primary plan. The AAP's young and energetic volunteer brigade used Facebook to convene meetings and set the agenda. They used Twitter to present new facts; they also got people to donate online in a bid to introduce transparency. The new party not only made people aware of its agenda, but also connected them to appropriate donors. Social media can be put to meaningful use -- for raising

awareness for causes, for running campaigns, and bringing people from all walks of life together to discuss and debate issues. As the election approaches closer, political parties are gearing up for the battles that need to be fought through social media. Rahul Gandhi recently connected with party workers across India through a Google Hangout live video chat session. To participate in the live chat with Gandhi, party workers were asked to post their questions on their Intranet website. But there is no doubt that the party has been a late entrant to this battle. The problem is that Gandhi is not online person, unlike Modi and Kejriwal. Even though the impact of social media is still to be ascertained in India in a more defined way, we are driven by the syndrome where one takes the lead and the rest follow. After Modi and the AAP's viral fever, the Congress and other regional parties have joined in. Back in 2009, when Shashi Tharoor joined Twitter and caused uproar with his "cattle-class" tweet, hardly any other politician was on the site. Five years later, not only has social media become pervasive but its very purpose has become to create a stir, no matter how politically incorrect people may be.

Mamta should criticize Modi to prove she is secular: Imam

ble. He said that if needed Mamta Banerjee should support Congress after the Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand Maulana Barkati criticized Modi himself. He said if Narendra Modi cannot wear a Muslim cap why does he want them to vote for him? He said that Modi is an opportunist. Maulana said that Modi should be ashamed of asking votes from Muslim population of the country. In his advice to Mmata Banerjee, he said 'We know that Mamta Banerjee is secular. But if she wants to prove her secularism, she should aggressively criticize Modi. Rahul Gandhi criticizes Modi and we want that Mamta should openly do the same.' He further added that ' The way Cngress vice president Rahul Gandhi says that BJP is dangerous and poisonous, we want Mamta to openly use harsh words against Modi'. On the other hand the outraged BJP state president Rahul Sinha said 'An imam of a masjid is dictating to the chief minister and the chief minister is working according to his dictates. Nothing more unfortunate than that.' Earlier, the Imam had appreciated Mamta and said at a massive Trinamool Congress rally on January 30 that Banerjee should be PM.

One AAP candidate bank defaulter, others have assets worth crores
Moradabad/New Delhi: The Bank of Baroda has declared AAP candidate Khalid Parvez from Moradabad as a loan defaulter. The Badaun branch of the bank declared that he has failed to pay Rs 12 crore which are due on him. The regional manager of bank's Bareily region PJ Bhaila said, 'The loan had been taken from the Badaun branch by the AAP leader around two years back for setting up a college. However, due to unknown reasons, the project failed to take off and the borrower started defaulting on the payments. We became concerned and started following up the matter with Parvez.' Bank officials are now planning to sell his property by auction which was mortgaged with the bank. PJ Bhalia said that he had called up Parvez a couple of days ago to ask him about when he is going to repay the everyday increasing amount of loan. He said Parvez failed to respond to the notice served to him. On the other hand, Parvez said, 'I have mortgaged enough assets. By auctioning these assets the bank can realize the outstanding amount.'

AAP candidates' assets

Meanwhile, AAP Lok Sabha candidate from Gurgaon Yogendra Yadav has assets worth around Rs. 3 crore, as declared by him during filing his nomination papers on Friday. This includes farm land, commercial booth and sizable amount of bank deposits and Provident Funds. The 50-yearold Yadav, who hails from Saharanwas village in Rewari district, declared that he had movable and immovable assets worth about Rs. 3 crore in his and his wife Madhulika's names. Another AAP candidate Ashutosh declared his assets worth around Rs. 8 crores, which includes his and his wife's movable and immovable assets. Gandhi and wife's total movable assets worth is Rs. 2.1 crore which includes jewellery worth Rs. 3 lakh.

Kolkata After social activist Anna Hazare made his distance from West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, a prominent Muslim cleric in has given special piece of advice to Mamta Banerjee ahead of Lok sabha polls to attract Muslim voters. The Shahi Imam of Kolkata's Tipu sultan mosque Maulana Barkati said that to prove herself secular in religious matters, the CM should criticize Bjp's chief ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as much as possi-

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GLAMOUR

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Arjun gets angry over questions Sunny Leone to sizzle in a of link up with Alia Bhatt Marathi film after casting her

magic on Bollywood?

he Kapoor lad was not in a good mood at a recent press conference. Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatts sizzling chemistry has been the talk of the town for quite sometime now. However, the Kapoor lad seems to be irked with all the reports about his and Alias brewing romance. At least thats what his behaviour at a recent press conference suggested. Alia and Arjun, who will be seen together in the upcoming film, 2 States are busy promoting their movie. The duo were at the press conference recently where the two were asked whether they were dating, after which Arjun, instead of giving a proper response, chose to shoot out a sarcastic rant to the journalist. Yes

you are right. We get along well. And when we work on a horror film, we will hate each other during the promotion! What do you expect?, the Ishaqzaade actor replied. Thats not all. He even remarked bluntly that the friendship he holds with his Gunday co-star Ranveer Singh and Alia was fake and it was only for show, as a laughing Alia looked on. Everything is for show. My friendship with Ranveer is just for show too. And this friendship with Alia too, is for show, Arjun further said. The Aurangzeb actor stopped only after Alia interrupted by saying, We even hit each other. But thats only in jest and affection.

unny Leone, who is celebrating the success of her latest horrex film, Ragini MMS 2, has surely cast her magic spell on Bollywood. And now it looks like she is all set to take another big step as we now hear that the Canadian porn star turned actor might sizzle in a Marathi film. Yes, you read that right! According to the grapevine, the title of the film is Vulgar Activities Incorp, which will be directed by National Award winning director Sujay Dahake, whose latest film Ajoba, will hit theatres soon. Well, if the reports are indeed true, then it will indeed be interesting to watch Sunny Leone in a Marathi film. And its a given that the sexy bombshell will have to go through Marathi diction classes, given that she is not at all versed with the language. Or will her dialogues be dubbed in the film? After all, dont we know how Katrina Kaifs dialogues were also dubbed in her early films, hai na?

Sonam Kapoor: Its more difficult to work with family

onam talks about working with family and more. Sonam Kapoor, who has again teamed up with her actor-father Anil Kapoor and sister Rhea in Khoobsurat after Aisha, says its not easy to work with family members. Its more difficult to work with your family because they have high expectations from you You have to be on your best behaviour, you need to be on time, remember all your lines, the Bewakoofiyaan actor said. We had Kirron Kher, Ratna Pathak in the film, so it was amazing. I had a great time, Sonam added. She will play Mili in the remake of the 1980 movie Khubsoorat, which starred Rekha. She says Rekha is incredible and she wants to be like her. I finished (filming) Khoobsurat. It was amazing and will release this year. No, we dont have her (Rekha) making a guest appearance unfortunately, but she is one of my familys closest friends. We always need her blessings, said Sonam. That day when we were at the launch together she said lets take a picture so, that was our Khoobsurat moment. Its so sweet of her to say that. She is incredible. I hope to achieve at least 20 percent of what she has achieved. She is awesome. I want to look like her, she added.

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NATION

MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30, 2014

(MP & CG)

Hailstorms trigger farmers' suicides in Maharashtra

BRIEF

In Uttar Pradesh parties hope caste combos will work

LUCKNOW
Since the 2014 elections will be won or lost in Uttar Pradesh, it is fairly clear that all parties will concentrate their critical efforts here. So what will their strategies be, now that ticket allotment is over for some, and in the final phases for the rest? For the BJP, the effort will be to maximise its expected gains in this heartland state with 80 seats; for Mayawati's BSP the aim will be to hold on to what she has; for Mulayam Singh's SP, the goal will be to minimise losses; for the Congress it will be to prevent a rout and see if Modi can be tripped. The BJP clearly lost some momentum last week by delaying seat announcements, which enabled the likes of LK Advani and Jaswant Singh to waste more party time. The party spent lots of time placating him and other oldies like Murli Manohar Joshi when it should have been out there campaigning. Mayawati and Mulayam Singh have been smarter, having more or less completed their UP nominations. A look at the candidate selections of the four major contenders shows what their hopes and fears are in 2014. From their caste and community configurations we can make deductions about what the parties themselves think are their strengths and weaknesses. Despite the fact that this election looks less casteoriented, the main thing one notices in the serious efforts put in by all the four parties to get the caste arithmetic right. Take the BSP, which fears an erosion in its Brahmin vote due to the rising fortunes of the BJP. It has fielded 21 Brahmins - the highest among all parties so far - and 19 Muslims, which suggests that Mayawati hopes to make some gains among the minorities in view of their antipathy to the BJP's mascot. Dalits get 17, OBCs 15 and Thakurs eight, which means Mayawati is reasonably confident of her Dalit base. It is unlikely she will be expecting too many votes from Thakurs and OBCs. In contrast, the SP has fielded the maximum number of OBCs - possibly Yadavs - since this is its core vote, and vulnerable to Modi's pitch. Modi comes from the most backward caste segment, and Kalyan Singh is a major factor among the non-Yadav OBCs. The SP has given Muslims 13, the upper castes 18 (Brahmins plus Thakurs), and Dalits 17. This distribution of candidates indicates that SP expects Muslims and OBCs to vote for it, but is not setting great store by the upper castes. The Congress also appears to be writing off a good chunk of its upper caste vote by giving Brahmins nine and Thakurs eight. Dalits get 14 and OBCs another 14, with Muslims getting 11. This even distribution among castes and communities so far suggests that the party is not expecting any gains in any particular group. The BJP candidate selection is most skewed - and thus aggressive. It has zero Muslims, which means it is expecting strong, tactical voting by the minority community against it. Instead, it is concentrating its efforts among the upper castes and OBCs, with Brahmins getting 15, Thakurs 12 and OBCs 26. Dalits get 15 seats. The BJP is banking heavily on a combination of upper caste consolidation and non-Yadav OBCs.

Is Varansi safe seat for BJP?

MUMBAI he unseasonal showers and hailstorms in Maharashtra have once again triggered farmer suicides, as the statistic show that 18 farmers killed themselves between February 22 and March 18, with activists anticipating 80 to 100 suicides in two months. This figure is way above the usual average of farmer suicides in every 60 days. Some more suicide incidents are being reported. Also officials have said that Mathwada is the worst affected region. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has assured that the government was doing its best to provide maximum relief to the farmers in the affected areas. He said that he and his cabinet members had visited the affected regions and have accounted the damage caused and also have discussed compensation informally. Chavan added,

"The state government has demanded a financial package of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre and also apprised the Election Commission of India about the damage caused." It is believed that more than 16 lakh hectares of crop has got damaged in the recent calamity with losses crossing over Rs 5,000 crore. Activists estimate damage to 20 lakh hectares, impacting the lives of over four crore people. Although many fruits and vegetable crops have been damaged, worst hit are pomegranates, grapes, mangoes, sweet lime, watermelon, papaya and bananas. There is expected to be severe shortfall in the supply of these fruits and prices may go up nearly 30%/. Also, the fruits might not always be that of the best quality. Vegetables such as tomatoes and brinjals, and cereals and pulses such as jowar, wheat and horse grams have also got damaged widely.

In 2009, Varanasi was certainly not seen as a sure-thing for the BJP. Murli Manohar Joshi won by just about 17,000 votes. In 2014, Varanasi is safer for the BJP than it was in 2009. It should be safe for Modi and it would probably have been safe for Joshi or any other BJP candidate as well. The reason for this is, unlike 2009, there is an overall, panUttar Pradesh increment in support for the BJP. This is occurring due to many reasons. Unlike 2009, the upper caste and urban shift towards the BJP is apparent. A consolidation of some OBC sub-communities and of youth voters across castes and identity groups is also noticeable. Above all, there is the Modi factor, which was simply absent in 2009. So has Modi chosen a safe seat in Varanasi? Yes, he has. But remove Modi from the equation and how safe does Varanasi seem? In the absence of a Modi prime ministerial candidature, could even Joshi guarantee a second victory in Varanasi? The choice of Varanasi was not motivated simply by its symbolic value as the world's oldest living city and a constant of Hinduism. To be fair, from Allahabad (geographically not too distant from Varanasi) to Meerut, there are other constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that could have attracted Modi for heritage/historical reasons as well as for immediate political return.In opting for Varanasi, Modi hopes his candidature will influence about 25-30 seats in the catchment area, extending from eastern Uttar Pradesh to Bihar. How strong will Arvind Kejriwal's challenge be to the BJP's prime ministerial candidate - if the Aam Aadmi Party leader does actually stand against Modi? Where does all this place Kejriwal? He has a tough task ahead. If he taps into the Muslim vote and hurts the BSP, he will only end up benefiting Modi. These are voters who are hostile to the Samajwadi Party government in Lucknow and tired of the Congress in New Delhi. However, what Kejriwal can be ensured of is successful media coverage. He will probably give the best interviews but Modi will probably win the election.

Owned Printed and Puplished byM.M. Baig. Printed at lucky, 267, Pragati Nagar, Shahanshah garden, Bhopal (MP) and published from H.No. 101, A Sector Indrapuri BHEL, Ward No. 63, Dist. Bhopal- 462021, M.P. Tele/FAX 0755-4292545, Mob. 9425029901 email-editor@wethestate.com RNI No. MPENG/2012/46415 Editor: M.M. BAIG- Responsible for selection of News & Articles under PRB Act, Subject to Bhopal jurisdiction