Cabinet overrules Manmohan, keeps PM out of Lokpal ambit
(WHY ARE WE RUNNING AWAY FROM A STRONG BILL.IT WON'T SOLVE OUR PURPOSE TO ROOT OUT CORRUPTION FROM ROOTS OF OUR SYSTEM AND MENTALITY!!! I AM IN FULLY SUPPORT OF A STRONG JANLOKPAL BILL!!!....VT)
Himanshi DhawanHimanshi Dhawan, TNN | Jul 29, 2011, 02.05AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to keep the office of the prime minister outside the fold of the proposed Lokpal, overruling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself. The judiciary and conduct of MPs in Parliament was also kept outside its ambit.
The deliberations of over two hours saw Singh making an argument for inclusion of his office within the Lokpal's ambit, only to run into resistance by the overwhelming majority in the Cabinet.
The revised draft provides for the majority of the nine-member Lokpal to be drawn from among people with legal background: a concession to the argument that the quasi-judicial body will require people with understanding of law and legal practices. In another significant addition, any trust or body including NGOs that receive public funds will come under Lokpal's scrutiny.
Defence minister A K Antony, I&B minister Ambika Soni, telecom minister Kapil Sibal and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh supported the prime minister. Ramesh spoke forcefully, saying there should be emphasis on transparency. But the group found itself overwhelmed by the argument of the majority that this would be a recipe for destabilization, and would leave his office hobbled. "It is not a matter of an individual but that of an institution", was the dominant refrain.
Interestingly, three former chief ministers of Maharashtra in the Cabinet - agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and science and technology minister Vilasrao Deshmukh - were among the most vocal in opposing the PM's suggestion. The troika from transparency activist Anna Hazare's home state cited their experience to argue that NGOs and civil society would target the PM if he was exposed to Lokpal.
UPA ally DMK had spoken in favour of bringing the PM within the ambit of Lokpal but chemicals and fertilisers minister M K Alagiri, now the party's sole representative in the Cabinet, was not present at the meeting.
Finance minister Pranab Mukhejee said tabling of the bill could not be delayed and that disagreements over whether the PM should be within the scope could be hashed out within the standing committee. Urban development minister Kamal Nath said the bill should provide for creation of similar anti-corruption ombudsmen in states.
The bill will be introduced in Parliament in the first two days of the monsoon session beginning on Monday.
The nine-member Lokpal will include a chairperson who will be a serving or retired chief justice or judge of the SC and 50% of its eight members will have judicial background.
The bill cleared by the Cabinet has introduced a seven-year limit to filing of complaint from the day the offence was committed. In a departure from its original draft, the government also changed the constitution of the selection committee including the PM, Speaker, Leader of Opposition in both Houses, one Cabinet minister, one sitting chief justice of a High Court, one sitting judge of Supreme Court, one eminent jurist and an eminent person. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, law minister Salman Khursheed said the bill approved by the Cabinet had included 34 of the 40 suggestions made by Hazare's representatives. Asked if Hazare was challenging the government, Khursheed retorted, "They are not challenging the government but Parliament.'"
The judiciary has not been included in the bill as its autonomy and independence should be maintained, Khursheed said, adding that a separate Judicial Accountability Bill was introduced in Parliament. Similarly, the citizen's charter will be dealt with in a separate legislation for public grievances.
The removal of Lokpal will be the prerogative of the President. While the Lokpal will have separate teams to conduct inquiries and investigations, it will not have the power to prosecute someone accused of corruption. Besides, it would also take up corruption matters involving ministers, MPs, Group 'A' officers and others equivalent to this grade in any body, board, authority, corporation, trust, society or autonomous body set up by an Act of Parliament and funded by public money. The Lokpal would not require sanction or approval under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 or Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in cases where prosecution is proposed.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Gr Noida admin to open talks with villagers(they should consider problems of People who invested money for homes as well..VT)
Gr Noida admin to open talks with villagers
A day after the Allahabad High Court sent a bunch of petitions on the Noida Extension row to a larger bench, the Greater Noida Authority announced it was ready to open talks with residents of Patwari village, where state acquisition of farm land had earlier been quashed by the High Court.
Greater Noida Authority CEO Rama Raman said on Wednesday that a notice has been sent to the pradhan of Patwari, asking him to convene a panchayat and select a committee comprising the villagers.
The Authority has not fixed a date for the meeting. Pradeep Yadav, a Patwari farmer, said the notice had reached the village, and a panchayat would be held soon.
Raman said three issues will be addressed broadly during the talks. They comprise ‘abadi,’ or populated lands; six per cent of the developed property with which farmers would be compensated; and the increased compensation for the acquired land. CEO Raman listed the three issues in that order, and when pointed out that the third pointer on his list is the farmer’s primary demand, he said, “We are ready to talk to them on all issues. It is too premature to discuss the amount of compensation now.”
Ads by Google The Village The Village, a place to Call Home. New Age Housing Community Living.www.the-village.inRamprastha Skyz Just pay 15% No EMI Till Possession Guaranted Discount Call 9899664484www.searchyourproperPlanning to buy Flats? Looking for your Dream Home? Find the One that Meets Your Need.Classifieds.Sulekha.
Raman said the Authority will be open to regularising the abadi lands, and will discuss the possibility of ending the lease-back system. “For those who will be given their abadi land, we will try to make it easier for them to pay back the compensation they have availed from the Authority, possibly with flexible payments,” he said.
When an acquired piece of abadi land is returned to the farmer, the title deed is not transferred back. The property is only leased to the farmer. The farmers of Noida Extension want to end this practice.
Sources, however, said that the Authority will try to put before the farmers the latest land acquisition policy of the Uttar Pradesh government. At Shahberi, where acquisition has to begin afresh, there is also the possibility of the Authority buying plots from individuals instead of notifying the whole area.
“We had to convert areas notified for Planned Industrial Development to residential plots after the recession threatened it. Not many industries were showing interest in setting shop in the area, which is why we converted it,” Raman said.
However, he hinted later that the recession may not have been the most important reason: “We had planned that Shahberi and the seven-eight adjoining villages should come under an industrial area. However, the Crossings Republik project came up across Shahberi, in Ghaziabad’s Dundehera. As a result, Shahberi became a much sought-after residential area, and land-grabbers began constructing illegal colonies there,” he said.
50 from Mayawati’s village move court
ALLAHABAD: At least 50 residents of UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s ancestral village Badalpur, Greater Noida, have approached the Allahabad High Court alleging that apart from acquiring their land (nearly 230 hectares) they faced discrimination on the issue of compensation.
According to counsel for petitioners, V M Zaidi, the petition is likely to come up for hearing before the same bench that is hearing all the land acquisition related cases of Noida and Greater Noida.
Counsel for Greater Noida Authority Ramendra Pratap Singh, however, said he was not aware of any such petition. The petitioners have alleged that while the Authority paid compensation after acquiring land, it took the money back from a few farmers. They were then allegedly given land in prime locations. The petitioners have questioned why all villagers were not given land.
A day after the Allahabad High Court sent a bunch of petitions on the Noida Extension row to a larger bench, the Greater Noida Authority announced it was ready to open talks with residents of Patwari village, where state acquisition of farm land had earlier been quashed by the High Court.
Greater Noida Authority CEO Rama Raman said on Wednesday that a notice has been sent to the pradhan of Patwari, asking him to convene a panchayat and select a committee comprising the villagers.
The Authority has not fixed a date for the meeting. Pradeep Yadav, a Patwari farmer, said the notice had reached the village, and a panchayat would be held soon.
Raman said three issues will be addressed broadly during the talks. They comprise ‘abadi,’ or populated lands; six per cent of the developed property with which farmers would be compensated; and the increased compensation for the acquired land. CEO Raman listed the three issues in that order, and when pointed out that the third pointer on his list is the farmer’s primary demand, he said, “We are ready to talk to them on all issues. It is too premature to discuss the amount of compensation now.”
Ads by Google The Village The Village, a place to Call Home. New Age Housing Community Living.www.the-village.inRamprastha Skyz Just pay 15% No EMI Till Possession Guaranted Discount Call 9899664484www.searchyourproperPlanning to buy Flats? Looking for your Dream Home? Find the One that Meets Your Need.Classifieds.Sulekha.
Raman said the Authority will be open to regularising the abadi lands, and will discuss the possibility of ending the lease-back system. “For those who will be given their abadi land, we will try to make it easier for them to pay back the compensation they have availed from the Authority, possibly with flexible payments,” he said.
When an acquired piece of abadi land is returned to the farmer, the title deed is not transferred back. The property is only leased to the farmer. The farmers of Noida Extension want to end this practice.
Sources, however, said that the Authority will try to put before the farmers the latest land acquisition policy of the Uttar Pradesh government. At Shahberi, where acquisition has to begin afresh, there is also the possibility of the Authority buying plots from individuals instead of notifying the whole area.
“We had to convert areas notified for Planned Industrial Development to residential plots after the recession threatened it. Not many industries were showing interest in setting shop in the area, which is why we converted it,” Raman said.
However, he hinted later that the recession may not have been the most important reason: “We had planned that Shahberi and the seven-eight adjoining villages should come under an industrial area. However, the Crossings Republik project came up across Shahberi, in Ghaziabad’s Dundehera. As a result, Shahberi became a much sought-after residential area, and land-grabbers began constructing illegal colonies there,” he said.
50 from Mayawati’s village move court
ALLAHABAD: At least 50 residents of UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s ancestral village Badalpur, Greater Noida, have approached the Allahabad High Court alleging that apart from acquiring their land (nearly 230 hectares) they faced discrimination on the issue of compensation.
According to counsel for petitioners, V M Zaidi, the petition is likely to come up for hearing before the same bench that is hearing all the land acquisition related cases of Noida and Greater Noida.
Counsel for Greater Noida Authority Ramendra Pratap Singh, however, said he was not aware of any such petition. The petitioners have alleged that while the Authority paid compensation after acquiring land, it took the money back from a few farmers. They were then allegedly given land in prime locations. The petitioners have questioned why all villagers were not given land.
'People living in north have bigger brains'they have evolved to cope with the longer winters and greyer skies in northern climes, say British research
'People living in north have bigger brains'
PTI | Jul 28, 2011, 05.24AM IST
LONDON: People living in the north have bigger brains than those staying in the south, says a study.
Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean northerners are more intelligent than people from the south - just that they have evolved to cope with the longer winters and greyer skies in northern climes, say British researchers.
In fact, a team at Oxford University, who measured the brain volume of 55 skulls from around the world, came out with this intriguing theory that people from countries further from the equator have more grey matter and larger eyes than those from sunnier parts, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. This is because living in low light conditions means the eyes and brain need to work harder in order to process images to a good level of detail, or "high resolution" , say researchers.
Lead author Eiluned Pearce said the study suggests that the bigger brains and eyes are needed to see properly in dimmer light.
"As you move away from equator, there's less light available, so humans have had to evolve bigger and bigger eyes. Their brains also need to be bigger to deal with extra visual input. "Having bigger brains doesn't mean higher latitude humans are smarter, it just means they need bigger brains to be able to see well," she said.
PTI | Jul 28, 2011, 05.24AM IST
LONDON: People living in the north have bigger brains than those staying in the south, says a study.
Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean northerners are more intelligent than people from the south - just that they have evolved to cope with the longer winters and greyer skies in northern climes, say British researchers.
In fact, a team at Oxford University, who measured the brain volume of 55 skulls from around the world, came out with this intriguing theory that people from countries further from the equator have more grey matter and larger eyes than those from sunnier parts, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported. This is because living in low light conditions means the eyes and brain need to work harder in order to process images to a good level of detail, or "high resolution" , say researchers.
Lead author Eiluned Pearce said the study suggests that the bigger brains and eyes are needed to see properly in dimmer light.
"As you move away from equator, there's less light available, so humans have had to evolve bigger and bigger eyes. Their brains also need to be bigger to deal with extra visual input. "Having bigger brains doesn't mean higher latitude humans are smarter, it just means they need bigger brains to be able to see well," she said.
Lokpal bill to be tabled in Parliament today-Jul 28, 2011
Lokpal bill to be tabled in Parliament today/"We sincerely appeal to the Union Cabinet to present a strong Lokpal Bill in Parliament. There is nothing for a common man in the present version of Government's Lokpal Bill
(I WISH OUR COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE STRONGEST LAW AGAINST BRIBERY,CORRUPTION IN ANY FORM,SMALL OR BIG,BLACK MONEY,ILLEGAL PROPERTIES ETC....SO THAT IT WILL ENHANCE OUR NATIONAL CHARACTER AND ECONOMIC REFORMS...BESIDES CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT IT TO CHANGE EVERY CITIZENS MINDSET,STATE OF MIND WHICH INCLUDES CINICISM,FRUSTRATION,CHALTA HAI ATTITUDE- MENTALLITY REGARDING CORRUPTION!!!....VT)
Pallavi GhoshPallavi Ghosh , CNN-IBN
Updated Jul 28, 2011 at 07:52am IST
New Delhi: The Cabinet is likely to take up the Jan Lokpal bill for consideration on Thursday. However as government gets ready to table the bill in parliament during the monsoon session, those who forced the government to quicken their pace remain dissatisfied.
In a statement Anna Hazare expressed his displeasure. He said, "We sincerely appeal to the Union Cabinet to present a strong Lokpal Bill in Parliament. There is nothing for a common man in the present version of Government's Lokpal Bill."
Cabinet will take up both the versions - that of the ministers as well as of the civil society. Some changes have been made in the government's version incorporating suggestions from the opposition and allies.
But the big point is the Prime Minister will not come under the purview of the bill. Government sources say that their determination to exclude the Prime Minister was strengthened by the support they received from the BJP.
The judiciary too will not to be included. Disagreeing with team Anna that all bureaucrats should come under its purview, government's draft says only those in rank of deputy and joint secretary should be included. The investigation will be independent and time bound.
Newly appointed Law Minister Salman Khurseed said, "It will be a robust bill with views of all to be included."
(I WISH OUR COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE STRONGEST LAW AGAINST BRIBERY,CORRUPTION IN ANY FORM,SMALL OR BIG,BLACK MONEY,ILLEGAL PROPERTIES ETC....SO THAT IT WILL ENHANCE OUR NATIONAL CHARACTER AND ECONOMIC REFORMS...BESIDES CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT IT TO CHANGE EVERY CITIZENS MINDSET,STATE OF MIND WHICH INCLUDES CINICISM,FRUSTRATION,CHALTA HAI ATTITUDE- MENTALLITY REGARDING CORRUPTION!!!....VT)
Pallavi GhoshPallavi Ghosh , CNN-IBN
Updated Jul 28, 2011 at 07:52am IST
New Delhi: The Cabinet is likely to take up the Jan Lokpal bill for consideration on Thursday. However as government gets ready to table the bill in parliament during the monsoon session, those who forced the government to quicken their pace remain dissatisfied.
In a statement Anna Hazare expressed his displeasure. He said, "We sincerely appeal to the Union Cabinet to present a strong Lokpal Bill in Parliament. There is nothing for a common man in the present version of Government's Lokpal Bill."
Cabinet will take up both the versions - that of the ministers as well as of the civil society. Some changes have been made in the government's version incorporating suggestions from the opposition and allies.
But the big point is the Prime Minister will not come under the purview of the bill. Government sources say that their determination to exclude the Prime Minister was strengthened by the support they received from the BJP.
The judiciary too will not to be included. Disagreeing with team Anna that all bureaucrats should come under its purview, government's draft says only those in rank of deputy and joint secretary should be included. The investigation will be independent and time bound.
Newly appointed Law Minister Salman Khurseed said, "It will be a robust bill with views of all to be included."
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks(even in Pakistan over 67 percent of the population is below 30yrs)-28/7/11
26/07/2011
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
New Delhi: When 34-year-old Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's youngest and first woman foreign minister, holds talks with her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna, 45 years her senior, the world will be watching to see how she handles her first major diplomatic outing and navigates the troubled waters of the India-Pakistan relationship.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
Khar touched down here in a special flight Tuesday amid intense interest. Will her relative youth and inexperience bring a whiff of freshness to the perennially troubled relationship between the two neighbours? Or will the young foreign minister, fond of polo and trekking, struggle to hold her own in the talks that come barely a week after her appointment was formalised?
The jury is out on that one.
Amid widespread cynicism in Pakistan's predominantly patriarchal establishment, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari justified her appointment, saying it would "send positive signals about the soft image of Pakistan".
Khar, however, remains somewhat of a mystery in India. Curiosity has been piqued by her unusual background that blends the feudal and the modern.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
A postgraduate in hospitality and tourism from the University of Massachusetts, Khar comes from a wealthy feudal family in southern Punjab and owns Lahore's posh Polo Lounge, a haunt of the rich and the powerful. Her father is a large landowner from Muzaffargarh. Her uncle Ghulam Mustafa Kar was the subject of "My Feudal Lord", a biting account of patriarchal society in Pakistan penned by his fifth wife Tehmina Durrani.
Analysts here are sceptical on whether Khar can make a real difference to the course of the revived peace process between India and Pakistan.
Satish Chandra, a former deputy national security adviser and a former envoy to Islamabad, says Khar's youth won't be a disadvantage. On the contrary, she could provide an image advantage to Pakistan, Chandra told IANS.
"It will be a good photo-op, with an attractive young minister," he said. He added that given Pakistan's military-dominated establishment it does not matter who is the foreign minister of Pakistan.
"The shots are being called by the army, and when it comes to India-Pakistan relations, the script is always cleared by the army," said Chandra.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
Agreed G. Parthasarathy, a former high commissioner to Pakistan. "It's good for Pakistan to have a young, attractive lady to represent Pakistan in bad times when that country is being increasingly seen as an epicentre of terrorism."
"Having entered politics through the military, she is likely to be influenced by the military which calls the shots on India-Pakistan relations," Parthasarathy told IANS.
Khar entered politics in 2002 and became a member of national assembly of the PML-Q party, affiliated with then Pakistan president Gen Pervez Musharraf.
She joined the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) ahead of the February 2008 general election and was made minister of state for economic affairs by the Zardari government in 2008.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
Her rise has been meteoric since, propelled by favourable circumstances. Barely four days after then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's removal, she was named minister of state for foreign affairs.
Khar has become Pakistan's 26th foreign minister at a time when her country is suffering perhaps the worst image crisis and is being repeatedly singled out as a patron for terrorists and jihadists.
On the India front, there is, however, a window of opportunity. If her country can sustain the revived peace process, Khar, too, will share the credit. For now, the expectations are minimal, and that may well be Khar's big advantage in a country where over 67 percent of the population is below 30.
Source: IANS
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
New Delhi: When 34-year-old Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's youngest and first woman foreign minister, holds talks with her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna, 45 years her senior, the world will be watching to see how she handles her first major diplomatic outing and navigates the troubled waters of the India-Pakistan relationship.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
Khar touched down here in a special flight Tuesday amid intense interest. Will her relative youth and inexperience bring a whiff of freshness to the perennially troubled relationship between the two neighbours? Or will the young foreign minister, fond of polo and trekking, struggle to hold her own in the talks that come barely a week after her appointment was formalised?
The jury is out on that one.
Amid widespread cynicism in Pakistan's predominantly patriarchal establishment, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari justified her appointment, saying it would "send positive signals about the soft image of Pakistan".
Khar, however, remains somewhat of a mystery in India. Curiosity has been piqued by her unusual background that blends the feudal and the modern.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
A postgraduate in hospitality and tourism from the University of Massachusetts, Khar comes from a wealthy feudal family in southern Punjab and owns Lahore's posh Polo Lounge, a haunt of the rich and the powerful. Her father is a large landowner from Muzaffargarh. Her uncle Ghulam Mustafa Kar was the subject of "My Feudal Lord", a biting account of patriarchal society in Pakistan penned by his fifth wife Tehmina Durrani.
Analysts here are sceptical on whether Khar can make a real difference to the course of the revived peace process between India and Pakistan.
Satish Chandra, a former deputy national security adviser and a former envoy to Islamabad, says Khar's youth won't be a disadvantage. On the contrary, she could provide an image advantage to Pakistan, Chandra told IANS.
"It will be a good photo-op, with an attractive young minister," he said. He added that given Pakistan's military-dominated establishment it does not matter who is the foreign minister of Pakistan.
"The shots are being called by the army, and when it comes to India-Pakistan relations, the script is always cleared by the army," said Chandra.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
Agreed G. Parthasarathy, a former high commissioner to Pakistan. "It's good for Pakistan to have a young, attractive lady to represent Pakistan in bad times when that country is being increasingly seen as an epicentre of terrorism."
"Having entered politics through the military, she is likely to be influenced by the military which calls the shots on India-Pakistan relations," Parthasarathy told IANS.
Khar entered politics in 2002 and became a member of national assembly of the PML-Q party, affiliated with then Pakistan president Gen Pervez Musharraf.
She joined the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) ahead of the February 2008 general election and was made minister of state for economic affairs by the Zardari government in 2008.
The Hina factor in India-Pakistan talks
Her rise has been meteoric since, propelled by favourable circumstances. Barely four days after then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's removal, she was named minister of state for foreign affairs.
Khar has become Pakistan's 26th foreign minister at a time when her country is suffering perhaps the worst image crisis and is being repeatedly singled out as a patron for terrorists and jihadists.
On the India front, there is, however, a window of opportunity. If her country can sustain the revived peace process, Khar, too, will share the credit. For now, the expectations are minimal, and that may well be Khar's big advantage in a country where over 67 percent of the population is below 30.
Source: IANS
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover-Fabindia, Shoppers Stop and four others have shown interest in a public-Private Partnership with Khadi Bhawans-28/7/11
27/07/2011
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
After 86 years, big brands are in fray to bond with Khadi - Fabindia, Shoppers Stop and four others have shown interest in a public-private partnership with Khadi Bhawans to manage 8 outlets.
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
A Khadi Fashion Show underway in Goa
New Delhi: The 86-year-old Khadi brand will not be the same again. It is learnt that six companies, including Fabindia and Shoppers Stop, have shown interest in partnering eight Khadi Bhawans spread across India.
Besides, three Mumbai-based retailers have given a joint expression of interest (EoI) for the public-private partnership with the Khadi Bhawans, officials told Business Standard on the condition of anonymity. Delhi-based Sushila Khadi GramUdyog, a bulk-supplier to Khadi Bhawans, is also in the fray.
The EoIs are in response to a tender floated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for 'Khadi' marketing operation. The proposal is for a 51-49 per cent partnership, where 51 per cent will be with the corporate entity. KVIC comes under the Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
Audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which is an advisor to the deal, along with KVIC will shortlist the applicants soon, before taking a final decision on the winners.
The official spokesperson of Fabindia could not be contacted for a comment, and an email sent to the company remained unanswered. Shoppers Stop neither confirmed nor denied the development. A representative of Sushila Khadi GramUdyog said it had submitted an EoI for a partnership with the Khadi Bhawans.
Under PPP, eight direct sales outlets (DSOs) of KVIC in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ernakulam (Kerala), Goa, Bhopal, Patna and Agartala will be handed over to a KVIC-corporate joint venture in the next six months. The operation and management of these DSOs will be transferred to this joint venture (JV) under a lease contract, restricting any disposal of assets.
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is on the frontlines of bringing Khadi in vogue.
The historical Khadi Gramudyog Bhawan in the heart of the capital is among the outlets that are being considered for the JV arrangement with a corporate group. The KVIC-corporate JV is also expected to set up 20 new "Khadi Plazas" in some of the commercial centres of the country. While the marketing organisation will have a 51-49 per cent shareholding, production department will maintain 100 per cent KVIC ownership.
The corporate entities must have a networth of at least Rs 65 crore and average turnover of more than Rs 100 crore in the last three financial years, starting from March 31, 2010, according to the KVIC tender. At least three years' experience in marketing, distribution or retailing is a must, the tender specifies.
Out of the EoIs submitted till June 6, those deemed fit on the basis of evaluation by KVIC and PwC will be termed QIPs (Qualified Interested Parties). The QIPs will be invited to submit a proposal detailing their technical, financial and commercial capabilities and a binding financial bid.
The QIPs will also get an opportunity to conduct a due diligence and take up site visits and will also have access to data rooms and hold discussions with the management of KVIC.
''The JV, which is a part of the Asian Development Bank's reform programme -- KRDP (Khadi Reform and Development Programme) -- for KVIC, is meant to do a radical repositioning of the Indian khadi industry to make it a self-sustaining unit," according to a senior official in the ministry of MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises). The $150-million loan by Asian Development Bank for the khadi reform programme was signed on December 22, 2009. It's a three-year loan till 2012.
Disapproving the JV, Ram Shastri, national convener of Khadi Swadeshi Forum (KSF), said "Corporatisation of the labour-intensive khadi industry, which is supposed to be run on 'no profit, no loss' basis is its death knell, threatening the livelihood of one crore khadi workers employed in it."
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
Earlier, the MSME ministry had listed five khadi bhawans as loss-making units. These were Gram Shilpa (Delhi); Khadi Bhawans in Patna, Bhopal, Kolkata and Goa. MSME rejected the proposal of Directorate of Marketing, KVIC, to extend financial assistance for payment of salary and provident fund as per the 6th Pay Commission to loss-making units. Rather, such units were directed towards exploration of Internal Resource Generation (IRG) possibilities, and to henceforth earn their salary themselves. It was also recommended that the loss-making Bhawans could be adopted (and provided logistic support, etc) by the better-performing ones.
Khadi bhawans in Kamla Market (Delhi), Agra, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Kolkata were declared loss-making before they were closed down. Corroborating these closures on ground, an official from the MSME ministry said all direct sale outlets (DSOs), except Delhi, were running on losses. Sales from 10 DSOs all over India are estimated at around Rs 45 crore.
Overall, there are 7,050 sales outlets owned by KVIC and they generate sales worth around Rs 1,000 crore.
Lack of working capital and long gestation period in the production of khadi from cotton were the key reasons for shutting down of khadi units, according to a ministry official. He added that the khadi industry needed to be more aligned with the market forces of demand and supply.
Santosh Desai, CEO of Future Brands, said, "The Khadi brand has not aligned itself with the market forces and new age consumer. Freedom from government apparatus and focus on marketing will help khadi emerge as a strong brand because its concept is strong from the core."
Commenting on the brand, Madhukar Sabnavis, country head, Discovery and Planning, Ogilvy and Mather, India, said some private players were filling the gap in their own way "by leveraging on both traditional Indian materials and craft to position themselves at a more premium end of the market."
WHAT IS KHADI?
Khadi industry was born in 1925
Khadi was started by Mahatma Gandhi as an idea and a movement
Objective was to make India self-reliant by boycotting foreign goods
Khadi started as a freedom struggle, and later turned into a dress code for political leaders
Private players have exploited the khadi fabric in the recent years to make it fashionable
Source: Business Standard
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
After 86 years, big brands are in fray to bond with Khadi - Fabindia, Shoppers Stop and four others have shown interest in a public-private partnership with Khadi Bhawans to manage 8 outlets.
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
A Khadi Fashion Show underway in Goa
New Delhi: The 86-year-old Khadi brand will not be the same again. It is learnt that six companies, including Fabindia and Shoppers Stop, have shown interest in partnering eight Khadi Bhawans spread across India.
Besides, three Mumbai-based retailers have given a joint expression of interest (EoI) for the public-private partnership with the Khadi Bhawans, officials told Business Standard on the condition of anonymity. Delhi-based Sushila Khadi GramUdyog, a bulk-supplier to Khadi Bhawans, is also in the fray.
The EoIs are in response to a tender floated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for 'Khadi' marketing operation. The proposal is for a 51-49 per cent partnership, where 51 per cent will be with the corporate entity. KVIC comes under the Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
Audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which is an advisor to the deal, along with KVIC will shortlist the applicants soon, before taking a final decision on the winners.
The official spokesperson of Fabindia could not be contacted for a comment, and an email sent to the company remained unanswered. Shoppers Stop neither confirmed nor denied the development. A representative of Sushila Khadi GramUdyog said it had submitted an EoI for a partnership with the Khadi Bhawans.
Under PPP, eight direct sales outlets (DSOs) of KVIC in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ernakulam (Kerala), Goa, Bhopal, Patna and Agartala will be handed over to a KVIC-corporate joint venture in the next six months. The operation and management of these DSOs will be transferred to this joint venture (JV) under a lease contract, restricting any disposal of assets.
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is on the frontlines of bringing Khadi in vogue.
The historical Khadi Gramudyog Bhawan in the heart of the capital is among the outlets that are being considered for the JV arrangement with a corporate group. The KVIC-corporate JV is also expected to set up 20 new "Khadi Plazas" in some of the commercial centres of the country. While the marketing organisation will have a 51-49 per cent shareholding, production department will maintain 100 per cent KVIC ownership.
The corporate entities must have a networth of at least Rs 65 crore and average turnover of more than Rs 100 crore in the last three financial years, starting from March 31, 2010, according to the KVIC tender. At least three years' experience in marketing, distribution or retailing is a must, the tender specifies.
Out of the EoIs submitted till June 6, those deemed fit on the basis of evaluation by KVIC and PwC will be termed QIPs (Qualified Interested Parties). The QIPs will be invited to submit a proposal detailing their technical, financial and commercial capabilities and a binding financial bid.
The QIPs will also get an opportunity to conduct a due diligence and take up site visits and will also have access to data rooms and hold discussions with the management of KVIC.
''The JV, which is a part of the Asian Development Bank's reform programme -- KRDP (Khadi Reform and Development Programme) -- for KVIC, is meant to do a radical repositioning of the Indian khadi industry to make it a self-sustaining unit," according to a senior official in the ministry of MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises). The $150-million loan by Asian Development Bank for the khadi reform programme was signed on December 22, 2009. It's a three-year loan till 2012.
Disapproving the JV, Ram Shastri, national convener of Khadi Swadeshi Forum (KSF), said "Corporatisation of the labour-intensive khadi industry, which is supposed to be run on 'no profit, no loss' basis is its death knell, threatening the livelihood of one crore khadi workers employed in it."
Gandhi's khadi gets a makeover
Earlier, the MSME ministry had listed five khadi bhawans as loss-making units. These were Gram Shilpa (Delhi); Khadi Bhawans in Patna, Bhopal, Kolkata and Goa. MSME rejected the proposal of Directorate of Marketing, KVIC, to extend financial assistance for payment of salary and provident fund as per the 6th Pay Commission to loss-making units. Rather, such units were directed towards exploration of Internal Resource Generation (IRG) possibilities, and to henceforth earn their salary themselves. It was also recommended that the loss-making Bhawans could be adopted (and provided logistic support, etc) by the better-performing ones.
Khadi bhawans in Kamla Market (Delhi), Agra, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Kolkata were declared loss-making before they were closed down. Corroborating these closures on ground, an official from the MSME ministry said all direct sale outlets (DSOs), except Delhi, were running on losses. Sales from 10 DSOs all over India are estimated at around Rs 45 crore.
Overall, there are 7,050 sales outlets owned by KVIC and they generate sales worth around Rs 1,000 crore.
Lack of working capital and long gestation period in the production of khadi from cotton were the key reasons for shutting down of khadi units, according to a ministry official. He added that the khadi industry needed to be more aligned with the market forces of demand and supply.
Santosh Desai, CEO of Future Brands, said, "The Khadi brand has not aligned itself with the market forces and new age consumer. Freedom from government apparatus and focus on marketing will help khadi emerge as a strong brand because its concept is strong from the core."
Commenting on the brand, Madhukar Sabnavis, country head, Discovery and Planning, Ogilvy and Mather, India, said some private players were filling the gap in their own way "by leveraging on both traditional Indian materials and craft to position themselves at a more premium end of the market."
WHAT IS KHADI?
Khadi industry was born in 1925
Khadi was started by Mahatma Gandhi as an idea and a movement
Objective was to make India self-reliant by boycotting foreign goods
Khadi started as a freedom struggle, and later turned into a dress code for political leaders
Private players have exploited the khadi fabric in the recent years to make it fashionable
Source: Business Standard
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Land acquisition bill draft in public domain soon to ensure fair compensation:States to decide who acquires land Ramesh-27 July 2011
Land acquisition bill draft in public domain soon: Ramesh/New land acquisition Bill to ensure fair compensation: Min
Land acquisition bill: States to decide who acquires land
(I WISH IT INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS AND ALL PARTIES STRICTLY..VT)
Indo-Asian News Service
Wednesday, 27 July 2011 08:38
New Delhi: The much-awaited land acquisition bill will be compliant with the exiting legislations on panchayats and forest rights and its draft will be placed in public domain in the next two-three days, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday.
The minister told media persons that there will be one draft of the bill which will include aspect of relief and rehabilitation though there could be different yardsticks of compensation for urban and rural areas. The bill will comply with the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act and the Forest Rights Act, he said.
He said there will be need for land for industralisation, infrastructure and urbanisation in the coming next ten to twenty years and the bill has been prepared keeping in mind these requirements. But ensuring food security was essential and multi-crop, irrigated land should not be acquired easily, Ramesh added.
The minister said that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had made big contribution towards the bill. He said that the bill will not only keep in mind interests of farmers but also those whose livelihood was dependent on land.
Ramesh said that farmers should also get some benefit of appreciation in price of their sold land. The minister, who toured some Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh last week, said there was need for more flexibility in implementation of rural development plans in these areas.
"Giving a new dimension to rural development in Naxal (Maoist)-affected areas is my priority," he said. He said there were demands about relaxing the norms relating to road construction and increasing administrative expenditure of some schemes.
He said that people affected by Maoist violence should be included in Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). Ramesh also said there was paucity of government staff in Maoist-affected areas and recruitments should be done locally.
Noting that since many of the Maoist affected districts were on borders of states, there should be joint effort from concerned states at improving infrastructure.
The minister, who was on a visit to Rajasthan on Monday, said biggest problem in western areas of the state was drinking water. He said he will soon visit Maoist-affected areas in Orissa and Jharkhand.
Land acquisition bill: States to decide who acquires land
(I WISH IT INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS AND ALL PARTIES STRICTLY..VT)
Indo-Asian News Service
Wednesday, 27 July 2011 08:38
New Delhi: The much-awaited land acquisition bill will be compliant with the exiting legislations on panchayats and forest rights and its draft will be placed in public domain in the next two-three days, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday.
The minister told media persons that there will be one draft of the bill which will include aspect of relief and rehabilitation though there could be different yardsticks of compensation for urban and rural areas. The bill will comply with the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act and the Forest Rights Act, he said.
He said there will be need for land for industralisation, infrastructure and urbanisation in the coming next ten to twenty years and the bill has been prepared keeping in mind these requirements. But ensuring food security was essential and multi-crop, irrigated land should not be acquired easily, Ramesh added.
The minister said that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had made big contribution towards the bill. He said that the bill will not only keep in mind interests of farmers but also those whose livelihood was dependent on land.
Ramesh said that farmers should also get some benefit of appreciation in price of their sold land. The minister, who toured some Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh last week, said there was need for more flexibility in implementation of rural development plans in these areas.
"Giving a new dimension to rural development in Naxal (Maoist)-affected areas is my priority," he said. He said there were demands about relaxing the norms relating to road construction and increasing administrative expenditure of some schemes.
He said that people affected by Maoist violence should be included in Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). Ramesh also said there was paucity of government staff in Maoist-affected areas and recruitments should be done locally.
Noting that since many of the Maoist affected districts were on borders of states, there should be joint effort from concerned states at improving infrastructure.
The minister, who was on a visit to Rajasthan on Monday, said biggest problem in western areas of the state was drinking water. He said he will soon visit Maoist-affected areas in Orissa and Jharkhand.
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