Tihar officials refuse RTI query on Afzal Guru

LUCKNOW: Can disclosure of certain details on Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, hanged at New Delhi's Tihar Jail "affect relations with a foreign state"? The prison department certainly thinks so.

It would "pre-judicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state, relation with foreign state or lead to incitement of an offence," the Tihar Jail said in a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query by Urvashi Sharma of Lucknow.

The prison headquarters (office of the director general of prisons) has cited various clauses which could jeopardize the relations of India with foreign countries if details like the copy of the 'black warrant' of Afzal Guru, copies of communication sent by ministry of home affairs after taking a decision on the mercy petition, and the total expenses, item wise on keeping Afzal in jail.

Sharma had also sought copies of documents or letters generated, sent and received by the prison department during the process of deciding the place of burial.

Sharma had also asked for the names of the executioner (s), list of people present during the burial of Guru's dead body and any photographs that "could be fraught with security concerns".

But, she was taken aback by the curt response of the prison department stonewalling "innocent queries" like expenses incurred on his stay in Tihar Jail.

"This is completely unacceptable. Why can they not part with communications leading to the rejection of his mercy petition and subsequent hanging," Sharma asked while speaking to IANS.

She claimed had the prison department responded positively, several "conspiracy theories and human rights queries would have been satiated".

"There has been several protests regarding the secretive circumstances Afzal Guru was hanged in and the quiet burial...(the) prison department of Tihar Jail and the union government must come clean on this matter," the RTI activist said, adding she was exploring options to file a review petition.

Afzal Guru, a resident of Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir was convicted for plotting the terror attack on parliament on Dec 13, 2001 and was hanged Feb 9 at Tihar Jail after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition.

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Sushilkumar Shinde identifies Bhandara rape victims, names expunged

NEW DELHI: The names of the three minor girls who were raped and murdered in Maharashtra's Bhandara district had to be expunged on Friday after home minister Sushilkumar Shinde identified them in the Rajya Sabha, attracting the ire of the opposition BJP.

Shinde read out a statement on the gruesome incident in Maharashtra where three minor sisters were kidnapped, raped and murdered last month. Their bodies were taken out from a well.

Shinde named all the rape victims, which according to the law is prohibited.

The matter was raised by leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who said he shouldn't have named Bhandara rape victims.

"As per the Criminal Law Ordinance 2013, the identity of rape victims is never to be revealed. However, the home minister in paragraph two has given names of all the three victims," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.

"The whole house is discussing the issue. Home minister should consider this fact and withdraw the statement and have it corrected and place it again at 2pm," he said.

Deputy chairman PJ Kurien ordered that the names be expunged.

"It is a very important matter and it (names) should be treated as expunged and media should also not use the names in any reports else action will be taken," said Kurien.

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Left retains Tripura,ruling parties ahead in Meghalaya, Nagaland

AGARTALA: The Left Front retained its bastion Tripura while the Naga People's Front in Nagaland and Congress in Meghalaya are set to return to power in the northeast states where counting of votes was taken up today.

The Left Front government in Tripura is poised for a fifth straight term since 1993, securing absolute majority by winning 31 seats in the 60-member Assembly (CPI-M 30 and CPI-1) and leading in 16 other seats while it is headed for a two thirds majority.

TRIPURA

PARTY	LEADS	WINS
CONGRESS	3	7
CPM	4	45
CPI	0	1

Prominent winners of the Left Front are jail minister Manindra Reang, finance minister Badal Chowdhury, agriculture minister Aghore Debbarma and industries minister Jitendra Chowdhury.

Chief minister Manik Sarkar is leading from Dhanpur. The Congress has won five seats, but its allies INPT and NCT have failed to open their accounts.

NAGALAND

PARTY	LEADS	WINS
CONGRESS	3	4
Janata Dal(United)	1	0
NPF	10	24
NCP	0	4
Rashtriya Janata Dal	1	0
Others	2	7

Among Congress candidates, former speaker who switched over to the Congress from the CPM Jitendra Sarkar won from Barjala, leader of the Opposition Ratan Lal Nath from Mohanpur and Dilip Sarkar from Badarghat.

In Nagaland, where there is no alliance among ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland partners, the Naga People's Front won 22 of the 59 seats and is leading in nine. Election to Tuensang Sadar 1 has been countermanded following the death of a Congress candidate.

Chief Minister Neiphu Rio won from Northern Angami-II by 12,671 votes over his nearest Congress rival Kevise Sogotsu.

Speaker Kiyanilie Peseyie won from Western Angami defeating Congress rival Asu Keyho by 1000 votes.NPCC president, S I Jamir won from the Dimapur-II defeating Independent Savi Liegise by 1615 votes.

In Meghalaya, the Congress won 12 seats and is leading in 17 in the 60-member Assembly.

MEGHALAYA

PARTY	LEADS	WINS
CONGRESS	20	11
UDP	3	5
NCP	1	1
National People's Party	1	1
Hill state People's Democratic party	4	0
Others	12	2

Among Congress winners are cabinet minister H D R Lyngdoh and Prestone Tynsong. Both retained their seats.

Former alliance partners UDP won four seats and the HSPDP three.

Chief minister D D Lapang is leading by 7000 votes over his NPP rival Clement G Momin from the Ampati seat.

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Ruckus in Rajya Sabha over alleged tapping of Arun Jaitley's phone

NEW DELHI: The issue of the alleged tapping of the phone of Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Arun Jaitley created a ruckus in the upper House on Wednesday morning.

Rajya Sabha chairman M Hamid Ansari was forced to adjourn the House briefly.

As soon as the House met for the day, Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal stood up and raised the issue.

"It is a matter of concern that the leader of opposition's phone is being tapped, we need an answer from the home minister," Agarwal said.

He was joined by members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Janata Dal (United) and AIADMK.

Ravishankar Prasad of BJP, Satish Chandra Misra of BSP, AIADMK's V Maitreyan, and Shivanand Tiwari of JD(U) were among those who stood up demanding a clarification from the government on the issue.

Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajiv Shukla then assured them that the home minister would inform the house on the issue. The agitated members, however, were not pacified by this and sought a timeframe for the government's response.

Members sought to know if the government was involved in the phone tapping, to which Shukla responded: "The government does not do such things."

This led to uproar from the opposition benches which forced the chairman to order a brief adjournment.

When the House reassembled after the five-minute adjournment, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said he would collect information on the matter and place it before the House soon.

"Government is bound to make a statement on this," Shinde said.

With that, the proceedings of the House continued smoothly and question hour was taken up.

The Delhi Police has arrested Anurag Singh, a doctor-turned-private detective, who runs V-Detect Private Detective Agency in New Delhi. He is believed to be the brain behind the move to acquire Jaitley's phone call details.

Anurag Singh is also one of the main accused in the tapping of the phone of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.

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Hyderabad blasts: NIA seeks custody of suspected IM operatives

NEW DELHI: The NIA has moved a Delhi court seeking custody of two alleged operatives of banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen to interrogate them in connection with the twin blasts in Hyderabad which claimed 16 lives.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) moved a plea before district judge I S Mehta, who issued production warrants for Wednesday against Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan.

The two are lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after being arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in connection with the August 2012 Pune blasts.

The court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to produce both the alleged IM operatives before it tomorrow when it will hear the NIA's plea seeking their custodial interrogation.

According to NIA, Maqbool and Imran had in July, 2012 allegedly recced Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar, where the blasts took place, on the instructions of IM's Pakistan-based founder Riyaz Bhatkal and their interrogation will help them to know the exact plan envisaged by Riyaz.

NIA prosecutor Ahmed Khan said they require the custody of the duo to interrogate them regarding the recent Hyderabad blasts as they are suspected operatives of IM and could give them details and more clues about the executors of the blasts.

On February 21, Hyderabad was rocked by two blasts in the crowded Dilsukhnagar area.

The blasts triggered by improvised explosive devices (IED) took place outside a roadside eatery near Konark and Venkatadiri theatres in the area.

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Suryanelli rape case: Hearing of bail pleas adjourned to March 4

KOCHI: The Kerala high court on Monday adjourned to March four the hearing of the bail pleas of 17 accused in the Suryanelli rape case allegedly involving Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien.

A division bench comprising Justices K T Shankaran and M L Joseph Francis said the appeal and records about the case had not been received from the Supreme Court and it cannot proceed without perusing them, even though the accused wanted their pleas to be taken up today.

According to the accused, the apex court had not gone into the merits of the case and judgement was on technical grounds. The accused, who had been convicted and sentenced by the sessions court, are among the 35 acquitted by a division bench of the high court in 2005.

However, the Supreme Court had however recently set aside the acquittals and asked them to surrender before the special court hearing the case.

First accused Rajan and fifth accused Cherian are among those who have moved for bail maintaining there was no material against them to prove the charges.

Dharmarajan, the third accused, who had jumped bail, had recently been arrested from Karnataka and sent to jail. The high court had reduced his life term to five years. Following the Supreme Court judgement, Dharmarajan has to undergo the rest of his prison term.

The case relates to a 16-year-old girl who was abducted in 1996 and taken to to various places and sexually exploited.

Kurien was acquitted but the victim had recently named him as one of those who allegedly assaulted her in 1996.

The victim had also sent a letter to her advocate seeking to explore the possibility of filing a review plea in the Supreme Court for a fresh probe against Kurien, who according to the victim, had raped her at the Kumily guest house on February 9, 1996.

Kurien has maintained that he had been cleared of the charges by the apex court.

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Five cops suspended on rape allegations in Karnataka

CHIKMAGALUR (Karnataka): Five police personnel, including two women attached to Aldur police station in this district, were today placed under suspension following allegations by a woman that three policemen raped her while she was in their custody, police said.

Western Range IGP Pratap Reddy told reporters here that sub-inspector K R Shivakumar, constables Gururaj, K B Mahesh, woman constable Krithika and woman assistant sub-inspector Nandita Shetty have been suspended pending probe on the complaint filed by the victim.

The victim alleged that the three policemen sexually assaulted her on February 18 in Bangalore when they took her into custody in connection with a gold chain theft case.

The two women police personnel were present when the victim was taken into custody.

The woman and the policemen have been subjected to medical examination and the report is awaited, Reddy said.

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Bihar: Eight killed in landmine blast triggered by Maoists

GAYA (BIHAR): Eight persons, including six policemen, were killed in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists near a culvert at Majhaulia village in Bihar's Gaya district on Friday.

"One ASI (Assistant Sub Inspector), five constables, a village sarpanch and one special police officer (SPO) were killed in the blast," Gaya superintendent of police Akhtar Hussain said.

Maoists used improvised explosive devices (IED) to bomb a jeep at Koili culvert around 12.40pm, he said, adding the vehicle was ripped apart in the explosion.

The incident took place at Roshanganj in Sherghati sub-division, on the border of Bihar and Jharkhand.

The security forces were going for a campaign run by an NGO to build awareness among the people against Maoists, Hussain said.

There have been report of loot of arms of the security personnel in the incident.

In the state capital, director general of police Abhyanad said that senior police officers have been asked to visit the spot.

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Praveen Togadia sent back from Jammu airport

JAMMU: VHP leader Praveen Togadia was on Thursday detained by the police at Jammu airport and sent back by authorities, fearing law and order disturbance.

"I have been detained at the Jammu Airport and not allowed to move out of the complex," the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader told .

"I was served notice by the Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu which said that I will not be allowed to enter Jammu as it will create law and order problem," Togadia said.

The VHP leader said, "They did not allow me to exercise my fundamental rights as a citizen of India".

Following the incident, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists protested outside the airport claiming the VHP leader was not even allowed to meet them.

The VHP leader said he told authorities there was not a single example where his visit or speech had triggered any law and order problem across the country or in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I was on two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to hear complaints of community about J&K government's discrimination in jobs, employment, education, trade, security and religious rights during the visit," he said.

Togadia, who arrived in Delhi-Jammu flight 'S241 Jet' plane around 11.20am, was served notice by the Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Arya Sharma that he will not be allowed to enter by Jammu Police fearing law and order problem, District Development Commissioner Jammu, Sanjeev Verma said.

Verma said Togadia was not allowed to come out of the airport and has been sent back.

The step was taken by the state government in view of last year's visit of Togadia to Rajouri district, where his provocative speech triggered tension between two communities.

Police had booked Togadia for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community at a public rally in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on March 4 last year.

Outside the Jammu Airport, activists of VHP and Bajrang Dal held anti-government protests for not allowing the Togadia to enter Jammu and raised anti-government slogans.

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CBI summons Shahid Balwa for questioning in 2G scam

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Wednesday summoned 2G scam accused Shahid Balwa for questioning with regards to audio recordings of purported conversation between its prosecutor A K Singh and another accused Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra on the case.

Agency sources said Swan and DB Realty promoter Balwa was asked to join investigations in the case as his name cropped up in the purported conversation.

The agency is expecting more such conversations to emerge as it strongly believes that the recording and subsequent leakage of these conversations is the result of corporate rivalry in the telecom sector, they said.

Meanwhile, the agency has received the report from Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) about the previous CD, having conversations between its prosecutor A K Singh and Chandra, who is an accused in the 2G Telecom spectrum allocation scam.

The CFSL in its report has said that the conversations are "untampered". However, in the absence of any voice samples of Singh and Chandra, it could not authenticate whether the voices in the recordings are of the duo, they said.

They clarified that so far there are no indications of CBI's case getting affected in the 2G scam.

Singh, who was removed after surfacing of tapes, has reportedly told investigators that there was nothing unusual in discussing case related facts with the defence and it is a normal practice as far as it does not adversely affect prosecution's case, they claimed.

Unitech had rejected the allegations, saying Chandra had never met the prosecutor in the 2G case outside the court or had any phone conversation with him.

The company has also denied that Chandra's voice was on the tape and said it appeared a fabricated voice recording sent anonymously to CBI.

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20 fishermen assaulted by Sri Lankan naval personnel

RAMESWARAM (TN): Twenty fishermen from Tamil Nadu were allegedly assaulted by Sri Lankan navalmen while they were fishing near Katchathivu islet early Tuesday morning, officials said.

The navy personnel surrounded the fishermen's boats, allegedly beat them up and then took away the GPS equipment.

They also cut the fishing nets and threw the catch into the sea, officials said.

Katchathivu is an islet ceded by India to Sri Lanka in the 1970.

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SC admits PIL against former MCI chief Ketan Desai's election to university senate

AHMEDABAD: A division bench of Justice H L Dattu and Justice Ranjan Gogoi has admitted special leave petition filed by an NGO - People for Better Treatment (PBT) and its NRI head Dr Kunal Saha against election to the Gujarat University senate of former Medical Council of India (MCI) chief - Dr Ketan Desai.

Dr Saha and his organization have been filing various litigations to prevent Desai's possible re-entry in the MCI. He has questioned the Gujarat high court's decision to reject his public interest litigation filed last year.

Last year, Dr Saha requested the high court to direct the GU chancellor, before whom he had made representations to declare Desai's election to senate as illegal. The bench in HC had junked the PIL saying that it is not maintainable, particularly when the same court had rejected a PIL on the same issue a year before also. On the previous occasion, the petitioner had sought HC directions to the university authorities to declare the election of Desai as illegal.

Later, he sought directions from the high court to the governor of Gujarat Dr Kamla, who is Gujarat University's chancellor also, to decide on his representation seeking removal of Desai from the university's senate.

The petitioner wanted Desai to be disqualified as a senate member on the ground that with his arrest on corruption charges, Desai's licence to practice got cancelled.

When the HC turned down his plea, PBT moved the Supreme Court and upon inquiry, the university clarified that Desai was not elected to the senate in the category of medical practitioner at all. Instead, the former MCI chief was elected uncontested in the category of qualified physician, that any person that has an MBBS degree can contest election in that category.

PBT had to withdraw the PIL from the SC, but the apex court permitted the NGO to make a representation before an appropriate authority, which is the governor in this case, for she is the chancellor of the university. Hence, PBT has come up with another PIL stating that two representations were made before the governor, but she has not responded to them or taken any action. This is the second round of litigation by the petitioner.

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Centre pays no heed to state leaders: Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: DMK president M Karunanidhi on Saturday charged the central government of not being bothered by statements from political leaders in the states on issues like the attack on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan forces or fuel price hikes.

Karunanidhi, whose party is a major constituent of the United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) government at the centre, said: "Every time fishermen from Tamil Nadu are attacked by Sri Lankan Navy, leaders of political parties issue statements of condemnation. Nevertheless, the attacks continue."

He added that the statements seem to make little impact on the governments of India or Sri Lanka. "Gone with the wind are statements of political leaders," he said.

Similarly, the price of fuel is hiked even though political parties issue statements opposing the hike, the DMK president said.

"Oil companies are not bothered about the social impact the price hikes have on the middle and poor classes," he said, referring to the hike in petrol and diesel prices announced Friday.

Urging the centre to take back the power to decide on oil prices from the oil marketing companies, Karunanidhi stressed that the current hike should be withdrawn.

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Suryanelli rape case: Accused held in Karnataka

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dharmarajan, the lone absconding convict in the Suryanelli gang rape case, was arrested on Friday by Kerala police from Karnataka.

According to reports, he will be taken to Kottayam for questioning.

Few days back, Kerala police had formed a team to nab Dharmarajan after he appeared on a Malayalam TV channel alleging P J Kurien's involvement in the case.

Dharmarajan was among a group of 35 men accused of sexually abusing the 16-year-old girl for 40 days in 1996. The girl was from Suryanelli in Kerala.

In 2005, the Kerala high court had sentenced Dharmarajan to 5-year in jail. After getting bail, he had gone underground. Thirty four others were acquitted in the case.

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Talks on Rafale deal progressing well, PM says after meeting French president

NEW DELHI: After his meeting with French President Francois Hollande on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that discussions for purchase of 126 Rafale fighter aircraft are "progressing well". India and France entered into exclusive negotiations for the purchase of medium multi role combat aircraft last year.

"Some progress has to be achieved and we hope we can reach a conclusion," said Hollande minutes after meeting Singh.

The two sides have been holding negotiations over issues related mostly to pricing. Both had announced weeks ahead of the visit that it may not be possible to conclude negotiations before the president's arrival in India.

The meeting also saw the two leaders reiterating commitment to building 6 European Pressurised Reactors at Jaitapur. Recalling the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 4 February 2009 between NPCIL and AREVA for setting up of 6 x 1650 MWe EPR units at Jaitapur, they reviewed the status in regard to the first two EPR units and noted that NPCIL and AREVA were engaged actively in techno-commercial discussions.

"They expressed hope for the expeditious conclusion of the negotiations. It was emphasized that the Nuclear Power Plant at Jaitapur would incorporate the highest safety standards," said a joint statement.

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Assam panchayat poll violence toll rises to 15

GOALPARA: The toll in Assam's Goalpara district rose to 15 with violence continuing night-long even as indefinite curfew continued in Krishnai and Mornoi areas today and the army flag-marching affected areas.

The toll in the police firing rose from 12 to 15 today, official sources said, without giving details.

Defence sources said the army was conducting flag marches and working in close coordination with the state government with additional columns kept on standby.

Miscreants fired injuring seven persons, including four seriously in Gobindapur Sala area under Goalpara police station area where ten houses were set ablaze while another five were torched at Rangagora and 20 at Paharsinghpara under Mornoi police station, police sources said.

Residents of three villages fled their homes and were sheltering in relief camps, they said.

Groups of people, including women, armed with lethal weapons attacked polling centres during the third and last phase of the panchayat elections on Tuesday.

Ministers Rockybul Hussain, Rajib Lochan Pegu with Agriculture Advisor to chief minister Bhumidhar Barman, were camping in the district.

The ethnic Rabhas and Hasongs supported by Bodo and Garo tribes have been demanding holding of the RHAC elections ahead of the grassroot polls claiming that panchayats would undermine the Council's authority.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi has announced Rs five lakh for the next of kin of those killed in the police firing, Rs 50,000 for the injured and assistance for rebuilding houses torched.

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Suryanelli gang-rape case: Kurien writes to Sonia Gandhi, Hamid Ansari

NEW DELHI: Facing the heat after fresh twists in the Suryanelli gang-rape case, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien has written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Chairman of the Upper House Hamid Ansari explaining his position.

Sources said he has explained his position to the party president and Ansari amid the Opposition demand for his resignation.

He is understood to have explained in the letter the judgements of various courts, which "exonerated" him in the case.

When contacted, Kurien said he cannot speak to the media on any communication between him and the Congress President.

The lone convict in the Suryanelli gang-rape case had yesterday alleged that Kurien was involved in it as claimed by the victim.

Dharmarajan, the convict who is absconding after obtaining bail, had told a television channel that the principal investigator in the case had allegedly pressurised him not to mention Kurien's alleged involvement in the case.

Kurien, however, rubbished Dharmarajan's claim holding the statement of an accused after conviction has no legal validity.

Reacting to the charge, he said, "this is a settled position of the Supreme Court (that the statement of an accused after conviction has no legal validity).

"Secondly, every accused gets a chance to make a statement before the judge. He did not say this at that time. You (mediapersons) find out why he is making this claim now."

Kurien's colleague in Kerala and Congress spokesperson PC Chacko had on Sunday said that the party will take a decision on the demand for Kurien's removal as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha before the Budget Session of Parliament.

However, Congress had distanced itself from Chacko's remarks. "Whatever Chacko has said is his personal opinion," party spokesperson Sandip Dikshit had said.

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Two days after hanging, speed post reaches Afzal Guru's family

SRINAGAR: The speed post sent by Tihar Jail superintendent to Afzal Guru's family in Kashmir Valley's Sopore town was delivered Monday, two days after he was hanged in the national capital. The letter reached postal authorities here Saturday evening, several hours after he was executed.

"A speed post letter has been delivered to us by postal authorities today. Tihar Jail authorities have sent this speed post to Afzal's family," Afzal Guru's cousin Yaseen told journalists in Daibgah (Jageer) village near Sopore town.

Senior postal officials in Srinagar said the speed post was received Saturday evening - Afzal Guru was executed at 8am on Saturday - but delivered Monday as Sunday was a public holiday.

"We received the speed post by air Saturday evening. It was addressed to Tabassum Guru (his wife). Sunday being a public holiday, the speed post has been delivered today," John Samuel, chief post master general (Jammu and Kashmir), told journalists.

Afzal Guru, hanged for his role in the 2001 attack on parliament, last met his Tabassum and son Ghalib in August 2012.

His family has said they heard the news of his execution from a television channel as they had received no communication from jail authorities about the hanging.

Home Secretary R.K. Singh said Saturday: "The family was informed earlier. I checked from the jail authorities and they informed me that two letters had been sent by speed post. The DGP Kashmir was asked to crosscheck too. It is not correct that the family was not informed."

Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Omar Abdullah has been highly critical of the Jail authorities for having used speed post for intimating Afzal's family.

"As a human being, I find it very difficult to reconcile myself to the fact that we executed a person who was not given the opportunity to see his family for the last time. If in this day and age, we are relying on speed post to inform a family that their loved one is going to be executed, there is something seriously wrong. I wish we were the ones who were authorised to inform the family," he told a TV channel.

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Odisha to hand over 1554 acres of land to Posco

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is all set to hand over 1554 acres of land to Posco-India for setting up its proposed mega steel project in Jagatsinghpur district, official sources said today.

"The state government has already handed over 546 acre of land to Posco and rest 1,554 acres is ready to be handed over to the company," official sources said quoting recent status report on Posco-India project.

The government expects that with the handing over of the land, the company would expedite its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities at the proposed plant site villages, sources said.

The state government maintains that the South Korean steel major required 2,700 acre of land for its 8 mtpa capacity steel facility near Paradip on stage-1. Of the immediate requirement of 2,700 acre of land, the state owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has already acquired 2100 acre of land, it said.

"Balance 600 acre of land is expected to be acquired within the next four months. After that, IDCO will be in a position to hand over this land to Posco," it said adding that the company required a total of 4,004 acre of land for setting up its proposed 12 mtpa greenfield steel project at an investment of Rs 52,000 crore.

The required land (4,004 acre) would be acquired from eight villages like Nuagaon, Dhinkia, Noliasahi, Gobindpur, Polang, Bayanalakanda, Bhuyanpal and Jatadhar, sources said.

This apart, the state owned Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited ( IPICOL) has also recommended 1,500 acre of land for township at Paradip and 20 acre of land for Posco-India's corporate headquarter at Bhubaneswar, they said.

The state government has also accorded administrative approval for 437.69 acre of private land for the project site and 52.30 acre for township, they said.

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Karnataka releases Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

HUBLI (KARNATAKA): Karnataka has started releasing Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court, chief minister Jagdish Shettar said on Saturday.

"We have to respect the Supreme Court directive. We will petition the court Monday for relief as we ourselves are facing severe shortage," he said in this north Karnataka town, 400 km from Bangalore.

The Supreme Court Thursday directed Karnataka to release 2.44 tmc (thousand million cubic) feet of water to Tamil Nadu to save crops in that state.

The water is being released from the KRS (Krishnaraja Sagar) reservoir near Mysore, 130 km from Bangalore.

Police imposed prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people around a three kilometre radius of the reservoir to prevent farmers and Kannada organisations to lay siege to it.

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