Budget set to waive small, marginal farmer loans

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in his 2008-09 Budget, is set to announce a complete waiver of loans owed by small and marginal farmers, an enhanced subsidy on fertilisers and full reimbursement of actual freight incurred in moving fertilisers.

The write-off of loans owed by the small and marginal farmers - with landholding below 5 acres - and the interest thereon, is a one-time concession. For those with bigger landholding, the remaining 20 percent of the farm community, the relief would be partial providing for a 25-percent rebate on outstanding dues, provided they pay off the 75 percent over three years beginning next fiscal year.

Sources said that about Rs 50,000 crore would be earmarked for the write-off with pro visions made out of the budget without any additional less on the taxpayers.


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US Defence Secretary turn to say: deal clock ticking

U S Secretary of Defence Robert Gates today said he has conveyed it to the Indian leadership that while Washington understands the domestic political compulsions of the UPA government on the nuclear deal, it is important to realise that the "clock is ticking" in the US as this is an election year and the Senate needs time to ratify the agreement.

"I said we are respectful of the domestic political situation here. But the clock is ticking in terms of how much time is available to get all the different aspects of the agreement implemented," he said at a select media interaction after concluding his two-day visit to India during which he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition L K Advani, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony.

Underlining that the civilian nuclear agreement "serves the interest of both countries", Gates said: "The real key here is providing time for our Senate to ratify the final arrangement. This being an election year, there is an open question of how long the Senate will be in session beyond the summer and September."

But he emphasised that the Indo-US relationship was "a wide ranging one" and among the few issues in US foreign relations policy with bipartisan support, which is unlikely to change after the US presidential polls. In this context, he also felt that the relationship will continue


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Lalu Express popular, populist

Presenting his fifth consecutive Rail Budget, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav today played to the gallery by unveiling some populist proposals - cuts in passenger fares to take on low-cost airlines, no hike in freight rates (see chart) - and, unlike last year, did not spend much time tom-tomming about the cash surplus. Instead, he chose to deliver a speech targeting the ordinary passenger, coming up with some ideas which promise to improve functioning of the Railways.

To set the house in order, Lalu, for the first time, announced that on-board cleaning on all Rajdhani, Shatabdi, superfast Mail and Express trains will be done by professional agencies which will provide trained personnel and equipment for the job. With this, Lalu managed to outsource train cleaning to private players.

FARES REDUCED AC-1 7% AC-II 4% Rider: Reduction would be halved during peak periods and in popular trains CASH SURPLUS BEFORE DIVIDEND in 2007-08 (Rs crore) 25,000 Reduced fares, increased volumes and profit

Given the deep penetration of mobile phones in the country, Lalu said his Ministry was exploring the option of issuing reserved and unreserved rail tickets through mobile phones. The Railways also plans to issue wait listed e-tickets.

He unveiled an interesting plan to absorb licensed porters in railways without creating new posts. The plan is to organise a one-time recruitment process wherein licensed porters would be appointed as gangmen or given Group D posts after a screening process. Since the Railways plan to promote a large number of gangmen to gatemen at manned level crossings, porters will fill up the gangmen posts that will fall vacant. The railway network has around 38,000 licensed porters, many of whom stand to gain from the scheme.

A 50 per cent concession in second class passenger fares for HIV/AIDS infected persons, travelling to nominated ART centres for treatment, is another move that will earn public goodwill for the Railways. Reaching out to the masses, Lalu announced a plan to provide platform shelters in smaller stations. As many as 748 `D` category stations and all `B` category



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In Naxal's latest den, police station can't fill up vacancies

With barely a dozen cases being registered every year at the local police station, this may sound like an island of peace. Nestling in the lap of verdant forests and the Chinna Godavari river on the Andhra Pradesh border, Motu tehsil in Malkangiri, the district worst-hit by Naxalism in Orissa, is far from idyllic it is one of the origin points of the Red Corridor in the state, the den of Naxalites.

Motu is also a transit point for Naxalites from Andhra Pradesh who cross the Sileru and Saberi rivers and then fan out across the state. Only the local tribals can walk in Motu without any fear. An outsider, a government official or even a policeman is always at risk here. Locals say nobody can enter Motu without the Naxalites getting to know. Four-wheelers are never used for fear of land mines and even riding a two wheeler is risky.

But a police station does exist in this den of radicals.While Naxalites have been looting and rampaging po lice stations across the state - the latest being in Nayagarh about 90 km from Bhubaneswar - Motu police station has somehow survived. There has been only one attack on the police station - way back in August 2001 when two policemen were killed. But even then, the attack was successfully repulsed by security personnel. There have been

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Dhoni puts seniors on notice: chip in, may change openers

In a tough message to Team India seniors including Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said they need to pull up their socks. In the wake of his side's 18-run loss to Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Dhoni made it clear that the option of changing openers was being kept open.

India slumped to 51/4 before recovering to a competitive total - chasing Australia's 317/7, India were bowled out for 299 - and Dhoni felt the stalwarts need to do more if India has to do well and qualify for the finals of the triangular series.

The direct message to Tendulkar and Sehwag came at the post-match press conference. "The seniors can contribute more," Dhoni said."Gautam (Gambhir) is one of the consistent batsmen. Rohit has done well in patches and I've scored a few runs. If you look at the first five batsmen, if they can contribute and put up significant partnerships, then the lower order - me coming at five or six and Robin Uthappa after me can really go after the bowlers. If Viru, Sachin and Yuvraj do well, it gets easier for the batsmen who follow.But that hasn't been the story till now.

'' So what's wrong? "It's not like they are getting out to rash shots, or that they are not taking up the responsibility.They are getting out to good balls," he said. "You can't really do

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Fingers crossed, Zardari, Sharif join hands

In a set back to President Pervez Musharraf who was hoping to wean away the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) from former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, the two victorious Opposition parties tonight announced that they would form a coalition government of "national consensus" in Pakistan.They have left open a decision on who should be the next Prime Minister.

"We have agreed on a common agenda. We will work together to form a government together at the Centre and in the provinces," Sharif told a joint news conference in Islamabad with Asif Ali Zardari, husband of assassinated PPP leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The announcement of the two parties formally joining hands they together account for 153 seats in a House of 272 - was made after two hours of negotiations between Zardari and Sharif during which they ironed out differences on some key issues.

"We will ensure that you complete a full five year term," said Sharif looking at Zardari who in turn said there were a "lot of grounds to cover" but "Inshallah (God willing) we will be meeting off and on. In principle we have agreed to stay together."

"We are trying to form a national consensus government," said Zardari.

The coming together of Zardari and Sharif may spell trouble for

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It doesn't get any bigger

THAT India controls the money in international cricket is a well known fact. On Wednesday, India Inc rubbed it in. Consider the statistics: At the end of a long day of drama and live action at the Indian Premier League auction in Mumbai today, six of the top10 players, on the money stakes, were from India. Captain M S Dhoni topped the chart (Chennai; Rs 6 crore).

Five of them were part of the side that won the Twenty20 world championship in South Africa last year. As far as a T20 championship goes, that's logic.

Consider this then: Ricky Ponting, regarded as one of the best batsmen of this generation, was sold for Rs 1.6 crore.

Even players associated with Young India - the likes of Rohit Sharma (Hyderabad; Rs 3 cr), Manoj Tiwary (Delhi; Rs 2.7 cr), Robin Uthappa (Mumbai; Rs 3.2 cr) and Gautam Gambhir (Delhi; Rs 2.9 cr) - were priced higher than Ponting. Proven performers such as Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist were left behind.

The biggest pointer towards the bidders going by nationalist sentiments is the case of Ishant Sharma. The Delhi fast bowler, who has come up leaps and bounds over the last couple of months, went for an incredible Rs 3.7 crore.Chaminda Vaas, one of the stingiest bowlers world cricket has known over the last decade,

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After 50 years in power, Castro calls it a day, brother Raul tipped to lead Cuba

FIDEL Castro stepped down on Tuesday morning as the President of Cuba after a long illness, ending one of the longest tenures as one of the most all-powerful communist heads of state in the world.

In late July 2006, Castro, who is 81, handed over power temporarily to his brother, Raúl Castro, 76, and a few younger cabinet ministers, after an acute infection in his colon forced him to undergo emergency surgery. Despite numerous surgeries, he has never fully recovered but has remained active in running government affairs from behind the scenes.

Now, just days before the national assembly is to meet to select a new head of state, Castro resigned permanently in a letter to the nation and signalled his willingness to let a younger generation assume power. He said his failing health made it impossible to return as President.

Castro seized power in January 1959 after waging a guerrilla war against the then-dictator Fulgencio Batista, "I will not aspire to neither will I

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PAK ELECTIONS - His fate in balance, Musharraf says will welcome any winner

A FTER months of unabated violence, including the assassination of for mer Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and fears of rigging, an edgy Pakistan today witnessed by and large peaceful polling - there were no terror attacks and there was heavy security across the country - which may well decide the fate of President Pervez Musharraf.

Counting of votes began shortly after polling ended at 5 pm. Though initial trends have started coming in, the outcome is expected to be clear by Tuesday morning. Some analysts are already saying there may not be a clear winner.

With fears of violence looming large - more than 90 people died in terror attacks in the week leading to the polls - voter turnout took a knocking as the country went to polls after almost eight years of military rule.

An unnamed senior official of the Election Commission was quoted by news agencies as saying that the voter turnout was 35 per cent of the estimated 81 million voters.

But Free and Fair Election Network, a coalition of 40 civil society groups, said that 42 per cent was the average turnout across Pakistan.

President Musharraf, who cast his vote along with wife Sehba and mother Zarin at a polling station in Rawalpindi, promised to work with the

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Fear, rigging charges cast shadow as Pak voters step out today

INSIDE Bilawal House in tony Clifton, Pakistan People's Party activist Ajaz Durrani makes back-of the-envelope calculations, hoping the "sympathy" wave for Benazir Bhutto's death translates into votes. Outside the house, where Benazir lived most of her married life, burly policemen stand guard while Pakistani Rangers patrol the entire city.

This sums up the mood and scene in Pakistan as it goes to the decisive "mother of all elections" tomorrow - the polls delayed by six weeks following Bhutto's assassination.

Security is on high alert as the country's 81 million voters - almost half of Pakistan's population - get ready to elect 342 people's representatives in the national assembly (the country's equivalent of Lok Sabha) and 728 members of provincial assemblies.

Forces are guarding every sensitive area and there's a curfew-like situation in Karachi, including in the otherwise-busy arterial Shahrah- e-Faisal Road.

Pakistan's Election Commission has identified some 15,000 sensitive booths. "The EC is expecting trouble more from the cities than the rural areas," an international election observer, who met Election Commission officials and was briefed on the arrangements, told The Indian Express.

The Pakistan government has clamped curfew in the northwest tribal town of Parchinar where a suicide attack is said to have killed 50 people at a PPP rally on Saturday.

Fear hangs heavy in the political atmosphere and the apprehension of violence is expected to affect voter turnout. Charges of rigging have already been flying thick and fast.

Bhutto's husband Asif Zardari of PPP and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League (N) have warned President Musharraf that they will launch a movement if the polls are rigged.

They are also discussing the possibility of a "grand coalition".

The elections are being seen as a referendum on Musharraf's rule and his allies, the former ruling party PML-Q. The issues grappling Pakistan's elections are a combination of national as well as local factors - ranging from restoration of democracy, which includes a people's elected government, a strong judiciary and limited role of army at the national level, and the issue of rising prices of essential commodities like edible oil, flour, fuel and growing unemployment at the local level.

The rise in the number of terrorist attacks, including the one that killed Bhutto after her homecoming, has only added to the resentment against the government, widely seen as remote-controlled by Musharraf.

Recent opinion polls, including those done by internal as well as international pollsters and civil society groups, have also indicated that the present regime has become immensely unpopular. With Musharraf rubbishing these polls, rumours of rigging have doing the rounds from Islamabad to Karachi.

The government, on its part, says it has deployed 500,000 security personnel for voting day, including 81,000 troops. It pledged today that the polls would be peaceful and fair."The elections will be free, fair, transparent and peaceful. We will not let anyone succeed in disrupting the election process," Information Minister Nisar Memon told reporters in Islamabad.

He warned of a crackdown on protests after polling day. "If anyone wants to create disturbance after elections, we have security arrangements to deal with them," Memon said.

Not many believe him though. Said Samreen Noor who was in Karachi's KFC outlet: "I want to vote, but my family is worried that there might be violence."

Taxi driver Afroz Alam at Islamabad's airport shared the concern. "There is no guarantee that these suicide bombers won't attack polling stations. They can strike at will, how will the government protect us now when it has failed in the past," he said.

But Kamran Sheikh, 32, an investment banker

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Babus in Goa don't give manyata to Sanjay Dutt's marriage certificates

Actor Sanjay Dutt's much publicised civil marriage registration in Goa is in trouble as certificates submitted to the civil Registration Office are under scrutiny with some officials alleging that the papers are "bogus".

Dutt's wife Manyata is also being accused of furnishing false information regarding her marital status.

Prashant Kunkolienkar, the Talathi of Salcete who had issued a certificate of residence to the couple, has been suspended.

Paresh Phaldessai, the Mamlatdar of Salcete, today issued instructions to the Salcete Civil Registration Office that they should not go ahead with the civil registration of the marriage as the Residential Certificate issued by the Talathi is "bogus and contrary to law". The certificate is usually issued by the Mamlatdar.

South Goa Collector J P Naik told The Indian Express: "The Talathi in this case acted against the law. He has been arrogant, he refused to submit a written explanation to a memo I sent him yesterday."

In his Residential Certificate, Sanjay Dutt was said to have stated that he was a resident of AquemAlto, Margao while Manyata gave her address as Gogal, Margao.

Officials said in the registration

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Now 2 nuclear officials abducted in Pak, search is on for Ambassador

AS SECURITY forces searched for Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan after he disappeared with his driver and guard while travelling by road through a volatile tribal region, police today said that two officials of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) had also been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the same area.

"The PAEC officials, Ziaullah and Bisaat Khan, were kidnapped yesterday by unidentified armed men in Sheikh Badin area adjacent to the Lakki Marwat and Dera Is mail Khan districts," said local police chief Akbar Nasir.

Both officials were on a routine visit to conduct a survey for mineral exploration in the mountainous area.

The other abducted men include their driver Safdar and five locals.

The abduction of the PAEC officials came on the same day as the disappearance of Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin, feared kidnapped by criminals or militants operating along the border with Afghanistan, lost contact with authorities

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Advani breaks silence: Mumbai hate campaign is against Constitution

WITH Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and cousin Uddhav's Shiv Sena vitiating Mumbai's atmosphere by competing with each other to target "North Indian migrants", Sena ally BJP's leader L K Advani today broke his party's silence on the issue, saying the hate campaign "is against the Constitution and the concept of national unity".

Though he did not name Uddhav or Raj, Advani, speaking on the sidelines of a function, said: "Every Indian has a right to live, work and travel to any place in the country irrespective of his place of birth. No party or person should undermine the Constitution of the country. The Constitution clearly provides for everyone's right to live and work anywhere in the country.

We cannot accept what is being said in Maharashtra about people from UP or Bihar. It is against the Constitution and the concept of national unity."

Shiv Sena revived its original agenda of Maratha pride and prominence in the wake of belligerent posturing by the MNS. In its original avatar in the 1960s, the Shiv Sena targeted "South Indians" who were the visible "outsiders" in Mumbai. But now, the Hindi speaking people, who constitute a noticeable segment of the city's population, are the new targets. Uddhav Thackeray has said that if labourers from UP and Bihar are brought for the construction of the new Mumbai airport, they would packed off and sent back in cargo planes.

The Shiv Sena's aggression has the BJP in discomfort as it is trying to expand base and consolidate alliances across the country, particularly in UP and Bihar. The Shiv Sena was the first ally that the BJP found - in 1989 - and the partnership has survived many a storm since then. In 2007, the Maharashtra BJP leadership and the Shiv Sena were locked in a war of words and the alliance seemed to be nearing its end. But Advani intervened and the crisis was

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India break MCG jinx to lead table

IT had to come at some point on Sunday night. The matters that Ishant Sharma precipitated in the afternoon took the maximum time to be crystallized, and though it didn't have the essence of a bonus point, the end result should provide satisfaction to this bunch of young boys who were being experimented in the laboratory of Indian cricket team Down Under.

India leap frogged to the top of the table with eight points when Andrew Symonds bowled a wide and Rohit Sharma raised his hands in delight at crossing 160.

But this five-wicket win with 25 balls to spare was more about shattering the myth of Australian domination.

That Australia played with their full side makes the victory even sweeter for this 49,369 audience with majority of Indian supporters and they were third time lucky as India finally broke the big MCG jinx on this tour. Rohit Sharma and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni ended matters in the most sedate manner, adopting the safety first approach with an unbroken 58-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

But it was really the lanky kid from Delhi who bowled with a grumbling pain in his stomach and bigger complications with his front foot and the white line. Ishant spectacularly set up this victory with his first two spells of 5-0-34-1 and 3-1-3-1 from the same Southern stand end that had where started with his first two overs going for 24 runs. Ishant returned to add one more victim in his last seven- ball to earn his maiden man of the match award though Australians have a right to moan that situations would have been different had they got a couple of umpiring decisions right.

It's a pity that such a good win for India opened up with a rank bad judgment from umpire Rudi Koertzen. It began on the third ball of the afternoon when he up held Sreesanth's lbw appeal against Adam Gilchrist who got a thick inside edge to a full-length delivery.

Sreesanth was spot on in the corridor of uncertainty while the other new-ball operator Ishant bowled a couple of wicket-taking deliveries and between a barrage of a wide, a couple of no balls and well-pitched up deliveries.

The first runs off the bat came through an edge when India's nemesis Mathew Hayden was dropped on no score as Rohit Sharma palmed a difficult chance at third slip off Ishant. He edged once again but it was too high for the second silp to hold on a no-ball but the lanky India pacer was third time lucky-this time Hayden went for a booming cover drive and nicked it fine to Dhoni to complete the formalities. Ricky Ponting started off pushing through the cover region but was squared up once again on nine as Ishant hit the deck to earn extra bounce and take the shoulder of Ponting's bat before landing in Sehwag's safe hands.

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SUPER TUESDAY - Too close to call

THE Republican and Democratic contests for the US presidential election began diverging on Tuesday, leaving the Democrats facing a long and potentially divisive nomination battle and the Republicans closer to an opportunity to put aside deep internal divisions and rally around a nominee.

The differing situations for the Republicans and Democrats have clear implications for both parties as they begin to move from the nomination battle toward the general election.

On the Democratic side, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama seem likely to continue their state-by-state struggle, after a night of tit-for tat division of states and delegates, though Clinton claimed the formidable prize of California.

But after months of disarray, Republicans seemed closer to coalescing around Sen.

As McCain logged victories in populous states, including California, and added more delegates to his count, he moved nearer his goal of wrapping up his competition with Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. A third Republican candidate, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, underlined Romney's weakness by posting a series of victories, in a performance that highlighted the discomfort social conservatives have with the field.

Huckabee's relatively strong showing was both a blessing and a curse for McCain, though perhaps more of a blessing. It injected a small note of uncertainty into the Republican race, and potentially delayed the day when McCain would have the stage to himself. But Huckabee appeared to drain votes primarily away from Romney, contributing to his overall weak showing on this night.

This split in the road for Democrats and Republicans should - if and when McCain can claim his party's nomination be a welcome development for McCain, who would have time to begin quelling doubts about him among conservatives.

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VERDICT - For IC-814 hijack, 3 get life but big fish roam free

EIGHT years after Pakistan-based militants hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar and secured the release from Indian jails of three top militants including Maulana Masood Azhar, a designated court in Patiala today sentenced three persons to life in jail, holding them guilty of murder and conspiracy with the hijackers.

Judge Inderjit Singh convicted Abdul Latif, Dilip Kumar Bujhail and Bhupal Man Damai alias Yusuf Nepali under Section 4 of the Hijacking Act, 1982, and on charges of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and wrongful confinement of passengers, forging documents.

Flight IC-814 was hijacked from Kathmandu on December 24, 1999 as it headed for New Delhi and flown to Kandahar in Afghanistan via Amritsar, Lahore and Dubai. The armed hijackers killed one of the passengers on board, Rupin Katyal, and fled with the released militants from Kandahar airport.

In his 269-page judgment, the judge said "the accused entered into criminal conspiracy with the hijackers. I find that the prosecution has cogent evidence on record to A LOOK at the eight-year-old chargesheet of the IC-814 hijack reveals a tale of one of the most meticulously planned terrorist operations India has ever seen. Ten persons working closely for over six-months with one single motive-freedom for Harkat-ul-Mujahideen chief Maulana Masood Azhar, who was then incarcerated in Jammu.

The story of the hijack begins in July 1998 when Maulana's brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar first contacted Abdul Latif to start working on freeing Maulana. After a failed jailbreak attempt in June 1999, a hijack conspiracy started shaping up.

In first week of September 1999, the five hijackers-Ibrahim Athar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Shahid Sayeed Akhtar, Zahoor Ibhrahim Mistri and Shakir-met at a rented flat in Dhaka's Subzi Mandi area. Abdul Latif and Abdul Rauf were also present.

Akhthar, who had been working on the plan in Kathmandu for over a year, told the others that the Indian Airlines flight could be easily hijacked from Kathmandu.

"The Indian passengers only needed an identity card or driving license," Akhthar told the other conspirators. It was decided that the plane would be hijacked and taken to Afganistan. The conspirators decided that if the Indian Government did not concede to their demand for the Maulana's release, the plane would be blown off and the hijackers kill themselves.

Athar told Latif to go back to India and arrange documents to pass off the hijackers as Indian citizens. Pakistan national Abdul Rauf was the key financer of the project. For the next two months, Latif worked overtime to secure documents for every person involved. In the last week of October 1999, two of the conspirators, Shahid Sayeed Akhtar and Yusuf Nepali, arranged for three grenades and three revolvers from Kalimpong with the help of Dilip Kumar Bhujel.

On December 13, all conspirators met again

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MNS MOB FURY - Bachchan target: Raj picks up from where his uncle left

In a new turn to the row over Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray's comments against non-Maharashtrians, supporters followed up clashes on the streets with an attack on Amitabh Bachchan's Mumbai residence last night. The Centre today asked the state government to take all steps to maintain law and order.

The Samajwadi Party, meanwhile, filed a petition with the Election Commission demanding de-registration of MNS. SP general secretary Amar Singh said action should be taken because Raj Thackeray had been issuing "veiled as well as open threats" to non-Maharashtrians and "exhorting his party cadres to perpetrate acts of violence" against them. He also lodged an FIR against Raj Thackeray.

MNS activists clashed with SP workers yesterday, attacked two theatres screening Bhojpuri films and assaulted several North Indian taxi drivers and vendors in central Mumbai.

Late last night, two motorcycle-borne youths threw glass bottles at Bachchan's residence Prateeksha in Juhu. The attack followed Raj Thackeray's comments questioning the star's allegiance to Maharashtra and accusing him of being more loyal to native Uttar Pradesh.

Bachchan, who's in Jaipur with family and Amar Singh to celebrate son Abhishek's birthday, refused comment, but security was stepped up at his Mumbai homes.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said stern action would be taken against the guilty. "There will be full protection for those living in Mumbai," he said.

2 yrs ago, he sang inclusive tune, what's different now RAKSHIT SONAWANE MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 4 IS the violence against north Indians in Mumbai a case of overambitious Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists forcing the hand of their chief Raj Thackeray?

Or is the latest conflict between outsiders and locals in the financial capital a chameleon act in the run-up to elections by the politically insecure Raj?

Some senior MNS leaders think it is the former while others think it is a combination of both.

The party, the first set said, is reconstituting its internal committees and appointing new office-bearers and much of the trouble has been witnessed in districts where the process has not been completed and activists are jockeying for positions.

"While appointments on many panels have been finalised

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Pak ready to lower transit fee for Iran gas to India

Ministers had expressed their keenness to put the pipeline project on stream as negotiations between the three countries have been stalled because of differences between Islamabad and New Delhi over transport and transit fee to be charged from India.

The trilateral has to be preceded by the bilateral meeting, but three fixtures were deferred due to the political conditions in Pakistan.

At the fourth bilateral in February 2007, Pakistan sought $1.57 per million British thermal unit (mBTU) for supply of gas over 1,035 km pipeline it would lay in Pakistan. India, using estimates prepared by consultant Gaffney Cline & Associates, offered a transmission charge of $0.69 per mBtu.

As for the transit fee, Pakistan wants it pegged at 10 per cent of the delivered price of gas to India which says it would pay 5 per..

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Image and Article source: Indian Express
Article taken from the issue: 4 Feb 2008