Gas cylinder cap has lessons for the future

If the government could create a convincing case for capping gas cylinder numbers, there is no reason why the government cannot build a solid case, using similar methods, for a further increase in diesel price.

Of all the decisions that the United Progressive Alliance government took last week to end a long period of policy paralysis, the one that has caused the least provocation to opposition political parties is the annual capping of the supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders.

This is surprising, as its net effect on a householder's annual budget will likely be substantial.

 After consuming six cylinders in a year under the administered pricing regime, a householder's cost of acquiring every additional cylinder during the year will be 88 per cent more than the subsidised price.

For a householder consuming an average of 12 gas cylinders in a year, therefore, the annual outgo on cooking gas would be higher by 44 per cent once the new system is put in place.

This is much higher than the 12 per cent increase in diesel prices.

 This approach has many lessons for the government in tackling several other similar reforms whose implementation would hurt vested interests.

For an important and tough decision to have a smooth ride, the government needs to build a strong case for it through all-party consultations and dissemination of information that secures a buy-in from important stakeholders.

Supriya Sule- Parbhani

Opposition is trying its level best to create rift between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party NCP, but they would not succeed. Today or tomorrow the bickering would be sort out said Supriya Sule. She was addressing media here on Tuesday during here visit to attend the female youth meet in the city. She said that wrong charges of corruption are leveled against the leaders of both the congress parties and trying to keep them apart. Replying to a question she said ‘The task of uniting the female youths of the state by NCP is really praiseworthy and I would also help the party in doing so. I am not interested in getting involved in the state politics by utilizing the female youth support more ever I am interested to work for Maharashtra from Delhi she said. She said that NCP wants to empower the party through the female youth and as a part of this they are making these girls aware of their rights. 

 two todlers molested in just htree days time in the home town of union home minister shinde

Two incidents of molestations of toddlers in a row in three days in the home town of the union home minister sushilkumar shinde,has shaken the entire state on Monday .just three days ago,a thirteen month old baby was allegedly raped by a youth vishal shivaji kamble in the broad day light.  both the victim and the culprit are resident of fakhroddin slum.

The citizens has hardly forgotten the incident ,a fresh incident of same sort on Sunday night ,mounted tension in the city threatening law and order situation in danger . radheshyam kisan yemul [61] a resident of bidi gharkul caught red handed while trying to molest a toddler. According to the midc police chowky, yemul took the kid in a room and made her naked luring her for biscuits and allegedly molested her but due to screaming of the toddler,she was saved by  the residents.yemul was first roughed up by the ersidents and then handed over to the police.

The incidents ,however, has irked the citizens who pelted stone on police station near zindashahmada chowk and other places.the situation came under control only after policerestored batten charge.the cpm former mla narsayya adam has came down heavily on the union home minister shinde for the detorioting condition of law and order situation in the city.”two toddlers are raped in three days in brought day of light in the home town of the union home minister.what could be the situation of country?’he said.

Meanwhile, the police commissioner pardeep raskar has said that the life has come to normalcy and the culprits have been booked under the law for further process.

HANDCUFF FOUND LYING DESERTED: COPS CLUELESS ABOUT THE MISSING HANDCUFF

A handcuff was found lying deserted in the vicinity of the Mahagaon MSRTC Bus Station on Friday by one alert ‘bhel’ vendor Ramlal operating on the platform. He set his hand on the deserted handcuff and handed over it later to the canteen proprietor Raju Narayan Wakode who passed a tele-message to one of his familiar cops attached to the Mahagaon Police Station. But the cop paid no heed to his message forcing Raju to alert another cop. But he too turned a blind eye at the message. A much baffled Raju has then decided to take the handcuff bearing No.161 to Yavatmal and started on his bike.

The Mahagaon police have got the tip off about Raju heading towards Yavatmal to surrender the handcuff and contacted him on his mobile but they could not establish contact till Raju reached Yavatmal.

When they could contact Raju, the power drunk police started dictating him to bring the handcuff to the police station and surrender it to them in their routine style of dealing with a history sheeter.

Much puzzled Raju has then returned to Mahagaon and on reaching there, surrendered the handcuff to the police station of Mahagaon. Raju has thus relieved from the unwanted burden of the handcuff. However, they could not identify the handcuff despite it bears a distinctive number so far.

When contacted, the Mahagaon Police Station Officer Baijnath Latpatte has confirmed of having received the handcuff from Raju and said that there is no missing handcuff from his police station.

“We have sent wireless message to all the police stations and instructed them to verify the stock to ascertain the source of the deserted handcuff,” Latpatte said.

It is pertinent to note that the prisoners are to be taken to the courts from the jail for presenting them before the courts and the prisoners are being handcuffed on their transit. Those who are granted bail by the court are released from the custody and the handcuffs would be taken back to the jail by the cops escorting the prisoners.

The handcuff found in the vicinity of the bus station might be one such handcuff, it is opined. But nobody is ready to accept the responsibility of the custody of the handcuff. Even the District Headquarter sources said that they have no such missing handcuff as per the stock register.

Now the billion dollar question is: The handcuff is of which police station or the jail? And who was the cop guilty of throwing away the handcuff? Or if the handcuff is thrown away by a prisoner managed to skip during his transit from the escort cops custody and is at large now?

Sharad Pawar welcomed FDI

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today welcomed foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, saying it will help in providing good prices to farmers and better choice and low prices to consumers.

The minister added that FDI will be beneficial for both farmers and consumers. He said In Sangli.

"Farmers will gain on at least two counts: significant reduction in post -harvest losses such as loss in transit due to non refrigeration and air conditioning transportation system, and better prices. Consumers will gain from lower prices, greater choice, and higher quality," the minister noted. "Post harvest losses in the country are high. There are losses in the entire supply chain from farm to market. Investment in cold chains is required. More investment to set up such facilities will come with the entry of FDI. This will benefit both farmers and consumers," he has said.

Pawar added that the government's decision of allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail saying that it will boost investment in cold-chain facilities and bring down post-harvest losses.

Sharad Pawar on two days visit on Sangli - Kolhapur districts visit & attended various functions in Sangli.

Inquiry into raods

 District Collector S.Suresh Kumar  said that whenever a serious road accident occurs, a joint committee comprising police, medical, road transport and roads and buildings should visit the scene of tragedy and submit a report. He was speaking at a meeting of officers here today.

He directed the District Medical officer to ensure that the private doctors do not decline to treat the injured on the ground they are medico-legal cases.

Rural superintendent of police S.Satynarayana revealed that 403 persons have been killed in road accidents in Guntur district so far in the year 2012, that the Macherla-Nagarjuna sagar road has several hazardous bends and that 2000 cases of drunken driving have been registered. 

secretary-lavasa

Former Maharashtra Revenue secretary Ramesh Kumar today said that he had highlighted irregularities in his report on Lavasa Hill city in 2010.

 According to him,  Krishna Valley Development corporation leased out a sizeable portion of the government and gram panchyat land on a lease of Rs. 3.28 lacs for a 30 year period.  Surplus land of 300 hectares was bought by Lavasa Corporation and they failed to pay 75% payable as premium  to the government. They also bought land from 100 tribal cultivators without following the due procedure.

Kumar also refused to comment on whether he feltvictimised since he was not given posting in the Maharashtra administrative tribunal after retirement. " I can't comment on this,"he said.

Earlier in the day, Industries Minister Narayan Rane,who earlier held revenue portfolio, said he had acted on kumar's report by recommending disciplinary action against officials who did not follow due procedure regarding tribal land.

65 year old lady brutally killed in Thane.....

A senior citizen lady aged 65 has been brutally killed by some unknown persons in the Nalla Sopara locality of Thane districts eastern part on Friday, the district rural police reported today.

PI Mukund Mahajan of the Nalla Sopara police station said that the victim Vasanti Shekar Roy, was alone at home in the afternoon as her son and daughter in law had gone to office.

It was between 3.00 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. some unknown persons had entered the flat No A-101 of the Central Park, in the eastern part of the Nalla Sopara and attacked her with sharp weapons on the face and hands due to which she died.

Old lady’s son who came home found his mother lying dead in a pool of blood and he got a shock of his life and reported the matter to the police who rushed and carried out probe.

The motive behind the brutal murder is still not not known and the police are presently exploring all the possibilities including theft, but as per preliminary reports nothing was stolen from the house.

The body of the old lady has been since sent for postmortem the police said and added that an offence under section 302 of the IPC had been registered in connection with the offence, which has baffled the neighbours and locality.

 The police were still enquiring with the watchmen of the society and other frequent visitors to get a clue about the killers, the police said.

At a time when the Home Minister has intiated a programme asking the police to take special care of the senior citizens such incidences have caused a great concern among the locals.

In fact during his visit to Thane to participate in a function to inaugurate the modernized control room of the Thane police commissionerate about an year ago, the Home Minister R R Patil, had directed all the senior police officers to visit the senior citizens in their police station area and instill confidence in them as they are living alone and make a list of them and also keep an extra vigil on them.

But such incidences have given a wrong signal about the policing in the region itself, locals said.

Dreaded woman naxalite facing 22 NBW, 62 offences arrested

 A young woman naxalite who is facing 62
criminal offences and against whom 22 non-bailable warrants have been
issued was arrested in a swift operation by Gadchiroli Police, Police
said today.
  Police said, identified as Vasanti alias Savita Pandu Potem joined
naxal movement in year 2004 and was Dalam Commander in Ganglur in
Bijapur district in neighbouring Chattisgarh
between 2006 and 2010.
  Her husband Madhu was also a dreaded naxalites and operated in Andhra Pradesh
and died in year 2006. Vasanti was produced before a Court in
Gadchiroli and handed over to Bijapur Police, yesterday, Police added.

BIO-LD TALKS

 Capping intense and protracted negotiations that ran for several hours, the Convention on Biological Diversity early today passed the decision to double the biodiversity related funding to developing countries for implementing its goals on conservation.

Developed countries agreed to double funding to support efforts in developing states towards meeting the internationally-agreed Biodiversity Targets, and the main goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, a statement issued by the CBD said.

Using a baseline figure of the average annual national spending on biodiversity between 2006 and 2010, developed countries said they would double biodiversity-related international financial flows by 2015. The Conference of Parties (COP) also set targets to increase the number of countries that have included biodiversity in their national development plans, and prepared national financial plans for biodiversity, by 2015, it said.

All parties agreed to substantially increase domestic expenditures for biodiversity protection over the same period. These targets and progress towards them will be reviewed in 2014, it said.

The breakthrough came after several hours of negotiations to reach an agreement on the issue of resource mobilisation (biodiversity funding), which had been the bone of contention during the conference.

The Plenary of the conference began yesterday evening to adopt the decisions but it had to take a break soon to enable the negotiators to thrash out an agreement on the delicate issue of funding.

The funding issue cast its shadow on other matters as well when they were taken up for adoption at the Plenary. With the EU and some others raising objections to certain parts of documents, the matters concerning resource mobilisation, ecosystems restoration, capacity building and the budget of the convention were kept pending by Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, who chaired the Plenary in her capacity as the president of the CBD, for consideration later before announcing the break.

All other matters, 30 of them, had a more or less smooth adoption as consensus was arrived at during deliberations held in the working groups.

India, which assumed presidency of the convention, took the lead in helping the countries to arrive at an agreement on the issue of funding.

The negotiations continued till the small hours of today and the Plenary, when it resumed, passed the decisions on all the pending issues, including funding.

“It is a tremendous matter of pride that we hosted, probably the largest conference that India has had. Over 14,000 delegates, 172 countries participated, 80 ministers,” Natarajan told reporters after the conclusion of the Plenary.

“I think the most important achievement of the conference is that we made it our goal to achieve the unfinished work that was done in Japan which was resource mobilisation, which was very difficult target that we set for ourselves. However, after intense negotiations and tremendous efforts by the entire team and great coordination from all the parties, we did manage to achieve the goal,” she said.

Asked how she proposed to carry out the work during India’s presidency for the next two years, she said the decisions taken at the convention would be taken forward and focus on resource mobilization and achieving the biodiversity targets.

Other key decisions taken at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 11) include new measures to factor biodiversity into environmental impact assessments linked to infrastructure and other development projects in marine and coastal areas, the CBD release said.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity said: “These results, coming in a period of economic crisis, demonstrate that the world is committed to implementing the CBD.  We see that governments are moving forward in implementation and seeing biodiversity as an opportunity to be realized more than a problem to be solved.”

“We now need to move forward in the next two years, under the able leadership of India, the COP 11 president, to consolidate this work and to advance further.  I look forward to other pledges in support of the Hyderabad call for Biodiversity Champions that will allow us to realize our goals” he said.

For the first time, developing countries at COP 11, including India and several African states, pledged additional funds above and beyond their core funding towards the work of the CBD.

The conference also saw the launch of the Hyderabad Call for Biodiversity Champions. The programme will accept pledges from governments and organizations in support of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced USD 50 million as part of the programme when he addressed the conference on October 16.

The Global Environment Facility, the financial mechanism of the Convention, for the first time, was provided with an assessment of the financial resources required to meet the needs of developing countries for implementing the Convention, the CBD release said.

Tatas return to Nagpur after 125 years with reality project

The Tatas who started their first venture in
1877 with a textile company, Empress Mills by Jamshedjee Tata here in
ctity and folded up years later, have announced a major housing
project, in city, today.
  Tata Reality and Infrastructure Ltd, a 100 percent subsidiary of
Tata Sons, today launched a residential property +Capitol Heights+
having 352 flats besides shopping mall, cinemex and other facilities
and amenities. +There will be 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 and 4.5 BHK apartments on sprawling
9.90 acres of land in Rambagh near Medical College, in southen part of city,  Head
Sales and Marketing, Cyrus Engineer, told a press conference, today.
  A vehicle free podium, jogging tracks, children play parks, cycling
tracks will be unique features of the project. A retail mall, swimming pool and food
courts will be within the project.The project is due for completion
and will be fully operational by the year 2014.Tata Reality will
oversee and run the management of property for a period of 10 yeas
after competion or occupancy, Engineer said. The minimum size of the
apartment will be 1350 sq ft.

Builder's attempt to grab DP Road foiled

Finally the Sub Divisional Officer of
Yavatmal Milind Shegaonkar has, on Friday, ordered the Yavatmal
Tehsildar to demolish and seize the illegally errected permanent
decorative arch, gate and wall fence immediatley from the public
Development Road passing along the boundary of Samadan Nagar layout in
the vilalge Bhosa which was approved by the Additional Collector in
the year 2000.

One Satish Narharshettiwar of Wardha, claimed to be the proprietor of
Narharshettiwar Builders and Land Developers, has made wide and
fabulous advertisements both in print and electronic media in the
region and succeeded in attracting many aspiring land investers and
got the plots booked on a fake layout under the banner of ‘Gajanan
Nagari’. He has deployed local unemployed youths for the marketing and
amassed a humge amount to the tune of crores of rupees under the
pretext of booking advance against the plots in a non exixting layout.
Meanwhile he has filed an application to the SDO Yavatmal through four
persons perhaps the real owners of the agriculture land admeasuring
5.89 hectares for getting Non Agriculture (N.A.) permission which was
rejected by the SDO on June 11, 2012 vide his office order no.
52/N.A.P./34/2011-12 despite he has cheated the land investors by
booking the plots on a non existing layout and pocketed their hand
earned money.
To attract the land investors, the builder has daringly encroached a
DP Road of 15 meters left out by the adjoining layout owner and put up
a fabulous entrance arch, strong gate and compound fence. He has also
laid pavement tiles on the encroached public road and converted a part
of it into a garden as if the road belonged to him.
On a complaint received from an alert plot owner, the SDO has ordered
the Deputy Superintendent of Land Records to conduct an on the spot
inspection and report back to him about the factual position.
Accordingly, one A.K. Chavan of the Land Recotrds visited the site and
submitted his findings stating that the builder of ‘fake’ Gajanan
Nagari has encroached the DP Road and converted the same into garden.
He has also confirmed the illegal erection of the permenant welcome
arch, gate and fence precventing the plot owners of the duly approved
layout of Samadan Nagar.
When contacted, the SDO Milind Shegaonkar told that the illegal
structures would be demolished and seized and the department would
file FIR against the builder and others.
‘I have ordered the Tehsildar Arvind Bhagat to get the illegal
structures removed and release the public road from the possession of
the builder for public utility,” Shegaonkar said.
The builder has also cheated the public by booking plots on his bogus
layouts across the district and the District Collector Ashwin Mudgal
is, when contacted, said that a probe would soon be ordered in to the
illegal activities of all the real estate mafias operating in the
district and advised the public not to invest their money on non
existing layout floated by the builder lobbies.

officer-pawar

 For Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, an IAS
officer  having a record like  the controversial Haryana cadre Ashok
Khemka is a strict no-no.
" If I am given a confidential report of an officer to be appointed
for my ministry which speaks of 20 transfers in 40 years, I will not
consider him", he said in an informal chat with reporters at the NCP
state level convention here.
Pawar said he would not consider this as a " good qualification" for an officer.
In reply to a question, he said civil society members had a right to
articulate their opinions but not to level  "wild allegations".
" Very bright" was his sarcastic response when asked how did he view
the future of IAC activist Arvind Kejariwal's political party.

COURT-BAIL

A Special CBI Court here today granted interim bail to VD Rajagopalformer vice-chairman and MD of Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation in Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) Case.

The Court granted 15 days interim bail to the former bureaucrat on the grounds that the demise of his father –in-law today morning, B Ravindranath Deputy Legal Advisor to CBI said adding Rajagopal has to surrender before the court on November 4.

“Earlier he was given bail  to visit his ailing father-in-law with escort. This time he can go without escort. He should surrender before the court on November 4.”

The CBI which is investigating the case arrested Rajagopal on November 13.

Rajagopal, also former Director, Mines and Geology, was managing director of Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation from 2004-09, during the tenure of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

He is the third person to be arrested in the OMC case, after former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, who owns OMC, and the firm’s managing director B Srinivasa Reddy. The two were arrested on September 5.

Industries in state to observe one day bandh on October 25, to protest power hike,,,,,,,,,will also not not pay power bills

Nearly one lakh industries in the state are on war path to protest against the rise in the power tariff and have taken an unanimous decision here today to observe a days state wide bandh on October 25.

This was announced here today at a joint news conference by President of the Chamber of Small Industries Association (COSIA) M R Appa Khambete and Coordinator of the State level Co-ordination Committee Pratap Hogade of the Industrial and Consumer Power consumers.

Representatives of all the Industries Associations from the all over the state today held a day long delibration on the steps to be taken due to the increase in the power tariff and also the ill effects of the same.

The members temper ran high as the industries will have to face undue hardships running their business and industry at this high tarrif the members said.

The industries will perish if the government does not not give a second though to the rise and roll back the rates the members opined.

Ulteimately the consumers are the people who will be worst hit and hence it is absoltutely essential that the increase in tariff is withdrawn they demanded.

They said that there were nearly 58000 LT consumers and 13000 HT consumers of power in the industry using more than 27HP of power who will participate in the bandh and protest the rise in the tariff.

Some of the presidents of the associations from Kolhapur, Pen, Murbad, Bhiwandi, etc etc. said that if the government is adamant and bulldozes through the decision then some of the insustries will surely perish as they cannot sustain the rise in the price.

They pointed out that in the neighbouring states the power was much less than that in the state of Maharashtra as a result of which some of the industries have already started shifting to these states and the trend will continue and intensify with this high tariff.

“Mind you the members said we contribute almost 50% of the revenue earned by the Power Distribution company this fact should not not be ignored by the government”, they said.

They also pointed out that in the last three years there have been revision in tariff at least a dozen times which was unwarranted and this proved a death knell to the industries which are already in the red and suffering due to various factors.

The meeting today also decided that the industries will not not pay their power bill for this month and hereafter till a final decision is taken on the issue of the increase in the tariff.

Asked what next if the government does not not pay heed to their demand the industries representatives who were present for the conference in chorus declared that they would take out a morcha to press for their demands on the Mantralaya and intensify their stir.

5 day old female neonate found in Hingoli district Aurangabad

A 05 day old female neonate found in the Hingoli district had been admitted to the hospital. The incident had created sensation in the region. Police sources said that the Kalamnuri police had admitted the neonate, found in the bushes, to the Hingoli government hospital where, it is recuperating said medical sources. The incident of forced abortion and female foeticide in the Beed district had already struck the headlines since last four months and dozens of USG centers were sealed in the Marathwada region in the recent past.

Pawar’s cancer would have won

 A steely resolve to fight cancer ultimately saw NCP
supremo Sharad Pawar emerging triumphant in his battle against the
deadly disease which had also caused a turbulence in his political
career.
" i got cured of cancer because of a strong will to fight the disease.
If I had given up the fight and stopped work,  cancer would have won",
Pawar said in an informal chat with reporters at the two-day NCP state
level convention which was inaugurated on Saturday.
Pawar who was first diagnosed with mouth cancer a decade ago,
recounted his battle against the disease saying it was important to
defy it by remaining mentally strong.
" Investigations started when a doctor friend of mine noticed a
swelling on my cheek and suggested a biopsy. The treatment started. It
was painful as the skin inside my mouth was burnt making it difficult
to take food", he said.
After he underwent a surgery, he was sworn in as Union minister within
a month, he said, and added with a smile that the members of the house
cooperated with him by not addressing  too many questions to him.
Asked whether he considered that period as critical in his life, Pawar
said apart from his will power, he had a  strong family  support in
his wife and daughter.
"What I was more worried about during this period was the emotional
vulnerability of my party workers who are  attached to me".
The Union agriculture minister said he drew his mental power from his
mother whom he described as a  "very strong woman" who fought against
all odds.

Movie hurt sentiments of people in the region

The Committee appointed by the Andhra Pradesh Government to examine the controversial movie 'Cameraman Gangatho Ramababu', advised 9 modifications in the flick.

According to RV Chandravadan head of the 8-member committee recommended the modifications including cuts and removing audio from certain scenes.

The movies starred by Pawan Kalyan, brother of Congress MP Chiranjeevi kicked up a row alleging that the film ‘hurt’ sentiments of Telangana people and movement.

“We have given our report to the minister. The movie can be screened after the modifications” Chandravadan told.

Pro-Telangana activists yesterday stopped screening of the Tollywood movie at theatres here and at different places, claiming that some dialogues and scenes in the movie hurt sentiments of people in the region.

A group of pro-Telangana activists also allegedly attacked the office of the movie's director Puri Jagannadh at Madhapur over the issue, demanding his apology and immediate stopping of the movie's screening.

Jagannadh had come forward to remove some scenes and dialogues if  people found them objectionable.

Pepsi Changes the Game… brings Cricket & Football together in a spectacular new campaign

Cricket and football, the two most loved sports around the world, come together in a never seen before format… Pepsi changes the game with its spectacular new campaign featuring the Indian heroes of international cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh; along with the biggest global football stars, Didier Drogba,Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres. With cricket season at its peak and Pepsi T20 Footballcreating waves across the country, the new campaign brings together the biggest passions of a sports fan!

It is the ultimate face off between the gods of sport… So, do the athletes play football or they play cricket? Here lies the twist as our cricketers challenge the footballers to a game of cricket to win Pepsi, while the footballers show them how to play cricket - football style. Fun and irreverent, the film captures the essence of ‘Change the Game’ with a foot tapping soundtrack, ‘Mauke Pe Chauka’.

Three persons including Civic Asstt. Commissioner injured in mob attack......................

Three civic employees of the demolition squad including an Assistant Municipal Commissioner was attacked with stones and sticks by an irate mob in Kausa of Mumbra today while they were removing encroachments the Thane Civic sources said today.

Following the attack on the senior official Ashok Burpulle, the General Body of the Thane Municipal Corporation which was in progress expressed serious concern and condemned the incident and the meeting itself was adjourned by the Mayor, expressing the feelings of the civic corporators towards the inhuman incident.

The civic corporation said in a late evening press release that the official an Assistant Municipal Commissioner of the corporation had along with his team gone to the M K Steel compound and was still in action an armed angry mob of about 30 to 40 persons came on the scene and straight away attacked Bhurpule, with stones, sticks and iron rods.

The members of the mob also kicked the officer repeatedly and beat him blue and black it was stated.

Immediately after the incident the Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev rushed straight from the civic general body meeting to the scene and gave a first hand report to the State Chief Secretary, Addl. Chief Secretary (Home) and Principal Secretary of the CM about the entire incident.

The car driver and the security guard who were along with the officer were also attacked by the mob the civic sources said.

The Municipal Commissioner went straight to the police station and lodged a complaint and held discussions with the Police commissioner and declared that henceforth the civic officials will not not budge an inch and take strict action on the encroachments and illegal constructions in the city.

The civic officials further said that Mr. Burpulle who escaped from the furious mob and went towards his car was chased by the mob which dragged him out and again beat him badly and attacked him with stones and sticks besides rods.

In the attack the security guard and the car driver were also injured and all the three have been admitted to the Chatrapati Shivaji Hospital at Kalwa.

Consequent upon this incident of attack on the civic official the Municipal Commissioner said that henceforth the civic officials would be provided armed guard and their vehicles will have wire mesh and shield.

Thane Mayor H S Patil, leader of the house Naresh Mhaske and leader of the opposition Manoj Shinde went to the civic hospital and enquired about the injured.

This is not not the first time such mob attacks had happened in Mumbra it is stated and in earlier occasions too the civic officials were subject to attack in the volatile Mumbra/Kausa region.

EARTH DAY

Earth Day is the occasion to assess our environmental account of the preceding year for the three natural resources on which all life hangs - the atmosphere, water and land. The balance between the over-use and restoration of each resource is an indicator of our long-term sustainability. Past trends show an imbalance on the land account. This makes it an area of prime concern for at least three reasons.

First, fertile land is finite and in short supply, and increasingly so. Land covers 30% of the Earth’s surface. However, the US Department of Agriculture and Earth Action determined that only 3.25% of the Earth was fertile arable land as of 1993. Soil formation takes many years and, for the most part, is the six inch-layer shielding humanity from extinction. But its degradation is rapid.

New data shows that every year, 75 billion tons of fertile soil is lost forever. An assessment conducted in 2008 showed that between 1981 and 2006, 24% of the global land area was degrading while improvement was evident on only 16% of the global land area. This reflects a negative balance, where land degradation exceeds its recovery.

Second, maintaining such a negative balance is unsustainable when another 2 billion people are projected to join us by 2050. Already, 52% of all land used for agriculture is moderately or severely affected by soil degradation. Also, 70% of all fresh water resources are now used for agricultural irrigation.

Third, it should concern us that this imbalance is not due to a lack of solutions but rather, a lack of political will leading to five policy failures. The failures to scale up and scale out good practices, to share information and knowledge, to mainstream appropriate land practices at the national and local levels and to invest resources in the practices, as well as the failure to build holistic approaches that allow for synergy across issues, among actors and levels to be harnessed for effective action on the ground.

Sustainable land use for all and by all must be our goal. One act that could radically move us towards this goal is agreement on a global target that will help contain this imbalance. The UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June, on “The Future We Want”, offers a most opportune moment to do so. 

Under the theme, “Healthy soil sustains your life: LET’S GO LAND-DEGRADATION NEUTRAL”, we are calling for a commitment from the Rio Conference that would ensure that further land degradation is avoided and for every hectare of land that is degraded an equal amount is restored. This target would make us land degradation neutral.

The UNCCD's contribution to Earth Day’s “A Billion Acts of Green” is to promote the move to a land-degradation neutral world by enlightening and educating the public about our land-use account.

This is the message of our joint campaign launched today in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Xinhua News Agency and Reuters under the motto, “Global Action, Green Economy Transforming Lives”.

To deepen knowledge on this issue, starting tomorrow, we will hold a week-long online exchange called, ‘Desertification Week’, facilitated in collaboration with the non-governmental organization, Responding To Climate Change (RTCC). Lastly, the global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification held every 17 June, will take place in Rio de Janeiro this year in order to bring this issue to the attention of the policy-makers going to the Conference.

It is possible to keep an even balance on our land-use account, but it will take the participation of every individual, including you. What is your “Act of Green” on this pressing land issue? Be part of the education solution by sharing this message and information with your network, and tweet about it all the way to the Rio Conference. Will you?

WATER-MINISTER

Andhra Pradesh stamps and registration minister Thota Narasimham  said the necessary steps would be taken on war footing basis to solve the drinking problem in the Kirlampudi mandal of East Godavari district.

            He inaugurated comprehensive protective drinking water scheme constructed at a cost of Rs 12.50 lakh in Gaddenapalli village of Kirlampudi mandal and Rs 2 lakhs worth constructed drinking water borewell.

He said all necessary steps will be initiated on war footing basing to solve the drinking water problem in this mandal. He said wherever necessary drinking water is necessary borewells will be digged and water will be supplied through water tankers.

Rs 20 lakhs has been allocated to Ramakrishnapuram protective drinking water scheme,he added.

Earlier, he inaugurated paddy purchase center at Primay Agriculture coopertive center in Kirlampudi mandal and  said the state government is setting paddy purchase centers in view to provide procurement price to farmers for their product.

three constables wounded

 In  a  strange   mishap,  three  constables  were  injured  when  a  police  rifle  went  off  accidentally.

   R  Samasiva  Rao,  reserve  constable  was  cleaning  his  rifle  ,  unaware  that  it  was  loaded  As  his  finger  unwittingly  touched  the  trigger,  the  bullet  released  with  tremendo  force  The  bullet  hit  nearby  rock  breaking it  into  pieces.  Some  pieces  hit  Sambasiva  Rao  and  two  other  constables  who were  chatting  with  him  The  injured  were  rushed  to  the  Government  general  hospital  where  they  were  declared  out  of  danger