Think India Foundation

Bihar forensic chief's footprints lead to scam

LUCKNOW: Director of the state's Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL) S B Upadhyay has landed up in a controversy as past ghosts have come to haunt him. Patna police had issued a warrant against Upadhyay in February after allegations of embezzlement of Rs 19 lakh levelled against him during his tenure as director of Bihar forensic laboratory, were found true, confirms Patna police chief Manu Maharaaj.

Upadhyay who sits at the Mahanagar-based forensic laboratory, heads the Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi laboratories, besides district field units of the state. He was officiating director of Bihar forensic laboratory before his appointment as director of FSL in UP. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

LBT will lead to corruption, Credai Chairman says

MUMBAI: Opposing the Maharashtra government's decision to impose local body tax(LBT) in lieu of octroi, developers' apex body CREDAI Chairman Lalit Kumar Jain said the new levy will result in rise in corruption and be detrimental to business as well as consumers. There is a potential threat of it becoming breeding ground of corruption. 

Jain, who is also the chairman and managing director of Kumar Urban development Limited, said the government should instead raise VAT to compensate for octroi. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Act like pro-reform activist, Kiran Bedi tells media

Chandigarh : Social activist and former police officer Kiran Bedi on Sunday asked the Indian media to assume the role of a pro-reform and pro-democracy activist in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a seminar on the issue of Communication and Ethics at Panjab University, she said mediapersons must redeem their profession and play the role of an ombudsman over the media firmament of the country.

The seminar was organised by Chandigarh Journalists Association. Referring to recent resignations of two union ministers, she said, had the media been truly active, this corruption would have been exposed earlier. She regretted that the media is not looking at places where facts are being hidden. Dr Bedi exhorted media persons to see what unethical practices are going on in various organs of the media. The watchdog mechanism must draw information and support from citizenry. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Why Siddaramaiah is unlikely to change Karnataka

“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you,” goes the chorus line from an old 70s song. And stuck we were for the past 5 years of BJP rule in Karnataka, hapless prisoners of an asylum ruled by the lunatics.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. AFP.

The memories blur one into another: from the gold-crusted thrones in the Reddy brothers’ living rooms to the severed chicken heads in front of the Vidhana Soudha; from MLAs held captive in hotel rooms to Hindutvadi goons storming bars; from Yeddyurappa‘s naked suryanamaskaras to piles of garbage gathering on Bangalore streets. And through it all, Yeddyurappa, unfazed and untouched, serenely bobbing from one mega-scandal to another, a saffron-clad zombie springing back to political life over and again. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Behind fall of a Meghalaya univ, rise and rise of a ‘chancellor’

Guwahati : If PhD degrees in one year to 434 candidates is a "feat" for which CMJ University in Shillong now finds its doors sealed, the growth of its chancellor in the field of academics has not been any less exponential.

Till the early 1980s, as far as anyone can remember, Chandra Mohan Jha was a petty government contractor. By the time he moved on to his first educational ventures, the North East India Trust for Education and Development (NEITED), in 1999-2000, he had managed to rope in former CM D D Lapang as a chairman. The trust landed in a controversy over use of funds and Lapang resigned soon after. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Siddaramaiah's first task is a thorough cleansing of administration

BANGALORE : My post is not a bed of roses, says the Chief Minister-designate

Ever since it was announced that Siddaramaiah would be Chief Minister, there has been a steady stream of supporters and well-wishers at his house in Bangalore. Photo: K. Gopinathan

Chief Minister-designate Siddaramaiah, who will be sworn in on Monday at the Kanteerava Stadium, says his first task would be a “thorough cleansing” of the administration by taking the bureaucracy into confidence and speedy implementation of development programmes. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Lessons for Akhilesh to learn from Karnataka

LUCKNOW: The Karnataka verdict has once again underlined the fact that political preference is largely made on factors likes good governance and trust rather than national issues and it is a lesson for the Akhilesh Yadav government that in terms of public perception it has yet to make a mark.

In great measure, the Karnataka mandate shows Indian voters' sensibilities. People were fed up with the BJP misrule in the state, with top law makers enmeshed in a multi-billion-dollar scam involving granting of illegal mining contracts costing state exchequer 3.6 billion dollars. Chief minister BS Yeddyurappa resigned and eventually ate into BJP's votes with his newly-formed Karnataka Janata Party. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

HC seeks reply on PIL alleging parking lot scam

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra government to file its reply on a PIL alleging corruption in allotment of public parking lots by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Minister of State for Urban Development Department (UDD) Bhaskar Jadhav. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha asked Advocate General Darius Khambata to file an affidavit by June 30 while hearing a PIL filed by social activist Pravin Wategaonkar. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

New scandals may put brakes on economic reforms

After riding high since launching economic reforms in September, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's minority coalition has been brought to a new low, with key ministers entangled in corruption investigations and Singh facing calls to quit.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

In the space of just a week, Singh's government has seen its economic reform legislative agenda disintegrate in parliament as opposition members have repeatedly disrupted proceedings to demand the resignation of the two-term technocrat and his law and railway ministers. Read more

Source : businesstoday.intoday.in

India needs a statutory, independent Police Commission

The Supreme Court says the government has "shaken the entire process" by asking the Central Bureau of Investigation to interfere in the coal scam. The court says "our first exercise will be to liberate the CBI from political interference". 

All political parties benefit from the misuse of police powers. So, none is keen on reform, though all pay lip service to it.

Many of us will cheer the prospect. But the CBI chief has said, correctly, that the CBI is part of the government, not independent of it. This enables the government to keep misusing the CBI to protect friends and persecute foes. More than court strictures, we need statutory change to overhaul the entire police structure. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Two SBI officials among 8 held in fake cheque scam in Patna

Patna: Bihar police have arrested eight people, including two officials of the State Bank of India, for their alleged involvement in withdrawing cash running into crores of rupees from government accounts using forged cheques, officials said Friday. 

Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Ravinder Kumar said that the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the state police have busted an inter-state gang and arrested eight of its members. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

West Bengal govt responsible for the chit fund scam?

SUCI activists take part in a protest rally against chit fund scam in Kolkata recently - PTI

Trinamul patronised Saradha  

 

A.B. Bardhan, senior leader of the CPI

 

The chit fund scam in West Bengal has left lakhs of people lamenting the loss of their life savings.

 

Majority of them are poor and daily wage labourers who do not even have bank accounts. They were lured into contributing their daily, weekly or monthly earnings to the chit funds, which generally paint a rosy picture about the amount getting doubled within a few months. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

Scam-hit Lonavala is losing the plot

Trouble's simmering in Lonavala, which has for long been a picturesque getaway for a majority of Mumbaikars, and where some of the city's richest and the most glamorous boast of opulent holiday homes.

The hill station, famous for lush green ghats, waterfalls and ponds, sports a rough look these days, with heaps of garbage strewn all over its narrow lanes, and several pockets of stalled infrastructure projects. Read more

Source : www.mumbaimirror.com

India Govt Slammed as ‘Most Corrupt’ Since Independence

New Delhi. India’s opposition called the government the “most corrupt since independence” on Tuesday as a row over political interference in a police probe escalated in the Supreme Court.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, center, walks with Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath as he arrives at Parliament in New Delhi on April 22, 2013. (AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

The top court rebuked the nominally independent Central Bureau of Investigation for showing the government a report on its investigation into alleged corruption in coal mine allotments. Read more

Source : www.thejakartaglobe.com

Bangalore’s reality lags behind image

BANGALORE, India — Two decades ago, this bustling melting pot was an advertisement for a new, confident India. Bangalore’s young, unapologetically cosmopolitan, English-speaking workforce drove India’s economic rise and put the city on the global map, making it synonymous with the country’s information technology revolution.

Sanjit Das/Bloomberg - Pedestrians and traffic move along Brigade Road in Bangalore, India.

But these days, Bangalore’s reputation is taking a beating. Read more

Source : www.washingtonpost.com

Regularisation process under Lokayukta scanner

New Delhi : At a time when the Delhi government is strongly pushing for regularisation of over 1,600 unauthorised colonies, home to around 60 lakh people, Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin has decided to launch a detailed probe into alleged irregularities in the process initiated for regularisation.

The decision by the Lokayukta came after Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna last month asked him to file a final report on the politically sensitive matter for taking appropriate action. Read more

Source : www.deccanherald.com

Why govt sitting on parking lot proposals, activist asks

Social activist Pravin Wategaonkar, who has alleged corruption in allotment of parking lots, today sought to know why Maharashtra government was sitting on 16 proposals of allotment of parking lots.

According to an affidavit filed by Wategaonkar in his PIL, if the government earned a revenue of Rs 200 crore by allotment of five parking lots last year, it should explain why it was not deciding 16 other proposals, when the state, reeling under drought, needs funds. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Odisha readies plan to deal with chit fund fraud

Additional DGP declined to speak anything when asked about the action taken in connection with the Saradha chit fund fraud case

Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar : Waking up to the interests of small depositors in Odisha in the backdrop of large scale chit fund scam by Kolkata-based Saradha Group, the state government said, the crime branch team is in touch with its counterparts in neighbouring West Bengal to decide on appropriate course of action.

"The officials of economic offences wing under the state crime branch have collated some information relating to fraud perpetrated by the Saradha Group at places like Balasore and Puri in Odisha. The additional director general of police has said that they are coordinating with their counterparts in West Bengal to decide on appropriate action to be taken," said J K Mohapatra, additional chief secretary (finance) cum development commissioner. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

West Bengal warned of ponzi menace, CM chose not to act

New Delhi : In the fast moving developments around the chit fund controversy in West Bengal, it now transpires that West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra and Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh were a part of the state level bankers' committee which pointed out that deposits in public sector banks and post offices were drastically falling in favour of ponzi investment schemes. But the government apparently remained indifferent to the threat.

On September 25 last year, the state level bankers' committee, headed by former United Bank of India, chairman Bhaskar Sen met at the National Liabrary hall, where state finance minister Amit Mitra, Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh and other state finance department and micro, small and medium enterprises department officials represented the state government. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Development given the go-by in Karnataka: PM

HUBLI : Taking on the BJP Government in Karnataka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today charged that “bad governance” and “corruption” had slackened the State’s progress and a sense of insecurity was prevalent among the minorities.

Hitting the campaign trail for the May 5 Assembly polls here, Singh said the BJP had changed three Chief Ministers in the last five years and a probe had been ordered against several of its politicians on charges of corruption. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Delhi Lokayukta to launch probe into unauthorised colonies issue

New Delhi: At a time when Delhi government is strongly pushing for regularisation of over 1,600 unauthorised colonies, home to around 60 lakh people, Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin has decided to launch a detailed probe into alleged irregularities in the process initiated for their regularisation.

The investigation will also focus on the alleged nexus between land grabbers and politicians, sources said.

The decision by the Lokayukta came after Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna in March asked him to file a final report on the politically sensitive matter for taking appropriate action. The Lokayukta had earlier sent an interim report to Khanna and recommended issuance of an advisory to the Urban Development department of Delhi government finding it guilty of "en-masse" grant of provisional regularisation certificates to the unauthorised colonies without proper verification. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

PIL alleges ‘irregularities’ in GIFT City project

Ahmedabad : A resident of Ahmedabad has alleged irregularities in the allotment of 26,77,814 square metre land at a throwaway token price of Rs 1 per square metre for the state government's Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) project to a company that was formed as a joint venture by the state government and a private company.

The petitioner, Pathan Mohammed Suleman from Shahibaug area of Ahmedabad, moved the Gujarat High Court (HC), seeking a CBI probe into the entire episode. The court Friday issued notices to the concerned respondents and kept further hearing after summer vacation. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

SEBI digs deeper, chit scam gets bigger

Kolkata : Saradha Realty Ltd, which has gone bust now, may be just the beginning of the unfolding of a deeply entrenched Ponzi scheme network involving dozens of other companies in West Bengal, some of which also wield considerable media power given their ownership of television channels and newspapers.

Agents and investors of Saradha Group protest in Kolkata on Thursday. Partha Paul

According to information available with the union corporate affairs and finance ministries, six companies, against whom market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has already moved, are running a variety of doubtful and exotic deposit schemes and have raised in excess of Rs 7,000 crore so far. But, regulatory sources said, most of these companies have developed political connections with the ruling party, resulting in a situation where SEBI's every move is resisted by the state government and the police. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Mini-bypass: VACB told to file case

KOZHIKODE : Allegations of graft in construction of road

The Kozhikode Vigilance Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge on Thursday issued orders directing the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SP) of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a case in connection with the allegations of irregularities in the construction of the mini-bypass road from Eranhipalam to Arayadathupalam in the city. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

BDO among three booked for corruption in Indira Awas yojna

An FIR has been lodged against three persons, including a Block Development Officer (BDO), for allegedly accepting bribe money in Indira Awas Yojna in Bihar's East Champaran district. 

On the direction of District Magistrate Vinay Kumar, the FIR has been registered against Banjaria BDO Sanjeet Kumar, member of block samiti Vindhyanchal Prasad Yadav and Manager of Phulwar branch of Allahabad yesterday, official sources said. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation suspends 2 officials

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has suspended two officials for irregularities in the purchase of tuberculosis testing machine for Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) hospital in Pimpri. A departmental inquiry has also been initiated against them.

Municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi said the civic administration has suspended stores in-charge Tanaji Lokhande and deputy accounts officer Dnyandeo Garade. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Irregularities in aid to SHGs: Probe ordered

The state government has ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities in distribution of funds to federation of women self help groups (SHGs) by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Minister of State for Urban Development Bhaskar Jadhav made the announcement in the legislative council after Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe raised the issue of distribution of funds by PCMC.

During the debate in the House, Gorhe sought to know whether the Debt Recovery Tribunal had sent a notice to two of the four federations of women SHGs that received grants of Rs 30 lakh each from the civic body over and above the Rs 50 lakh loan from a nationalised bank. Gorhe said neither do the four federations exist and nor were business ventures they proposed to start located. Jadhav said the state government would take action against officials found guilty. When contacted, Gorhe said, "When I raised the issue, the government ordered an inquiry. But just a day back, the bank had returned over Rs 1 crore to the PCMC. The action will send out a strong message to all those self help groups formed for the sake of making money," she said. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

RBI scrutinising banks’ adherence to KYC norms in Bengal

KOLKATA : The regional office (West Bengal and Sikkim) of Reserve Bank of India has conducted a preliminary scrutiny of banks’ adherence to know-your-customer and anti money-laundering guidelines.

The scrutiny was initiated in the wake of the Rs 120-crore fraud involving forgery of term deposit receipts. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Garden illegally scrapped, its FSI given to VIP societies: Activists

MUMBAI: New violations have surfaced at two Worli housing societies that are home to top politicians, with activists saying a public garden was de-reserved to increase floors without requisite permissions from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the civic body.

The Sukhada and Shubhada societies are already in the spotlight for notices sent by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to some residents, from deputy CM Ajit Pawar to BJP leader Gopinath Munde, for illegal alterations and conversion of shops into offices and gyms. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Tainted Karnataka babus, cops posted on poll duty

BANGALORE: Though criminal cases are pending against some top bureaucrats and police officers, they are still being used for election work in Karnataka.

Some such officers are Tapas Kumar, principal secretary, election commission of India; Munish Moudgil, deputy commissioner, Belgaum; Siddappa T, DSP, Mysore rural sub-division; Aruna Prabha, tahsildar, Narasipura and Bisnahalli, SP, Raichur. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Special status to Bihar: Union Cabinet to decide today

New Delhi: With the BJP-JD-U war over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi intensifying, the ruling Congress government at the Centre is trying hard to woo Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with the Union Cabinet on Thursday considering his demand for granting special status to his state. 

Among other issues, the Cabinet will also examine changes to the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act that also provide for confiscation of property if a case of graft is established. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Cabinet plans sops ahead of LS polls

New Delhi : Moving into an overdrive with political clamour rising, the UPA government is set for an image makeover by taking crucial decisions having possible implications before the next general elections.    

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be chairing a Cabinet meeting on Thursday to decide on issues ranging from special economic package for Janata Dal (United) ruled Bihar to a new health mission for urban areas, in addition to new stringent anti-corruption norms for bureaucrats and a new system for appointment of judges of the high courts and the Supreme Court. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Why no RTI in 'progessive' Gujarat, Mr Modi?

AHMEDABAD: Narendra Modi might be wanting to encash 'brand Gujarat' in 2014, but the state he rules still prohibits information under the RTI, which can check corruption to a great extent.

In 2011-12, the Gujarat Information Commissioner received 5,224 complaints and appeals, of which 2,699 were disposed off - the disposal rate was 51.66 per cent. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

In their thirst for votes, parties tap into the educated class

Bangalore : From projecting leaders of tomorrow to promising a corruption-free society, the campaign focus of the three big parties clearly appears to be the educated class in Karnataka.

With barely 20 days to go for the elections, each of the three major parties, the Congress, BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) is playing to its strength. However, the stringent restrictions imposed by the Election Commission are making the parties think twice about scaling up the campaigning. Read more

Source : www.deccanherald.com

Sting operation: Over 30 cops suspended for taking bribes

It was a day of shame for Mumbai police as IBN-Live reported that 36 policemen were suspended after they were caught taking bribes, though there is some uncertainty about that figure as other news organisations have reported it was 32 policemen who have been suspended.

According to an IBN-Live, report, a sting operation by a social activist showed them accepting bribes from residents of illegal constructions in Mumbai’s Kurla area. This comes following the collapse of an illegal building in Thane that claimed 74 lives. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Money being siphoned off in Sarang Talab project

VARANASI: The probe constituted by district magistrate Pranjal Yadav into Sarang Talab episode had concluded that the funds of projects sanctioned to Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) are being siphoned off by the nexus of officials and contractor. In its March 14 edition, TOI had reported that without beginning of any work at Sarang Talab project, the VDA had made a payment of about Rs 40 lakh to the contractor. Taking a serious note of it, divisional commissioner CK Tiwari, who is also the chairman of VDA, had sought a report from VDA vice-chairman VK Singh.

The DM constituted a team of executive engineer and assistant engineer of rural engineering department (RED) to probe into the matter. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Fresh plea in VACB case against Deputy Mayor

KOZHIKODE : The case relates to siphoning of funds from a slum development project.

A file photo of Deputy Mayor PT Abdul Latheef.

Anti-corruption activist K.P. Vijayakumar on Monday moved a petition before the Kozhikode Inquiry Commissioner and Special Vigilance Judge against the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) for not arraigning Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef as an accused in the case relating to diversion of the Cherottuvayal slum development project fund in the city. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Thane building collapse highlights the dangers of corruption and distorted real estate markets

The sheer scale of the Thane tragedy, which took 74 lives even as 60 more were injured, has prompted some sort of action from the authorities: the builders and six others have been arrested, including officials whose collusion may have had a role to play in the building collapse. But given that thousands of buildings in Thane are illegally and equally shoddily constructed, and perhaps an even greater number in its southern neighbour Mumbai, far more wide-ranging actions are needed to prevent the recurrence of tragedies such as this.

It now appears that pretty much every norm in the rule book was violated in putting up the eight-storey building which, according to eyewitnesses, collapsed like a house of cards. There was no approved plan, sub-standard materials were used, no occupancy certificate was obtained from the municipal authorities, the litany goes on. Most outrageously, in order to make official demolition procedures tough, many poor people appear to have been invited to take up temporary residence in the half-constructed building — which accounts for the high casualty figures when it collapsed. Obviously, such gross violation of rules wouldn't have been possible without official collusion and corruption. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'Corruption begins after sanctioned realty plan'

New Delhi/GURGAON: The provision of "compounding construction" is the main reason behind corruption in government, the Haryana industries secretary said at a two-day seminar on "Emerging Frontiers For Spatial Planning: Development of Human Resource for Promoting Real Estate and Property Management" by NAREDCO ( National Real Estate Development Council) on Friday.

Y S Malik, financial commissioner & principal secretary, department of industries, commerce & IT, government of Haryana pushed the idea of doing away with two separate rules for sanctioning building plans as common practice. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Opposition seeks probe into ‘Child Nutrition Surcharge’ in Maharashtra

MUMBAI :  A shocking case of crores of rupees collected from public transport commuters as “Child Nutrition Surcharge” and not being used for the purpose has come to light in Maharashtra, prompting Opposition to seek an inquiry into the matter.

“We will raise the issue in the Budget session of the State legislature, which commences on March 11, and seek an inquiry,” Leader of Opposition in State Legislative Council Vinod Tawde said. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Officials bleed Karnataka Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank

If the financial performance of the Karnataka State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ltd is not good, part of the blame should go to some of its own officials.

The bank calls a monthly meeting of all the 12 members of the managing committee in Bangalore, and as per its by-laws, the officials stationed at various places can claim bus or train fare, or Rs 8 per km travelled if they come in their cars or jeeps. But since 2010, four of the members have been producing false travelling bills as if they have been using their own vehicles and claiming travel allowances running into lakhs now. This came to light through a reply to an RTI application by advocate N Sriram Reddy of Bangalore. Read more

Source : newindianexpress.com

No room for corruption in Tripura, says Minister

AGARTALA : Tripura Finance, PWD and Urban Development Minister Badal Choudhary said that the Left government has managed to be in power for long in the state because it encourages the public’s participation in its working for the state.

Speaking to the AMWJU team currently on a Tripura visit, the Minister said in the previous year, the state government’s main focus was on education, putting the state in the third spot on the state wise literacy rate in the country. Read more

Source : kanglaonline.com

Why Bihar may never make it: Too little corruption?

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s public advertisement on Sunday that his loyalty can be had by any political formation – so long as his demand for special status for Bihar was met – has been propitiously timed.

Nitish Kumar with Manmohan Singh during his Delhi visit. PTI

With the DMK pulling out of the UPA government, pushing the already wobbly coalition to the brink of collapse, Nitish Kumar’s offer of a lifeline in the event that it was needed has come as an enormous relief for the UPA. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Bihar: 289 officials lose jobs due to MGNREGA irregularities

PATNA : Altogether 289 officials have lost their job on the charge of irregularities in implementation of MGNREGA in Bihar, the Legislative Council was informed on Monday.

More than five thousand others, have been served show cause notices for irregularities in executing the rural employment guarantee scheme in the state, Cooperative Minister Ramadhar Singh said in reply to a question. 316 FIRs have been registered in this connection, the minister said. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Laundering sting prods banks to act

NEW DELHI: The money laundering scam has begun to unravel with three top private banks — HDFC, ICICI and Axis Bank — virtually acknowledging that their managers were offering banking channels to launder black money for high networth clients. In a development that lends credence to the charge made by a website that had carried out countrywide sting operations, HDFC Bank on Saturday suspended 20 of the stung officials, while Axis Bank put 16 managers in the dog house by asking them to report to its administrative office.ICICI Bank had suspended 18 executives on Friday. 

HDFC Bank on Saturday suspended 20 of the stung officials.

The action is seen as a kind of confirmation of malpractices as well as an effort to deflect deflecting criticism about illegalities and lax procedures of these otherwise respected banks. The action also comes in the wake of the Reserve Bank stepping in to probe the allegations (although the laundering operation, if true, would also be seen as a lapse on the part of the RBI which is the bank regulator). Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

West Bengal Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation deposit papers fake: Bank

KOLKATA: Investigators probing the fraudulent bulk transfer of Rs 120 crore from the West Bengal Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (WBIDFC) to UCO Bank through the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system have come across an RBI directive on the transfer procedure.

The RBI mandates the customer - in this case WBIDFC - to approach the bank branch and ascertain whether it is able to transfer funds through RTGS system. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Foreign officials may come under graft law

NEW DELHI: The cabinet on Thursday will consider a bill that will make bribery by foreign officials — both government and semi-government — punishable under Indian law, a move that can spell trouble for middlemen like those in the AgustaWestland deal.

The prevention of bribery by foreign public officials and officials of public international organizations bill is part of the commitments that India must fulfill in order to ratify the UN convention against corruption it signed in 2005.

The prevention of bribery by foreign public officials and officials of public international organizations bill is part of the commitments that India must fulfill in order to ratify the UN convention against corruption it signed in 2005. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Bihar initiates action to recover 'ghost payment' in MGNREGA

PATNA: Alarmed by detection of around 20 lakh "duplicate" job cards in the MGNREGA scheme, the Bihar government today said it has launched a special drive to verify cards issued to 1.27 crore beneficiaries to recover "ghost payments" made. 

The Bihar government said it has launched a special drive to verify cards issued to 1.27 crore beneficiaries to recover "ghost payments" made.

"During uploading of data on management information system it came to light that nearly 20 lakh job cards have been issued with different numbers and names but same name of head of the family," Rural Development minister Nitish Mishra told state Assembly in reply to a short notice question of BJP Sanjay Saragwi. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Black money invested in real estate in Bihar: minister

Huge amounts of black money are invested in real estate in Bihar, particularly in the state capital, pushing prices of apartments to unrealistic levels, state Urban Development and Housing Construction Minister Prem Kumar said today. 

The admission came when opposition members raised the issue in the state assembly. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Education sale: Pay money, buy marks

BHUBANESWAR: Self-financed residential colleges, which have been showing exceptionallybrilliant results in the past years, have come under the scanner again following the Plus II question papers leak. The crime branch and Kalahandi police probing the leak suspect a possible nexus between some of these colleges with senior officers of the higher education department to leak questions in a systematic manner and ensure best results for their students after the exam centre superintendent of Mahalinga Anchalik College in Kalahandi was remanded in judicial custody and exams were cancelled at the centre for the question paper leak this year.

Students of these colleges have been passing out with flying colours, showing far better results than those in more renowned BJB (Junior) College and Ravenshaw (Junior) College where only students with very high cut off marks (over 90%) get admission. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com