INDIA COUNTRY BRIEF 100324

Basic Political Developments

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's remarks over the Women's Reservation Bill has angered different political outfits, as they now want an apology from him. Yadav at a rally on Tuesday said that if the Women's Reservation Bill would be passed in its present form, it would help women belonging to the families of industrialists and bureaucrats, who were of the kind youths would want to whistle at.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said the US was pursuing the 'help-the-ally-at-any-cost' policy and did not want to expose Pakistan's involvement in terror activities.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi today to discuss political, social and developmental aspects of coalition government in the state and strategy to be adopted for the forthcoming local bodies elections.

In a press release Communist Party of India (Marxist) Tamil Nadu unit Secretary G Ramakrishnan today appealed to the voters in Pennagram to put an end to the misrule of the DMK-Congress in the state by voting in favour of AIADMK in the coming byelection.

Media reports today said there has been a lull in the Andhra Pradesh politics in the past few days compared to the intense turmoil witnessed since December over the Telangana statehood issue. The Centre has appointed the five-member Srikrishna Committee to study the situation in Andhra Pradesh that has brought about the turnaround in the situation.

Fight for succession in ruling DMK today resurfaced with Union Minister M K Azhagiri saying he would not accept anyone other than his father and party chief M Karunanidhi as his leader. Azhagiri, in an interview to a magazine, said none other than Karunanidhi was acceptable to him as a leader and that barring the chief minister, no other party leader had the capacity to lead the DMK.

National Economic Trends

The RBI governor Duvvuri Subbarao on Wednesday said, demand-side pressure on the Indian economy can build up further and it is better to take some action now. "It is better to take some action now and continue with the exit strategy."

Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions

Union Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters on the sidelines of a CII function in New Delhi today that accounting fraud in erstwhile Satyam Computers will be resolved soon. "The work is in final phase. ICAI is working on it... We should not say they are not working. We are moving forward."

US-based fast food brands operator Yum! Restaurants today launched its Mexican speciality chain Taco Bell in India with the first restaurant in Bangalore and said it plans to open up to 100 outlets by 2015.

Executive Vice President of Pepsico Holdings (agro-business) Nischint Bhatia today said Pepsico has engaged 12,000 farmers across the country in contract farming of potato. He said that of the 12,000 farmers, 6,500 are in West Bengal working 2,600 acres. "There are 12,000 farmers doing contract farming of potato for us involving 16,000 acres of land."

ArcelorMittal have started relocating its staff based in Orissa to other operations, generating speculation that the move was a precursor to shelving of the Rs 50,000 crore steel project that is haunted by delays.

Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)

Quoting unknown sources, media reports today said Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India are not planning to raise their $570 million takeover bid for Gulfsands Petroleum, which the UK-listed explorer rejected as inadequate.

Media reports today said Cairn India has raised crude oil reserves estimates at its Barmer fields in Rajasthan, leading to a 74% gap between private and government assessments under various nomenclature. Cairn Energy said it now estimates oil reserves at its Barmer fields in the northern state to be as much as 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent, or BOE.

Media reports today said GAIL is eyeing a big pie of Ghana's gas infrastructure and retailing market and is willing to team up with fertiliser-maker RCF, which proposes to set up a plant there, as an alternate route to gain access to the African country.

Militant Activity/Terrorism (Particularly in Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Chennai, Coimbatore)

Media reports today said leaders of Pakistan-based banned terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen have called on supporters to wage a 'jihad' or holy war for the liberation of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The terrorist leaders pledged to wage a jihad to "free" Jammu and Kashmir during a rally held in Kotli, a town in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on Tuesday.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in an official release today that 58 militants, including 43 foreign militants, were undergoing convictions for indulging in militancy-related incidents in the state.

Media reports today said six persons including three security personnel were killed by armed Maoists in separate incidents in Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal early today in fresh Maoist attacks.

Police said armed Maoists shot at and critically injured two persons at a village in Nawada district of Bihar today. The attack took place on the second day of the 48-hour Maoist shut-down call in seven states including Bihar.

Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang today admitted that the state was being used as "shelter" and "transit" by underground groups and said his government cannot be complacent. "Meghalaya is one of the most peaceful states in the region. Taking advantage of this, underground groups are using it as transit and shelter.”

Media reports today said Pakistan-based terror groups, including the Lashker-e-Toiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, have vowed to step up their 'jihad' to liberate Kashmir from India and asked Islamabad to adopt a concrete strategy for this purpose.

Labor/Social Unrest

Full Text100324

Basic Political Developments

Mulayam's remarks over Women's Reservation Bill draw controversy http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20100324/816/tnl-mulayam-s-remarks-over-women-s-reser.html Mar 24 12:40 PMLucknow, Mar 24 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's remarks over the Women's Reservation Bill has angered different political outfits, as they now want an apology from him.

Yadav at a rally on Tuesday said that if the Women's Reservation Bill would be passed in its present form, it would help women belonging to the families of industrialists and bureaucrats, who were of the kind youths would want to whistle at.

Women workers of the Samajwadi Party are not ready for this Bill, asserted Yadav, saying that they would get ready for a prolonged agitation soon.

Reacting to Yadav's remarks, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at least fun or insult should not be made of the female sections of our society.

"If this is indeed the comment, all I can say that your use of respectful words for all sections of society should increase with your political seniority and political experience," said Singhvi.

"If you cannot do much for the female sections of our society, at least do not insult them, at least do not deride them, at least do not make fun of them," he added.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Subodh Srivastava said that making such derogatory and insulting comments against women and that too at a function organised on the birth centenary celebrations of Ram Manohar Lohia was an insult to the late socialist leader, who had been a great supporter of woman empowerment.

Srivastava too demanded an apology from Yadav.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), meanwhile, criticized Yadav's comments, saying that it reflected his cheap and sick mentality.

"BSP strongly condemns irresponsible statement given by the SP chief that only women and girls of affluent class would get benefit of the women's reservation and youths would pass comment on them," said BSP state President Swami Prasad Maurya.

"Such a childish statement is unbecoming of a person, who had been the Chief Minister of the state and had been a Union Minister," he added.

The Samajwadi Party supremo addressing his party workers said the Bill would benefit only those women belonging to the families of industrialists and bureaucrats, adding that not a single male would be elected to the Lok Sabha 10 years after the Bill comes into force

Yadav also advocated quota for the fairer sex within political parties asserting that it should be made mandatory to reserve 15 percent tickets to women.

US doesn't want to expose Pakistan's terror links: BJP http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100324/818/tnl-us-doesn-t-want-to-expose-pakistan-s.html Mar 24 05:52 PMNew Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Fearing that India would be denied access to David Headley, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said the US was pursuing the

'help-the-ally-at-any-cost' policy and did not want to expose Pakistan's involvement in terror activities.

'The BJP's apprehension that India will be denied access to the most wanted terrorist, Headley, is possibly becoming a reality,' party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said Wednesday.

Sitharaman said US Ambassador Timothy Roemer's remark that no decision to provide access to interrogate Headley has been taken 'has only added to our fear(s)'.

The statement comes as officials Wednesday expressed confidence that India would be given direct access to interrogate the Pakistani-born US national who has confessed of having schemed the 2008 Mumbai terror attack with LeT men in Karachi.

Headley has also admitted that he attended LeT terror camps in Pakistan on five occasions.

Headley's cooperation with US prosecutors came after he was assured that he would be spared of the death sentence and prevented from being extradited to India or Denmark, where he had also plotted an attack on the Jyllands-Posten newspaper office that published cartoons of the Prophet.

'Pakistan has been and is an ally of the US. Our worry is that the US will not permit revealing anything that projects, in this case without a shred of doubt, Pakistan's involvement in perpetrating terror in the subcontinent,' Sitharaman said.

'This 'help-the-ally-at-any-cost' attitude of the US is seen also in the statement made by (Secretary of State) Hillary Clinton,' the BJP spokesperson said.

She was referring to Clinton's statement that the US may consider having a nuclear agreement with Pakistan similar to the one it has with India.

The BJP feared Headley 'may be a rogue agent'.

'It is a fact that he was employed as an agent by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the US government and in 1998 as a part of a deal (somewhat similar to the plea bargain now) his 10-year-sentence for drug smuggling was reduced. He has been under FBI surveillance having agreed to work as an undercover operator,' she said.

She said if India was indeed denied access to Headley 'we shall not know about the roles played by the so called state and non state actors (in Pakistan)'.

'This is a failure of Indian diplomacy. (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh is going too much out of his way to befriend the US. We are not being treated as equal partners. The government of India has failed to assert its sovereign right in not obtaining access to have a custodial interrogation of the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack.'

Omar meets Sonia to discuss strategy for local bodies pollshttp://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20100324/1471216.htmlMar 24 2010 ISTJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi here today to discuss political, social and developmental aspects of coalition government in the state and strategy to be adopted for the forthcoming local bodies elections.

During the half-an-hour one on one meeting, the two leaders discussed matters relating to the functioning of the National Conference-Congress coalition government in the state. The two leaders expressed their satisfaction over the smooth functioning of the state government.

The Chief Minister thanked the UPA Chairperson for the support the state government has received from the Centre in the last 14 months and assured her that National Conference will work hand in hand with the Congress to further strengthen the coalition in the state for the peace, development and harmony.

Mr Abdullah also lauded Ms Gandhi for her commitment to see the Womens Reservation Bill through in Parliament. He appreciated her commitment to this landmark piece of legislation and also offered the National Conferences support to the Bill.

CPI(M) appeals people to vote for AIADMKhttp://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20100324/1471227.html

Chennai | Wednesday, Mar 24 2010 ISTCPI (M) Tamil Nadu unit Secretary G Ramakrishnan today appealed to the voters in Pennagram to put an end to the misrule of the DMK-Congress in the state by voting in favour of AIADMK in the coming byelection.

In a press release here, Mr Ramakrishnan said the party did not approve of the malpractices that the DMK had indulged in during its camapign for the byelection. "Farmers in the area are facing extreme draught and water scarcity problems and are migrating to other states in search of alternative jobs. The government had failed to bring any welfare scheme for the people," he blamed.

He alleged that the DMK-Congress Government had failed to take steps to implement the Hogenakkal Project, which could help improve the draught situation in the constituency.

It may be noted that the DMK was caught in the thick of a controversy of bribing the voters to vote in favour of them in the coming byelection in Pennagarm.

In reply to the Election Commission's role in containing the bribe, Election Commissioner Mr Naresh Gupta has said "We could not restrict the bribing act." Mr

Ramakrishnan expessed regret over the Election Commission's answer. The AIADMK candidate, backed up by the CPI(M), for the constituency is T R Anbazhagan.

Lull in AP politics after pause in Telangana turmoilhttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579434_Lull-in-AP-politics-after-pause-in-Telangana-turmoilHyderabad, Mar 24 (PTI) There has been a lull in the Andhra Pradesh politics in the past few days compared to the intense turmoil witnessed since December over the Telangana statehood issue.

It was the five-member Srikrishna Committee, appointed by the Centre to study the situation in Andhra Pradesh, that has brought about the turnaround in the situation.

The ongoing Budget session of the state Legislature also holds mirror to the current scenario where disturbances, if any, were centred around issues concerning the people like the unprecedented energy crisis, acute drinking water scarcity, irregularities in implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, rather than political or statehood issues.

Succession war resurfaces in DMKhttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579332_Succession-war-resurfaces-in-DMKChennai, Mar 24 (PTI) The fight for succession in ruling DMK today resurfaced with Union Minister M K Azhagiri saying he would not accept anyone other than his father and party chief M Karunanidhi as his leader.

Azhagiri's statement came a year after the succession row appeared to have settled when M K Stalin, third son of Karunanidhi, was made Deputy Chief Minister.

Azhagiri, in an interview to a magazine, said none other than Karunanidhi was acceptable to him as a leader and that barring the chief minister, no other party leader had the capacity to lead the DMK.

Asked for his comments on Azhagiri's remarks, Karunanidhi shot back saying "go and ask him".

Karunanidhi last year had announced he would like to retire from active politics after the classical Tamil conference at Coimbatore in June this year and concentrate more on his literary work.

National Economic TrendsBetter to act now as pressures can build: RBIhttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Better-to-act-now-as-pressures-can-build-RBI/articleshow/5719035.cms24 Mar 2010, 1504 hrs IST, REUTERS

MUMBAI: Demand-side pressure on the Indian economy can build up further and it is better to take some action now, the central bank governor said on Wednesday, days after it surprised markets by raising interest rates.

The Reserve Bank of India, citing inflationary pressures and an improving economy, hiked key rates by 25 basis points late on Friday, a month earlier than expected, and another increase is seen at its policy review on April 20.

"It is better to take some action now and continue with the exit strategy," Duvvuri Subbarao said on the sidelines of a convocation ceremony, referring to debate over whether the central bank should opt for small, gradual policy moves to quell inflation or act more aggressively.

In the medium term, high inflation would threaten sustained economic growth, he noted.

Referring to emerging pressures in Asia's third-largest economy, Subbarao said factory capacity utilisation in India had risen to 72 per cent, slightly off the record level of 76 per cent scaled in 2007-08.

"Contribution of food to inflation was at 100 percent in November. By February, contribution of food to inflation has come down to 52 percent. So, these numbers say even if food inflation is high, non-food inflation is building up."

Real estate prices were reaching pre-financial crisis levels, reflecting a further increase in demand-side pressures, he added.

Economists polled by Reuters after Friday's rate hike say the central bank is likely to raise policy rates to a slightly higher level this year than earlier expected. Most now see rates being raised by a total of 100 basis points by the end of 2010.

Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser to the finance ministry, said did not expect the central bank's rate move on Friday to curb India's growth.

"In Q4 (Jan-March), I expect it to be 8.5 per cent," Basu said at the same event as the central bank chief.

The government expects the economy to grow by about 8.5 per cent in 2010-11 and at 9 per cent after that, he added.

India's wholesale price index rose a faster-than-expected 9.89 per cent in February from a year earlier, driven by firm food prices. But many officials hope inflation will ease somewhat in coming months as winter-sown crops come onto the market.

"I expect inflation to come down. It may just go up for one more month in March as the base effect is strong," Basu said, adding that average inflation for 2009-10 will not cross 4 per cent.

Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions

ICAI investigations in Satyam case in final stages: Khurshidhttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/consultancy-/-audit/ICAI-investigations-in-Satyam-case-in-final-stages-Khurshid/articleshow/5719222.cms24 Mar 2010, 1613 hrs IST, PTINEW DELHI: The government today allayed apprehensions that accounting regulator ICAI was not working speedily against auditors involved in the accounting fraud in erstwhile Satyam Computers, even as the US counterpart has already banned two such auditors.

"The work is in final phase. ICAI is working on it... We should not say they are not working. We are moving forward," Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters on the sidelines of a CII function here.

Earlier this month, the US regulator for auditors, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), had barred Siva Prasad Pulavarthi and Chintapatla Ravindernath -- senior executives with PricewaterhouseCoopers' associate Lovelock & Lewes, the former auditor for Satyam Computers.

However, the Indian accounting regulator, ICAI, is yet to complete its disciplinary committee hearings against two PriceWaterhouse auditors involved in Satyam accounting -- S Gopalakrishnan and Srinivas Talluri--who were imprisoned and recently were granted bail.

Khurshid said, "We must keep in mind those two people were imprisoned... We will move forward very quickly... There is no reason to worry on what needs to be done."

The Minister said ICAI is awaiting certain documents, which could not be furnished earlier as the two auditors were in jail.

Siva Prasad Pulavarthi and Chintapatla Ravindernath were senior executives with PricewaterhouseCoopers' associate Lovelock & Lewes, the former auditor for Satyam Computers.

LoveLock had undertaken the auditing of Satyam's account for four years between 2004-05 and 2007-08.

Market regulator SEBI is also investigating auditors' role among other things in Satyam fraud.

Khurshid said,"I think you can be assured that SEBI will do the best... no timeline, but we are just trying to do the things that need to be done..."

Over Rs 7,000 crore Satyam fraud came into light in January, 2009, when the then Chairman Ramalinga Raju had confessed to overstating the accounts in the balancesheet.

Taco Bell enters India; targets 100 restaurants by 2015http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/Taco-Bell-enters-India-targets-100-restaurants-by-2015/articleshow/5719234.cms24 Mar 2010, 1617 hrs IST, PTINEW DELHI: US-based fast food brands operator Yum! Restaurants today launched its Mexican speciality chain Taco Bell in India with the first restaurant in Bangalore and said it plans to open up to 100 outlets by 2015.

Yum! Restaurants, which operates brands like Pizza Hut and KFC, said it is looking to tap the young consumer segment with Taco Bell's Mexican offerings as part of effort to increase footprints in the estimated USD one billion dollar Indian fast food market.

"We are confident that Taco Bell will redefine the eating-out market in India with its value proposition and variety of delicacies. We have already signed up a few more properties in Bangalore and our aim is to have 100 outlets in India by 2015," Taco Bell India General Manager Ashok Bajpai said.

He said the company will first target the markets in metros and then venture into tier II and II cities and each restaurant will be of around 3,000 sq ft.

"Over 60 per cent of Indian are below the age of 30 years and our focus customer are the youth and those who are young at heart. The Indian quick service restaurant market has been standstill for some time and we want to bring a breath of fresh air into it," Bajpai said.

The brand's global General Manager Andrew Waite was in Bangalore today to open the first Taco Bell outlet.

Bajpai said the price range of the items available in the outlets will be between Rs 18 and Rs 79. Customers can have unlimited quantity of Pepsi for a single time payment of Rs 35.

"With this price range we are creating a value proposition. Besides, half of the 22 items in our menu are vegetarian and we are also using certain Indian ingredients like paneer to add to the variety," he said.

The Louisville (Kentucky)-based company operates over 5,600 Taco Bell restaurants in the US, which specialises in Mexican items like tacos, burritos and quesdillos.

Currently, Yum! Restaurants also runs over 50 KFC and more than 110 Pizza Hut restaurants in India.

Pepsico engages 12,000 farmers in contract farminghttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/cons-products/food/Pepsico-engages-12000-farmers-in-contract-farming/articleshow/5718411.cms24 Mar 2010, 1122 hrs IST, PTIKOLKATA: Riding on high sales of its snacks brands such as Lays and Uncle Chipps, Pepsico has engaged 12,000 farmers across the country in contract farming of potato.

"There are 12,000 farmers doing contract farming of potato for us involving 16,000 acres of land," Executive Vice President of Pepsico Holdings (agro-business) Nischint Bhatia said.

He said that of the 12,000 farmers, 6,500 are in West Bengal working 2,600 acres.

Bhatia said Pepsico's contract farming had picked up very fast, adding that the company had procured 22,000 tonnes of potato in the last harvesting season.

He said that with the growing sales of its snacks brands, the company would adopt for more in the country for contract farming.

Currently, Pepsico is involved in contract farming of potato only.

Bhatia said that farmers were ensured a captive offtake even in periods of glut and also a remunerative price.

He said Pepsico was buying potatoes at Rs 6 per kg from the farmers, which was higher than what others were getting by selling the crop to intermediaries.

Asked whether the company would enter into contract farming of other crops, Bhatia said that there were plans to follow a similar line for oats.

He said oats were currently being imported for its Quaker Oats brand and the company was in talks with various agricultural universities for cultivating it in the country.

"It is still in the research stage and may take three to four years' time," Bhatia said.

He said oatmeal was becoming a popular breakfast cereal in India due to health reasons.

ArcelorMittal begins staff relocation from Orissahttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579648_ArcelorMittal-begins-staff-relocation-from-OrissaNew Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) NRI billionaire L N Mittal-led ArcelorMittal is learnt to have started relocating its staff based in Orissa to other operations, generating speculation that

the move was a precursor to shelving of the Rs 50,000 crore steel project that is haunted by delays.

"The staff relocation has started in Orissa. The company is putting the project on the back burner. Going forward, they may perhaps also completely drop the project," a source familiar with the development told PTI.

Earlier this year, Group Chairman and CEO Mittal had severely criticised the Indian system of governance and said: "We are not satisfied with the progress made in Jharkhand and Orissa... There have also been delays in processes because Indian government as well as the state governments have never received such... mega investments."

"I am sure Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) is also not satisfied with the progress.

Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)

IOC and Oil India say no plan to hike Gulfsands bidhttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil-gas/IOC-and-Oil-India-say-no-plan-to-hike-Gulfsands-bid/articleshow/5717920.cms24 Mar 2010, 0629 hrs IST, REUTERSLONDON/NEW DELHI: Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India are not planning to raise their $570 million takeover bid for Gulfsands Petroleum, which the UK-listed explorer rejected as inadequate.

"We feel we've made what is a reasonable offer and now it's up to management to make the next move," said Jonathan Wright, a banker at investment house Seymour Pierce, which is advising the Indian oil companies on the deal.

"There's no other bidder. We don't see any need to increase our offer," he added in a telephone interview with Reuters.

The companies said they were behind a 315 pence per share bid for Gulfsands on Monday.

Gulfsands declined to comment.

Gulfsands shares closed at 326-1/2 pence on Tuesday, above the per-share bid price, suggesting that the Indian companies might boost their bid or that another bidder might emerge.

Cairn raises Rajasthan oil estimateshttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil-gas/Cairn-raises-Rajasthan-oil-estimates/articleshow/5717841.cms24 Mar 2010, 0522 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Cairn India has raised crude oil reserves estimates at its Barmer fields in Rajasthan, leading to a 74% gap between private and government assessments under various nomenclature.

The Indian subsidiary of UK’s Cairn Energy said it now estimates oil reserves at its Barmer fields in the northern state to be as much as 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent, or BOE. “Discovered resource base increased from 3.7 billion BOE to 4 billion BOE in-place,” said a Cairn statement. “Prospective resource base is now estimated at 2.5 billion BOE in-place.”

Discovered resources comprise total deliverable petroleum quantities from the start of production to the ceasing of production in a field. Prospective resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated that can be potentially produced. “The increase in the Rajasthan resource base supports our vision of greater production potential in the Barmer basin,” said Cairn India CEO Rahul Dhir. Cairn India shares rose 3.76% to Rs 292.80 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

GAIL ready to join RCF for Ghana forayhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/GAIL-ready-to-join-RCF-for-Ghana-foray/articleshow/5716969.cmsMar 24, 2010, 03.05am ISTNEW DELHI: State-run utility GAIL is eyeing a big pie of Ghana's gas infrastructure and retailing market and is willing to team up with fertiliser-maker RCF, which proposes to set up a plant there, as an alternate route to gain access to the African country.

The initial blueprint indicates that if the offer is accepted, RCF will set up a fertiliser plant there, while GAIL will build the gas infrastructure for the unit.

The move is part of a bilateral government-level initiative where India has made investment offers to help Ghana industrialise and develop infrastructure. "The idea is to offer a complete solution where Indian companies can go together. We are not in fertiliser. That remains with RCF but GAIL will take care of pipeline infrastructure and manpower training etc (for operating the pieplines),'' GAIL chairman B C Tripathi told TOI on Tuesday.

The fertiliser plant is to be built at Shama in Ghana's western region. Besides laying pipelines for the plant, GAIL can also plan a facility which can extract petrochemicals-making elements from gas before supplying it to the fertiliser plant. Admittedly, the plan is in an initial stage.

In the meantime, a team of executives from GAIL and state-run consultancy firm Engineers India Ltd held a round of discussion with Ghana National Petroleum Corporation in the last week of February. Sources said GNPC has indicated willingness to take GAIL as a partner in gas transportation projects.

Ghana plans to begin drilling for oil and gas by the end of this year and is aiming to set up gas infrastructure, including projects to retail natural gas as automotive fuel and lay pipelines connecting production areas to consumer centres. GAIL is also offerng to train locals in operating and maintaining gas transport infrastructure as sweetener.

Militant Activity/Terrorism (Particularly in Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Chennai, Coimbatore)

Lashkar openly pledges to 'liberate' Kashmirhttp://news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/24/lashkar-openly-pledges-to-liberate-jk.htmMarch 24, 2010 03:57 IST

Leaders of Pakistan-based banned terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen have called on supporters to wage a 'jihad' or holy war for the liberation of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The terrorist leaders pledged to wage a jihad to "free" Jammu and Kashmir during a rally held in Kotli, a town in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on Tuesday.

Among those who addressed the gathering were senior LeT commander Abdul Wahid Kashmiri and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.

Kashmiri said the LeT would continue to support the Kashmiri people "until they achieve freedom from India".

He told the gathering: "It is the religious obligation of mujahideen to fight invaders and oppressors across the world."

In his address, Salahuddin, who also heads the United Jihad Council, said: "The only way to liberate Kashmir is jihad."

He said "diplomacy, talks and negotiations" over the past few decades "have not worked".

Leaders of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, declared a front for the LeT by the UN Security Council, also attended the rally. A resolution adopted at the rally said: "Jihad will continue until India ends its occupation of Kashmir." About 5,000 people attended the rally in Kotli, located about 80 km from Islamabad.

They shouted slogans like: "We are ready for jihad." Salahuddin also claimed that the terrorist groups were not behind attacks within Pakistan.

Terrorist groups based in PoK had maintained a low profile over the past few years. However, there has been a marked spurt in their activities in recent months.

Tuesday's rally was organised to mark Pakistan Day, the anniversary of the adoption in 1940 of the Pakistan Resolution, which called for the creation of a separate country for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

India has asked Pakistan to take action against LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who it has described as the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan has maintained that there is no evidence that would allow it to prosecute Saeed.

58 militants undergoing convictions in Jammu-Kashmirhttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579206_58-militants-undergoing-convictions-in-Jammu-KashmirJammu, Mar 24 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir government today said that 58 ultras, including 43 foreign mercenaries, were undergoing convictions for indulging in militancy-related incidents in the state.

"At present 43 foreigners and 15 local militants are undergoing convictions for indulging in militancy-related activities in Jammu and Kashmir", Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in an official release.

They will be released only after completion of their terms of punishment, he said.

He said at present 2,477 inmates were lodged in various jails in the state including 337 convicts and 1,914 under-trials.

Maoists kill six, victims include 3 security menhttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579482_Maoists-kill-six--victims-include-3-security-menBhubaneswar/Gaya, Mar 24 (PTI) Six persons including three security personnel were killed by armed Maoists in separate incidents in Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal early today in fresh Naxal attacks.

The Maoists also blew up a government toll plaza in Gaya district in Bihar using dynamites and looted 16 weapons. They snatched Rs three lakh in cash from the plaza counters. Two persons including a security guard were killed in this attack.

The violence occured as the Maoist' 48-hour bandh in seven states to protest against the Government's operations against Naxals drew to a close.

Police said three security personnel were killed and six injured, four of them critically, in a fierce encounter with Maoists in Gajapati district in Orissa early today.

Two villagers injured in Maoist firinghttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579216_Two-villagers-injured-in-Maoist-firingNawada (Bihar), Mar 24 (PTI) Armed Maoists shot at and critically injured two persons at a village in this district, police said today.

Around 80 ultras came to Jamunia village late last night and started firing, in which the duo was injured.

They have been admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and a government hospital here.

The attack took place on the second day of the 48-hour Maoist shut-down call in seven states including Bihar.

Underground groups using Meghalaya as shelter: Lapanghttp://www.ptinews.com/news/579484_Underground-groups-using-Meghalaya-as-shelter--LapangShillong, Mar 24 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang today admitted that the state was being used as "shelter" and "transit" by underground groups and said his government cannot be complacent.

"Meghalaya is one of the most peaceful states in the region. Taking advantage of this, underground groups are using it as transit and shelter," Lapang told the assembly.

Maintaining that the state cannot be complacent, the Chief Minister said, "We are awake to the need for police modernisation."

"We have asked the Prime Minister for additional allocation. We have to check the activities of the militants who are using the state's territory for hiding," the Chief Minister said.

Militants nowadays receive advanced training and so the police need to improve their capacity and efficiency, he said.

Pak-based terror groups vow to step up 'jihad' against Indiahttp://www.ndtv.com/news/world/pak-based-terror-groups-vow-to-step-up-jihad-against-india-18345.phpMarch 24, 2010, Islamabad Pakistan-based terror groups, including the Lashker-e-Toiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, have vowed to step up their 'jihad' to liberate Kashmir from India and asked Islamabad to adopt a concrete strategy for this purpose.

The militant leaders pledged to strengthen their armed struggle and wage a jihad to "free" Jammu and Kashmir during a rally held on Tuesday in Kotli, a town in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Among the dozen speakers who addressed the gathering were top LeT commander Abdul Wahid Kashmiri and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who also heads the

United Jihad Council, an umbrella organisation of all the militant groups active in Kashmir.

Leaders of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, declared a front for the LeT by the UN Security Council, also attended the rally.

Kashmiri said the LeT will continue supporting the Kashmiri people "until they achieve freedom from India".

In his address, Salahuddin said jihad is the "only way" to liberate Kashmir as "diplomacy, talks and negotiations" over the past few decades "have not worked".

"We reject talks between India and Pakistan as a hoax because dialogue can never lead to the freedom of Kashmir," said Salahuddin.

"Therefore, we strongly believe that the Kashmir dispute can be settled only through jihad," he said.

A resolution adopted at the rally said: "Jihad will continue until India ends its occupation of Kashmir."

Salahuddin also accused Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf of having stabbed the Kashmiris in the back when they were "nearing their freedom".

About 5,000 people attended the rally in Kotli, located about 80 km from Islamabad.

Militant groups based in PoK had maintained a low profile over the past few years. However, there has been a marked spurt in their activities in recent months.

Tuesday's rally was organised to mark Pakistan Day, the anniversary of the adoption in 1940 of the Pakistan Resolution, which called for the creation of a separate country for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

India has asked Pakistan to take action against LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who it has described as the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan has maintained that there is no evidence that would allow it to prosecute Saeed.

Labor/Social Unrest