India 'Cruises' into Indian Ocean, govt to promote cruise tourism

New Delhi, Nov 28 (UNI) With the year nearing an end and vacation plans on the anvil, one need not cross the Seven Seas to soak oneself in the leisurely experience of a cruise ship.

Incredible India, in collabration with Louis Cruises, is launching India's first cruise ship, Aquamarine, on December 1.

The four-star cruise will soon anchor at the port of Cochin and will be cruising between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka providing rich experience of a culturally affluent region.

On the occasion, Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said with such a long and scenic coastline India would be a fabulous destination for cruise tourism. ''Our people used to go abroad to enjoy the cruise ships but now it is available here. Even foreigners can also enjoy the virgin coasts of India.'' India announced cruise tourism policy last year only and 'Aquamarine' would be the first cruise ship to anchor the Indian coast. Earlier, a river cruise ship, Pandava, sailed between Kolkata and Varanasi for a brief period.

The Tourism Ministry also provided funds to the Cochin port to develop the required infrastructure to host the cruise ships. ''Since Indian coasts are meant for cargo services only, there is a need to upgrade them for the cruise ships,'' said Ms Selja.

She added, ''We are offering assistance to the port authorities to upgrade the ports and make them comfortable for the tourists.'' Cruise shipping is swiftly growing as a new marketable product with the growth rate of around 12 per cent per annum.

Emphasising the importance of cruise Tourism Industry in providing employment, Managing Director, Louis Cruises India Oneil Khosa said it had generated around 350 million jobs in the United States.

He also informed that the crew of the ship would consist of 40 per cent Indian nationals in order to make customers comfortable in conversing with the crew.

Giving details about the on board facilities Country head, Sales and Marketing Vijay Puthran said Aquamarine would have facilities like spa, gym, swimming pool, duty-free shops, beauty salon, bar and restaurants and specially installed bowling machines to target the cricket crazy people of India.

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Cope India-09 Begins: IAF, USAF Come Closer

By Amit Chaudhary

Agra, Oct 19 (UNI) C-130 H, C-130 J and C-17 planes of the US Air Force and AN-32 and IL-76 aircraft of the Indian Air Force soared in tandem into the clear blue skies today as India and United States initiated five-day long joint exercises at Air Force Station (AFS) Agra.

The COPE India- 09 has been planned in pursuance of the broad objective of increasing cooperation among the defence forces of the two countries.

The director of the exercise representing India, Group Captain Mathews Mammen said, ''The exercise will see the two Air Forces working to enhance their knowledge levels and understand the employment philosophies of both tactical and heavy lift platforms of USAF and IAF in joint operations.'' The main objectives of this exercise are to know each other’s operational aspects through joint planning and execution of missions and to train and expose exercise personnel for joint operations in a simulated hostile scenario.

Col Raymond Le Marche of USAF, the exercise director representing US, said this exercise would increase cooperation, friendship and understanding between the two forces as well as countries.

The US contingent comprised C-130 H, C-130 J and C-17 carriers, while IAF contingent included An-32 and IL-76 mainly.

Around 160 USAF and 250 IAF personnel are participating in the exercises. IAF is fielding its Rapid Action Medical Team and Special Forces Garuds.

US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer, present on the occasion said, ''The healthy and growing defence relationship between India and United States is part of a broader strategic partnership that derives from common principle and shared national security interests.'' These exercise will help the two forces to improve their performance in handling the disaster situations. The focus will be on humanitarian relief, casualty management and rescue operations.

As part of the exercise the Para-troopers from both the air forces performed Para jumping from different heights and with different parachutes. ''The use of different parachutes and different planes, as C-130 J and C-17 are new planes to us, helps us learning and experience new and better technologies,'' one of the para jumpers told reporters.

India is in talks with USAF for the purchase of one C-130 carrier plane and is also contemplating to buy C-17 carrier. This purchase, if it materialises, will give a great boost to the IAF in terms of rescue and relief missions.

Special mobile hospital recently procured from American company Alaska Structures Ltd was also displayed at the air base. This mobile hospital consists of 25 beds including Operation Theatre.

Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) Commanding Officer A Mukherjee said,''These mobile hospitals can easily be transported and be set up with in six to eight hours, which is much less than the older ones. It will help in providing instant relief to the victims.'' He added that it can only be used to perform limb and life saving surgeries only.

The cost of this fully air conditioned mobile hospital is around two million dollar.

Joint defence exercises between India and the US will help the establishment of a cordial relationship between the two countries besides India getting a new dimension in its defence power, Mr Roemer said.

He said the US was committed to increasing the strength of the Indian Air Force.

'' This joint exercise would stress upon crisis management, ground warfare, air combat training and will promote ways and means to establish peace'', he added.

This was the sixth such joint Indo-US exercise in the country and will continue till October 23.

The US Ambassador also stressed that these exercises would certainly draw both the countries closer.'' Both the countries would have better relationship in culture, industry and on the economic front besides in the field of crisis management and human relief'', Mr Roemer said.

He said by such joint exercises the US has given recognition to the Indian Air Force.

'' It is an honour for both the countries to go for such a joint exercise'', he added.

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Scrap CWG if it deprives people of their livelihood: CPI(ML)

New Delhi, Nov 14 (UNI) The Delhi unit of CPI(ML) today held a demonstration demanding rollback of bus and Metro fares hike.

Addressing the protestors at ITO, CPI(ML) Secretary (Delhi) Sanjay Sharma alleged that the Delhi government is burning a hole in the common man's pocket for meeting the expenses of organising Commonwealth Games.

He also alleged that government has been working as an ''agency'' to guarantee profit to private investors through the taxpayers' money.

''Sheila Dikshit government has reduced DTC into a revenue collecting agency for TATA company. Government is purchasing buses from TATA at a price two to three times higher from actual price,'' Mr Sharma said.

''The same ''corporate appeasement'' policy is being implemented against roadside vendors. Around five lakh vendors will be evicted from Delhi by July next year. If organising CWG means depriving people of their livelihoods than we should scrap the games,'' he told UNI.

CPI(ML) Delhi Office Secretary Govind Uniyal said, ''We condemn the Chief Minister's statement that citizens have to pay for development.''

Pension scheme for auto drivers in Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 9 (UNI) In a unique and first of its kind initiative, Nyaya Bhoomi, an NGO, and Invest India Micro Pension Services (IIMPS), today launched a pension scheme for the autorickshaw drivers at the 9th IIEF Annual Pension Conference at India Habitat Centre.

The Secretary of Nyaya Bhoomi, Rakesh Agarwal presented the cheque of Rs 60,000 on behalf of 200 autorickshaw drivers to the Director of IIMPS Renana Jhabvala.

The Micro Pension model is designed in such a way that the driver is encouraged to invest more and more of his savings into pension schemes. ''We are contributing Rs 300 per month for each auto driver, under the aegis of ''Auto Star Club'', towards pension fund and if any driver voluntarily contributes any amount over and above the said amount that will be matched by Nyaya Bhoomi,'' Mr Agarwal said.

He added that after 25-30 years, the driver would receive, depending on his age at the time of joining, around Rs five to 15 lakh, which would be enough for him to get a monthly income of around Rs six thousand. The NGO has taken an innovative approach to generate revenues for the pension scheme, Mr Agarwal said, adding the autorickshaws have been specially modified for display of advertisements so that the brand can get maximum visibility, while the vehicles look aesthetically appealing.

The space has been sold to companies like Tata Indicom, Chhabra Triple Five Fashions and Reliance Communications. Under the Micro Pension model developed by IIMPS, the pension savings of auto drivers would be invested in a Central Government-notified Pension Scheme managed by UTI Asset Management Company called UTI Retirement Benefit Pension Fund.

The scheme, according to the Managing Director of IIMPs, Ashish Aggarwal, is providing an average return of 11.5 per cent for the last three years.

There are around 80,000 auto drivers in Delhi and IIMPS and Nyaya Bhoomi plan to cover at least 20,000 drivers under the scheme within the next six months.

In addition to pension, the drivers would also be provided health and accidental insurance, cash incentives and many other benefits soon.

Farmers, labourers urge PM for food security to all

New Delhi, Nov 26 (UNI) Amid growing concerns about 'hunger deaths'

and Genetically Modified (GM) seeds, hundreds of farmers and

labourers today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure food

security to all the people in the country.

A rally under the banner of Steering Group of the Right of Food
Campaign was organised at Jantar Mantar here to demand legislation
of the Food Entitlements Act (FEA) and immediate attention towards
continuous reduction in food production in the country.

The Right to Food Campaign demands an Act that would deal with at
least some of the causes of hunger and will provide each and every
citizen of this country with food entitlements.

One of the agitators from Bihar Rahul, who is also associated with
an NGO Koshish, told UNI, ''Around 125 people have died of
hunger in Bihar this year but neither the Union nor state government
is interested in providing food to us. We are aggrieved from this
apathetic attitude of the government.''

Sharing his experience of dealing with the administrators, he
said, ''We contacted several officials including District Magistrate
but nobody paid attention to our problems. Corruption is present at
every level of administration.''

Reiterating Rahul's anguish towards the government, Steering Group
convenor Kavita Srivastava said, ''this misappropriation of funds is
not restricted to Bihar only. It is prevailed in all the states of
the country.''

A charter of demands was unanimously adopted and given to the PMO
after the rally. Universalisation of Public Distribution System,
effective grievance redressal system, special measures in disasters
were demanded in the charter besides several other demands, including
enactment of FEA.

If enacted, the FEA entitles each and every adult of 14 kg of
cereals per month along with 1.5 kg of pulses and 800 gm of cooking
oil at affordable prices.

Addressing the agitators, National Federation of Indian Women
(NFIW) national joint secretary Rashpal Kaur alleged that Indian
Government is working under the influence of International Monetary
Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organisation.

''We need to understand the conspiracy of these international
organistations. They are working for Multinational Companies who
only look for their profit,'' Ms Kaur opined.

''We are being advised to use GM seeds to get higher production
but the question is how can poor farmers afford to purchase such
expensive seeds,'' she questioned.

National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) representative
Bhupender Rawat said in spite of increasing the land for
aggriculture, government is allocating agricultural land to the industries and business houses.

Lawyers demand separate bench of HC for West UP

New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) After farmers, it was the turn of lawyers

from Western Uttar Pradesh to register their protest for ignoring

their 40-year-old demand for a separate High Court Bench in the

western region of the state.

Hundreds of lawyers from UP today held a demonstration at
Jantar Mantar asking the Union and UP government to stop passing
the buck and take concrete steps to give respite to lakhs of
people residing in the western UP.

Chairman of High Court Bench Establishment G S Dhama said, ''It
is not just lawyers who are demanding the separate bench, it is the
demand of people.''

He alleged that both the Centre and the state government were
passing the buck and not paying heed to the problems of the people.

People have to travel 800 km to reach Allahabad. The long
distance adds to the already high cost of pursuing a case in High
Court. Poor people cannot afford to pursue their case for a longer
period. So it is a kind of impediment in the way of justice, Mr
Dhama noted.

Former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes went to meet the agitators
and said it was a genuine demand and the Centre government also
considers it but until the state government does not put the demand
on table, nothing can be done.

Around 14 lakh cases were pending in the Allahabad High Court out
of which, around eight lakh were from Western UP and 16 districts
fall in this region.

Something should be done for farmers' welfare: Digvijay

New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) All India Congress Committee (AICC)

general secretary Digvijay Singh today said ''something should be

done for the welfare of farmers.''

He was addressing the farmers from Uttar Pradesh, particularly
from national capital region (NCR), demanding immediate annulment of
Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and enactment of Land Acquisition
Amendment Act, 2007, which is pending for a considerable time.

Mr Singh said the UPA government was mulling over this and has
had several discussion with the ministers concerned, but Railway
Minister Mamata Banerjee had objected to some of the provisions.

''We are in talks with Ms Banerjee and will come to some common
ground with her very soon,'' he said.

Rapping the Mayawati government for ignoring farmers, he asserted
that if Haryana government could secure the land of its farmers, why
cannot UP government.

''India is a democratic state and one should have the right to
sell one's property (land) on the price one wants to,'' Mr Singh
said.

Member of Parliament Vasudev Acharya condemned the government for
acquiring the land from farmers on very low prices and re-selling it
to the businessmen and builders on higher prices. ''There is no
rehabilitation policy for the farmers,'' he added.

Zameen Adhigrahan Pratirodh Andolan coordinator Sardaram Bhatti
said land was being acquired on agriculture rates and were sold to
builders on market rate which was ten times higher than the
agriculture rate.

''We demand that the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 be annulled
and Land Acquisition Amendment Act, 2007 be enacted with immediate
effect,'' Mr Bhatti said.

Twenty five per cent land should also be returned to the farmers
for residential purposes, he added.

The agitators also handed over a memorandum to Mr Singh urging
him to look into the matter.