Entire Bureaucracy to Be Under Lokpal Scanner

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CONTRAPUNTO Never fear the want of business. A man Govt puts off notifying who qualifies himself well for his calling, Entire bureaucracy to be never fails of employment. THOMAS JEFFERSON rules of FDI in retail NEWS DIGEST under Lokpal scanner Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta TNN Modi-headed panel New Delhi: Lacking majori- backed retail move Price cut again, petrol Serving PM To Be AMBIT GAMBIT ty support for its decision to allow FDI in multi-brand re- romotion of organized `` 57 lakh Group-C central govt staff to be costs 73.51 in B’lore tail and faced with reserva- Pretail and contract within Lokpal ambit tions in its ranks, the UPA With global crude rates falling, petrol Out Of It, Says farming as well as direct government has put on hold price has been cut by 78 paise a litre, Panel decides to exclude PM as long as he marketing initiatives are the notification that would the second reduction in two weeks. In is in office among highlights of a report Standing Panel have formally opened the Bangalore, petrol will cost Rs 73.51 BJP members submit dissent note on consumer affairs prepared Himanshi Dhawan & doors for global chains. from Thursday. The reduction comes by a group of CMs chaired by Mohua Chatterjee TNN BJP wanted inclusion of citizens’ charter, Official sources told TOI on back of a Rs 2.22 cut on Nov 16. Gujarat chief minister whistle-blowers’ protection and removal Bunks shut in Bangalore, P5 on Wednesday that the rules THREAT TO LOCAL STORES? Narendra Modi. P 19 New Delhi: Conceding a major Team of Lokpal in Bill would have to wait till some Anna demand, the parliamentary sort of a solution to break majority backing for the de- question mark on the fate of Bidari is new DGP: IPS officer Shan- BJP wants CBI director’s appointment to committee examining the Lokpal Bill the impasse in Parliament cision in Lok Sabha or ad- crucial bills. The Congress kar M Bidari on Wednesday became be on lines of CVC has decided to recommend that 57 lakh emerged. “What is the rush? dress the concern in the leadership, which was at Karnataka’s 35th Director-General and “Group C” central government em- Lokpal panel expected to finalize report Let the dust settle down,” a Congress ranks that allow- best lukewarm towards the Inspector-General of Police. P3 ployees – or the entire lower bureau- on Thursday senior official said. At the ing FDI in retail would play decision, is contending Blast in Imphal ahead of PM visit: cracy – be placed within the ambit of same time, they made it out adversely in poll-bound with rumblings within its the anti-corruption ombudsman. Inclusion of Group C employees overwhelming part of the popula- clear that there was no reth- UP and Punjab. The party’s own ranks, Lok Sabha mem- A powerful bomb exploded at Imphal In a controversial decision, the should take care of cutting-edge cor- tion. Significantly, the Hazare group ink on the decision. Last Fri- attempts to rally two of its ber from Bareilly Praveen on Wednesday, tearing a rickshaw- panel also decided to exclude the ruption; the kind of extortion that was not impressed by the concession. day, the department of in- dissenting allies, Trina- Singh Aron articulating the puller asunder and wounding four by- prime minister from the Lokpal’s ju- the common man faces when seeking Prashant Bhushan described it as a dustrial policy and mool Congress and DMK, concern that the party’s standers. PM Manmohan Singh and delivery of a whole range of services marginal improvement while criti- promotion (DIPP) which pi- bore little fruit underlining prospects in the UP polls UPA chief Sonia Gandhi are to visit the Edit: Keep The Focus, P 20 – from getting a passport to an FIR cizing the exclusion of the PM while loted the proposal, had said once again that the govern- may be hurt. town on December 3. P 15 Why keep babus out? P 19 lodged. This section includes offi- in office as unconstitutional. His col- that the rules would be is- ment’s decision does not Faced with the stale- M’lore downloads ‘Kolaveri’ most: risdiction as long as he holds office. cials of the rank of police inspectors, league Kiran Bedi spoke in the same sued this week. have majority backing in mate, Congress’s crisis- This was at its final meeting to con- clerks, supply inspectors and the vein, setting the stage for a fresh con- The pause has been dic- the Lok Sabha. Parliament management committee, Mangalore tops the list of Indian cities sider the bill on Wednesday. like, in other words the bureaucracy frontation. tated by the government’s again remained shut on the core group, went into a downloading ‘Why this kolaveri di’, a BJP members decided to submit a that a regular person has to deal with. “Inclusion of Group C employees inability to either muster Wednesday, darkening the huddle twice. Tamil film song that has gone viral note of dissent to protest against the The draft Lokpal bill now covers is a marginal improvement but this with 1 crore hits on the web. P 17 omission of citizens’ charter, griev- virtually the entire bureaucracy, tak- will not satisfy us. The exclusion of the MPs want red beacons on cars: ance redressal mechanism and protec- ing care of the criticism that restrict- PM from the Lokpal’s purview as long tion of whistleblowers from the legis- ing the ambit to just Group A and B as he is in office is unconstitutional The Lok Sabha Privileges Committee lation. BSP, the Left and SP will also would have left people helpless and is likely to be struck down. This is has recommended that MPs be al- 1 lakh traders in state put in dissenting notes on certain oth- against government employees who not good enough and will not affect lowed to use red beacons atop cars er reservations they have on the bill. are the face of the government to an our plans to protest,” Bhushan said. and be given a leg-up in the official pecking order – bring them on a par with high court chief justices. P 17 to down shutters today Indians fifth most vacation -deprived: Shilpa Phadnis TNN SHUT Shops on Brigade Road, MG Road, Commercial India is the world’s fifth most vacation- GDP growth slows to 6.9% in Q2 G High-street stores deprived nation as the average em- Bangalore: If you’re plan- Street, Jayanagar, Chickpet TIMES NEWS NETWORK tember quarter, slower than 8.4% in G Vegetable mandis ployee doesn’t use 20% of the leave. Govt leans on banks, ning a last-minute groceries and KR Market will remain the same year-ago quarter and 7.7% The reasons vary from disapproving purchase or a quick buy on G APMC yards closed. Shops owing alle- New Delhi: The economy grew at its PSUs to raise funds expansion in the April-June quarter. bosses to lack of planning. P 17 Bangalore’s high streets on OPEN giance to over 110 trade asso- slowest in more than two years in the The government has decided to rope in The September quarter growth was Thursday, take a deep breath ciations and 27 chambers of G Malls, July-September quarter as the im- public sector companies and financial the slowest since the second quarter and stay home. At least 1 commerce will shutter down. SBI Card pact of high interest rates, stubborn of 2009, data showed. Separate data lakh trade establishments hypermarkets Traders argue that the Plok fe impe institutions to bail it out of a cash crunch. inflation, policy delays and a weak With the stock market remaining bearish, showed the key infrastructure sector are participating in a 9am- G Neighbourhood stores government’s decision to set global economy hurt expansion drag- the government has had to resort to slowed to a 5-year low at 0.1% in Octo- to-5pm bandh on Thursday (barring a few brands) a 51% ceiling in multi-brand ging growth below the 7% mark. ber piling more pressure on the gov- ingenious method such as buyback of in response to a call from G Pharmacies retail has triggered fears of Data released by the Central Sta- shares and permitting cross-holding ernment and policymakers. FKCCI against the Centre’s predatory pricing. G Fuel stations, other tistics Office on Wednesday showed among public sector companies. P 23 decision to allow 51% FDI in the economy grew 6.9% in the Sep- Growth to remain weak, P 23 multi-brand retail. essential services Traders in fear, P 6 73% turnout in HC gives nod to widening of Bellary bypoll Sankey Road M B Maramkal & K N Aditya Bharadwaja TNN TIMES NEWS NETWORK Bellary: The battle for Bellary ballot, expected to alter the state’s politi- Bangalore: The Karnataka cal map, now lies sealed High Court on Wednesday gave in electronic voting ma- BBMP the go-ahead to widen San- chines. key Road, saying it was in public Though Wednes- interest. day’s polling to the Bel- Disposing of a PIL challeng- lary (Rural) constituen- ing the cutting of trees for the cy was free of violence, project, a division bench headed there were sporadic by Justice N Kumar directed BBMP to complete the project in 12 months. The bench, however, BATTLEGROUND BELLARY | P 8 said the NGO, Hasiru Usiru, should be involved in monitoring skirmishes between lo- the planting of saplings in place The result of the cal leaders of rival par- of trees cut and also in the caring high-voltage ties and particularly be- of saplings already planted. tween independent The court also asked BBMP to byelection in candidate B Sriramulu take steps to expedite civil suit Bellary (Rural) and BJP nominee P Ga- proceedings over a portion of will be known dilingappa. The overall land allegedly encroached by an by Sunday noon polling percentage was education institution. 73% in an electorate of Pointing out that the road had 1.72 lakh. It was 61% in been earmarked for widening in 2008. Counting of votes is on December 4. 1984, the bench felt it wasn’t a The bypoll was necessitated following the case of mining in forest area but resignation of Sriramulu. He quit stating he widening of a road in public in- was hurt by the BJP government’s attitude terest. with regard to his name figuring in the Lokay- “If it was proposed to widen ukta’s report on illegal mining. the road to 30 metres 26 years ago, The peak of the tense moment during the given the growth of Bangalore, bypoll was a verbal duel between Bellary Urban we now need a road 100 metres Development Authority chairman Vinod and wide,” the bench observed. As of BJP corporator Sanjay and Bellary Town legis- now, 17 of 19 trees have been cut lator Gali Somashekara Reddy when they came on the stretch identified for wid- face to face near a polling booth in Radio Gar- ening. Meenakshi Bharath and den area of Cowl Bazaar in the afternoon. No others had filed the PIL challeng- one knows what transpired between them but ing the road widening. Visit epaper.timesofindia.com their supporters started gathering at the spot preparing for a showdown. Going down despite fight, P 2 Times Classifieds | P 10 In B’lore, villament is the ‘in’ thing Anshul Dhamija TNN VILLAS APARTMENTS Bangalore: Villaments is the buzzword Independence and exclu- Value and affordabili- in Bangalore’s real estate lexicon. A vil- sivity; lifestyle state- ty; denser and more lament is where an apartment ends and a ment; privacy; ‘landed prop- vibrant community; lower villa begins. It’s a concept that’s gaining erty’; garden area; parking in maintenance cost and ef- popularity with those who want the lux- front of the house; flexibility fort; security; amenities ury of a villa and yet crave the comfort to accommodate specific like club house, pool, and convenience an apartment affords. needs of each family sports facilities “It’s a marketing strategy where we offer the privacy of a villa and the facili- Higher cost; fewer neigh- Lack of privacy; limit- ties of an apartment,” says Syed Beary, bours; most have surface ed or no outdoor/gar- CMD, Bearys Group, a Bangalore-based drive-around, posing a safety den area; less flexibility real estate developer. While prices of vil- concern to residents; distant for lifestyle; no proximal las may be out of reach for many, and the locations parking density of apartment units too claustro- phobic for some, villaments step in to at affordable prices,” says Bijay Agar- space, and oodles of greenery; at the bridge the divide. wal, CMD, Salarpuria Sattva. same time, it offers you the vibrancy of “There is a large section of people Villaments cost 30-40% more than av- apartments, security and the price of a who aspire to own a villa but can’t afford erage apartments and around 20 to 30% high-end apartment. it. Here comes the concept of a villa- less than average villas. ment, which offers them a villa lifestyle A villament gives you the privacy, Green space, balcony & terrace, P 3