Left government not implementing Sabarimala plan: PM

Kochi, April 11  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday accused Kerala’s Left Democratic Front government of not taking active steps to implement the Sabarimala Pamba Action Plan that would have benefited thousands of pilgrims.

“Had the government here been proactive to the Sabarimala Pamba Action Plan, the pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple for thousands of devotees would have been smooth,” Manmohan Singh said while addressing an election meeting.
The Rs.320 crore action plan under the National River Conservation Programme (NRCP) aims to check the pollution of the Pamba river. The central government has provided money to commence the first phase plan, while the state government and local bodies are to contribute 30 percent of funds.
The Sabarimala temple, situated on the Western Ghat ranges at an altitude of 914 metres above sea level and four km uphill from Pamba in Pathanamthitta district in central
Kerala, is one of the most famous Hindu pilgrim centres in India. The number of pilgrims visiting the shrine has been going up every year.
The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB), which oversees the functioning of all temples in south Kerala including Sabarimala, said the prime minister had got it wrong.
TDB member P. Narayanan said a lot of work was on at the temple and its nearby areas.
“The plan has to be completed in 50 years time and it was two years back that the central government sanctioned 12 acres of forest land and set aside Rs.18 crores. There are two different projects - one is the Pamba project which is cleaning up the river by setting up sewerage plants and the other is the Sabarimala project,” Narayanan told IANS.
The work was progressing fast on a sewerage plant and a new 1.2-km stretch of a road leading to the temple was almost complete, said Narayanan, a former legislator of the Communist Party of India (CPI), which is part of the ruling aliance.

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Congress sensitive towards Sikh community’s sentiments:PM

New Delhi, Apr 11- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the decision to pull out Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar from the Lok Sabha race shows the Congress party’s sensitivity towards the sentiments of the Sikh community saying it was better late than never.

“Obviously the decision (to field Tytler and Kumar as candidates) was reversed. It shows the Congress party’s sensitivity towards the Sikh community and for this you should compliment the Congress party,” he told journalists of the Indian Women’s Press Corps.

A day after Tytler and Kumar were dropped after the shoe-throwing incident over a CBI clean chit to Tytler, Singh said he was neither informed nor consulted over CBI action.

“I was not informed, not consulted” over CBI clean chit to Jagdish Tytler.

The action against Tytler came with the Congress fearing a Sikh backlash in the elections as the issue came under spotlight with a Sikh journalist lobbing a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram at a press conference on Tuesday.

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PM condemns Assam blasts

New Delhi, Apr 7 Strongly condemning the bomb blasts in Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that the government is committed to thwart designs of the terrorists.

"The government remains committed in its resolve to thwart the designs of terrorists. Adequate measures would be undertaken to ensure peace and stability in the state,"said Singh, who would be visiting the state tomorrow for the poll campaign.

The Prime Minister expressed his profound grief and shock over the incidents and conveyed his condolences to the near and dear ones of those killed and sympathies to the injured.

Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, will address a public meeting in Dispur, PMO sources said.

He will also address a public meeting in Dibrugarh, about 400 kms from Guwahati.

This is the first election meeting of Singh, who underwent a cardiac bypass surgery on January 24.

At least seven people were killed and over 6 others injured in the bomb blasts today triggered by suspected ULFA militants.

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PM's Assam rally cancelled due to rain

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's election rally in Assam's Dibrugarh district was on Tuesday cancelled because of torrential rain following which he returned to Delhi.

The SPG accompanying the prime minister did not think it was safe for Singh to fly to the venue by helicopter from the airport in the heavy rain, Assam Power minister Pradyut Bordoloi announced at the rally venue at the Chowkidingee ground here.

Arriving here at the Mohanbari airport around 12.30 pm, Singh waited for the rains to subside.

Later, when the there was no let up in the rains, the prime minister returned to Delhi on SPG's advice.

Braving the rain around 2000 people had gathered in the 10,000 capacity ground.

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Manmohan Singh is a wise, wonderful man: Obama

US President Barack Obama meets with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in London. (Reuters Photo)

LONDON, Apr 3 : It appeared like a mutual admiration society with President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh effusively praising each other Obama and Manmohan.

US President Barack Obama meets with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in London. (Reuters Photo)
after their first meeting.

The 48-year-old new American leader described Singh as a "wise" and "wonderful" man as the two leaders met on the sidelines of G-20 here last night.

"First of all I should say that your Prime Minister is a wonderful man. He is wise and decent man," said Obama, clearly impressed by the economist-PM's persona.

"He (Singh) has been doing a wonderful job in guiding India even prior to being the Prime Minister along the path of extraordinary economic growth. That is a marvel, I think, for all of the world," the US President remarked, apparently referring to Singh's pioneering role in India's economic liberalisation.

On his part, Singh told Obama: "You are much loved and respected in India."

Reciprocating young US President's lavish praise, the 76-year-old Indian leader said Obama had "brought a ray of hope" and the youth look up to him "as an icon".

Singh said under Obama's leadership, challenges like climate change could be met.

The Prime Minister said India and the US share "same dreams and same vision" and the two countries will like to work together to realise those dreams.

He invited Obama to India, saying a warm welcome awaits him there.

Obama acknowledged the role played by Singh in unleashing economic forces, because of which India was enjoying a "high stature" in the world polity.

The first black US President also hailed India's democratic
and diverse character.

"India is full of diversity and energy and is complex just like the USA," Obama said.

Obama said the US sees India as a global partner and together the two countries can play a critical part in meeting the challenges of 21st century like climate change, science and innovation.

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Congress will be number one after polls: Manmohan

London, April 3 The Congress party will again win the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Thursday.

Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the G-20 summit here, the prime minister said: “The Congress will be number one (after the polls).”

Asked by a reporter whether the polls would be ’saaf sutra’ or free and fair, the prime minister said: “The polls will be free and fair, I guarantee that, and the Congress will be the number one party.” India will hold five-phased parliamentary polls from April 16 to May 13.

Earlier, to a question, he said that the economy was growing at the rate of 9-10 percent per annum to achieve a growth rate of 8.6 percent.

He said his government had done everything to ensure that the economic growth was “all inclusive”.

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PM sees scope for interest rate cuts

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday plenty of liquidity and low Inflation gave room for further interest rate cuts.

Speaking to top Indian businessmen, Singh also said there were encouraging signs in some sectors of the economy.

"With ample liquidity and low inflation, there is scope perhaps for a further moderation in interest rates," Singh said.

"While public sector banks have reduced the prime lending rates in the last three months between 150 and 200 basis points, other scheduled commercial banks are yet to respond in equal measure," he said.

Since October, the central bank has cut its key lending rate by 400 basis points. The Government has cut factory gate duties and service tax rates to protect growth and jobs.

But commercial banks have been reluctant to lend due to increased risk aversion.

Asia's third-largest economy is estimated to slow to 7.1 percent in 2008-09 from growth of 9 percent or more in previous years as the global slowdown hurts key sectors of the economy.

But Singh said the auto, steel, cement and farm sectors were showing some signs of revival.

"The auto sector after a difficult patch seems to be showing signs of recovery. Food grain production for 2008-09 is likely to be in excess of 228 million tonnes," he said.

"The rural demand for goods and services appears quite robust and the outlook in the agricultural sector gives room for optimism".

Singh said the government was closely monitoring sectors which were still facing difficulties.

"We are aware that a big push to infrastructure would have a counter-cyclical influence and have taken steps to ensure that this happens in 2009-10 and beyond," he said.

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No danger of deflation, says PM

NEW DELHI, March 27 – India’s economy would expand by 6.5 to 7 per cent in the current fiscal with revival seen in consumer spending and there was no danger of the country slipping into a deflationary mode, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today, reports PTI.

“I don’t see India is in danger of deflation (a phase marked by persistent and all round economic downturn)... I don’t see that we are facing a deflationary trend”, he said while talking to reporters here.

Noting that government had announced stimulus packages to boost economy reeling under the impact of global financial meltdown, the Prime Minister said, “Consumer durable goods are showing lot of improvement..Though there are some regressive trends.”

As regards growth in the current fiscal, he said, “We will still grow at 6.5 to 7 per cent.”

The Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) in its advance estimate of national income in February had projected a growth rate of 7.1 per cent for the current fiscal.

Answering questions on the feasibility of a common currency for the world, Singh said, “I have not seen any such proposal. It is too early to talk about common currency”.

Reacting to China’s proposal of a common currency, US President Barack Obama had said yesterday, “The dollar is extra-ordinarily strong right now...I don’t believe that there is a need for global currency”.

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Manmohan alone can provide stability: Sonia

Anita Joshua

‘There can be many claimants, but none can hold a candle to him’

— Photo: S. Subramanium

Our leader: In a gracious act highlighting the importance of Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi covers her own photograph on a copy of the party’s manifesto released in New Delhi on Tuesday. NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday made it clear that Manmohan Singh is the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the 15th Lok Sabha elections and maintained that there was no change in the position she took after the last general elections.
Ms. Gandhi made the assertion after releasing the party manifesto that packages the Congress as the only national party with a country-wide perspective that can strike a balance between national and regional interests by walking the “middle path.”
The manifesto pitches the “secular, liberal nationalism” of the Congress against the BJP’s “narrow communalism” and describes the Third Front as a “recipe for chaos.”
Among the key promises made are the enactment of a National Food Security Act that assures 25 kg of rice a month to every below poverty line family at Rs. 3 a kg and one-third reservation for women in central government jobs.
Ms. Gandhi said the nation needed stability, continuity and national unity and Dr. Singh alone could rise to the challenge. “There can be many claimants for the post, but no one can hold a candle to him.”
Confident that the Congress would do well at the hustings despite problems with some allies, she pointed out the party had new allies in West Bengal besides the old ones in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
As for problems with allies in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, she said: ``We decided to fight on our own only after we couldn’t come to an understanding with the RJD and the Samajwadi Party.”
About reports of the PMK leaving the UPA, she maintained that it was part of the ruling coalition as of date.
On whether the Congress would support the Left parties or take their support to form a government, she was non-committal; saying, “Let’s wait for the elections.” She was only slightly less vague to a question on Rahul Gandhi taking charge of the party with a “wait and see” response.
Drawn into responding to a BJP observation that its Pilibhit candidate Varun Gandhi’s communal comments were a manifestation of the Congress culture, she shot back that no sane person who knew history would ever attribute such a view to the party.

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Manmohan declares himself fit enough to campaign

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has declared himself fit enough to campaign during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi, Mar. 20 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has declared himself fit enough to campaign during the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections.

Interacting with the media on the sidelines of a defence investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday, he said the United Progressive Alliance would not underestimate the opposition.

Dr. Singh also urged the nation to come together against casteism and communalism, which were big threats to the nation.

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