The government has rejected the bids of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Balco, amid speculation of cartelisation during the auction of coal blocks held recently.

The government was re-examining the bids for nine recently auctioned coal blocks, including those where Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) and Balco emerged top bidders.

“Government takes decision on bids for 9 coal blocks,” Coal Secretary Anil Swarup said in a late night tweet.
Jindal Power had emerged as successful bidder for Gare IV/2, Gare Palma IV/3 and Tara Coal blocks while Bharat Aluminium Company(Balco) had emerged as successful bidder for Gare Palma IV/1 coal block.

However, bids for five blocks have been accepted, Mr. Swarup tweeted.

Mr. Swarup had earlier insisted that the government wasn’t looking at cartelisation aspect at the moment.

There had been reports that some bidders could have indulged in cartelisation to keep the prices low for the concerned mines.

“In the schedule II, we were looking at four mines and in schedule III we are looking at five mines…Prima facie we found that it requires a re-examination, so it has been re-examined that is about all,” Mr. Swarup had earlier said.

The bids of four coal blocks of the schedule II mines (producing) which were being re-examined were Gare Palma IV 2, Gare Palma IV 3, Gare Palma IV-1 and Marki Mangli III.

BS Ispat had bagged Marki Mangli III mine.

The coal blocks which did not figure in the list of successful bidders of schedule III mines (ready to produce) were Brinda and Sasai mine (one bid was invited for both the mines), Meral mine, Dumri mine, Tara mine and Mandla South mine.

While insisting that the government “has not looked at any such thing as cartelisation or anything of such sort”, the secretary had said: “I have used the word ‘outliers’ There is a pattern and if somebody falls outside that pattern that needs a examination.”

“Whether it is a cartelisation or not it not something which I can say as of now. We are certainly not examining these aspects. We are examining if there is an outlier the reason for it and then we will take a call”, he had said.

So far, a total of 33 coal blocks have been auctioned in two tranches. While in the first lot 19 coal mines were auctioned, in the second lot 14 coal blocks went under the hammer.

As a goodwill gesture, Pakistan on Saturday released 57 Indian fishing boats that were in its custody.

In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) said the decision to release the vessels was taken in May last year.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited India at that time to attend the oath-ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

An eight-member Indian delegation visited Karachi from March 9 to finalise modalities for the repatriation of boats with officials of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), the statement said.

“While the PMSA had kept the boats in good condition, it extended full support to the visiting team in making the boats seaworthy after minor repairs. Subsequently, the boats were towed to the maritime boundary today, where these were physically taken over by the Indian side,” it said.

Indian fishermen and boats are often apprehended by PMSA authorities when they violate Pakistan territorial waters.

Usually the boats are not in seaworthy condition and are not returned.

However, following instructions from the Prime Minister to return these boats, special efforts were undertaken by the PMSA to ensure that the boats are returned to their owners, the statement added.

Pakistan and India frequently arrest rival fishermen for violating the sea waters.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says nothing can justify the use of the death penalty and there is no “right” way to humanely kill another person.

Francis outlined the Catholic church’s opposition to capital punishment in a letter to the International Commission against the Death Penalty, a group of former government officials, jurists and others who had an audience with him at the Vatican Friday.

The pope wrote that the principle of legitimate personal defense isn’t adequate justification to execute someone. “When the death penalty is applied, it is not for a current act of aggression, but rather for an act committed in the past.”

“Nowadays the death penalty is inadmissible, no matter how serious the crime committed,” Francis declared. He was building on church teaching, including pronouncements during St. John Paul II’s papacy, that modern prison systems make executions unnecessary.

Capital punishment “does not render justice to the victims, but rather fosters vengeance,” Francis added.

“For the rule of law, the death penalty represents a failure, as it obliges the state to kill in the name of justice,” Francis told the anti-death penalty advocates.

While he didn’t mention the United States by name, Francis cited debates about which method should be used to carry out executions. “There is discussion in some quarters about the method of killing, as if it were possible to find ways of ‘getting it right,'” the pope said.

“But there is no humane way of killing another person,” Francis concluded.

In previous comments, Francis denounced life imprisonment as unjustifiable punishment. In his remarks Friday, he called life terms a “sort of covert death penalty,” since it “deprives detainees not only of their freedom, but also of hope.”

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Panaji, March 21
Close on the heels of the successful launch of its first offshore patrol vessel, state-based Goa Shipyard Limited launched the second of the series of six OPVs, designed in-house and built for the Indian Coast Guard here today.

The 105-metre new generation OPV was launched in presence of Additional Director General of Coast Guard Rajendra Singh in a function held at port town of Vasco.

The GSL officials said that this largest OPV will help meet the increasing requirement of the Indian Coast Guard for undertaking policing and patrolling of the vast Indian exclusive economic zone.

“This ship is also capable of other Coast Guard functions like search and rescue operations, pollution control and external fire fighting. It will also be deployed for ocean surveillance and for monitoring sea lanes of communication,” officials said.

In one of the important features, the OPV is capable of supporting embarkation and operation of the indigenously designed advanced light helicopter.

“The powering requirement of this ship is about ten per cent less, even though the breadth as well as the displacement has been increased to improve habitability, operatibility and survivability,” said Rear Admiral Shekhar Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, GSL.

“This will directly LEAD to reduction in fuel related cost over the life cycle of the ship, besides additional comfort and less fatigue to the crew, with better sea bearing characteristics,” he added. — PTI

The district authorities here have announced a compensation of Rs. 18,000 each to more than 28,000 farmers who have lost their crops due to untimely rains and hailstorms in Uttar Pradesh.

Crops worth crores of rupees were estimated to have been damaged due to heavy rains and hailstorms, according to a survey done by authorities.

28,000 farmers from Jansath, Khatoli, Budhana, and Sadar tehsils were identified for the relief, Additional District Magistrate R K Sharma told reporters.

Rs. 18,000 each would be provided to them as compensation, he said.

Terror today again struck Jammu where militants opened fire at an army camp on Jammu-Pathankot Highway in Samba district.

The militants opened fired and lobbed grenades at an Army camp in Meshwara area of Samba at around 5:50 a.m, security officials said.

Entire area has been cordoned off by the Army and police and firing exchanges are going on, officials said.

A civilian, who was passing by the area, fell off his cycle during the firing and was injured, Army said.

As per inputs received so far, two persons were possibly involved in the attack, Defence PRO Lt. Col Manish Mehta said Mehta said,

However, it was difficult to say whether they were from the same group which attacked a police station in Kathua yesterday, he said.

“At 5.45 a.m, the terrorists had opened fire and let me tell you nobody has been injured. No soldier or civilian has been injured. The individual, who has been injured, had fallen off from his cycle during the firing. It is not a bullet or a splinter injury,” Mehta told reporters.

“They (attackers) were not trying to enter any unit. They have fired from outside and now they have been cordoned outside the army area,” he added.

Asked about the attack, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “Operation is on. I will comment after the operation is over. Let me get the information and I will come back to you.

Officials said the Jammu-Pathankot Highway has been closed for vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure.

A religious book was launched by the name of Uzkurullah (Remembering Allah) written by late Maulana Shaykh Muhammad Aadil Al Haqqani

The book deals about soul medicine, as it possible to get Doctors for the human body according to modern era along with high technology but not healthy Soul for actual Human peace is very rare.
The Book further explain how people in this modern world have become materialisttic and have completely forgotten the values and principles taught by Creator(Allah).
On the same occassion the team of young Safaresunnah welcomed Shaykh Ashraf Ali Naqshbandi (Dubai).
On 15th March 2015, Cheeta-camp Mumbai is a group of young Muslims, who are very active in spreading Islamic knowledge. They are operating from Cheetah-camp (Trombay) and they have also inaugurated a Madrasa named Risalah. The great ‘Prime Naqshbandi Conference’ was organized by them at Royal Palace Hall (Pailipada). Safare sunnah follows the footsteps of the late Moulana Shaykh Nazim Al haqqani, who is the heart of Naqshbandi Haqqani silsila. Hundreds of residents from all over Mumbai attended the conference and received the peaceful speech of the Shaykh Ashraf Ali Naqshbandi. Ladies were provided a separate seating with two projectors for a good view.
Shaykh Ashraf Ali Naqshbandi is emerging from the great Naqshbandi Haqqani Silsila. He took bayah (Oath) from late Moulana Shaykh Nazim Al Haqqani and now from Moulana Shaykh Mohammed Adil Al Haqqani. He got the authority (Khilafat) to spread the light in Asia and selected countries. They have reverted people from all walks of life and transmitted peace in them.
The Prime Naqshbandi Conference had a different beauty all together with the way it was dealt on the Sunday’s evening. Safaresunnah had put the best of efforts and technology to make this conference successful. The Safare sunnah’s President Abdul Aziz, Vice-President Junaid , Secretary Gulam Mohammed , Vice-Secretary Javed Khan, were on toes to leave no stone unturned for this event. Their goal is to unite all the Sunnis and set a milestone in everyone’s life. The audience of this event was peaceful and responded to every single word of the speakers. The stage was decorated with a podium and a panel. The panel was of five people, including Shaykh Ashraf Ali Naqshbandi.
The best part of this great gathering was the first world-wide book launch.This book was transcribed from his various speeches of the year 2014 and Safaresunnah got the privilege to launch it. The book was unveiled by Shaykh Ashraf Ali Naqshbandi, the prime speaker of the event and the distribution was done at the end of the gathering at no cost. Observing the program, it was clear that ‘what we seek is seeking us’.