Fly in the soup

FLIES would naturally flock to jaggery but sometimes a few get sucked in by the sweet pulp, causing injuries and even death,” Kirti Azad, the cricketer-turned-politician, said, seeing an analogy between jaggery and the attractive IPL deals. He has enough credentials in both cricket and politics to put the stamp of authority on such a statement with reference to the murky, nay sticky, financial wheeling and dealing in the IPL. Kirti Azad, a member of the Indian squad that won the 1983 World Cup, belongs to an illustrious political family of Bihar. His father Bhagwat Jha Azad was a Union Minister and the Chief Minister of Bihar. Kirti Azad is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of the Lok Sabha from the Darbhanga constituency in Bihar.

The first fly to become a victim was Shashi Tharoor, the Minister of State for External Affairs, who was forced to resign in the wake of the controversy over his friend Sunanda Pushkar owning a 4.9 per cent sweat equity in the new Kochi IPL franchise. Investigations by various agencies into other IPL activities have shown that those who held franchises in the last three seasons included politicians, corporate entities and individuals.

Many a political “fly” have allegedly flocked to the IPL “jaggery”. Important names mentioned in this connection include two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) politicians: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule, who is also the daughter of party president and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Allegations have linked Praful Patel and Supriya Sule, through their relatives, with two corporate giants who failed to win the bid for the 2011 IPL franchises.

Tharoor, on his part, asserted in Parliament – through a statement in the Lok Sabha – that he had not done anything “improper or unethical, let alone illegal”. He said, “I am new to Indian politics, but have a long record of public service unblemished by the slightest tint of financial irregularity”, and added that he had “led a life of personal integrity”. These assertions have been classified by his political opponents such as Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP as well as some of his own colleagues in the Congress as a calculated display of “injured innocence”. “Tharoor’s track record in public service is not free from allegations and hence this show of injured innocence does not cut much ice,” Ravi Shankar Prasad told Frontline.

A former ministerial colleague of Tharoor’s pointed out that even during his stint in the United Nations, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram had faced a few allegations. “One of these related to Tharoor’s defence of Kojo Annan, the son of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, when the Iraq oil-for-food scandal hit the headlines.”

Tharoor, who was Under Secretary-General under Kofi Annan at that time, had apparently taken up the defence of Kojo Annan through interventions in the media, including through the publication of letters. These interventions, his former colleague said, were criticised by many international affairs experts as also the media as a deliberate attempt to deflect the voices being raised against the way in which the oil-for-food exercise was carried out.

The investigations carried out by Paul Volcker, ultimately found that the programme had been marred by widespread corruption and abuse, although the complicity of Kofi Annan in it was denied. Tharoor’s manoeuvres during his U.N. days to move Christa Giles, later his wife, to a department under his control had also raised eyebrows within the U.N. firmament.

Whatever be the final take on Tharoor’s protestations of innocence and the criticism voiced by his political opponents and detractors, the fact remains that the Kochi IPL franchise was the first IPL entity in which a sweat equity component was discovered and discussed openly. Tharoor himself has admitted that he was a mentor to the Kochi franchise. According to sources close to the partners in the franchise, Tharoor got involved with the mentoring process right from the time IPL announced that it was planning to invite two new franchises to join the league. Apparently, he was even involved in the efforts to form a consortium of investors under the banner of Rendezvous Sports World.

There are also indications that Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL chairman and commissioner, had sought to discourage the attempts of the Kochi consortium to make a bid for the franchise. According to a number of persons involved with the Kochi franchise, even misinformation was spread as part of this dissuasion exercise. “It was indicated to us that only $299 million was required for a successful bid. Luckily, Tharoor was informed by some former cricketers that the amount required would be to the tune of $322 million. This helped us overcome the misinformation campaign and win the franchise finally, but when we did that we were pressured to abandon our bid, first through bribes and later through intimidation, which included threats to initiate public interest litigation against the consortium,” an associate of Rendezvous Sports World told Frontline.

It was in the context of all this “mentoring” from Tharoor that the controversial sweat equity, to the tune of Rs.70 crore, was allocated to his Dubai-based friend Sunanda Pushkar in the Kochi franchise. In Parliament, the entire opposition, led by the principal opposition BJP, raised the point that the grant of sweat equity to Sunanda Pushkar clearly constituted a case under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, on the premise that a public servant abused his office of public service and obtained for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage.

Ravi Shankar Prasad said that it was obvious that Tharoor had charged a consideration for his service rendered to the Kochi franchise and that the said consideration was valuable shareholding parked in the name of someone close to him.

Tharoor’s other Dubai connections, including his frequent trips to the Emirates, also became part of the campaign highlighting the Minister’s alleged vested interests. That Tharoor was president of the Dubai-based Afras group before he entered politics and reports that the former Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Joseph Jacob, was “discovered” by him during his Dubai days also fuelled the campaign. It was also highlighted that Joseph Jacob had been deputed to observe official meetings in connection with the Kochi IPL, and this too went against Tharoor.

Tharoor’s defence was that he had not received any pecuniary benefit and that Sunanda Pushkar, as an independent professional, was entitled to sweat equity or whatever emoluments her professional associates would pay her. He sought to offer this argument in Parliament, too, but this defence did not pass muster with the Congress core group consisting of senior leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A.K. Antony. At the height of the controversy, Sunanda Pushkar did forsake her Rs.70 crore equity, in an obvious last-ditch effort to salvage the position of her friend, but even that did not help the beleaguered Minister.

However, large sections of the Congress and the rest of the United Progressive Alliance believe that Tharoor will soon bounce back. They believe that the investigations being undertaken into the financial dealings of other IPL franchises and politicians connected with them will ultimately help vindicate Tharoor’s position.

This may be true as there is little doubt about the influence Tharoor wields in the higher echelons of the Congress, including the first family of the party.

courtesy-frontline

The Monk' turns on the heat

Murali Vijay's blitzkrieg at Chepauk stemmed from strong fundamentals. While he was innovative, the opener was also sure-footed. Basics hold the key in any format.

Blatant aggression need not necessarily be at the cost of technique. Vijay's transformation from a correct and solid opening batsman to a marauder in Twenty20, who has not ignored the basics, reflects a cricketing mind that can find solutions to complex problems. He has changed gears without changing his game.

Shane Warne & Co. followed the flight of the ball in agony as it landed in the stands with rather monotonous regularity. These were clean hits, with Vijay, importantly, using his feet to convert the length. Playing from the crease with limited feet movement can allow the bowlers to dominate in Twenty20 cricket.

Vijay's remarkable batting has been the story of the Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. He put his foot on the accelerator and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) innings zoomed on the Twenty20 highway. Indeed, Vijay ripped open the Rajasthan Royals attack during his 56-ball 127 for CSK. This was high octane batting.

Earlier in the ongoing edition of the IPL, Vijay appeared to be a man caught between two worlds — rather two styles of batting. Did he have to veer away from his time-tested methods to succeed in the abbreviated format?

He was allowing pressure to build and then succumbed to crude heaves — Vijay was striking across the line and paying the price. His timber rattled and Vijay began the long journey back to the dugout. Being such a clean and effortless striker of the ball with the rare gift of timing, he was hardly doing justice to his ability. Vijay was also allowing the stress of dot balls to affect his batting.

He needed to introspect and analyse his game. The sure-footed batsman had risen in the Indian ranks by doing the simple things right — defending good deliveries and putting away the ordinary ones.

Perhaps, Vijay had to take a few calculated risks in the Twenty20 arena, but there was hardly any need for him to dump the essence of his batsmanship.

The 26-year-old batsman from Tamil Nadu can hit through the line, finding the gap in the arc between mid-off and cover. He is exceptionally fluent off his legs and can cut and pull in a jiffy.

In the match against Rajasthan Royals, Vijay was also stroking the ball — his keen eye is backed by exceptional bat-speed — from the off-stump and ruthlessly dispatching it into the stands past the mid-wicket ropes. His wrists are supple and strong.

Again, these were precise strikes rather than mindless attempts to clout the ball. Vijay was picking his spots on the field.

What stands out in his batting is his straight and exemplary back-swing. Vijay often plays with the full face of the willow and can ease the ball down the ground with drives off either foot, pushes and punches. His batting is devoid of exaggerated movements.

In fact, Vijay's graceful 87 against Sri Lanka in the Mumbai Test last season was sprinkled with gorgeous straight drives. He also caressed the ball through the covers; Vijay no more than timed the ball off his front foot and the ball sped to the cover fence. His batting is underlined by balance and poise.

The classical Test opener — Vijay's judgment in the corridor is sound for most part and he seldom takes his eye off the ball while swaying away from the line of short-pitched deliveries — has made the transformation to the Twenty20 stage in a manner that has been sensational. The signs were ominous when he smashed a 42 off just 28 balls against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad. Vijay followed this up with a match-winning 39-ball 78 that floored Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chepauk.

And Vijay boomed during his thrill-a-minute 127 that left even the battle-hardened Warne impressed. As many as 11 sixes adorned the opener's brilliant innings.

While he dismantled the Rajasthan Royals attack ruthlessly, Vijay remained calm in the mind. He did not allow the pressure to mount in the cauldron. Rather, he seized the initiative from the bowlers.

His bat-speed and timing meant the ball was despatched with tremendous velocity. He also harnessed the speed of the ball, slicing the short-pitched deliveries from the quicks over squarish third-man fence.

Crucially, Vijay picks the length early and gives himself that much more time to play his strokes. And in the Twenty20 arena, his strokes are usually attacking ones. This aspect of his batsmanship also provides him with more time to find the gaps.

Vijay has provided the CSK innings thrust and momentum as the side picked itself from the mat. His blazing ways have also taken the heat off Matthew Hayden, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

The man called ‘The Monk' for his icy demeanour and single-mindedness is running hot these days.

courtesy (sports star)

Sania should follow tradition, play for Pakistan after marriage: PTF chief

KARACHI: Pakistan Tennis Federation chief Dilawar Abbas wants Sania Mirza to play for Pakistan after her marriage with former cricket captain Shoaib Malik later this month.

Sania intends to continue playing for India even after tying the knot with Shoaib on April 15 in Hyderabad but Abbas said she should give playing for Pakistan a thought.

"It is great news for our tennis community that Sania Mirza is getting married to Shoaib Malik. We welcome her and hope that she would become a Pakistani national and play for us in future. She has a great future ahead and we would be delighted if she plays for Pakistan," Abbas told 'The News'.

"Asian women traditionally follow their husbands which is why I'm hopeful that someday she would be inspired by Shoaib to play for Pakistan," he added.

The 23-year-old Sania, who is the most successful woman tennis player from the sub-continent, will settle down with Shoaib in Dubai post marriage.

Abbas said even if she decides to continue playing for India, Sania can still help her husband's country by promoting the game among women here.

"She can encourage our girls to take up tennis, she can inspire them to become world class players," he said.

"We would hope that Sania would lend a helping hand to women's tennis in Pakistan," he added.

Abbas suggested that Sania team up with Pakistan's number one tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi in the mixed doubles circuit.

"Both Sania and Aisam are really good doubles players. I believe that their team would not just achieve great results internationally but will also help bridge the gap between India and Pakistan," he said.

PTI

Tom and Jerry turn 70

Tom, the cat smiles, frowns and just stares at you, all cool. Jerry is a bundle of energy, shows attitude and is quite a shrewd trouble-shooter of a mouse.

They both are still chasing each other with their mind-boggling antics on television. The duo's pranks have been making people laugh for years now.

And, now, they turn 70.

“Tom and Jerry is a piece of art. It is created just once. Even after 70 years, it is growing more popular than ever. Our surveys show that nearly half of TJ viewers are adults,” said Krishna Desai, director-programming, South Asia, Turner International.

While Chandigarh was the first stop for Tom and Jerry to start off their birthday celebrations, their next destination is Mumbai where a full train will be painted in their colours, she said.

“In some cinema halls, we plan to give surprise gifts to people sitting in ‘T’ (Tom) and ‘J’ (Jerry) rows,” Desai said.

Special shows will be aired March and April on popular Cartoon Network channel to mark the 70th year of the cartoon show.

The “Tom and Jerry” show is a major hit on the Cartoon Network channel, which was launched in India in 1995. The show is beamed across the country in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telegu.

Despite competition from other cartoon channels, the “TJ” show stands tall. “The show has shown that if you want to entertain kids, you must keep TJ in mind. The show moves at the right pace and has enduring characters,” Desai said.

“We have 160 titles (episodes) and six feature films on TJ. It is difficult to describe in words why it is so popular among all age groups. But it is working so beautifully,” Desai said.


Even though the show has so many adult viewers, Turner International is guided by the principle - “target purely on kids”. To cater to the Indian cartoon market, Cartoon Network has launched several “desi” shows like “Chhota Bheem”, “New Adventures of Hanuman” and films like “My friend Ganesha”.

Tendulkar presented with 200 bats by fans

Sachin Tendulkar was presented with 200 bats on Tuesday by the fans for becoming the first batsman to crack a ODI double century.

Tendulkar appreciated the initiative by his fans, put autographs on some of the bats and then advised the them to distribute the bats among the budding players of the city, to whom these would certainly be an inspirational gift.

Harshit Talati, a municipal cooperator and Harish Malani, president of the Sandhi Education Society, accompanied by Atul Bedade, chairman of the selection committee of Baroda Cricket Association, had been here to present 200 bats to Tendulkar.

Sachin was in Surat to play an exhibition Twenty20 match. "These 200 bats were collected by the fans of Tendulkar when he created ODI history by making 200 runs against South Africa. The fans collected these bats as mark of respect towards Tendulkar," Talati said.

Talati said Tendulkar appreciated the gesture towards him and after autographing some of the bats, he gave them back to us for their distribution among the budding players of the city.

pti

KUNNUKARA

APPUNARAYANAN'S BLOG_

APPU NARAYANAN SIVOLLY- KUNNUKARA_ VAYALKARA

Busy Bee Urvashi

Senior actress Urvashi seems to be suddenly busy again in Malayalam films. The actress not much seen in recent films made a comeback a couple of years ago with Achuvinte Amma and Bharya Oru Suhurthu. But now the actress will be seen back to back Malayalam films that are under various stages of production.

Urvashi has recently completed her role in ‘Mummy And Me’ directed by Jithu Joseph. She plays the title role in the movie, supported in the cast by Archana Kavi, Kunchakko Boban and Lalu Alex. She will be joining the sets of few other movies in the coming weeks including ‘Best Of Luck’ in which she will be seen with Prabhu.

The talented actress will also be seen in a humorous role in the movie ‘Saa Kudumbam Shyamala’. This will be a powerful role for the star as an ever interfering mother of the character played by Kunchacko Bobban. To be directed by Radhakrishnan Mangalthu, producer Gopakumar and writer Krishna Poojapura of last year’s big hit ‘Ivar Vivahithirayal’, will once again come together for this flick. The movie's cast lines will also include Lalu Alex, Nedumudi Venu, Suraj Venjaramoodu and Salim Kumar. ‘Saa Kudumbam Shyamala’ is expected to kick off its shoot by the second week of May.

Mohanlal for khadi

Thiruvananthapuram: Superstar Mohanlal who has endorsed a lot of luxury items like gold, real estate, financial companies, textiles and has even done a surrogate ad for a liquor company, is now turning Gandhian!

Mohanlal has accepted Kerala Industries Minister Elamaram Karim’s plea to become the goodwill ambassador of Khadi and Handloom clothes in the State. Karim also said that the actor would do it free of cost.
Elamaram Karim said : “ The clothes woven by these sectors wove many lives as well. Support for them would not only boost their production but also strengthen the culture and heritage of the State. Hats off to Mohanlal for supporting Khadi.”

Win against Pakistan is our Holi gift to the country: Rajpal

NEW DELHI: It called for a massive Holi celebration for the Indians. They had earned it; they had played out of their skins to get it. Only, the day after their memorable win over Pakistan, they had no time to get into the festive mood. Bigger and tougher tasks beckoned.

"When is the time to celebrate? We have the match against Australia coming up (on Tuesday), next we play Spain, then England. We can't relax now, we have begun well, we would like to carry on the good work," said midfielder Arjun Hallapa.

The team did have a small celebration at the team hotel on Sunday night, where they just sat together after dinner and poured out their emotions.

"That was no celebration actually, we just shared our thoughts. It was a very emotional moment for all of us. The stadium ambience was simply unforgettable!" added Dhananjay Mahadik, who had an excellent day in the deep.

After a sound night's sleep, the Indians were back for practice by 11 on Monday morning. One, though, could feel the jovial mood. There was a new spring in their steps as they went through the fitness drills.

"More than us, we are glad to have made the whole of India happy. This is our Holi gift to the country," chipped in Rajpal Singh, the Indian skipper.

What were the things they did right against Pakistan? "We had formed a strategy and we just followed it. We had identified the players we had to mark out. Like we managed to pin down Waseem (Ahmed), and that choked their midfield. We also managed to restrict the movements of Rehan Butt, who can be really dangerous upfront. We stuck to the gameplan," explained Halappa.

He added that India would play the same way against Australia. "We will finalise our tactics in the team meeting tonight. We know it would be a tough game. The Australians are known to be relentless in their attacks so we need to be solid in the midfield. We should be able to match them in physical fitness too. The mood in the team is very positive, we are confident of going the distance," said the Bangalore lad.

Vikram Pillay, too, voiced the same thoughts. "We are all very happy," he said, but added that there was a whole tournament left to play. "There are no celebrations. After all it's just one match and it is not a point for big celebrations as yet. There are tougher matches ahead."

The unassuming right-half felt it was teamwork that led to the emphatic win. "Every player did his job. Everyone worked hard and wanted to win, all 16 of us. We played focussed hockey, minute by minute," Pillay, part of the 2001 Junior World Cup-winning squad at Hobart, added.

But he ended the retrospection then and there. "We play Australia in our next match and they will come hard at us," he said. "It's a new match, a new day and like us, Australia want three points badly''

KUNNUKARA_VAYALKARA_APPUSIVOLLY

Be eco-friendly, go for organic colours

Holi is synonymous with smiles, gaiety and colours. However, the harsh chemicals used in colours can put a dampener on your spirits. So, raid your kitchen to conjure up some homemade Holi colours!

Experts say the chemicals in these colours can harm our skin, hair and can cause respiratory problems too. Many people suffer from skin and eye allergies because of the chemicals present.

Health hazards of colours
Different kinds of harmful chemicals are used to produce Holi colours.

Green: The copper sulphate used can cause temporary blindness and eye allergies.

Silver: It may include aluminium bromide, a carcinogenic or agent involved in causing cancer.

Red : Your favourite gulal may contain mercury sulphite, which can cause skin cancer, mental retardation or paralysis.

Purple: It may contain chromium iodide that can lead to various allergies and asthma.

Staying indoors on this festival of cheer is not a great idea. Instead, doctors suggest playing Holi with organic colours. Many stores now offer these natural colours.

Pleasures of organic colours
You can even make these colours at home and add to the joy and fun factor of this festival. So here a few tips to help you prepare for an ‘Organic Holi’.

Yellow: Say it with flowers
Turmeric (haldi) and gram flour (besan) are an important part of our homemade face packs. You can mix both to create the colour yellow. You can substitute gram flour with talcum powder or fuller’s earth (multani mitti) too. You can also dry flowers like marigold (gainda) or yellow chrysanthemums and crush them to a fine powder. Then, mix this powder with gram flour.

Red: Ek chutki sindoor
Red seems to be everybody’s favourite colour on Holi. This year rather than smearing gulal on others, wish your friends with an amazing colour made of red sandalwood powder, which is very good for the skin too. Apart from that, you can use sindoor as well. Powder dry red hibiscus flowers and use them as gulal. You can also soak these flowers in water overnight to get wet colour.

Saffron: Ummm... smells good
It’s said that Lord Krishna played Holi with tesu flowers, known as the Flame of the Forest (butea monosperma). You can either boil these flowers or soak them overnight to obtain a nice smelling orange colour. You can also crush these dried tesu flowers to a powder, and then mix with sandalwood powder. It smells great and gives a very smooth touch.

Green: Beauty on duty
You can use henna powder (mehendi), mixed with any suitable flour to attain a lovely green shade. Mehendi only leaves behind its colour when it’s wet and dry mehendi can be brushed off very easily. Those who love putting colour on people’s hair, do it with henna and save everyone a parlour visit too! Leaves of gulmohur (delonix regia) can also be dried and powdered to attain a fine green colour.

Pink: The wet look
For a wet pink, slice a few beetroots and soak them overnight in water or boil for a few minutes.

Black: Colour-cum-conditioner
You can boil gooseberries (fruits of amla) in an iron container for a few minutes and then keep it aside for a while. Dilute it with water and use. It also works as a conditioner!

Make a pact to go organic this Holi. You’ll be surprised at how much people welcome the colours and you. So, play Holi the natural way!

Raavan's premiere

Mani's bilingual magnum opus Raavan is in the final stage of production and although no official release date has been announced yet, it might hit the screens post summer. But, interestingly, as has become customary to Bollywood movies these days, it will have an international premiere before being released in India. Speculations are rife in the media about a possible premiere of Raavan at the IIFA award events, scheduled to be held in South Korea this year.

B

B With this, Raavan will join the league of Bollywood biggies to have premiered overseas, including the latest KJo - SRK blockbuster My Name is Khan. Raavan has an ensemble star cast including Ash - Abi, Vikram, Prithviraj and Priyamani and is scored by double Oscar and Grammy winner A R Rahman
.

Floating mall on Kerala backwaters catches tourists’ eye

Alappuzha : A floating shopping mall on Kerala’s beautiful backwaters is catching the attention of tourists.

The mall on a boat floats in the backwaters of the low-lying Kuttanadu area of Alappuzha district.
“The floating Triveni Super Store, which sells everything a home needs including refrigerators and TV sets at subsidised rates, is the brainchild of state Cooperative Minister G. Sudhakaran,” an employee of state government-run Consumerfed, which runs the mall, sais.

Kerala’s tourism department is very happy with the Consumerfed initiative as it catches the attention of tourists visiting the backwaters of Kerala, an area that ranks above the Taj Mahal in National Geographic Traveller’s best destinations of the world.

“Ever since the launch of the floating mall in June last year, it has become a tourist attraction,” says M. Shivshankar, director, Kerala Tourism.

The boat, lined with shelves full of grain to perfumes and health drinks to shampoos, caters to more than 100,000 people in 12 panchayats of Alappuzha. It docks at 53 villages along the backwaters.

These villages cannot access the mainland except through boats. A Triveni store official said the timings of the boat’s arrival in each village is announced beforehand, and villagers look forward to it.

The mall is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For safety reasons, only 20 people are allowed on board at a time.

“Ours is a supermarket,” says Reji R. Nair, managing director of Consumerfed, which was chosen the best cooperative in the state last year. “For the villagers, there is a lot of excitement to step into the boat which has everything for their needs under one roof.”

Provisions like rice, wheat and sugar are priced at least 10-15 percent below market rates.

“The villagers can buy even refrigerators and TV sets from the floating mall. For that one has to just place an order and it will be delivered at your doorstep within two-three weeks,” says A.K. Anoop, the mall’s manager.

“The mall has average daily sales of Rs.60,000,” he said. The sales go up during festivals like Onam and Christmas.

“We wait for the boat to arrive in our village,” says M.C. Vijayan, a farm labourer in Changankery, 18 km from Alappuzha.

“Earlier we used to take a bus to the town for shopping, which took a lot of time and money,” Vijayan said.

The mall was designed by the University of Cochin’s naval department. It was built at a dock in Kochi at a cost of Rs.50 lakh.

Cement was mixed with certain polymers and reinforced with steel to build the boat, which is anti-corrosive. A solar panel was added to light the boat and power the billing machine.

Consumerfed, which runs 100 Triveni super markets and 46 liquor shops in Kerala, is building two more floating malls because of demand from villagers.

Special Single Window System in Kochi

New Delhi: The union budget carries instructions to

Bsubmitting returns to income tax payers and to resolve complaints through a single window system in Kochi.

Apart from Kochi, the single window system will be executed in Pune and Chandigarh.

B

The budget allots Rs.89 crore for FACT, Rs.76 crore for Cochin port, Rs.12 crore for Hindustan News Print Factory, Rs. 170 crore for Rubber Board, Rs.249 crore for Spice Board and Rs. 52 crore for MBEDA, Kochi.

Meanwhile, the state was disappointed with respect to declaration on IIT or Kochi Metro Rail

Libya's Gaddafi urges jihad against Switzerland,

BENGHAZI, Libya: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi called on Thursday for a "jihad" or armed struggle against Switzerland, saying it was an infidel state that was destroying mosques.

"Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against (the Prophet) Mohammad, God and the Koran," Gaddafi said during a meeting in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi to mark the Prophet's birthday.

"The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking, inspect all shops and markets to stop any Swiss goods being sold," Gaddafi said.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said it had no comment on Gaddafi's remarks. Libya's relations with Switzerland broke down in 2008 when a son of Gaddafi was arrested in a Geneva hotel and charged with abusing domestic servants.

He was released shortly afterwards and the charges were dropped, but Libya cut oil supplies to Switzerland, withdrew billions of dollars from Swiss bank accounts and arrested two Swiss businessmen working in the North African country.

One has been released but the other was forced this week to leave the Swiss embassy in Tripoli where he had been sheltering and move to a prison to serve a four-month sentence, apparently avoiding a major confrontation.

Libya says the Geneva arrest and the case of the two businessmen are not linked. "Let us fight against Switzerland, Zionism and foreign aggression," said Gaddafi, adding that "this is not terrorism", in contrast with the work of al Qaeda which he called a "kind of crime and a psychological disease". "There is a big difference between terrorism and jihad which is a right to armed struggle," he said.

Gaddafi accused Switzerland of being an "infidel, obscene state which is destroying mosques", in reference to a Swiss referendum verdict barring construction of minarets. He called for a "jihad against it with all means".

Gaddafi was speaking before leading prayers in a Benghazi square in the presence of envoys from dozens of Muslim countries. Swiss nationals voted 57.5 percent in favour of the minaret ban in the Nov. 29 referendum backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party.

REUTERS

Sachin Tendulkar should get Bharat Ratna: Kapil,Wadekar

NEW DELHI: Describing Sachin Tendukar as 'Kohinoor' of cricket, former captains Kapil Dev and Ajit Wadekar on Thursday said the milestone man should be conferred Bharat Ratna - India's highest civilian award.

The record of highest International runs (31,041) and centuries (93) already by his name, Tendulkar on Wednesday became the first cricketer in the history of One-day cricket to score a double hundred in Gwalior.

"Sachin is the Kohinoor diamond of the game of cricket. This cricketer has unmatched talent and you can't find another Tendulkar ever. I think, he should have got the Bharat Ratna," Wadekar said.

India's only World Cup winning captain Kapil also supported Wadekar's view and said Tendulkar very much deserves the honour.

"Sachin has touched several milestones during his 20-year career in the international cricket. He certainly deserves the Bharat Ratna. We will be very happy if he gets the highest honour of the country," Kail said.

Kapil, though, said his views would be the same even if Tendulkar had not achieved the rare feat of scoring an ODI double hundred.

"Even if Sachin would have got a duck in this innings, still I would say that he deserves the honour. No decision should be taken on the basis of performance in one match, but I am keeping in mind his overall contribution," he added.

Another former captain and former selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar echoed the same sentiment.

"If any player deserves the Bharat Ratna, it must be Tendulkar. He must get the award," he said.

Wadekar also hoped that Tendulkar would continue to play even after the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"Sachin has proved with his fielding how fit still he is. I think, he can play for at least two more years after the World Cup next year."

Wadekar, who has also worked with Tendulkar as coach of the national team, supported the view of former England captain Nasser Hussain that Tendulkar was better than even Don Bradman, the iconic Australian batsman.

"I don't think any batsman can be better than Tendulkar, not even Bradman. Sachin has succeeded in all the three forms of cricket - Test, one-dayer and Twenty20," Wadekar said.

PTI

Tendulkar zooms to ICC ODI third spot after historic innings

DUBAI: Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday jumped three places to third in the ICC ODI batsmen rankings after his record-breaking double-century against South Africa while India are almost assured of $75,000 for ending the calendar year at number two position in the championship table.

Tendulkar (766 points), who returned undefeated on 200 in his 442nd appearance at Gwalior on Wednesday, now trails second-placed Mike Hussey (809) of Australia by 43 points with Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (827) strengthening his position at the top of the rankings after hitting a 35-ball 68 not out against South Africa in the second ODI.

It is Tendulkar's highest ranking in two years after he had reached second position following an unbeaten 117 against Australia in Sydney.

While Tendulkar has vaulted into third position, fellow opener Virender Sehwag has dropped one place to 10th position.

After missing a few matches, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir also slipped one and two places respectively to be at 13th and 21st. A player loses one per cent of his ratings points for every match missed.

In the bowlers list headed by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, Harbhajan Singh is the only Indian at top 20 and the off-spinner retained his place at fifth.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship, India has all but cemented second position after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against South Africa. It is now on 123 ratings points while South Africa has slipped to 115 ratings points.

The only way India can finish third at the annual cut-off date of 1 April is if it loses Saturday's match and New Zealand makes a clean sweep of the five-ODI series against Australia starting in Napier on March 3, which is highly unlikely.

In that scenario, New Zealand will jump to 123 ratings points while India will finish on 122 ratings points.

On the other side of the coin, if India wins on Saturday then irrespective of how New Zealand and Australia series pans out, India will finish second on 124 ratings points.

Australia has already sealed the number-one position with 134 ratings points and can only drop to as low as 128 ratings points if it loses all the five ODI against New Zealand.

PTI

Pavilion, road in Gwalior to be named after Sachin

Bhopal: A pavilion at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium, where Sachin Tendulkar rewrote the history by becoming the first cricketer to score a double century in ODI, would be named after little master.Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) President Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced the decision to name a pavilion at the ground after Tendulkar, who cracked an unbeaten 200 to help India beat South Africa by 153 runs in the second ODI .

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that the City Centre-Hurawali Road in Gwalior would also bear the name of Tendulkar.

The 200 club

In the end, there seemed to be only one force of nature that could have stopped Sachin Tendulkar from reaching the first double century in one-day internationals: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s inability to get the delivery away for anything less than a boundary. That was apt. Tendulkar owns many records, but they have never been just a matter of numbers. So it is that he again affirmed his special place in cricket by not allowing, in those final overs, any anxiety about the record change the drift of play. His partner was straining to give him the strike, but Tendulkar’s batting did not betray a temptation to get the strike by passing up an opportunity for a run.

This record has come late in Tendulkar’s career, a career in which India remained in the game far too often and for far too many stretches just by his very presence. For that reason, for the sense that Tendulkar now plays in a team that has it to win without him, the record is timely. Now, the team may not despair of playing a match without him; but he, unencumbered by great expectations, can still rise to them.

Tendulkar needed circumstances. We needed these circumstances for an exceptional career like Tendulkar’s to be made complete and invested with specialness. He’s been around for so long that it is easy to forget that he carried a heavy burden from the very beginning. He debuted in a series in Pakistan in 1989. In the Sialkot Test, Waqar Younis, also a debutant, bloodied 16-year-old Tendulkar’s nose. He refused to retire hurt. “It didn’t feel nice, what with blood flowing from my nose,” he would later recall. “But I couldn’t leave, for the side was not doing well.” It was a fidelity that extracted collateral damage. The team’s fortunes so often relied on him that it became a perverse conclusion that anything that made him shine had to be measured against the team’s performance. And a man given to doing well had to answer questions about not playing just for the records. On Wednesday in Gwalior, everyone was willing the game on for his record. But him. He waited out Dhoni’s uncontrollable flair and let the record come to him.

Sachin makes history, scores first ODI double ton

Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar re-wrote the record books on Wednesday, hammering the first double century in the history of one-day cricket to add another feather to his well-adorned cap. The capacity crowd at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium witnessed history on Wednesday as Tendulkar, statistically the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, pushed a Charl Langeveldt delivery through the off-side and ran a single to achieve a feat which no other cricketer has achieved. One-Day International cricket, since its 1971 inception, had to wait nearly four decades to see a batsman score 200. The previous best mark was shared by Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (194 not out) and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar (194). As the crowd erupted with unbridled joy, Tendulkar, tired but composed, took off his helmet, looked skyward, closed his eyes to offer a silent prayer. His captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni came down from the striker's end to shake hands and hug him. And as Tendulkar set on his way back to the pavilion after the completion of the Indian innings, a tumultuous celebration greeted him. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as the entire stadium erupted in euphoria while his teammates were simply ecstatic as they clapped and hugged each other, basking in the glory of their senior teammates. Tendulkar batted like a man with a mission today and the South African bowlers simply had no clue where to bowl. Once he crossed the 150-mark, the crowd anticipated something special and Tendulkar did not let them down. A six off Roelof van der Merwe took him past Kapil Dev's 175 not out and in the next over, he hit Jacques Kallis for a four to equal his previous best of 186 not out that had come against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1999. The crowd got restless as Tendulkar approached the 194-run mark and a couple off Wayne Parnell saw him eclipse it. His teammates and spectators were on the edge of their seat with a double century round the corner but with Dhoni going berserk at the striker's end and facing most of the deliveries, it was an agonising wait for all. Dhoni took singles off the final deliveries of the 47th-49th overs and Tendulkar finally took strike with four balls left in the innings. The first ball he received from Langeveldt was steered past point and Tendulkar ran for a single to remain unbeaten after an unforgettable unbeaten 200 that came off just 147 balls with 25 fours and three sixes in it. It was yet another milestone for the man, who has some 30,000 international runs under his belt, including 93 centuries (47 in Tests and 46 in ODIs).

PTI

Maruti, Hyundai to hike car prices

NEW DELHI: Major auto makers in the country today reacted to the government's decision to increase the central excise duty to 10 per cent by saying they will increase car prices -- possibly by up to Rs 25,000.

While the country's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), said its car will become costly by two per cent, Hyundai Motor India said it will result in a price rise of Rs 6,500-25,000 on average.

"Car prices will go up by about two per cent. This is essential to offset the increase in central excise duty announced by the Finance Minister today," MSI Chairman R C Bhargava said.

The government today increased the central excise duty by two per cent to 10 per cent, partially rolling back the cut made earlier.

Meanwhile, a Hyundai Motor spokesperson said: "We will be forced to hike our prices by Rs 6,500 to Rs 25,000."

Volvo Auto India also said that the increase in excise duty will result in increase of price of its cars.
PTI