JAIN is a diversified global irrigation and pipes company headquartered in Jalgaon, India and Talis Group a leading European design and manufacturer of Valves and Fittings intend to strengthen their business relationship by offering integrated irrigation and water infrastructure solutions worldwide.

Ajit Jain, Managing Director of JAIN Irrigation said “This Strategic Cooperation with TALIS fits with our overall growth strategy and will boost our offerings by integrating high technology Valves and Fittings with our micro irrigation products enabling us to provide a one-stop solution.”

Kris Holla, Chief Sales Officer of TALIS Group said “We look forward to introducing Talis products through JAIN network globally. We are joining forces in order to be number one in Irrigation markets globally.

Rejecting the petition of Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) on Thursday, which is spearheading the agitation by over 200 pilots, the court said, “In our view, no litigant can avail of any discretionary remedy from the court by wilfully and flagrantly disobeying the orders of the court.”

“You cannot take advantage of the appeal as you are in contempt,” the court said during hearing on the petition by IPG which has challenged the order of the single judge declaring the strike as illegal, saying it was done without any authority.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Rajiv Shakdher asked the IPG to comply with the 9th May single judge’s order which restrained it from continuing with the “illegal strike” by reporting sick, and staging demonstrations.

“We could have directly proceeded with the contempt of court proceedings against you, but we leave it to the single judge so that better sense will prevail on you (IPG),” the bench said.

“We have no doubt that the members of the appellant (IPG) are and continue to be in violation of the order of the single judge.

“Since we are not entertaining the appeal and the order of the single judge stands, the members of appellant would be well advised to comply with the orders of the single judge failing which it would be open to the single judge to proceed against them under the Contempt of Court Act,” the bench also said.

The pilots are agitating over the rescheduling of Boeing 787 Dreamliner training and matters relating to their career progression. The airline management has sacked 71 pilots including bearers of the IPG.

The bench, however, granted liberty to IPG to move before the single judge for modification of its previous order while turning down their plea that the High Court has no jurisdiction to pass an ex-parte order as the union’s office as well as Air India’s headquarter is in Mumbai.

The IPG is protesting AI’s decision to train pilots of Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), a union of pilots of erstwhile domestic carrier Indian Airlines, for dreamliner Boeing aircraft.

With no end in sight to the pilots’ strike that entered 10th day on Thursday, the Civil Aviation Ministry has convened a meeting of all recognised trade unions of Air India next week to discuss issues relating to career progression and pay-scales.

“We will start the project work as soon as the state government hands over 2,700 acres of land for setting up of 8 mtpa steel plant,” said Yoon.

The company had so far been given only 500 acres of land for the purpose though the government claimed to have acquired about 2,000 acres, he added.

Posco-India which had proposed to set up a 12 mtpa steel plant near Paradip at an investment of Rs52,000 crore, said to be the biggest FDI in the country, had failed to pick up due to various issues including stiff resistance from locals under Ersama block of Jagatsinghpur district.

The 8 mtpa steel plant will be set up in two phases and the company has not ruled out the possibility of expansions to 12 mtpa in future. Yoon said the company has already submitted its revised proposal.

On National Green Tribunal’s rejection of environmental clearance to the project, the Posco-India CMD said they were in consultation with the Ministry of Environment and Forest. “Once the problem is sorted out, we will be able to say something in this matter,” he said.

Yoon avoided question on issues of water and raw material which posed hurdle before the project. “Actually, we held discussion on land issues and some other minor issues. When other issues are discussed, we can say something about this,” he said.

“We hope that acquiring another 700 acre of land will not be a problem,” the chief minister said, adding that the company today agreed to set up a training centre at Ersama for imparting skill education for the local youths.

Patnaik also hoped that Posco-India would set up the steel plant like their plant at Pohang where clean and green coexisted with less environmental pollution.

The project team has already completed the berth, almost 3 months ahead of schedule, and is in process of wrapping up the balance activities, all of which will also complete ahead of plan. Their works at Vizag are for a coal terminal and will add much needed capacity to the coal import sector which in turn benefits the power and steel industries.

The Visakhapatnam Port Trust are extremely happy with their efforts as they have surpassed their expectations in terms of quality, delivery schedule and total project cost, says Leighton Welspun release.

Speaking at the association, Jay Singh and Sanjay Mahtani, Co-Founders and Executive Directors, JSM Corp Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are extremely delighted to be associated with Pinkberry and are committed to make the brand a success in India. With Pinkberry, we are offering our Indian customers distinct flavors and refreshing yogurt experiences. The Pinkberry launch takes us a step closer towards continuing to create happy customers”.

Chief Executive Officer of Pinkberry, Ron Graves, said “Critical to opening in India was to find a local partner who shared our values and was singularly focused on exceeding customer expectations day in and day out. We are proud to be working with the JSM Corporation team.”

With more than 180 stores worldwide, Pinkberry has been aggressively growing overseas during the past few years and is one of the world’s fastest growing global retail brands. Pinkberry offers consumers a signature experience comprised of distinct product, exceptional service and inspirational design.

Mohiuddin told the association that said police asked him and his friend to remove the black film from car windows they were traveling in.

North Kashmir Journalists Protest against police. Pic : Tajamul islam

NKJA has condemned the police action and demanded an immediate inquiry into the incident.

The association including journalists working with various national and local media organizations allege that life of journalists has become miserable as journalists associated with varied news organizations has been subjected to harassment, thrashing and humiliation at the hands of forces which is disgusting.

The scribes called off their protest only after assurances Additional Superintendent of Police Baramulla, Zubair Ahmed Khan who reached on the spot and assured appropriate action.

“We will order inquiry into the unfortunate incident. I myself condemn it,” said SP Zubair Ahmed Khan.

The special court imposed condition on Raja that he cannot go to Tamil Nadu without courts consent as he will be required to attend

A Raja. File Image

Supreme Court, while granting bail to former Telecom Secretary Sidharth Behura, did not distinguished the case of public servant with others. Raja’s counsel said that he and Behura are facing similar charges of abatement, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

A Raja’s lawyer Majid Memon said that Raja can be freed by today evening. There was jubilation seen in Patiala house that houses the DMK party.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Monday, Chidambaram said that the allegations by the main opposition party BJP that the delay in processing was caused by the then finance minister to benefit certain persons is baseless.

Chidambaram claimed that both the applications were processed within a stipulated time frame.

He said while the first application which was to increase the foreign equity in Aircel from 24 per cent to 73.99 per cent was completed in 49 days while the other application for making downstream investment in Dishnet from Aircel was completed in 48 days

Denying the allegation by senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley that family members of P Chidambaram have stakes in a private limited consultancy company which entered into so called suspicious transactions with Aircel on the eve of FIPB clearance to Aircel-Maxis deal, Chidambaram said that neither he or his family members had any financial or otherwise links with telecom companies, including Aircel-Maxis, in 2006 when the deal happened.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also denied any delay by Home Minister P Chidambaram to give approval to telecom company Maxis Communications to acquire 73.99 per cent equity in Aircel Ltd to benefit certain persons. Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha of the BJP had on Friday alleged in the Lok Sabha that Chidambaram’s son Kartik Chidambaram was the beneficiary of the alleged delay.

Anti-corruption activist and Janata Party president Dr Subramaniam Swamy has also accused Kartik Chidambaram of being direct beneficiery in the deal.

Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari, Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar addressed the special session. The President released 5 rupee and 10 rupee coins along with a stamp besides releasing publications of both the Houses.

Rishang Keishing, who was a member of the first and the third Lok Sabha and Resham Lal Jangde, a member of the first, second and ninth Lok Sabhas, have been felicitated. Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Sitarist Debu Chaudhuri and singer Shubha Mudgal lit up the evening with their musical performance.

It was on May 13, 1952 that both the Houses of Parliament held their first sitting. The Constitution of India was promulgated in 1950 and the first general elections were held in 1952.

The 60th year celebrations come at a time when Indian democracy is at its lowest point. During the last two decades, the Parliament never sat for more than a hundred days in a year. The 14th Lok Sabha was marked by the least in Parliament’s history with 332 sittings (an average of 66 a year). 24 per cent of this time was wasted in disruptions and adjournments. Some members of Parliament have been charged with scams worth lakhs of crores and the Parliament drags its feet on corruption.

About 200 pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots’ Guild are on strike since Tuesday protesting rescheduling of training on Dreamliner and issues related to career progression.

Tough stand taken by the Air India management on Friday saw sacking of 25 pilots. With this, the total number of pilots whose services have been terminated has gone up to 71. AI has also written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation asking it to cancel the licenses of 11 office bearers of the IPG whose services have been terminated.

The IPG has said that they are ready for talks and have sought time for a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. The Minister has asked the pilots to return to work and assured them that their demands will be heard. Supporting the agitation, senior pilots wrote a letter to the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of AI and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying the demand of the pilots were genuine and they should be looked into.

Ajit Singh said the government is mulling taking some aircraft on wet lease, as in such cases the planes come with a crew. He said that the government is also in touch with some retired pilots besides rationalising the flights operated by Air India.