Kerala governemnt prepares plan for gulf returnees

Thiruvananthapuram,Thursday, February 13, 2003: Kerala Government has prepared a detailed programme to help those returning from UAE under general amnesty scheme, State Informationa and Minister in charge of NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs) M M Hassan told the assembly Thursday. Replying to a calling attention of Binoy Viswan (CPI) asking the government to take necessary steps for the rehabilitation of Keralities returnig from Gulf countries, Hassan said the state government had requested the Centre to provide fare subsidy in Air India flights to those coming back to the state under the scheme.

Chief Minister A K Antony had written to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee in this regard, he said. Governemnt has constituted a cabinet sub-committee comprising five ministers to monitor the steps taken in the matter. The committee held meetings with airport, passport, emigration and airlines authorities to extend help to Gulf returnees, he said. Request has also been made with the railways to operate special trains from Mumbai for the returnees. The state transport corporation would conduct free bus services from the three international airports in the state for gulf returnees, he said. -keralamonitor.com

Second Indian woman chosen for NASA space mission

Ahmedabad,Thursday, February 13, 2003: Space missions have something "Indian" about them, once again. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently appointed Sunita Lyn Williams, a graduate of US Naval academy and, a close relative of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya, as backup crew for the International space station expedition 10, her family sources said today. Pandya, the maternal uncle of Sunita, said "Sunita's appointment with NASA brings pride to all of us. Our best wishes are always with her". 37-year-old Sunita has been selected in the astronaut class of 1998 and will be a first time flier, sources added. Unlike two other colleagues selected along with her, Sunita has been a helicopter pilot, a test pilot and test pilot instructor. Sunita, married to Michael Williams, was born in Euclid, Ohio, to Deepak and Ursaline Pandya, who live in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The "space woman" likes to swim, bike, windsurf and indulge in bow hunting when in leisure. -keralamonitor.com

No plans to limit the age for pension: Govt

New Delhi,Thursday, February 13, 2003: Government today ruled out plans to limit the age for pension or reduce its quantum for its employees. "There is absolutely no move to limit the age for pension or reduce pension for government employees," a Finance Ministry spokesperson revealed . Goverment will fully meet its commitment to senior citizens, the spokersperson said, adding reports that there could be a ceiling on age for pension as well as quantum of pension to its employees are "completely false". Media reports had said that the pension scheme might receive a fresh look in the face of growing pension bills and one of the options was that pensions be paid to persons till the age of 75. -keralamonitor.com

Global Terrorism Seminar highlight defensive measures.

An International Seminar on Global Terrorism and Ways and Means to counter the threat has opened at the National Security Guards Centre, Maneswar near Gurgaon. The two-day Seminar will exclusively discuss the terrorist menace and their modus-operandi.

Terrorists today, the World over, have shifted their focus from use of guns to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The material and technology for their fabrication is readily available off the shelf. It is convenient for them to choose their target, cause extensive damage and destruction of life and property and getaway easily. The threat is even more pronounced in our context of sponsored terrorism where training, material and incentives are being made available to the terrorist outfits from across the border. There is even a nexus existing between the various terrorist outfits within the country and even globally for exchange of information and intelligence on the fabrication of IEDS. In contrast, there is limited interaction amongst the various security agencies operating within the country on this aspect, leading to loss of innocent live and property, in the absence of a unified preventive strategy.

It is with this backdrop that it was decided to set up a nodel agency in the form of National Bomb Data Centre with National Security Guards in march 2000. NSG was chosen as the central agency. The NSG interacts and trains all security and intelligence agencies viz. State Police, Defence forces, CPOs and the forensic science centers. There are five countries which have credible Bomb Data Centres, some even more than 30 years old. India became the sixth nation to set up a full fledged and functional Bomb Data Centre. There are 79 more countries around the world who are in the process of setting up their Bomb Data Centres.

The task of a Bomb Data Centre is to collect, collate, analyse and evaluate all bombing incidents reported in the country. On the basis of this, it carries out an assessment of the bombing trend area wise to understand the bigger picture. It disseminates the relevant information to concerned law enforcement agency to develop suitable preventive measures. It identifies the explosive used and tries to track its source and route of supply. It also carries out the finger printing of terrorist groups involved. The database is computerized for easy access and a web site has also been created.

This is the third seminar of NBDC but first with foreign participants. A large number of IED and explosive related presentations are scheduled by experts in the field of Bomb Disposal, forensic science and dog units from India and abroad. -keralamonitor.com