Monday 27 August 2012

COALGATE-THE FARCE BEHIND GROWTH AND NATIONAL CONCERN

Comptroller and auditor General of India ( CAG ) raps Indian government for deciding on coal block allocations and causing a revenue loss of 1.86 lakh crore rupees. Indian Parliament is in a logjam. Opposition parties are pressing for the resignation of prime minister and minister after minister of UPA II are making brave but unconvincing attempts to justify coal block allocation in place of competitive bidding or auction.Their main line of defence seems to be dwelling upon 
a) Doubts raised on the jurisdiction and competence of CAG 
b) There has been zero loss of revenue
c) The decision was taken in national interest to achieve high growth and to mitigate the woes of the common man by providing him cheap electricity.
The contention of zero loss of revenue and intention of providing stimulus to growth, somehow do not cut much ice in justifying rationale behind the process of resorting to the route of coal block allocations and were discussed in coal gate , congress gate or flood gate of corruption.
Let us try to understand the impact of allocations on power generation and heavy industry like steel and cement. Recently it was brought out by NPTC that a 25% decrease ( from $100 to $75 a ton ) in international coal prices will bring down the cost of power generation by mere 7 - 10 paise per unit, a meagre decrease of 2-3% in the power generation cost at the plant for a coal cost reduction of Rs 1100/ton. The fuel component of power generation is merely 35-40 paise per unit even when coal is priced at Rs 4000/ton and the cost to consumer multiplies manifolds because of plant capital cost, manpower costs, transmission and distribution costs etc.. Where is the concern for the common man or providing stimulus to growth seen when in one go the governments increase rates to consumers by more than 30%.
In steel production, coal contributes 8 to 12% to the cost of steel whereas in cement industry the contribution of the coal to the cost of cement is about 18-20% and the coal cost includes royalty, mining, coking ( in case of steel production ) and logistics.
The coal block allocation or auction and the loss to revenue relates only to the royalty money. Incidentally the royalty content in coal price of about Rs1500/ton supplied by Coal India is Rs 180/ton. In the light of all this, arguments for coal block allocations are nothing more than a hoax and seem to be governed by everything other than any noble intention. In fact such decisions are bleeding the Indian economy and are putting India's march to prosperity backwards by a couple of years.

Sunday 26 August 2012


The National Committee in Solidarity with Jaitapur Struggle said the plan to put up six reactors in Jaitapur “appears seriously flawed” after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
The appeal to the prime minister was signed by political leaders Prakash Karat, A.B. Bardhan, Ram Vilas Paswan, Nama Nageswara Rao, K. Danish Ali, Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja.
“We are deeply concerned that the central government and the Maharashtra government do not seem to have paid due attention to the serious objections regarding the safety of the proposed Areva reactors and its costs raised by experts, MPs, public figures and local people,” it said.
The communication said the project had not been subjected to an independent rigorous scientific techno-economic scrutiny and safety audit.
It said the ‘conditional’ environmental clearance granted by the ministry of environment and forest in November 2010 was based on an unscientific and deeply flawed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
The 1,650 MWe European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) of Areva, it said, “is an untested design and has caused serious concerns among the nuclear safety agencies of different countries”.

Saturday 25 August 2012


Nuclear Energy is unviable??

by DiaNuke.org

Chandra Sharma

An IITian of New Delhi (1968). He has over four decades of experience in various fields of engineering - Design, Commissioning, Auditing, etc. Written a book titled - Crisis of Energy in India - which has been published from Lap Lambert Academic Publishing Gmbh & co. KG, Germany. The book is available on Amazon and Morebooks
The article is based on this book. Delivered more than two dozen lectures in National and International seminars on Power sector / Energy Audits.
Dr. Sharma can be contacted on conengr@gmail.com
Should India go nuclear for energy or not? The question is debatable. I would say it is not worth debating because of the horrible consequences of playing with a demon. Energy from atom is dangerous. The nature has preserved it an a very scientific way so that people can line near it. It need not be disturbed. Energy from atom is unethical. It is as much unethical as trading in human organs. This energy into the hands of man is destined to bring disaster. The very first instance is the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945). The world has already witnessed the accidents at Three Mile Island, USA (1979), Chernobyle, Ukraine (1986) and Fukushima, Japan (2011). The world would never forget the worst industrial disaster of Union Carbide, Bhopal, India in 1985. The bigger question is- Is the humanity at the mercy of science or scientists? Science is bound to create problems. It does not offer permanent solutions. The permanent solution lies with the Nature.
India
India’s total installed generation capacity is 199877 MW as on March 31, 2012. This is including 4780 MW from Nuclear Power Plants. The contribution from nuclear sources is 2.4% only.
A look at the history of nuclear power in India would be more beneficial. Dr. Homi Bhaba is known in India as the Father of Nuclear Industry. Initially India has set a target of 10000 MW for power generation from nuclear energy. This figure was to be achieved in 1971. India has achieved only 4780 MW in the year 2012 – 42 years down the line. The reasons may be many but nuclear energy did not find favours in India. By all accounts this performance is dismal.

HEARD ON THE STREET ON COALGATE

"If coal is not mined, if it remains buried in mother earth, where is the loss" and the Government has allotted coal blocks on the clear cut understanding that the beneficiaries  will never dig any coal because it causes loss to the exchequer.

"If coal is not mined, if it remains buried in mother earth, where is the loss" but the decision will help in industrial growth of the country and will make available cheap electricity to the common man to mitigate his woes emanating from shortages of power.

In future coal blocks  will be given  through auction  route  so that  the power  is  generated  at higher costs to adversely affect the industrial growth and the dreams of masses.

The allotment route was resorted  to because  many  state  governments were  not in  favour of auction route for giving coal blocks to  private parties  and as  national government we  neither have any policies nor convictions. We just carry out business in a manner that our rule/misrule survives and we are successful in bleeding the nation to the max to retain our powers.


Indian polity is always right. It was right when it made  allocations and they will  be doubly right when auctions route is resorted to for giving access to national resources to private parties.

And finally, we know that
Statesmen think of next generation and create opportunities, Leaders Seize opportunities that come their way, while Politicians think of next elections and fritter away these opportunities and dirty politicians simply mess up everything.
But since the Indian polity belongs to the last category, do not try to infringe upon their fundamental right to misgovern, give governance motivated by corruption and their endeavour to continue ruling India through fair or foul means.
 Out of the four basic postulates of Chanakya Neeti i.e.Saam Daam Dand Bhed, they have imbibed the last three to perfection to win power and remain in power.  

COAL GATE, CONGRESS GATE OR FLOOD GATE OF CORRUPTION


Coal gate scam is being referred to as the mother of all revenue-loss scams. Like in the case of 2G scam, the government is coming out with
a) Zero loss theory
b) Allocation done to benefit the country's economy and common man
These guys in khadi really take the citizenry and voters to be the most gullible specie just waiting to hear from them some preposterous argument to condone them of the sin of bleeding Indian economy. A few masterpieces heard from these men of great wisdom. 
"If coal is not mined, if it remains buried in mother earth, where is the loss. The loss can arise only once the coal is taken out of mother earth, mined and sold at unacceptable price or value. But if the coal is not mined, where is the loss," he said. Mr. Chidambaram was apparently referring to the CAG's figure of Rs. 1.86 lakh crore "undue benefit" flowing to private firms who have been allocated coal blocks without auction since 2004. And he wants the country to believe that these firms are not going to produce/mine any coal in all future so that no loss occurs to the Indian exchequer. 
The coal minister, Mr Jaiswal while Defending the allocation of coal blocks to private companies, said neither India’s  8 percent growth would  have been possible without it nor  the country’s  growing power shortage would have been met. Strangely enough all this without a single ton of coal having been dug out from earth as  stated by Mr Chidambram.
The zero loss and country's progress through these allotments and the much advocated logic of their concern for the common man were forgotten in a jiffy when suddenly they decided to do away with spectrum allotments and decided to go in for the auction route and now boasted of big gains of thousands of crores of rupees to the government kitty. In the case of coal also the government has now decided to follow the route of auction in future without cancelling the earlier allotments. ( Forgetting conveniently the logic of Indian growth and cheap electricity to the common man) This in fact is a very smart/clever move as this will cut down any new competition to the earlier favoured entities both in the fields of coal production and power generation for all times to come.

Friday 24 August 2012


The earth beneath its feet

SHALINI SINGH  
Experiences relating to coal shortage, power cuts and price hikes make the Coalgate scam directly painful for the common man. File Photo
The HinduExperiences relating to coal shortage, power cuts and price hikes make the Coalgate scam directly painful for the common man. File Photo
The UPA may find the charge of allowing private companies to profit from coal allocation more damaging than the 2G scam
With the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on coal set to be tabled in Parliament on Friday and the Bharatiya Janata Party gathering its forces for a full fledged attack, the Monsoon session threatens to be a stormy one.
While ‘Coalgate’ resembles the 2G spectrum scam both in terms of the emerging evidence as well as the government’s defence, what makes the issue potentially incendiary is the opportunity the opposition has to drag the Prime Minister directly into midfield.
In the 2G scandal, the Prime Minister and the Finance Secretary sought spectrum auctions which A. Raja, who was Telecom Minister at the time, refused. But in Coalgate, it was the Coal Secretary who apparently sought auctions despite existing legislation, which the PM, with direct control of the coal portfolio at the time, seemingly ignored or overruled. This is the pivotal difference, though the forensics will only emerge once the CAG report is tabled.

STRIKING SIMILARITIES

Both the 2G and the Coalgate scandals chronicle massive losses for the state exchequer with corresponding gain to private parties through the involvement or decision-making of key politicians and bureaucrats. Both spectrum and coal impact the daily lives of crores of Indian citizens. In both cases, the loss arose out of the use of discretionary powers to select and administer the mechanism for the allocation of the natural resource. For 2G, first-come, first-served (FCFS), and for coal, application-based selection was chosen over auctions. In both spectrum and coal, the allocations were made based on an application which required minimum detail, where awards can be justified by officials with scant public scrutiny. Spectrum allocation was guided by the Unified Access Service Licence guidelines while coal followed ‘captive block selection’ guidelines. Despite these guidelines being available online, transparency has come under serious question. The selection committees in both cases were bureaucrats from across Ministries/States who still failed to implement any safeguards.

Wednesday 22 August 2012


Tokyo Ponders an End to Nuclear Power

TOKYO—The Japanese government is likely to decide to eliminate all nuclear power over the next two decades in a new long-term energy plan that comes amid strong public opposition to atomic energy and ahead of national elections expected in the next few months, said government officials familiar with policy discussions.
Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-plant accident in March 2011, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda set up a council to recommend a long-term energy strategy based on three scenarios: phasing out nuclear power completely by 2030, reducing dependence to 15%, or keeping it at current levels of about 20% to 25%. All the scenarios aim to increase the use of renewable energy to at least 20% from the current 10%.
The government is expected to announce a final decision in September, ahead of general elections for parliament expected by the end of the year.
While it had been widely expected to choose the middle option, government officials said Tuesday that the council is now most likely to select the zero-nuclear option. "Zero nuclear is our hope and goal," one of the officials told Dow Jones Newswires. "We are moving toward it, and I don't think others will be aggressively against it."
Following the Fukushima disaster, all of Japan's remaining 50 working reactors were eventually idled for regular maintenance. In July, two reactors in western Japan were brought back on line in response to an anticipated increase in energy demand for the summer. The move angered anti-nuclear activists, who have held weekly demonstrations outside the prime minister's residence, drawing crowds of up to 75,000 people.
Industry Minister Yukio Edano, who is responsible for the power industry, said earlier this month he wants to eliminate the use of nuclear power if there is agreement to share the financial burden that would arise from the increased use of more expensive fossil fuels. Mr. Edano's comments followed Prime Minister Noda's instructions to look into the practical challenges of the nuclear-zero scenario.
The policy is seen as a way for Mr. Noda and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan to soothe public opinion, which has been especially hostile since the enactment earlier this month of legislation to double the sales tax to 10% over the next three years.
The cabinet's approval rating has sagged well below the 30% level in recent media polls. At the same time, the public has been increasingly concerned about a return to nuclear energy. In a recent poll by the daily Asahi Shimbun, 43% of 1,540 respondents said they favored a zero-nuclear policy, while 31% chose the 15% option. Only 11% chose the 20% to 25% scenario.
In another sign of the softening of the government's stance, Mr. Noda appeared set to meet with nuclear protesters on Wednesday. Until this week, Mr. Noda had refused to meet with their representatives.
Industry groups remain opposed to abandoning nuclear power, saying that would encourage manufacturers already suffering from higher domestic costs to shift production overseas.
Masami Hasegawa, a senior manager at the environmental policy office of Keidanren, Japan's largest business lobby, said the government is overlooking the views of the "silent majority."
He also said Japan's situation is different from that of Germany, which decided in May 2011 to close all its nuclear power plants. "Germany could decide to eliminate nuclear power because its power grid is connected to other European countries and it can import electricity from France when necessary," Mr. Hasegawa said. "For energy security, it is wiser that Japan maintains diversity in its energy sources."
A spokesman for Kansai Electric Power Co., Japan's second-largest power utility after Tokyo Electric Power Co., and the one previously most dependent on nuclear power, declined to comment.
Kansai Electric President Makoto Yagi said in late July he believes nuclear power is necessary for Japan and will remain so in the future.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

ECONOMIC WIZARDS OF UPA II ON TAKING INDIA FORWARD

Statesmen think of next generation and create opportunities, Leaders Seize opportunities that come their way, while Politicians think of next elections and fritter away these opportunities and dirty politicians simply mess up everything.

All well meaning, sincere and nationalistic elements in India have little doubts about the intentions and capabilities of Indian polity but the recent uttering of one of the senior ministers of UPA II has further eroded their credibility. A new manifesto seems to be on the cards imbibing the new innovative out of the box thinking of our esteemed polity for a A sure shot way to prosperity of India with following fundamental postulates.


Inflation and higher costs of agriculture produce thereof to help farmers become prosperous.

Increase in corruption, bribery and graft a must for economic empowerment of bureaucracy, polity and its favourites and stooges.

More earning for his goods and services for the common man and less earnings to the state for its resources - Guiding Principle of Indian Governance



Monday 20 August 2012


Corruption to blame for black money: CBDT panel

SQUARELY blaming the large scale corruption in every sphere of activity and electrol politics 

RELATED ARTICLES

for black money in India, a CBDT committee report released on Tuesday said the menace could not be checked merely through legislation or enforcement but in “finding much deeper socio-economic solutions.

There are two dimensions of the issue of black money –– first, its generation and, second, its consumption and use, including laundering of black money back to mainstream economy.

Saturday 18 August 2012


Chutka N-plant faces local resistance – Business Standard

by DiaNuke.org
Chutka N-plant faces local resistance
Shashikant Trivedi / New Delhi/ Bhopal Aug 17, 2012, 00:40 IST
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to buy 700 Mw power annually from the proposed Chutka nuclear power project.
The progress of the project took a hit when people from nearby villages refused to accept the land acquisition notices sent to them by the government. The protesters are likely to assemble on August 19 to register their strong objection over the project, which, they say, would adversely affect every village that falls under the scheduled area. The project site, according to reports, falls under an earthquake-prone zone, a condition many say could result in a disaster similar to the Fukushima nuclear reactor incident.
Though the project is yet to come out of the drawing board, the district administration has issued notices under the 1994 land acquisition Act. “We will buy power at prescribed tariff from the project which will be established by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). The state government has issued notifications for the land acquisition process,” said a government official.
Members of Chutka Parmanu Sangharsh Samiti allege that the NPCIL and state government officials are going ahead with their plans without taking them into confidence and had furtively conducted surveys more than five times and even ignored decisions and resolutions taken by gram sabhas. Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, has vested all rights on deciding developmental activities to the gram sabhas.
Black money: Public wants demonetising of high-value note

NEW DELHI: The common man wants the government to demonetise high denomination currency notes like Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 to effectively combat the menace of black money in the country, a Finance Ministry report has revealed.
The other salient demands by the public include bringing a voluntary disclosure scheme for black money hoarders and bringing a strong Lokpal Bill.
Use of black money in polls root cause of corruption: CM

BHOPAL: A day after BJP national president Nitin Gadkari announced the party's full support to yoga guru Baba Ramdev for his crusade against black money, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan made a statement that made heads turn on Independence Day.
Addressing the Independence-Day march past at the Lal Parade Grounds here, Chouhan said that "use of black money in elections is the root cause of corruption."

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Government panel on black money backs creation of Lokpal 


NEW DELHI: A high-level government panel on black money has favoured creation of a strong Lok Pal to check corruption, besides suggesting a restricted scheme to bring back funds unintentionally stashed away abroad.

The government made public recommendations of the panel on Tuesday, a day when yoga guru Baba Ramdev cut short his hunger strike in protest against corruption. Ramdev's protest came soon after social activist Anna Hazare's, who sat on a protest fast to demand institution of an autonomous Lok Pal, or ombudsman, to check corruption.

"Institutions of the Lok Pal and Lokayukta may be put in place at the earliest at the centre and in states, respectively, to expedite investigations into cases of corruption and bring the guilty to justice," the panel on Measures to Tackle Black Money in India and Abroad said in its report.

Although the government has introduced in parliament a bill seeking to create a Lok Pal, civil society groups have termed it a tame effort.

The panel, headed by chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, has suggested a five-pronged plan to tackle black money. This includes steps to prevent its generation, discourage its use, detecting black money, effective investigative machinery and effective adjudication.

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Saturday 11 August 2012


Home gets cheap source of energy

By Carolyn Kissoon carolyn.kissoon@trinidadexpress.com 

Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Kevin Ramnarine yesterday launched the completion of the installation of renewable energy techonologies at the Islamic Home for Children in Gasparillo.
The new system will mean lower electricity bills for the facility as energy will be generated from the sun and wind.
Ramnarine said the technologies included solar photovoltaic panels as well as a wind turbine.
A ceremony was held at the Islamic Children's Home, Rahaman Drive, Bonne Aventure, Gasparillo.
Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Marlene Coudray, San Fernando mayor Navi Muradali and Petrotrin chairman Khalid Hassanali were among the guests.
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allAfrica.com: Kenya: Plans to Establish Nuclear Power Plant Challenged

Kenya's dreams of establishing a nuclear power plant is facing its first hurdle after a man moved to court seeking to stop the government from going ahead with the project. Dr Josef Kipkemoi Kitur is opposing the plan to establish the nuclear plant by 2017 to become energy sufficient. He says the negative implications of having nuclear plant outweigh its positives and as a result the court should intervene and stop the process. Kitur's main concern is devastating effect nuclear energy will have on environment.
In his view energy ministry is going about the business of establish nuclear plant without fully acknowledging and appreciating the greater risks involved in the nuclear energy. He wondered why Kenya chose to go for nuclear energy when many international communities are campaigning against it and withdrawing from it due to its negative environmental degradation.
Kitur says that the principle of sustainable development requires that economic and social development can be sustainable only if environment is protected from degradation. He notes that the fissile material and sources of ionizing radiation poses health, safety and environmental risks for very long time. "It is thus difficult to determine measures are necessary in order to protect generations adequately in the very remote and unpredictable future which Kenya as a developing country cannot cope and sustain," he says.

Nuclear power poses a horrendous risk

Better science expected from MDs’ group (Letter, Aug. 10)
If the nuclear power and all steps of the uranium cycle are so safe, as per the statements by Michael Binder, president of Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, why is the industry shrouded in secrecy at every step of the process, and liability insurance is limited to only $75 million per facility? It’s because the disastrous consequences of nuclear accidents are beyond comprehension.
The world is aligning to block Iran’s development of nuclear technologies for a reason. Meanwhile, if Japan’s Fukushima fuel storage system fails, the entire northern hemisphere of our planet could be compromised, with many nuclear refugees stampeding to the southern hemisphere. I suggest that all citizens spend an hour and a half watching the film Battle of Chernobyl on Facebook. It will be life-changing.

Friday 10 August 2012

Obama Expedites Seven New Solar and Wind Projects

Obama Expedites Seven New Solar and Wind Projects

As congressional Republicans continue their assault on President Obama’s seemingly failed “green” agenda, the White House announced August 7 it will expedite seven federal wind and solar projects across four western states. The programs, which will be grounded in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Wyoming, will generate enough power to run 1.5 million homes, the White House said in a press release.
“As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above strategy to expand domestic energy production and strengthen the economy, we are working to advance smart development of renewable energy on our public lands,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar affirmed. “These seven proposed solar and wind projects have great potential to grow our nation’s energy independence, drive job creation, and power economies across the west.”
A component of Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” campaign — a series of executive actions intended to expand the economy in the face of congressional opposition — a recent executive order championed by the White House is designed in part to expedite environmental programs:
As a part of a Presidential Executive Order issued in March of this year, the Office of Management and Budget is charged with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective, saving time while driving better outcomes for the environment and local communities.
Additional expedited infrastructure projects will be announced in the coming weeks.

US Freezes Nuclear Power Plant Permits Because of Waste Issues

Posted by samzenpus  
from the no-nukes dept.
KindMind writes"The U.S. Government said it will stop issuing all permits for new plants and license extensions for existing plants are being frozen due to concerns over waste storage. From the article: 'The government's main watchdog, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, believes that current storage plans are safe and achievable. But a federal court said that the NRC didn't detail what the environmental consequences would be if the agency is wrong. The NRC says that "We are now considering all available options for resolving the waste issue, But, in recognition of our duties under the law, we will not issue [reactor] licenses until the court's remand is appropriately addressed." Affected are 14 reactors awaiting license renewals, and an additional 16 reactors awaiting permits for new construction.'"

An Uncertain Phase for Nuclear Power Licenses

The bottom of the new Unit 3 reactor under construction earlier this year at the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. Associated PressThe bottom of the new Unit 3 reactor under construction earlier this year at the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. 
Green: Politics
In a rare action, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has acceded to a petition filed by anti-nuclear groups that it halt some licensing activities until the agency can sort out its troubled policy on nuclear waste. The groups, two dozen of them, are sounding triumphant, as if they have brought the industry to its knees.
But for now it is not clear whether the decision will force any reactors to shut down or delay the opening of any new ones.
The crux of the waste issue is that for years, the commission has licensed reactors on the assumption that the federal government would eventually establish a disposal system for spent fuel. An official policy known as the “waste confidence decision” stated, in typical commission lingo, that there was “reasonable assurance” that a burial place would eventually be available and that the fuel could in the meantime be stored in spent fuel pools or on site in dry casks without significant environmental risks.
But in June the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

Japan pledges less reliance on nuclear energy as Nagasaki marks anniversary of A-bomb attack

TOKYO — Japanese officials pledged to seek a society less reliant on nuclear energy as the country marked the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on Thursday.
About 6,000 people gathered at a peace park near the epicenter of the 1945 blast, including students and the mayor of one of the towns most affected by last year’s nuclear plant disaster.
 ANagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue said the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which was crippled by a tsunami last March, has exposed the risk of nuclear technology.
Taue urged Japan to make concrete plans to achieve a nuclear-free society and called for renewed commitment to a global ban on nuclear weapons.
“Many people in Fukushima still live in fear of radiation effects,” Taue said.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda renewed his promise to seek a society less reliant to nuclear power in a mid- to long-term policy platform due out within weeks.

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Tuesday 7 August 2012


Fukushima residents say resounding "no" to nuclear energy


FUKUSHIMA, Japan | Wed Aug 1, 2012 6:54pm IST
(Reuters) - Get out of nuclear power and do it fast, angry Fukushima residents told Japanese government officials on Wednesday at a public hearing on energy policy held in an area ravaged by a nuclear disaster that has whipped up opposition to atomic power.
The Fukushima hearing, the ninth out of 11 planned nationwide, sought to gather views on nuclear power's role in the nation's energy mix as the government struggles to cover a power shortfall by that could threaten economic growth.
Meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s (9501.T) Fukushima nuclear plant after an earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year caused radiation to spew over large areas of Fukushima, forcing more than 160,0000 people to flee. In the following months, all of Japan's nuclear plants were shut for safety checks. Two reactors resumed operations last month.
Farmers Fight Nuclear Plant in Bid to Save Land - Power Engineering

Badlu Ram tugged against the tattered strips of the white gauze that bound his hands and legs to the hospital bed in the town of Fatehabad. "Please free me," he pleaded. On July 13, Mr. Ram had attempted suicide by consuming pesticide. "It was my duty it was my duty," he repeated.
Mr. Ram, 60, said he had failed to protect his family's 26 acres of land, which the government plans to acquire for building a nuclear power plant near Gorakhpur village in Fatehabad district of Haryana state.
Back in the village, Mr. Ram's wife, 58-year-old Bhuri Devi, recalled that two land recording officers had come to survey their property. The villagers attacked them, and a police case was filed against Mr. Ram. "We live with the fear of losing our land, but this shattered him," she said.
The family also believed that the fear of being evicted killed Ishwar Singh, Badlu Ram's elderly uncle, who had rallied against the nuclear plant and died of a heart attack. "We saw him get sick with worry," said Ms. Bhuri.
Two other villagers have died from heart attacks while protesting against the 2,800-megawatt nuclear power plant, supported by the Congress-led state government, which is to be built on 1,313 acres of Gorakhpur village, 185 acres of Badopal village and four acres of Kajal Heri village. Haryana will receive 50 percent of the generated electricity.
This summer, Haryana residents have been rioting over the long power cuts . The state's daily power demand of 6,500 megawatts, which is not being met, is increasing 15 percent every year. Ajit M. Sharan, Haryana's power secretary, explained that the state was bearing the brunt of the national coal shortage. "Also, the coal mines are very far away so the transportation costs as much as the mining," he said.
Presently, Gorakhpur gets about two hours of electricity a day. Mr. Sharan guaranteed that villages within a 10-kilometer (six-mile) radius of the nuclear power plant will get electricity.
INDIAN DREAMS Vs REALITY: GLOBAL SUPER POWER IN WAITING CRIES FOR POWER: Two massive grid failures halt Indian economy and the government and planners of this global super power in waiting tend to ignore it as ...

Monday 6 August 2012


Throw corrupt out of power: Gen V K Singh from Anna's dais

August 03, 2012 20:46 IST

Lending his support to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, former army chief Gen V K Singh on Friday asked the people to "throw" the corrupt out of power and support the alternative political force sponsored by the activist.

Making his first public appearance in New Delhi [ Images ] since retiring from the Army and sharing the dais with Hazare at his hunger strike site, Singh spoke at length about how sepoys are treated in the army and the kind of training they undergo to tackle any kind of disaster or problem.

The former army chief, who was among the 22 eminent personalities who appealed to Hazare and other activists to end their fast, asked the people to travel to every village in the country and spread awareness about corruption, its ill-effects and the alternative political force. 

"It is in your hands. The right to vote is with you. You can throw the corrupt people out. Annaji is providing an alternative political force. Go to every village and spread awareness among people," Singh, who had a confrontation with the government on his age issue, said.
He also spoke about the J P movement of 1970s and said the famous slogan 'Quit the Throne, Public has arrived' is apt in today's atmosphere.

Anna-Kejriwal
File Photo

 
Former Indian Army chief Rtd General VK Singh on Friday requested Team Anna to take their anti-graftagitation to next level by entering politics.

Addressing the gathering at Jantar Mantar, VK Singh said that the next challenge for Team Anna is to clean the Indian politics.

“There is no governance in the country. There are many problems in the country. Corruption and black money are key issues. The governance is missing and we are directionless. Team Anna will have to come forward and clean the political system,” Singh said after sharing dais with Ana Hazare.

Singh said that corruption is the biggest issue in this country.

“Most of the government policies failed due to corruption. Government says, it has no magic band to change the system but I say the magic band is in weak hands.”

Real estate, election campaigns routing black money: Report

PTI Aug 5, 2012, 10.42AM IST
NEW DELHI: Money generated through illegal means is laundered through various means, including real estate andelection campaigns, in India, a report of the US State Department has said.
"High-level corruption both generates and conceals criminal proceeds. Illicit funds are often laundered through real estate, educational programs, charities, and election campaigns. Companies use trade-based money laundering to evade capital controls," the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2012 has said.

The report, which was published in March this year covering 2011, noted that India is a significant target for both domestic and foreign terrorist groups.
The report mentioned that about 86 lakh counter terrorist financing (CTR) and 20,698 Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) were reported between April 2010 to March 2011.
India is a regional financial centre, with a rapidly growing economy and well-developed formal and informal financial systems. "India's extensive informal economy and remittance systems, porous borders, persistent corruption, and onerous tax administration and currency controls contribute to its vulnerability to economic crimes (including fraud, cyber crime, and identity theft), money laundering, and terrorist financing," it said.
According to the report, tax avoidance and the proceeds of economic crimes are the mainstays of money launderers in India, but laundered funds are also derived from narcotics trafficking and trafficking in persons, trans-national organised crime, illegal trade and corruption.