15 August, 2014 (English)

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Fortnightly Magazine

CONTENTS

Editor

Prabhat Jha, MP

Executive Editor

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Editorial Team

Ram Prasad TripathyVikash Anand

Creative Editor

Dharmendra KaushalVikas Saini

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3 Kamal Sandesh August 1-15, 2014

Amit Shah becomes new BJP National PresidentModi congratulates Amit Shah.................................................. 6Profile of BJP President Shri Amit Shah.................................. 7BJP Parliamentary Party Executive Committee reconstituted. 9

6th BRICS summit held in Fortaleza (Brazil)Narendra Modi’s path breaking visit to Brazil........................ 10

General Budget 2014-15Our effort is to revive growth spirit of Indian economy....... 13Highlights of the budget 2014-15.............................................. 14

Special InterviewSadananda Gowda, Union Rail Minister of India................... 15

Rail Budget 2014-15Rail Budget Development oriented and people friendly........ 19

ArticlesCongress working real hard to wipe itself off

By A Surya Prakash............................................................ 21

OtherBJP ST Morcha National Executive, Ranchi............................ 18BJP working committee meeting in Patna (Bihar).................... 25

From the StatesWest Bengal, Madhya Pradesh.................................................. 28Chhattisgarh, Odisha.................................................................... 29

Golden Words from Aadhyatam................................................ 30

Courtesy : The Hindu


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Lord Krishna said, O Arjuna when gives up all desires for sense gratificationproduced within the mind and becoming satisfied by the realization of the self in thepure state of the soul; then it is said one is properly situated in perfect knowledge.

—(Bhagavadgita : Ch.-II, 55)QUOTES

“Exhibiting an appetite for changethe Union Budget provides an enablingframework to realise the truepotential of Indian economy.”

-Rajnath Singh

~~~~☯☯☯

~~~~ “Every attempt has been

made to meet theaspirations of all Indiansand to assuage their pain.”

-Amit Shah

Raksha Bandhan : 10 August, 2014

~~~~☯☯☯

~~~~“This Budget is a new

ray of hope for the poorand downtroddensections of society.”

-Narendra Modi

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates the loveand duty between brothers and sisters. It is called Rakhi Purnima,or simply Rakhi, in many parts of India. On Raksha Bandhan,sisters tie a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother's wrist. Thissymbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her. The festivalfalls on the full moon day (Shravan Poornima) of the Shravanmonth of the Hindu calendar

Raksha Bandhan in Sanskrit literally means "the tie or knotof protection". On that day the sister performs a Rakhi ceremony,then prays to express her love and her wish for the well being of her brother; in return, the brother rituallypledges to protect and take care of his sister under all circumstances. It is one of the several occasionsin which family ties are affirmed in India.

Raksha Bandhan is an ancient festival, and has many myths and historic legends linked to it.According to Hindu scripture Bhavishya Purana, in the war between Gods and demons, Indra - was

disgraced by the powerful King Bali. Indra's wife Sachi consulted Lord Vishnu, who gave her a bracelet madeof cotton thread, calling it holy. Sachi tied the holy thread around Indra wrist, blessed with her prayersfor his well being and success. Indra successfully defeated the evil and recovered Amaravati. This storyinspired the protective power of holy thread.

According to the Hindu scriptures Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana, after Vishnu won the threeworlds from King Bali, he was asked by Bali that Vishnu must live in his palace, a request Vishnu granted.Vishnu's wife, Goddess Lakshmi did not like the palace or his new found friendship with Bali, and preferredthat her husband and she return to Vaikuntha. So she went to Bali, tied a Rakhi and made him a brother.Bali asked her what gift she desired. Lakshmi asked that Vishnu be freed from the request that he live inBali's palace. Bali consented, as well accepted her as his sister.

In the epic Mahabharat, Draupadi tied a Rakhi to Krishna, while Kunti tied her Rakhi to her grandsonAbhimanyu, before the Great Mahabharat War.

Even the Rajput queens practiced the custom of sending rakhi threads to neighboring rulers as tokenof brotherhood. The festival is observed by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Raksha Bandhan is primarily observedin India, Mauritius and in Nepal. It is also celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs in parts of Pakistan andBangladesh and by people of Indian origin around the world.

Kamal Sandesh August 1-15, 2014 5

Edito

rial..

.The nation was awaiting the first budget of the Narendra Modi government with lots of

expectations and hope. It may be said without an iota of doubt that people were notdenied the opportunity to celebrate. While a lot of new initiatives were announced in

the budget, much sought after reliefs to people in general were granted while maintaining thefiscal prudence. The budget has not only ensured fiscal discipline but also laid a roadmap ofbuilding a strong and confident India.

The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had the onerous task of meeting the expectations ofthe people amid the sagging morale and the news of deficient monsoon. He had to contendwith the legacy of Congress led UPA government which left the economy in shambles. Thechallenges appeared to be insurmountable as only 45 days were available to him to presenta budget amid high hopes and rising aspirations. The difficult fiscal deficit situation, slide inGDP growth rate, slow movements of projects affecting industrial sectors and rising inflationswere some of the major challenges which Arun Jaitley was to address in his budget speech.In addition to that the massive mandate that was given to Narendra Modi and BJP led NDAmade the task even more challenging as the victory of BJP led NDA and Narendra Modiassuming the office of Prime Minister was greeted by huge surge in sensex which indicatedthe investors’ confidence in the government and high expectations of the market. To maintainthat momentum of positive energy was a huge task before the finance minister. It may be saidwith utmost satisfaction that finance minister’s maiden budget came out with flying coloursas it was again greeted by market which registered a surge as soon the budget presentationwas over.

The budget was not only greeted by the market with cheers but by almost every expertwho keeps close watch over the Indian economy. While it addressed the immediate concernsof the economy, it also spelt out the strategy which the government plans to undertake in thedays to come to make India stronger and vibrant. While the finance minister emphasized onkeeping the fiscal deficit within 4.1%, he also underlined the intention to bring it down to thelevel of 3% by 2016-17 while taking the Indian economy to the growth trajectory of 7-8% inthe next 3-4 years. The main focus of the budget remained on cutting inflation, ensuring fiscaldiscipline, employment generation with skill development and improving overall scenario forhigh growth rate. The plan to start new IITs, IIMs, AIIMs and National Sports University inManipur will definitely satisfy the aspirational urge of today’s youth. In addition to that, thepush in construction, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors will help in generating employmentwhile strengthening the fundamental parameters of the economy. Apart from these, schemeslike Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Rurban Mission, Pt.Madan Mohan Malaviya Teaching Programme and Jaya Prakash Narayan National Centre forExcellence in Humanity along with huge allocation for river Ganga are the landmarks of thebudget. Special focus on North East and Jammu & Kashmir will help in improving the economiccondition of these regions.

It should be kept in mind that the budget was prepared within a very limited time. Thefinance minister should be congratulated for meeting the expectations of almost every sectionof the society within 45 days of hard work. The most important thing is that the electionmanifesto was sought to be implemented through various initiatives announced in the budget.It was truly aimed at fulfilling the mandate of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ as promised in theelection manifesto of BJP. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has rightly termed theBudget as a Budget that converts hopes and aspirations of the people into trust. The Budgethas set the direction for the ‘acche din’ and if implemented effectively India will definitelyemerge as a strong and vibrant economy in the world.

Budget aims at‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’


The BJP Parliamentary Board met on 7th

July 2014 at BJP National Headquarterswhich was followed by a press

conference which was addressed by ShriRajnath Singh who announced the name ofShri Amit Shah as new BJP National President.Addressing the press conference Shri RajnathSingh said that he tendered his resignation asparty president to the BJP Parliamentary Board,which decided that Shri Amit Shah will be thenew National President of the Bharatiya JanataParty. Shri Rajnath Singh lauded Shri AmitShah’s “management skills” and credited himwith the BJP’s success in Lok Sabha election inUttar Pradesh. Earlier during the meeting theBJP Parliamentary Board had deicided thename of Shri Shah as the new party president. Shri Amit Shah has taken over from Shri Rajnath Singhwho is now the Union Home Minister and has announced he will relinquish his BJP role in keepingwith the party’s “one-man, one-post” formula. The meeting was attended among others by PrimeMinister Shri Narendra Modi, senior leaders Shri L K Advani, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Shri MVenkaiah Naidu, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Shri Arun Jaitley, Shri Ananth Kumar, ShriThawarchand Gehlot and BJP National General Secretary (organisation) Shri Ramlal.

Shortly after the announcement Shri Narendra Modi and Shri Rajnath Singh offered sweets to ShriAmit Shah while other leaders including Shri LK Advani, Dr. MM Joshi, Smt. Sushma Swaraj and ShriArun Jaitley gave him bouquets. Shri Rajnath Singh said on the occasion that “Shri Shah is full ofimaginative ideas and is good at organizational skills. As in charge of UP during Lok Sabha polls, he

Amit Shah becomes new BJP National President

Resolution passed inBJP Parliamentary Board

The Parliamentary Board of BJP todayplaced on record its deep sense of appreciationtowards Union Home Minister and outgoingParty President, Shri Rajnath Singh for givingleadership to the party. Shri Rajnath Singhtook over in a very crucial period and fromthere, he has strengthened the partyorganisation and under his leadership BJP hasgiven its all time best performance by gettingclear majority in Lok Sabha Elections. ShriRajnath Singh’s tenure was the highest pointin the history of BJP and epoch making time inIndian politics. All the members ofParliamentary Board while expressing itsgratitude to Shri Rajnath Singh hopes that hisleadership and guidance will always beavailable to the party.

Modi congratulates Amit ShahShri Narendra Modi

has congratulated ShriAmit Shah on beingappointed BJP President,and expressed confidencethat the party will becomestronger under hisleadership.

Amit Bhai started hisjourney as an ordinaryKaryakarta & hasrepeatedly proven himself

through tireless hardwork & determination. I would liketo specially thank Rajnath ji for his great leadership,under which the Party scaled new heights of success.With the blessings of Party elders & selfless efforts ofKaryakartas, BJP’s mission of creating a strong &developed India continues.”


A man known for provenorganisational abilitiesand strategic planning,

Amit Shah is a politician of thehinterland with a distinguishedpolitical record and commitmentfor the ideals he stands for.

Born on October 22, 1964,politics was not in Shri AmitShah’s blood. Instead, it was thedesire to serve the society thatwas passed on to Shri Amit Shahby his philanthropist family. Ata tender age of 14, Shri Amit Shahjoined the RashtriyaSyawamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a‘Tarun Syawamsevak’. That wasthe turning point of his life.Organizational Role inOrganizational Role inOrganizational Role inOrganizational Role inOrganizational Role inGujarat BJP:Gujarat BJP:Gujarat BJP:Gujarat BJP:Gujarat BJP:

In 1982, as a student of bio-chemistry, he was handed overthe responsibility of the secretaryof the students’ organisationABVP in Ahmedabad. He laterbecame the secretary of BJPAhmedabad city unit. There wasno looking back since then. Shri

got a roaring success. BJP hadnever been so successful in itshistory in UP.” He also creditedformer Prime Minister Shri AtalBihari Vajpayee and Shri LKAdvani for making the Indianpolity from unipolar to bipolar.Shri Singh said under ShriNarendra Modi’s leadership, theparty got thumping majority inthe Lok Sabha elections, thusbecoming the single largest partyto get majority on its own afternearly 30 years.

Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi said that theelection of Shri Amit Shah as theBJP’s new president will help the

party to expand its influence andbecome stronger. In tweets, ShriModi said: “Amit Bhai startedhis (political) journey as anordinary ‘karyakarta’ and hasrepeatedly proven himselfthrough tireless hard work anddetermination. “I would like tospecially thank Shri RajnathSingh for his great leadership,under which the party scalednew heights of success,” ShriModi added, referring to theoutgoing BJP president. ThePrime Minister said “with theblessings of party elders andselfless efforts of karyakartas,(the) BJP’s mission of creating a

strong and developed Indiacontinues”. As Shri Amit Shahassumed the office of the partypresident celebrations started atthe party national headquartersin New Delhi. BJP leaders andkaryakartas startedcongratulating Shri Amit Shahfor his new role in the party.Reports of celebrations by BJPleaders and karyakartas fromacross the country startedpouring in. The decision wasgreeted with joy by party workerswho danced and distributedsweets among people saying theparty would touch a new heightunder his leadership.

Amit Shah went on to hold manycrucial posts to rise up in theranks of the Gujarat unit of BJP.He became the national treasurerof Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha(B.J.YM.) in 1997 and later theVice President of the GujaratState unit of the BJP.Emphatic electoralachievements:

In 1995, Shri. Amit Shah was

elected, for the first time, as theMLA from Sarkhej assemblyconstituency. He was re-electedfrom the same constituency in1998. This time, he defeated hisrival with a margin of 1,32,477votes. He made a record of sortsin 2002 when he was re-electedfrom Sarkhej constituency bybeating his rivals with atriumphant 1,58,036 votes. Hebroke his own record in the year2007; this time the margin of thewinning vote was 2,32,823 votes.In 2012 he was elected to theGujarat Assembly for the fifthtime from the Naranpuraconstituency.Turnaround of the co-operative sector:

Every dying entity needs avisionary to turn its destinyaround. This is true to theAhmedabad District Co-Operative Bank Limited, whichin the year 2000, was in tottersand declared a weak bank dueto lack of leadership. It was then

Profile of BJP President Shri Amit Shah


that Shri Amit Shah was broughtin as the chairman of the Bank topersevere the challenge. Shahstarted on a positive note,believing that the Bank could seegreen and pay dividends withable administration, work ethicand tenacity. That was the yearwhen the Bank had registered aloss of Rs 20.28 crore. Only a yearafter he took over, the Bankcleared its debts and fell in line ofother profit-making banks, withdeclaration of 10% dividend.Today, Ahmedabad District Co-Operative Bank Limited is aleading bank among the 367 co-operative banks in the country.

When people’s faith wasfloundering in co-operativebanks due to the closure of theMadhavpura and other urban co-operative banks, Shri Shah tookit upon himself to bring the trustof the depositors back. Hisrepresentation saw thegovernment and the RBIintroducing a reconstructionpackage for Madhavpura Bank.Shri Shah also led from the frontin ensuring introduction of theflexi deposit scheme, enabling co-operative banks to invest theirfunds safely and profitably. Theco-operative law was alsomodified by the state governmentdue to the persistence of ShriShah. The law now ensuresaction against defaulting co-operative leaders.Notable successes instate administration:

In 1995, during the tenure ofShri. Keshubhai Patel as CM ofGujarat, Shri. Amit Shah becamethe youngest chairman ofGujarat State FinancialCorporation (G.S.F.C.). In 2002,Shri Amit Shah became theMinister of State in Narendra

Modi govt. During his tenure asminister, he has held severalportfolios including that oftransport, police, housing, bordersecurity, civil defense, gramrakshak dal, home guards,prison, prohibition, excise, lawand justice, parliamentaryaffairs and the coveted homeministry.2014 general elections:

His skill in political strategyand vision led to hisappointment as the GeneralSecretary of the party in 2010 andhim being made incharge(Prabhari) of electorallysignificant state of Uttar Pradesh.Within a short span of time, Shri.Shah turnaround the electoralfortunes of the BJP in UP anddelivered a spectacular result, inwhich the BJP and it ally won 73

out of 80 Lok Sabha seats. BJP’svote share in the state increasedalmost two and half times in lessthan two years when he was thePrabhari of UP.

Shri Shah was also aMember, of BJP’s Election Paneland in 2014, given theresponsibility of public relations,mass marketing and new voterenrollment. His result-orientedstrategy-making skills played animportant role in the enviableresult for the BJP in 2014 LokSabha elections.Sports Administration:

Shri Shah has also served asthe President of Gujarat StateChess Association. In 2009, hebecame the vice-president of theGujarat Cricket Association onlyto take over as its President in2014.

Shri Kushabhau Thakre(Birth Anniversary : 15 August)

Shat-Shat Naman!

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~~~☯☯☯

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~~~

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~~~☯☯☯

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The Bharatiya Janata Partyreconstituted itsParliamentary Party

Executive Committee, withUnion Home Minister ShriRajnath Singh as the deputyleader of the party in the LokSabha and Union Finance andDefence Minister Minister ShriArun Jaitley as the party’s deputyleader in the Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi is the new leaderof the reconstituted BJPParliamentary Party in bothHouses of Parliament.

The BJP has nominatedParliamentary Affairs MinisterShri M. Venkaiah Naidu as thegovernment’s Chief Whip inParliament.

The party has also named13 Whips in Lok Sabha and threein Rajya Sabha. Ministers of Statefor Parliamentary Affairs ShriSantosh Gangwar and ShriPrakash Javadekar will be the

deputy Chief Whips in the LokSabha and the Rajya Sabharespectively.

Lok Sabha member fromRajasthan Shri Arjun RamMeghwal will be the party’sChief Whip in the Lok Sabhawhile Rajya Sabha memberfrom Punjab Shri Avinash RaiKhanna will be the new partyChief Whip in the UpperHouse.

The BJP has also named ShriGanesh Singh, a member fromMadhya Pradesh, as partySecretary in the Lok Sabha andShri Bhupendra Yadav fromRajasthan in the Rajya Sabha.

Shri P.C. Mohan fromKarnataka is the new treasurerof BJP Parliamentary Party.

The 13 whips named by BJPin the Lok Sabha are: SarvshriSuresh Angadi (Karnataka),Sanjay Dhotre (Maharashtra),Sanjay Jaiswal (Bihar), SunilSingh (Jharkhand), Ratan Lal

BJP Parliamentary Party Executive Committeereconstituted

Katariya (Haryana), ParveshVerma (Delhi), Kirit Solanki(Gujarat), Rakesh Singh(Madhya Pradesh), Kamla Patle(Chhattisgarh), Om Birla(Rajasthan), Mahendra Pandey,Ramshankar Karhuriya andPankaj Choudhary (all UttarPradesh).

The three party whips in theRajya Sabha are Sarvshri BimlaKashyap Sood (HimachalPradesh), Mansukh LMandaviya (Gujarat) andNarayanlal Panchariya(Rajasthan).

The party has appointedSarvshri Rajiv Pratap Rudy,Anurag Thakur and Smt.Meenakshi Lekhi as thespokespersons for the LowerHouse of the Parliament.

On other hand, ShriMukhtar Abbas Naqvi and ShriJP Nadda have been appointedas the party’s spokespersons inthe Upper House.


Prime Minister NarendraModi‘s visit to Brazil toattend BRICS summit was

a great diplomatic success forIndia and BRICS‘ nations. Thesummit’s outcome of a NewDevelopment Bank for the globalsouth and Contingency ReserveArrangement to insulateemerging economies fromcurrency volatility is a grandsuccess in building new worldorder.

Prime Minister NarendraModi accompanied byCommerce Minister Smt. NirmalaSitharaman left India for Brazilon July 13 to attend 6th BRICSsummit. Two-day BRICS summitwas organized in Fortaleza, the

Narendra Modi’s path breaking visit to Brazila grand success

Modi looks forward to work with PutinThe Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS

Summit at Fortaleza on July 15.The Prime Minister conveyed his sincere appreciation and admiration for President Putin’s decisive

leadership in deepening and expanding the India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership.The Prime Minister expressed deep appreciation

for Russia’s friendship and unstinting bilateral andinternational support for India’s economic developmentand security since the early days of India’sindependence. The Prime Minister reaffirmed thatrelations with Russia will continue to enjoy the prioritythat they always had in India’s foreign policy and thathe looks forward to working with President Putin tofurther deepen and broad-base the strategic partnershipincluding in the areas of defence, nuclear energy, space,energy, trade and investment, people-to-peoplecontacts and addressing regional and globalchallenges. The two leaders looked forward to theirAnnual Summit in Delhi in December 2014 as an

opportunity to outline a bold vision and roadmap for their relationship in the years ahead. Prime Ministerrecalled the warmth and goodwill he had experienced on his earlier visits to Russia and looked forward to visitingRussia in 2015. Shri Modi talked in Hindi while conversing with Putin.

6th BRICS summit held in Fortaleza (Brazil)

5th largest city of Brazil. In theopening remarks of the summitShri Narendra Modi offered full

supports in taking the BRICSagenda forward for the benefit ofBRICS‘s countries , and the


world at large. Shri NarendraModi, in meeting with themembers of the BRICS BusinessCouncil in Fortaleza on July 15appreciated the Council´s role inpromoting trade and businesslinks among member countries.Leaders of India, China, Brazil,Russia and South Africa issueda joint declaration on July 15 atthe sixth BRICS Summit inFortaleza in Brazil. The leadersput forward 72 points in the

Sixth BRICS Summit-FortalezaDeclaration. The major outcomeof this declaration is to open aNew Development Bank and forthe global south andContingency ReserveArrangement (CRA) to insulateemerging economies fromcurrency volatility. The countriesagreed upon to open the bankheadquarter at Shanghai inChina and to make India firstPresident of the Bank. Unlike

Bretton woods institution, layingthe strong democraticfoundation of the NewDevelopment Bank the BRICScountries made consensus thatall five countries would haveequal shareholding. Earlier in thediscussion China proposed tocontribute more than otherfunding member. But NarendraModi diplomatically thwartedChina‘s endeavor to make yuanhegemony in the BRICS bank by

Brazil - a key global partner for India : ModiBrazilian President Dilma Rousseff hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Brasilia on the margins of the

Sixth BRICS Summit. Although it is not a bilateral visit, President Rousseff, in a special gesture, received PrimeMinister of India with full military honours at the Presidential palace before their meeting over breakfast.

Prime Minister warmly congratulated PresidentRousseff and the people of Brazil for an excellentFIFA world cup, which showed the World Brazil’sexcellent organizational skills and warm hospitality.He thanked President Rousseff for a well organizedand successful BRICS summit, and in particular,arranging a meeting for BRICS with South Americanleaders.

Shri Narendra Modi described the sixth summithosted by Brazil as a historic one, which has producedtwo important agreements - the New DevelopmentBank and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement- and lauded President Rousseff for her guidance during the Summit. Describing Brazil as a key global partnerfor India, Prime Minister noted that as two democracies and major emerging economies, India and Brazil notonly had vast potential for bilateral cooperation, but also to strengthen each other in international forums andadvance the interest of the developing world at large. He also noted that Gujarat has emerged as a prime driverof India’s economic relations with Brazil.

President Rousseff emphasized the special place this relationship enjoyed in Brazil’s foreign policy,because of the potential for bilateral cooperation and the international significance of their partnership. Shecongratulated Shri Narendra Modi for his impressive victory in the elections and wished him all success forIndia’s progress and development. The two leaders recalled the historical and cultural ties between the twocountries, despite the distance, including the Gir cows that were brought to Brazil from India, the textiles andthe fruits that came from India to Brazil since 18th and 19th centuries.

The two leaders also agreed to take steps to further expand and diversify trade and investment flows anddeepen cooperation in agriculture and dairy science, conventional and renewable energy, space research andapplications, defence, cyber security and environment conservation. They also agreed to intensify theircooperation in international forums and multilateral institutions, including the G20. As leaders of G4 countries,Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and President Rousseff called for urgent progress on reforms of the UnitedNations, including the Security Council, by the time of the seventieth anniversary of the UN in 2015.

Prime Minister expressed hope that he would be able to visit Brazil on a full bilateral visit soon and invitedPresident Rousseff to visit India.


bringing consensus onequal shares of capital forall the foundingmembers, and thus equalvotes. The bank and CRAalso came out as awarning to developedworld to addressgovernance issues in notjust IMF and World Bankbut also at the UN.

Last day of thesummit Narendra Modistated to put BRICS infast lane and emphasizedthe need of the hour is todecentralise and gobeyond the Summit

During a technicalhalt at Germany on July17 while returning homeafter a three-day visit,prime minister Modispoke to Germanchancellor Angela Merkeland conveyed thatGermany was a valuedfriend of India and hewas looking forward toworking with her to makebilateral ties stronger.

Indian media wroteon the PM visit “PrimeMinister Narendra Modiis not just another brickin the wall. He once againproved it at his firstglobal summit sincebecoming the PrimeMinister.

As he made animpact on the BRICSleaders in Fortaleza,Brazil, his stylestatement too grabbedglobal eyeballs.” LatinAmerican nations alsohailed the decision tocreate new BRICSbank.

PM meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in FortalezaThe Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, met Chinese President Xi Jinping

shortly after his arrival in Fortaleza, Brazil, today on the eve of the Sixth BRICSSummit. The 80-minute meeting was the Prime Minister’s first summit-levelinteraction with China. The two leaders observed that India and China hadenormous opportunities to not only forge mutually beneficial partnerships, butalso serve as catalytic agents of Asian and global prosperity. President Xi Jinpingunderscored the importance of the bilateral relationship and said: When India andChina meet, the whole worldwatches.

The two leaders were pleasedwith the opportunity to meet withina few weeks of the assumption ofoffice by Prime Minister. Theyexpressed satisfaction at the highmomentum of bilateral engagementduring the past few weeks, includingthe visit of Vice-President of IndiaShri Hamid Ansari to China and thevisit of Chinese Foreign MinisterWang Yi to India as PresidentJinping’s Special Envoy, in June.

Both sides emphasized on theneed to find a solution to theBoundary Question. The PrimeMinister stressed the importance of strengthening mutual trust and confidence,and maintaining peace and tranquility on the border. He said that if India andChina could amicably resolve the Boundary Question, it would set an example forthe entire world, on peaceful conflict resolution.

Shri Narendra Modi suggested the addition of one more route for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, keeping in view the terrain difficulties. President Xi Jinpingaccepted this as a suggestion for consideration.

The Prime Minister called for enhanced Chinese investment in the infrastructuresector in India, and hoped that the trade imbalance between the two countries isresolved. President Xi Jinping agreed that balance in trade is necessary for asustainable economic relationship. He also said enhanced services exports fromIndia to China could be one way to address the issue.

China has invited India to attend an APEC meeting in November this year.President Xi Jinping also said India should deepen its engagement with theShanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The Prime Minister said India currentlyhas observer status in the SCO, and was ready to accept additional responsibility,if asked to.

Shri Narendra Modi warmly recalled his visits to China as Chief Minister. Heunderlined that relations between countries are built on the strength of relationsbetween their people. He expressed hope for increase in tourism and ties betweenthe people of the two ancient civilizations.

Prime Minister expressed hope that President Xi Jinping’s planned visit toIndia this year was an opportunity to chart a new and ambitious agenda for thestrategic partnership between India and China. He expressed appreciation for theinvitation extended to him to visit China and looked forward to an early visit.


Finance minister Shri ArunJaitley’s maiden Budget on10 July put more money in

the hands of salaried employees,made apparitional goodscheaper for the poor and set upa fund to counter spikes in foodprices. The economic document,which had a strong imprint ofPM Shri Narendra Modi, liftedstock markets, revivedthe faith ofindustrialists, investorsand achieved thedifficult task of notdisappointing thesalaried, poor andmiddle class people.

Shri Jaitley,delivered a clearmessage in a marathon127-minute speech. Itnurses public finances,tames inflation andsimplifier tax laws;growth, investment andjobs will follow. But hewas clear about the transitionbeing painful. “The prevailingeconomic situation presents agreat challenge. It calls for aconscious choice to be made byall of us. Should we allow thisdrift to carry on and watchhelplessly? Should we allow ourfuture to suffer because of ourindecisiveness? Should we bevictims of mere populism orwasteful expenditure?” he said.

Shri Jaitley tried not todisappoint his audience,outlining host of measures aimedat spinning jobs, multiplyingincome and helping families dealwith ballooning home budgets.

The salaried class got taxbreaks; the young, who wereinstrumental in voting the BJP topower, got a skill developmentplan to smoothen their entry intojob market and for those lookingto branch out on their own,concessions were announced.

India needs to create some100 million jobs over the next

decade or so if it is to enter theleague of developed nations, butrisks economic and socialdisaster if it fails to provideemployment to its burgeoningyouth population.

As it looks to cities foremployment and living, a planto build 100 smart cities was setin motion. Infrastructure, one ofthe biggest hurdles in India’sgrowth story, was put in the fastlane, with Shri Jaitley setting anambitious target of building23km of highways per day.

Asia’s third-largesteconomy is now in its longestslump for a quarter century but

Shri Jaitley is hamstrung by littleroom to offer tax giveaways orlaunch into big spending.

But he did manage to cutexcise and customs duty on ahost of products or inputs: Soaps,batteries, footwear, processedfood, cement, yarn andcomputers.

Importantly, the governmentmade clear its standon the controversialretrospective taxes —these will now beapplicable only ingenuine cases.

“The sovereignright of thegovernment tou n d e r t a k er e t r o s p e c t i v elegislation isu n q u e s t i o n a b l e .However, this powerhas to be exercisedwith extreme cautionand judiciousness

keeping in mind the impact ofeach such measure on theeconomy and the overallinvestment climate,” Shri Jaitleysaid.

He raised the annual incometax exemption limit by Rs. 50,000to Rs. 2,50,000 for men andwomen, and to Rs. 3,00,000 forsenior citizens.

The minister pegged thefiscal deficit — a measure of theamount the government borrowsto fund its expenses – at 4.1%,the same as P Chidambaram’sinterim budget estimates, sayinghe wanted to take it as achallenge.

Our effort is to revive growth spirit ofIndian economy : Arun Jaitley

General Budget 2014-15


Negative list for service tax reducedExcise duty on cigarettes raised from 11 percentto 72 percentThirteen more airports to get 24x7 customsfacilitiesExcise duty to be cut to revive manufacturingAllocation of Rs.500 crore for Delhi’s waterschemesColour TVs to cost less on reduced customsdutiesFree baggage allowance raised from Rs.35,000to Rs.45,000Gas pipeline grid of 15,000 km needs to bedoubledExcise duty on footwear halvedTotal expenditure in 2014-15 estimated atRs.17,97,892 crore; plan expenditure estimatedat Rs.12,19,892 croreGovernment to take a view on Direct Tax CodeSix debt recovery tribunals to be set upFive new tourist circuits to be establishedWorld class convention centre to come up inGoaIT exemption limit for those below 60 raisedfrom Rs.2 lakhs to Rs.2.5 lakhs; from Rs.2.5lakhs to Rs.3 lakhs for senior citizensNo change in surcharge for corporates;education cess to continueAllocation of Rs.1,000 crore for implementingOne Rank One Pension schemeWar Memorial and War Museum to beestablished at Princess Park in New Delhi;Rs.1,000 crore allocatedAllocation of Rs.50 crore for National PoliceMemorialAllocation of Rs.2.037 crore for creatingintegrated Ganga conservation missionNational sports foundations to be set up fordisciplines like shooting, wrestling and boxing;Jammu and Kashmir gets Rs.200 crore toupgrade sports facilities; Sports university tocome up in ManipurDefence allocated Rs.229,000 crore;modernisation gets Rs.5,000 crore over andabove interim budgetBharat Depository Receipt to be createdUniform KYC norms to be introduced across

Highlights of the budget 2014-15entire financial sectorSteps to revive SEZsSixteen new port projects to be taken up thisfiscalJal Marg Vikas programme to be launched topromote navigation on Ganga from Allahabadto HaldiaHastkala Academy to be set up with allocationof Rs.30 croreSix more textile clusters to be set up withallocation of Rs.200 croreCorpus of Rs.5,000 crore for long-term loans tofarmersKisan TV to be launched to disseminateinformation in real timeAllocation of Rs.14,389 crore for rural roadsAllocation of Rs.50 crore for breeding ofindigenous cattleExport promotion mission to be established tobring all stakeholders under one umbrellaFDI limit in insurance sector raised to 49percentAll states to get AIIMS like institutionsAllocation of Rs.100 crore for soil testingfacilitiesSecond Green Revolution to be launched withfocus on protein revolutionAllocation of Rs.100 crore to promote goodgovernanceAllocation of Rs.3,600 crore for drinking waterschemesAllocation of Rs.500 crore for 5 more IITs and5 more IIMsAllocation of Rs.4,000 crore for NationalHousing BankAllocation of Rs.500 crore to improve broadbandconnectivity in rural areasTo print currency notes with Braille signsAllocation of Rs.150 crore to improve safety ofwomen in larger citiesAllocation of Rs.500 crore to provide 24x7 powerin rural areasAllocation of Rs.100 crore for “Beti bachao, betipadao” programmeAllocation of Rs.8,000 crore to improve ruralhousingE-visas to be introduced at nine airports

...Continued on page 27


Q. Many Congratulations on assuming the chargeof Union Railway Minister and for thepresentation of your maiden Railway Budget.You have taken some bold decisions andannounced several ambitious measures inyour Railway Budget. But, Sir, what is thereal state of the Indian Railways today?

This Railway Budget is a vision document for thefuture of the railways in India. The focus wasto move away from the unsustainable pastpractices and lay a solid foundation for thefuture. I have not made any hallow promiseswithout commensurate budgetary support. Ihave tried to give a new direction to the railwaysand the results will be evident in some time.

However, the unfortunate part is thesystematic neglect of the Indian Railways bymy predecessors in the last few years which

has severely dented the image of the railways.With losses accumulating over the past severalyears there was virtually no budgetary supportfor several of the on-going projects announcedby the UPA government in the last 10 years.They politicized everything relating to IndianRailways and done nothing tangible for thegrowth of the sector. I have to deal with thislegacy issue while charting a new roadmapfor the future.

Q. Issues of Security, Sanitation and Hygienehave been areas of concern for railwaypassengers. What steps have you taken inthe Budget to address these concerns?

The core of my Budget is to improve the Security,Sanitation and Hygiene levels in the trains.Improved amenities in trains is inescapable.Infact, the passengers are ready to accept a

New initiatives envisaged in budget will provetransformational for Indian Railways : Sadananda Gowda

Union Railway Minister Shri D. V. SadanandaGowda who hails from the Dakshina Kannada districtof Karnataka currently represents the Bangalore NorthConstituency in the Lok Sabha. He began his politicalcareer as a member of the Jan Sangh and was elected tothe Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1994 and 1999representing the BJP. He was elected to the 14th LokSabha in 2004 from the Mangalore Lok SabhaConstituency and was appointed as President ofKarnataka State BJP in 2006. He earned NationalProminence as the State President of the Party whenBJP won the assembly election for the first time inSouth India in May 2008. He was elected to the 15th LokSabha from Udupi Chikmagalur Constituency before hebecame the Chief Minister of Karnataka in August 2011.Shri Gowda served as the national Vice-President of theBJP before being elected to the 16th Lok Sabha in therecent General elections. He took oath as a UnionMinister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinetand was entrusted with the Railway Ministry. ShriGowda recently presented his maiden Railway Budget

where he has announced a slew of reforms to bring the Indian railways back on track. In an ExclusiveInterview for Kamal Sandesh with Editorial Board Member Ram Prasad Tripathy, Shri SadanandaGowda revealed the challenges and his priorities for the Indian Railways. He outlined some of theambitious plans for the railways and candidly accepted his limitations given a decade ofmismanagement of Indian railways. Excerpts:

Special Interview


fare hike provided they get the right services.So far as the quality of food served in the

railways is concerned, provisions are beingmade to provide ready to eat food to thepassengers and also ensure that hygiene ismaintained in the base kitchens.

Sanitation is another area of concern. Modiji is aware of this challenge from the beginningand therefore we have started a cleanlinessdrive in the stations across the country fromthe first day in office. Toilets both in the trainsand in the stations are so badly maintainedthat people avoid these facilities. To improvethe sanitation in our railways I have increasedthe allocations by a whopping 40% in theBudget for this sector.

We have also given priority to safety issuesin the Budget. Traffic congestions, unmannedlevel crossings and security inside trains areother areas which have been addressed. Forthe security of women inside the trains I haveallotted funds for CCTV cameras inside thecoaches, lady RPF personnel in the trains andfor that we will recruit more than 4000 womenpolice constables to improve the safety ofpassengers travelling in the trains.

Q. You have announced Diamond Quadrilateralproject for High-speed trains which will be agiant leap for the Indian Railways. What isits road map and in how many years it isgoing to materialize?

The emerging India wants change which is in tunewith the times. It needs modern infrastructurewhich is comparable with the best in the world.So, keeping in mind the needs of time PrimeMinister Shri Modi had promised High-speedand Bullet trains during the elections.

As you know recently we made a trial runof a High-Speed train between Delhi to Agraand we have figured out another eightstretches in the country where in the initialphase we will run the high-speed trains. Bullettrain is another concept. Inspired by theGolden Quadrilateral project initiated by ShriAtal Bihari Vajpayee during the previous NDAgovernment, Shri Narendra Modi has alsoproposed for a Diamond Quadrilateral projectconnecting all parts of the country includingthe metros. For that I have made a proposal inthe budget and in the next few months we will

get a feasibility report from JICA. We will moveforward depending on their feasibility. I hopein the next 4-5 years a stretch between Mumbaito Ahmedabad will become functional in theinitial phase and we will expand the networkafter that. It will take another 10 years time tocomplete this ambitious project throughout thecountry.

Q. Resource mobilization is critical for thedevelopment of the railways. What newmethods will you adopt that yourpredecessors have not done?

Two things are there. The operating cost ofRailways is approximately 94%. So, firstly wehave to reduce the operational cost andsecondly we have to ensure that privateplayers must come for the development of someselect sectors in railways. We will also attractFDI for Bullet trains, Freight corridors andHigh-Speed trains.

But the core operational area is ring-fencedand nobody will be allowed to intervene in it.For other big infrastructural projects we willdefinitely consider the FDI and Viability GapFunding (VGF) routes. Private players areinterested in investing more than Rs 15,000crore in industrial and port connectivity aswell as Wagon manufacturing projects. Forthese types of projects the private players canplay a major role which will eventually benefitthe railways and the people at large.

Q. After 67 years of independence, backwardregions like South Odisha, parts ofUttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and NorthEastern states are yet to get decent railwayconnectivity. Given the fact that projects inthese areas are non-profit making will yougive priority to these projects?

What has happened is past. I believe that in thenext four to five years major cities of everyunconnected region will get connectivity. Tomaterialize this we have taken up some of theprojects in Kashmir and North-East region asNational Projects for which special funds willbe there and additional funds will not be aconstraint. Keeping this in mind we have nottaken up any new project in this Budget as ourpriority is to finish the on-going projectssooner. A whopping Rs. 5 lakh crore isrequired to finish these projects and only Rs.


30 crores is available in the accounts assurplus. Therefore we have decided to givepriority to the unfinished work and next stepis to give connectivity to the unconnected areasso far.

Q. Stations in the Coastal areas of Odisha, AndhraPradesh and Tamil Nadu get damaged dueto recurring cyclones every year. As you knowprevious years cyclone Phailin completelydevastated major stations like Brahmapur inOdisha. Do you have any plan to minimizedamages caused by these recurring naturalcalamities?

It’s a very important area we need to cover. Firstwe are trying to identify the areas which areprone to such recurring natural calamities.We want to have structures equipped to resistsuch recurring natural events and ensuresafety of passengers as well as railwayproperties.

Q. Currently railways experience heavypassenger traffic on most routes leading tolong waiting list for passengers who are oftenexploited by agents. To ensure zero-waitinglist in major routes what is your proposal?

We have taken more IT-based initiatives in ticketbooking and due to the advanced technologysoon we can book 300% more tickets per-minute from IRCTC on-line booking system.We will also going for a mechanical mode ofbooking system by which we are hoping toreduce the waiting list. The introduction ofHigh-Speed trains will also help improve thecurrent situation.

Q. Many western countries are using non-conventional energy sources in their railwaysystems. Are you planning to use non-conventional sources of energy in Indiantrains?

It is a good suggestion. To cut down the operatingcost it is highly essential. Electricity iscomparatively cheaper than diesel. So, in thefirst hand we are trying for electrification of allroutes. Our Prime Minister while inauguratingthe Katra railway station proposed to changethe rooftops with solar panels. We are thinkingon those lines and trying our best to encouragesolar energy in all stations of the country. Theinitial target is 500 MW of solar energy. Wewill achieve it and we have selected certain

places for installation of wind mills as well.Q. Sir, you have announced a Railway University

in your Budget speech. What is its nature andobjective and when is this going to start?

In collaboration with the HRD Ministry we arecurrently designing the course syllabus. Themain objective is that the manpower enteringthe railways sector must get the best of trainingand exposure to technology. We also need toencourage innovations and develop systemstailored to our needs. We have already locatedthe area, we have our own land andinfrastructure and the University will befunctional in another couple of years.

Q. You have proposed to attract FDI in varioussectors of Indian railways. What are thesesectors and will FDI be able to solve theresource constraint in the railways?

I think FDI will give a morale boost to Indianrailways. To bring more internationalstandard infrastructure like High-Speed trainservice, Bullet trains, Freight Corridor and forinternational standard infrastructure inrailway stations we need FDI. But the coreoperational area will always remain with therailway department. I think certainly if we areable to attract FDI in large numbers then it willsolve the problem of resources and bringmodern cutting-edge technology to Indianrailways.

Q. Sir, are you planning to involve stategovernments for quick execution of the on-going railway projects in different states?

Even at present some State Governments arecooperating. They are giving free land and50% of the cost of the project to allow speedierexecution of railway projects in their respectivestates. Now land acquisition and resourcemobilization are the major problems. So, wedefinitely need the cooperation of stategovernments. To ensure participation of allstates, I have written letters to all ChiefMinisters in this regard seeking theircooperation through sharing the burden ofthe project cost to the tune of 50% and makingavailable free land. Specifically I would like toget cooperation from the states in the executionof the Freight corridors. After all the linkageswill help the development of the states andhopefully they will come forward.


Q. Recently you made a surprisevisit to the Bangalore railwaystation. What was yourexperience there and would youlike to follow this across thecountry?

I went there at 6 AM without anymedia. Except my personal staffI did not even inform it to theDRM. I saw the passengeramenities, including toilets,kitchen, drinking water, ticketcounters and found manyloopholes which call for action.I travelled in a second classcompartment, interacted withthe people and saw the lack ofcleanliness in the compartmentand the toilets. I directed theofficials and concernedauthorities to take care of theseissues in future and they havetaken it positively. This visit notonly gave me the experience butit has strengthened my resolveto turn things around for theIndian railways. I also plan tovisit other parts of the country inthe time to come.

Q. When are the people going to seethe transformation of Indianrailways?

Definitely the railways need time andresources for visibletransformation. However, wehave taken some urgent steps inthe mean time to bring aqualitative change. We havestarted a massive cleanlinessdrive. I have directed the DRMsto visit a station every day tomonitor the hygiene andcleanliness in the stations,kitchens and the catering areaand to create awareness amongthe public and to seek theircooperation. Public awarenessand support is indispensable totake Indian railways to a newlevel.

BJP ST Morcha National Executive, Ranchi

Tribals’ role vital for thegrowth of BJP : Jual Oram

The national executive of the BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha on 19July convened a meeting in Ranchi to compliment the community forits role in the growth of the party as an alternative to the Congressas well as appraise the party’s prospects in Jharkhand in the upcomingAssembly elections.

Brimming with confidence after an emphatic win in the Lok Sabhaelections in Jharkhand,party leaders expressedtheir resolve to repeatthe performance in thecoming Assemblyelections in the State.

Union Tribal affairsMinister Shri Jual Oramreiterated thecommitment of Tribals tothe party and boostedthe morale of partyworkers by reminding the community members of their importance inthe Indian polity. The Union Minister underscored the importance ofthe community in the coming elections in Jharkhand praised the workersof the ST wing for displaying a great degree of enthusiasm to dislodgethe incumbent government from power. He said Tribals’ role is vitalfor the growth of BJP.

Shri Oram had inaugurated the two-day conference. NationalPresident of the ST Morcha , Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste echoed thethoughts of Shri Oram about the timing and selection of the venue forconvening the meeting of the executive committee of the ST Morchaof BJP. Kulsate claimed that the party will win all seats reserved forthe community. “Role of the ST wing will be significant in the comingassembly elections. The conference has been organized keeping inview the elections,” maintained Shri Oram.

Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Shri Arjun Munda assertedthat the party would win the maximum number of seats in the Assemblyelections. “A history was made in the country when the BJP formeda Government with full majority at the Centre and now a BJP Governmentwill be formed in the State also,” said Shri Munda.

“The Hemant Soren Government is against the tribal community.No developmental work is taking place in the State.” added ShriMunda. Union Minister and Lohardaga MP Shri Sudarshan Bhagatreaffirmed Modi’s Government’s stand on providing assistance toState. The two-day conference was attended by Union Minister ShriMansukhbhai Vasava, BJP State President Shri Ravindra Kumar Rai,BJP MP Shri Lakshman Gilua, Ranchi Mayor Ms Asha Lakra andrepresentatives of the BJP ST wing from as many as 12 states includingJharkhand.


Introduction of bullettrains starting off with theMumbai-Ahmedabad

sector and an ambitious planto have a DiamondQuadrilateral network of highspeed rail connecting majormetros and growth centres areon the anvil.

The announcement waspart of the maiden RailBudget presented by RailwayMinister Shri D.V.Sadananda Gowda in LokSabha on July 08 which alsospoke of efforts to increase thespeed of trains in selectsectors to up to 200 km perhour.

The Rail Budget hasidentified nine sectors in thisregard that includes theprestigious Delhi-Agra railline and the busy Delhi-Chandigarh and Mumbai-Ahmedabad sectors.

Besides, the speed oftrains is to be increased to 160-200 km in the Delhi-Kanpur,Nagpur-Bilaspur, Mysore-Bangalore-Chennai, Mumbai-Goa, Chennai-Hyderabad andNagpur-Secunderabad sectors.

A provision of Rs 100 crorehas been made in the Budget forHigh Speed project to RailwayVikas Nigham Limited/HighSpeed Rail Corridor for takingfurther steps.

“It is the wish and dream ofevery Indian that India runs abullet train as early as possible.Indian Railways is on its way tofulfill that long cherished

dream,” Shri Gowda said.The Minister said while

bullet trains will requirecompletely new infrastructure,higher speed for existing trainswill be achieved by upgradingthe present network.

“Hence, an effort will bemade to increase the speed oftrains to 160—200 kmph in selectsectors to significantly reducetravel time between major cities,”he said.Tourist trains to connectpilgrim centres

Aiming at boosting domestictourism, Railways announcedseveral tourist trains connecting

pilgrim centres across thecountry.

Special pilgrim circuitslike Devi Circuit, JyotirlingCircuit, Jain Circuit amongothers have been identified byrailways for running pilgrimtrains were announced in theRail Budget 2014-15.

Besides, the NDAgovernment’s maiden RailBudget proposed to introducetrains in Christian Circuit,Muslim/Sufi Circuit, SikhCircuit, Buddhist Circuit andother famous temple circuitsacross the country.

Private participation inthe pilgrim sector will also beencouraged, RailwayMinister Shri SadanandaGowda said while presentingRail Budget 2014-15.

He said there is a hugeuntapped potential in thefield of domestic tourism inthe country. “We plan to take

up eco-tourism and educationtourism in North-Eastern states,”he said.

Railways also proposed atourist train from Gadag toPandarpur passing throughBagalkot, Bijapur and Solapurcovering the pilgrim and touristplaces of Karnataka andMaharashtra.

Tourist train fromRameswaram covering pilgrimand tourist places likeBengaluru, Chennai, Ayodhya,Varanasi and Haridwar.

The Rail Budget alsoproposed a special train

Rail Budget Development oriented andpeople friendly : Sadananda Gowda

Rail Budget 2014-15


featuring life and works of Swami Vivekananda.Operating ratio would be 92.5 per cent, which

is an improvement of 1 per cent over the last fiscal.While passenger traffic grew by 2 per cent,passenger earnings stood at Rs 44,645 crore afterrevenue foregone of Rs 610 crore on account ofrollback in monthly season ticket fares, Shri Gowdasaid, adding freight earnings are estimated at1,05,770 crore for this fiscal.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RAILWAY BUDGETAchievements / InitiativesAchievements / InitiativesAchievements / InitiativesAchievements / InitiativesAchievements / Initiatives

Major landmark achievement in NationalProject of Kashmir –State of Meghalaya and capital of ArunachalPradesh to be on Railway Map by this fiscal.Gauge Conversion of strategically important510 km Rangiya – Murkongselek line inAssam to be completed by this fiscal.XIth Five Year Plan Targets exceeded in NewLines (2,207 km) , Doubling (2,758 km) andElectrification (4,556 km), Production of Diesel(1,288) & Electrical (1,218) Locos andAcquisition of Wagons (64,875)Dedicated Freight Corridors on the Easternand Western Routes – leading to strategicallycritical capacity augmentation.Railways met from its own means the totaladditional impact of Rs one lakh crore due toimplementation of 6th Pay CommissionIn 2013-14, 1532 km of New Lines, Doublingand Gauge Conversion commissioned.Production commenced at the new factories –Rail Wheel Plant, Chhapra ; Rail Coach Factory,Rae Bareli ; and Diesel Component Factory,Dankuni.Specially designed coaches for adverseweather condition for rail travel in Kashmir.Successful development of Corrosion resistant,lighter wagons with higher pay-load andspeed potential upt 100kmph.Railways sportspersons dominate nationalevents by winning titles in 23 disciplines andrunners up in 9 disciplines. In variousinternational championships a total of 2 Gold,4 Silver and 3 Bronze Medals won.Unigauge Policy started in 1992 has converted19,214 km to Broad Gauge, benefitting severalStates including Gujarat, Rajasthan, MadhyaPradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar

Pradesh, Assam and Tamil Nadu.Measures for improving Safety &Measures for improving Safety &Measures for improving Safety &Measures for improving Safety &Measures for improving Safety &SecuritySecuritySecuritySecuritySecurity

No unmanned Level Crossing. A total of5,400 unmanned level crossings eliminated –2,310 by manning it and 3,090 by closure /merger / construction of ROBs or RUBs.Improved audio – visual warning to road usersin advance of approaching trains.Induction of indigenously developed TrainCollision Avoidance SystemDevelopment of ‘crashworthy’ coachesIn last five years, offering employment to overone lakh persons in Group C categories and to1.6 lakh persons in erstwhile Group Dcategories.Provision of Vigilance Control Device in alllocomotivesVarious measures to prevent fire incidents ontrains –Fire retardant materialsMulti-tier protection for electric circuitsPortable fire extinguishers in coachesInduction based cooking to replace LPG inpantry carsIntensive checks against explosives andinflammable materials.

Financial HealthFinancial HealthFinancial HealthFinancial HealthFinancial HealthRail infrastructure by cost sharingarrangement with State Governments;Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, AndhraPradesh and Haryana agreed to severalprojectsSeveral Public Private Partnerships (PPP)projects are in the pipeline.FDI being enabled to foster creation of world-class rail infrastructure.Rail Land Development Authority raised Rs937 crore so far.

• Modernisation and Technology InductionHigh Speed TrainsHigh Speed TrainsHigh Speed TrainsHigh Speed TrainsHigh Speed Trains

Joint feasibility study by India and Japan forMumbai – Ahmedabad Corridor to be co-financed by Japan International CooperationAgencyBusiness Development Study by SNCF forMumbai – Ahmedabad corridor.

Semi- High Speed ProjectsExploring low cost option of speeds 160- 200kmph on select routes


Green InitiativesGreen InitiativesGreen InitiativesGreen InitiativesGreen InitiativesRailway Energy Management Companybecomes functional. Windmill and solar powerplants to be set up with 40% subsidy fromMinistry of New & Renewable Energy.200 Stations, rooftops of 26 buildings and2,000 level crossing gates to be covered.Railways bagged 22 out of 112 awards givenby the Government.‘Green Curtains’ along the track close to majorstations; Pilot work at Agra and JaipurCoverage of Bio-toilets in 2,500 coaches andwould be increased progressively.

Passenger Friendly InitiativesPassenger Friendly InitiativesPassenger Friendly InitiativesPassenger Friendly InitiativesPassenger Friendly InitiativesOverwhelming public response to e-bookingof ticketOn-line tracking of exact location and runningof train movements51 Jan-Ahaar outlets for Janta Meals ; 48passenger escalators commisionsed at stationsand 61 more being installed ; air-conditionedEMU services in Mumbai from July 2014 ;information display system in important trainsto indicate stations & arrival time.‘Upgradation’ Scheme extended to AC ChairCar and Executive Chair car passengers.

No new increase in passenger faresNo new increase in passenger faresNo new increase in passenger faresNo new increase in passenger faresNo new increase in passenger faresand freight chargesand freight chargesand freight chargesand freight chargesand freight charges

58 new trains and extension of 11; 864additional EMUs to be introduced in Mumbaiover 2 years

Bullet train on Mumbai-Ahmedabad SectorDiamond quadrilateral for high speed trainsthroughout the countryPlan to hike speed of trains to 160-200 km/hrin 9 sectorsOnline booking to support 7,200 tickets/minute; to allow 1.2 lakh users log insimultaneouslyReservation system to be revamped, ticket-booking through mobile phones, post officesto be popularisedOnline platform, unreserved ticketsCombo parking-platform tickets at stationsWomen RPF Constables to escort ladiescoaches; 4,000 women constables to beinductedRetiring room facility to be extended to allstationsBattery operated cars for differently abled and

senior citizens at major stationsFeedback services through IVRS on quality offoodFood can be ordered through SMS, phone; Foodcourts at major stationsCleanliness budget up by 40 percent over lastyearCCTVs to be used at stations for monitoringcleanlinessSetting up of corpus fund for stations' upkeep;RO drinking water at stations and trainsAutomatic door closing in mainline and sub-urban coachesFDI in railway projects, except in operationsFDI, domestic investments in rail infrastructureOffice-on-Wheels: Internet & Workstationfacilities on select trainsWi-Fi in A-1, A category stations and in selecttrainsRail university for technical and non-technicalsubjectsSome stations to be developed to internationalstandards through PPP modelParcel traffic to be segregated to separateterminals to make passenger trafficunhinderedLoss per passenger per kilometre up from 10p(in 2000-01) to 23p (2012-13)Solar energy to be tapped at major stationsHighest ever plan outlay of Rs 65,455 crore for2014-15Expenditure in 2014-15 pegged at Rs 149,176crore.

Rail Tariff Authority to advise on faresRail Tariff Authority to advise on faresRail Tariff Authority to advise on faresRail Tariff Authority to advise on faresRail Tariff Authority to advise on faresand freightand freightand freightand freightand freight

Mumbai to get AC EMUs in JulyTrains to display info on next stations, arrivaltimesMore Jan Ahaar outlets, escalators at stationsUpgradation scheme extended to AC ChairCar and Executive Chair car passengersAnnual Rail Plan envisaged at Rs 64,305 crorewith a budgetary support of Rs 30,223 croreFDI being enabled for creation of railinfrastructureRailways to end current year with surplusSurveys for 19 new lines and 5 doubling oftracksRailways to encourage transportation of milkSteps to reduce running of empty freight


Rail Budget shows where we wantto take the Railways : Narendra Modi

Calling the Railways anengine of development,Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi said theRailway Budget had its focuson transparency andpassenger safety.

The Rs.149,176 crorebudget presented in the LokSabha focused on“transparency and integrity”as well as the safety needs ofcommuters, Shri Modi said.

The budget “keeps in mind the development of India. We cansee the great use of technology also”, he said.

“This budget shows where we want to take the railways andat the same time where we want to take India through the railways,”the prime minister said.

The budget introduces the country’s first Bullet train, to plybetween Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and increase the speed ofpassenger trains up to 200 km an hour on select routes.

The budget “strengthens institutionalized mechanism” in theIndian Railway network, which carries 23 million passengers everyday. Shri Modi said the railways play “a very important role” inthe country’s development. He said the country should have paidmore attention to railways after independence in 1947. “Better latethan never.”

68th Independence day

Kamal Sandesh Parivar wishes aKamal Sandesh Parivar wishes aKamal Sandesh Parivar wishes aKamal Sandesh Parivar wishes aKamal Sandesh Parivar wishes aVery Happy Independence dayVery Happy Independence dayVery Happy Independence dayVery Happy Independence dayVery Happy Independence day

to its esteemed readers.to its esteemed readers.to its esteemed readers.to its esteemed readers.to its esteemed readers.

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carriagesBio-toilet facility to beprovided in more trains.

Demand ManagementDemand ManagementDemand ManagementDemand ManagementDemand Managementthrough Dynamicthrough Dynamicthrough Dynamicthrough Dynamicthrough DynamicPricingPricingPricingPricingPricing

Premium AC Special trainintroduced in Delhi -Mumbai Sector withshorter advancereservation period anddynamically varyingpremium over Tatkal fare

Information TechnologyInformation TechnologyInformation TechnologyInformation TechnologyInformation TechnologyInitiatives taken include -proliferation of cashaccepting AutomaticTicket Vending Machines ;ticketing on mobile phonesin unreserved segments ;system update on PNRstatus; online booking ofretiring rooms at importantstations ; online bookingof meals for selected en-route stations ;introduction of e-forwarding note andelectronic transmission ofrailway receipts for freightcustomers.


Prime Minister NarendraModi’s impressive successin the recent Lok Sabha

election has altered the politicalscenario in very many ways bothat the national and regionallevels. The Bharatiya JanataParty’s saffron has come toreplace the Congress’s tricolourin many States and UnionTerritories in India. TheCongress’s defeat is socomprehensive that it faces thedanger of being dislodged fromits perch as a truly nationalparty. That credit has now beensnatched away by the BJP. Forexample, in 2009, the Congresswon Lok Sabha seats in 29 of the35 States and Union Territoriesin the country. In 2014, it couldestablish its footprint in just 15of these States and UnionTerritories. Meanwhile the BJP,which had a presence in just 14States and Union Territories in2009, won Lok Sabha seats in 23of them this year.

There are other indicators aswell. For example, in the 2009Lok Sabha poll, the Congresssecured 120 million votesconstituting 28.55 per cent of thevotes polled. In 2014, theCongress polled just 107 millionvotes and its vote share dippedto 19.30 per cent. The party’s lossof votes since the lastparliamentary election is all themore significant because over

100 million new electors wereadded to the electoral rolls thistime. On the other hand, the BJP,which secured just 78 millionvotes (18.80 per cent) in 2009more than doubled its vote sharein this election by securing over170 million votes.

That the Congress’s strengthin the Lok Sabha has crashedfrom 206 to 44 seats in the recentelection is well known. But, aState-wise study of data of theLok Sabha election indicates thatthe electoral damage suffered by

the party is far wider and deeperthan is generally appreciated.

The voters’ anger againstIndia’s oldest party in bestgauged by the following facts:The Congress did not win asingle seat in Gujarat, Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Delhi,Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand,Jammu & Kashmir,Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradeshand Goa; it failed to touch doubledigits in any State includingKarnataka and Kerala,considered its best bets; finally,the party’s vote share inpercentage terms crashed toabysmally low levels in Stateslike Uttar Pradesh (7.5), AndhraPradesh (11.5), West Bengal (9.6),(Bihar 8.4), Jharkhand (13.3) andTamil Nadu (4.3).

While it is true that oneshould not write off any politicalparty, there are distinct signs ofdecline of the Congress in mostStates. The party ruled UttarPradesh and Bihar for decadesafter independence but it is nowin terminal decline in theseStates. In 1984, it bagged 83 ofthe 85 seats in Uttar Pradesh andover 51 per cent of the votes.Thereafter, its fortunes crashed.It won just two seats this timeand its vote share has crashed to7.5 per cent. In fact, ever sincethe BJP and the two regionalparties — the Samajwadi Partyand the Bahujan Samaj Party —

Congress working real hard to wipe itself offBy A Surya Prakash

That the party’s strength in the Lok Sabha has been diminished is well known.But, a State-wise study shows that the electoral damage suffered by the party is

much deeper than is superficially evident.

he Bharatiya Janata Party’ssaffron has come to replacethe Congress’s tricolour inmany States and UnionTerritories in India. TheCongress’s defeat is socomprehensive that it faces thedanger of being dislodgedfrom its perch as a trulynational party. That credit hasnow been snatched away bythe BJP. For example, in 2009,the Congress won Lok Sabhaseats in 29 of the 35 States andUnion Territories in thecountry. In 2014, it couldestablish its footprint in just15 of these States and UnionTerritories.


dislodged the Congress in thelate 1980s, the party has neverbeen able to recover ground.

The Bihar story is similar.The party won 48 seats and 52per cent of the vote in this Statein 1984. It bagged two seats thisyear and just 8.4 per cent of thevote. The party now appears tobe in terminal decline in WestBengal, the truncated AndhraPradesh and possibly, Odisha.In West Bengal, the party ruledfor long years until theCommunists dislodged it in1977.

Thereafter, the Left Frontclung to power for 34 years andtry as it might, the Congress wasunable to recover ground.However, there was one glimmerof hope when in the early 1980s,a feisty young woman memberof the party, called MamataBanerjee, displayed thepugnacity of a street-fighter andtook on the Marxists. As she grewpolitically, the party’s highcommand (the Nehru-Gandhis)could not tolerate the rise of astrong, independent leader andbegan giving her pinpricks. Theywanted to reap the benefit of heragitational politics but wantedher to be under their thumb.

Fed up with themachinations of the so-calledhigh command, Ms Banerjeebroke away and launched theTrinamool Congress. Thereafter,the Congress, which wasnumber two in the State behindthe Marxists, was relegated to thethird place. Now, this May hasbrought another shock for theparty. The BJP has emerged as aserious player in West Bengaland pushed the Congress tofourth place in terms of voteshare. In this election, the BJP

secured 17 per cent of the vote,as against just 9.6 per cent of theCongress.

In Odisha, another Statewhere the Congress was longentrenched in power, its vote

share has fallen to a dangerous26 per cent in this election andthe BJP, with 21.6 per cent, isalready snapping at its heels.There is every danger of the BJPupstaging the Congress in thisState also.

The party’s condition is evenmore worrisome in the truncatedAndhra Pradesh after thedivision of that State intoAndhra and Telangana. Theparty, which had swept the pollsin 2009, was completelytrounced this year with itscandidates securing just three tofour per cent of the votes. It isnow relegated to fourth placebehind the Telugu Desam Party,the YSR Congress and the BJP.

Finally, we come to the bigStates where the Congress isdirectly pitted against the BJP —Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,

Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Delhi,Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradeshand Karnataka. BarringKarnataka, in all the other States,the gap between the BJP andCongress in terms of vote share

is huge. In Gujarat andRajasthan, the gap is ahumongous 25 per cent, whilein Madhya Pradesh it is 19 percent. It is over 10 per cent in theother States. It will require amiracle for the party to recoverground in these States.

Going by these indicators,one can say that Mr Modi hasmade considerable progresstowards his goal of uprootingthe Congress in the country. But,there is still some work to be doneand many leaders of theCongress like Mr DigvijayaSingh, who want Mr RahulGandhi to lead the party in theLok Sabha, appear to be workingovertime to help Mr Modi achievehis goal of a ‘Congress-MuktBharat’.

(The writer is a renownedcolumnist)

Satish Upadhyay is newDelhi BJP President

Satish Upadhyay, the chairman ofthe Standing Committee of the SouthDelhi Municipal Corporation, wasappointed new Delhi BJP President. Hetook over from Union health ministerDr. Harsh Vardhan, who was appointedstate president just before the Lok Sabhapolls.

Finally, we come to the big States where the Congress is directlypitted against the BJP — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat,Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh andKarnataka. Barring Karnataka, in all the other States, the gapbetween the BJP and Congress in terms of vote share is huge.


Amid chalking out plansfor its ‘Mission 175’ forthe Bihar Assembly

polls due next year, the BharatiyaJanata Party threw a challengeto former Chief Minister NitishKumar to dissolve the House. BJPwas ready to tackle the‘Jungleraj-2’ that has gripped theState because of the alliancebetween JD(U) and RJD, the partysaid.

“Nitish Kumar has betrayedthe mandate given by the publicagainst the ‘Jungleraj-1’ of RJD.He has allied with Lalu Prasadand ‘Jungleraj-2’ has set in. Thelaw and order situation hasworsened and people arethinking that old, lawless dayshave come,” said Leader of theOpposition in the LegislativeCouncil and former Deputy ChiefMinister Shri Sushil Kumar Modi.

“I challenge Mr. Kumar todissolve the Assembly and facefresh elections. He and Prasadare together, but it’s no problemfor us. We destroyed ‘Jungleraj-1’, we will decimate ‘Jungleraj-2’ as well,” said Shri Modi whileaddressing the final session ofthe two-day State party executivemeeting. He asked party workersto gear up for mid-term Assemblyelections as JD(U) is facing asevere rebellion from within andthe government may fallanytime.

Criticising the StateGovernment, Shri Modi saiddevelopment of Bihar has stalledwith no new industry coming inthe last 15 months and proposals

worth Rs. 5 lakh crore goingaway as land was not available.

The former deputy CM saidthe people should see fort h e m s e l v e swhether the Stategovernment iscapable ofhandling thespecial packageand status aspromised byPrime MinisterShri NarendraModi. Theyshould give a chance to the BJPnow as they have seen the rule ofCongress, RJD and JD(U).Speaking at the State executivemeet, Union Petroleum MinisterShri Dharmendra Pradhan saidBihar figures prominently inBJP’s plan for nationaldevelopment as the PM believesthe growth of Eastern India isnecessary for the growth of thecountry.

Shri Pradhan said: “Nitishhimself has shook hands withthe ‘jungle raj party’ and isresponsible for destroying theimage of the State.”

BJP’s State unit PresidentShri Mangal Pandey said theAssembly by-polls to 10 seats onAugust 21 remains the party’s‘top priority’ right now.

“Prepare for the by-electionsin 10 Assembly seats as theyhave been declared. Winningthem is our top priority andchallenge as it will strengthenthe party in future in the State,”Shri Pandey said while

addressing the meeting.Membership campaign

Shri Pandey said the BJP willconduct a Statewide

membership campaign fromAugust 6 to August 20 in whichit will ensure that 30 per cent ofnew members are frombackward and mahadalit castes.

The party will also holddemonstrations at all districtheadquarters between August 5and August 7 over issues likeelectricity supply, ration andPublic Distribution System (PDS)cards.

“We will also launch a ‘saveBihar campaign’ on the occasionof the birth anniversary of PanditDeen Dayal Upadhyaya onSeptember 25. It will continue tillJayaprakash Narayan’s birthanniversary on October 11. Ourworkers will hold at least threemeetings in every panchayatduring this campaign,” addedShri Pandey. He said BJP willalso observe ‘anti-terrorism day’at all district headquarters onOctober 27, the day of serialbomb blasts at Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s rally last year.[FOC]

BJP working committee meeting in Patna (Bihar)

Jungleraj-2 has gripped the Stateafter JD(U)–RJD alliance : BJP


Senior BJP leader and former UnionMinister Shri Ram Naik was on July 14appointed as Governor of Uttar Pradeshand party’s veteran leader Shri O.P. Kohliwas appointed governor to Gujarat, in thefirst appointment of five Governors by ShriNarendra Modi government.

The 78-year-old Shri O P Kohli, whowas a Rajya Sabha member from 1994 to2000, took over as Governor in Gujarat. Aformer Chief of BJP’s Delhi unit in 2009,Shri Kohli has been associated with RSSsince his student days and was Presidentof ABVP — and later became Chief of DelhiUniversity Teacher Association.

Shri Ram Naik took over in UttarPradesh. A three-time Parliamentarian, the80-year-old Shri Naik has the raredistinction of being the only Minister whocompleted five years as Petroleum andNatural gas minister in one government.

Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, a formerUttar Pradesh Speaker took take over inWest Bengal. A poet and author of books,Shri Tripathi, who will turn 80 in Novemberthis year, was a five-time MLA and haswritten a few books like Commentary on“The Representation of the People Act,1951” and two poetic books in Hindi —‘Manonukriti’, and ’Aayu Pankh’ In hisstudent life, he went to jail in connectionwith the Kashmir Movement.

Shri Balram Das Tandon, 87, foundermember of Jan Sangh in 1951, wasappointed Governor of Chhatisgarh afterShekhar Dutt tendered his resignation onJune 18. Tandon was the Deputy ChiefMinister of Punjab in 1969 and later servedas Cabinet Minister in Parkash SinghBadal’s government.

Shri Padmanabha Acharya, a member ofworking group on North East region of BJPand Co-Convener of Overseas Friends ofBJP, was appointed Governor of Nagaland.The President asked Shri Acharaya to alsoperform the duties of Tripura Governor untilregular arrangements are made.

President appoints newgovernors for five states

AcharyaGiriraj Kishorepasses away

Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) leader Acharya Giriraj Kishore,who was actively associated with theRam temple movement, passed awayin Delhi at the VHP Headquarters in RK Puram on July 13 evening followingprolonged illness. He was 94. AcharyaGiriraj Kishore had joined the RSS atan early age and was one of itsseniormost ‘pracharaks’.

The Sangh had sent him to VHP. Abachelor, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, waswheelchair-bound for the last severalyears. He had recently pledged todonate his body for social cause. BJPNational president Shri Amit Shahcondoled the death of Acharya GirirajKishore, saying his life and thoughtsepitomized selfless service.

“Acharya Giriraj Kishore servedthe society and country through RSS,Jan Sangh and VHP till his last breath.He left his job as a teacher to dedicatehis life for the cause of Lord Ram. Hefought against Emergency and went tojail,” BJP President Shri Amit Shah saidin his condolence message. “A symbolof sacrifice and fearlessness, hedonated his body for the social cause.He will remain a source of inspirationfor people,” he said.

Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singhand Parliamentary Affairs MinisterShri M Venkaiah Naidu also mournedAcharya's death.


Jaya lauds forward looking budget

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms J Jayalalithaa welcomed the2014-2015 Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Shri

Arun Jaitley on 10 July. “It is a forward looking exercise in positivity.The Union Budget 2014-15 reflectsthe seriousness with which the newGovernment of India has set aboutthe task of addressing the challengeof revival of growth and improvingthe macro-economic situation of thecountry. It is a very responsibledocument which has placed fiscalprudence at the fore-front and at thesame time addresses the heightened expectations from the newGovernment,” Jayalalithaa said in a release. Ms Jayalalithaa thankedthe Prime Minister for setting up the National Institute of Ageing atthe Madras Medical College and the proposal to build an UltraMega solar Power Plant in the State.

New scheme to provideassured irrigationTotal sanitation in everyhousehold by 2019Shares of PSU banks to besold to retail investorsAiming at fiscal deficit of3 percent by 2015-16 and2 percent by 2016-17FDI in defence sectorraised to 49 percent from26 percentCBDT to scrutinize allcases under 2012 law onretrospective tax casesProblem of black moneyto be fully addressedE x p e n d i t u r eM a n a g e m e n tCommission to beestablished this fiscalSlow decision-making hasresulted in lostopportunitiesGreen shoots of recoveryin world economyBudget will lay downsteps aimed at 7-8 percentgrowth in next few yearsThe aim is “Sub ke saath,sub ka vikas” (Witheveryone, For everyone’sdevelopment)

Budget will convert hopes and aspirations ofthe people into trust : Modi

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Moditermed the Budget as a Budget thatconverts hopes and aspirations of thepeople into trust. The Prime Ministerexpressed confidence that the Budgetwill take India to newer heights ofprogress and stated, “This Budget is anew ray of hope for the poor anddowntrodden sections of society.”

Congress’ Last Bastion in Gujarat falls to BJPBJP stormed the last urban Congress citadel in Gujarat, winning 41 of the 60 seats in the

Junagadh municipal corporation. It has not only wrested back the Junagadh civic body that it lostto the Congress in 2009, but now also controls all eight municipal corporations in the state.

The BJP already controls more than 75 per cent of the nagarpalikas or 120 in Gujarat and inthe recent general elections had won all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state, which has given thecountry its new Prime Minister.

The Congress’ diminution is now more or less complete. The BJP had earlier wrested theGandhinagar municipal corporation from it.

Junagadh in Saurashtra has been seen as a Congress stronghold. The civic polls were alsobeing watched closely because these are the first elections in many years that were held with aperson other than Shri Modi in the chief minister’s chair. For Ms Anandiben Patel, the emphaticvictory is an important validation.

...Continued from page 14


WEST BENGAL

Thousands of Forward Blocleaders join BJP

At least 2,000 supporters of All India Forward Bloc(AIFB) and dozens of State and local level leaders

joined the BJP on 20 July. The BJP state president ShriRahul Sinha and the BJP general secretary Shri Ashim

Sarkar, handedover party’s flagto the leadersand welcomedthem.

Interractingwith the mediathe ForwardBloc leaderslisted a series ofg r i e v a n c e s

against the leadership for leaving the party. Many saidthat they left AIFB as the senior leaders failed to provideany protection. Many of the AIFB leaders targetedparty’s State secretary Ashok Ghosh (91) for holdingthe top position for decades. “I request him to quit, butis it reasonable to remain in the highest position forages,” asked one of the former State Secretariatmembers, Shri Subhasish Dutta, who joined BJP. Hesaid, ‘Mr Ghosh recently got a mention in the LimcaBook of Records for serving the longest term at thehelm of the party in a State. He was elected as thesecretary of the party a year after Independence, in1948 and since then re-elected to the post 15 times (in66 years), without a break, the latest being in February,2013.” Shri Subhasish Dutta asked is it democracy inAIFB.

Children, women and men from various districts ofBengal joined the BJP on the same day. They camepredominantly from Dakshin Dinajpur, Medinipur,Malda, North 24 Paraganas and Kolkata. The supporterswere led by AIFB’s former State secretariat membersand youth wing leaders, Shri Ajay Agnihotri and ShriAnirban Chowdhury.

Members of the party’s women’s wing and Statesecretariat, Bithika Mandal, Sashi Agnihotri and AsmaKhatun also left the left-coalition to join the BJP. Theytook their turns to lambast the 75-year-old party. “Iread in a newspaper that the highest leadership hassaid we are rotten fruits, spoiled by insects. The

leadership forgot that when a tree rots, the fruitsnaturally get spoiled,” said Bithica Mandal. “BJP &AIFB both believe in the ideas and ideologies of Netaji.But while BJP respects Netaji, AIFB’s senior leadersare using Netaji to do business,” Ms Mandal said. Soshe said we left the Forward Bloc and many activistswill follow soon.

Addressing the new-comers and BJP Karyakartas,State BJP president Shri Rahul Sinha said the AIFBsupporters liberated themselves.

MADHYA PRADESH

MP will be developed as advancedand progressive State by

2018 : Shivraj Singh ChouhanMadhya Pradesh Chief

Minister Shri Chouhanhad one-to-one meetingswith industrialists,ambassadors of variouscountries and senior officersof Central ministries in Delhiwith a view to giving a newfillip to industrialization in theState. It may be mentionedthat a Global InvestorsSummit will be held in Indore in October 2014. Thesemeetings will prove to be milestones in the success ofthe summit.

Chouhan had one-to-one meetings with Chairmanof Big companies and held detailed discussions oninvestment possibilities. The Chief Minister invited allthe industrialists to invest in Madhya Pradesh.

After the meetings, Shri Chouhan said that MadhyaPradesh will be developed as advanced and progressiveState by 2018. The State Government is striving to givethe plan a concrete shape. He said Madhya Pradeshholds immense investment potential. It has maintained20 per cent agriculture growth rate for the last threeyears. A network of industries will be laid in the Stateto provide good employment opportunities to theyouth.

He said that new thermal power plants have beenset up in the State due to which Madhya Pradesh willnot only become self-sufficient in power, but will alsosupply power to other States.

State ReportsState ReportsState ReportsState ReportsState ReportsFrom Our CorrespondentsFrom Our CorrespondentsFrom Our CorrespondentsFrom Our CorrespondentsFrom Our Correspondents


Shri Chouhan informed that several industrialistshave evinced keen interest in investing in health andeducation sectors apart from cement, textiles,automobile and food processing sectors in MadhyaPradesh. He said that some industrialists have alsoshown interest in opening universities in the State.

During the one-to-one meetings with ambassadors,the Chief Minister invited the Ambassadors ofAustralia, Mexico, Sweden, France, Spain, Germany,Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand forinvestment in Madhya Pradesh. Senior officers ofCentral and State Governments were present at themeetings.

ODISHA

Maoist leader accused of SwamiLaxmanand murder arrested

In a major achievement for the Police, top Maoistleader Sabyasachi Panda wanted in 61 criminal cases

and wanted for the murder of Swami LaxmananandaSaraswati , was arrested late on 17 July from Brahmapur(Berhampur) city in South Odisha.

Panda wasactive in the Maoistmovement for morethan two decadesand he was theguiding spiritbehind formation ofthe Chasi MuliaSamiti and KuiLawenga Sangh in1995 in Rayagadaand Gajapati

districts of South Odisha. These organisations werethe foundation for spreading Maoist network in SouthOdisha and neighboring states like Andhra Pradeshand Chhattisgarh. Panda was operating in southernOdisha including the districts of Rayagada, Gajapati,Ganjam, Kandhamal and Nayagarh.

The Maoist leader was involved in numeroussensational cases like the Nayagarh and R Udayagiriarmoury loots, killing of revered saint SwamiLaxmanananda Saraswati and his five supporters,abduction of two Italian nationals and blowing up ofan ambulance in Kandhamal, besides his overallinvolvement in killing of 25 security personnel and 34civilians.

CHHATTISGARH

To create employment opportunitiesshops will be allocated to tribal

youths : Dr. Raman SinghTo create more employment opportunities in Tribal

areas now shops will be allocated to tribal youthsunder the Bastar and the Surguja tribal developmentauthorities as a part of Amar Shaheed VeerNarayansingh Swavalamban Yojana, during thecurrent financial year. While reviewing the works ofboth- Bastar Development Authority as well SurgujaDevelopment Authority–in separate meetings held inRaipur, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singhhas immediately sanctioned Rs 9 crore for allottingshops to the tribal youths.

After discussing with the people’s representativesof Surguja Development Authority, the Chief Ministerdeclared compensation from the Campa Fund of forestdepartment to the families, whose crops and houseswere destroyed by wild elephants in the districts.

He asked the officers to prepare action plan for it.In the meeting, the Authority members said that boththe authorities have received Rs 35 crore each budgetfor the current financial year. The Chief Minister askedthe members to prepare and submit proposal for furtherconstruction works immediately. The Chief Ministerinstructed the collectors to complete all underconstruction works by December. He told the membersthat Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh would be given to the powercompany for the electrification of irretrievable irrigationpumps of farmers. The amount will be in addition to theRs 75,000 being given by the power companies to thefarmers. In the meeting of Bastar DevelopmentAuthority, the chief minister instructed the public sectormajor, National Mineral Development Corporation(NMDC), to comply with the model rehabilitation policyof the Chhattisgarh government seriously for theassistance of families affected by NMDC’s project inNagarnar under Bastar district.

Home Minister Ramsevak Paikra, AgricultureMinister Brijmohan Agrawal, Scheduled Tribe andScheduled Caste development minister Kedar Kashyap,PWD minister Rajesh Munat, Women and ChildDevelopment minister Ramshila Sahu, MLAs fromBastar and Surguja area of both the authorities besidesChief Secretary Vivek Dhand, Additional ChiefSecretaries- DS Mishra and Ajay Singh, attended themeeting.


A mental process, not amuscular exercise

Concentration is purely amental process. It needs aninward turning of the mind. It isnot a muscular exercise. Thereshould be no undue strain onthe brain. You should not fightand wrestle with the mindviolently.

When you concentrate onany object, avoid tensionanywhere in the body or mind.Think gently of the object in acontinuous manner. Do notallow the mind to wander away.How to increase yourpower of concentration

Concentration can be doneonly if you are free from alldistractions. A man whose mindis filled with passion and allsorts of fantastic desires canhardly concentrate on any objecteven for a second. His mind willbe jumping like an old monkey.Japa of any Mantra andPranayam (breathing exercise)will steady the mind, removetossing, and increase the powerof concentration.

Too much physical exertion,too much talking, too mucheating, too much mixing with theopposite sex and undesirablepersons, too much walking, willcause distraction of mind. Thosewho practise concentration mustabandon these things. Whateverwork you do, do with perfectconcentration. Never leave thework without finishing itcompletely.

When you sit for prayers andmeditation, never think of your

office work. When you work inthe office, never think of the childwho is sick or of any otherhousehold work. When you takebath, do not think of games.When you sit for meals, do notthink of the work that is pendingin the office. You must trainyourself to attend to the work onhand with perfect one-

pointedness.Celibacy, Pranayam,

reduction of wants andactivities, renunciation of objects,solitude, silence, discipline ofthe senses, annihilation of lustand greed, control of anger, non-mixing with undesirablepersons, giving up of thenewspaper habit and of visitingcinemas, all these pave a longway in increasing the power ofconcentration.

You must try to be alwayscheerful and peaceful. Then onlyyou will have concentration ofmind. The practice of friendshipwith equals, compassiontowards inferiors or distressedpersons, complacency towards

superiors or virtuous persons,and indifference towardssinners or wicked persons willproduce cheerfulness or serenityand destroy hatred, jealousy,and dislike.

You should have real andintense thirst for God-realisation.Then all obstacles will beobviated. Concentration will bequite easy for you then. Mereemotional bubbling for the timebeing out of sheer curiosity, orfor attaining psychic powers,cannot bring any tangible result.Concentration andPranayam

The practice ofconcentration and the practiceof Pranayam are interdependent.If you practise Pranayam, youwill get concentration. NaturalPranayam follows the practiceof concentration. A Hatha Yogipractises Pranayam and thencontrols the mind. He risesupwards from below. A RajaYogi practises concentration andthus controls his Prana. He comesdownwards from above. Theyboth meet on a common platformin the end. There are differentpractices according to thedifferent capacities, tastes, andtemperaments. To some, thepractice of Pranayam will be easyto start with; to others, thepractice of concentration will beeasier. The latter had alreadypracticed Pranayam in theirprevious births. Therefore theytake up, in this birth, the higherlimb of Yoga, i.e., concentration.

To Be Continued …..Source: Divine Life Society

Golden words from Aadhyatma

ConcentrationBy Sri Swami Sivananda

15 August, 2014 (English)

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