Setusamudram hey kaarasthan (Setusamudram is a conspiratorial place)

Setusamudram hey kaarasthan (Setusamudram is a conspiratorial place)

Press Release:


Janata Party President and former Union Cabinet Minister, Dr. Subramanian Swamy today circulated a letter to the petitioners in the Rama Setu case in the Supreme Court to seek time on Monday [when the Union of India is making a mention before the Chief Justice for a priority listing] to file an interloculatory application to extend the Stay granted on August 31,2007 against the damaging or destroying of the Rama Setu, to staying the entire Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project[SSCP] till the certain urgent matters of conflict of interest are heard by the Court.

In his interloculatory application, it is learnt that Dr. Swamy has documented how the ship channel project will profoundly benefit Union Shipping Minister Mr. T.R. Baalu's sons and two wives[which itself is a criminal offence itself under Section 494 of IPC and carries a seven year punishment] as large shares of owners of Meenam Fisheries Limited as well as the Tamil Chief Minister Mr. M.Karunanidhi's wife Rajathiamma and daughter Kanimozhi as major share holders of Westgate Logistics Limited. Both companies will directly benefit from the project because at present Meenam's fishing trawlers and motorised boats presently have to travel from Port Blair to Kakinada for a longer distance around Sri Lanka for sea food exports[ about $ 2 million in value annually]. Westgate business will also boom once the project is implemented because it's main business is stevedoring, piloting and customs & freight handling which with the claimed increased ship traffic from Tuticorin to Chennai and to Kolkatta will increase business of the Westgate Logistics. Dr. Swamy has pointed out in his application to the Supreme Court that both Baalu and Kanimozhi have admitted owning shares in these companies in their affidavits filed as candidates in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections respectively.

Dr. Swamy has also written to the Prime Minister seeking sanction to prosecute Mr. Baalu under Section 11 and 13 of the Prevention of Corrupton Act. He told Jaya TV that he was examining whether to ask the TN Governor for sanction to prosecute the Chief Minister Mr. Karunanidhi for the same reason.

He also said that he is examining whether the recent contract given for dredging in the SSCP by the Dredging Corporation of India to the Belgian company, Dredger International had anything to do with Ms. Sonia Gandhi's receiving the Belgian King Leopold Golden Cross medal and honorary citizenship. Officers of the Dredger International were in attendance when Ms. Gandhi went to Brussels to kneel before the King and receive the award. The Election Commission has yet to pronounce on her MP disqualification petition on this matter, after sending her a Notice.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy

Dredger Intl of Belgium dredges in Setu and Sonia gets the Belgium Medal of Order of Leopold

On 28th Sept. 2006, Dredging Corporation of India tells the AGM about Consortium agreement with Dredging International of Belgium. King Albert II hosted a lunch on Saturday, 11 Nov. 2006, afternoon in honour of Sonia before she got the Medal of Order of Leopold.

Corporate Notice

Source: BSE - Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) has informed BSE about press note issued in connection with the 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on September 28, 2006 : 1. Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project: - The Company has made a contribution of Rs 5.50 Crores towards equity for the Special Purpose Vehicle, Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd. - The Company has been awarded capital dredging work of E3-E4 stretch in Palk Strait area adjoining Bay of Bengal on nomination basis in June 2005. Out of 13.5 Million cubic meters to be dredged, The Company so far dredged around 6.09 million cubic meters and will complete the balance work by June 2007 within the scheduled period of completion. - The Company also entered into Consortium agreement with Dredging International and participated in tender for balance work of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project viz., Work "C" - Palk Bay, Palk Strait and Work "A & B" - Adams Bridge…

3. Major Initiatives of the Company to meet Future Dredging Requirements in India and Abroad: The Company has initiated number of measures to maintain its market in India, expand its market outside India, improve quality and upgrade employee skills, improve safety management systems etc. The following are some of the important measures being initiated by the Company in this direction: 3 (a) Acquisition of New Dredgers / Addition of Capacities: - Long term Acquisition programme has been drawn up taking into account the market demand in the next 10 years and action in this direction has been initiated. - Mean while in order to meet immediate market demand and to augment the capacities to the extent possible, the Company proposes to charter dredgers through Trans Chart. A Charter Party agreement has been signed for charter of a 4700 Cu.M hopper capacity trailer suction hopper dredger on July 06, 2006. The Dredger has been delivered to the Company on September 07, 2006 and is presently working at Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. - The Company has also placed provisional orders for chartering of two more dredgers of 5000 CUM hopper capacity and is to charter more dredgers through Trans Chart after establishing the technical suitability of the vessels. - Order has been placed with Mazagaon Dock Ltd., Mumbai in October 2005 for procurement of one number Cutter Suction Dredger of 2000 cu.m solids per hour capacity and the vessel is expected to be delivered by December 2007. - Tendering action is on hand for procurement of 5000 Cu.M hopper capacity Trailer Suction Hopper Dredgers and for other vessels. - Action is also on hand for procurement of one number Backhoe dredger and two numbers self propelled hopper barges for carrying out dredging works in front of berths and jetties and for consolidated strata, which cannot be carried out by TSHDs or CSDs. 3 (b). JV / SPVS: - Project specific JV for joint participation for SSCP has been finalized with Dredging International and joint biddings have been submitted for work "C" and Work "A&B" of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. - Discussions are on hand with Companies in Bahrain for formulating joint venture companies for carrying out dredging operations in Middle East Countries. - The Company is also looking for identification of JV partners for joint participation in some major capital dredging projects in India…

Source: NSE - Dredging Corporation Of India Limited has informed the Exchange that the Company has entered into an Memorandum of Understanding with M/s Dredging International NV, Belgium (DI) for joint participation as a consortium in bidding for dredging and for execution, if the contract is awarded to the consortium , of the Sethusamundram Ship Channel Project at the sections - Adam's Bridge and/or Southern part of Palk Starit/Palk Bay. A Memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed between the Company and DI on April 13, 2006. Date: 2006-04-19

Source: BSE - Dredging Corporation of India Ltd has informed BSE that the Company has entered into an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Dredging International NV, Belgium (DI) for joint participation as a consortium in bidding for dredging and for execution, if the contract is awarded to the consortium, of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project at the sections - Adam's Bridge and / or Southern part of Palk Starit / Palk Bay. A Memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed between the Company and DI on April 13, 2006. Date: 2006-04-19

http://indiaearnings.moneycontrol.com/sub_india/corpannoun.php?sel_comp=DCI

Dredging Corporation of India

The Directors have pleasure in presenting this 30th Annual Report
together with the audited accounts of the Company for the year ended
31st March, 2006…

The charter hire agreement of the Cutter Suction Dredger, DCI Dredge
Aquarius with M/s Dredging International was extended from June 2005
for two years, upto June, 2007.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/stocks/company_info/directors_report.php?sc_did=DCI


Sonia gets Belgium's Order of Leopold

H S Rao in Brussels | PTI | November 11, 2006 | 22:09 IST
In a unique honour, Belgium on Saturday conferred the Order of Leopold, the country's second highest civilian award, on Sonia Gandhi, Congress president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson, for her "constructive nationalism" and her efforts to foster a multicultural, tolerant society in India.
Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt presented the decoration 'Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold' on Sonia in the presence of a galaxy of leaders including Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, Viscount E Davignon,Indian Council for Cultural Relations Chairman Dr Karan Singh,ICCR Director General Pawan Varma and India's Tourism Minister Ambika Soni.
Previous recipients of the Order of Leopold include Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito and former US president Dwight Eisenhower.
At the same venue, Bozar, where a four-month long festival of India is being held, the Brussels University conferred a honarary doctorate on Sonia.
Prof Bvan Camp, rector of the university, conferred the doctorate on Sonia for distinguishing herself in her areas of work and contributing significantly to society.
Previous recipients of the university doctrate include Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, world famous composer, Brezed Cullar former UN secretary general, Dr Willy Brandt, former chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany and Sir Peter Ustinov, ambassador of UNICEF.
King Albert II hosted a lunch on Saturday afternoon in honour of Sonia in which members of the royal family including Prince Philippe, Princes Mathilde, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht were present at the Royal Laeken Castle in Brussels.
Official sources said the luncheon by the king in honour of Sonia assumes significance in view of the fact that the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf, who had visited earlier in September, failed to get an audience with him.
Responding to the honour conferred on her, Sonia said, "I do believe that by conferring this distinction you are recognising not the individual that I am, but the values that I have imbibed and stand for."
She said that she was but 18 when she met her husband Rajiv Gandhi and not long after that she married and moved to India.
"I am reminded of what my mother-in-law Indira Gandhi used to say, 'One's real education is in the university of life'," she said.
"What I am today is largely because of being a member of the remarkable family into which I married, and because of the love I've received throughout from the people who have accepted me as one of their own," Sonia said.
Referring to the 'Festival of India' that has come to Europe after a decade and half, the UPA chairperson said she was delighted that it was being held in the magnificent premises of the Palais de Beaux Art.
Noting that the choice of Brussels for the festival is a considered one, Sonia said, "Your beautiful city has become in many ways the capital of the European Union. It is the seat of the European Parliament and the European Commission. It has a great sense of culture and history."
She said the exhibition inaugurated on Saturday was part of the Festival of India and was unique.
"This is the first time that so many rare priceless sculptures have been taken abroad from among the treasures housed in museums all across India," she said.
Tejas, the name given to the collections, is a Sanskrit term that implies "effulgence, radiance, energy". It symbolises the enduring dynamics and creativity of Indian culture.
"Tejas profiles India's civilisational journey over 1,500 years of a most formative period of its past," she said.
"Going back in unbroken continuity to the dawn of history, our history is an inclusive one," Sonia said.
Over the centuries it has absorbed influences, faiths, ideas and people without compromising its essential integrity and strength, she said.
"Today our nation is a land of diversity and variety on a constitutional scale," she quoted India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru vividly describing India as "an ancient palimpsest on which layer upon layer of thoughts and reverie had been inscribed and yet no succeeding layer had completely hidden or erased what has been written previously."
"Though outwardly there was diversity and infinite variety among our people. Everywhere there was that tremendous impress of oneness, which has held all of us together for ages past, whatever the political fate or misfortune had befallen us," Sonia quoted Nehru as saying.
"We are proud that our culture reflects this. We happen to be the birthplace of four of the world's major religions and home to the second largest population of another faith, Islam," Sonia said.
Noting that India was no stranger to Europe, Sonia said the formidable scholarship of Indologists in various countries of this continent has not only made the world aware of India in its various manifestations, but also made Indians themselves aware of their own history and heritage.
"Being inheritors to a historic heritage is both empowering and humbling. It is empowering because of the remarkably old roots of our nation's composite character. It is humbling because of the enormous responsibility it places on us to preserve it and make it accessible to others," she added.
She said in the modern world there is much that India and Belgium share in common. "Democracy, rule of law, freedom of speech, independent judiciary, a free press and protection of human rights are fundamental values to which our two societies are wedded," Sonia said.
"In the area of economy and trade, our two countries have been expanding and deeping their partnerships. Belgium is the second largest trading party for India with the EU. Our bilateral trade crossed 8 billion euros in 2005, much of it contributed by the diamond trade. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in India because of its economic and technological achievments and because of the contribution of its diaspora. But the India that is on display here is a different one," she said.
"It is an India rich in its philosophical thought, multiple faiths and beliefs. It is an India that once 2,000 years ago had proclaimed vasudeva kutumbakam -- the world is one family," she added.
URL for this article:
http://www.rediff.com///news/2006/nov/11sonia1.htm