Mining – India
1. Mining scam hits mineral traders, 15,000 trucks remain idle
2. Coal India eyeing blocks in Australia
3. Raids continue in Mayurbhanj
4. Sterlite increases Asarco bid
5. NTPC, Macquarie tie on Indonesia mine deal
6. Mine scam accused slams govt probe
7. Adhunik aims big
Mining – International
8. Mine union in Papua calls for protection as new shootings injure two
9. Rio Tinto's sale of Brazilian mine approved
10. Rio to Resume Argyle Diamond Mine Expansion Next Year
11. Gold mining execs meeting in Denver among the bulls
12. Vale gets OK to buy iron ore mine from Rio Tinto
13. Gunmen fire at bus, hurt 2 at US mine in Indonesia
Other News
14. Plans to reintroduce cheetahs prompts conservation debate in India
15. SMS governance system for NREGS launched in TN
16. NREGS: not caste in stone
17. Kalahandi battles malnutrition woes
Mining – India
Mining scam hits mineral traders, 15,000 trucks remain idle
13 Sep 2009, 2042 hrs IST, Nageshwar Patnaik, ET Bureau
BHUBANESWAR: Scams and scandals veering around mining operations in the mineral rich Orissa are nothing new. Even Judicial Commissions were
appointed to probe into the favouratism shown by the powers-that-be. The recent mining scam running into thousands of crore has taken the lid off chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s “clean image” forcing him to come out clean with a probe by the vigilance authorities.
The recent scam centering around illegal mining backed up by officials and politicians, has however hit mineral traders in the state as the state government has stopped issuing transit passes and are not renewing the trading licences as well.
“We have been caught between devil and deep sea for no fault of ours. We have no role what so ever in the mining scam. Mine operators may have carried out illegal mining without permits or clearances. But the government is deliberately denying us permission to buy and transport ore thereby hitting our livelihood. We may have to cough up heavy penalties to importers if we can supply iron ore fines within a stipulated period”, Orissa Minerals Traders Association (OMTA) president, P K Nayak on Sunday told “The ET”.
The OMTA has recently been formed after the traders were denied to carry out their business operation in the aftermath of the mining scam.
There are about 500 traders in the state, including 200 alone operating in Joda area. Mr Nayak claimed that they neither own mines nor are engaged in extraction of ore excepting buying the materials, transporting and selling them.
“Soon after the mining scam surfaced in August last, mining department officers have stopped issuing transit pass/permit and are not renewing the trading licenses though all statutory requirements have been fulfilled by all traders as required by law. Since many officials are involved in the mining scam, they seem to be indulging in harassment of the genuine mineral traders to cover up their gross irregularities and malpractices”, Mr Nayak lamented.
Ore transport in the state had come to a complete standstill position, resulting in piling up of huge stock at the mines. He said the government move to halt ore supply has rendered nearly 15,000 trucks, 45,000 people and nearly one lakh workers out of job. "Many of the traders have taken huge bank loans. More so, buyers from outside the state and importers are putting intense pressure on the traders to meet the contracted material," he pointed out.
Admitting that there has been a temporary dislocation due to the government’s decision to withdraw all existing permits / lecenses after several irregularities were spotted, the steel and mines secretary, A K Dalwai told ET , “We have withdrawn all transit passes, which are now being issued centrally. Several officers involved in the irregularities were arrested and suspended. We have recently posted new officers. Those traders having bonafide credentials with all documents required to obtain trade licenses will soon get the permits”.
The Association president said he was looking forward to meet with top officials and ministers to sort out the issue to resume trading in the earliest.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Mining-scam-hits-mineral-traders-15000-trucks-remain-idle/articleshow/5006598.cms
Coal India eyeing blocks in Australia
Published on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 08:35 , Updated at Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 08:39
Source : Business Line
October 6-8, The Oberoi, New Delhi Don't mIss it for the World!
www.mjunction.in
Kolkata, Sept. 13
Coal India is eyeing acquisition of a mid-sized thermal coal block in Australia. This is in addition to the recent offers from a number of prospective ‘strategic partners’ for offering participatory to CIL in existing thermal coal projects.
Informed sources told Business Line that CIL was in “advanced stage of negotiation with a private party” for taking over a mid-sized exploration asset in Australia.
A team of company officials will be visiting Australia next week to assess the asset quality and other details. “CIL is expecting some positive development in Australia,” the source said.
When contacted, the CIL Chairman, Mr Partha Bhattacharyya, confirmed that the company was on the look-out for coal equity in Australia.
Expressions of Interest
CIL has already received 15 expressions of interests (EoI) from Australia for strategic partnership. A number of mining major including Rio Tinto and Hancock expressed interest to dilute minority stake in favour of CIL in their existing projects.
Apart from Australia, the company received 18 EoIs from Indonesia, 6 from South Africa and 13 from the US.
“We have received a total of 52 EoIs. Of the same 45 are from the mining companies and appear to be sound. A committee is set-up to shortlist the proposals,” Mr Bhattacharyya said. The CIL chairman will be visiting the US next week.
High ROE
According him, in view of the steadily rising import requirement of coal in the country, the overseas acquisition would help CIL in either bringing equity coal in the country or ensuring a high return on equity through overseas sale of coal.
Generally, in any mining asset the majority partner enjoys the first right of refusal on the equity coal and a decision on either sharing the production or the profit is taken depending on prevailing the international price dynamics.
Fast track decision on investment
Meanwhile as part of its 100 days programme, the Centre has entrusted an “empowered committee of secretaries” to review the investment decisions of the Board exceeding Rs 1,000 crore and seek Cabinet approval.
Earlier CIL’s investment proposals used to make the usual rounds in a number of ministries before being considered by the cabinet.
“We have lost a number of overseas investment opportunities in the past due to procedural delays in securing approval. The recent may therefore prove to be a major boost to acquire assets abroad,” Mr Bhattacharyya said.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/coal-india-eyeing-blocksaustralia_415287.html
Raids continue in Mayurbhanj
Express News Service
First Published : 12 Sep 2009 10:27:52 AM IST
Last Updated : 12 Sep 2009 10:52:09 AM IST
BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance today continued raids on the offices of two private companies in connection with illegal extraction and transportation of iron ore from the Kasiabeda mines in Mayurbhanj district.
The offices of these two companies, one of them Kolkata-based, was raided in Rairangpur and Baripada during several documents relating to illegal mining and transportation were seized. Though Kasiabeda mines was leased out, mining was illegally done by the mine owner from Badampahad and Suleipat mines, sources in the Vigilance said.
It has found that about 65,000 tonnes of iron ore were illegally transported to outside the State while 70,000 tonnes were yet to be transported. The value of the iron ore which has been transported out from the mines has been estimated at Rs 14 crore.
Mining was done in the name of Kasiabeda from the Badampahad and Suleipat mines. The lease of the Kasiabeda mines changed hands in 2004. The mines was leased out from 1991 to 2004 in the first instance.
Kasiabeda mines is the fourth case taken up by the Vigilance during its inquiry of the multi-crore mining scam which runs into about Rs 4,000 crore.
Vigilance is already inquiring into illegal mining and transportation of iron ore by Rambahadur Thakur Limited, Arjun Ladha and BD Patnaik mining companies.
Meanwhile, the State Government today asked all the district collectors to take steps to check illegal mining and transportation of minerals.
Collectors have been asked to constitute committees in their respective districts comprising officials from the Revenue, Forest and Mines Departments and demarcate mine areas. Besides, they have been asked to demarcate forest and non-forest areas.
Minister for Steel and Mines Raghunath Mohanty said that three enforcement squads have been constituted to conduct raids to prevent illegal mining and transportation of minerals. The 15-member squads will comprise officials from Forest, Police and Mines Departments.
Referring to the irregularities in the issue of transit passes, the Minister said that forms for transit passes are now printed by the Government Press from August 16.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Raids+continue+in+Mayurbhanj&artid=y5lcYWzmy5I=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=
Sterlite increases Asarco bid
TNN 12 September 2009, 01:32am IST
MUMBAI: In a last-ditch effort to acquire bankrupt US copper mining major Asarco, Sterlite Industries has raised its bid from $2.14 billion in
cash to $2.57 billion for an all cash deal. This makes Sterlite's bid better than rival Mexican miner Grupo Mexico's $2.48-billion (including $2.2 billion in cash) offer.
Two weeks back, a US bankruptcy court judge recommended Grupo Mexico's proposed plan, which, the judge felt, was more likely to pay its creditors in full.
Sterlite's previous offer was $2.1 billion cash and $208 million copper price participation notes.
The US federal district court will decide on the final outcome of the bidding war in November. In a notice to BSE, Sterlite said it has increased its offer price after extensive discussions and review, in order to provide full cash payment to asbestos creditors.
"With this change, 100% of the creditors' interest in SCC Litigation trust will be owned by Sterlite. The modification to the plan has been accordingly submitted to the district court for its consideration," Sterlite said.
Sterlite dropped Rs 20.8 to close at Rs 745.9 on BSE, 2.7% lower than its previous close of Rs 766.7. Friday's price revision takes the latest bid by Sterlite closer to its original bid of $2.6 billion in May last year. The Indian subsidiary of Vedanta Resources had to revise its offer price downwards subsequent to fall in copper prices.
In August, Sterlite hiked part of its offer to $1.58 billion and later increased its bid by $500 million to match Grupo Mexico's bid. Sterlite is keen on expanding its operations in other markets by acquiring Asarco.
Asarco is an integrated copper mining, smelting and refining company with three mines in Arizona and a refinery in Texas. With revenues of $1.9 billion, Asarco has approximately 2,500 employees. The mining company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 9, 2005.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/business/india-business/Sterlite-increases-Asarco-bid/articleshow/5001216.cms
NTPC, Macquarie tie on Indonesia mine deal
2009-09-11 19:00:00
Commodity Online
Indian NTPC Ltd. (BOM: 532555) has announced that it has hired Sydney based Macquarie Group Ltd. (ASX: MQG) to evaluate a proposed coal mine buy-deal in Indonesia.
State-owned monopoly producer Coal India Ltd. also clarified that it will invest US$1.5 billion to acquire mines abroad to help overcome a shortage of an estimated 228 million metric tonnes a year by March 2012.
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NTPC Ltd. is an India-based enterprise engaged in the generation thermal power. Coal India is one of the largest coal producing companies in the world. Indonesia is anticipated to produce 240 million tonnes of coal as for 2009 and export 60% of the output.
NTPC has designed its strategy to import 12.5 million tonnes of coal in the year ending March. The 3 new units shall have a combined output of 1,480 megawatts.
India plans to add 78,700 megawatts of generation capacity in the 5 years to March 2012 and 100,000 megawatts in the following 5 years.
Notably, India's total installed capacity was 151,073 megawatts as of 31st July 2009.
NTPC stock however lost 0.17% at Bombay Stock Exchange closing at 205.1 on Friday. It touched a 52-week high of 233 and low of 113. MQG lost 0.36% closing at 49.75 at Australia Stock Exchange on Friday.
http://www.commodityonline.com/commodity-stocks/NTPC-Macquarie-tie-on-Indonesia-mine-deal-2009-09-11-21113-3-1.html
Mine scam accused slams govt probe
TNN 11 September 2009, 10:37pm IST
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BHUBANESWAR: A state mandarin accused in the multi-crore mining scam has questioned the motive and impartiality of the vigilance investigation
ordered by the state government.
Deputy director in the state mining department Ganesh Mohanty, who was recently arrested in connection with the scam, has filed a writ petition in Orissa High Court. He alleged that he was a victim of ill-motivated intention at the behest of "certain higher officials and politicians".
Mohanty's petition came at a time when the state government is in a spot over the scam involving looting of precious ores from the state worth thousands of crores and consequent loss to the state exchequer.
He was arrested when the scam surfaced during the recent Assembly session, prompting the government to engage the vigilance department for the investigation. He was later released on bail.
Mohanty cited a report he had submitted on September 17, 2008, which highlighted how illegal mining was going on in an area in Keonjhar district, thereby indicating that the government was aware of what was happening at the ground level.
Mohanty, who had earlier moved the court in connection with his promotion, has approached the court again challenging his arrest. He claimed that there was no material evidence to involve him in the case, yet he was arrested and detained in custody "mechanically in total contravention of Article 21 of the Constitution."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bhubaneswar/Mine-scam-accused-slams-govt-probe/articleshow/5000598.cms
Adhunik aims big
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Calcutta, Sept. 11: Adhunik Metaliks will invest Rs 3,350 crore in its wholly owned power and mining subsidiaries over the next three years. It also plans to come out with a maiden public offer for at least one of the firms to raise funds.
The company, which makes speciality steel for the auto and engineering industry, is setting up a 540-mega-watt power plant near Jamshedpur for Rs 2,650 crore. Besides, it is building an iron ore beneficiation plant, a pellet plant, a ferro alloy unit and a power facility to strengthen the mining business.
Manoj Agarwal, managing director of Adhunik Metaliks, said the power business would raise private equity worth Rs 400 crore, while Rs 200 crore would be mopped up by mining.
For the power business, the company has also tied up loans of 2,000 crore. In mining, it has lined up Rs 450 crore of loans. The company has so far invested Rs 250 crore in both the businesses.
Adhunik Metaliks, which is the holding company of mining arm Orissa Manganese and Mining Ltd and power firm Adhunik Power and Natural Resources, will also raise Rs 250 crore equity to reduce debt.
“The company has passed an enabling resolution to raise Rs 250 crore through an equity offering. We are working on that,” CFO Arun Kedia said. While the board is discussing the preferred route, it is likely to be a QIP issue. Adhunik has a debt of over Rs 1,200 crore, and the company wants to bring it down to below Rs 1,000 crore. Orissa Manganese and Mining, on the other hand, is likely to go for an IPO. It has about 90 million tonnes of iron ore and 50 million tonnes of manganese ore reserves.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090912/jsp/business/story_11484320.jsp
Mining – International
Mine union in Papua calls for protection as new shootings injure two
Posted at 18:28 on 13 September, 2009 UTC
The All-Indonesian Workers Union of US mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia is asking for protection following a series of shootings by unknown gunmen.
Police said on Saturday that a fresh wave of shootings at the mine had left two security guards injured.
Shots were fired near mile 42 at a vehicle carrying security guards and cleaning service personnel.
The Union has submitted an official proposal to the National Commission on Human Rights or Komnas HAM.
The Union secretary, told the Jakarta Post, that the brutal shootings has caused anxiety among workers from Freeport and from other private companies.
Ronny Kadrun says the union is asking the commission to guarantee the employees’ safety and security so as the 21,000 workers can work as usual.
Between July and August, there have been six shootings claiming at least three workers’ lives.
Meanwhile, Komnas HAM says it will immediately urge the government to resolve the matter.
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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=49070
Rio Tinto's sale of Brazilian mine approved
AAP
September 14, 2009 08:56am
MINING giant Rio Tinto says it has received approval from Brazilian authorities for the sale of its Corumba iron ore mine.
Rio said today it had received approval from the Brazilian National Defence Council on the pending sale of the Corumba mine to Brazilian miner Vale SA.
The transaction, valued at $US750 million ($868.96 million), is expected to close shortly, Rio said.
Rio reached an agreement with Vale in January to sell its Corumba iron ore mine and associated river logistics operations in Paraguay, along with other assets in Argentina and Canada, for a total of $US1.6 billion.
Rio has announced a number of asset sales in the last 18 months as it seeks to reduce its debt.
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,26069440-31037,00.html
Rio to Resume Argyle Diamond Mine Expansion Next Year
By Rebecca Keenan
Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Rio Tinto Group, the world’s third- largest mining company, will resume work on a A$1.8 billion ($1.5 billion) expansion of its Argyle diamond mine next year as global jewelry demand recovers.
Underground production at the world’s largest diamond mine should start in 2013, Argyle Chief Operating Officer Kevin McLeish said today in an interview from Perth. Work on the expansion had slowed down in January, he said.
Diamond prices are rebounding after a slump that slashed profits at ZAO Alrosa, London-based Rio and De Beers. All three producers have restarted mines and processing capacity in the past three months in anticipation of economic recovery in the U.S. and growing jewelry demand in China and India.
“There are some positive signs of recovery,” McLeish said. “Given the price and recovery forecast, we will see a significant improvement in the performance of the diamond group within Rio through 2010.”
Rio declined 2 percent to A$58.05 at the 4:10 p.m. Sydney time close on the Australian stock exchange. Diamonds and copper accounted for 32 percent of Rio’s operating income last year.
Hiring for the expansion will start in the second half of next year, McLeish said. Production begins in 2013, two years later than scheduled before the expansion was slowed, he said.
Output from the Argyle mine slumped 86 percent in the June quarter from a year earlier to 408,000 carats because of the shutdown in processing facilities from January to June. The mine is now operating at full capacity of 8 million metric tons a year, McLeish said today. Argyle, in Western Australia’s east Kimberley region, normally accounts for about 20 percent of annual global diamond output, according to Rio.
Price Recovery
Diamond prices have risen 4 percent from a low on March 30 after declining 26 percent from a high on Sept. 8 last year, according to the Rapaport Diamond Trade Index. The index traded at $6,882 in the week ended Sept. 8. The index is formulated from the average price for the top 25 best quality 1 carat diamonds, color between D and H and clarity between internally flawless (IF) and very small inclusion (VS2).
The world luxury-goods market has stopped worsening, Francois Pinault, the billionaire owner of the Gucci brand, said on July 31.
Rio’s Argyle mine supplies 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds, used exclusively for jewelry. Those gems account for just 1 percent of total production at the mine. Much of the remainder is sold as rough, or uncut, diamonds.
Argyle Amour
Rio is selling 43 of the best diamonds produced from the mine in the last year in its annual tender. The current tender includes a 2.61 carat pink, heart-shaped diamond named Argyle Amour, the most valuable diamond ever produced from the mine.
Demand for pink diamonds, generally bought by wealthy customers, has not been affected by the global crisis, McLeish said. Pink diamonds are more valuable than colorless diamonds because of their rarity. For every one colored diamond there are 10,000 colorless diamonds in existence, according to Rio.
De Beers, 45 percent owned by Anglo American Plc, is the largest producer of diamonds, followed by Alrosa and Rio, according to Rio Tinto.
To contact the reporter on this story: Rebecca Keenan in Melbourne atrkeenan5@bloomberg.net
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=a4xAPW0NHhxo
Gold mining execs meeting in Denver among the bulls
Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:51pm EDT
DENVER, Sept 13 (Reuters) - What a difference a year makes.
Bulls have kicked bears out of the gold industry as producers now look forward to bigger profit margins from higher metal prices and lower costs.
A record 850 mining company executives and buy-side fund managers meeting for their annual get-together at the Denver Gold Forum arrived in the Rocky Mountain city in a much better mood after gold went through the psychological $1,000-per-ounce barrier last week.
And with analysts predicting the precious metal will keep rising and possibly hit a new high this year, the outlook is rosier now than when the executives met in Denver last year.
Then, the economy was about to nose-dive and gold miners were grappling with issues like renewing reserves, controlling costs and struggling to put projects into production.
But there's nothing like a recession to send investors rushing to the safe haven of bullion and that's what has happened. Gold has performed just as analysts predicted in the last 12 months -- averaging around $900 an ounce, with a range of $700 to the $1,000 it hit last week.
On Friday, spot gold XAU= traded at $1,005 an ounce in New York. Year to date, it was up 15 percent, but still below its record high $1,030.80 set in March 2008.
The sentiment for investing in gold or gold company stocks now is nothing but positive.
"We think margins with the higher gold price will expand," said Brian Hicks, co-fund manager of U.S. Global Investors in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fuel costs are still well below what they were in 2008, so that should help margins, and we've had some relief in terms of labor issues and higher capital costs with some of these mines," he said. "That will help margins as well."
Oil is a major expense in the mining of gold, so with its price falling from a peak of nearly $150 per barrel in the summer of 2008 to $70 now, miners can cut operating costs.
Haytham Hodaly, of Salman Partners in Toronto, was typically bullish: "From a seasonal perspective, gold prices have almost always rallied in the fourth quarter ... anywhere between 5 and 10 percent on average.
"The equities typically lag the precious metals by as much as a month, so I think this is a perfect time for people to increase their exposure to the equities, and I do believe that we will break through $1,000 and head close to $1,100 in the near term," Hodaly said.
DE-HEDGING BACK IN FOCUS
Gold got a boost last week when Canada's Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) (ABX.N), the world's largest producer, said it would issue $3 billion in stock to eliminate its fixed-price gold hedges and part of its floating hedges.
Hedging allows producers to lock-in guaranteed prices for future output, but it can backfire if the price of spot metal rises above the hedged price.
A bull cycle for gold since 2001 has prompted many miners to buy back their own unprofitable hedges in the last several years. Barrick and No. 3 AngloGold Ashanti (ANGJ.J) are the only top producers which still have significant outstanding hedges.
Caesar Bryan, who manages more than $450 million in assets at GAMCO Gold Fund in New York, said that gold stocks as a whole have still not recovered from the Lehman Brothers debacle of last September.
"If gold does well, gold stocks should do even better."
Bryan said that gold equities were attractive because of their low price-to-cash-flow multiples, and that the closely watched Philadelphia Gold & Silver index .XAU should be trading at 200. The index is currently at 170.
Gold stocks, however, continue to face tough head winds from the competition of gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs). SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold ETF, currently holds 1,077.6 tonnes of gold, which is equivalent to nearly half annual global mine production.
William Rhind, head of sales and marketing for the U.S. division of ETF Securities, an operator of 130 exchange-traded products, says that the performance of gold equities tends to correlate with the stock market.
"With gold, you don't have any management and operational risks," Rhind said. "And gold itself cannot go bankrupt, while mining companies can."
The presenters at the Denver Forum, which runs through Wednesday, will include the world's biggest two producers -- Barrick and Newmont Mining (NEM.N), which is based in Denver. South African giants AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields Ltd (GFI.N) are also slated to present.
(Additional reporting by Cameron French in Toronto; Editing by Christian Wiessner and Philip Barbara)
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN1143954620090913?sp=true
Associated Press
Vale gets OK to buy iron ore mine from Rio Tinto
Associated Press, 09.11.09, 07:08 PM EDT
SAO PAULO -- Brazil mining giant Vale says is has obtained government approval to acquire the Corumba iron ore mining operations from Rio Tinto in a deal expected to reach $750 million.
Vale SA said Friday the purchase has been authorized by the Brazilian National Defense Council. The acquisition will go through after both sides fulfill a series of pre-established conditions.
Vale reached a deal with the Anglo-Australian Rio Tinto Ltd. in January to buy the mine, which produced 2 million metric tons of iron ore last year.
Vale says Corumba is rich in direct reduction lump ores, a highly valued and increasingly scarce type of iron ore.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/09/11/business-materials-lt-brazil-vale-rio-tinto_6877371.html
Gunmen fire at bus, hurt 2 at US mine in Indonesia
(AP) – 3 hours ago
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Gunmen fired at a bus carrying workers of U.S. mining giant Freeport on Saturday in Papua province, wounding two Indonesian security guards, police said.
Ambushes near the world's largest gold mine since mid-July have left three dead, including a 29-year-old Australian, and more than a dozen wounded.
Around four gunmen ambushed the bus on its way to drop off workers for the Saturday morning shift, Papua police spokesman Lt. Col. Agus Rianto said.
A security guard was shot in the thigh and another was hurt by broken glass, but both were in stable condition at a nearby hospital, he said.
Police are searching for the gunmen, who fled into the jungle, Rianto said.
A Freeport spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Freeport mine has often been targeted by arson, roadside bombs and ambushes since production began in the 1970's in underdeveloped Papua, home to a low-level separatist movement of thousands of miles (kilometers) from the capital, Jakarta.
It is unclear if the rebels, who have been implicated in past attacks, were involved in the latest shootings.
Police have arrested seven suspects in the ambushes so far, including two Freeport employees, who face charges of premeditated murder and illegal weapons possession.
It is difficult to get accurate information out of Papua, a highly militarized area that is off-limits to foreign journalists.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jsEYSPoTLRSz3BXp8sCFNA7mE8gwD9ALLGGO0
Other News
September 14, 2009
Plans to reintroduce cheetahs prompts conservation debate in India
Jeremy Page in Delhi
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India is planning to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild, more than six decades after they were thought to have been hunted into extinction in the sub-continent.
But the plans have ignited a debate about wildlife conservation, with opponents arguing that India has neither the land nor the funds to sustain cheetahs and the dwindling tiger population. Wildlife experts and officials met in the northen Indian state of Rajasthan last week to draw up proposals to import up to 100 cheetahs from Africa over the next ten years.
The cats, which would come from countries such as Tanzania, Botswana and Kenya, would be kept in captivity in semi-wild enclosures until they were acclimatised, the experts said.They would then be released at several potential sites in Rajasthan, the western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, the central state of Madhya Pradesh, and the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
“This is the only large mammal ever to have gone extinct in independent India,” Milind Pariwakam, wild species manager at the Wildlife Trust of India, which jointly organised last week’s meeting, told The Times.
“If you bring back a charismatic mammal like the cheetah, which is also an apex predator, it will help to protect many other species, as well as the whole grassland ecology.”
The plans have yet to be approved formally by the Indian Government, but they have been endorsed by Jairam Ramesh, the Environment and Forests Minister. “We plan to bring the cheetah back in India,” he told Parliament.
Mr Ramesh did not attend last week’s meeting, but sent a written message, pointing out that “cheetah” is derived from an ancient Sanskrit word meaning “spotted”.
“The risks are indubitable,” he said. “However, I feel that we owe it to the animal whose very name is derived from Sanskrit and that was once so ubiquitous in our country to at least analyse the pros and cons.”
The Asiatic cheetah used to roam across the Middle East, Central Asia and India, and was tamed by the Mughal emperors for hunting. The last one in India is believed to have been shot dead by the Maharajah of Surguja in Madhya Pradesh in 1947.
Today it is found only in the wild in Iran and is listed as a critically endangered sub-species.
Experts say that they will not reintroduce cheetahs to India from Iran, which has fewer than 60 in the wild. However, they say that they could use cheetahs from Africa as they are almost genetically identical to their Asiatic cousins.
Stephen J. O’Brien, a leading conservation geneticist, said that African and Indian cheetahs separated about 5,000 years ago, but did not qualify as a sub-species.
By contrast, African and Asiatic lions were separated about 100,000 years ago and are considered sub-species, as are African and Asiatic leopards.
Most experts and officials agree in principle to the cheetah proposals, but many argue that India cannot afford the project, given the problems it has protecting tigers and other endangered species. “I don’t think it’s a wise idea,” said R. N. Mehrotra, the chief wildlife warden of Rajasthan.
India started the Project Tiger programme in 1973 to protect its tigers, which numbered about 40,000 a century ago. But the initiative failed to prevent the tiger population from falling to 1,411 in February last year, down from 3,642 in 2002, largely because of poaching.
Call of the wild
— Almost wiped out by trapping, poisoning, and habitat loss, the last 22 California condors were captured by the US Government and intensively bred in captivity. It released them again in 1991, and there are now 156
— In 1918, Britain’s last white-tailed eagle, its largest bird of prey, was shot in the Shetland Islands. After attempts to reintroduce the species in 1959, there are now 32 pairs living there
— The Arabian oryx has been reintroduced to Oman from a zoo population since being hunted to death in the wild in 1972. Despite mixed success, in 2006, one, named Orry, became the official mascot for the Asian Games in Doha
— Grey wolves were wiped out in the northern Rockies, in the US, under extermination projects in the 1930s then reintroduced in the 1990s, despite protests from ranchers that they would kill livestock
Sources: RSPB, actionbioscience.org, reference.com
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6833186.ece
Fighting corruption and building good governance are essential for socio-economic development – Veerappa Moily
NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ‘FIGHTING CRIMES RELATED TO CORRUPTION’ CONCLUDED
________________________________________
17:3 IST
The Union Minister for Law & Justice, Dr. M. Veerappa Moily has said that “there is an emerging global consensus that fighting corruption and building ‘good governance’ are essential for the socio-economic development of any nation”. He was giving valedictory address at the concluding session of the National Seminar on ‘Fighting Crimes Related to Corruption’ here today. He also said that the prevalence of corruption undermines social cohesion, wider participation of citizens in economic and political processes, distorts allocation of resources and delivery of public services particularly damaging the interest of the poor and marginalized sections of the society. This Seminar was jointly organized by LNJN National Institute of Criminology & Forensic Science and CBI.
Dr. Moily exhorted CBI that, for instilling fear of punishment amongst the corrupt public servants, the present 65-70% conviction rate should be pushed forward. He also said that a coordinated effort is needed on the part of the police officers, law officers and the judicial officers to secure early disposal of the cases. Govt. of India proposes to set up 71-new CBI courts for dealing with the cases investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and I am sure these additional courts will help in expediting the trial of anti-corruption cases. The impact of anti-corruption efforts of the Govt. will be felt, if the cases are registered and trial is completed in a time frame of 2 to 3 years.
The Minister suggested wide ranging reforms to curve corruption which included,
a. The scope of Prevention of Corruption Act should be widened to include:
- Gross perversion of the Constitution and democratic institutions amounting to willful violation of the oath of office.
- Abuse of authority by unduly favoring or harming someone
- Obstruction of justice
- Squandering public money
- Collusive bribery
b. The Corrupt Public servants (Forfeiture of Property) Bill as suggested by the Law Commission should be enacted without further delay.
c. Steps should be taken for immediate implementation of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 1988.
d. There should be statutory protection for whistleblowers and victim protection.
e. A multi-member Lok Pal at the national level and Lok Ayuktas at the State level should be set up under the Constitution.
f. False Claims Act should be enacted.
g. Article 311 of the Constitution may be repealed along with the Article 310 and legislation should be passed under Article 309 to provide for the terms and conditions of service of public servants including necessary protection against arbitrary action.
h. Prior sanction should not be necessary for prosecuting a public servant who has been trapped red-handed or found in possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
He also promised that he would consider the suggestions emerging out of the National Seminar favourably for implementation.
Shri Ashwani Kumar, Director, CBI in his welcome address emphasized the major ideas flagged by Hon’ble Chief Justice of India in his inaugural speech on Saturday, particularly the ideas that certainty of punishment has the deterrent effect on the corrupt public servants; issue of grant of prosecution sanction for public servant; confiscation of property of corrupt official, and prevalence of corruption as violation of basic human right. He also said that ‘menace of corruption needs to be handled comprehensively. A multi disciplinary approach of the agencies associated with the delivery of criminal justice can only tackle this problem. It is high time to bring about synergy to optimise use of resources’.Shri S. C. Sinha, Special Director, CBI proposed a vote of thanks to the Chair.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=52597
SMS governance system for NREGS launched in TN
Updated on Sunday, September 13, 2009, 19:32 ISTTags:Tamil Nadu, SMS governance, NREGS
Dharmapuri (TN): To monitor implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), a mobile phone-based SMS system for sending attendance data of labourers to the district Information Centre was launched here on Sunday.
District Collector P Amudha launched the SMS Governance system under which the Village People Welfare Workers can message the number of labourers reporting for work from the work spot.
This SMS information system
was launched in Dharmapuri district for the first time in the state, she said.
She said NREGS was functioning in the district since April 28, 2008. So far the attendance data of labourers who came for the works was filed by the concerned People Welfare Workers personally at the district information by 11 am.
To speed up the communication process, all the 251 People Welfare Workers in the district were given training to feed the attendance data through SMS to the district Information Centre from the work spot within half-an-hour after the work started.
Bureau Report
http://www.zeenews.com/news563184.html
NREGS: not caste in stone
P. SAINATH
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Across Andhra Pradesh even those from dominant castes are seeking work under NREGS in a time of grave crisis. - Photo: P. Sainath
It would be rash to conclude that the NREGS is breaking down social hierarchies big time. It is certainly calling them into question, though.
Balijas, Reddys and other upper or dominant castes working on improving the lands of Dalits? It’s happening here in Kondama Naiyuni Palayam village of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. Call it necessity. Call it NREGS. The heavy late rains may have brought relief to Rayalaseema region in terms of fodder, and drinking water. But they also devastate the short duration crops that people have sown. So this village and its neighbours are heavily NREG dependent.
“We work together, all of us, and not on a caste basis,” say E. Ravi and K. Maheshwar, both Balijas. NREGS work priorities are clear here. The land development programme under it must first exhaust dalit and adivasi households before serving the others. In places like K.N. Palayam, where the villagers are organised, this actually gets done. It is not the same everywhere. And it would be rash to conclude that the NREGS is breaking down social hierarchies big time. It is certainly calling them into question, though.
There is also economic necessity. “Even people with 25 acres in our rainfed farms seek NREGS work, says Narasimha Reddy in Palacherla village. Yes, he confirms, most landowning Reddy households in this village of 350 families are reporting for NREG work — a big shift in attitudes. About 400 people — an equal number of men and women — go to the NREG site.
Impact on social structures
Within limits, says Malla Reddy, a 35-year veteran of NGO activism here, the NREGS does impact on social structures. Now, when landowners call Dalits or Adivasis to work, they are relatively more respectful. Because the labourers have the option of Rs. 100 a day work here.”
In K.N. Palayam, groups like the Rural and Environment Development Society have sharpened that impact. REDS has managed a creative interpretation of NREG rules locally. “You’ll find several households that have exceeded 100 days work,” says C. Bhanuja, President of REDS. We did.
It isn’t all quite simple, however. Both, the programmes’ own problems and those within the economy and society surface often. A full fifth of those seeking work in K.N. Palayam are over 60 years of age. S. Kadhar Wali, who is well over 70, puts it simply: “Why work at 70? You may as well ask, why eat at 70.” He and his wife S. Bibi have been doing NREGS work from 2006. This year, Bibi dropped out after a bout of typhoid. “We returned to work as the rise in food prices has destroyed poor people these past few years.”
In Aiyaram Gopalapadu, Kurnool, ex-Sarpanch C. Sankaraiah, clings to the old hierarchies. “I won’t do it,” he says, dismissing NREG work. “I own nine acres. It’s insulting.” But what about those 30-acre rainfed farmers in Anantapur, spotted at NREG sites? “Anantapur politics are very different from our politics here.” But one of his sons is working at the very site he leads us to.
Contradictions do plague the NREGS in its present avatar. One, between landowners and landless labourers. “This Rs. 100 a day wage is killing us,” grumble many of the bigger landowners. Actually, most workers average Rs. 80. But the bigger owners are hostile. And then there are the small and medium land holders. They employ wage labour — but also work at NREG sites themselves to make ends meet. “This wage is hurting our farming operations and driving the price rise,” goes the chorus in Palavai, Palacherla and elsewhere.
The same voices protest when asked what they would do if the NREG wage fell to Rs. 50 tomorrow. “How will we survive? We need this wage.” These are people owning between 5 and 8 acres.
The late rains stoke the farmer-labourer contradiction. The farmers want NREGS put on hold so they can attend to their fields and find labour for them. The landless cannot afford to go without work for any length of time. That’s when migrations surface again, though overall, the programme has reduced them considerably. That’s the case in K. Nagalapuram in Kurnool, where we run into many labourers leaving for Bangalore. Another universal complaint is about payment delays. “These are killing,” says Somappa as he departs for Bangalore.
There is also the odd village where the NREG has been captured by local mafias determined to keep the wages down. As In Harekal in Kurnool district where NREGS work vanished for months. (However work resumed the next day following a report in Eenadu after our visit.) Or in Pothireddypalli in Mahbubnagar, where the priority for work on Dalit lands is being subverted. Tractor owners evade land development work on Dalit farms. “Our bills will never be settled,” claims one of them. In Anantapur, the Lambada adivasis of Kareddypalli tanda are bogged down by bureaucratic quibbles and local tensions. “Our tanda is in Kadiri Mandal [rural],” points out T. Nagesh. “But our fields are just yards away in the next, Nallacheruvu mandal. The people there won’t let us work and the officials do nothing.” And so several in the tanda have migrated — to Kerala.
And there is the work itself. The broad success of NREGS in states like Andhra has seen some romanticise it. You only have to attempt the body-sapping work that a hungry malnourished people do, in sizzling temperatures, to swiftly abandon such ideas. Hearing of NREG “boycotts” in villages like Sanevaripalli in Anantapur, we went there. “What boycott?” asks Nagappa, who owns five acres here. “They give us impossible work. See this rocky land. Don’t tell us about trenching and digging, just try it yourself in this hard and dry soil. And what will it achieve? Why can’t they give us sensible work which we can do.”
Not insurmountable
“These are not insurmountable problems,” says Malla Reddy. “The people of this village themselves are showing us alternatives within the NREGS.” They show us large tracts of land that can be made cultivable removing the small but heavy rocks that dot them. “Then there is the development of common lands with vegetation and fodder. Farm ponds could also prove crucial. You have to be imaginative and use diverse approaches across regions. In Anantapur for instance, we have forests without trees. The regeneration of those could be a major work. In zones like these, rain-fed horticulture development would help. And in fact, we should be creating work for landless and small farmers round the year. We need very strict enforcement of priorities that demand Dalit and Adivasi lands be the first to benefit. Finally, it means dumping the 100-day per household yearly limit on work. All this can only happen when you move from piecemeal action to integrated, long-term planning.”
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article19803.ece
Kalahandi battles malnutrition woes
Uma Shankar Kar
First Published : 14 Sep 2009 04:36:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 14 Sep 2009 08:37:52 AM IST
BHAWANIPATNA: Tribals are more prone to infectious diseases due to malnutrition. An Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR) bulletin said this in October 2003. In 2009 too this holds good in some of the tribal pockets of Kalahandi which are witnessing gastroenteritis and malaria in epidemic proportions.
A senior doctor working in the field of epidemic control in the district preferring anonymity asked, ‘‘Can a patient sustain only by administration of IV-Fluid without supportive nutritional diet?’’ No is the answer as at least 20 patients died of infectious diseases after treatment.
The food habit and cultivation pattern are such that tribals are deprived of nutritional diets. It is usually observed that here people’s food habit is quite different from coastal plains due to over dependence on forest and shifting cultivation in the absence of other sources of earning. They grow 13 different varieties of crops including ragi, kandul, kating, koshla and judunga through shifting cultivation which sustain them for three to four months after repaying debts to money-lenders. They also collect various tubers like keukanda, pitakanda, bhatkanda, kargikanda and mundikanda from the nearby forests. As during this period of the season, crops grown through shifting cultivation are not harvested, the food consumption is usually restricted to gruel made of ragi mixed with little rice and salt. This situation improves during winter as harvesting is completed by then.
Against this background, introduction of NREGS held out hope with the expectation that the age-old food insecurity will be minimized.
However, the scheme has failed depriving people of their purchasing power. Jobs to registered people in the district is poor and it’s abysmally poor in the inaccessible tribal pockets, according to data of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). According to statistics, in the financial year 2008-2009, job cards were issued to 2,64,862 persons of which employment could be provided only to 82,051 persons generating 136,1818 mandays in the district. Only 736 families could get 100 days of mandatory work in the district. The scenario has not improved in current financial year too. According to the report, in 2009-10, 2,64,862 persons have registered themselves and among them so far 1,50.653 persons have been provided jobs generating 1,50,653 mandays. But only eight families have completed 100 days of work. The scenario is worse in inaccessible tribal pockets.
The status of NREGS in the epidemic-hit tribal panchayats under Lanjigarh and Bhawanipatna blocks present a sorry picture. Jugsaipatna, Chancher and Sagada gram panchayats in Bhawanipatna block and Malijuang, Pahadpadar, Lakhbahali and Bengaon gram panchayats in Lanjigarh block are worst affected by the epidemic outbreak. According to DRDA statistics, in last fiscal job cards were issued to 818, 664, and 1439 persons in Jugsaipatna, Chancher and Sagada gram panchayats in Bhawanipatna block respectively of which 521, 136, and 931 persons were provided jobs in the respective gram panchayats. And among them only eight, zero and three families could get 100 days of work. During current financial year same numbers of job cards were issued and employment was offered to 118 persons of 67 households in Jugsaipatna gram panchayat generating 1517 mandays while 37 persons of 27 households of Chancher got employment generating 480 mandays and 159 persons of 101 households of Sagada gram panchayat got jobs generating 1389 mandays. Similarly in Malijuang, Pahadpadar and Lakhbahali Bengaon gram panchayats, which are epidemic affected, in Lanjigarh block persons provided work and mandays generated are very poor in current financial year. In the epidemic pockets of Bhawanipatna and Lanjigarh blocks the work availability under NREGS is hardly 10 to 15 days so far during current financial year. In several places workers engaged are not getting their wages for months for different reasons.
In this context Bharat Thakur, chief executive of NGO Janakalyan Sanstha who is working in inaccessible pockets, expressing anguish said as the people are deprived of employment they have no purchasing power. In the absence of work, they have no way out but to entirely depend on forests giving rise to malnutrition problems, he reasoned.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Kalahandi+battles+malnutrition+woes&artid=mH8sq/A3PuE=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=
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