SRINAGAR: The state government of India’s Jammu and Kashmir has ordered a judicial inquiry into the deaths of more than a dozen killings allegedly by the government forces that have triggered massive street protests and violence in the of Kashmir valley.

The valley has been wracked by angry demonstrations since June 11, when a 17-year-old boy died after being hit by a police tear gas shell. Since then another 16 people, many of them teenagers, have been killed.

Two retired judges will "inquire into all the 17 incidents… in which fatalities had occurred on account of action by the security forces," a government statement said.

The judges have been asked to submit to the government their findings within three months, said the statement issued late Tuesday in an apparent move to calm public anger.

Authorities also asked a group of officials to review the detention of hundreds of people under the Public Safety Act for participating in protests, a state government official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak with media.

Human rights activists say the act passed in 1978 is draconian as it allows government forces to detain people for up to two years without trial. http://arabnews.com/world/article92047.ece

2. Govt allows export of 3 LT of rice, wheat to Nepal, B’desh

NEW DELHI, JUL 29 -Indian government has allowed export of 3,00,000 tonnes of rice and wheat through diplomatic channels to Bangladesh and Nepal.

"There was some request from the External Affairs Ministry for additional quantity (of foodgrains for export) to Bangladesh and Nepal and we have accepted that," Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters on the sidelines of an ICAR function here.

Recently, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) on food, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had approved export of 1,00,000 tonnes to Nepal and 2,00,000 tonnes to Bangladesh, he said.

Asked if the government will export foodgrains at lower prices, Pawar said, "That (about price) was not communicated to me and ultimately the decision will be taken by the External Affairs Ministry."

At present, the government godowns have 57.8 million tonne foodgrains. India has imposed a ban on rice export and wheat export to contain domestic prices. The ban on rice was imposed in April 2008 and that on wheat in February 2007. But the ban was relaxed now and then on diplomatic grounds.

In May, the government had allowed the export of 4 lakh tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh from the central pool at Rs 15.43 a kg. Earlier, in February, export of 50,000 tonnes of the foodgrain was allowed to Nepal.

The country is estimated to have produced 89.13 million tonnes of rice and 80.71 million tonnes of wheat in 2009-10. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/29/intl-coverage/govt-allows-export-of-3-lt-of-rice-wheat-to-nepal-bdesh/319402/

3. Bangladesh signs deal to buy electricity from India

DHAKA, July 27: Energy-starved Bangladesh would begin importing electricity from India by late 2012 after the two countries signed a landmark power transmission deal, an energy official said on Tuesday.

India will export up to 500 megawatts under the 35-year deal signed by the state-run power companies of both nations, the head of Bangladesh’s Power Development Board, Alamgir Kabir, said.

“It’s a landmark deal as far as we are concerned. It will help ensure energy security for our country and ease the acute power crisis,” he said.

Bangladesh has long suffered severe power outages because of demands from its fast-growing economy. The power shortfall is especially acute in the hot summer months from April to October.

Years of under-investment mean Bangladesh’s power plants generate around 4,000 megawatts of electricity a day, while demand totals 6,000 megawatts — a figure growing by 500 megawatts a year due to rapid industrialisation.

Just 40 per cent of Bangladesh’s 146 million people have power while peak-time shortages force some factories — including in the country’s key garment sector — to halt production.

India also suffers from a chronic lack of electricity, depriving tens of millions power in rural areas, though the country has ambitious plans to increase generating capacity.

In February, Dhaka also signed a $1.7 billion agreement with India’s state-run National Thermal Power Corp to build two coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 1,320 megawatts in southern Bangladesh.

The deals highlight Dhaka’s improving ties with New Delhi under its new secular government led by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, analysts say. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/bangladesh-signs-deal-to-buy-electricity-from-india-870

4.Radar system crashes in Delhi IGI airport

New Delhi, Jul 29: The radar system that tracks the movements of the aircraft in the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi was crashed during a trial run for a new software platform.
The crash of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar system delayed more than 55 flights on Wednesday, Jul 28. The ATC was crashed during the trial run of the new Auto-Trac-III software, which the entire applications of the radar system works.
"A trial run of the new software platform was going on, when at around 5.45 pm the screens went blank and the system crashed. Immediately all operations were shifted to the older Auto-Track-II system," said officials.
The Auto-Track-III at Delhi airport was being inducted as the replacement of the older version that had failed on Jan 14, 2010.
http://news.oneindia.in/2010/07/29/radar-system-crashes-in-delhi-igi-airport.html

5.Cameron: we can’t tolerate Pakistan exporting terror

Bangalore: British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will discuss with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the “leakage” of funds provided to Pakistan to terrorists based in that country.

Speaking at his first public event in India, on the Infosys Technologies’ campus here on Wednesday, Mr. Cameron said he discussed the matter with U.S. President Barack Obama last week. “Although we are for a stable and democratic Pakistan, we cannot tolerate the idea that Pakistan can look both ways and export terror to India, Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world.”

Later, Mr. Cameron witnessed the signing of an agreement at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s facility here for the supply 57 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force and the Navy. While the IAF will acquire 40 aircraft, the Navy, for the first time, will obtain 17 Hawk AJT aircraft at a total cost of Rs. 5,100 crore.

In 2004, India signed a deal for the acquisition of 66 Hawks for the IAF. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article539129.ece

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