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سپتامبر 16, 2022

Cloud over output from UP, Govt likely to restrict sugar exports

After banning exports of wheat and broken rice, the Narendra Modi government is set to take a call next on sugar.
Mills, in all likelihood, will be allowed to export up to 50 lakh tonnes (lt) of the sweetener in the new sugar year from October. Any decision on further quantities would be taken in January-February after a review of domestic production and price trends.
On May 24, the Modi government had moved sugar exports from the “free” to “restricted” category. It also capped total exports for the 2021-22 sugar year at 100 lt, which was raised to 112 lt with effect from August 1.

“They (government) are concerned about output, particularly in Uttar Pradesh where the monsoon rainfall has been nearly 43 per cent deficient and there are also reports of the cane crop being affected by red rot (a fungal disease),” a source told The Indian Express.
The current 2021-22 sugar year has seen both production and exports from India touch record levels of 360 lt and 112 lt respectively. However, closing stocks, estimated at 60 lt on September 30, would be a five-year low.
“That’s still equivalent to two-and-a-half months’ consumption (projected at 275 lt for the whole year). Also, lower production in UP is likely to be offset by increases in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where rains have been good and reservoirs are full. But they don’t want to take any chances, especially after the latest consumer food price inflation number of 7.62 per cent for August,” the source said.

Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories, said that permitting exports in tranches makes sense, as it will enable mills to enter into contracts before they start production for the new year (crushing operations usually take off post-Diwali).
“The government has already sounded us out that mills can sign export contracts up to 15 per cent of their production (projected at 330-360 lt in 2022-23). We have conveyed this to our members so that they can plan accordingly,” he added.

A strategy to regulate exports after reviewing the domestic availability position is likely in 2022-23 as well.
“The notification allowing an initial quantity of 50 lt is expected in the next few days. A second tranche of 30-35 lt may follow by February, when a reasonable estimate of production can also be made,” the source said.

ExplainedAfter rice and wheatRice, wheat and sugar were three “surplus” agro-commodities. But a whittling down of the surpluses has reignited inflation concerns — and prompted the government to impose restrictions.

Mills are keen to start exports early for two reasons. The first is that the world’s biggest exporter Brazil’s sugar season is from April to November. It gives a window of exports for Indian mills, which crush from late-October to early-May.
The second is prices. White sugar for December delivery is currently quoting at about $538 per tonne. Indian sugar, being less white/refined, would fetch a $50 quality discount or $488 (Rs 39,000) per tonne.
Deducting Rs 3,500 costs (towards bagging, transport from factory to port, stevedoring, and handling) translates into an ex-mill price of Rs 35,500 per tonne. That’s more than the roughly Rs 34,000 that Maharashtra mills are realising from domestic sale of ‘S-grade’ (small-sized granules) sugar.
Indian mills have also been exporting raw sugar, which fetches a 4 per cent “polarisation” premium (for being more amenable to refining into whites) in the world market.

December raw sugar prices are now 17.97 cents per pound, corresponding into 18.69 cents or $412 (Rs 33,000) per tonne from. The expenses are also about Rs 500 per tonne lower, since raw sugar is shipped out in bulk break vessels, as against containers in the case of whites.
India’s sugar exports, which were a mere 0.46 lt in 2016-17 and 6.32 lt in 2017-18, soared to 38 lt, 59.40 lt and 71.90 lt in the subsequent three sugar years, before the all-time-high of 112 lt achieved in 2021-22.
Drought in Brazil in 2021 and in Thailand the year before – and this year’s heat wave in the European Union – have created export opportunities for Indian mills. But whether they can fully seize it now, given inflation worries back home, remains to be seen.
The Modi government, on May 13, banned wheat exports. On September 8, it prohibited exports of broken rice, besides slapping a 20 per cent duty on shipments of other non-parboiled non-basmati varieties.

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آگوست 1, 2022

Patra Chawl redevelopment case: After searching his home for 9 hours, ED arrests Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut

The ED conducted a search for over nine hours at Raut’s Bhandup residence on Sunday, and then detained him for questioning in connection with a case of alleged money laundering linked to the redevelopment of a chawl project in a northern suburb of Mumbai.
The ED had questioned the parliamentarian for over 10 hours on July 1, and had summoned him again on July 20. Raut, who is a member of Rajya Sabha, had not answered the summons citing the ongoing session of Parliament.
ED investigators landed up at Raut’s home early on Sunday, and after questioning the members of his household for over nine hours, took the MP to the agency’s office at Ballard Pier at 4.45 pm. A sizable number of Shiv Sena workers had gathered outside Raut’s residence in support of the leader.

The ED is investigating alleged violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in a case pertaining to irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra Chawl by Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL). The agency had earlier arrested Pravin Raut, a close associate of Sanjay Raut, and attached properties belonging to the Shiv Sena leader’s wife, Varsha Raut.
Guru Ashish Construction had signed a tripartite agreement with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), undertaking to provide flats to 672 tenants of Patra Chawl, develop flats for MHADA, and sell the remaining area to private developers.

However, the ED claims, Pravin Raut and the other directors of Guru Ashish Constructions misled MHADA and sold the floor space index (FSI) to nine private developers, collecting Rs 901.79 crore, without constructing either the rehab portion for the 672 displaced tenants or the MHADA’s portion.
The agency has claimed that Pravin Raut received Rs 100 crore from HDIL and “diverted” it to various accounts of “his close associates, family member, his business entities” including the family of Sanjay Raut.

Raut has said that he is not linked to any of the companies being investigated by the ED, and that he would cooperate with the investigation. He has also denied all allegations, and alleged that the ED’s action against him is part of a political witch hunt.
“This is a fake investigation. Fake evidence has been gathered against me by threatening and assaulting people. This is part of a conspiracy to weaken Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena. This state and the Sena will never be weakened. Sanjay Raut will never bend and nor will he quit the Shiv Sena,” Raut told reporters while he was being taken away by the ED officials.

ExplainedClosing in on Sanjay RautThe case is not new, and has seen movement on and off over the past several years. However, it has been building up towards Sanjay Raut ever since his close aide Pravin Raut was arrested in February, and properties belonging to the Shiv Sena leader’s wife, Varsha Raut, were attached.

“A fake case that has been foisted on me. This is part of an attempt to stifle my voice. They are going to arrest me, and I will be arrested,” he said.
Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Raut, who is the brother of Sanjay Raut and stays in the same house, said the ED officers had a search warrant, and had collected documents that the family had already submitted to the agency.
“They had a search warrant for Maitri bungalow, and checked all three floors. They took documents that we had earlier submitted to the ED, and also collected documents that were earlier submitted to the Income Tax Department, as well as those filed with Sanjay Raut’s election affidavit. They could not get a single document related to Patra Chawl. This is a fake investigation aimed at isolating Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray,” Sunil Raut said.

Late in the evening, sources in the ED claimed that unaccounted-for cash to the tune of Rs 11.5 lakh had been recovered from Raut’s residence. Separately, Mumbai Police on Sunday registered an FIR against the MP for allegedly intimidating one Swapna Patkar, an ED witness in the Patra Chawl case. The FIR is based on an audio recording of a purported conversation between Raut and Patkar.
A Mumbai Police officer said the FIR was registered under sections 504, 504 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code at the Vakola police station. Patkar has accused Raut of trying to intimidate her.
Earlier on Sunday, Sena president Thackeray said that the ED’s action was part of a “conspiracy” to destroy the party. Thackeray was addressing party leaders and workers from Thane district at his residence Matoshree.

“ED guests are at Sanjay Raut’s house. He may get arrested. What conspiracy is this? Shiv Sena gives strength to Hindus and Marathi people, and hence there is a conspiracy to finish off the party,” he said. Thackeray said people whom the Sena had helped to grow politically, had switched loyalty.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar wondered why the ED repeatedly wanted to investigate Sanjay Raut. “Many people got notices from the Income Tax, ED, and the CBI. Only Raut will be able to say why the agency (ED) wants to investigate him repeatedly,” Pawar, who is touring flood-affected areas in the state, told reporters.
Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said the ED search at Raut’s residence presented a “sorry picture” of democracy, and accused the BJP of wanting to “silence” all opposition parties. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule said the issue would be raised in Parliament.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the ED was doing the work it was mandated to do, and was not acting under political pressure.
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“The investigation is underway. If he (Sanjay Raut) hasn’t done anything wrong, why is he scared,” Shinde said, adding, “ED has conducted investigations earlier too. If it is working under the instructions of the central government, then the Supreme Court should take action… The ED is doing its job.”
Shiv Sena rebel MLAs who had earlier criticised Raut and blamed him for pushing Uddhav Thackeray into the hands of the Congress-NCP, said the MP should face the consequences of his actions.
MLA Sanjay Shirsat said, “He (Raut) is not a mass leader. He is just a spokesperson. There is no possibility that Shiv Sainiks will rise up in large numbers in his support because of this (ED’s) action. This country is run by the rule of law. If he has not committed any mistake he will be let off.”
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جولای 15, 2022

SC fines petitioner who sought probe by CBI into 2009 Dantewada killings

IMPOSING A penalty of Rs 5 lakh on the main petitioner, the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking a CBI probe into alleged torture and extrajudicial killings by the Chhattisgarh Police and Central forces during anti-Maoist operations in Dantewada in 2009. The court said the investigation indicated that Maoists, and not the security forces, were responsible for the “alleged massacre”.
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and J B Pardiwala said “the filing of charge sheets at the conclusion of the investigation into the various FIRs” lodged in connection with the alleged incidents “would indicate that the alleged massacre was at the end of the Naxalites (Maoists)”.
It said: “The materials collected in the form of the charge sheets substantiate the case put up by the respondents that the villagers were attacked and killed by the Naxalites. There is not an iota of material figuring in the investigation on the basis of which even a finger can be pointed towards the members of the police force.”
The court said: “…we have reached to the conclusion that no case, worth the name, has been made out by the writ petitioners for any further investigation, much less through an independent agency to be appointed by this Court”.
The bench imposed an “exemplary” cost of Rs 5 lakh on the main petitioner Himanshu Kumar to be submitted within four weeks failing which authorities can take appropriate steps for recovery. Kumar had told the court that he ran an NGO, Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, in Dantewada.

Pointing out that “prima facie… false information was given by the first informants to the police as regards the alleged massacre”, the court left it “to the State of Chhattisgarh/ CBI…to take appropriate steps in accordance with law…”
It said: “We clarify that it shall not be limited only to the offence under Section 211 of the IPC (false charge of offence made with intent to injure). A case of criminal conspiracy or any other offence under the IPC may also surface. We may not be understood of having expressed any final opinion on such action/ proceedings. We leave it to the better discretion of the State of Chhattisgarh/ CBI to act accordingly keeping in mind the seriousness of the entire issue.”
Referring to the petition, the bench expressed “surprise that the learned senior counsel appearing for the writ petitioners is absolutely oblivious of the fact that all the FIRs were investigated by the concerned investigating agencies and, at the end of the investigation, charge sheets came to be filed in different courts of the State of Chhattisgarh for the offences under the IPC like murder, dacoity, etc”.
The petition was filed on the alleged killing of 17 people in separate incidents in Dantewada on September 17 and October 1, 2009. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves had appeared for the petitioners — Kumar and family members of some of the local residents who were killed at the time.
The petitioners had alleged that Chhattisgarh Police, Special Police Officers (SPOs), activists of Salwa Judum (a vigilante group backed by the Chhattisgarh government) and paramilitary forces comprising CRPF and CoBRA Battalions were responsible for the alleged “brutal massacre”.
Acting on the Supreme Court’s direction, a District and Sessions Judge in Delhi had in 2010 recorded statements of the petitioners, other than Kumar, in the presence of an interpreter and Kumar.
Referring to them, the Supreme Court said “the statements of the petitioners Nos. 2 to 13 recorded before the Judicial Officer demolishes the entire case put up by the petitioner no.1 (Kumar)…”.
The judgement cited the statement of one of the petitioners, Soyam Rama, who said he “had run away from the spot” when the firing happened and “could not see as to who had opened fire” and that he “would not be in a position to identify” the assailants.
Pointing out that “all other statements of the rest of the writ petitioners are on the same line and footing”, the bench said “when we called upon Mr. Gonsalves to make us understand as to why his clients had to make such statements before the Judicial Officer, a very curious reply came from Mr. Gonsalves. According to Mr. Gonsalves, the entire mode and manner in which the statements were recorded by the Judicial Officer of the rank of District and Sessions Judge was absolutely incorrect.”
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The bench said: “According to the learned senior counsel, specific questions ought to have been put by the Judicial Officer to each of the writ petitioners while recording their statements in accordance with the directions issued by this Court…”.
Referring to this, the Supreme Court bench said: “We are afraid, we are not in a position to accept such submission after a period of almost 12 years. The statements we are referring to recorded by the Judicial Officer are of the year 2010. Not once in the last 12 years any grievance has been made either orally or in writing before this Court as regards the mode and manner of recording of the statements. It is for the first time in 12 years that such a grievance has been made.”
In April, denying the allegations levelled by the petitioners, the Centre had urged the Supreme Court to direct a probe by a Central agency “to identify the individuals/ organisations who have been conspiring, abetting and facilitating filing of petitions premised on false and fabricated evidence…with a motive to either deter the security agencies to act against the Left Wing (Naxal) militia by imputing false charges on them or to screen off the Left Wing (Naxal) militia from being brought to justice by creating a false narrative of victimisation…”.
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جولای 3, 2022

4 of those held worked with NGO run by prime accused

The four have been identified as Muddassir Shaikh, 22; Abdul Taufiq Taslim, 24; Shahrukh Khan, 25; and Shoaib Khan, 22. Shoaib is alleged to have stabbed the chemist. The fifth person arrested earlier has been identified as Atib Rashid, 22.

According to police, Irfan is the common link between at least four of the five arrested earlier. While Irfan is the convenor of a registered NGO that runs a helpline called “Rahebar” — its Facebook page says it works to rehabilitate the differently-abled — four others who have been arrested, including the alleged killer, also volunteered with the NGO.
POLICE HAVE identified Irfan Khan, 35, who was arrested from Nagpur on Saturday, as the “mastermind” behind the killing of the chemist in Amravati last month.

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According to police, Irfan is the common link between at least four of the five arrested earlier. While Irfan is the convenor of a registered NGO that runs a helpline called “Rahebar” — its Facebook page says it works to rehabilitate the differently-abled — four others who have been arrested, including the alleged killer, also volunteered with the NGO.
The four have been identified as Muddassir Shaikh, 22; Abdul Taufiq Taslim, 24; Shahrukh Khan, 25; and Shoaib Khan, 22. Shoaib is alleged to have stabbed the chemist. The fifth person arrested earlier has been identified as Atib Rashid, 22.

Irfan is a resident of Kamela area, a chawl at Pathan Chowk. His neighbours said he was a welder earlier, but his business ran into trouble during the pandemic.
About seven years ago, he became “extremely religious” and took up social activities, they said. He is also reported to have supported the anti-CAA protests.

Irfan, a school dropout, lived with his mother, a younger brother, wife, two sons including one who is specially-abled, and a daughter. For the last week or so, his house has been locked.

“I knew him well. He would came to the police station with public issues… He has a petty assault case against him; he was also detained for questioning when he helped his friend to elope with a girl from another community,” said a police source.
According to local sources, Muddassir Shaikh and Abdul Taufiq Taslim, two of Irfan’s friends who have been arrested, were also “very religious”. “Abdul was short-tempered. A few years ago, he went to the Nagpuri Gate police station in the middle of the night, demanding that an FIR be registered against a Facebook post for hurting religious sentiments. After the chemist’s murder, he bragged to others that he had killed the man who insulted the Prophet. Police got their first lead from this,” said a source.

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ژوئن 24, 2022

Deepender Hooda: MC polls will have no effect on state elections

The results of Haryana municipal polls declared on Wednesday will have no bearing on the upcoming Assembly polls, Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Deepender Singh Hooda said on Thursday, while insisting that the Vidhan Sabha elections were very different from the civic polls.
The Assembly polls and Lok Sabha polls in Haryana are due in 2024.
Haryana’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) combine won 25 of the 46 municipal bodies in the municipal polls, with the Aam Aadmi Party and the Indian National Lok Dal bagging one seat each. With infighting between state stalwarts intensifying in recent months, the Congress did not contest these polls on party symbol, but has claimed
that the 19 Independents who won were backed by it.
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In a statement released on Thursday, Deepender Hooda said, “The Congress was ruling the civic bodies when the 2014 Assembly polls took place. However, despite that, the Congress lost the Assembly polls. On the other hand, the BJP candidates have secured just 26 per cent votes in the civic body polls. In these circumstances, what will happen to them (BJP) can be understood very easily.”
Deepender Hooda further said the people have been disillusioned with the BJP-JJP coalition government in Haryana.

“This is the reason that many ministers sitting in the government, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, could not make the party candidates win in their constituencies despite putting in all their strength. In Karnal, the home district of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the BJP was defeated in three out of four municipalities, while the JJP candidate did not even appear in the contest in the Deputy Chief Minister’s constituency, Uchana. A few other ministers of the Haryana government also could not get the party candidates to win in their respective areas,”, said Deepender, who is the son of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
He further claimed, “Out of the total 12.71 lakh votes polled in the Haryana civic polls, BJP got 3.33 lakh votes even when the Congress was not in the electoral fray. However, the Congress had given its workers a free hand to contest the elections. Independent candidates, most of whom were Congress workers, got 6.63 lakh
votes and the BJP got only about half, about 3.33 lakh votes.”