WikiLeaks



INDIA COUNTRY BRIEF

111205

Basic Political Developments

• The Congress governemtn in Andhra Pradesh won the no-confidence motion on Monday morning in the assembly.

• The Trinamool Congress is not happy with the government's move to put on hold its decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in retail and insisted that FDI should be rolled back.

• Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday told opposition leaders that the decision on allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail was being put on hold and a final decision will be taken only after consulting all opposition parties.

• Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today demanded that the UPA government convene an all-party meeting over the issue of FDI in retail before making any statement on it in the Parliament.

National Economic Trends

• The Food Ministry has moved a Cabinet note on the National Food Security Bill which aims to provide legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to two- third of the country's population, sources said.

Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions

• ICICI Venture will stay away from greenfield infrastructure projects due to long delays and roadblocks caused by multiple government clearances.

• Shares of retail companies today plummeted by up to 13 per cent on bourses amid continuing uncertainty over permitting FDI in the multi-brand. Kishore Biyani-led Future group's Pantaloon Retail (India) tumbled 12.86 per cent to Rs 186.40 on the BSE, while Vishal Retail lost 6.20 per cent to close the day at Rs 18.90.

• The Home Ministry, while giving the security no-objection certificate (NOC), highlighted eight areas of concern, including 64 legal proceedings against Vedanta and its subsidiaries in various courts, sources privy to the development said. The Home Ministry has given its approval to London-listed miner Vedanta Resources' buying majority stake in Cairn India for $8.7 billion.

Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)

• The oil ministry has turned the heat on Reliance Industries with a stern directive that tightens controls on pricing and marketing of a new source of gas, which the company says is a financially damaging contractual violation.

• Adani Group is planning to go solo on the liquefied natural gas terminal at Mundra port as its joint venture partner, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, has failed to decide its equity holding in the project.

• Official said India hopes to award nine oil and gas blocks for exploration contracts by March.

• Asian Development Bank today said it would provide USD 48 million (Rs 250 crore) loan to Reliance Power for its solar energy project in Rajasthan.

• Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas R P N Singh said India's oil refining capacity will rise by over 22 per cent to 238 million tonnes by 2013 after new refineries in Orissa and Punjab are commissioned.

Militant Activity/Terrorism (Particularly in Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Chennai, Coimbatore)

• Highly placed security sources said the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) does not have any shortage of weapons.

• Maoists blew up two railway tracks, torched a truck and fired on a private vehicle on the first day of their two-day nationwide strike in Jharkhand to protest their leader M Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji's killing.

• Maoists separately blew up a railway track in Dhanbad rail division of Jharkhand.

• Maoists attacked the Cobra battalion picket of the CRPF in Gaya district in Bihar on Sunday.

• Maoists torched two gram panchayats in Gondia and blocked roads in Gadchiroli districts of Vidarbha region in Maharashtra.

• Seven policemen and two civilians were killed in an encounter followed by a land mine explosion in Latehar district of Jharkhand on Saturday.

Labor/Social Unrest

• Anti-dam protests in Assam have once again erupted after the administration helped NHPC Ltd forcibly carry an over dimensional consignment (ODC) to the project site at Gerukamukh, along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Full Text

Basic Political Developments

Andhra Pradesh assembly takes up debate on no-confidence motion



HYDERABAD: Debate on a no-confidence motion against the government in Andhra Pradesh began on Monday morning in the assembly but the numbers favoured the ruling Congress.

On the last day of the five-day winter session, the house took up the debate on the no-confidence motion moved by main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Setting the tone for the debate, Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu said the farmers in the state were in distress but the government had failed to come to their rescue.

"Our only aim is to ensure that justice is done to farmers and the farmers' agenda should become the national agenda," said the former chief minister.

The debate will continue through the day and the voting is likely to take place in the evening.

With the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) issuing a whip to all its 18 legislators to vote against the motion, the government appears set to defeat the motion with a comfortable majority.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which has seven members, will also vote against the motion, so also an independent and a nominated member.

Congress has 153 members in the 295-member house and with seven vacancies it needs only 144 votes to defeat the motion. Even if 17 Congress rebels sailing with YS Jaganmohan Reddy vote for the motion, the government is sure of bagging 162 votes.

After the intervention of Congress central leaders, PRP chief K Chiranjeevi issued a whip to all 18 members. One of them, Shoba Nagi Reddy, a loyalist of Jagan, is likely to vote for the motion.

Chiranjeevi, who has already merged PRP with Congress, agreed to issue the whip after Congress leaders assured to protect PRP legislators' interests and accommodate them in the state cabinet and other "suitable posts".

The motion is not likely to get more than 124 votes. TDP has 87 members but one of them is not eligible to vote due to a court case. TRS has also issued whip to all its 12 members to vote for the motion. Five legislators of the Left, two of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the lone member of YSR Congress party and an independent will vote for the motion.

Though 21 Congress legislators loyal to Jagan Dec 2 attended a meeting and decided to vote against the government, but this number came down to 17 Dec 3 with Congress succeeding in winning back some legislators Congress leadership used the services of KV P. Ramachandra Rao, a close friend of Jagan's late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy, to persuade rebels not to create problems for the government.

Jagan group, however, claims support of 20-25 legislators. The rebels are also ready to face bypolls in the event of being disqualified for violating party whip.

A couple of months ago, Jagan had the support of 26 Congress rebels but five of them had returned to the party fold.

Trinamool, oppn for rollback of FDI in retail



The Trinamool Congress is not happy with the government's move to put on hold its decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in retail and insisted that FDI should be rolled back.

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinmool Congress, while talking to on the issue, said, "My party's position inside and outside the cabinet cannot be different. We want a consensus to emerge on the issue of FDI and till then the FDI issue should be rolled back as our leader Mamta Bannerji has demanded."

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury on the FDI issue on Monday. Mukherjee has offered to compromise saying that the government was ready to keep on hold the decision on FDI in retail.

However, Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties opposing FDI in retail claim that they don't want the government to "hold back", but to "rollback" the decision -- meaning withdraw it altogether. Swaraj has said that BJP wants the issue to be discussed again in the all-party meeting. Let the government, she says, put on table the compromise offered on the FDI issue and let all parties discuss if the adjournment motion on it is still needed or not.

Final decision on FDI after consultations, Pranab tells Opposition



Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday told opposition leaders, including Sushma Swaraj and Sitaram Yechury, that the decision on allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail was being put on hold and a final decision will be taken only after consulting all opposition parties.

“The government is willing to keep the decision in suspension. It will take a final decision only after consultations with all opposition parties and the stakeholders,” sources said after Mr. Mukherjee spoke to Ms. Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and CPI(M) MP Yechury this morning.

Ms. Swaraj is believed to have told Mr. Mukherjee that the government should come out with a statement on the issue, which has created a logjam in Parliamentary for several days now.

Mr. Yechury is understood to have told the Finance Minister that an all-party meeting be convened before the next sitting of Parliament on Wednesday during which the parties could be informed about the decision.

An announcement could then be made in Parliament, the sources said, adding that the all-party meeting could be held on Wednesday morning before the proceedings begin.

Mr. Mukherjee had last week told an all-party meeting, which had asked the government to reverse the FDI decision, that he would get back to them after he consulted the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet which had taken the decision.

Mr. Yechury is understood to have told Mr. Mukherjee today that it would be in fitness of things that all political parties are informed about keeping the decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in retail in abeyance.

The opposition, however, is still firm on having a discussion in Parliament on major issues like price rise and black money under rules which entail voting, the sources said.

FDI in retail: Sushma Swaraj demands all-party meet



INDORE: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today demanded that the UPA government convene an all-party meeting over the issue of FDI in retail before making any statement on it in the Parliament.

"Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee called me this morning on phone over smooth running of Lok Sabha and the stalemate due to FDI in retail issue," she told reporters at the city airport here.

"Mukherjee told me that the government is interested in making a statement on the issue in the Lok Sabha," she said, adding, "I told him to convene an all party meeting first where the government should make its stand clear on the FDI row."

It should not only be the BJP but all political parties should know and draw a consensus on the issue if required, Swaraj said.

She said the BJP's adjournment motion over the issue be allowed for discussion in the Lok Sabha.

"Let the UPA government clarify its stand on FDI in retail only then Lok Sabha would run smoothly. There would be no compromise on it," she added.

Jamaat-e-Islami (Kashmir) formally splits



Srinagar: Jamaat-i-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir [Indian-administered Kashmir], a cadre-based organization which has been quite active on the state's political arena, fought elections to the state Assembly yet proliferated separatism has formally split.

Prof. Muhammad Abdullah Shaida, an old guard, has been joined by a group of influential party men to form a parallel Jamaat. The 65-year-old Shaida termed the decision as "painful but unavoidable".

The 65-year-old Shaidae accused the Jamaat leadership of indulging in activities that were "quite against the spirit and letter of the party's constitution". He added saying that, "A conscious group of senior members objected to it and informed the Jamaat leadership of its defiance of the constitution.

But instead of reforming and correcting themselves, they took it as rebellion on our part and expelled us from the party's basic rukniyat (membership)".

The rebel leader said that he had a series of meetings with the Central leadership of the party "but it remained stuck to its positions forcing us to form a separate faction".

It is for the first time in its 65-year history that Jamaat-i-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir, which is independent from Jamaat-i-Islami Hind and Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan has formally split. However, in the past senior leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani have also rebelled against the party leadership.

Mr Geelani launched a separate political group Tehrik-i-Hurriyat Kashmir in 2004.

He was joined by several senior and second-rung leaders of the party as the new group surfaced only with Jamaat approval.

It, however, cancelled the membership of Mr Geelani and his close associate Mohammed Ashraf Sahari in its Majlis-i-Shura (advisory council) later, causing serious controversy among the party's basic members that ultimately is believed to have led to formal split of the party.

National Economic Trends

Food Ministry moves cabinet note on National Food Security Bill



NEW DELHI: The Food Ministry has moved a Cabinet note on the National Food Security Bill which aims to provide legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to two- third of the country's population, sources said.

The proposed bill, which would cost the government exchequer Rs 94,973 crore a year in subsidies, may be taken up for the Cabinet discussion soon as the Centre is keen on introducing it in the ongoing session of Parliament.

"The inter-ministerial comments came on December 1, and we have already moved the Cabinet note," sources said.

The legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains would help in achieving the two key objectives -- the government's responsibility of providing food security to the poor and meeting the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating poverty and hunger by 2015, they said.

Earlier, in July, the EGoM on Food had cleared the draft National Food Security Bil.

The foodgrain requirement under the proposed Bill is estimated to be at 61 million tonnes.

Sources said the proposed bill would raise the food subsidy bill by Rs 27,663 crore to Rs 94,973 crore a year. At present, the subsidies on food is Rs 67,310 crore.

Under the proposed Bill, ration card would be issued to the eldest female member of the family.

Each individual of the 'priority household' (BPL family) is entitled for seven kilograms of rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1 per kg, respectively.

An individual of the 'general household' (APL family) is entitled for three kilograms of foodgrains at not exceeding 50 per cent of the minimum support price (MSP).

At present, the government supplies 35 kg of wheat at Rs 5.65 per kg and rice at Rs 4.15 per kg to 6.52 crore families living below the poverty line (BPL) through ration shops.

It also supplies 15-20 kg of wheat (at Rs 6.10/kg) and rice (at Rs 8.30/kg) to 11.5 crore families living above poverty line (APL).

According to sources, cost of providing food security to homeless, destitutes and disaster affected people is estimated at Rs 8,920 crore a year, while the expense of providing maternity benefits of Rs 1,000 per month for six months is pegged at Rs 14,512 crore annually.

The state governments have to bear the transportation cost of foodgrains estimated at Rs 8,300 crore per year and Rs 320 crore annually for running District Grievances Redressal Commission, they noted.

Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions

ICICI Venture vows to steer clear of new core projects like greenfield infra



MUMBAI: The country's largest private equity fund, ICICI Venture, will stay away from greenfield infrastructure projects due to long delays and roadblocks caused by multiple government clearances. It's an assurance the fund is giving to sceptic international investors as it tries to raise money in a difficult market.

Global investors parking a slice of their portfolios with VCs and private equity (PE) funds have turned more demanding in recent times and want a clearer idea of how the money is being invested by asset managers. Also, Indian PE houses have to make an extra effort to convince these investors, better known as limited partners (LPs), who are enamoured by the timely exits they could make in China.

"ICICI Venture is in the midst of fund-raising. They are clear that they would focus on brownfield projects, or at best late greenfield projects, where all approvals are in place. That's the thesis of the fund, and it's understandable in the current environment," said a banker.

The PE fund, which aims to raise up to $750 million, has possibly identified top 50-60 developers in sectors such as roads, ports, power and airports for investments. Many of the asset-heavy projects with moderate cash flows are in need of equity infusion, according to financial market sources.

ICICI Venture Managing Director & CEO Vishakha Mulye was not available for comments. Despite comparatively lower returns from brownfield projects, offshore LPs are more comfortable if asset managers pick these for investments. While the return from such projects is around 20-23% as against over 25% generated by private equity players, risks arising from bureaucratic delays are minimal.

Close to $100 billion, of which 30% would be equity, has flown into infrastructure in the past 10 years. Many of these projects are up and running and some are close to completion. According to sources, ICICI Venture is in an advanced stage of negotiations with one of the business groups that has developed toll roads and is close to completing its power projects for an investment of around $100 million.

"Since most of the money in India was raised during 2005-07 and a lot of the investments took place at the peak of 2007, not many exits have been impressive. That's why LPs end up comparing with China where money was raised earlier and many exits happened during the bull run," said a fund manager.

Thanks to a tight money market and general risk-aversion, many PE funds are lowering the fee charged to investors, from the usual level of 2% to 1.75% or 1.5%, even if the profit-sharing formula is kept unchanged. Typically, the funds have a life of seven years and can be extended by two more years at the option of LPs.

Internationally, some of the large LPs, eager to have greater control over their money, are preferring asset managers who run different kinds of funds to develop a more concentrated relationship.

Cairn-Vedanta deal gets Home Ministry approval

PTI, 05 Dec 2011 | 05:55 PM



The Home Ministry, while giving the security no-objection certificate (NOC), highlighted eight areas of concern, including 64 legal proceedings against Vedanta and its subsidiaries in various courts, sources privy to the development said. The Home Ministry has given its approval to London-listed miner Vedanta Resources' buying majority stake in Cairn India for $8.7 billion.

The Home Ministry, while giving the security no-objection certificate (NOC), highlighted eight areas of concern, including 64 legal proceedings against Vedanta and its subsidiaries in various courts, sources privy to the development said.

The security clearance was one of the conditions that the government had set for Vedanta group buying 40 per cent stake in Cairn India from UK's Cairn Energy Plc.

Cairn Energy and Vedanta have already agreed to the other condition of Cairn India paying cess and royalty on crude oil produced from its mainstay Rajasthan oilfields.

Cairn India does not pay royalty and cess on its 70 per cent share in the Rajasthan block as per the contract, but its current majority owner, Cairn Energy, and new owner Vedanta forced it to accept the government condition of making royalty cost recoverable and paying Rs 2,500 per tonne cess.

Also, the government had a conditioned approval to the deal on ONGC, which has 30 per cent stake in Rajasthan block and pays royalty on behalf of Cairn India, giving its NOC. Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has agreed to give NOC if Cairn India accepts to make royalty cost recoverable and pay cess.

Sources said the Ministry's November 25 letter to the Oil Ministry pointed to Vedanta Group's investment in cases of "default of payment, human rights violations, environmental damage in its mining and metal projects etc in India and abroad."

But these concerns did not have a "direct bearing on the security NOC", it said.

The cases highlighted include alleged customs duty evasion by Sesa Goa in iron ore export, case filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) against Hindustan Zinc Ltd for which investigation was still in progress and Environment Ministry's rejection of its earlier clearance to Sterlite Industries for mining bauxite from Niyamgiri hills.

FDI in retail: Retail stocks plummet upto 13% over FDI uncertainty



MUMBAI: Shares of retail companies today plummeted by up to 13 per cent on bourses amid continuing uncertainty over permitting FDI in the multi-brand.

Kishore Biyani-led Future group's Pantaloon Retail (India) tumbled 12.86 per cent to Rs 186.40 on the BSE, while Vishal Retail lost 6.20 per cent to close the day at Rs 18.90.

Other retail companies, too, received a similar drubbing. Provogue (India) fell by 4.18 per cent, Koutons Retail lost 6.49 per cent and Tata Group's retail venture Trent shed 3.28 per cent.

The benchmark index Sensex ended 41.50 points lower at 16,805.33.

Analysts said uncertainty over permitting FDI in the multi-brand retail sector is worrying investors who chose to book profits in these stocks in a sluggish market.

"Retail stocks witnessed selling pressure after tussle between UPA and other parties over approval to FDI in retail sector," Bonanza Portfolio Senior Research Analyst Shanu Goel said.

These stocks had recorded smart gains on November 25 a day after Cabinet decided to allow 51 per cent FDI ( Foreign Direct Investment) in the multi-brand or supermarket retail business and allow 100 per cent FDI in the single-brand retail business.

However, the decision was met with strong resistance from the Opposition, as well as UPA allies Trinamool Congress and DMK.

The Parliament has been paralysed since the beginning of the Winter Session on November 22 over many issues, including allowing FDI in single retail.

Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)

RIL, oil ministry clash over pricing of CBM



NEW DELHI: The oil ministry has turned the heat on Reliance Industries with a stern directive that tightens controls on pricing and marketing of a new source of gas, which the company says is a financially damaging contractual violation.

The dispute has worsened the relationship between India's biggest private oil company and the petroleum ministry, already at a low after Reliance slapped an arbitration notice on the government last week fearing that authorities may financially penalise it for the fall in output from India's biggest gas field, KG-D6.

The company and industry experts believe that deep-sea reservoirs often behave unpredictably and it is unfair for the government to impose penalties that are not part of the contract with the State. The latest row is over coal bed methane (CBM), a new source of energy popular in countries such as the US and Canada.

RIL wants to price CBM from its blocks using the same formula that state energy companies use to sell liquefied natural gas (LNG). But the government insists it will first identify the customers, and the company can negotiate prices only with these - a constraint that severely limits Reliance's ability to sell gas at market rates and recover its investment, industry and government sources said.

The company feels customers already been chosen by the government would have the power to ask for artificially low prices, in violation of the contract that requires such transactions to be done on an 'arm's length' basis, industry officials said. Natural gas (which is also methane) produced from KG-D6 is also sold to customers identified by the government, but only after the price was agreed upon.

The ministry's directive on CBM would significantly strengthen the government's control on the sector, contrary to the terms offered when companies were invited to bid for blocks, industry officials said. The government has so far not accepted Reliance's pricing formula, which would price the CBM gas at about $13 per unit, and the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has sent a notice to the company asking it to confirm if the company is following the ministry's directive.

The ministry has also asked Reliance that in pricing CBM gas, it should bear in mind the price of $4.2 fixed for natural gas from D6. "This adversely affects our contractual rights and interests and is tantamount to a unilateral attempt to materially amend the 'contracts' by the government without our consent," Reliance said in a letter to the DGH, seen by ET.

Adani Group likely to go solo in Mundra project



AHMEDABAD: Diversified Adani Group is planning to go solo on the liquefied natural gas terminal at Mundra port on the west coast as its joint venture partner, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, has failed to decide its equity holding in the project.

Adani and GSPC had planned to set up the 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) LNG terminal at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. The two had signed the shareholders' agreement in February this year for equal partnership in the project. But state government-owned GSPC has not firmed up its holding in the project so far.

"The GSPC board will have to take the final call on the equity structure," Gujarat's principal secretary for energy and petrochemicals DJ Pandian told ET. Experts say the state government is not keen to take a decision on the issue that has become politically sensitive after Congress opposed the partnership with the Adani Group.

They say bureaucrats are also hesitant to close the deal with a private player because of lack of political will in the government. The joint venture project was expected to cater natural gas to Gujarat, which accounts for one-third of the total demand in India.

Gujarat is witnessing steep hikes in the price of natural gas because of lack of cheaper domestic gas and increasing dependence on expensive LNG imported through Petronet and Shell. Industry sources say the Adani Group has roped in its infrastructure development arm, PMC Projects, for the LNG plant's planning and engineering design.

PMC Projects is also scouting for a strategic partner for the project. GSPC's managing director Tapan Ray could not be reached for comment. The Adani Group refused to speak on the issue.

India aims to award NELP nine blocks by march: Oil ministry executive



NEW DELHI: India hopes to award nine oil and gas blocks for exploration contracts by March, a senior oil ministry official said on Monday.

The blocks will be offered under India's New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) which was launched in 1999 offering more attractive terms to boost investment in the oil and gas sector of Asia's third-largest oil consumer.

"There were security issues with some of the blocks. We hope by March blocks offered in NELP nine will be awarded," said Sudhir Bhargava, additional secretary.

In March, India had estimated to raise $14 billion in investments in its ninth licensing round which includes eight deepwater blocks, seven shallow water and 19 onshore.

In its previous eight rounds of auctions New Delhi has awarded 235 blocks.

Asian Development Bank grants $48 mn loan to Reliance Power's solar project in Rajasthan



NEW DELHI: Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank today said it would provide USD 48 million (Rs 250 crore) loan to Reliance Power for its solar energy project in Rajasthan.

"ADB is providing a long-term loan of up to USD 48 million to finance the 40 MW Dahanu Solar Power Project located at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan," an official statement said. The project is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2012.

Rajasthan has one of the highest levels of solar irradiation in India.

"India's solar energy potential is one of the highest in the world and this plant will help kick-start large-scale, private-sector solar electricity generation in the country," said Michael Barrow, Director in ADB's Private Sector Operations Department.

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd will buy the electricity under a long term power purchase agreement to fulfil its renewable purchase obligations set by electricity regulators - the first fully private sector transaction for solar power. The power will be distributed to households in Mumbai.

The plant marks RPower's entry into the solar energy business and is part of the company's plans to expand the renewable energy portfolio.

The Export Import Bank of the US is also providing funding for the project that is expected to cost around USD 147 million, the statement said.

The project will support the government's push to promote environmentally sustainable energy growth while diversifying the country's sources of energy.

By supplying electricity from a clean and renewable source, India will avoid around 41,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year, had the demand been met by conventional fossil fuel-based power plants, the statement said.

ADB provides partial credit guarantees to lenders willing to fund solar power projects of up to 25 MW. The facility is designed to help reduce risk for the private sector, and to mobilise long-term funding for solar energy development.

ADB aims to help develop, finance and commission 3,000 MW of solar power generation capacity in its developing member countries by mid-2013.

India's refining capacity to rise 22% to 238 mtpa by 2013: Oil Ministry



NEW DELHI: India's oil refining capacity will rise by over 22 per cent to 238 million tonnes by 2013 after new refineries in Orissa and Punjab are commissioned, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas R P N Singh said today.

" India's refining capacity, which is 194 million tonnes per annum, is set to increase to 238 million tonnes by 2013," he told reporters here.

India currently has surplus oil refining capacity, with fuel demand pegged at 141.785 million tonnes in 2010-11. The fuel demand is projected to rise by 4-5 per cent per annum in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17).

State-owned Indian Oil Corp ( IOC) is building a 15 million tonnes per annum refinery at Paradip, in Orissa, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) is constructing a 9 million tonnes per annum unit at Bhatinda, in Punjab.

In addition, Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) proposes to raise the capacity of its recently commissioned refinery at Bina, in Madhya Pradesh, to 9 million tonnes per annum from 6 million tonnes per annum at present.

"India is the world's fourth-largest oil importer, with oil and gas constituting 45 per cent of the country's primary energy basket," Singh said.

"About 78 per cent of India's petroleum consumption is met from crude oil imports, while about 25 per cent of natural gas consumption also comes from imports," he added.

Current demand for gas stands at 166 million standard cubic metres per day and is projected to go up to 443 mmscmd by 2017.

"India has been following a policy of consciously diversifying its sources of crude oil imports so as to reduce its dependence on any particular region of the world," Singh said.

"Today, 21.5 per cent (35.3 million tonnes per annum as against 22 million tonnes in 2004-05) of India's crude oil imports come from Africa, with the major suppliers being Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan," he added.

Militant Activity/Terrorism (Particularly in Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Chennai, Coimbatore)

ULFA acquiring high-tech weapons



GUWAHATI, Dec 4 – The hard line faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) does not have any shortage of weapons, but the outfit lacks adequate number of well trained cadres to plan and carry out operations. Moreover, the cadre strength of the outfit is also increasing with recruitment of new cadres.

Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that according to information available with the security agencies, total number of weapons with the outfit at present would be at least 3:1 , that is three weapons against one cadre. Of course, most of the weapons are kept in the bases of the outfit in Myanmar.

Sources said that the hard line faction of the ULFA recently procured different sophisticated weapons including Lethod guns, which can be used to fire grenades to a long distance and AK 81 rifles. The outfit also has a number of remote controlled explosive devices.

A few months back, the hard line faction of the ULFA managed to procure at least 1500 sophisticated weapons and according to reports, the outfit gave away almost half of the weapons to other militant outfits including Manipur based group PLA. But it is not known whether the outfit received any money in return of the weapons.

On the whereabouts of Paresh Baruah, sources said that as per information available, Baruah spends most of his time in Myanmar-China border areas. However, he frequently crosses over to China to make phone calls. But he rarely visits the main camps of the ULFA in Myanmar, which are located nearer to the border with India, sources added.

The total cadre strength of the hard line faction of the ULFA has been estimated by the security agencies to be to the tune of around 300 as the outfit recently recruited around 150 cadres from different places of Upper Assam and they have been sent to Myanmar for training. However, sources said that the outfit now does not have many trained cadres to carry out successful operations and that is why the recent offensive of the outfit were foiled easily by security forces.

Sources said that the ULFA has been taking the help of PLA to carry out operations and though in the months of June and July, two teams of ULFA and PLA were sent for launching operations in Assam, they failed to carry out their assigned tasks. Intelligence reports indicate that the ULFA and PLA are again planning joint operations in Assam.

The ULFA now does not have any camp in Bangladesh, but a few members of the outfit are still staying in the hideouts in that country. Senior ULFA member Drishti Rajkhowa sometimes visits Bangladesh and sometimes stays in Garo Hills in the hideouts of the GNLA and he managed to recruit at least 20 new cadres in recent days.

Reds blow up tracks, torch truck in Jharkhand



RANCHI: Maoists blew up two railway tracks, torched a truck and fired on a private vehicle on the first day of their two-day nationwide bandh to protest their leader M Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji's killing.

Police said the tracks were blown up at Bokaro and Latehar districts, and the truck was set ablaze in Hazaribag. An SUV was fired at in Palamu. Rail traffic was disrupted for several hours on the Gomoh-Barakakana route of Coal India Cord section in Dhanbad division. "It's a hilly terrain with a thick forest and Naxalites usually target railway tracks in this stretch," a police officer said. The landmine explosion created a half-a-meter-deep crater.

A coal-laden truck was set ablaze by the rebels at Anjari village on Gomia-Bishnugarh road.

Maoists blow up railway track in Dhanbad



Maoists blew up a railway track in Dhanbad rail division, disrupting train services in Jharkhand as the two-day nationwide bandh called by the banned CPI (Maoist) entered the second day on Monday. The Maoists exploded IEDs on the tracks between Nishitpur and Matari railway stations late

on Sunday night, according to Divisional Operative Manager Ved Prakash.

The impact of the explosion also damaged overhead wires, he said, adding the explosion took place after Dhanbad-Kharagpur passenger train crossed the tracks around 11 PM.

Over 30 trains were stranded at different places with some being diverted, he said, adding train services were expected to resume around noon after the repair work.

Divisional Railway Manager Sudhir Kumar and other senior railway officials have reached the spot.

Meanwhile, long distance buses and trucks continued to stay off the roads to avoid any untoward incidents during the bandh even as police patrolling was intensified on NH and other important places, according police sources.

Bihar: Naxals attack CRPF picket, no casualties



New Delhi: The Cobra battalion picket of the CRPF was attacked by armed Naxals in Gaya district in Bihar on Sunday.

There were no casualties or injuries reported in the Naxal attack. Police said that the encounter lasted for half hour.

Naxals also fired at a police picket in Palamu district in Jharkhand. They fled after firing at the police picket.

Naxals torch 2 more GPs, block roads



NAGPUR: Naxals continue to wreak havoc in Gadchiroli and Gondia districts of Vidarbha. On Saturday, the first day of the two-day 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against killing of their leader Kishanji, Reds torched two gram panchayats in Gondia and blocked roads in Gadchiroli.

Apart from protesting Kishanji's killing, Naxals are also observing People's Liberation Guerilla Week (PLGA) between December 2 and 8. Terming it as 'kala saptah' (black week), they are striking back to avenge the killing of Kishanji in West Bengal.

The rebels set gram panchayat at Piparkhari on fire in Deori tehsil of Gondia. Piparkhari is 5kms from Maseli in Gadchiroli district which is a hotbed of their activities. This is the second time that Naxals targeted gram panchayat at Piparkhari. In January this year, they had torched a tractor here.

Less than 12 kms from Piparkhari, Naxals triggered a blast on Friday night to partly destroy gram panchayat at Mispri. This was the first Naxal incident at Mispri, located at tri-junction of Gadchiroli-Gondia and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh.

Gondia SP, Chandrakishor Mina said, Naxals are trying to foment trouble but are not getting mass support. "We are collecting posters left behind by Naxals' North Gadchiroli-Gondia Division Committee from two villages. As of now, this group is to be blamed for arson," he said.

In the last 72 hours, Naxals brought down two offices of the local self-government in south Gadchiroli and blocked several roads in the rest of the district. They burned an under-construction office of the revenue department at Sironcha and another gram panchayat at Kasansur. The crucial Dhanora-Rajnandgaon road, connecting Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, has been blocked by the rebels.

There are also unconfirmed reports of vehicles being set on fire near Armori.

Seven cops killed in attack on MP's motorcade



Seven policemen and two civilians were killed in an encounter followed by a land mine explosion in Jharkhand's Naxal-infested Latehar district on Saturday. Four other policemen were injured in the attack. An armed squad of CPI (Maoists) attacked the motorcade of the former Jharkhand

assembly speaker and MP from Chatra, Inder Singh Namdhari, inside the Satandia forest.

Namdhari escaped as the policemen and the escort party provided security cover to his vehicle. He was returning to Daltonganj after participating in a function at Mahutand in Latehar when the Maoists opened fire at his cavalcade.

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the attack and conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the attack.

Sources claimed a police vehicle behind Namdhari's car was targetted in the explosion, leading to the deaths of the policemen while two other persons, including a child sitting in a nearby bus, were also killed.

District SP Dev Bihari Sharma confirmed the incident and said an assistant sub-inspector and a constable were among those killed. An eight-year-old child was killed in the cross-firing and an 18-year-old girl received injuries in the incident, he said.

Latehar Additional SP B Chandramohan said all police stations were alerted and a massive combing operation would be carried out in Palamau division under which Latehar falls.

The incident assumes significance as the CPI (Maoist) have called for a two-day Bharat bandh beginning Friday midnight to protest the killing of top Maoist leader Malojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji in a police encounter in West Bengal.

Around hundred Maoists had reportedly congregated in Latehar on Friday and pledged revenge for Kishenji's killing.

Labor/Social Unrest

Anti dam protests intensify in Assam



Anti-dam protests in Assam have once again erupted after the administration helped NHPC Ltd, the developer of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Project (LSHEP), forcibly carry an over dimensional consignment (ODC) to the project site at Gerukamukh, along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

The mood among common people, particularly in Upper and eastern Assam districts, is against the construction of mega-dams in upper reaches of Brahmaputra. The fear is of perceived threat of submergence of riparian areas due to flash floods post commissioning of mega-dams.

Though the protests are now particularly against the LSHEP, in general they are against the construction of any mega-dam in Arunachal Pradesh, a state which has been said to be the future power house of India with a potential of generating around 40,000 MW of hydro power.

After thousands of protestors, from at least 26 civil and students’ organisations took to the streets, the movement of the ODC has been temporarily suspended by the administration and is presently being parked in eastern Assam’s Lakhimpur town. The protests are now centred in and around Lakhimpur town, which is around 30 kms from Gerukamukh. The protestors claim the ODC to be a “turbine”, but the state government said it was a “draft tube cone”.

The protestors have demanded the “turbine” be pushed back immediately and the work at the project site be stopped. However, the state government is firm in its decision and said “construction of LSHEP will not stop.” “There is no question of halting the project,” said Assam’s Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi today. The anti-dam protests in Assam had gained momentum since 2010 after a state level expert committee expressed concerns and reservations over mega dams being developed in upper reaches of river Brahmaputra and particularly against the LSHEP. Stating that most of the concerns and fear of the protestors were “baseless”, Bordoloi said the Planning Commission has constituted a two member ‘technical expert committee’ on 12 January 2011, to look into the concerns raised by a state level expert committee. Chandrakant Damodar Thatte and MS Reddy, both former secretaries of Union water resource department, will be the members of the committee.

“Yes, I will talk to them (protestors), but then appropriate moment has not yet arrived. We don’t have any prestige issue, but we will not give in to demand and threat,” added Bordoloi.

Arunachal Pradesh has already signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for around 168 hydro projects across the state, most of them with private companies. Support from Assam will be critical for construction of those hydro projects in Arunachal Pradesh as transportation of ODCs have to done via Assam.

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