Army HQ’s telephone cables stolen

Army HQ’s telephone cables stolen, high security phones left dead
by FP Staff Oct 12, 2012
The civilian government experienced a communication gap with the military on Thursday, when over 1,000 phones in the Army headquarters in the national capital went dead, after thieves made off with copper wiring used for telephone lines.
Over 1,000 phones including Remote Access Terminal phones that are used by army officials to communicate with ministers and government officials went dead, initially prompting fears of a security breach. However the incident was later verified to be the result of the theft of several tonnes of copper wires used in a junction box inside the guarded army headquarters, according to an Indian Express report.
“It is not possible to carry away such a massive quantity of heavy copper wire on foot. The thieves seem to have used a vehicle, probably a mini truck. It is suspected that they came in the guise of MTNL staff,”a police official who is investigating the theft was quoted as saying.
Since the rise in prices of copper, theft of telephone wires for extraction or reselling of copper is hardly uncommon. In a recent incident, over 10,000 phones in a Mumbai suburb went dead due to thieves stealing over 100 metres worth of wiring in order to resell it. And in Hyderabad, thieves made off with thousands of kilos of metals from industrial units.
However, in this case the choice of target in this case is more bold than most cases reported earlier.
Army HQ’s telephone cables stolen, high security phones left dead

MHA Director Internal Security breaches National Security

IAS officer held for selling info to corporates
CNN-IBN Posted on Nov 22, 2010 at 23:06
New Delhi: Delhi Police arrested Ravi Inder Singh, a senior IAS officer posted in the Home Ministry, for allegedly selling information to corporates. He was the officer handling the MHA's talks with BlackBerry.

Singh was arrested this evening in Delhi under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Singh was under surveillance for over one month.
Inder Singh is accused of leaking information of commercial interest to a few telecom companies, related to full number portability, which comes into effect in Wednesday starting with Haryana.
The raids took place after the Ministry filed a complaint against him over doubts that he leaked what they call "information of commercial value"
Ravi Inder Singh, a 1994 West Bengal cadre IAS officer, is Director, Internal Security at the Home Ministry.
Inder Singh was under surveillance for a month. His residence and office were also raised. Inder Singh is Director, Internal Security at the Home Ministry.
IAS officer held for selling info to corporates

2G Spectrum Scam: Can we believe the Babus?

Babus deny involvement in 2G spectrum scam
19 Nov, 2010, 0557 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Two of the four retired bureaucrats reportedly being probed by the Cabinet Secretariat for their links with lobbyist Nira Radia have strongly denied having anything to do with the telecom sector and 2G spectrum allocation, while in service and since retirement.

The Times of India on Thursday reported that four ex-bureaucrats—former Trai chairman and disinvestment secretary Pradip Baijal; fomer economic affairs secretary CM Vasudev; former industrial policy and promotion secretary Ajay Dua; and former Trai member DPS Seth were being investigated for their connections with Noesis Strategic Consulting Services owned by Nira Radia .

Former secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion Ajay Dua told ET that he was associated with Radia’s Vaishnavi Corporate Communications as a non-executive director for a few months in 2008-09 . But the firm’s board never met during his tenure and Mr Dua said he had resigned suo moto from the directorship in January 2009.

He also clarified that he neither had any background on telecom while in government nor was he involved with the sector at Vaishnavi. “Directly or indirectly , I had nothing to do with telecom, while in government or thereafter and had no knowledge of any telecom deals of Vaishnavi or any of its affiliate firms,” Mr Dua said. “I was told that I will have an advisory role in macro-economic matters at Vaishnavi,” he stressed.

Former economics affairs secretary CM Vasudev was also categorical in asserting that he had neither worked on telecom-related issues nor met any players in the telecom business. Mr Vasudev , who joined Noesis in early 2007, made an exit from the firm about a year and a half ago.

Mr Vasudev, who chairs the HDFC Bank board, expressed surprise at the reported linkages with the 2G spectrum scam. “I had nothing to do with this. Radia’s other firms like Vaishnavi Corporate Communications may have had this mandate but I had no inclination to do such work,” he said.

Mr Baijal and Mr Seth could not be reached by ET for comments. Mr Baijal was quoted on the website of a TV channel as saying that he had nothing to hide in the spectrum scam case
Babus deny involvement in 2G spectrum scam

Toll Free Helpline will enable ESM resolve issues

PIB: Friday, October 29, 2010 15:11 IST
The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has recorded 6887 calls during September 2010. The maximum number of calls were received from Delhi followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh have recorded an increase in complaints.
Break-up of calls in respect of top five States is as under:

Of the total calls/complaints, 18.67% relate to telecom sector. Other sectors/areas on which calls were received include banking (6.65%), insurance (4.10%) and LPG (4.10%).
As per feedback received from the callers, 329 complaints were resolved.
Consumers from across the country can access the toll free National Consumer Help Line No. 1800-11-4000 and seek telephonic counseling for consumer related problems faced by them. The Consumer Helpline which was launched in March, 2005 is instrumental in guiding consumers and resolving their problems. MP:SB:CP:helpline (29.10.2010)
Statistics National Consumer Helpline

Scams: What else can you expect from Indian Ministers?

Telecom
Union Telecom Minister A Raja, in the eye of a controversy over the spectrum scam, was snubbed by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with a proposed trip to Estonia turned down. Mr Raja wanted to lead a large delegation to learn everything about e-governance. The PMO said no to Raja's proposal. Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) supports the Congress party, so A Raja sailed through the 2 G crisis. There was little Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could do. But it seems Dr Singh has acted tough - clipped Raja's wings - ended his plans for a foreign jaunt. Perhaps to escape charges of wasting government funds.
Govt clips Telecom Minister A Raja's wings

Agriculture
Union minister Sharad Pawar on Friday dismissed reports of his family's involvement in the City Corporation's failed bid for the Pune IPL team, saying the construction company's Managing Director made the attempt in his individual capacity.
Not me, not my family, my company's MD made the bid, says Mr Clean Pawar!

Comment
Sounds like both the high profile Ministers are eyeing for the Nobel Prize for Corruption. I am certain they will be nominated and clinch the prestigious Prize! If the Indian Government cannot find the ill gotten money trail of Terrorists and other Money Launderers, it is wise to seek the help of United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who will be able to discover the money laundering route and the bank it is been finally parked in a jiffy!

2G Spectrum Scam: License for Corruption

Yechury draws PM into 2G scam
Mail Today Bureau New Delhi, June 2, 2010
The telecom scam heat threatens to scald Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after he indirectly defended the actions of controversial minister A. Raja in the sale of 2G spectrum.

Days after the PM's press conference, where he said Raja had acted according to the guidelines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury raised the issue.

"If the PM gives Raja a clean chit, he has to answer the questions raised by us on the scam. The PM's premium is his value based politics, so if he wants value as his premium, he has to act against Raja." Releasing an audit report by the post and telecommunications audit office dated March 31, 2010, Yechury said the document supplemented the growing evidence against Raja.

Yechury also released an open letter, his third, to the PM outlining the case against Raja. Anticipating Raja's mentor, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's stand that he was being targeted as he was a Dalit, Yechury said: "We are targeting Raja as the minister for telecommunications. Caste, community are totally unrelated."
2G License for Corruption
Read more:2G SPECTRUM SCAM. PM-Sonia, sack Raja, recover loss of Rs. 1.9 lakh crores

Moderator comment
Draining the nation of Rs 1.9 crores for personal and corrupt purposes is unpardonable by the citizens of the Nation. The predator needs to be apprehended before the Nation is sold out to criminals. It is the poor who have been cheated by the rich and the mighty! Is the Nation incapable of tracking the footprints of the illegal money trail?

2G Spectrum: Radia and Raja linked to award of licenses draining the nation of Rs 50,000 crores

Documents in possession of Hindustan Times show Radia managed licences and spectrum for at least four mobile operators. The lobbyist is said to have be a “very close associate” of A Raja, the telecom minister.

The findings and inferences listed in these documents were gleaned from conversations Radia had over her phone that was being tapped by the Income Tax department.

Some of India’s top businessmen, politicians and journalists figure in these conversations either for seeking her help or working with her on matters relating to telecom, power, aviation and infrastructure.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes on Wednesday clarified it was not tapping the phones of any politician, advertising professional or business. And that it taps phones only rarely and with proper permission. But there is a signed letter from an Income Tax official to a CBI official confirming Radia’s phone and those of some associates were under observation “after obtaining permission from the home secretary”.

And then the I-T officer goes on to say, “From conversations, it appears the Ms Nira (Niira, actually) Radia might have had some role with regards to the award of telecom licenses.”

“In some other conversation,” officer wrote, “Ms Radia boasts to have helped some of the telecom operators in their efforts to obtain licenses/spectrum. Ms Radia was also in direct touch with Shri Chandolia.”.

Chandolia was then on Raja’s ministerial staff.

PTI: The government had issued new telecom licenses in January 2008 along with bundled 4.4 MHz spectrum for Rs 1,658 crore. The Opposition has been saying that the licenses have been given at 2001 prices and caused huge loss to the government.

CBI is also investigating alleged irregularities in the spectrum allocation and had registered a case against some
unknown officials of the Department of Telecom (DoT) for their involvement.
2G spectrum scam: Raja-Radia link rocks House for second day

Comment: Mr Manmohan Singh the honest Prime Minister has been taken for a ride by the corrupt Bureaucrats, Businessmen and Politicians right under his very nose! This scam makes citizens wonder if the Government is armed with requisite tools to book the swindlers and black money generators, who presently go about free wheeling as white collar criminals?

3G Spectrum Status
New Delhi: India may have to wait longer than expected for the start of the third generation (3G) mobile services as the defence forces may not be able to vacate the necessary spectrum by September as promised. The vacation of the spectrum is dependent on the readiness of the Rs10,000 crore alternate optical fibre cable network being built by state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL). The tender for the work that was to have been issued in December has only just been issued, resulting in deadlines being missed and putting off the start of 3G services, spectrum for which is currently being auctioned.
Read more:
Defence network delay may stall 3G
DoT Clarifies Position on News-Items on Reported Delay in Defence Network

Corps of Signals celebrate centenary

Rajeev Khanna Tribune News Service Nainital, April 18
As the sun set in the mountains amid fast blowing winds on Saturday evening, the Central Support Signal Unit’s sport complex came alive with an exhilarating performance by the No. 1 Pipes and Drums Band of the Corps of Signals. The performance was part of the centenary celebrations of the corps coming into existence.

The band came up with one melodious tune after the other in perfect synchronisation. The ambiance of the mountains all around added to the charm of the event in which Army officers, jawans, their families and several civilian dignitaries had their appetite for good music satiated.

The performance began with all-time popular military tunes and the bagpipers and the drummers went on to play several popular tunes from Bollywood drawing a thunderous applause every time. The performers were led by Naib Subedar SA Kumbhar.

The No.1 Band of the corps has an interesting history. It was in 1918 when eight buglers from Corps of Sappers and Miners were selected to form the band.

Since some of the buglers could play pipes, they were used for playing the instrument from 1921 to 1926.

The band was originally known as Shehnai Band. It was formally set up in 1927, but the establishment effectively came into being only in 1940.
Corps of Signals celebrate centenary

Why should MoD Surrender Frequency Spectrum to Anti- Nationalist Scammers?

Spectrum on Sale to Scammers
22 oct 2009 New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation Thursday conducted searches in the offices of the telecom ministry to probe the alleged "criminal conspiracy" between some officials and private companies in giving wireless radio spectrum to telecommunication firms.

"It has been alleged that there had been serious irregularities in the award of Unified Excess Services Licences to private companies," a CBI spokesperson said.

"As per information received, there was a criminal conspiracy between certain officials of Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and private persons/companies and others to award licences to these companies," the spokesperson said.

He said the officials had put a cap on the number of applicants against recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and "awarded licences to private companies on first come first serve basis on the rates of 2001 without any competitive bidding".

Telecom firms in India offering second-generation (2G) mobile services get some spectrum to start with after they take a telecom licence. Subsequent allocation is done in slabs linked to the firm's subscriber numbers.

The agency registered a case Wednesday against unknown telecom officials and private companies.

Searches were conducted by the CBI in the Wireless Planning Cell (WPC) and in the office of deputy director general (access services), Sanchar Bhawan, Ashoka Road in the capital.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service
CBI probes irregularities in spectrum distribution

Military Frequency Spectrum being Auctioned
Allotting Defence Frequency Spectrum for 2G and 3G Services is likely to adversely affect Armed Forces Mobile Digital Communications in future wars/ skirmishes. WPC is an agency mostly headed by bureaucrats who see a big picture in getting cuts to be credited in Secret Swiss Banks by auctioning off the Frequency Spectrum to Telecom Operators and generally the successful bidders are the culprits who have succeeded surreptitiously in greasing the palms of Bureaucrats.

BSNL Broadband offers 20% discount to ESM

The scheme is to be launched from 1 December 2008 across BSNL network and is a continuous scheme.

The serving and retired government employees applying for Broadband Connection under this scheme, should furnish an undertaking countersigned by their Drawing and Disbursing Officer regarding their bonafide along with the application. In case of retired employees, an attested copy of the Pension Pay Order should be submitted along with the application. The application should be marked as “FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES SCHEME”.

The scheme is also applicable to existing Broadband customers who are serving/retired government employees subject to their furnishing an undertaking as detailed above. The discount of 20% in Broadband Service charges for the existing customers will also be applicable if they apply,from the month of such application.

Source: Broadband for Government Employees
BSNL official news availabe at: BSNL webpage

Signal Officer in the Apex Telecom Appellate

Commissioned in the Corps of Signals, Indian Army, on 30th June 1963, Gen Sehgal has held various appointments in the field and peace in all types of terrains.

On his retirement from the Indian Army on 1st February 2004, he worked as Advisor to BEL and ECIL till he was appointed as Member, Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal, a quasi-judicial Body, on 15th September 2004 for a three year term.

TataSky had in November 2006 filed a case against Sun TV's decision not to provide signals to the DTH operator on a contention that it was causing losses to the company.On December 7, 2007 TDSAT had appointed tribunal's former member Lt Gen D P Sehgal to mediate in the case. Lt Gen DP Sehgal, who successfully negotiated the matter in 10 days, has submitted his report to the legal body.

Lt Gen D P Sehgal, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
TataSky, Sun TV settles beam sharing dispute

Comments: Veterans are proud of the yeoman services being rendered by Lt Gen DP Sehgal (Retd), Corps of Signals Officer, towards the rapid telecommunications development in the Nation.

Opportunity through insight

| View | Upload your own