Professional & Knowledgable Law Team

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Federation Council to ask Constitutional Court if senators can be directly elected


MOSCOW, December 27 - RAPSI. The Federation Council is contemplating inquiring at the Constitutional Court to clarify if the Constitution allows direct elections of senators.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during his call-in that he considers it possible for Federation Council members to be directly elected from the candidates nominated by the parties holding parliamentary seats.
"We have already held the first meeting of a working group for developing a proposal to make the Federation Council elective and we want the Constitutional Court to clarify the Constitutional provision which states that the State Duma shall be elected and the Federation Council shall be formed from representatives of each regions legislative and executive authorities", Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko told journalists on Tuesday.
Their elucidation will help clarify how the elections should be held and whether they infringe on the rights of regional legislative and executive authorities, she said.
Matviyenko believes that one possible option is for a candidate for the governors position to run together with a candidate for the Federation Council. So far there are no options ready, but the council "will definitely find a solution", she added.

Washington says open to Russian report on human rights in U.S.


Washington says open to Russian report on human rights in U.S.
Washington considers reports from other countries on the situation with human rights in the United States as useful and is always open for them, a U.S. Department of State spokesman said commenting on a report from Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry published on Wednesday a report on the situation with human rights in foreign countries, including in the United States. The report in particular expresses concern over the Guantanamo prison, the freedom of speech and touches upon some mistakes made by the U.S. justice system.
“These kinds of human rights reports can be a useful mechanism. But we certainly don’t regard it as interference in our internal affairs when foreign governments, individuals, or organizations comment on or criticize U.S. human rights practices,” Mark Toner, the acting spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, told a daily press briefing.
The diplomat did not make any specific comments on provisions pointed out by Russia in its report, although he was particularly asked about the Guantanamo prison. He said the document is being assessed and that would take some time.
“I think we can say that we will or we may examine the report to see if there’s any importance to it… We don’t put any restrictions on access to our human rights records, and, indeed, we have an extremely unfettered press and media that hold us to that,” Toner added.
U.S. President Barack Obama suspended new military commissions for Guantanamo detainees in early 2009 and pledged to close the prison within a year. In March this year, however, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates revoked the suspension.
There are still over 170 detainees, including a Russian citizen, at Guantanamo.

Compulsory medical treatment for drug addicts unpopular worldwide, expert says


MOSCOW, December 28 - RAPSI. Drug addict compulsory treatment is not applied in the developed countries, Yevgeny Krupitsky, head of narcology department at the St. Petersburg Psychoneurological Research Institute said during a video-conference link between Moscow and St. Petersburg arranged by RIA Novosti.
The Health Ministry proposes to pass a law on compulsory medical treatment for drug addicts, regardless of whether they have previous criminal record or not. Chief narcologist of Russia Yevgeny Bryun, who supports the idea, said the law could save many drug addicts who are unable to control themselves in an addictive state.
Federal Drug Control Service head Viktor Ivanov earlier said the parliament may adopt a law on criminal responsibility for drug taking in public places by spring 2012.
There are no successful examples of addict compulsory treatment up to date, Krupitsky said.
Krupitsky said drug addicts should undergo drug tests every week so that the special monitoring group can monitor their health state and remission progress.
Ivanov shared Krupitsky's idea, saying that only 2 percent out of a million of addicts who asked for medical treatment can truly recover from drug addiction. He also alleged that the existing addict treatment model is ineffective.

Penalties for drug-related crimes in Russia

The new Anti-Tobacco Law in Russia


A bill restricting the sale of tobacco products will help Russia combat the deadly habit, which is responsible for causing 400,000 deaths per year - Chief Sanitary Inspector Gennady Onishchenko
The new Anti-Tobacco law

Court drops extremism charges against "Bhagavad Gita as It is"

16:04 28/12/2011
TOMSK, December 28 - RAPSI, Sergei Levanenkov. A Tomsk district court has held against a local prosecutor's office in its petition to declare the Russian version of "the Bhagavad Gita as It is" Hindu poem with commentary an extremist text, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.
In June the Tomsk prosecutor's office appealed to the court to place the Bhagavad Gita's Russian-language version on the federal extremist materials list. The prosecutor's office initiated the case following an inspection of the Tomsk Society for Krishna Consciousness. The court was expected to pass its judgment on December 19, but the case was postponed until December 28.
The Tomsk prosecutors offices petition to declare "Bhagavad Gita as It is" an extremist text has sparked an explosion of public indignation in India and has been called a violation of Hindu rights. Several law makers have called on the Russian government to stand up for the rights of followers of Hinduism in Russia.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich commented on the Tomsk prosecutor's office's claim on Thursday. He said the prosecutor's office is challenging not the Bhagavad Gita itself, but the comments made by the book's author Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu scripture that is a part of the ancient Mahabharata epic.
"Bhagavad Gita as It is" is a translation of the Bhagavad Gita Hindu scripture with commentary, made by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the 1960s. The book was translated into more than 60 languages.

Russian notaries to become part of e-government in 2012


MOSCOW, December 20 - RAPSI. Notaries will enjoy the single Interdepartmental Electronic Interaction System from 2012. However, people will be able to contact a notary using their computer only after legislation is adopted on notarial practice and on electronic documents, the Justice Ministry and the Federal Notarial Chamber told RIA Novosti at a Tuesday press conference.
The system is a primary component of e-government. Notaries with an electronic signature and the relevant powers will receive access to government databases.
Presently, 94 percent of the 7,560 notaries in Russia use the Single Information System, which contains 18 million entries on standard forms that may be used to verify the authenticity of a notarial document and a notarial act, 12 million searches of will notices, 4.8 million entries on probate cases, 544,000 entries on arrests and restrictions and 151,000 entries on revoked powers of attorney.
The current system enables to retrieve information on the peoples wills kept in the archives since 1980.

Chargesheet running into 1.5 lakh pages filed in Indore court

Indore: A voluminous chargesheet running into 1.50 lakh pages was today submitted in a special court by EOW against 24 persons, allegedly involved in a nine year old tax scam, pegged at Rs 8 crore, reported in a local agriculture produce marketing committee (APMC).
The massive chargesheet had to be carried on in three vehicles and was produced in the special court of Gauri Shankar Dubey.
Special Public Prosecutor for Economic Offences Wing Ashlesh Sharma said the accused against whom the chargesheet was filed included a retired government servant and they have been charged with offences like corruption, fraud and forgery.
The EOW SP Manoj Kumar Singh said the tax scam took place in local Krishi Upaj Mandi in 2002 and a case in this connection was filed in 2004.
Three machines were pressed into service for twenty-five days to make photocopies of the humongous document, he added.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

SDO told to compensate complainant


Chandigarh, December 23
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has directed SDO, sub-division office, electricity department, Sector 40-B, to pay Rs 5,000 as litigation charges to a resident of Maloya village near Chandigarh.
The forum comprising president PD Goel and members Rajinder Singh Gill and Madanjit Kaur Sahota also quashed the sundry charges raised in the bills from the month of October, 2010, to June, 2011, as the respondents failed to prove any evidence.
The complainant, Lakhmir Singh, submitted that in the month of September, 2010, the said tubewell did not work due to some defect and he installed a new tubewell about 60m away from the old one, and thereafter, requested the opposite party to transfer the connection on October 1, 2010, so that he could use the new tubewell. However, on October 7, he received a provisional assessment letter with regard to illegal demand of Rs 42,195 on account of theft of energy. The opposite party again sent bill dated November 9, 2010, in which the amount of Rs 42,602 was added as sundry charges. He received another bill dated December 10, 2010, for Rs 47,148.
The counsel for the opposite party averred that the electricity connection of the complainant was checked on September 30, 2010, and the complainant was found using “kundi connection”. Accordingly an amount of Rs 42,195 was charged on account of average for the period April 30, 2009, to September 30, 2010, at the rate of Rs 882 per unit, (per month) at domestic rate as the tubewell connection was being used for cattle shed as well as for service station. The complainant was advised to apply on proper A & A Form, along with proof of ownership, and also to pay the pending electricity bills for shifting the meter. However, he shifted the meter without any approval from the opposite party. It was further averred that the amount of Rs 49,187 was still outstanding, which the complainant had not paid.
The forum further observed that the report given by the checking officer had not been supported by any affidavit. “The report loses its evidential value and is not sufficient to prove that the complainant committed any theft.”

Show-cause notice to former judge


Panchkula, December 23
Taking suo motu notice of the news report published in these columns on Friday, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has issued a show-cause notice to Dr Mewa Singh, an advocate practising in the Panchkula court here.
Dr Mewa Singh, a former judge, practising in the local court, had been using the nameplate of a “judge” on a car being used by him to visit the court. He was placed under suspension on September 12, 2007, when he was posted as the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Narnaul and later he retired in public interest in January this year.
The notice issued to the advocate stated that it was a violation of the Rule 36 of Bar Council of India Rules. Why the proceedings of professional misconduct be not initiated against him, asked the notice while directing him to be present before the chairman of bar council on January 3, 2011, for his comments. Failing this, his right of practice would remain suspended till further orders, said the notice.

Non-signatory can’t be made accused: HC


Chandigarh, December 23
In a significant judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that a bounced cheque complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is not maintainable against a person, “who has neither issued the cheque nor the same has been issued from his account.”
Taking up a petition filed by Navjot Kaur against INSCOL, Justice Alok Singh of the High Court asserted: “The short question involved in the present case is as to whether a person, who is neither a signatory of the cheque, nor has issued cheque, can be made accused in a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act?.
“No complaint under Section 138 is maintainable against the person who has neither issued the cheque nor the same was issued from her account.”
INSCOL had earlier filed a complaint against Avtar Singh and his daughter Navjot Kaur. The complainant alleged that Navjot Kaur had secured admission to foreign nursing course; and her father issued an account payee cheque dated September 16, 2007, for Rs 1,25,000.
On the presentation, the cheque was dishonoured due to insufficient funds, after which a complaint was filed before a Magistrate on November 27, 2007.
After hearing the arguments and going through the documents, Justice Alok Singh ruled: “From the perusal of Section 138, I have no hesitation to hold that complaint under Section 138 can only be filed against the person, who has drawn the cheque on an account maintained by him with the banker for payment of any amount of money. 

FOUL CONTENT

Court asks networking sites to face trial
New Delhi, December 23
In yet another blow to 21 social networking sites, including Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and YouTube, a Delhi court today issued summons to them for facing trial for allegedly webcasting objectionable contents.
Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Sudesh Kumar took cognisance on a private criminal complaint and has directed the Centre for taking “immediate appropriate steps” and also file a report in the court by January 13.
The court’s order came three days after another court in a civil case had restrained these sites, including Facebook, Google and YouTube from webcasting any “anti-religious” or “anti-social” content promoting hatred or communal disharmony.
The magistrate has summoned the accused companies to face trial for allegedly committing the offence punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Taxation rules for NRIs

Here are some exemptions and tax-saving tips that non-resident Indians can avail of 
Juggling finances in one country is bad enough; having to do it in two can be baffling . When it comes to filing taxes, NRIs find themselves in this unenviable position as the Income tax rules for NRIs are different from those that are valid for residents. Here's a quick guide to NRI taxation. 

Taxes applicable: 
Income which is earned outside India by an NRI is not taxed here. An NRI doesn't have to pay tax on the interest income in a non-resident external (NRE) account or foreign currency nonresident (FCNR) account. But you must be careful about taxes you pay in your new home country as some income that is exempt in India is taxed abroad. 

Filing returns: 
There is no need to file income tax return if you don't have any income here. However, if the income accruing in India through capital gains, rent, dividend or interest is beyond the threshold limit, you will have to file tax returns. Here, too, you can claim certain deductions. So, for 2011-12 , an NRI (male, below 60 years) whose income exceeds 1.8 lakh and a person above 60 years who earns more than 2.5 lakh should file returns in India. 

Investments 
If, as a resident, you made some investments and redeemed them after becoming an NRI, these will be treated differently . For instance, NRIs cannot extend the tenure of their PPF account. Capital gainslong-term or short-term-will be applicable when you redeem/sell your past investments. If you sell shares that are listed on a recognised stock exchange in India after holding them for more than a year, you will not have to pay tax on the capital gain provided the securities transaction tax has been paid. 

Tax-saving tips 
NRIs can save on these taxes by investing in pension plans, life insurance policies and tax-saving mutual funds. The repayment by an NRI towards principal amount of home loan is eligible for deduction up to 1 lakh, while the interest payment is also allowed as a deduction. NRIs can also buy a health insurance policy here for themselves, their family and dependent parents , and claim deduction up to 35,000 for the annual premium paid. If you have been repaying an education loan, the interest paid can be claimed for deduction . NRIs can put their money in tax-saving bonds too. Capital gains up to 50 lakh earned from selling a capital asset can be invested in bonds of NHAI or REC. Investment income foreign currency bonds, are subject to tax at 20% as against the maximum rate of 30%. NRIs can invest in such assets and benefit from the lower rate. Also, an NRI can avail of lower tax rates on interest income through beneficial treaty provisions.

US call centre Bill has slim chance of becoming a law


A Bill that seeks to bar US firms that outsource call centre jobs from receiving federal grants and loans has created uproar in India, but is nowhere close to becoming a law.
The Bill, introduced by Congressman Tim Bishop, a New York Democrat, has been referred to four committees in the House of Representatives: Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Education and the Workforce. Bishop introduced the legislation earlier this month.
The US Call Centre and Consumer Protection Act is cosponsored by two Republicans, Congressmen Dave McKinley of West Virginia and Michael Grimm of New York, and two other Democrats, Congressmen Mike Michaud of Maine and Gene Green of Texas.
“We are hopeful that the hearings may be forthcoming next year due to the legislation's bipartisan support,” Bishop’s spokesman Oliver Longwell told The Tribune.
Congressional sources said the Bill stands little chance of becoming a law. The Bill requires overseas call centre employees to disclose their location to consumers in America and gives customers the right to be transferred to a US-based call centre on request. The Bill has the support of the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America.
“It is common sense that we should not be rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas, while millions of qualified Americans are looking for work,” Bishop said. “Taxpayer dollars should only be used to give incentives to good corporate citizens who create American jobs,” he added. The Bill would also require the US Department of Labour to monitor firms that send call centre jobs overseas.
These firms would be ineligible for any direct or indirect federal loans or loan guarantees for five years. Customer service/call centre employment in the US has dropped from 5.2 million in 2006 to 4.7 million in 2010 as the US firms have relocated operations overseas in a bid to cut their own costs, according to the Communications Workers of America.
India has been one of the main beneficiaries of outsourced jobs. Outsourcing has become a contentious practice as the US economy has stalled.
“If you are frustrated by dealing with call centres that are located overseas and having to worry about the security of your personal information, this Bill will give you a choice to deal with American workers who must comply with American laws,” said Michael Gendron of Communications Workers of America.
THE FINE PRINT
  • No direct or indirect federal loans or loan guarantees for five years for American firms that outsource call centre jobs
  • Bill designed to limit identity theft threat at foreign call centres
  • It requires overseas call centre employees to disclose their location to consumers in the US and gives customers the right to be transferred to a US-based call centre on request

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

HC verdict on Sehajdhari voting rights case today


Chandigarh, December 19
The Punjab and Haryana High Court will on Tuesday deliver verdict on the Sehajdhari Sikhs voting rights issue.
A three-Judge Bench of the High Court is scheduled to pronounce the orders on a bunch of three petitions filed by the Sehajdhari Sikhs Federation and other petitioners.
They are seeking directions to the Union of India and other respondents for quashing the impugned notification issued in on October 8, 2003.
The notification debars Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in the SGPC elections was issued.

HC rap for Punjab rights commission

Says SHRC only a recommendatory institution

Chandigarh, December 19
Finding fault with an order of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission against a DSP and two other police officials, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the commission is only a recommendatory institution. It does not have the jurisdiction to reject defence version furnished by the police officers.

The ruling came on a petition filed by DSP Balwinder Singh, Barjinder Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar Goel against the State of Punjab and other respondents.
In the petition placed before the Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice Rajiv Narain Raina, challenge was thrown to the order dated November 12, 2009, passed by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission.
In its order, the Commission had rejected the defence pleas of the three police officers and recommended to the State Government to initiate department action against them. An interim compensation of Rs 25,000 was also recommended for Vishal Kumar, the victim of police harassment.
Challenging the order, counsel for the petitioner submitted: “Once the commission decides that the defence raised by the three petitioners was rejected, this would certainly prejudice their rights before the regular courts of law where they may have to face criminal or civil proceedings.” The counsel added the rest of the order was recommendatory and there could not be “any possible objection”.
After hearing the rival contentions, the Bench asserted that it was of the view that the submission made by the petitioner’s counsel on the offending portion of the order deserved to be accepted.
“Once the commission is found to be a recommendatory institution by the Division Bench of this court and the commission is only to act as a catalytic body, it would not have any jurisdiction to reject the defence version posed by the petitioner before the commission.”
“If such a course is adopted, it would amount to adjudication of the rights of the parties and their case before the regular courts might be prejudiced…. The following portion of the order is set aside: The commission rejects the defence pleas of the three police officers. The writ petitions are partly allowed. However, rest of the recommendations would stand”.
The rulebook
  • The commission had rejected the defence pleas of the three police officers in a case
  • It also recommended to the State Government to initiate departmental action against the trio
  • The High Court, however, ruled that the commission did not have the jurisdiction to reject defence version as furnished by the police officials
  • The ruling came on a petition filed by DSP Balwinder Singh, Barjinder Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar Goel against the State of Punjab and other respondents

Monday, December 19, 2011

Cabinet clears Food Security Bill, to be tabled in Parliament this week

NEW DELHI: After a prod by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the Cabinet on Sunday cleared the National Food Security Bill at a specially convened meeting to table it in Parliament this week.

The bill, meant to provide subsidized foodgrains to people, brought to the Cabinet by food and public distribution minister K V Thomas, was approved without a hitch in a meeting that lasted under an hour.

The bill, which the UPA will table in Parliament in the hope of gaining some political dividend in the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, seeks to cover 75% of the rural population and 50% of urban population in the country. Initial estimates suggest that the food subsidy bill could be upwards of Rs 1 lakh crore.

A minimum of 46% of the rural population and 28% urban population will get 7 kg of foodgrains per month per person. Rice would be provided at Rs 3 a kg, wheat at Rs 2 and coarse grains at Rs 1 a kg.

The rest of the targeted population would get 3 kg of grains per person per month at half the minimum support price offered to farmers by government during procurement. Existing nutrition and select social security schemes would also be brought under the legislation as an entitlement.

After having ensured clearance for a bill seen as the Congress president's pet project and a key element in the party's strategy for 2014 general elections, Thomas said, "With this, we fulfill our commitment to the people of India made first in the Congress manifesto in 2009."

Thomas met PM Manmohan Singh on Sunday just ahead of the Cabinet meeting and explained in detail the proposals as well as responses that had been elicited from various states. Thomas explained the financial ramifications of the bill to the PM as well as the foodgrain requirements and storage capacities that would need to be built up in the coming days. The inclusion of existing social security and nutrition schemes under the bill was also discussed with the PM with the cabinet secretary and V Narayanasamy, minister of state in the PMO.

The fact that Congress wants the bill tabled as soon as possible was evident when minutes of the Cabinet meeting and the final decision were communicated within minutes of the meeting's end.

The total number of beneficiaries to be covered by the bill would depend upon the results of the delayed Socio-Economic and Caste Census currently underway. While the government had moved closer to the recommendations of Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, it has left the door open to play with the absolute numbers through the use of 'deprivation parameters' in the census data.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company told to pay Rs 90,372


Chandigarh, December 16
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I, while rejecting the claim of a Sector-8 resident over the foreclosure amount charged by ICICI Bank, has directed ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company to pay Rs 90,372 along with 12 per cent interest per annum from the date of filing of the complaint till its realisation.
The forum, comprising president PD Goel and member Madanjit Kaur Sahota, also directed the insurance company to pay Rs 10,000 as costs of litigation to the complainant.
The complainant, Japji Kaur Cheema, had submitted that she had taken a housing loan of Rs 1,02,68,000 from ICICI Bank and was issued a life insurance policy by ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. as part of the loan agreement against one-time premium of Rs 2.68 lakh.
Later, a sum of Rs 19,474 was refunded to her out of the paid premium. She decided to foreclose the loan but the bank charged Rs 2,30,227 as prepayment/foreclosure charges from her, which was paid under protest as there was no clause in the loan agreement with regard to it.
She further averred that she surrendered the insurance policy with the request to the bank to refund the amount of premium but despite her repeated requests, only Rs 1,49,605 was refunded.
The bank, while taking some preliminary objections, said as per the agreement, they were supposed to charge 2 per cent amount as the foreclosure charges.
The insurance company denied that it was mandatory to obtain the insurance policy. It has been stated as per the terms and conditions of the insurance policy, if there is full repayment of the loan, then the policy holder is entitled to the surrender value, it claimed.
In the present case, after surrender of the insurance policy, the amount of Rs 1,49,505 was credited to the account of the complainant.
It was further pleaded that the complainant enjoyed the life cover till the policy was cancelled.
The forum, while giving relief to the bank observed that the insurance company had not produced on record any terms and conditions of the insurance policy that in case of full repayment of the loan, the policyholder was entitled to the surrender value.

Bharat Ratna now open to all, including sports icons


New Delhi, December 16
The government has modified the eligibility criteria for the Bharat Ratna paving the way for sportspersons such as hockey legend Dhyan Chand and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to be conferred the country’s highest civilian award.
The new rules, providing for eligibility of persons excelling in fields other than art, literature, science and public services for the Bharat Ratna, were notified on November 16, Sports Minister Ajay Maken told reporters here on Friday.
“I wrote a letter to the Home Minister on April 15. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have very kindly agreed to change the norms. Now, the government has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded,” Maken said. He said the decision has paved the way for any sportsperson to get top award. The move comes amid clamour for giving the honour to Tendulkar for his outstanding contribution to cricket.
“For me as a Sports Minister, this is one of the biggest days for Indian sports and next biggest day I think will be the day when some sportsperson will be awarded the Bharat Ratna,” Maken further said.
Maken said Dhyan Chand and Tendulkar were the top contenders for the award.
“Both of them I think should be the top contenders. Ultimately, the decision has to be taken by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister takes the decision and recommends it to the President,” he said.
The Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954. Any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex is eligible for this award.
The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year. On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. So far, 41 people have got this award. The first three Indians, who received the prestigious award, were Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Sarvapali Radhakrishnan in 1954.
There is no written provision that the award should be given to Indian citizens only. The award has been conferred on a naturalised Indian citizen Mother Teresa (1980) and to two non-Indians - Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela (1990). Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was its last recipient.

Friday, December 16, 2011

ICICI Bank told to pay relief


Mohali, December 15
The Mohali Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has come to the rescue of a Chandigarh resident, Raghbir Singh, by directing the ICICI Bank to return the service charges levied on him by the bank.
Directing the bank to refund Rs 6,648, along with interest to the account holder, the forum comprising BS Mehandiratta and Dr SS Dhaliwal, president and member, respectively, stated that the amount should be refunded within a period of one month.
The complainant stated before the forum that he was having a savings bank account No.005801013217 with the bank and at the time of opening the account, he was told to maintain a minimum balance of Rs 5,000 in the account which he duly did.
However, the opposite party never sent him quarterly statements of the account which was mandatory. The bank even did not inform him about any change in the conditions of operation of the account. The complainant needed some money. He checked his balance from the ATM and learnt that there was an amount of Rs 54 only to his credit. He contacted the branch officer of the opposite party and procured a bank statement which showed that deductions had been made from his account at a rate of Rs 843 after every three months for not maintaining a minimum balance of Rs 10,000 with effect from October, 2008.
The bank withdrew from his account a sum of Rs 4,800 without informing him.
Holding the bank responsible for deficiency in service, the forum observed that the opposite party had failed to place on record any guidelines or criteria of the RBI allowing it to levy service charges at an exorbitant rate. “This amounts to unfair trade practice,” stated the forum.

Go Airlines penalised Rs 25,000


Panchkula, December 15
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on Go Airlines for its failure to provide connecting flight from Mumbai to Nagpur to an official of the Punjab Mandi Board.
The district forum comprising president PD Goel and members Rajinder Singh Gill and Madanjit Kaur Sahota also directed the opposite party to refund Rs 18,186 which he and his two colleagues had spent on purchasing air tickets of Indigo Flight and Rs 9,830 for three officials of the board. The forum also directed the opposite party to pay Rs 10,000 as cost of litigation to the complainants.
The complainants submitted that they had booked air tickets for their official tour from Chandigarh to Mumbai for attending the 71st Session of Indian Road Congress as official delegates. They reached the airport on time and got the boarding passes issued. Thereafter, the opposite party announced that the flight was late due to a technical fault and likely to take off at 2 pm. At 1 pm, the opposite party further announced that the flight would take off at 4 pm. They immediately approached the officer-in-charge of the opposite party and requested him to make some alternative arrangement for them to reach Mumbai through some other flight. The officer-in-charge assured them of arranging a connecting flight. But to their utter shock and surprise, when they reached Mumbai, the connecting flight had already been taken off. They averred that they had to purchase fresh air tickets of Indigo Airline for November 12 besides staying at a hotel in Mumbai at their own expenses.
The counsel for the opposite party pleaded that the flight had delayed due to some technical fault, which was beyond the control of the Airlines. The forum observed that the delayed flight had defeated the purpose of the complainants who were to attend the 71st Session of Indian Road Congress at Nagpur.

Bar suspends lawyer’s licence


Chandigarh, December 15
The Bar Council of the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended Mohali-based lawyer Jagtar Singh’s licence for a period of one year here today.
The council suspended the licence on Hoshiarpur resident Rangila Ram’s complaint. According to sources, Rangila Ram had alleged that he had engaged Jagtar Singh for filling a case in the court. However, Jagtar Singh allegedly committed professional misconduct and breach of trust in collusion with the opposite party.

PIL Against Transport Policy


Approach probe agency, High Court to petitioner
Chandigarh, December 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that Barrister-at-Law Himmat Singh Shergill could move the investigating agency for action against the Badals in the transport policy case.
Disposing of a petition filed by Shergill alleging manipulation in the transport policy to drive private bus operators towards profits, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Surya Kant asserted: “We decline to entertain this public interest litigation in the present form and deem it appropriate to close the same by grant of liberty to the petitioner to approach the investigating agency for redress of his grievance and, thereafter, to approach the Court if he has any subsisting grievance in the matter".
Going into the reasons behind issuing the directions, the Bench asserted: “We will like to put on record, at the very outset, that we find it difficult to entertain this public interest litigation.
“If respondents number one and two (Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister) have committed any wrong, while in office, which has injured the public exchequer and has benefited their own interests, the petitioner should have taken recourse to the remedy available under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, rather than approaching the Court by way of this public interest litigation seeking directions for registration of a criminal case and investigation of the same.
“If a criminal act has been occasioned, the affected party or any interested party is expected to approach the investigating agency by filing a FIR, instead of seeking orders from the Court by means of a public interest litigation. The role of the Court in such matters is extremely limited. By way of illustration, persistent refusal by the investigating agency to act in the matter or to carry out an investigation in a fair and proper manner may justify an approach to the Court and its intervention”.
According to the petitioner, such investigation should be in respect of the information available in the news-items published in The Tribune, details of which are available in the writ petition.

New taxi agreement is good for passengers but cab drivers say bad for them

EDMONTON - A system that, for the past five years, has determined where cab drivers can pick up and drop off passengers is about to change.

When the Leduc-based company, Airport Taxi won the contract to serve the Edmonton International Airport in 2006, its drivers weren't allowed to pick up passengers in Edmonton, and Edmonton cabbies couldn't take an airport fare back.

An agreement reached on Wednesday between City Council and the airport authority will see that the next company to win the contract serving the airport when the current one is up in May, must have a license for its drivers to serve in Edmonton, as well, though.

That means more cabs on city streets, which is a win for passengers, but has a lot of cab drivers up in arms.

"We are issuing 100 new addition licenses for the taxi industry in return for having the Edmonton International Airport available to Edmonton taxi drivers," says Councillor Amarjeet Sohi.

50 of those new licenses will be for regular cab plates, while the other 50 will be for accessible cab plates, which some drivers say there is not enough demand for.

"There's very few people calling handicapped vans. They end up taking regular trips. It becomes totally pointless adding more into what's already congested," says taxi driver Naz Goray.

Drivers who normally service the airport are also upset, saying they're losing their bread and butter.

"The city council look like they giving the people who can't even cover the city of edmonton more job...and taking our job away (sic)," says Airport Taxi driver, Ali Dhorre.

The new cabs are expected to hit city streets this spring. Those selected for the new plates will have 60 days to bring the new cabs into service.

City Council is also looking at one other change: in most major cities around the world, passengers simply flag down a cab to get a ride. Here in Edmonton, though, there are restrictive rules as to where a cab can pick up a fare. City councillors say they want to loosen those rules and will be talking more about how to do it this spring.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

HC orders CBI probe against Mussoorie MC officials

A black day for the Mussoorie Municipal Council
Mussoorie, December 14
What can be termed as the blackest day for one of the richest municipal councils in the state, an Uttarakhand High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice Baren Gosh and Justice UC Dhyani today ordered a CBI probe against the Mussoorie Municipal Council president OP Uniyal, other officials and members in response to the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Vinod Prakash Thapliyal, who had levelled charges of financial embezzlement, nepotism and rampant corruption against the council and its president.

Speaking to The Tribune, the lawyer of petitioner A.Rab said that the High Court had also extended its previous order of restraining the MC from exercising its financial powers, except day-to-day work till six more months.
A.Rab also informed that the High Court in its order also said that the decision of suspending Mussoorie Municipal Council had been left to the state government.
The allegation of corruption and nepotism against the Palika began from the day when it awarded advance tenders benefiting a few individuals, including his own brother-in-law Manish Mamgain.
The issue of clock tower demolition and then its reconstruction also became the basis for such charges.
The raising of the price of the ticket at the ropeway at Gunhill point without providing any benefit to the council was also one of the issues in the PIL filed by the petitioner.

Sangathan seeks judicial rights for panchayats

Dehradun, December 14
The Uttarakhand Pradhan Sangathan has sought judicial rights for panchayats in the state as being provided in the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh.
At a seminar held here today, sanghatan president Surat Singh Negi accused the Uttarakhand Government of doing a little to empower panchayats in the state.
He said while panchayats in the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh were enjoying judicial rights, the panchayats in Uttarakhand lacked the same.
Chandra Singh, a former bureaucrat, said the panchayats had weakened considerably every since the judicial rights had been withdrawn from them. The sangathan has sought the restoration of these rights. He said there was a lack of commitment on part of political parties towards the strengthening of the panchayats. DP Uniyal, a senior journalist, said the panchayats must prepare a charter of their demands and submit the same to political parties in the run-up to the Assembly elections.
SD Petwal, an educationist, said it was strange that the government had failed to empower the panchayats.
Dwarika Prasad Bijalwan, Suresh Chandra Sharma and several other pradhans from various parts of the state attended the seminar.

HC judges, advocates donate blood

Chandigarh, December 14
The Bar, the Bench and the employees of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today came together for a cause -- blood donation.
Organised by the High Court Blood Contributors' Club through social activist-cum-senior advocate ML Sarin, nearly 288 donors came forward to donate blood in the camp this morning.
The donors included Justice Hemant Gupta, Justice Mahesh Grover, Justice Augustine George Masih, Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Rameshwar Malik. The camp was inaugurated by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who also appreciated the efforts of senior advocate Sarin for organising the camp.

Advocate’s licence suspended

The Bar Council of the Punjab and Haryana suspended the license of SC Seth, Tohana, Fatehabad district, for a period of five years here on Wednesday. Seth has also been imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. The complainant Bhupinder Singh, resident of Tohana, had filed a complaint of professional misconduct against the SC Seth.

Passion, revenge most fatal

Account for 90 per cent cases of murder this year
Chandigarh, December 14
Extreme emotions of passion and revenge account for more than 90 per cent murders in the city. More interestingly, all 22 murders reported this year so far had occurred in city’s colonies and slums owing to failed love affairs, matrimonial disharmony or old enmity which turned violent.
While all murder cases had been solved, the figure of murders reported this year had surpassed past year’s figure, when 20 murders were reported.
The areas of Mauli Jagran, Dadu Majra, Colony Number 4, Ram Darbar, Maloya and Kajheri had reported a majority of the murders.
Only one of the 22 murders had been reported in an urban part of the city. Two school students had stabbed a youth to death as he intervened in a scuffle at Sector 19 in September.
A staggering 70 percent of those arrested for committing these murders were first-timers, who had never any history of criminal offence and committed these murders out of sudden provocation. The police said though the number of murders was high, all cases had been solved. The police had also registered 38 attempt-to-murder cases and 64 robbery cases this year. “The trend of committing murder on account of revenge and prior enmity is on the rise. We have solved all murder cases this year. We have taken robberies and scuffles seriously, resulting in more hardcore criminals being behind bars,” said UT SSP Naunihal Singh.
Crimes of passion
  • December 11: Man kills brother-in-law at Gwala Colony in Maloya after his wife refuses to return to stay with him.
  • September 9: Sunita and her lover arrested for the murder of her husband, a rickshaw-puller, at Indira Colony.
  • August 21: Reshma raped and murdered by four at Colony Number 4 after she told one of the accused, with whom she had illicit relations, that she was pregnant with his child.
  • August 11: Mohali resident arrested for murdering student of Government High School at Sector 41, whom he had abducted, after her refusal to marry him.
  • July 1: Man stabs sister-in-law to death and wounds wife at Dadu Majra while trying to force his wife to return with him.

Murder trial reveals ‘racist’ face of UK

At a time when racism seems to be part of a more distant and less pleasant era, an ongoing trial in London has reminded Indians and other non-white members in Britain just what it used to mean to have a different type of skin.
For many British whites in the 21st century, racial discrimination, including slurs and jibes, is now an obscene and totally unacceptable form of social behaviour that is firmly rooted in the past. All mainstream UK political parties seem to have endorsed this stand against racism. It is quite evident from the current tough legislation against racial abuse and creation of institutions like the Commission of Racial Equality.
But the trial of the two white men accused of killing a black teenager 20 years ago has revived uncomfortable memories of the past when racial bias was prevalent in London and other parts of the UK.
‘Paki’ and ‘nigger’ were common epithets used to describe south Asians and black people. Many Indian journalists and NRIs from those earlier days will testify to the ‘no blacks or Asians’ signs that used to appear on the windows of rental accommodation. Gary Dobson and David Norris, two white men now in their mid-30s, are alleged to have been part of a gang that stabbed and killed 19-year-old black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993 as he waited for a bus in the south London suburb of Eltham.
Stephen, who was studying design and technology and physics at school, was the son of a carpenter, Neville, and his wife, Doreen, a teacher. Both parents fully supported their son who wanted to be an architect. One of the witnesses at the time heard a gang member shout, "what, what nigger" before crossing the road and stabbing the unfortunate teenager. Stephen tried to escape by running away, but he collapsed after covering a short distance.
The pathologist report commented: “It’s surprising that he managed to cover 130 yards with the injuries he had. Also, the deep penetrating wound of the right side caused the upper lobe to partially collapse his lung. It is a testimony to Stephen's physical fitness that he was able to run the distance he did before collapsing.”
Dobson was one of the members of the gang who was arrested, but never convicted for the murder, prompting an inquiry at the time to conclude that the London police had mishandled the investigation and that the police force itself was ‘institutionally racist’.
However, nearly two decades after the tragedy, and following discovery of new evidence, Dobson is one of two men on trial for Stephen's murder. Some of the evidence includes sensational hidden black and white recordings from a secret police camera hidden inside Dobson's London flat.
The video tape records him as saying, “If I was going to kill myself, do you know what I would do ? I would go and kill every black, every paki, every copper, every mug that I know, I'm telling you.”
He goes on to say, “I would go down to Catford and places like that, I am telling you now, with two sub-machine guns, and I am telling you, I would take one of them, skin the black alive, mate, torture him, set him alight. I would blow their two arms and legs off and say, ‘Go on, you can swim home now’.”
Dobson has told the court he is “disgusted and ashamed” by what he has seen of himself. Whether the jury believes him and his plea that he is not guilty of the Lawrence murder remains to be seen.
The Lawrence trial coincides with the recently released video footage of other, more recent incidents of racial abuse in the UK. Compared to 20 years ago, however, they seem to be less common than they used to be. One of the videos recently shot on a London bus is of a middle-aged and apparently drunk white woman who screams, 'I'm a great white c***' before adding: 'Do you know what, I really don't know whether you're afro-bian, Caribbean'." Another example is of a white woman on the London underground who confronts a non-white male passenger and screams, “Learn the lingo and then think about coming back you ******* r*****”. She goes on to screech, “We have got enough of you ******* muppets in our country, stealing out jobs, ******* taking the English jobs.”

Action against convicted police officials

Chandigarh, December 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today warned the State of Punjab "not to play games with the court" on the issue of initiating action against convicted police officials.
The verbal assertion came in reaction to the persistent demand by state's senior Additional Advocate-General Rupinder Khosla for the grant of additional time till mid-February next year for initiating action against convicted police officials.
Speaking for the Bench, Justice MM Kumar orally observed in the open court: "We know why you are asking for additional time…. The elections in the state have been (tentatively) announced". Mincing no words, the Bench warned: "You are an officer of the court…. Don't play games with the court".
Khosla had initially sought an additional time of three months from the court for taking action against the convicted police officials. Declining the request, the Bench observed that three years had already passed; and the matter did not require more than a month as the particulars of all convicted police officials were already on the record.
The Bench also gave the state government last opportunity to take action against the convicted police officials by January 31 next; and directed the listing of the matter the next day.
It was then Khosla persistently asked the court to give 15 days more to the State, resulting in the backlash of sorts by the Bench of Justice Kumar and Justice Rajiv Narain Raina.
The State also informed the Bench that the services of four convicted DSPs
had been placed under suspension and the matter had been forwarded to the PPSC for its advice. At the very outset, Khosla produced before the Bench a copy of the reference order, vide which the Punjab Government had forwarded the case of the four convicted DSPs to the PPSC for its statutory advice.
During the post-lunch session, the law officer produced an order passed by the government today itself, placing under suspension the services of the four DSPs, Bhupinder Singh Khatra, Parminder Singh, Arinderbir Singh, and Sukhdev Singh Chheena.
The High Court then directed that the PPSC through its secretary be made a party and directed it to take a decision within two weeks of receiving the communication.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Seminar on legal cell


Ludhiana: A seminar on establishing a legal cell in college was conducted at DRV DAV Centenary College. Lalit Kaushal, assistant district attorney, Jalandhar, addressed students and inspired them to volunteer in the para-legal volunteer scheme started by the government to help weaker sections of society in providing legal aid free of cost.
The volunteers will be imparted with six-day training and they will be awarded with an honorarium of Rs 250. Various section covered under this scheme are women, physically challenged persons and the poor from villages who need legal help. 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Six names cleared for elevation to HC Bench


Chandigarh, December 12
Six judicial officers are to be elevated as Punjab and Haryana High Court Judges. It is believed that the file containing the names of the Judges has reached the Chief Minister’s office for approval. Once through, it will be sent to the Governor before being placed before the Supreme Court collegium for consideration.
Reeling under the burden of pendency due to a severe shortage of judges, the Punjab and Haryana High Court collegium cleared their names for elevation. Four District and Sessions Judges are from Punjab and the remaining from Haryana.
Available information suggests the names cleared by the High Court collegium are SP Bangar (Ludhiana), RP Nagrath (High Court Registrar-General), Rehka Mittal (Punjab Legal Remembrancer) and Inderjit Singh Walia (Jalandhar).
The Haryana Judges, whose names have been cleared, are Bharat Bhushan Parsoon and RC Godara.
The Judges, who could not make it to the top, are Varinder Kumar and KK Garg, both from Punjab. Indications are that Kumar’s name was dropped from the list on medical grounds.
The development is significant as the High Court, as of now, has just 45 Judges, against the sanctioned strength of 68. The number is expected to fall further with the impending transfer of Justice Mohinder Pal. The possibility of more transfers from the High Court are, as of now, not being ruled out.
The names of three more advocates were cleared for elevation by the High Court collegium earlier this year, but these failed to find favour with the apex court.
The result of shortage of Judges is there for all to see. Currently, the High Court has approximately two lakh pending cases.

Banur is sub-tehsil

Covers 32 villages, is under Mohali subdivision

Banur, December 12
A long-pending demand of Banur residents for a sub-tehsil covering 32 villages was met today. Prithpal Singh, who was naib tehsildar at Mohali, was given charge as naib tehsildar at Banur.
The 32 villages, that earlier formed a part of the Rajpura subdivision in Patiala district, had been transferred to Mohali district past year on the demand of residents of the area, who faced problems in commuting to the district and subdivisional headquarters.
Of these 32 villages, 18 were under the Dera Bassi subdivision and 14 under the Mohali subdivision, but now, all these were brought under the Mohali subdivision, that would control the sub-tehsil.
Local MLA Raj Khurana conducted the formal inauguration at the market committee office here. Mohali SDM Amit Talwar was also present on the occasion.

CONSUMER COURTS

ICICI Bank fined Rs 50,000

Chandigarh, December 12
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on ICICI Bank for illegally raising foreclosure charges, prepayment charges of Rs 5,00,825 from a resident of Sector 11, who foreclosed the loan in view of the higher rate of interest.
The district forum-I comprising president PD Goel and members, Rajinder Singh Gill and Madanjit Kaur Sahota, also directed the respondents to pay Rs 25,000 as costs of litigation to complainants.
The complainants, Yash Paul Singla and others, submitted that in August 2007, they availed a loan of Rs 1.70 crore from the opposite party against a shop-cum-office in Sector 26, Chandigarh, at an interest of 13.5 per cent per annum and paid Rs 95,506 as processing fee. A total of Rs 75 lakh were disbursed in September 2007, while the balance was disbursed in June 2008 due to which the installment was increased from Rs 1,38,487 to Rs 3,22,078 per month.
They alleged that the opposite party without their consent enhanced the rate of interest from 13.5 per cent to 14.5 per cent per annum on July 8, 2008, which was again increased to 15 per cent. It has been averred that on their persistent requests, the opposite parties decreased the rate of interest by 0.5 per cent in January 2009 and 0.25 per cent in August, 2009. They said the opposite parties were now charging 14.25 per cent per annum, whereas other financial institutions are charging 12 to 13 per cent interest. Ultimately, they decided to foreclose the loan and the opposite party charged prepayment penalty of Rs 5,00,825 on the principal outstanding amount, which is illegal and arbitrary and the same was not refunded to them despite their repeated requests and visits.

Kenney aims to reshape and rejuvenate workforce through immigration


OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has plans to reshape and rejuvenate the Canadian workforce.
Step one comes this week when he announces immigration targets for next year.
The minister tells The Canadian Press that wants a snappy, efficient immigration machine that will help solve Canada's demographic imbalance, while boosting the country's competitiveness.
After that, he wants to grapple with the backlog of applications, which is now about a million names long.
And then he wants to rejig the criteria for skilled workers to come into the country, putting priority on young people, high quality education and language.
Kenney's critics say the minister is frantically trying to make up for his own failed policy decisions of the past, and that he should stop and think before rushing through so many profound changes.

Edmonton to study possible electronic voting in 2013 election

EDMONTON - The city is looking at the possibility of electronic voting in the next Edmonton civic election.

E-voting, which can mean casting ballots through the Internet or over the telephone, has been tried over the last decade in other parts of Canada and several European countries.

Staff expect to come up with proposals by next fall on potential options, including electronic ballots and touch screens, to properly prepare for any e-voting in the 2013 election.

While they will discuss what can be achieved, costs and how the system could work, a report to be discussed by city council Wednesday says developing and testing Internet voting would take too long to be ready for the next campaign.

But Coun. Tony Caterina would like to further explore the potential for e-voting.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he said Sunday. “I think the generation that e-voting would appeal to is that younger demographic, and traditionally they’re the lowest voter turnout.”

More legally binding municipal elections have taken place in Canada using e-voting options than anywhere else in the world, the report says.

They’ve been held successfully in more than 30 Ontario municipalities and four Nova Scotia municipalities.

The report touts increased voter turnout as one potential benefit of Internet voting, pointing to places such as Estonia, where the practice began with municipal elections in 2005 and expanded to parliamentary elections two years later.

Voter turnout rose after it was introduced, although an Elections Canada workshop was told last year it’s not clear whether e-voting increases overall turnout or youth participation in particular.

“The more we can encourage people to vote, the better,” Coun. Kim Krushell said. “I don’t have a problem with electronic voting, if that’s what it demonstrates.”

She’s generally positive about the idea, but concerned about the expense. Estimates based on figures in the report indicate e-voting could more than quadruple Edmonton’s election cost to $7.9 million.

There have been problems in other countries. The U.K. introduced test programs in 2002 involving voting via telephone, the Internet, text message and even digital television, but pulled the plug in 2007 amid security concerns and little change in voter turnout.

The Netherlands planned to allow Internet voting in parliamentary elections in 2006, but aborted the scheme after a group hacked the system on live television. The Dutch Council of Ministers banned electronic voting in 2008.

Brad Haines, a self-identified Edmonton hacker who makes his living through digital security consulting, worries about the risks of online voting.

“You’re basically hoping that you get it right the first time and the democratic process isn’t completely upended.” Computer glitches and malicious hacking are equal threats, Haines said.

“You can think about a scenario where you introduce just enough doubt into an election that should it not go your way, you can complain to get the election result thrown out and get an effective do-over. That’s not the way the democratic process is supposed to be. You can’t keep doing mulligans.”

Caterina also wants to be sure any security issues are addressed.

“We have to make sure that it cannot be manipulated in the technology part of it,” he said. “That would be my only concern. If the technology is infallible, that would be terrific.”

Coun. Ben Henderson is enthusiastic about the concept of online voting, but insists it must maintain faith in the election process.

“For a voting system to work, it has to be one that everybody will trust and believe,” he said. “But anything that can make it easier or more attractive for people to vote, I think, is to be encouraged.”

Turnout in Edmonton’s 2010 election was 33 per cent, up from 27 per cent in 2007 but still below the 41-per-cent mark set in 2004.

“The major advantage of online voting is the convenience,” Henderson said. “Somehow or other, we need to be able to achieve the convenience without undermining the validity of the voting system.”

Municipal politics could serve as a comparatively low-stakes trial for online voting before it expands to provincial and federal elections, he said.

“You just don’t hear about the kind of shenanigans that you sometimes hear about in other places.”

The city councillors said online voting in one form or another probably lies in Edmonton’s future.

“I think this is something that will definitely be inevitable,” Caterina said. “The timing, nobody knows for sure at this point, but I think that all three levels of government are probably looking at this.”