B.C. wants to lure skilled immigrants

Dec 8, 2011 / 9:47 am

The B.C. government is setting up a task force aimed at boosting the number of skilled immigrants and investors coming to the province.

Premier Christy Clark says skilled immigrants will be needed to help fill more than one million job openings expected in B.C. over the next decade.

She says the task force headed by Richmond Liberal MLA John Yap will review the effectiveness of all of B.C.'s current immigration programs and make recommendations on how to improve them.

Yap says skilled people all over the world want to come to B.C. and the aim of the task force is to make it easier for them to emigrate.

The nine-member task force will begin its work immediately and submit a final report by the end of next March.

Other members of the panel include former federal cabinet minister Stockwell Day, Asia Pacific Foundation CEO Yuen Pau Woo, immigration lawyer Narindarpal Singh Kang, and assistant UBC Dean Grace Wong.

Class action lawsuit targets penalties under B.C.'s tough new drunk-driving law

VICTORIA — A class-action lawsuit challenging impaired driving penalties given out under B.C.'s tough new drunk driving law was filed in Vancouver Thursday.

The lawsuit says that, between Sept. 20 and Nov. 19, police officers throughout the province were negligent in their use of the roadside breathalyzer device that determines a driver's blood-alcohol level.

Legislation came into effect Sept. 20 that penalizes drivers whose blood-alcohol concentration is between .05 and .08. The reading is determined via a roadside breathalyzer that indicates "warn" if a person's blood-alcohol level is between those numbers.

The lawsuit alleges that up to Nov. 19, police used improperly programmed breathalyzers to determine the reading. That resulted in drivers being penalized when their blood-alcohol levels were below .05, said Michael Thomas, one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuit.

On Nov. 19, Victoria police Chief Jamie Graham, as chairman of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police traffic safety committee, recalled 2,200 roadside breathalyzers after RCMP lab tests found a margin of error in the devices. The RCMP found the units could indicate a reading over .05 when the driver was actually under it.

The units were recalibrated so that a "warn" reading is obtained if the driver blows .06, recognizing the potential machine error.

"The way the legislation is drafted, the public has to rely upon proper enforcement. Our allegation is that that wasn't done in this time period," Thomas said.

Police either improperly programmed the devices or failed to detect that they weren't programmed accurately, the lawsuit alleges. An estimated 170 people a week faced licence suspensions during the period, with penalties ranging from $600 to $4,060.

The minimum penalty is an immediate loss of licence for three days, a $200 penalty and a $250 licence reinstatement fee, and the likely loss of vehicle for the three days, plus towing and storage fees. That is for someone with one "warn" reading within five years. Penalties escalate for those with more.

In a class-action suit, one person sues on behalf of all the people who have similarly suffered. The lawsuit has to go to B.C. Supreme Court to be classified as a class-action suit before proceeding. That will likely happen within three months, Thomas said.

He will ask for repayment of costs incurred by people who were improperly penalized.

This week, Solicitor General Rich Coleman said the province is considering allowing drivers to appeal roadside penalties for impaired driving offences.

That would make no difference to the lawsuit, Thomas said.

Delhi to have new licence plates by Dec end

Implement high security number plates for vehicles by March 31, 2012: SC to states

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday set March 31, 2012 as the deadline for states to implement the scheme for fixing high security registration plates (HSRP) in motor vehicles, while directing Delhi government to complete the process by this yearend.

"We extend the period for implementation of the scheme till December 31, 2011, by which date, all steps, complete in all respects, should be taken by the Delhi government," a bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar said.

The court asked Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transit System (DIMTS), which has been constituted by the Delhi government as a special purpose vehicle for overseeing transport in the Capital, to ensure that a single person is in charge of supervising manufacturing, affixation of seals, imprinting of numbers and affixation of HSRP on vehicles in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Like Delhi, Kerala and Manipur have also been directed to implement the scheme by December 31, 2011. West Bengal will implement the scheme by January 31, 2012 while Andhra Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Tripura will fully operationalise HSRP by February 29, 2012.
States and Union Territories given March 31, 2012 as deadline to implement HSRP are Bihar, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Puducherry, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The deadline of April 30, 2012 for implementation of HSRP was stuck on Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland will be the last among the states to implement HSRP by June 15, 2012. The apex court asked the high courts not to entertain any petition, as part of judicial propriety, in relation to implementation of HSRP.
It warned the defaulting states of contempt action. "In the event of default and non-compliance of any of the directions contained in this order by any authority, this court would be compelled to initiate proceedings against such officer/officers in accordance with the provisions of Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, without any further notice to them," said Justice Swatanter Kumar, who authored the judgment on behalf of the bench.
The court took exception to non-filing of affidavits by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Goa and Karnataka, who cited pending litigation relating to tender process as the reason. Dadra and Nagar Haveli has not even initiated the tender process.
"For non-filing of affidavits, these states/UTs have already violated the orders of the apex court," the SC said and granted time till December 31 to file affidavits.
On the litigation relating to HSRP pending in various courts, the bench said, "In the interest of justice and to ensure proper implementation of the judgments and directions of this court, as contained in its various orders, in regard to manufacturing and affixation of the HSRP, it is imperative for this court to direct that it will be in the fitness of things and even judicial propriety would demand that no high court should pass any interim order cancelling or staying the tender process in relation to implementation of the scheme."

Death sentence of 2 Indians commuted after blood money deal

DUBAI: Two Indians, who were facing death sentence in the UAE for killing a compatriot, are set to be released this month as their death penalty was commuted by a Sharjah Sharia court after Rs eight lakh was paid in blood money to the family of the victim.

The two youths from Punjab had been awarded death sentence in Sharjah for bootlegging and murdering another Indian from Andhra Pradesh.

Talwinder Singh from Kapurthala and Paramjiit Singh from Gurdaspur were in prison since 2009 for murdering Chinna Ganganna Chepuri from Hyderabad. The case was being heard at a Sharia court in Sharjah.

"We have paid blood money, which alongside other expenses, have cost around Rs 10 lakhs. Their death penalties have been waived and they will now only get three years of jail, which they have almost served," S P Singh Oberoi, a local businessman and founder president of Indian Punjabi Society told PTI.

Oberoi said the verdict was delivered on Tuesday after a pardon letter was signed by the family of the victim.

"It will take around a week to 10 days for the two Punjabis to be released," Oberoi, who has been making efforts to get several of such individuals released, said.

Oberoi had paid Rs eight lakh as 'diya' or blood money to the family of Chepuri last month.

Earlier, the hotelier was instrumental in securing the release of 17 Indians, who were awarded death penalty for killing a Pakistani in Sharjah. Oberoi had helped raise blood money for the Indians.

Rajya Sabha condemns Milan incident

Turban issue raised during Zero Hour by SAD member Gujral

New Delhi, December 7
The Rajya Sabha condemned the incidents of Sikhs being forced to remove their turbans in the name of security, particularly in Italy, in one voice today. Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, who was in the Chair when the issue was raised during Zero Hour, joined the members in condemning the disrespect shown to the Sikh turban.

The issue was raised by Shiromani Akali Dal member Naresh Gujral, who referred to the latest incident involving Jet Airways commander Ravijodh Singh at the Milan airport. Khan said, "The entire House joins in condemning this incident and this should be conveyed to the government".

Gujral said the Sikhs were being publicly humiliated. While seeking government intervention in checking the recurrence of such incidents, Gujral said, "This has outraged the Sikh community worldwide".

He was of the view that the government should urgently summon the Italian Ambassador and convey to him in unequivocal terms the anger of the community over the matter. "The government has to ensure that the brave Sikhs are not insulted again and again," he said.

He was joined on the issue by Deputy Leader of the BJP in the House SS Ahluwalia, who termed the incidents as "highly condemnable". He pointed out that the turban had religious significance and could not be removed and screened through X-rays like caps. "This should be condemned", he said, pointing out that this was happening to the citizens of the country where the Prime Minister, a Sikh, wore a turban.

"The government is not taking it seriously," Ahluwalia said and referred to other such incidents including one involving India 's former Ambassador in the US Meera Shankar. The BJP member said that the government should take immediate steps to ensure that the Sikhs were not humiliated anywhere in the world on the pretext of security.

He demanded that the Italian Ambassador be summoned to convey the hurt felt by the Sikh community. Akali Del leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa echoed similar sentiments.

CM inauguratesDistrict Administrative Complex (DAC)-cum-Judicial Complex in Mohali

Mohali, November 30
The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today laid the foundation stone of the much-delayed District Administrative Complex (DAC)-cum-Judicial Complex in Sector 76 here. To be built at a cost of Rs 124 crore over an area of 7.25 acres, the complex would be built in a period of two years.

The inauguration comes at a time when the Akali Government is at end of five-year tenure.

Presently, various district level offices are functioning from various offices and the judicial complex is functioning from the community centre in Phase 3 B1 here.

Giving details of the project, a PWD official said the building of the four-storied complex would come up on 3.15 acres of land and would be completed in two years.

Bollywood's Legendary, Dev Anand, dies at 88

This file photo taken on September 26, 2005 shows veteran Indian actor Dev Anand at a shoot for his film "Mr. Prime Minister" on his 82nd birthday at the city's famous landmark the 'Gateway of India' in Mumbai. Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, media reported on December 3, 2011, prompting a flood of tributes from across India's Hindi-language cinema industry.

MUMBAI — Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, prompting a flood of tributes Sunday from across India's Hindi-language cinema industry.

The Press Trust of India news agency said in a report from London that Anand, who with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar reigned supreme in the golden age of Bollywood, died of a heart attack in the British capital on Saturday.

He had been in the city for a medical check-up and had been in poor health for the last few days, the agency said, quoting anonymous family sources.

Often compared to the U.S. actor Gregory Peck because of his matinee idol looks, "Debonair Dev" was best known for his boundless energy and passion for film. He starred in more than 100 movies.

He made his debut in "Hum Ek Hain" (We Are One) alongside his friend Guru Dutt in 1946, and was still working well into old age, starring in "Chargesheet" — made by his own production company — this year.

"I cannot live without my films, my cinema and my work," he told bollywoodhungama.com in 2007.

"For me, until I die, movie-making and acting will always be my first and last love."

Current stars from Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher to Shabana Azmi and Shah Rukh Khan mourned Anand's passing on the micro-blogging site Twitter, praising his youthful optimism and joie de vivre.

Kher said he was "kind, passionate, courageous, forthright, charming, encouraging, contemporary, always a leader and a great human. Will miss him".

The writer Salman Rushdie wrote: "RIP Dev Anand. I grew up watching your films. Sorry to say goodbye."

Dev Anand was born on September 26, 1923 in Gurdaspur in the Punjab area of British-ruled India that is now part of modern-day Pakistan, and was educated in Lahore.

He came to India's film and entertainment capital Bombay (now Mumbai) to forge an acting career and soon found roles at the famous Bombay Talkies and Filmistan studios.

His fame reached its height through films like "Munimji" (Accountant, 1955), "C.I.D." (1956), "Kalapani" (Black Water, 1958), "Love Marriage" (1959), "Kala Bazaar" (Black Market, 1960), "Hum Dono" (Both of Us, 1961) and "Guide" (1966).

"Hum Dono" was re-released in colour earlier this year.

Anand's films frequently tackled contemporary issues in a way that was then pioneering but has since become commonplace. Off-screen, he was also politically active.

In the mid-1970s, he headed a group of celebrities who opposed then prime minister Indira Gandhi's emergency rule, and briefly launched his own political party.

Anand was seen as a style icon, never without his trademark scarf or the latest fashions. His romantic conquests were catalogued in purple prose in his autobiography, "Romancing With Life".

He helped launch the careers of young actresses like Zeenat Aman, who starred in "Hare Raama Hare Krishna" — his critique of the hippie movement — and Mumtaz, who appeared in "Tere Mere Sapne" (Our Dreams), both in 1971.

Another was Tina Munim, who starred in Anand's last recognized hit "Des Pardes" (Home and Away) in 1978 and later married the industrialist Anil Ambani.

Anand had a supreme self-confidence and energy that drove his many acting, producing and directing projects, believing he had a unique creativity and vision to share.

Anand, who received India's third-highest civilian honour in 2001 and earned a string of film industry awards, married the actress Kalpana Kartik (real name Mona Singha) in 1954. They had two children, a son and a daughter.

His brothers, Chetan and Vijay, were both film directors. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, was the mother of Shekhar Kapur, the Oscar-nominated director of "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".