Promise kept on recovery of black money: Manmohan

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that the government had initiated action to bring back unaccounted money stashed away in banks abroad.

In a brief response to a question by Prakash Javadekar of the BJP on the Congress promise during the election campaign to get back the money within 100 days, Dr. Singh said that “action has already been started” by his government.

Dr. Singh referred to the statement of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday, while responding to the debate on the Finance Bill. The issue dominated the poll campaign, with both the Congress and the BJP taking a tough stand.

Mr. Mukherjee told the House action was taken within 100 days. The country, he said, was going to accept the code prescribed by the G-8 countries, by which the exchange of information would take place and the legal framework adopted for the avoidance of double taxation.

The Finance Minister said every country had its own set of rules and countries like Switzerland had their own banking secrecy rules. However, in the context of the financial crisis, Switzerland had agreed to share information provided there was a legal framework and proof that such information was needed for tax collection and not for any other purpose.

“Therefore, action to bring back the money, which has been stashed away, is also being taken,” the Minister said.

T.Nagar shops still flout fire safety norms

Chennai: Many well-known and large multi-storied commercial establishments in T.Nagar which routinely attract large crowds of shoppers and others still do not have mandatory fire safety measures in place, despite the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) having issued notice to them.

These establishments also violate the multi-storied building rules that require sufficient side open space to facilitate firefighting and rescue operations.

Following a major fire accident in Saravana Stores in the area in September 2008, the TNFRS issued notices to more than 1,500 commercial establishments in the Chennai South Division, including in T. Nagar, instructing shopkeepers to install measures within 15 days. According to a government source, there has been no satisfactory follow-up action.

Even seven months after the notices were issued, many large shops have not installed either smoke detectors or sprinklers, it is found. At a well-known textile shop, this correspondent found that the fire exit sign led to a garment counter; and behind it was a closed door with an exit sign on it. Another emergency exit led to the toilet. The emergency staircase on the ground floor was restricted for use: a signboard on it read: ‘Entry restricted for staff.’

Garments were spread over fire extinguishers in another shop. Inside yet another popular showroom, not only were the doors leading to the emergency fire exits narrow, they were located at different spots on different floors.

R. Natraj, Director, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, told The Hindu that a drive is on to check the state of fire safety measures in large commercial establishments. Ten areas in the city – NSC Bose Road, Rattan Bazar, Purasawakkam, T.Nagar, Luz, Mylapore, Adyar, Vadapalani, Ashok Nagar and Valasaravakkam – have been identified as vulnerable.

“Teams with members well versed with fire safety norms have been constituted to inspect the mega-malls, shopping complexes, multiplexes and major restaurants,” the senior officer added.