New Delhi, Dec.2 (ANI): The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has in a report said that the Government of Maharashtra has been callous on ensuring proper maritime security.

The finding assumes significance in the wake of last week's terrorist attack in Mumbai, which claimed 195 lives and left 295 injured.

In its report, the CAG says Maharashtra has been one of the most callous states towards maritime security of the eight under review. Only two - Kerala and Tamil Nadu - agreed to bear the cost of operation and maintenance of patrol boats priovided by the Central Government.

Under the Marine Fishing Regulation Act (MFRA), enforced since 1993-94, the Centre provides 100 percent assistance to states on capital costs of patrol boats and communication equipment to be used for patrolling.

According to a report in a local daily, between 1995 and 2007, the Centre had provided Rs 25 crore for procurement of gadgets and patrol boats for surveillance purpose to eight states under the MFRA plan. This is over and above the Rs 400 crore Coastal Security Scheme, approved in 2006 but which is yet to take concrete shape.

It further says that the surveillance of the first 12 nautical miles of the coastline is the responsibility of the state marine police, the Coast Guard is responsible from 12 to 200 miles and the Navy beyond that.

If the threat is close to Indian shores, all three are supposed to coordinate their activities and responsibilities together to neutralise it. (ANI)

Aizawl (Mizoram), Dec.2 (ANI): Elections began in the remote north-eastern state of Mizoram on Tuesday morning amidst tight security.

Reports from various parts of the state said that the polling process has got off to a slow start and is likely to pick up later in the day.

This is the fourth assembly polls since Mizoram attained statehood in February 1987, a year after the Mizo Peace Accord was signed. The three main contenders are the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the Congress and the United Democratic Alliance. n all, 6,11,124 voters will decide the fate of 205 candidates competing for seats in the 40-member Mizoram Assembly.

Security forces have sealed the 722-kilometer-long international border along Bangladesh and Myanmar and Mizoram's borders with Manipur, Assam and Tripura.

A majority of the polling booths in the state have been declared as hyper-sensitive or sensitive. Additional state police personnel have been deployed along Mizoram's borders with Manipur and Assam. The Border Security Force and the Assam Rifles are manning the international borders.

The centre has sent five additional companies of central paramilitary forces as against the state's plea for 15 additional companies. Mizoram has three armed police battalions and four India Reserve battalions, besides state police spread over all the eight districts.

In Mizoram, women voters outnumber their male counterparts by 6,654.

Nine women candidates are in the fray for this year's polls. Women bodies like the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or the Mizo Women's Federation and the newly-formed Women Welfare Front (WWF) are hopeful about women making it to the State Legislature.

State election officials said that majority of the 2,900 service voters and around 8,000 Bru voters, now lodged in six relief camps in neighbouring Tripura have exercised franchise through postal ballots.

The oldest candidate is the 85-year-old former chief minister and chief ministerial candidate of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Brigadier Thenphunga Sailo who is contesting from the prestigious Aizawl West-II seat where he is pitted against 36-year-old Lalruatkima of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Congress lone woman candidate Zothankimi.

The MNF contested 39 seats while its pre-poll partner the Mara Democratic Front (MDF) is contesting from one constituency.

The Congress is contesting all the 40 seats and the UDA, a pre-poll alliance of the Mizoram People's Conference and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) is contesting 37 seats.

Political parties like the BJP, the NCP, the Lok Janshakti Party and Lok Bharti also fielded candidates and there are 36 independent candidates. (ANI)

Ottawa, Dec.2 (ANI): In a political coup, Canada's three opposition parties have joined hands to oust the just elected minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Leaders of the country's three main opposition parties presented their plan to topple Harper's minority government at a press conference in Ottawa late on Monday afternoon.

According to the Globe and Mail, the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois publicly signed a coaltion accord and sent a letter to Governor-General Michaelle Jean saying the opposition has lost confidence in the Conservatives.

The proposed coalition government between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party would last until June 2011, but the Bloc is only pledging support for 18 months, the paper further said.

The cabinet will have 18 ministers from the Liberal Party and six from the NDP. It will be the first time since 1926 that a Canadian government will be replaced without an election.

In the 308-member House of Commons, the ruling Conservative Party has 143 MPs, the Liberal Party 77, the NDP 37 and the Bloc Quebecois 49.

Under the plan, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion would become prime minister until May, when his successor would take over.

The Liberals and the NDP have agreed to a 30 billion Canadian dollar stimulus package as part of a tentative coalition deal to oust the Harper government, the paper quoted a source in the Liberal Party, as saying.

"Canadians elected 308 members of Parliament in October, not just Stephen Harper. We are ready to form a new government that will address the best interests of the people instead of plunging Canadians into another election," Liberal Party chief Dion, New Democratic Party chief Jack Layton and Bloc Quebecois chief Gilles Duceppe told reporters here.

The coalition accord stipulates that the prime minister and finance minister would be Liberals, with six of 24 cabinet positions filled by New Democrats.

Earlier Monday, the three candidates running for the Liberal leadership emerged from a closed-door caucus meeting to endorse Mr. Dion as head of the proposed coalition government, which they said would pour billions of dollars into the economy.

Standing side-by-side, Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc made clear they see no scenario in which the Conservative minority can remain in power.

"I support the accord because it's fiscally responsible, it provides responsible economic leadership in tough times and it also conserves the basic principles of national unity, equality, that our party has always believed in," Mr. Ignatieff said. "We are at one, the three of us, that the only person that can lead the country is the duly elected leader of the party, Mr. Stéphane Dion."

Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay said that even if the Conservatives put forward an economic-stimulus package now, it would have no credibility and the opposition would reject it.

Only minutes later, in Question Period, Dion demanded Prime Minister Stephen Harper provide an opportunity for the opposition to vote no-confidence in his government.

Harper replied that it is the Liberal Leader, not he, who is playing political games.

The coaltion deal includes a multibillion-dollar stimulus package for the troubled economy. Liberal MP John McCallum said the stimulus plan under consideration could include cheques for Canadian households as well as infrastructure spending and aid for the forestry and manufacturing sectors.

McCallum also noted that a Liberal-led government would run a short-term deficit but be determined to balance the budget as quickly as possible.

Opposition sources said the goal of the opposition's letter to the Governor-General is to inform Ms. Jean that a viable alternative to the current government exists within the current Parliament.

Harper, however, has raised doubts about the legitimacy of a coalition government, and is expected to urge Ms. Jean to call an election in the event of a defeat in the House.

The opposition letter, in that context, is designed to persuade Ms. Jean to reject the Tory push to send Canada to the polls for a second time in three months.

In the Oct 14 general election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party was returned with a tally of 143 seats in the 308-member House of Commons. But it fell short of the 155-seat majority mark, leading to the current crisis. (ANI)

New Delhi, Dec.2 (ANI): The National Security Guard (NSG) has decided to include their recent counter-terrorism experience in Mumbai in its new training module. It has also discussed with Union Homse Secretary Madhukar Gupta proposals for the setting up of four NSG hubs, drawing commandos from the three armed forces and a proposal for an air wing for the elite commando force.

National Security Guard (NSG) chief J K Dutt and other senior officials of the principal anti-terrorist force of the country attended the over hour-long meeting.

The meeting took place after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of setting up four NSG hubs in different parts of the country to facilitate quick deployment of the commandos at times of emergency, a senior NSG official said.

The NSG is also planning recruitment drive.

On Monday, Dr.Singh told a rally in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, that no stone would be left unturned to fight terrorism.

"I want to tell you that Congress will not indulge in politicising of terrorism. I wish all parties should join hands to help fight terrorism," Dr. Singh said.

Noting that terrorism is a "serious problem" faced by the country, he said this was the time for the country to think above religious, linguistic and regional differences.

"This is the time to prove that no matter whichever state we are from, whichever religion we belong to, whatever is our language and whatever our customs and practices, we are first Hindustanis," the Prime Minister said.

"I want to promise you that the Central Government will not leave any stone unturned in fighting terrorism. There is a request to all countrymen and political parties to help us in this fight against terrorism, and in maintaining law and order in the country," he said.

"Today terrorism is a serious challenge before the nation, to face it we need to be united. I want to tell you today that the Congress party will not do any politics on terrorism. We want that all political parties should help in fighting against terrorism," he added.

Dr. Singh also defended the India-US nuclear deal, which has been opposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Singh said the deal would boost power generation in the country necessary to sustain India''s growth rate.

"Our country cannot progress without electricity. Electricity is required in every sector, be it industry, agriculture, domestic needs. For this the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has signed agreement with various countries so that generation of electricity can be increased in the coming times. But BJP is opposing this also," said the Prime Minister.

The main battle in Rajasthan Assembly polls is between the BJP, which is ruling the state, and the Congress party.

All the 200 constituencies in Rajasthan will go to polls on December 04 to elect a new state Assembly and counting of votes will take place on December 08.

The assembly elections in Rajasthan and five other states are expected to be a run down to the forthcoming general elections in early 2009. (ANI)