The Tribune...Spotlight

			Tuesday, July 7, 1998
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Naidu calls on PM
NEW DELHI, July 6 (PTI) — Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party is extending outside support to the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre, had a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee here today. Mr Naidu was believed to have discussed the political situation and matters relating to his state with Mr Vajpayee.
The Chief Minister earlier met the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Sompal, and urged him to introduce a Bill in the current session of Parliament to amend the Insecticides Act of 1968 to prevent the manufacture and sale of spurious insecticides.
Mr Naidu told Mr Sompal that changes in the Insecticides Rules of 1971 notified last week, were "very cosmetic" and did not address to the gravity of the situation.
Referring to suicides by some farmers in the state, Mr Naidu said that crop failure on a large-scale due to the application of "substandard and spurious" insecticides was a serious problem warranting immediate amendment to the original act.
Proceedings stayed
KOCHI, July 6 (PTI) — The Kerala High Court today stayed the proceedings against Union Minister Suresh P Prabhu in a lower court here in a case of alleged bouncing of two cheques issued by a Mumbai-based private financial company. The Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Ernakulam, had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Prabhu, a former Chairman and Managing Director of Western India Financial Services Ltd Mumbai, and to two Directors when they failed to respond to repeated summons on a criminal complaint filed by Dr K Joseph, Kochi.
Arrest warrants
NEW DELHI, July 6 (PTI) — A Delhi court today issued non-bailable arrest warrants against media baron Rupert Murdoch after he failed to appear before it despite several summons in a case of screening of alleged "obscene movies" on his Star TV network in India. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Prem Kumar directed the authorities to produce Murdoch before his court on August 22.
Expansion
JAIPUR, July 6 (UNI) — Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat will expand his Council of Ministers with the induction of two ministers on July 8 evening, BJP state President Raghuveer Singh Kaushal said here today.
Finance Commission
NEW DELHI, July 6 (TNS) — The government today announced the constitution of the 11th Finance Commission under the chairmanship of Prof A.M. Khusro to recommend the sharing of tax revenue between the Centre and states from the year 2000. The commission has been asked for the first time to recommend measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a state to supplement the resources of panchayats and municipalities.
Caspian Sea accord
MOSCOW, July 6 (AFP) — Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his Kazakhstan counterpart, Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a landmark accord today on dividing up the northern sector of the oil-rich Caspian Sea, Itar-Tass said. The deal will enable both sides to cash in on the development of the rich oil reserves lying beneath the world’s largest inland sea, estimated at some 13-15 billion tonnes. The two leaders also signed a declaration of eternal friendship and alliance streaching into the next century, and a financial protocol on Kazakhstan’s Baikonur base, which is key to Russia’s space programme, Interfax reported.
Gastroenteritis toll
AKOLA, July 6 (PTI) — At least eight persons died of gastroenteritis in Buldana and Akola districts of Maharashtra, official sources said today. While six persons died in Buldana district, two others have died of the disease in Akola since Saturday.
Cauvery issue
BANGALORE, July 6 (PTI) — Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel has convened a meeting of MPs from the state in Delhi for July 8 to discuss the Cauvery issue which is scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court for hearing on July 21. The MPs would be briefed on the steps taken by the state government on the Cauvery dispute with Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has already objected to the Centre’s proposal under the draft scheme to form a monitoring authority and instead suggested a committee.
Central team’s visit
CALCUTTA, July 6 (PTI) — The West Bengal Assembly today adopted a non-official motion expressing concern over the Centre’s unwarranted interference in the state’s affairs, with Chief Minister Jyoti Basu terming the recent visit of a central team to the state as "a mala fide act". The Congress, which opposed any central move to "undemocratically interfere" in state affairs, however, staged a token walkout after the party’s three amendments to the motion were rejected by the state government.
Financial scams
NEW DELHI, July 6 (PTI) — The Law Commission has suggested the enactment of a new section in the IPC to deal with the growing number of financial scams in the country. It suggested the enactment of Section 120BB to cover cases dealing with criminal conspiracy to defraud public institutions. At present Section 120B deals with criminal conspiracy in all kinds of cases.
AIADMK boycott of
Parliament ends
NEW DELHI, July 6 (PTI) — The AIADMK today ended its boycott of Parliament with ministers and members belonging to the party attending both Houses after keeping away from the resumed Budget session. This followed the AIADMK’s decision on Saturday not to withdraw support to the Vajpayee Government "for the present" at a meeting of party MPs and office-bearers with party supremo Jayalalitha at her residence in Chennai.
Ashok Jain
MUMBAI, July 6 (PTI) — Media baron Ashok Jain, held on charges of violating FERA, was today further remanded to judicial custody till July 15 by a local court.
No-confidence move
JAIPUR, July 6 (UNI) — The Congress will bring a no-confidence motion against the Shekhawat Government during the current Budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly, which began today, as it felt that the government had failed miserably on all fronts and therefore, it should not be allowed to continue in power.
Power distribution
NEW DELHI, July 6 (UNI) — Large scale power theft taking place in Delhi has forced the government to privatise electricity distribution in the Capital, Power Minister P.R. Kumaramangalam told the Lok Sabha during question hour. He said the distribution in South and East Delhi would be entrusted to the private sector in the first phase.