Shekhawat inducts 2 more ministers
JAIPUR July 8 (PTI) — The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, today inducted two more members, one of the Cabinet rank, into his Council of Ministers raising its strength to 40.
Vijendra Pal Singh was administered the oath of office and secrecy as Cabinet Minister and Chunni Lal Dhakar as Minister of State by Acting Governor N.L. Tiberewal at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.
This was the second expansion of the Shekhawat ministry within a week. On July 2, the Chief Minister inducted one Cabinet Minister and 13 ministers of state into his ministry.
Mr Shekhawat told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony that there would no further expansion of the ministry.


BJP upbeat over passing of Bills
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 8 — The BJP today said that it was confident that Bills on 33 per cent reservations for women in Parliament and state assemblies and the formation of a separate state of Uttranchal would be passed in the present session of Parliament.
The BJP vice-president, Mr K.L. Sharma, said the Bills on giving full statehood to Delhi and the formation of separate states of Vananchal and Chattisgarh would also be introduced in Parliament in the current session.
Asked on the demand of the Akali Dal for keeping the district of Udhamsingh Nagar out of the new hill state of Uttranchal, Mr Sharma said that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K.Advani, had already explained the difficulties arising out of this demand but efforts were on to resolve the problem.
In a reply to a question on the AIADMK’s demand for giving full statehood to the Union Territory of Pondicherry in return for their support for Delhi’s statehood, Mr Sharma said the government would hold discussions with them (the AIADMK) and arrive at a consensus.

India should not sign CTBT
in present form
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 8 — The BJP today said India should not sign the comprehensive test-ban treaty (CTBT) in its present form.
Talking to newspersons here today, party vice president K.L.Sharma said: "We should go by our earlier stand and it has to be seen what emerges from the dialogue India is having with the USA". Mr Sharma was referring to the meeting of the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Jaswant Singh with the US Deputy Secretary of State, Mr Strobe Talbott in Frankfurt tomorrow.
The BJP’s reaction came in response to the stand of the Congress on the issue. In a statement, the Congress had asked the Vajpayee government to take the country into its confidence before Delhi decided to make any changes in the national consensus on the issue.
Asked whether India should sign the CTBT if Pakistan did so, the BJP leader said India and Pakistan "cannot be equated and our decision shall be taken on our own terms and in national interests".
In reply to a question on Kashmir, Mr Sharma said that the party stood by the unanimous resolution adopted by Parliament which categorically stated that occupied Kashmir (POK) belonged to India.