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Now Muslim headcount in Jharkhand police
India to jointly produce arms with Russia: Pranab
HP opposes govt move to produce witness in power arrears case
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Prof Mehta may get US visa
SC notices to Centre, Assam
on “secret killings”
Expelled MPs are entitled to pension
Thackeray laments Valentine’s Day attack
Clinton may meet PM on AIDS
Chirac arrives today
Kakodkar regrets foreign dependence
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Now Muslim headcount in Jharkhand police
Ranchi, February 18 The state IGP, Mr B.C. Verma, confirmed that the SPs had been asked to provide details of Muslims in the force but said it was a regular exercise. “It is a headcount which is a normal practice. We also do it in case of SC/ST/OBCs. Now it is for Muslims within the police department,” he said. The letters asking for such details, the copy of which was published in the local media, was sent by Mr Verma himself to the SPs. The IGP, however, refrained from any comment when asked whether the details were sought by the state Welfare Department, but only said “everything is in black and white”. The media report had earlier claimed that the exercise had been undertaken at the instance of the state Welfare Department. State Welfare Minister Ramesh Singh Munda, however, denied any knowledge about such details. “I checked with my department and found that we have not sought any such report from the police department,” he said. State Home Minister Sudesh Mahato under whose ministry the police comes, was not available for comment. — PTI |
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India to jointly produce arms with Russia: Pranab Kolkata, February 18 Mr Mukherjee said the Centre had decided as a matter of policy to build some more defence production units with foreign participation for meeting defence requirements instead of directly purchasing arms from abroad. “We have decided to jointly set up defence factories with Russia as per our requirements,” he said adding that similar joint venture attempts would be made with some other friendly countries in future. It may be recalled that the Defence Ministry has already decided to get the private sector involved in the production of arms and other defence equipment, which so far only a few public sector defence factories had been
making. But now the requirements had changed, forcing the ministry to invite private sector and foreign expertise in production dealings, Mr Mukherjee said. The Defence Minister today laid the foundation stone of a truck factory plant at Haldia that would produce Army vehicles. He was also present at two other factions in the township, which state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar also attended. Talking to mediapersons, Mr Mukherjee reiterated that the Indian Army would stand united despite provocation and malicious propaganda by the BJP and other communal forces. Justifying the need for setting up Justice Rajinder Sacher Commission, he said the purpose was to study the socio-economic and educational status of the minorities in the Army and there was no politics involved.
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HP opposes govt move to produce witness in power arrears case
New Delhi, February 18 The Union Government, which had not cited any witness initially, yesterday sought time from the court to make its stand clear whether it should produce any witness for the cross-examination. The sudden move of the Centre came after Punjab and Haryana had presented their witnesses for recording their evidence and Rajasthan yesterday told the court that it had dropped the idea of producing any of the four witnesses cited by it. Himachal Pradesh had claimed arrears of Rs 2199.77 crore from the Centre, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan for denying its due share of power from the Bhakra and Beas projects. On March 29, 2004, a Bench, headed by the then Chief Justice V.N. Khare, had entrusted the responsibility of recording the evidence of witnesses on the Registrar Judicial, who was supposed to close recording of the same yesterday. But at the last moment, Centre’s counsel T.S. Doabia said the Union Government should be given an opportunity to produce a witness and he would seek instruction from the authorities concerned in that regard. Himachal Pradesh’s Additional Advocate-General (AAG) J.S. Attri opposed it. Attri said since the entire case was based on documentary evidence, there was no need at the first place to cross-examine the witnesses and if at all it was done at the instance of the defending parties, there was no occasion for the Centre to seek presentation of a witness at this state when recording was to be closed as it had not filed affidavit of any witness. Himachal has sought its full share of 7.19 per cent power from Bhakra as per the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and 12 per cent free power from Beas projects as provided in the 1990 decision of the Centre. |
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Prof Mehta may get US visa
New Delhi, February 18 An American diplomat told The Tribune that Prof Mehta did not have to re-apply for visa and his application had not been refused. Asked what was meant by the phrase “if he continues his application”, the diplomat said it meant that Prof Mehta was required to furnish more information. The diplomat also denied that Prof Mehta, a world renowned scientist in organic chemistry, that he was suspected to be involved in chemical warfare and bio-terrorism. The American diplomat asserted that Prof Mehta was not asked any questions about his institute. “Prof Mehta was asked to furnish some more information which is a standard practice. He has not yet given the required information. If he does that, chances are that he would be given the visa promptly,” the diplomat said. The US embassy here issued a statement in the afternoon and said: “Although it is generally US policy not to comment on individual visa cases, the US Embassy feels compelled to correct inaccuracies in yesterday’s Indian Express article regarding Prof Goverdhan Mehta’s application for a visa. No final decision has been taken on Prof Mehta’s application pending receipt of additional information necessary to provide his visa request. The embassy regrets Prof Mehta was upset by the visa interview. We are committed to treating each applicant with dignity and respect, but we are also obliged to obtain sufficient information necessary for properly evaluating each application.” |
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SC notices to Centre, Assam
on “secret killings”
New Delhi, February 18 A Bench of Mr Justice A R Lakshmanan and Mr Justice Dalveer Bhandari also issued notices to the Director-General of Police, Assam, Union Home Ministry and the then Chief Minister P.K. Mohanta, seeking their replies within four weeks. The notices were issued on a petition by an NGO, Aalok, which alleged that the “secret killings” of hundreds of innocent persons had come to light after Mohanta had demitted office. The killing of young men, children, family members and relatives of some innocent persons was done with the help of some “surrendered” ULFA activists by the local police and security forces. Some bureaucrats and MLAs were also involved in it, the petition alleged.
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Expelled MPs are entitled to pension
New Delhi, February 18 This means that the prompt expulsion of the guilty members from Parliament only amounts to a ‘stigma’ in their political life, but they continue to enjoy their rights over pension and other allowances as applicable for other retired members. “The expulsion of an MP, as per the present provisions, will no way impact his rights to draw his or her pensions,” former Secretary General of Lok Sabha Subhash Kashyap told The Tribune here. Mr Kashyap pointed out that the 2003 Amendment to the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act has ensured that even if an MP has served for just a day will be entitled for a
minimum of Rs 3,000 per month. “Thus, in effect, the expulsion of some MPs involved in questions for cash amounts to just a stigma in their political life,” he said.
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Thackeray laments Valentine’s Day attack
Mumbai, February 18 In a statement published in party mouthpiece “Saamna”, Thackeray flayed party workers for the incident, which was captured by television cameras. “I am ashamed to call the attackers Shiv Sainiks.... It is an example of cowardice,” Thackeray said. He cited the instance of Shivaji Maharaj who asked his followers not to attack the womenfolk of his enemies. However, Thackeray reiterated the Shiv Sena’s opposition to the Valentine’s Day programme. “Whatever goes on in the name of Valentine’s Day does not fit into our culture,” Thackeray said. Meanwhile, undaunted by the attack by a gang of 200 Shiv Sena activists, the organisers of the party have scheduled another Valentine’s Day party on Saturday night. Egged on by local politicians, the organisers hastily repaired the hotel premises damaged in the incident and decided to hold the party free of charge. In a statement here, they claimed to have received the support of more than 2,000 people though the original party had just 250 paying people. |
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Clinton may meet PM on AIDS
New Delhi, February 18 Mr Clinton, who has come to India for a two-day visit, will have a meeting with the Prime Minister who also heads the National Council on AIDS. Both leaders are taking a keen interest in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Mr Clinton arrived in Goa today and visited the Cipla factory which manufactures generic drugs for HIV/AIDS, a spokesperson of the Clinton Foundation said. Mr Clinton will also attend the wedding of millionaire US hotelier Vikram Chatwal with Delhi model Priya Sachdev. |
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Chirac arrives today
New Delhi, February 18 However, it will take months for the two countries to clinch a nuclear deal. The two countries will also sign several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs), including on tourism cooperation. Mr Chirac is arriving here tomorrow.
— TNS |
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Kakodkar regrets foreign dependence
New Delhi, February 18 “India has been making important contributions to the global knowledge pool for ages....I often wonder why we remain vulnerable to foreign dependencies despite having the capability for original thinking,” he said. He was delivering a convocation address at Indira Gandhi National Open University here. The Atomic Energy Commission chief cautioned that with dependence on foreign technologies, the country could never become global technology leader and could not survive the global competition unless it achieved global leadership. |
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