tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, August 17, 1999
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20 kg explosives seized
CALCUTTA, Aug 16 (PTI) — The West Bengal police seized more than 20 kg of explosives, including 15 kg of RDX, in three separate seizures, one of which was made minutes after a Jammu-bound train left the Sealdah station here today. Following the seizure, the West Bengal Government said in a statement that there were intelligence inputs that a group of ISI operative would enter Assam with arms and explosive substances from outside India and proceed to Himachal Pradesh through West Bengal.

15 PSUs threaten to go on strike
NEW DELHI, Aug 16 (UNI) — Officers of 15 major public sector undertakings (PSUs) today threatened to go on strike from August 25 to press for removal of lacunae in the central government’s June 25 office memorandum regarding pay revision of executives in PSUs based on the recommendations of the Justice S. Mohan pay committee. The decision was taken at a meeting of representatives of the PSUs including the NTPC, the ONGC, the IOCL, the HPCL, the BPCL, the GAIL, the CRL, the MRL, the BRPL, OIL, EIL, the IBP, BHEL, the VSNL and Balmer Lauri here on August 14.

Nepalese minister
NEW DELHI, Aug 16 (UNI) — Foreign Minister of Nepal Ram Sharan Mahat will arrive here tomorrow on a two-day visit to invite Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the coming SAARC summit, to be held in Kathmandu in the last week of November. During his stay, he will meet Mr Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and also apprise them of the preparation made for the success of the summit. He will also call on President K.R. Narayanan.

Naxalite killed
HYDERABAD, Aug 16 (UNI) — A Naxalite of the banned People’s War Group (PWG) was killed in an encounter with the police at Tummarapalli village in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh in the wee hours today. The police said during combing operations, four militants of the Husnabad Dalam, who were holding a meeting, were asked to surrender. The Naxals, however, opened fire at the police party who returned the fire, killing one Naxalite on the spot.

8 die in mishap
BHARATPUR, Aug 16 (UNI) — Three women and an infant were among eight persons killed when the jeep in which they were travelling collided with a truck early today on the Jaipur-Bharatpur road, about 18 km from here. Seven persons were injured in the accident. The police said the victims were on their way to Sauronji to take a dip in the Ganga. The driver of the truck is reported to have fled the site.

Armymen held
AIZAWL, Aug 16 (PTI) — Two Army non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were arrested while allegedly trying to smuggle 224 bottles of illicit liquor into Mizoram, state Excise Commissioner R. Lalzauva said here today. Mr Lalzauva said a Naik and a Lance Naik belonging to the Internal Security Department of the Army were arrested on Saturday at the Mizoram-Cachar border town of Vairengte by the excise officials.

Bandh hits life
BARRACKPORE (West Bengal), Aug 16 (UNI) — Commercial establishments and educational institutions in Bongaon and adjoining areas of north 24 Parganas district today remained closed in response to a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the CPM to protest against the murder of a local youth. Official sources said barring emergency services including the train services, all other services were badly hit. Shakti Dey, a soccer player of Champaberai was killed by a group of criminals on August 14.

Pakistani held
AMRITSAR, Aug 16 (UNI) — The security forces arrested a Pakistani national, Ali Ahmed, who had jumped from the Samjhauta Express train on the outskirts of the Attari railway station today. According to the police, the accused had entered into India to get information about the deployment of the Army along the Punjab border and other vital installations.