Wednesday, February 10, 1999
|
N A T I O N |
|
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
 |
|
|
Transfer of Jaya’s
cases justified |
 |
EC orders summary revision of rolls BANGALORE, Feb 9 — The Election Commission has ordered countrywide summary revision of electoral rolls and the exercise is likely to be completed by May or June, Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill said today.
|
|
CPI asks Cong not to play
‘Hindu card’ PEDA
develops new ‘chulha’ Cong
announces poll schedule VHP
to hold dharna in Bhopal Strike
by AIIMS doctors continues Council
censures Times of India |
|||||
 |
||||||
Transfer of Jaya’s cases justified NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (PTI) — Even as a controversy raged over the notification transferring corruption cases against AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha from special courts to sessions courts, the Central Government today justified the move saying it had powers under the prevention of corruption act to do so. In the first comments by the Centre, Law Minister and AIADMK nominee in the BJP-led coalition M. Thambidurai said in a statement that the Personnel Ministry’s notification issued on Friday was "consistent" with the stand taken by the government in the hearing on a petition of Ms Jayalalitha in the Supreme Court on the issue. He contended that on January 20 the Centre had told the Tamil Nadu Government that the judgement of the Madras High Court upholding the Constitution of three special courts to try corruption cases relating to Jayalalitha did not inhibit the exercise of power by the Centre under Section 4(2) of the PC Act. Meanwhile, a public interest litigation was filed by a consumer organisation in the Madras High Court today challenging the Centre’s notification transferring cases. Estranged AIADMK ally, Mr Vaiko, also criticised the Centre’s action as interfering with the independence of the judiciary. Tamil Nadu Law Minister Aladi Aruna, who held discussions with legal experts on the next course of action in the wake of Centre’s notification, cancelled his return to Chennai tonight and extended his stay for further consultations. While Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Moopanar alleged that the AIADMK nominees in the ministry were resorting to "illegal methods" to save their leader Jayalalitha, BJP spokesman M. Venkaiah Naidu said whatever action the Centre had taken was constitutional and within its powers. Mr Thambidurai said that Section 4(2) of the PC Act provided that if where there were more special judges than one for an area, the offences under the act shall be tried by one such special judge notified by the Central Government. He said at the hearing of the Supreme Court on December 17 last, the Attorney-General had made a statement that the Centre proposed to exercise its power under Section 4(2) of the act and the statement was recorded in the presence of senior counsel appearing for the parties, including the state of Tamil Nadu. On December 18, the Centre had referred to the proceedings of the apex court and sought information from Tamil Nadu in regard to cases pending before the special judges in Chennai. However, the state replied questioning the power of the Centre and did not furnish the information, he said. A letter was also sent to the Registrar of the Madras High Court setting out the suggested criteria for allocation of cases amongst the special judges. On February 2 and 3, the Registrar furnished certain details but offered no comments in regard to the guidelines suggested by the Centre for distribution of work, Mr Thambidurai said. "The Government of
India has thereafter taking into account the facts,
exercised its power on February 5 specifying the special
judges before whom the various cases under the Prevention
of Corruption Act shall be tried," he added. |
BJP helping AIADMK, says Moopanar CHENNAI, Feb 9 (PTI) — The BJP-led government is actively assisting AIADMK nominees in the union ministry in resorting to illegal methods to save their leader Ms Jayalalitha from corruption charges, the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) president G.K. Moopanar said today. "This fact is obvious from the central notification transferring cases against members of the erstwhile AIADMK regime and their associates from Special Judges appointed by the Tamil Nadu Government to other courts," Mr Moopanar said. In a statement here, he said the Centre’s action was neither honest nor just. It could at best serve to delay the progress of these cases but would not handicap the judiciary in any way, he said. The whole country was aware of the "cheap tactics" used by the AIADMK leadership and their associates to place hurdles to impede the progress of these cases, Mr Moopanar said. He criticised the state government for not being sufficiently cautious and vigilant to anticipate and nip such efforts in the bud to evade the law. "I am afraid the state government did not display the requisite caution and alertness. If it had taken proper action in consultation with legal experts, such a situation would not have arisen," he said. Mr Moopanar, however, was confident that the Indian judiciary, having a great tradition and history behind it, would ultimately uphold the majesty of law and competently discharge its duty of administering justice. Raising the question on how the Centre could have hastily notified afresh the allocation of corruption cases when the Supreme Court was seized of the legal issues regarding special courts, he said two of the Special Judges were of the opinion that the notification was invalid. Notwithstanding political criticism of the Centre’s action on one side, an important question the Centre should answer was how it could afford to subject itself to the universal opprobrium of judges and legal experts, he said. Mr Moopanar warned that if
the law and the courts, which enforced the rule of law,
were allowed to be treated with such disdain, the people
would lose their respect for and faith in the judiciary
in course of time. |
EC orders summary revision of rolls BANGALORE, Feb 9 (PTI) — The Election Commission (EC) has ordered countrywide summary revision of electoral rolls and the exercise is likely to be completed by May or June, Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill said today. Dr. M.S. Gill, who was here to discuss the arrangements for the Karnataka Assembly elections due in November, told reporters that the state electoral offices had already been issued the schedules for revision. The EC, he said, was making efforts to create an effective system for the revision and added that the exercise would be akin to the pulse polio campaign with officials involved in it at designated places. He appealed to all parties and NGOs to take active interest in the campaign. He said the EC had already initiated steps to improve the quality of the electoral rolls and make them readily available. The rolls were being
computerised and they would be accessible on the
Internet. Books and CD-ROMs on constituencies would be
produced shortly, he said. |
CPI asks Cong not to play ‘Hindu card’ NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (PTI) — The CPI today asked the Congress not to play the "Hindu card" like the BJP and to take steps to form an alternative government at the Centre. "Frequent trips" by the Congress President Sonia Gandhi to Hindu temples will not help fight the BJP, the CPI national secretary Atul Kumar Anjaan said, adding that efforts should be made to keep politics and religion apart. "There is no justification in keeping any wrong notions about the BJP and the Congress," he said, adding "I think such temple visits are not necessary. Let us not do it." Mr Anjaan told reporters after a demonstration against the government’s economic policies and price rise here that the Congress was not taking any initiative to topple the BJP-led government but instead "hobnobbing with the BJP at times on economic issues like the Patents and Insurance Regulatory Authority Bills." "Just by sitting you cannot dream of coming to power nor can you hope to bag all anti-establishment votes," he said. However, "If the Vajpayee government falls today and the Congress comes to power, we will have no objection but our support will be issue-based", the CPI leader said. On the inclusion of the RJD leader Laloo Prasad Yadav in the Third Front, he said "if Laloo is fighting communalism we welcome him, but nothing beyond that". The Third Front will be
formed with clarity of all social and especially economic
issues," Mr Anjaan said. |
Ban on onion exports to go from March NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (PTI) — The government tonight decided to lift the ban on onion exports from next month following improved supply situation and decline in domestic prices. The decision taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting is, however, subject to a quantitative restriction of 25,000 tonne per month for the next three months. "We have decided to lift the ban on onion exports", Home Minister L.K. Advani, who chaired the meeting, told reporters. The five-month long ban, imposed on October 8 in the wake of sky-rocketing prices, was lifted following demand from farmers in Maharashtra. Against the prices touching a high of Rs 60 kg in retail outlets, the farmers were now being offered a paltry Rs 3 per kg with the 1998-99 production estimated to be a record 47.2 lakh tonne. The ban on onion exports is scheduled to lapse on February 28. "Cabinet has decided to allow quantitative exports of 75,000 tonne for three months (after the lapse of the ban). Every month, 25,000 tonne of onion would be permitted for export by the designated agencies", Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar said. The government also
decided to constantly monitor the price behaviour to
ensure consumers and growers interests’ were
protected, an official spokesperson said. |
PEDA develops new
‘chulha’ NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — The Punjab Energy Development Agency has developed a multi-fuel, multi-purpose ‘chulha’ with a provision for heating 20 litre of water simultaneously. The ‘chulha’ has been tested by Thapar Polytechnic, Patiala, which is the technical back up unit for the state. The Chairman of PEDA, Mr Y.S. Ratra, told an annual meeting of state secretaries and chief executives of state nodal agencies for non-conventional energy sources here today that in order to make these programmes popular, the Punjab agency has embarked upon a massive publicity programme. He said Punjab has already issued a notification making it mandatory for government and semi-government buildings to install solar water heating systems. He said the agency has also been arranging training sessions for mechanics and technicians from the rural areas for providing repair services to the owners of solar cookers. Earlier, the Union Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, who holds additional charge of the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, told the meeting that with the depletion of fossil fuels, the second quarter of the next century would see a progressive take over by mature, efficient, low-cost renewable technologies. Renewabale energy option
emerges as a viable one to meet the constraints in the
power and energy scenario and can help bridge the gap
between demand and supply, he added. |
Cong announces poll schedule NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — The Congress central election authority today announced the schedule for party poll, with the election of the President slated to be completed by August 28. As per the schedule, August 13 will be the last date for the filing of nomination, August 21 for withdrawal and August 28, for polling if necessary. The chairman of the authority, Mr Ram Niwas Mirdha, said May 15 would be the last date for enrolment of new members. The election of president and the executive of primary committees and of block members by primary committees are to be completed between July 19 and 26. The election of president, members of Block and District Congress Committees executive by the general body of blocks are to be held between July 29 and 30. The election of districts presidents and executives will be completed between August 3 and 8, while the election of pradesh Congress chiefs, executive and AICC members will be on August 28. Although the present term
of the Congress President, the AICC and PCC etc was
extended till June next year, through a special
resolution adopted at the AICC session last December, Mrs
Sonia Gandhi decided to have organisational elections
ahead of schedule. |
VHP to hold dharna in Bhopal NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — Sharpening its Hindu agenda, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad today declared that it would go ahead with the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya irrespective of court decisions and would hold a demonstration in Bhopal on April 7 against the Madhya Pradesh Government’s move to bring prominent temples of the state under its control. VHP leaders Acharya Dharmendra and Giriraj Kishore said it had been decided at the recently held eighth Dharma Sansad in Gujarat that all “sants” (religious leaders) of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains would “unitedly protect” Hindu interests and resist the proposed “evangelisation plan” of Christians. About the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Acharya Dharmendra said 25 per cent of the work had been completed, and by 2001 construction of the remaining portion would be technically over. Reiterating that the courts had no jurisdiction in religious matters, the Acharya said the “sants” were not obliged to wait for the court orders. It was purely a religious matter, he asserted. “The Ram temple will be constructed at the same spot, not an inch on the right, left, back or front”, the Acharya said. When confronted with the Vajpayee government’s statement that it would ensure that court orders were implemented, Acharya Dharmendra said “governments can change their line, but not the sants”. He said it was not mandatory for the VHP to accept the stand of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister that the Ayodhya issue would be decided by the court. “Political agenda may change but our agenda is fixed and there cannot be any change in it”, the Acharya said adding that “Hindu agenda alone was the national agenda”. On the proposed “unity” of Hindu “sants” to “strengthen” the Hindu cause, he said the Hindu organisations had also decided to adopt villages all over the country. They would oppose the “evangelisation plan” of the Christians who were getting millions of dollars from foreign countries for the purpose. The Acharya said “sants” would assemble in Ujjain on April 5 for undertaking a march to Madhya Pradesh capital, Bhopal, to protest on April 7 against the state government’s move to bring prominent temples under its control. The move was fraught with dangerous consequences as this would reduce the heads of the temples to mere salaried employees of the government, he said, adding, that corruption would be rampant. The VHP leader also touched upon the unification of India and Pakistan saying that “when two Koreas could meet, the two Germanys could unite, why can’t India and Pakistan?”. “According to the
Hindu calender, we will enter the 52nd century on March
18 while Christians will begin the 21st century by the
end of the year. We have decided to observe the year as
Hindu shatabdi during which we will work for propogating
Hinduism”. |
Strike by AIIMS doctors continues NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — Health services at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) remained paralysed for the second day today with senior doctors continuing their strike, demanding higher pay scales even as no solution was in sight. Out-patients department (OPD) and emergency departments have been closed down in view of the strike and thousands of patients were being returned without being attended to, a hospital spokesman said, adding that there would be no new admissions during the period of strike. The hospital, which receives 6000 patients on an average daily, presented a deserted look as patients beat a retreat cursing their luck while some said the government must look into the issue. The Faculty Association of AIIMS, which is spearheading the strike, said it was ready for fresh negotiations provided there was a positive and clear response from the government. Meanwhile, shedding their image of brilliant, absent-minded geniuses pottering in their laboratories, lost in the world of research, Indian scientists seem to be on the warpath, agitating about service conditions and salary hikes. The scientists in two key sectors of national development - crop sciences and medical sciences — are currently on protest, demanding better pay scales from the government. The scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes across the country are on a relay fast for the past few days. The AIIMS strike follows earlier protests marked by wearing black badges and going on a day’s mass casual leave. The Council of Scientific and Industrial (CSIR), India’s largest scientific organisation, too is not immune from strikes by agitating scientists who have been protesting periodically against alleged nepotism and malpractices by some directors of CSIR laboratories. The ICAR scientists are protesting against the government for not yet implementing University Grants Commission (UGC) pay scales. The National Executive
Council of the Agricultural Research Service Scientists
Forum met ICAR Director-General R.S. Paroda yesterday to
press their demand for revised pay package on par with
UGC scales, with effect from January 1, 1996. |
Council censures Times of India NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (PTI) — The Press Council has strongly censured the management of The Times of India for terminating the services of the newspaper’s editorial adviser H.K. Dua, describing it as a “mala fide exercise of power” and encroachment upon the “legitimate freedom of the Editor”. The council which met under the chairmanship of Justice P.B. Sawant last week, has held that the newspaper’s management “deserves a strong censure for the mala fide exercise of power in terminating the services of Mr Dua, thus encroaching upon the legitimate freedom of the Editor and thereby on the freedom of the Press itself.” In a press note here yesterday, the council said it viewed with grave concern such “onslaught” on the freedom of the Press and held that this action of the management sent a “wrong message to the journalists all over that it is not the freedom of the Press that they are supposed to serve but the wishes of the management even if they are in conflict with their duties and obligations as journalists. Mr Dua had complained to the council in July that the newspaper management had asked him to lobby with the authorities to influence the outcome of the investigation into the cases of the alleged violation of FERA by its chairman Ashok Jain (who passed away last week) and to influence the course of justice by writing articles in its favour”. The council found the
termination of Mr Dua’s services for his
“refusal to accede to Jain’s request to
undertake all chores” to be in “blatant
violation” of the freedom of the Press. |
16 hurt in accident NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — Sixteen persons were injured when a Blueline bus rammed into a tree at Jai Singh road today. The bus (DC 1P 5656) plying between Minto Road and Badarpur was coming from Parliament street when it swerved to avoid a head-on collision with a Matador coming from Jai Singh Road and hit a roadside tree, the police said. The main cause of the
accident was the Matador whose driver allegedly tried to
jump the red light. The bus driver swerved sharply in
order to avoid hitting the Matador. The bus hit a traffic
signal before hitting a tree on the roadside, the police
said. |
Hundreds flee firing by Bangla troops SHILLONG, Feb 9 (UNI) — Hundreds of persons fled their homes in Meghalaya’s Amjalong village in Jaintia Hills after Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) resorted to indiscriminate firing on Saturday, a delayed report received here said today. The incident occurred when local farmers were engaged in routine work in their fields at the border village of Amjalong. Bangladeshi nationals accompanied by BDR personnel attacked them claiming the land was in their territory. On hearing the firing, Border Security Force personnel immediately rushed to rescue the villagers and retaliated. Two BDR personnel were injured, sources here said. The firing from across the border which lasted for about ten minutes, caused panic among the locals, who fled their homes and took shelter in the nearby forest.accompanied by additional police force, rushed to the area to assess the situation. However, the panic-stricken villagers refused to return home despite assurance from the officials. The Deputy Superintendent
of Police who visited the area on Sunday said an epidemic
could break out among the refugees camping in the forest. |
Easing rail traffic NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — The new route relay interlocking (RRI) system at the Delhi main station was inaugurated here today. With the installation of the new RRI panel, Northern Railway will be able to handle 1122 routes (possible movements) compared to the 530 routes handled earlier. The new RRI system is the largest system of the Indian Railways. With the help of this new system, there will be a quicker clearance of signals required for successive movements. It also has facilities for multi-routing and alternative routing to provide path for the trains to come to the platform, in case of blockage of one route due to any reason. This will help in reduction of detention of trains. The change over of the new RRI system was completed in a record time of 48 hours, to save revenue loss due to prolonged working. Meanwhile, six congested railway crossings in the Capital have been identified by the Delhi Government for construction of over-bridges and under-bridges during the next 16 months. The decision was taken at
a high-level meeting here today convened by the Lt
Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor. |
HC concerned at VIP land deal MUMBAI, Feb 9 (PTI) — The Mumbai High Court on Monday expressed concern over the methods adopted by the Maharashtra Government to dereserve a plot in Pune originally meant for a primary school, for construction of a multi-complex building by the son-in-law of former Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. “I am very much
bothered by this method”, Justice Sri Krishna, who
along with Justice S.S. Parkar comprised the Bench
hearing the case observed while referring to the change
of government’s stand on the dereservation issue
through correspondence by subordinates in the ministry. |
Channel V show on Valentine's Day MUMBAI, Feb 9 (PTI) — Channel (V), leading music channel, would celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14 by telecasting an hour-long special show on love and its different colours. The show, woven around the cliched love story, would encompass the traumas of "love at first sight", the enormity of parental disapproval and the indomitable spirit of those hit by Cupid's arrow to continue despite all odds. The show, to be anchored
by well-known model, Preeti, would be telecast at 8.30
p.m. according to a press note here today. |
Retired Army man crushed to death NEW DELHI, Feb 9 — A 60-year-old retired Colonel, M.M. Arora, was crushed to death at the Jail Road last evening. The Colonel was travelling
in a bus. He fell down just after getting down from the
bus and came under the wheels of the bus. He was taken to
Base Hospital where he was declared brought dead, the
police said . |
| H |
|
||
| Lok Shakti leader’s
car torched GULBARGA: Unidentified miscreants torched a car belonging to Lok Shakti general secretary and former Karnataka Legislative Council Member, B.R. Patil here on Monday, the police said on Tuesday. The miscreants punctured the tyres of the car, parked outside the house, before setting it on fire. — PTI Strike cripples Bihar
offices HC notice to govt
on Christian ‘census’ Illicit alcohol in
MLA’s shed CPM MLA assaulted |
 |
 |
| Punjab
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
