Thursday, January 14, 1999

• Renowned surgeon Nigam dead
• College girl killed in blast

Spread of militancy in Kargil worries Centre
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — The Union Home Ministry has expressed concern over the possibility of Kargil becoming ‘sensitive’, spread of militancy in the Jammu region and the Chamba-Doda border while reviewing its policy vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir during last year.

Outlining the four principles of its policy, a internal assessment paper of the ministry stated that it had been the strengthening of democratic process, the isolation of militants and foreign mercenaries from people, pro-active role with J and K to neutralise hostile designs of the militants and mercenaries and the speeding up of development programmes.

On the areas of concern, the ministry said they included continued infiltration of both men and weapons and the flow of funds, the cross-border firing and attacks on the security forces, village defence committee members, counter-insurgency militants, special police officers, police informers, political activists, their families and government servants.

It said the most dramatic change in the violence profile, was the number of attacks on the security forces which had resulted in greater casualties during 1998 as compared to the previous year.

However, militant violence had come down during November with 274 incidents leading to the killings of 109 as compared to 292 during October, it said.

The recovery of two remote control aerodynamic modules with powerful engine by the police from Chithi Derri forces in Rajouri which could target any mobile or stationary object up to 2 km and at a height of 1 km had added a new dimension to the security threat, the paper said.

On the flip side, the ministry noted that while there were reports of terrorist activities slipping out of the hands of local militants and taken over by foreign mercenaries, money being offered for joining militancy had increased.

The ministry said it appeared that the money was based on sources related to narco-terrorism and hawala with Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence playing a significant role.

One of the major aspect of a multi-pronged strategy to tackle militancy in J and K which had been approved by the Centre was a strategy and action plan regarding the activities of the security forces and intelligence agencies and related matters.

The core element and priority of this strategy included curbing infiltration, countering militancy in hinterland, protection of the minorities, greater interaction with those residing on borders, enhancing intelligence capabilities, countering secessionist overground base with J and K, greater functional integration through institutional framework of operational and intelligence groups at each of the two unified headquarters at Jammu and Srinagar.

A total provision of Rs 560.47 crore for a three-year period had been made to make the action plan functional, out of which Rs 118.50 crore had been earmarked for the current financial year.

A sum of Rs 49.50 crore for army procurements and Rs 25 crore for the upgradation of the J and K police had already been sanctioned, as part of plan to facilitate the implementation of the strategy and improving of technological components of counter-insurgency operations like the upgradation of gadgetry and equipment for the security forces and the state police.

The containment of spill over of militants into Himachal Pradesh was also being integrated into the implementation and monitoring of the action plan, which had been put into operation. A mechanism had also been evolved for periodic review, the ministry said.

Former bank official sentenced to RI
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — A special court has convicted a former Branch Manager of the Punjab and Sind Bank, Banga, in Jalandhar district for cheating the bank to the tune of Rs 13.80 lakh and sentenced him and six others to six months’ rigorous imprisonment with fine.

Lalit Kumar Mahendra was convicted by the Special Judge at Patiala for six months imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,500 while partners of a firm and its other officials were sentenced for a similar term along with varying fines, a CBI release said here today.The charges against the accused official were that he abused his official position while working as Branch Manager and entered into a criminal conspiracy along with a firm M/s P.S. Jain Motors, Jalandhar.

The accused official caused pecuniary benefit to the said firm by advancing loans amounting to Rs 13.80 lakh to 12 different borrowers for the purchase of trucks from the same firm without observing codal formalities and in violation of all norms and procedures of the bank, the release said.The amount was utilised by the said firm to further its business interests without making the delivery of chassis to the borrowers, the CBI release said.A charge sheet had been filed in the designated court by the Chandigarh branch of the Bureau, the release added.

Slum policy by March-end

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (UNI) — The government is formulating a national slum improvement policy, which will be announced by March-end.

Official sources said the proposed policy was intended to provide an integrated, coordinated approach for all-round improvement of slums in urban areas.

The sources said several slum improvement and poverty alleviation projects had been taken up in the country in the past few years assisted by the Department of International Development of the United Kingdom and the Governments of Germany and the Netherlands.

The Department for International Development, UK, was funding seven slum improvement projects in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Calcutta, Kochi, Cuttack and Indore. The term of the project at Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Indore was over. The completion of phase 1A and 1B of the Calcutta project had been submitted by the implementing agency.

In addition, an ambitious project of the Andhra Pradesh Government, covering 32 Class I towns of the state, for poverty reduction and slum improvement was under consideration for funding by the Department of International Development of the British Government.

The British Government was likely to submit the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) in respect of these projects before March-end.

JMM (Soren) splits, new party formed

RANCHI, Jan 13 (UNI) — The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Soren) has formally split with a section of its dissident leaders led by former general secretary Sudhir Mahato and central secretary Prabhakar Tirkey joining hands with the JMM (Mardi) to float a new political party called the Akhil Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

The Mardi faction led by Mr Krishna Mardi of the JMM ceased to exist as a result.

According to former central secretary of the JMM (Soren) Prabhakar Tirkey the new initiative taken at Jamshedpur yesterday was aimed at bringing together the fragmented pro-Jharkhand state forces.

Mr Tirkey said a three-day conference of the new political party had been convened from February 26 to deliberate on its future course of action.

Mr Tirkey claimed that the people had rejected the leadership of Mr Shibu Soren and Mr Suraj Mandal, vice-president of the morcha (Soren).

This is the third split in the JMM since its inception in 1972. The first split in the morcha saw the formation of the JMM (Binod) faction by its founder leader Binod Behari Mahato.

The morcha led by Mr Soren split vertically again in 1992 with the formation of the Mardi morcha.

According to Mr Tirkey, among those present at the meeting yesterday where the decision to float the new political party was taken, were Mr Mardi, Mr Teklal Mahato, Mr Shiva Mahato, Mr Arjun Ram, Mr Sudhir Mahato and Mr Surya Singh Besra.

Remarks of German envoy irk BJP
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — The BJP today took objection to some foreign governments and their representatives’ comments on the recent incidents in Gujarat describing them as “an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India”.

In an obvious reference to the German Ambassador, Mr H. Dieckmann’s comment on the Gujarat incidents yesterday, the BJP Vice-President, Mr J.P. Mathur, said: “Some foreign governments and their representatives have commented on the recent incidents in Gujarat. We see this an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India.”

The German Ambassador had told a national daily that the attacks on Christians and chapels in Gujarat were “an internal affair with international implication”. Because of these incidents, India’s image as a tolerant nation had taken a beating abroad, he said.

On the instruction of his government, the German envoy is going to take up the issue with the Indian Government.

Mr Mathur said: “The Government of India since Independence has managed the affairs of our society without allowing any external interference. The Constitution of India as well as the Indian society at large have ensured equal rights and dignity for all communities.”

Accusing the Congress of trying to play vote-bank politics with the Christians. The BJP leader said the Congress was keen on creating communal divisions and fissures. The Christian community in India should resist such politically motivated attempts to alienate them from the national mainstream, he said rejecting the Congress’s demand of referring the issue of conversions to the Supreme Court.

“It is not merely an issue of legality, but also of popular sentiments. The Congress is ignorant of the fact that some states, including Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, have laws governing conversions. Conversions never were a free for all affair” Mr Mathur said.

“It is nice to hear Mrs Sonia Gandhi admit that India is essentially secular because of Hinduism. It is hoped that she will come to actually believe in what she said on Tuesday, and not merely say such things without meaning them”, the BJP leader said.

Law Minister warns Karunanidhi

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (UNI) — Union Law and Justice Minister M. Thambidurai today cautioned that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his Law Minister’s allegations against him on the transfer of judges was an attack on the judiciary, tantamount to contempt of court.

The minister told mediapersons here that the Chief Minister and Law Minister Aladi Aruna who were committing contempt of court while threatening him with contempt of court as any attack on the judiciary on the transfer of judges was on the collegium of judges including the Chief Justice. The Law Minister did not have any power to appoint or transfer judges or and the matter was handled by the judiciary.

The recent statement of Mr Karunanidhi that his government had appointed ‘special judges’ for the trial of AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha and her colleagues and not ‘special courts’ had given a 'mysterious turn’ to the criminal cases. This was compounded by the statement of the Law Minister that special courts had been set up under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. "These are nothing but attempts to mislead the citizens of this country" , he said.

Mr Thambidurai said till date, the President had not given his assent to the Tamil Nadu Bill which had set up three courts by the government in April, 1997 anticipating the assent for ‘exclusive trial of false and foisted cases’ against his leader and AIADMK colleagues.

The centre’s affidavit before the Supreme Court that presidential assent had not been obtained by the Tamil Nadu Special Courts Bill had totally exposed both Mr Karunanidhi and Mr Aruna who had made critical comments in a ‘baseless and malafide’ fashion.

The T.N. Government had not replied to the serious "constitutional objections", the minister added.

CPI(ML) for front sans ex-UF partners

PATNA, Jan 13 (PTI) — The CPI (ML) today said a third front was needed to oppose the "communal fascism of the BJP and economic neo-liberalism of the Congress" and it should have no place for the "discredited constituents" of the erstwhile United Front.

"No third front can be built by hobnobbing with the Congress and appealing to Sonia Gandhi to hold the reins of the nation," CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya told a press conference referring to the plea of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav to the Congress President.

"We strongly believe that the time has come when all genuine Socialists should join hands with Communists in a spirit of respect and cooperation," he said reaffirming his party’s commitment to the creation of a broad-based Left confederation.

The advent of new year had witnessed rise in "fascist vandalism" by the Sangh Parivar and growing saffron collusion with the US imperialism, he felt.
Mr Bhattacharya criticised the Prime Minister for suggesting a national debate on religious conversion. By this, Atal Behari Vajpayee had not only sought to legitimise the happenings in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, but also "betrayed his intention to impose the fascist notion of the so-called Hindu pride of the society," he said.

The CPI-ML leaders demanded an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi to the nation on behalf of her party’s government in Orissa for the recent gangrape of Anjana Mishra.

He said the Patents Ordinance, coming close on the heels of the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) Bill, signalled "a new dark chapter of saffron collusion with the US imperialism."

"The sacking of Naval Chief Vishnu Bhagwat was also designed to appease the Americans as the Admiral had alleged that all key appointments in the Indian Navy were being manipulated by a pro-US coterie," he said.

On the move to set up a second labour commission with the declared agenda of making the Indian labour market more flexible to suit the needs of foreign capital and technology, the CPI-ML leader said "the whole exercise amounts to a virtual declaration of war on the Indian working class."
"The Vajpayee Government wants to rewrite all labour laws at the behest of forces of imperialism," he said.

RPI backs PM on debate

MUMBAI, Jan 13 (PTI) — The Republican Party of India (Ambedkar group) today supported Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for a nationwide debate on religious conversions.

RPI President (Ambedkar faction) Raja Dhale told reporters here that the tribals "are not Hindus" and the Sangh Parivar's campaign against conversions was "bogus".

Condemning the attacks on Christians and their churches in Gujarat, Dhale demanded dismissal of the Keshubhai Patel government.

He also flayed the Shiv Sena for not allowing Pakistan cricket team to play in India, saying: "There is no link between terrorism and cricket."

Dhale welcomed Congress leader Sharad Pawar's statement favouring a Congress-RPI alliance, but advised the former "to first take consent of the party high command" which, he said, appeared to have a different opinion.

He said his party had not received any communication from the Election Commission on the issue of recognition so far.

422 kl of fuel ‘wasted’ daily

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (UNI) — The government has decided to implement the recommendation of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on synchronisation of traffic signals on long stretches of roads in the country for conservation of petrol and diesel.

Announcing this here today at a news conference organised to apprise the media of the objectives of oil conservation fortnight, beginning from January 15 all over the country, the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Mr Santosh Gangwar, said according to a study conducted by the CRRI at the instance of the PCRA, 321 kilolitres of petrol and 101 kilolitres of diesel were wasted every day on 466 intersections due to idling of vehicles.

The annual loss of petrol and diesel on these intersections was estimated at Rs 245 crore at 1996 prices.

College girl killed in blast

VARANASI, Jan 13 (UNI) — Sima, a student of Uday Pratap College, was killed on the spot and her sister Parveen seriously injured when miscreants hurled a bomb at them yesterday when they were coming out of a shop in Ardali Bazar here.

Parveen was admitted to the district hospital.

Agitated students of the college today boycotted classes and took out a procession demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

ICAR scientists threaten stir

NEW DELHI Jan 13 (PTI) — Scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) today threatened to launch an agitation in protest against the non-implementation of the revised UGC pay package in toto.

Though the revised pay scales were announced by the government in July 1998, they are yet to be implemented for ICAR scientists, Yeshbir Singh, president of the Agricultural Research Service Scientists’ Forum, told reporters here.

He said the scientists would meet tomorrow to plan the future strategy, including a total strike to get the redressal of their grievances within a time-frame.

The forum, in a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, sought his intervention to ensure that the revised pay package under a UGC notification on December 24, was implemented for ICAR scientists.

Notice to Delhi Govt on teachers’ appointments
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Delhi Government, the MCD and the NDMC asking them to place before it the entire information regarding the recruitment of teachers in corporation schools and steps taken to expedite the matter. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Devender Gupta and Mr Justice J.B. Goel, taking cognisance of a public interest litigation also asked the state government and the two civic bodies to specify a definite time-frame for the appointment of the teachers.

The PIL filed by All India Lawyers Union alleged the state government, the MCD and the NDMC had failed to provide adequate number of teachers in 2121 primary schools in the Capital and was depriving 12 lakh students of a “meaningful education.”AILU counsel Ashok Aggarwal said according to a survey done by his client there were at present 350 vacancies in schools run by the Delhi Government, 4250 in MCD schools and about 300 in NDMC schools.Government counsel Raman Duggal informed the court that the recruitment process which was held up due to recent assembly elections in Delhi, had been completed and appointment letters to the selected candidates were likely to be issued soon.He said the other reason for the delay was the constitution of the Delhi Subordnate Services Selection Board by the state.

Delhi’s white paper on power by Jan 15
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — The Delhi Government is giving final touches to a white paper on the power sector, which is to be released by January 15. The white paper is likely to lay emphasis on the privatisation of the distribution network in a phased manner.

The Delhi Government has set up a committee under the chairmanship of Delhi Power Minister, Dr Narendra Nath to prepare the white paper by January 15 on the restructuring of the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB). The state government’s likely move to privatise the distribution network in the power sector comes days after the Union Power Minister indicated that the Centre may write-off outstanding dues of the Delhi Vidyut Board.

The white paper on power situation in the Capital may split the DVB’s functioning into generation, distribution and maintenance for better management, apart from suggesting the privatisation of the city’s power sector in a phased manner.Delhi Power Minister Narendra Nath indicated that the functioning of the DVB would be streamlined so that responsibility could be fixed and the actual position as to where the fault was could be detected.

Renowned surgeon Nigam dead

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (UNI) — Renowned surgeon and Padma Shri awardee Ramesh Nigam died here yesterday, family sources have said. He was 79.

Recipient of the prestigious Hallett prize from the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK in 1946, Nigam began his career as a reader in thoracic surgery in Lucknow Medical College in 1947.

He became the founder professor in surgery at Nagpur Medical College at the age of 28 and then came to occupy the same position in Maulana Azad Medical College here in 1959.

At the of 42, he lost his vision and was treated at Torquay in the UK. Afterwards he continued teaching and examining patients at Maulana Azad Medical College.

He was awarded Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to the medical profession.

JD leader shot dead
NAGPUR: Senior Janata Dal leader and vice-president of the party’s Maharashtra unit, Balasaheb Agne, was shot dead by two unidentified youths at his Hanuman Nagar residence on Tuesday night, the police said. The killers fired at 48-year-old Agne from country-made revolver at point-blank, the police said adding that property dispute was stated to be the motive behind the murder. Mr Agne was rushed to the government medical college hospital where he was declared dead on admission. — PTI

IT officer’s son held for theft
GHAZIABAD: The Meerut police has arrested the son of a senior Income Tax officer on the charges of stealing vehicles, the police said on Tuesday. Four cars including two Maruti Esteems, a Zen and a Maruti 800, which were stolen from the capital were recovered from the English-speaking, graduate son of a Deputy Income Tax Commissioner posted at Varanasi, the police said. — PTI

Indian film at Los Angeles festival
NEW DELHI: Sehjo Singh’s ‘Kol Kathaen’, a film that narrates poignant tales of feudal oppression on Kol tribals amid much-talked-about land reforms in distant edge of plateau in Madhya Pradesh, is being screened at prestigious Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival at Los Angeles on Wednesday. The 70-minute 16-mm documentary is one of the 130 entries from 40 countries in this year’s festival, producer of the film, Anwar Jamal told PTI over telephone from Los Angeles. — PTI

Heart transplant on Ashok Jain
NEW DELHI: Media baron Ashok Jain has undergone a heart transplant surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the United States of America. Mr Jain, who left India on November 24 last year, underwent the surgery on January 10 and is presently under observation at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the clinic, a press release from Bennett Coleman and Co of which he is the chairman, said on Wednesday. — PTI