Thursday, July 8, 1999
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Delhi
Population Bill draws flak "Pak confusing Kargil with
Siachen issue" |
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North Korean ship crew arrested ADMK for front minus PT |
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Delhi Population Bill draws flak NEW DELHI, July 7 (UNI) — The Delhi Population Control Bill, moved by Congress MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Kiran Choudhury, today drew strong protests from women’s organisations who described it as a “blatantly anti-poor measure’’. The Bill, moved by Ms Choudhury in the last session, proposed a two-child family and provides for stiff “penalties’’ for those exceeding the norm. Among the penalties suggested by the Bill are barring people with more than two children from contesting elections for public office. It also says that they should not be eligible for getting ration cards, promotions in government jobs and bank loans for housing. “The proposed Bill is wholly misconceived, unconstitutional and discriminatory and also objectionably elitist in its assertions,’’ former MP Suhasini Ali said while addressing a well-attended public convention here against the Bill. The Bill’s basic premise that the Capital’s high population level was due to high fertility rates was completely wrong as increased migration into the city was a primary cause for the large population, the CPM leader said. Stating that population could not be controlled by enacting laws, Ms Ali said poor people went in for more children as they were not sure how many of them would survive ultimately. Instead of proposing “anti-people laws’’, the Delhi government would do well to follow the example of Kerala, which checked population growth by going in for extensive land reforms, high wages for labourers and education and health care facilities for its people, she added. Despite being the national capital, Delhi presented the sorry sight of children dying in slums without healthcare or wandering around as ragpickers instead of being in schools, said field worker Afsari Begum of the NGO ‘Ankur’. “We will like the government to first tell us what it is doing for those people who have only two children. It should first guarantee us a safe, healthy and productive life for our children, and only then talk of people producing two kids,’’ she said. ‘Sabla Sangh’ activist Veermati said if the authorities wanted to check migration into the cities, they should create employment opportunities in the villages. “Only we people know the pain of leaving behind our villages for the sake of livelihood. And in cities like Delhi, we live in inhuman conditions and queue up for water for hours when we should be out earning our bread. At a time like this, every extra pair of hands helps,’’ she added. Criticising Ms Kiran Choudhury for tabling the private member’s Bill, Mithilesh of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) said any attack on people’s basic and fundamental rights would be strongly resisted. Others attending today’s convention included members of the National Federation of Indian Women, Saheli, Jagori, the Joint Women’s Programme, the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations and the YWCA. The groups plan to meet
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tomorrow to hand over a
memorandum against the Bill, said Ashalata of the AIDWA. |
HC asks Delhi Government to halt fee hike NEW DELHI, July 7 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Government to take effective steps against arbitrary fee hike by the private schools in the Capital saying it should not take the issue lightly with a view that the matter was pending in the court. A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr S.N. Variava, and Justice S.K. Mahajan, hearing a bunch of petitions by parents’ associations of six schools, said, “Don’t take it as if the matter is in the court. You should take appropriate steps (against fee hike).” Mr Ashok Agarwal, counsel for the parental bodies, requested the court to issue direction to the Director of Education to take effective steps against increase in the fee. The court was hearing petitions filed by the Associations of Gian Bharati Public School, Naval Public School, Prabu Duggal Public School, Bloom Public School, Happy Public School, and Mahavira Public School. Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam appearing for one of the schools said no notices should have been issued to the school managements as a special committee appointed by the High Court was examining the issue. He said the schools had
submitted their accounts to the Justice Santosh Duggal
Committee for the period April 1997 to March 1999 as per
the direction of the High Court in its judgement on
October 30 last year. |
HC cancels Vikas' bail in
Jessica case NEW DELHI, July 7 — The Delhi High Court today cancelled the bail of Vikas Yadav, an alleged accused in the model Jessica Lal murder case, but rejected a police plea for cancellation of the bail of three others saying the state was not able to make out a case for it. Accepting the police petition for cancellation of the bail of Vikas Yadav, son of Rajya Sabha MP D.P. Yadav, Mr Justice Madan B. Lokur asked the police to take the respondent into custody immediately. The court said the circumstances indicate that Vikas, a friend of main accused Manu Sharma, who is at present in judicial custody, has tried to “tamper with the evidence” on more than one occasion and does not inspire “confidence” of the court. The court, however, declined the plea for “police remand” of Vikas on the ground that the police had surrendered the remand of Manu Sharma, son of Congress leader, Venod Sharma, after his arrest saying that he was “no more required” for interrogation. Since Manu Sharma’s police remand could not help the police to recover the weapon (pistol) of offence, Vikas’ remand would not serve any purpose in this regard, the court observed. The police had also sought the cancellation of bail of Coca Cola executives, Amardeep Singh Gill, alias Tony, Alok Khanna and Amit Jhingan, accused of helping Manu fleeing Delhi after he had allegedly shot dead Jessica Lal at socialite Bina Ramani’s restaurant in South Delhi on April 30. The police had sought cancellation of Vikas’ bail on the ground that there were “prima facie” suspicion of his “involvement” in the crime. It subsequently moved a plea for cancellation of the bail of Tony, Khanna and Jhingan saying the Metropolitan Magistrate had no jurisdiction to grant them bail. The police said it had yet to recover the weapon of offence for which custody of Vikas Yadav was necessary. Since the high court had rejected the plea for police remand of Vikas Yadav, he is likely to be sent to judicial custody after his arrest. The high court said there were evidence to show that Vikas had telephonic talks with Manu before the latter surrendered to the police. Regarding the claim of
Vikas that he was joining the investigation, the court
observed that despite his being a resident of Delhi, he
had sent a telegram to the police from Mumbai when it was
looking for him. |
"Pak confusing Kargil with Siachen issue" NEW DELHI, July 7 (UNI) — India today charged Pakistan with attempting to confuse the Kargil intrusion by linking it with the Siachen issue. "They (Pakistan) are trying to divert attention from the centrality of the Kargil issue... an intrusion has taken place and it will have to be withdrawn,’’ an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said in this regard. He said there were no tangible signs on the ground to show that Pakistan forces and militants supported by it had started withdrawing from positions occupied by them on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). In would continue its military operations in Kargil "until every inch on our side of the LoC is cleared of infiltrators and aggressors’’, he added. The spokesman once again ruled out the possibility of India providing a safe passage to the intruders. They would have to find their own way and the withdrawal would have to be complete and unconditional, he added. He also regretted the
reported statement of Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj
Aziz that his government would not be able to do anything
if the Mujahideen refused to withdraw unless they were
assured that their action could lead to finding a
permanent solution to the Kashmir issue.’’ This
is a misleading statement. The intruders are essentially
Pakistan army regulars’’. |
Welfare plan for kin of defence men NEW DELHI, July 7 (PTI) — The government today announced a package of welfare measures for the next of kin of defence personnel killed in action and those injured, providing for their children’s education, dwelling units and ex-gratia compensation of up to Rs five lakh for soldiers who suffer battle injuries. The package, formulated by Defence Minister George Fernandes, was approved at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee here yesterday. Official sources said the measures were formulated after government took note of inadequate provisions for welfare of families of defence personnel killed or maimed in a battle. The government has decided that all contributions made to the National Defence Fund and the Services Welfare Funds would be earmarked for the welfare of families of armed forces personnel killed in action and those injured in the battle-front. It also decided to waive the present ceiling of Rs 10 lakh as the total amount of ex-gratia compensation received by the next of kin from all government sources, including state governments. This would benefit the war widows or next of kin who were so, far, being deprived of a substantial portion of money given to them by state governments. While, so far, there was no provision for ex-gratia compensation to soldiers invalidated out of service due to battle injuries, a provision of Rs five lakh each has been made for such soldiers who suffer 100 per cent injuries. Similar provision on a pro-rata basis has been made for others with lesser disability and for those with injuries retained in service. While four artificial limb centres would be established at Chandimandir, Lucknow, Guwahati and Bangalore, expenses for medical equipments for soldiers invalidated out of service like wheelchairs, artificial limbs and motorised tricycles would be borne out of the welfare funds, the sources said. A provision of Rs 5 lakh per family has been made to enable those of deceased soldiers to acquire suitable dwelling units and for those invalidated out of service. State governments would be asked to allot land or dwelling units on immediate and out of turn basis from various housing projects. For children’s
education, an amount of Rs two lakh per family — at
the rate of Rs one lakh per child — would be
deposited by government in long-term fixed deposits and
the monthly interest arising out of this would meet the
expenses of these children on completion of their
education, the deposited amount would be made available
to the family for meeting expenses towards the
children’s marriage or settlement, they said. |
SAD demonstration near
Pak Embassy NEW DELHI, July 7 — Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), today organised a demonstration near the Pakistan High Commission to protest against Pakistani intrusions into the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir. In a memorandum to the Pakistani High Commissioner, general secretary of the SAD (Badal), Delhi unit, Mr Kuldip Singh Bhogal, stated that Islamabad would be a big loser in the international arena if it continued to raise the Kashmir issue. “Kashmir is no longer an issue supported by the United States of America, China and Britain,” he said. The memorandum states
“The sovereignty of India is supreme. No act from
across the border through Pakistan can ever be tolerated
by any citizen of this country”. |
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CHENNAI, July 7 (PTI) — The AIADMK today announced that it would have nothing to do with the ‘Pudhiya Tamizhagam’ (PT), a dalit party in Tamil Nadu, apparently angered by its leader, Dr K. Krishnasamy’s suggestion that the Congress rather than the AIADMK should head the ‘secular alliance’ in the state. ‘The AIADMK will not be a part of any electoral alliance that includes the Pudhiya Tamizhagam led by Dr Krishnasamy,’ AIADMK chief Jayalalitha said in a terse one-line statement here today. The party’s decision effectively puts paid to the PT’s hopes of reconciling the presence of the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) and its anathema, the AIADMK, in the same front, by projecting the Congress as the alliance leader, which could then decide the nature of AIADMK’s role in it. Dr Krishnasamy has been meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi often, and after calling on her in New Delhi yesterday, had suggested that the Congress, the TMC and the PT could contest about 25 seats in Tamil Nadu in the coming Lok Sabha elections. There are 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. He specifically ruled out accepting the AIADMK’s leadership. However, the AIADMK has now placed the Congress in a quandary, as it (Congress) would have to stop its ongoing negotiations with the PT, if it was interested in continuing electoral talks with the AIADMK. Dr Krishnasamy had also met TMC president G.K. Moopanar on June 27, after which the parties appeared to be moving towards a formal alliance. The TMC is yet to decide whether to join the possible AIADMK-Congress-Left Front or attempt to form a ‘third front’ of its own. The position will be clear when the TMC is likely to announce its decision on July 15 at Madurai. Those canvassing for a “broadbased secular front” to take on the DMK-BJP combine in Tamil Nadu must also see the AIADMK’s decision as a setback, as the PT had made its presence felt in a few constituencies in last year’s Lok Sabha polls. Janata Party president, Dr Subramanian Swamy, was quick to welcome the AIADMK’s decision to keep out the PT. HYDERABAD: The NTR-TDP would work for the consolidation of like-minded political, socialist and voluntary organisations in a bid to form the third alternative front to fight the ruling TDP, the Congress and the BJP in Andhra Pradesh, its president Lakshmi Parvati said today. Speaking to reporters here, Ms Parvathi asserted that there was a need for an alternative front to fight the TDP, the Congress and the BJP in the forthcoming elections. Her party had already initiated the exercise by holding parleys with like-minded parties in this regard, she added. The NTR-TDP held the first round of talks with the Mahajan Socialist Front and the MCPI here last night and another round of discussions involving Communist parties including the CPM and the CPI would be held on July 12, she added. She evaded a reply when
asked if the Anna TDP, a breakaway group of the TDP
headed by her bete noire and son of former Chief Minister
N.T. Rama Rao Harikrishna, would also be part of the
proposed third front. |
Consumer court hauls up Railways NEW DELHI, July 7 (PTI) — In a significant victory for rail travellers, a Delhi consumer court has penalised the Indian Railways for failing to provide a clean coach to a passenger. Penalising the Railways for “deficiency in service”, the Delhi Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-VI has directed the Railways to pay Rs 1000 as compensation as well as a litigation cost of Rs 500 to a traveller for its failure to clean a coach having lots of cockroaches. The complainant, Major Pankaj Awasthi who travelled along with his family from Nagpur to Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi) by air-conditioned (AC) sleeper class on January 8, 1997, alleged that there were innumerable cockroaches in their coach as a result of which they could not sleep. Major Awasthi also stated in his complaint that he had informed the train ticket examiner (TTE) and lodged a written complaint in the prescribed book. However, despite the written complaint and numerous oral protests, no remedial action was taken. The Railway administration, while taking preliminary objection to the fact that the consumer court did not have jurisdiction over it, maintained that the conductor also made efforts to clean and disinfect the coach of cockroaches. The Railways said the
complaint was taken note of by the conductor of the
Central Railway in Bhopal and the coach was thoroughly
cleaned and washed.
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North Korean ship crew arrested GANDHINAGAR, July 7 (UNI) — The entire crew of the North Korean ship Kul-Von-San including its captain, detained at the Kandla port in Gujarat, was arrested on July 5 on charges of rioting and assault on public servants, Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya said today. Talking to reporters here, he said the ship had come to the Kandla port on June 18 and unloaded sugar there. After Bombay High Court issued a stay order on June 27, officials of Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) went to search it on July 5. However, the ship crew, some of whom carried knives, resisted the move, finally the police intervened and arrested them, lodging all crew members in a cabin of the ship. In this scuffle, a policeman was injured. As many as 177 boxes, unloaded there, were being examined by the authorities. He said these contained ‘machine parts’ but refused to divulge details. Meanwhile, reports from
Kandla said the experts from the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), Pune, who examined the
consignment, had concluded that the ship was carrying
material and components related to the development of
missiles to be unloaded at the Karachi port in Pakistan.
Following the July 5 scuffle, the authorities summoned
the Border Security Force (BSF) Marine wing, and the
Coast Guard to provide security around the ship, the
reports added. |
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| Free eye camps suspended HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Government has suspended free eye camps in Prakasam district following a tragedy in which 24 out of 76 patients, who underwent cataract operations at a camp in Podili town a couple of months ago, lost their sight. ‘‘An inquiry has been ordered and action would be taken after examining the report,’’ the state Medical and Health Minister, Mr N. Janardhan Reddy, said here on Wednesday. — PTI Movie without title
screened Taxonomy award
instituted Principal
convicted Charred body of
Lt Col found ATTF kidnap 3 in
Tripura 6 killed in road
mishap Lightning kills
three 4 ULFA men
surrender |
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