Thursday, June 10, 1999

Give daily expenses account, HC asks DSGMC
NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to place before it the statement of accounts for its day-to-day expenses following an appeal by the President of the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Mr Avtar Singh Hit, alleging the “misutilisation” of funds.

MSCP joins National Democratic Alliance
IMPHAL, June 9 — A major partner of the Manipur coalition ministry, the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), has decided to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on three conditions.

Notice to police on Yadav’s plea
NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Delhi Government and the city police on a plea by Vikas Yadav, an accused in the Jessica Lal murder case, alleging that he was being “harassed and tortured” by the police.

Basoya takes over as NSUI chief

Phone lobby ‘behind reshuffle’
Tribune News Service and agencies

NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Congress today charged that the caretaker Atal Behari Vajpayee government had acted against the established democratic norms by shuffling the portfolio of Cabinet ministers.

The party spokesman, Mr Ajit Jogi said the decision to shift Mr Jagmohan from Communications and Mr Ram Jethmalani from Urban Affairs should not have been taken since the government was a caretaker one.

Referring to media reports that Mr Jagmohan was shifted at the behest of lobby of cellular telephone operators, Mr Jogi said there were reports of links of the Prime Minister’s adopted son-in-law with some of the cellular operators.

Mr Jogi said the present government was not accountable to any one since the Lok Sabha stood dissolved and could not take any major policy decision.

He said if the government was keen to remove any minister, it should have sacked the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes for having put the security of the nation at stake.

The Congress said the change of portfolios was against the established conventions and said if the Vajpayee government took any decision which was wrong, the Congress when it came to power, would review it.

Meanwhile senior Janata Dal leader S. Jaipal Reddy on Wednesday criticised the shifting of Jagmohan from the Communication Ministry to the Urban Affairs, saying “his sudden shifting is fraught with major policy ramifications.”

Describing the shifting as an “improper and unprecedented act,” Mr Reddy said in a statement here it was well known that Mr Jagmohan had dug his heels in on the question of licence fee payable by private telephone and cellular operators.

Mr Jagmohan was insistent that the operators should fulfil their contractual and legal obligations, Mr Reddy added.

Stating that Prime Minister’s office (PMO) on the other hand wanted a new policy he said “the PMO is obviously under pressure from certain industrial houses.”

“This mid-course change in policy will open a pandora’s box and gives scope for unending litigation,” he warned.

“Quite apart from many such implications, it certainly involves a fundamental policy matter, Mr Reddy said adding “the Rashtrapati should not, therefore, allow the caretaker government to undertake controversial policy changes.”

3 OMs on SC employees to go
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has assured that three of the five controversial office memoranda (OM) relating to the service conditions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees will be “withdrawn” a confederation of SC and ST organisations said here today.

The president of the All-India Confederation of SC and ST Organisations, Mr Ram Raj, who met the Prime Minister along with the Union Health Minister, Mr Dalit Ezhilmalai, here today said Mr Vajpayee had given a “verbal assurance” to this effect.

“The Prime Minister today assured to withdraw three OMs issued by the Department of Personnel and Training in 1997,” Mr Ram Raj said, adding that “the necessary step to this effect would be taken by the government before the Lok Sabha poll slated for September and October.

With regard to the two other OMs, Mr Ram Raj said “the Prime Minister assured that the government would urge the Supreme Court, where the matter is pending, to take up the case expeditiously and would file an affidavit protecting the interests of SC/ST employees.”

The controversial OMs rocked the Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament with the Prime Minister, on March 18 stating in the House that “the government would review the orders relating to SCs and STs.”

The five OMs were issued on January 30, July 2, July 22, August 13 and August 29, 1997, respectively. Mr Ram Raj said the Prime Minister had assured to withdraw the OMs issued on July 2 and July 22 and August 29, 1997.

The three OMs, which the Prime Minister had assured to withdraw, Mr Ram Raj said, were the OM of July 2 which stated that the 200 points post-based roster register would not provide for earmarked percentage quota of reservation for SCs and STs in employment in central establishments.

The OMs of July 22 related to withdraw of lower qualifying marks for SCs and STs in departmental qualifying and competitive examinations for promotions.

The fifth OM of August 22 related to the discontinuation of a special drive for recruitment of SCs and STs in government jobs.

The two OMs, where the government would file in an affidavit in the apex court were the OM of January 30 which stated that if a candidate belonging to SC or ST was promoted to an immediate higher post against a reserved vacancy earlier than his senior in the general and other categories, the general candidate would regain his seniority over such earlier promoted candidate of the SC and ST in the immediate higher post.

The other OM of August 13 said that no reservation in promotion will be extended within Group A posts, Mr Ram Raj added.

Stage set for first NCP convention

MUMBAI, June 9 (UNI) — The stage is set for the first-ever convention of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) floated by the expelled Congress leader Mr Sharad Pawar, where the newly launched organisation will adopt its constitution and unfold its electoral strategies.

More than 1,000 delegates from all over the country are expected to attend the day-long convention at the Shanmukhananda Hall at Sion in north-central Mumbai, tomorrow, which will be followed by a rally at the historic Shivaji park at Dadar in the evening.

Along with Mr Pawar, the two other Congress stalwarts who were expelled from the party — a former Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Purno A. Sangma and a former party General Secretary, Mr Tariq Anwar — will lead the convention and rally.

Apart from adopting the party’s constitution, political and economic resolutions, and according approval to various ad hoc committees, the party’s working committee will also be constituted. The working committee will hold its first meeting at New Delhi on June 14 to chalk out political and electoral strategies. The draft constitution of the party proposes setting up a policy research council, which would be the think-tank of the newly formed rebel Congress party.

Mr Pawar said the NCP’s ideology would be similar to that of the Congress. “It will have the vision of the Father of the Nation, Gandhiji and Pandit Nehru, and encompass Indira Gandhi’s social justice programme and Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of the 21st first century”, he said. He also made it clear that the NCP would be equidistant from the Congress and the BJP.

Mr Pawar and his group have been accused of playing to the tune of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP by raising the question of foreign origin of Ms Sonia Gandhi. They, however, denied it, saying “That the issue was very genuine and the Constitution needs amendment — so that a person with foreign origin would not hold the country’s top posts of — President, Vice-President and Prime Minister.’’

Meanwhile, in his home turf — Maharashtra, Mr Pawar succeeded in vertically splitting the Congress with most of the legislators in the State Assembly and Council expressing confidence in his leadership and joining the NCP.

Mr Pawar said, “The NCP is going to be the party of the 21st century. It will bridge the gap between the politicians and the people by involving inputs from professionals, intelligentsia and the youth’’.

Fake vehicle certificate racket busted

NEW DELHI, June 9 (PTI) — The Delhi police has arrested five persons, including three officials of the State Transport Authority (STA), for allegedly arranging and issuing fake fitness certificates to commercial vehicles on false tax reports.

The accused, arrested over the past four days, have also been allegedly involved in “upper modelling” of old commercial vehicles through fake registration certificates to enable them to ply in Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special cell), Ashok Chand told PTI today.

He claimed that the STA had suffered a loss of at least Rs 1 crore on this account.

The accused had been identified as Arjun, Nirun and Suresh Chand, all clerks in the STA’s Burari office in North Delhi and two touts — Gulshan Kumar and Jitin.

So far the police had recovered 902 fake tax reports and fitness certificates and seized 14 old trucks “upper modelled” to 10 years though they were over 15 years old, Mr Chand said.

The accused allegedly used to get the registration of old commercial vehicles “upper modelled” to 10 years from Haryana and used to give fitness certificates from STA’s Burari office, he claimed.

The plying of over 15-year old commercial vehicles in the Capital has been banned by the Supreme Court.

Ahuja’s widow to settle in Punjab

NEW DELHI, June 9 (UNI) — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged his counterparts in other states to establish a separate cell to look after the welfare of war victims and their dependants.

Stating that such a cell along with a fund has already been created in Punjab, he told UNI that the step would go a long way in generating a sense of security among victims and members of their families.

Mr Badal and his ministerial colleagues have contributed one month’s salary towards this funds. The Chief Minister said his Cabinet had recently decided to give Rs 2 lakh cash and Rs 5 lakh for construction of a house to next of kin of the Kargil victims.

Ms Sunita Ahuja, widow of Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja, who was killed while fighting in Kargil during “Operation Vijay”, has expressed her desire to settle in Chandigarh. A “grade II” government job and a house at Chandigarh had been offered to Ms Ahuja.

Mr Badal also met the Army chief, Gen Ved Parkash Malik, and sought the list of defence personnel, belonging to Punjab, who had lost their lives in the Kargil sector.

Nachiketa under observation

NEW DELHI, June 9 (UNI) — Flt Lt K. Nachiketa, who was held captive in Pakistan for eight days, is under medical observation and it will be at least a few weeks before he can get back to flying, air force sources said here today.

The 26-year-old pilot, who is joining back at 9 Squadron in Adampur after the de-briefing here, has a ‘slight compression’ because of ejecting out his fighter aircraft.

The sources said he had been advised rest. Any pilot who is forced to eject out of his aircraft is kept under observation for some time to see if any injury shows up later.

It would not be possible for him to get back into the operations in Kargil immediately, the sources said. He would be at Adampur for a few more weeks, they added.

Give daily expenses account, HC asks DSGMC
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to place before it the statement of accounts for its day-to-day expenses following an appeal by the President of the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Mr Avtar Singh Hit, alleging the “misutilisation” of funds.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice M.K. Sharma and Mr Justice S.K. Mahajan while adjourning the hearing to July 1, also directed the DSGMC headed by Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, a Tohra loyalist, to inform the petitioner about the expenses incurred by it.

Mr Avtar Singh Hit and 25 members of the DSGMC electoral college had filed an appeal against a Single Judge Bench order refusing to grant stay on the functioning of the new DSGMC executive which he said was constituted “illegally” by the Sarna faction during an “unauthorised” meeting on May 12.

Mr Avtar Singh’s counsel claimed that since the new DSGMC “forcibly” took over, it had made exorbitant purchases and issued over 300 cheques to various parties.

Mr Avtar Singh and his supporters belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) in a joint petition had sought fresh elections to the executive under the supervision of a retired high court judge claiming that no poll was held during the May 12 meeting as the Sarna faction had “disrupted it by indulging in violent activities”.

Farooq discusses Kargil with PM
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today apprised the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, of the Kargil situation following armed intrusion by Pakistan-backed infiltrators.

Dr Farooq, who visited Leh and Kargil yesterday, also held talks on the latest situation there with the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, and the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, according to official sources.

The Chief Minister also took up the issue of financial burden on the state due to displacement of population from Ladakh border areas in the wake of continuous shelling by Pakistani troops and fighting in Kargil and Dras Sectors with the Central Ministers, the sources said.

MSCP joins National Democratic Alliance

IMPHAL, June 9 (PTI) — A major partner of the Manipur coalition ministry, the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), has decided to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on three conditions.

The decision to join the NDA was taken during a two-day political affairs committee meeting of the MSCP on Sunday, the party’s working President T.H. Chaoba Singh said here yesterday.

He said the meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh, has demanded insertion of three specific points for inclusion in the NDA’s national agenda for governance.

Mr Chaoba told reporters before leaving for Delhi that the points were preservation and protection of Manipur’s territorial integrity, implementation of several projects on power, communication and tourism in Manipur to reduce unemployment problem and creation of a separate ministry for North-Eastern region.

He said the MSCP would contest both the inner and outer Manipur Parliamentary seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mr Chaoba would attend today’s meeting of alliance partners in Delhi, party sources added.

Notice to police on Yadav’s plea

NEW DELHI, June 9 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Delhi Government and the city police on a plea by Vikas Yadav, an accused in the Jessica Lal murder case, alleging that he was being “harassed and tortured” by the police.

A Division Bench comprising Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice S.K. Mahajan asked the respondents to file replies by June 18, the next date of hearing.

Vikas, son of Mr D.P. Yadav, a Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party (JBSP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP, is being questioned these days for his alleged “involvement” in the shooting of model Jessica Lal on April 30 in socialite Bina Ramani’s “illegal” bar here.

His counsel Dinesh Mathur told the court that despite his client’s total cooperation with the police, he was being “tortured” while being called to the Mehrauli police station for long hours in the night.

Basoya takes over as NSUI chief
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 9 — Mr Neeraj Basoya today took over as the president of the National Students Union of India at a function in the Capital.

The function was presided by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Subash Chopra. Others present on the occasion included the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, and general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Greek woman held for smuggling
NEW DELHI: Customs officials have arrested a Greek woman at Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle out 7.350 kg of hashish to Jurich. Vainderli Maria was arrested on Monday when she was awaiting a Scandinavian Airlines flight. She was produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Ms Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, on Wednesday and remanded in judicial custody till June 18. — PTI

Science city in Allahabad
ALLAHABAD: The Union Government has approved a project for developing a science city in Allahabad. This was announced by the Human Resource Development Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, here on Tuesday while inaugurating a newly built design centre at Motilal Nehru Regional Engineering College. Dr Joshi said the city would also soon have a regional polytechnic institute and asked scientists to help solve people’s problems through scientific means. — PTI

Extremists’ bid to enter India
AGARTALA: Border Security Force jawans successfully repulsed a gang of extremists which tried to enter India from Bangladesh at Ganganagar in Tripura’s Dhalai district on Monday night. Sources in the BSF said here on Wednesday that about nine armed men, suspected to be NLFT or NSCN guerrillas, tried to enter India at Ganganagar. When some local fishermen asked them about their identity they opened fire. Hearing the gun shots, patrolling BSF jawans arrived at the spot and retaliated. — UNI

Arms snatched from security guards
IMPHAL: Armed activists decamped with four different types of arms and a vehicle from the security escort of the Deputy Commandant of 7 Manipur Rifles from the Lamlong Bazar area on Tuesday night after overpowering securitymen, official sources said. The incident occurred when the security guards were returning to the 7 Manipur Rifles camp at Khabeisoi in Imphal east district after escorting the Deputy Commandant to his residence. — PTI

Rain hampers clearing of tracks
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Heavy rain hampered the restoration work undertaken to clear huge mounds of earth that had fallen on tracks due to landslips between Kottayam and Kayamkulam, disrupting rail traffic since Tuesday. The Divisional Railway Manager, Mr Thomas Varghese, said rail traffic in this section would be restored only after all precautionary measures were taken at the site of the landslips. Despite adverse weather conditions, round-the-clock restoration operations were in progress between Tiruvalla and Chengannur. About 1,400 cubic metres of earth, which had caved in, was being cleared, he added. — UNI