Wednesday, March 17, 1999
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N A T I O N |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Rabri faces no real threat Christian
houses set ablaze |
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Withdrawal of urea price hike sought NEW DELHI, March 16 — Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra of the Shiromani Akali Dal today demanded that the government should roll back the hike in the prices of urea and diesel, provide greater share of central taxes to states and resolve pending Punjab issues.
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Sub-station for Chandigarh
cleared Special
team to probe cartoonist’s murder case
Srinivas
award for Shyama Prasad Tough
time for fire victims AIADMK
MPs walk out |
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Confidence motion today PATNA, March 16 (PTI) — Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi faces no real threat during the crucial vote of confidence in the state assembly tomorrow, with the assured support of six members each of CPM, Revolutionary Communist Party and Independents, besides 150 members belonging to the RJD, in the 325-member House. The CPI with 20 MLAs is yet to make its stand clear, while the Congress Legislature Party left a final decision on the matter to its national President Sonia Gandhi, after sharp differences cropped up during an over three-hour meeting on the issue today. CLP leader Ramshray Prasad Singh and BPCC President Sadanand Singh told reporters that the legislature party had authorised Ms Sonia Gandhi to take a stand on the contentious issue. Nineteen of the 29 Congress legislators attended the meeting. They said the party high command would be apprised of the feelings of the legislators expressed at the meeting "and we will meet tomorrow morning again to announce our stand." The BJP-Samata combine (51) along with Janata Dal (18), and CPI-ML (6) have announced their decision to oppose the motion. The JMM-S (16), JMM-M (2), BSP (2), besides five Independents, including Dilip Verma of Champaran Vikas Party, are likely to vote against the motion. The Budget session, which begins tomorrow, is likely to be stormy with the Opposition planning a strategy to put on the mat the Rabri Devi ministry which it accuses of being "corrupt, ineffective and incompetent". Opposition Leader Sushil Kumar Modi said BJP members would raise contentious issues like deteriorating law and order, massacres, corruption, anarchy, and Champa Biswas rape case. Mr Modi said all pre-conditions for imposing President’s rule still existed in Bihar. "The lone alternative to save Bihar from ruins is to dissolve the assembly and hold fresh elections," he added. The state Cabinet had yesterday decided to extend session of the legislature for presenting "a full Budget" for the financial year 1999-2000. This will be the first occasion that Laloo-Rabri regime will be presenting a full Budget after being in power for the past nine years. The session which was earlier scheduled to conclude on March 26 will now continue till April 24. Giving reasons for the
extension, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ramchandra
Purve said the government wanted to present full Budget
for the next fiscal, a Budget on account and the third
supplementary demands for 1998-99 during the session. |
Christian houses set ablaze BHUBANESWAR, March 16 (PTI) — A dozen houses belonging to Christians were set ablaze and four persons received bullet wounds in a clash between two communities at Ranalai village in Orissa’s Gajapati district today, Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang said. The clash, which took place 18 km from Ramgiri-Udayagiri town, was a sequel to an attempt by some miscreants yesterday to tamper with a Cross carved on a nearby hillock, Mr Gamang informed the state assembly. Responding to the Opposition, which had forced a 10-minute adjournment of the House demanding an immediate statement from him, Mr Gamang said a jeep of local Block Development Officer was also damaged by the miscreants. He said the miscreants had used country-made firearms during the clash resulting in injuries to four persons. However, the injured, now in hospital, were out of danger, he added. Additional police
reinforcement had been rushed to the village, the Chief
Minister said. |
Bus to Lahore flagged off NEW DELHI, March 16 — The much awaited Delhi-Lahore bus was flagged off from here today with 29 passengers after a last minute hitch. The bus was flagged off by the Delhi Transport Minister, Mr Parvez Hashmi, about an hour and a half late, amid tight security and euphoric media interest. The "specially-made" Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus, painted in golden and having on-board international telephone calling facility, left the Ambedkar Stadium bus terminal here at around 7 a m to cover the 538-km distance to Lahore in approximately 14 hours. The bus started off late as Mr Hashmi arrived late and the DTC officials were not ready with the passenger manifest, an important document necessary for customs clearance at the Wagah border. Carrying 34 persons, including two securitymen, a liaison officer and two drivers, the bus will have three stops en route — Pipli, Sirhind and Kartarpur — before reaching the Wagah border. The four day-a-week bus service — twice from the Indian side and twice from the Pakistani side - got off following trial runs from both sides and a historic bus ride by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to Lahore last month. Excitement was clearly visible on the faces of the passengers as they waved to their relatives and the mediapersons present to see them off on their "memorable journey". For the 29 Indian citizens who travelled to Lahore by the maiden regular bus service today the experience was "different" and "exciting". While earlier, they had to go to Pakistan by air or by train, the bus service has provided them a cheaper mode of transport for visiting their relatives and old friends, separated from them by the Partition in 1947. "This is much more than a pilgrimage. I would not be as excited as I am now if I were to go to the United States as my visit to Pakistan takes me back into time and revives the buried memories of my childhood," said Mr P.S.Mahana, who was born in a place now called Mandi Bahawalpur. Mr Mahana, a retired accounts manager of the DTC, is "thankful" to Mr Vajpayee for introducing the bus service and says "the love between the people of the two countries is still alive and is apparent when I visit my birthplace and meet my old friends and classmates." For Mr Mahana, the bus service provided him an opportunity to take his wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren to the place where he had spent the early days of his life. Mr Mohammad Asif, another passenger, described the occasion as "exciting" and said he was "proud to travel by the bus on its maiden run" to meet his relatives in Lahore. A regular visitor to Pakistan, Mr Arif felt the bus service would benefit mostly the poor people who could not afford air or train travel. While most of the passengers were travelling to meet their relatives, Ms Mariam Hussain of Junagarh (Rajasthan) was going there to bring back her mother who has been in Pakistan for the past 25 years. About the difference between her earlier travels and this visit, she said the train journey took "the whole day and the whole night" and cost her more than Rs 1000. "However, this travel will take only 14 hours and the cost of the ticket is only Rs 800," she added. However, all were not lucky like these 29 passengers as many people, aspiring to travel by the maiden service, had to return without tickets. "There were lots of inquiries and a number of applications were received. But we could not issue more than 29 tickets," said Mr Hariraj Singh, DTC’s Regional Manager (South). Bus driver S.H. Zaidi, who
drove the trial-run bus and the one with Mr Vajpayee on
board, said the service would "definitely bring the
people of the two countries closer". |
Withdrawal of urea price hike sought NEW DELHI, March 16 — Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra of the Shiromani Akali Dal today demanded that the government should roll back the hike in the prices of urea and diesel, provide greater share of central taxes to states and resolve pending Punjab issues. Participating in the debate on general Budget in the Lok Sabha, Mr Chandumajra said while overall the exercise was aimed at benefiting the rural and agricultural sectors, the government should withdraw the hike since it would add to the woes of common people. Touching upon issues related to Punjab, he said the Centre should provide funds to enable the state build dams which would go a long way in making it flood-proof. He sought funds for dam across river Ghaggar in Patiala district. He said the state was on the verge of bankruptcy and urged the Centre to provide funds and also settle the issue of Chandigarh. In order to solve unemployment problem, he suggested that a two-pronged industrial policy should be drawn up one which is capital intensive and another labour intensive. He also demanded minimum support price for potatoes, and edible oils whose prices have fallen this year, compensation to the farmers of Punjab whose crops were damaged due to inclement weather. Referring to the agricultural sector, Mr Chandumajra said the government should create a chain of godowns, cold storage facilities and market sheds so that the produce could be stored properly. He said greater stress should be laid on agricultural research to increase yield and in this regard expressed concern over the ongoing research in ‘terminator seed’ in some parts of the country. Demanding the taking back of surcharge on income tax, he said otherwise it would add to the problems of the salaried class. To improve Centre-state relations and move towards federalism, he said, apart from providing greater share of central taxes to the states, the Panchayat elections should be conducted properly. Greater stress, he said,
should be on creating infrastructure in the country,
reduction of non-productive expenditure, review
non-performing assets and reverting to retirement age at
58 instead of 60. |
Sub-station for Chandigarh
cleared NEW DELHI, Mar 16 — The Centre has approved the setting up of a 220 KV sub-station for Chandigarh along with 220KV transmission line from 400 KV sub-station at Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh and also an outgoing 66KV line at a cost of Rs 49.50 crore. The Union Power and Non-Conventional Energy Sources Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, in a letter to Mr Satya Pal Jain, MP from Chandigarh, said that sanction for the project had been granted. Mr Kumaramangalam also said that the Centre had decided to set up a 100 MV CCPP liquid fuel-based power plant at Chandigarh. For this, the local administration has requested the NTPC to provide consultancy, prepare feasibility report for it. The NTPC has asked the Chandigarh Administration to pay Rs 50 lakh consultancy charges, Mr Jain said in a statement. In his letter during December, Mr Jain had requested the Centre to request the NTPC to provide consultancy to the Chandigarh Administration free of cost. Mr Kumaramangalam informed Mr Jain that NTPC was a commercial enterprise and offering consultancy was a regular remunerative business of the corporation. However, in view of Mr
Jain’s request and as a special dispensation, the
NTPC has been advised to provide free consultancy to the
Chandigarh Administration, the Minister informed Mr Jain,
adding that the necessary direction has already been
issued to the NTPC in this regard. |
Special team to probe
cartoonist’s murder case NEW DELHI, March 16 — The Delhi Police has constituted a special team to investigate the murder case of the Outlook’s cartoonist, Irfan Hussain, whose decomposed body was found from Ghazipur on Saturday. It was decided at a meeting at the police headquarters here last evening. The meeting was attended by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range), Mr Amod Kanth, the Joint Commissioner Police (New Delhi Range), Mr Y.S. Dadwal, the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr B.K. Gupta, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr Karnal Singh and Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), Mr Balaji Srivastava, police sources said. The team has been sent to a neighbouring state to investigate the case. Meanwhile, several hundred members of the National Human Rights Council (NHRC) today demonstrated outside the Jantar Mantar to protest against the gruesome killing of Irfan Hussain. While demonstrating, the protestors burnt an effigy of the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to signify the inefficiency of the BJP government at the Centre which has failed to protect the life of the working journalists in the capital. The President of the NHRC, Mr Subhash Gupta, said that journalists should be provided security and measures should be taken to check rising crime in the capital. The Editor-in-Chief of the Outlook, Mr Vinod Mehta, has written a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee, drawing his attention to the “casual approach of the top ranking officers of the Delhi Police during the course of investigation”. Mr Mehta announced that an award would be instituted in memory of the late cartoonist to encourage budding cartoonists. Sudhir Tailang, cartoonist, The Hindustan Times, who is also under threat, offered to assist Outlook in the institution of the award. The Secretary General of
the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), Mr Javed Faridi,
also offered assistance on behalf of the DUJ. |
740 mercenaries killed in J & K NEW DELHI, March 16 (PTI) — As many as 740 foreign mercenaries were killed in operations of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir between 1995 and 1998, Home Minister L.K. Advani told the Lok Sabha today. Altogether 1,763 security personnel were killed between 1990 and February 1999 in terrorist related violence in Jammu and Kashmir, he said in a written answer. Incidents: 1,327 incidents of militant violence directed against security forces and 501 explosions took place in the state between 1998 and February 1999 in which 975 civilians, 256 security force personnel and 1,139 militants were killed, Mr Advani said. ISI: The
Government has constantly demanded that Pakistan and its
official agency ISI should cease terrorism and covert
action forthwith and also close down training camps in
their territory, he said, adding the ISI has recruited,
trained, financed, armed and infiltrated terrorists into
India. |
Srinivas award for Shyama Prasad NEW DELHI, March 16 (UNI) — Television programmer-turned-filmmaker R. Shyama Prasad is to receive the second Gollapudi Srinivas Award for Best Debutante for the Malayalam film ‘Agni Sakshi’, which was screened in the Indian panorama of the 30th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in January last. The award is to be presented at a function in Chennai on August 12, the death anniversary of young film-maker Gollapudi Srinivas, who died in an accident at the age of 26 during the making of his maiden venture, ‘Prem Pustakam’. A memorial foundation has been set up in his name by his father, well-known film actor and author Gollapudi Maruthi Rao. Aimed at promoting good cinema and encouraging new talent, the award comprises a cash component of Rs 1 lakh and a memento. ‘Agni Sakshi’ stars Rajat Kapur in his first Malayalam film, with Shobhana and Sreevidya. ‘Agni Sakshi’ is
the story of transformation of a society caught between
two worlds — one dead and the other yet to be born. |
Tough time for fire victims NEW DELHI, March 16 — Relief work for the victims of fire in the Sanjay Amar Colony at Yamuna Pushta in North district continued for the second day today. Essential commodities are being distributed among the victims on the basis of the ration card. The victims, whose ration cards were destroyed in the fire, are facing difficulty in convincing government officials that they were fire victims. A separate list of the fire victims, who do not have ration cards, has been prepared. The Lt Governor of Delhi, at a meeting last evening decided to give an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 to the relatives of adults and Rs 25,000 to kin of minors who died in the fire and Rs 20,000 to those who received serious injuries. However, the distribution of ex gratia is yet to start, sources said. The Lt Governor set up a one-man-inquiry committee to establish the cause of the fire. The fire started at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday and was extinguished around 10.45 p.m. The Delhi Chief Minister,
Ms Sheila Dikshit visited the area this afternoon and
talked to senior officials of the Delhi Government and
the Delhi Police who were looking after the relief work. |
AIADMK MPs walk out NEW DELHI, March 16 — AIADMK MPs staged a walk out in the Rajya Sabha for the second day today to press their demand for a CBI inquiry into the alleged beating up of an auditor by Ms Jayalalitha and two others. The walk out came immediately after the question hour when AIADMK members sprang on their feet vociferously protesting against for what they called DMK’s hand in the incident. They also raised the issue of alleged deteriorating law and order in Tamil Nadu sparking off counter protests from DMK members and trading of charges between the two parties. Amid the din, the
Congress-led Opposition demanded a discussion on the
issue of sacking of Naval chief Vishnu Bhagwat and his
allegations regarding defence-related corruption. |
Friend joins death pact of lovers NAGPUR, March 16 (PTI) — Empathy drove a 22-year-old man to enter the suicide pact executed by a young couple, who consumed poison at Jam in Wardha district, about 100 km from here, yesterday. The bodies of Raju Meshram
(21) his companion Urmila Salame (18) and a common friend
Ankush Kamble (22) were recovered by the police along
with the suicide notes. |
No move to lift ban on LTTE NEW DELHI, March 16 (PTI) — There is no proposal to lift the ban on the LTTE, Home Minister, LK Advani informed the Lok Sabha today. In a symposium held by the Rashtriya Janata Dal held at Madurai last month, resolutions were adopted demanding the lifting of the ban on the LTTE, Mr Advani said in a written answer. The Tamil Nadu Government
had intimated that the symposium was attended by
representatives of the Makkal Nalla Urimai Kazhagam and
the Tamilar Desiya Iyakkam, Mr Advani said. |
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| Four dacoits killed in
encounter LUCKNOW: The police on Monday killed notorious dacoit Shri Krishna Jatav and his four associates in Tulapurwa village of Kannapa district. A police spokesman said here the dacoits were killed in a three-hour long encounter in the forests of the village after a police task force launched a combing operation there. While Jatav and his four associates were killed on the spot, two other gang members escaped, the spokesman said. Huge cache of arms were recovered from the encounter site. Meanwhile, the Muzaffarnagar police shot dead two kidnappers and rescued Babloo who was in their captivity since last month, the spokesman added. — PTI Railway
official murdered Consumer
complaints on Internet Maharashtra lifts
ban on sugarcane Two screens in
Gujarat Assembly Six killed in road
mishap |
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