Wednesday, May 19, 1999
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N A T I O N |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Cyclone to hit Gujarat
today Cong ‘crowd around a
family’ |
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Centre allows limited
wheat, sugar export
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Sonia unlikely to relent Autonomy for Kosovo ‘can be
considered’ No tie-up with SP: Lok Dal
Hearing on bail plea adjourned An act of betrayal: Ashwani Kumar Tipplers may taste French wines
now |
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Cyclone to hit Gujarat today GANDHINAGAR, May 18 (UNI) — Evacuation of people in the port town of Kandla in Gujarat began today in view of a massive cyclone shaping up in the Arabian Sea which is likely to hit the coastal areas of the state by tomorrow afternoon. Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel called an emergency cabinet meeting here this evening and asked his ministerial colleagues to rush to 14 coastal districts which are likely to be hit by a severe cyclone tomorrow and sanctioned a grant of Rs 50 lakh for each district to meet exigencies. The report said, the cyclone at 8.30 a.m. today was located at latitude 17.0° north and longitude 68.0° east, about 500 km from Veraval, and its intensity was likely to increase further as it may take a northerly route, followed by a north-east curve, before crossing the coast between Jakhau and Mahuwa by tomorrow afternoon. As a result of this grim warning, all operations on the ports in Kutch district have been stopped and danger signal number 10 has been hoisted on each port. The district collectorate-based control room said this evening that the cyclone was likely to hit Jakhau port with a high wind velocity of 100 to 120 km per hour. In view of the last year's devastating experience, all functioning at Kandla port has also been stopped and dock workers have been asked to evacuate the port area and move to safer places. District Collector Kaushal Dayani said all people living in the low-lying areas of coastal belt have been warned to move to safer places. The people have already started leaving for safer places as the authorities helped them evacuate. Salt pan workers have also been asked to evacuate their pans on coastal belt. He said the Kandla Port
Trust authorities were giving full cooperation to the
state government revenue officials. |
Cong ‘crowd around a
family’ NEW DELHI, May 18 — Fishing in the troubled waters of the Congress, the BJP today said the National Democratic Alliance had now emerged as "the only acceptable alternative that can provide stability". Addressing a press conference, the BJP Election Campaign Committee member Arun Jaitley, said, "The Congress has since long ceased to be an ideological movement. It is once again proving to be nothing more than a crowd around a family. Without the 'family' the crowd is directionless. Whenever the family resurfaces as a nucleus, the party re-assembles with dynasty as a substitute for democracy and ideology". Reading out from a written statement, jointly in his name and the party General Secretary, Mr Narendra Modi, Mr Jaiytley said the Congress was cracking up once again on the issue of "dynasty" as the holding factor for the party. "The Congress is caught in the vortex of internal turmoil on the issue of dynasty taking precedence over democracy and ideology. In the present cast, the representative of 'dynasty' is a vulnerable and inexperienced person of foreign origin", he said. In a scathing attack on Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the BJP leaders said her "letter to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and subsequently released to the press, makes the ludicrous claim of her life-time commitment to this nation. That a political leader has to seek to prove her allegiance to this country in order to fight an inner-party battle in itself demonstrates the person's vulnerability". "Let it not be forgotten that Mrs Sonia Gandhi spent 15 long years after her marriage before acquiring the Indian citizenship. She was in two minds 'to be or not to be' a citizen of India. Such was her reluctance to acquire Indian citizenship that it took her a decade- and-a-half before she decided to call herself an Indian. A reluctant citizen can hardly take up the onerous responsibility of this country's chief executive", they said. "Mrs Sonia Gandhi's
resignation makes a mockery of the political process. She
was a reluctant citizen, she was reluctant about her
husband's entry into politics, she was reluctant about
her own entry into politics and now she is reluctant to
be her party's President. But she was only too
enthusiastic about her midnight conspiratorial meetings
to plot the fall of a government that had the mandate to
rule. She was equally enthusiastic about her own backdoor
entry into the prime ministerial office even if that
meant mis-stating to the President of India that she had
the support of 272 MPs when in fact she had that of only
239." |
Centre allows limited wheat, sugar export NEW DELHI, May 18 (PTI) — The government today allowed limited wheat and sugar exports with a view to tackling surplus stocks and fully eased imports of all oilseeds to meet the rising domestic demand. Exports of wheat would be allowed up to one million tonnes during the current financial year and sugar in the value-added from up to 25,000 tonnes. The exports of value-added sugar was in addition to the 30,000 tonnes allowed under the European Union and the quota for the USA. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP), Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters. The government would also ask the State Trading Corporation (STC) to procure 10 million kg of flue-cured virgin tobacco from the growers with assistance from state governments, he said. The existing exports of wheat products would also continue, he said. Currently, the government allows exports of one lakh tonnes of wheat products. Mr Mahajan said the CCP decided to permit the unrestricted imports of all oilseeds, till now, only imports of rapeseed, soyabean and sunflower were being allowed under the open general license (OGL), which allows unrestricted imports. The Cabinet also cleared the execution of Rs 1684 crore stage two of the Chamera Hydroelectric Power Project in Himachal Pradesh being erected by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). This includes Rs 217 crore of interest during construction at August 98 prices, Mr Mahajan told newsmen. The 300 MW project, with a configuration of three units of 100 MW each located on river Rabi in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, is likely to be completed during the current financial year, NHPC sources said. They said the
corporation had already invited global bids and had
processed them and Press Information Bureau (PIB)
clearance was already awarded in February. |
Decision on leasehold conversion NEW DELHI, May 18 (UNI) — The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal to allow conversion of all residential property in the city from leasehold to freehold. Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani told reporters that the proposal had been placed by his ministry. The conversion will be allowed for all residential properties including flats, plots and multi-storeyed buildings. The approval also covers flats constructed by cooperative societies on leased land from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Property on 50 sq metre and below can be coverted at the 1987 rates. For bigger property, a rate gradient would be applicable. On properties ranging from 50-500 sq metre, the holders of lease would have to pay 7 per cent to 20 per cent additionally on valuation as per 1987 rates depending on locality. For properties of 500 sq
metre and above the lease holders would have to shell out
an additional 25 per cent to 50 per cent of the valuation
as at the 1987 rates. |
Sonia unlikely to relent NEW DELHI, May 18 — Having stunned her opponents by offering to quit and thus checkmated all moves against her, Mrs Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to relent. The Congress is thus faced with the piquant situation of being rudderless on the eve of a general election which has been caused due to its inability to form a government at the Centre after having crafted the ouster of the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led coalition. The crisis is not likely to blow over easily. The spate of resignation offers by senior partymen both from organisational and government positions will be testimony in history of the “support” enjoyed by the 58th president of the 115-year old organisation founded by Allen Octavian Hume. There are no parallels in history of the present development in the Congress. The 1969 and 1978 splits were engineered by the supporters of Mrs Indira Gandhi, who had the workers with her while party elders decided to oppose her. The nearest parallel which could have been drawn is with the February 2, 1977, formation of the Congress “For Democracy (CFD) by Mr Jagjivan Ram, Mr Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, Mrs Nandini Satpathy and other leaders who later joined hands with the combined Opposition in opposing the Congress and ensuring its first-ever Lok Sabha defeat. The Pawar-Sangma-Anwar trio, unlike the CFD leaders of 1977, have not left the party; the demonstration of support in Mumbai notwithstanding, there has been no mass response to their move so far; worse, the anti-Sonia Gandhi missive is credited to have been drafted by a retired wire services journalist, whose proximity to a former Prime Minister is well known. The shadow of Mr Chandra Shekhar, Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao and even some younger former Congressmen is seen on the document which has caused the exit of Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Had the move originated within the party and stayed within the party, the response could have been different. When it is widely perceived that the trio of CWC members were playing a proxy war for certain sections outside the party, the possibility of sympathy being generated within the Congress becomes minimal. The question now is: What after Sonia? CWC members reacted naturally on Monday by literally pleading with Mrs Gandhi not to “orphan” the organisation. Mrs Ambika Soni even burst out in tears when Mrs Sonia Gandhi left the meeting hall. The reaction of Congress Chief Ministers and other senior leaders today reflects the mood in the party. Mrs Sonia Gandhi is a private, primarily apolitical person, who had strayed into politics at the persuasion of Congressmen — whether one likes it or not, her ethnicity did not stand in the way of India’s largest political party, the only one with an all-India presence and 115 years of history behind it, literally pleading with her to head the party, which she reluctantly agreed to, 15 months ago. As a result of the “staggering display of xenophobia surrounding her foreign origin” (that is how a 10, Janpath source described the situation) she may well decide to withdraw into her shell once again. The Congress has to find a face which will lead it at the hustings. The CWC meeting was presided over by Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who was the nominated number two in the last Indira Gandhi cabinet. Being the seniormost General Secretary and an elder statesman who has worked with three generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the choice on Monday naturally fell on Mr Mukherjee when, without nominating anyone, Mrs Sonia Gandhi left the CWC in a huff. The aftermath of the
Sonia Gandhi resignation may see the mantle even fall on
persons like Mr A.K. Antony, former Chief Minister of
Kerala, or Dr Manmohan Singh, who has apolitical and
clean image which may be able to counter the personality
of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. If this happens, the office
of Congress President will revert to Punjab after a gap
of nearly 80 years. |
Autonomy for Kosovo ‘can be
considered’ NEW DELHI, May 18 — Belgrade is ready to discuss granting of "substantial autonomy" to Kosovo provided NATO strikes are immediately stopped and its sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected, the Yugoslav Ambassador to New Delhi, Mr Cedomir Strbac, said here today. The Yugoslav envoy said: "We want a political dialogue and peaceful settlement of the issue and we guarantee substantial autonomy to Kosovars,". Stressing that this can be done only if Yugoslavia is not subjugated and NATO strikes are immediately halted, the envoy said Belgrade would welcome any diplomatic initiative provided freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are respected. He said the NATO attacks
"are not meant to destroy our military machine as
they call it but to destroy Yugoslavia completely. There
is no justification for them to bomb us continuously for
56 days. |
No tie-up with SP: Lok Dal NEW DELHI, May 18 — The Lok Dal today ruled out the possibility of any kind of understanding with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the coming elections while keeping its doors open for talks with “secular parties” like the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party to “wipe out the BJP”. “There is no question of any alliance with the BJP and its friends”, the President of the party Mr Ajit Singh, told reporters here when asked about the possibility of a poll alliance with the SP. He accused the SP of helping BJP all along and said “even in the last polls, they helped BJP in winning 15 to 20 seats in Uttar Pradesh”. He said it would be “direct contest” between the BJP and the Lok Dal in western UP but the party was willing to enter into an alliance with all “secular parties”. The Lok Dal chief also scotched reports of his party’s merger with any other party. On the controversy over the foreign origin of the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, he urged “all secular parties and individuals not to fall in the BJP’s trap”. “There is no constitutional bar on a person of foreign origin becoming the Prime Minister. The controversy has been whipped up by the BJP, which had earlier cashed in on people’s sentiments in the name of Ram Temple”, he said. Earlier, 32 leaders from
various political parties, including an independent
legislator in UP Assembly, a former state minister and
MLAs and MLCs formally joined the Lok Dal at Mr Ajit
Singh’s residence. |
Status report of Jessica case
suspects NEW DELHI, May 18 — A fortnight after the murder of Jessica Lal in Tamarind Court restaurant, the police claims to have arrested most of those involved in the case. The main suspect in the case, Siddharth Vashist, alias Manu Sharma, son of Mr Venod Sharma, a former Union Minister, surrendered on May 6. He has been charged under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (murder) and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy). Manu Sharma has been remanded in judicial custody till May 20. Following is the status of the persons accused in the case. Vikas Yadav: The absconding son of Mr D.P. Yadav, a Rajya Sabha MP from UP, is accused of taking away Manu Sharma’s Tata Safari from the scene of the crime and sheltering him at his father’s official residence. He is also accused of abandoning the Tata Safari at Noida. He had sent a fax to the Delhi Police Commissioner, Mr V.N. Singh, claiming innocence. A Hindi daily published an interview with him even as he eluded the police. Amardeep Singh Gill, alias Tony: A general manager in a leading soft drink company, was with Manu Sharma at the restaurant at the time of shooting. He fled after the incident only to return to pick up Manu Sharma’s Tata Safari. Amardeep Singh has been booked for harbouring a criminal (Section 212 of the IPC), tampering with the evidence (Section 201 of the IPC) and criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B of the IPC). He was arrested on May 5 and his judicial remand expires on May 20. Alok Khanna: Another senior official of the soft drink major was also present at the murder spot on April 30. The Tata Sierra given to him by the company was used by Amardeep Singh and Vikas Yadav allegedly to bring back Manu Sharma’s Tata Safari abandoned outside the restaurant on April 30. Charges are the same as in the case of Amardeep Singh. He has been booked under Sections 120-B, 201 and 212 of the IPC. He was arrested on May 5 and his judicial remand expires on May 20. Amit Jhingan: He is alleged to have driven down Manu Sharma in his Maruti Gypsy to a spot near the restaurant to recover the weapon (.22 bore pistol) hidden by Manu Sharma after he killed Jessica and dropped him back at Vikas Yadav’s place. He has been charged with tampering with the evidence (Section 201 of the IPC). He was arrested on May 8 and his judicial remand expires on May 20. Ravinder Kishen, alias Titu: A friend of Manu Sharma, Titu had spent more than 24 hours with him after the murder. Manu Sharma allegedly handed over the weapon to him before fleeing from Delhi. Ravinder Kishen, working as a waiter in a New York hotel, fled the country on May 4 with the help of Shyam Sunder Sharma, son-in-law of former President, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma. The police has sought the help of Interpol to arrest him. He has been charged with tampering with evidence (Section 201 of the IPC) and harbouring (Section 212 of the IPC). Harvinder Chopra: A chartered accountant with the Piccadily group of hotels — owned by Manu Sharma’s father, Mr Venod Sharma had arranged the stay of Manu Sharma at his father-in-law’s residence in Saket on May 1. He was arrested under Section 212 of the IPC and released on bail on May 14. Dr Vikas Gill, alias Ruby: Drove Manu from Delhi to Chandigarh. Charged with harbouring the criminal. He was arrested for harbouring (Section 212 of the IPC) and later released on bail on May 14. Shyam Sunder Sharma: Son-in-law of the former President, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, and Manu Sharma’s uncle is accused of harbouring (Section 212 of the IPC) and tampering the evidence (Section 201 of IPC). He had also organised and partly financed the escape of Titu to the USA. He was arrested on May 14 and was released on bail by a Delhi court the same day. Yograj Singh: Former Test cricketer who allegedly provided shelter to Manu Sharma and his friend Dr Vikas Gill. He is likely to be arrested under Section 212 of the IPC. Manu Sharma is reported to have contacted him when his car broke down while fleeing. The police suspect Manu’s cellphone is with him. He has been served with a notice to appear before the police, but has so far failed to do so. He had moved an anticipatory bail in the court which was rejected. He has been charged with harbouring (Section 212 of the IPC). Bina Ramani,
Malini Ramani and George Mailhot: While Bina
Ramani holds a British passport, her daughter Malini is
an US passport holder and George Mailhot, the
socialite’s husband, holds a Canadian passport. They
were arrested on May 8 for running the restaurant beyond
midnight and for possession and serving of liquor
illegally under the Excise Act 61 and 68. The Foreigner
Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Income Tax
Department and Sales Tax Department have initiated an
inquiry against them. |
Hearing on bail plea adjourned New Delhi, May 18 — A Delhi court today adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Amit Jhingan, Amardeep Singh Gill, alias Tony, and Alok Khanna, in the Jessica Lal murder case. The Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr V.K. Khanna, adjourned the hearing after the prosecution counsel submitted that he needed time to prepare for opposing the bail plea of the accused. The judge posted the hearing of the case on May 20 when the accused would be produced before the court on the expiry of their judicial remand. The bail plea of the accused said that they had been arrested for harbouring and tampering with evidence (section 201 and 212 of the Indian Penal Code), which were bailable offences. The bail application
stated that another accused in the case with similar
charges, Shyam Sunder Sharma had been granted bail by the
court and there should be parity. |
An act of betrayal: Ashwani
Kumar NEW DELHI, May 18 — Mr Ashwani Kumar, member of the AICC Media Committee, has said the suggestion of three CWC members questioning the move to project Mrs Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate as a “politically timed act of betrayal”. In a statement issued
here, he said Mrs Sonia Gandhi acquired her citizenship
in accordance to law. The call to amend the Constitution
on the eve of the general election to debar persons of
foreign origin from holding certain offices, is
“obviously dishonest”. |
Tipplers may taste French wines now NEW DELHI, May 18 (UNI) — The famous French wines would be liberally sold in the Indian markets in two years time. According to a spokesperson of The French Trade Commission here, New Delhi has agreed to provide unhindered market access to wines and other alcoholic beverages from France from 2002 onwards. Under WTO agreement,
India is committed to allow liberal entry to agricultural
produces and other farm produces from WTO countries. The
present policy discourages import of alcoholic beverages
by imposing high customs duties since these beverages are
classified non-essential and luxury items. |
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| Discrepancies in
Staines’ accounts BHUBANESWAR: Discrepancies were marked in accounts of the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home (MLH) run by slain Australian missionary Graham Staines, the D.P. Wadhwa Commission of inquiry probing the killing was told on Tuesday. Director of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Division, Government of India, Sanjeev Dutta, deposing before the commission, said after examining the documents he had found that the foreign contribution and local funds had been “mixed up”. — PTI Oil, gas deposits found “Improve”
status of girl child ABSU to hold
rallies on May 24 Boy enacts film
scene, hangs himself Two run over by
train Couple hacked to
death |
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