tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, October 29, 1999
weather today's calendar

Vajpayee indisposed
NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (UNI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is slightly indisposed and will not be able to attend Parliament for a couple of days. "Mr Vajpayee is suffering from viral fever", a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said this evening. The Prime Minister has written to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Speaker of the Lok Sabha that he would not be able to attend the two Houses for a few days. The Rajya Sabha was informed that External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh would reply on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Punjab hikes ST on kerosene, LPG, soft drinks
CHANDIGARH, Oct 28 (TNS) — Continuing its drive to raise salestax on various items to level its depleted coffers the Punjab Government today hiked sales tax on LPG from 8 per cent to 10 per cent, kerosene from 8 per cent to 20 per cent, aerated water, including soft drinks, from 12 per cent to 20 per cent. A government spokesman said the dealers and traders of these items had been told to charge the new rates of sales tax from today. Earlier the Punjab Government had enhanced ST on diesel and certain other items.

Central staff can't hire kids
NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (PTI) — Central Government employees have been barred from keeping domestic helps below 14 years of age, the National Human Rights Commission today said quoting a government notification. "Now no government servant shall employ to work any child below the age of 14 years," the NHRC said quoting a Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions notification issued on October 14.

Rajiv killing
CHENNAI, Oct 28 (PTI) — Tamil Nadu Governor Justice M Fathima Beevi has rejected the mercy petitions of the four convicts sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a prison official said today. The Governor, to whom the four — Nalini, her husband Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan — had submitted petitions for mercy, declined to exercise her power under Art.161 of the Constitution to grant a reprieve to them.

7 of family killed
CALCUTTA, Oct 28 (UNI) — Seven members of a family were shot dead by a gang of miscreants at Bechpura village near Harishndrapur in Malda district last night, official sources said today. The sources said the gang of miscreants, led by one Sahabuddin, attacked the house of one Majid Sheikh over an old land dispute and set it on fire. As the inmates, Majid Sheikh, his wife and five sons, came out the miscreants pumped bullets into them.

DVB AE booked
NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (UNI) — The CBI has registered a case against an assistant engineer of Delhi Vidyut Board special task force on the charge of accumulating assets worth about Rs 70 lakh through corrupt and illegal means. The accused official, identified by bureau sources as K. L. Garg, amassed wealth either in his name or in the names of his family members by abusing his official position.

Lankan poll
COLOMBO, Oct 28 (UNI) — Sri Lanka will go to polls on December 21 to elect a new President, it was officially announced today. An Election Commission release said that nominations for the elections will be received on November 16. President Chandrika Kumaratunga has been nominated by the ruling Peoples’ Alliance Party (PA) while the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has recommended its leader Rani Wickremesinghe.

Sorabjee to stay
NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (PTI) — Soli Sorabjee will continue as Attorney General and Kirit N Raval, Altaf Ahmad and R N Trivedi will continue to be Additional Solicitor Generals, official sources said today. Earlier they had submitted their resignation to the government in keeping with the tradition of giving a free hand to the new government to choose its team of law officers.

11 die in blast
SHANGHAI, Oct 28 (Reuters) — Eleven persons were killed in a coal mine explosion near the city of Luoyang in China’s central province of Henan, the official Xinmin evening news said today. One miner was rescued and five escaped unharmed after the explosion triggered a cave-in at the Baiyao number five mine on Tuesday.