Thursday, December 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

‘Swajaldhara’ to take water to villages
PM’s gift to country on his birthday

New Delhi, December 25 On the occasion of his 78th birthday, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee launched an ambitious scheme, “Swajaldhara”, aimed at providing drinking water to all villages in the country by 2004. In video (28k, 56k)

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with schoolchildren on the occasion of his 78th birthday at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday. — PTI photo

    

VHP firm on Hindutva
Pune, December 25
Unfazed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s attempts to sober them on the Hindutva issue, the VHP today asserted it would not allow the BJP to budge “even an inch” from the ideology and cautioned that the organisation should not be taken for granted.

CBI to press for extradition of Anees
New Delhi, December 25
The CBI Director, Mr P.C. Sharma, today said the agency had not received any communication from the United Arab Emirate authorities about the deportation of underworld don Anees Ibrahim to Pakistan and so it would continue pressing for his “deportation or extradition” to this country.

India to maintain some forward posts: George
Siachen Glacier, December 25
India today said some of the forward positions on the border with Pakistan would be maintained for strategic reasons even after the completion of troops withdrawal.

Riot victims seek CBI probe

New Delhi, December 25 The victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots have refused to accept the acquittal of former Congress MP, Sajjan Kumar. November 1984 riot widows stage a dharna in New Delhi on Wednesday. —  Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal.

 Ludhiana page: Widows of ’84 riots angry at acquittals

New rules for kidney donation
Amritsar, December 25
The government, under pressure from social activists and the public, last week issued fresh guidelines to the registered hospitals, doctors and the authorisation committee to protect unrelated donors in kidney transplantation cases.

Shaheedi Jor Mela begins
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 25
The three-day annual Shaheedi Jor Mela, held in memory of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh who were buried alive in a brick wall here, began with an akhand path at Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup here today.

Hashish worth 10.75 cr seized
Shimla, December 25
In the largest-ever narcotics seizure in the country, the police today seized 107 kg of high quality hashish, worth over Rs 10.75 crore, at Manali in Kulu district. The hashish was stored in the shape of cakes and “chapattis” by Chande Ram, alias Chander Negi, of Malana village who was living in a rented house.

BJP to go it alone in HP Shimla, December 25 The BJP has finally decided not to have any truck with its coalition partner, the Himachal Vikas Congress, in the ensuing Assembly elections in the state.   Nation page: BJP to focus on development for HP poll