Badal meets Vajpayee, discusses state’s plans
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 11 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today urged the Prime Minister to expedite various pending projects of the state, including the early clearance of the Bathinda oil refinery and Centre’s stand on the river waters dispute before Eradi Tribunal.

The Chief Minister, who also met the Union Home Minister, Mr Lal Krishan Advani, for the early settlement of problems of farmers residing in the border areas, told reporters that development projects pending for execution were the main items on agenda.

Mr Parkash Singh Badal, parried questions on the contentious issue of support of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) linked to the exclusion of Udham Singh Nagar district from the proposed Uttaranchal state.

"The SAD stand is well-known and the decision of the party’s political affairs committee stands, "he said in reply to a question if the issue figured in today’s meetings with both Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani.

The SAD maintained that the party would oppose the Bill in the current form as it includes the Udham Singh Nagar district in the proposed state.

The Chief Minister said in his meeting with the Prime Minister, he urged that early clearance from the Public Investments Board be given to the Bathinda refinery project, the execution of the Chandigarh-Ludhiana-Morinda rail link, irrigation projects like Ghaggar canal, Upper Bari Doab canal and Sakil nullah.

Mr Parkash Singh said the state government extended invitation to both Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani to attend the death anniversary function of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal on August 20.

He said the Prime Minister assured that one of them would attend the function.

Punjab also sought for Centre’s contribution for the tricentenary celebrations of the foundation of the Khalsa with Prime Minister as head of the celebration committee.

In his meeting with Mr Advani, the Punjab Chief Minister wanted the Centre to attend to the problems of farmers whose fields were close to the border.

The Union Home Minister had earlier visited the border towns to acquaint himself with the problems of the farmers, since portions of their fields lay beyond the fencing.

While the meeting with Mr Vajpayee was at 7, Race Course Road, the one with Mr Advani took place at the Home Minister’s North Block office.

Later, the Chief Minister called on the Urban Development Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani.

Mr Badal replying to a volley of questions, said that the party would take a decision only after the Bill was introduced in Parliament, apparently giving breathing space of the least four months to the ruling coalition.

(The winter session of Parliament, when the Bill could come up, is scheduled during the second week of November).

Earlier in the day senior Akali Dal leader G.S. Tohra perceived as a hard-liner on the Udham Singh Nagar issue, said his party would oppose the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, which will include Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed Uttaranchal state when it is taken up by Parliament.

SAD-BJP rift: Chautala to mediate
From Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

GURGAON, Aug 11 — The Indian National Lok Dal headed by former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Devi Lal, has taken up the task to mediate between the top leaders of the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to defuse the crisis faced by the BJP government at the Centre on the status of Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh.

The Dal would also reportedly meet leaders of the Trinamool Congress which has also staked its claim on the issue.

Former Chief Minister of Haryana, Om Prakash Chautala and leader of the Dal, will meet Mr Vajpayee soon on the issue. The Dal has taken the stand that a referendum should be held in Udham Singh Nagar district and Hardwar for the transfer of the two districts to the proposed Uttaranchal state.

The Central Government should abide by the verdict of the people on the issue.

The Dal leadership feels that it will also be able to persuade the Trinamool Congress, supporting the government at the Centre, to toe its line.

This move is considered to be a face-saving measure for the BJP, the SAD and Trinamool Congress on the issue and also a way to allow wriggle out of the crisis for the time being. Sources said the move had been initiated after informal talks between senior leaders of the BJP, the SAD and the Indian National Lok Dal.

However, Mr Chautala, who was here, denied that he or Mr Devi Lal had prior talks with leaders of the BJP and the SAD on the issue. He, however, said: "We have long lasting relationship with the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and other Akali leaders. Therefore, on the basis of the relationship, it can be taken for granted that any move initiated by us has an approval".

It may be recalled that it was Mr Badal who was instrumental in persuading Mr Chautala to lend his party’s support having four MPs to the Vajpayee government.

However, Mr Chautala expressed the view that the Union Government must also solve the dispute over the Sutlej Yamuna link canal project on the lines of Cauvery issue.

Although the Dal leadership has taken the stand that it would not exert "undue influence" on the Vajpayee government on any issue with regarding its support to it, a source in the party said the Dal was slowly raising the pitch for the Centre’s intervention on the law and order situation in Haryana.

Mr Chautala said while the Vajpayee government was sending teams to study the law and order situation in one state, it was maintaining "deafening silence" on the law and order front in Haryana. The situation was fast deteriorating after the Lok Sabha elections, he added.

Continuing his tough posture against the HVP-BJP government led by Mr Bansi Lal in Haryana, Mr Chautala said that the BJP leadership should have taken moves for fresh elections in Haryana after the poor performance of the HVP-BJP combine in the Lok Sabha election.

Mr Chautala told newsmen that his party would contest the forthcoming assembly elections in four states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh. He ruled out the possibility of his party entering into an electoral alliance in these states.

Blast destroys oil storage tanks

GUWAHATI, Aug 11 (PTI, UNI) — A blast, triggered by suspected militants, in the Indian Oil Corporation’s oil depot destroyed five of the seven oil storage tanks in Assam’s Naogaon district, official sources here said.

Initial reports said none had been injured in the explosion at the oil depot in Thekeraguri near Dharamtool in central Assam.

The possibility of internal sabotage as well as the involvement of militants was being probed, the sources said.

They said one tank containing kerosene, the second petrol and the third diesel were destroyed while two other tanks containing diesel were partially damaged. Two tanks carrying diesel were, however, intact.

The guard of the IOC oil distribution centre noticed a fire which was followed by a loud booming sound around 4.30 am as a massive fire swept one tank after another.

The extent of the damage was being ascertained as the quantity of oil in the tanks was not immediately available.

The police is investigating the cause of the fire as well as the possible involvement of any militant groups.

There have been intelligence reports that the ULFA might strike some oil installations just before the Independence Day celebrations.

A senior official of the IOC (marketing division) said the storage tanks had both kerosene and petrol beside the high speed diesel. "It is still difficult to estimate the loss but it should be more than Rs 2 crore by the initial calculation of the petroleum product alone. If we take together the infrastructural damage also then it would be much more and a comprehensive study only would be able to said that", said the official.

Meanwhile, the Northeast Frontier Railway has suspended all traffic between Lumding and Guwahati as the depot was adjacent to the Thekeraguri railway station.