BJP to focus on Jaya
From Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 20 — The three-day meeting of the national executive of the BJP, beginning tomorrow at Jaipur, will deliberate upon the conduct and behaviour of the AIADMK chief, Ms Jayalalitha, which has impaired the image and performance of the Vajpayee government.

Concerned over the deteriorating image of the BJP-led coalition government which will also have a bearing on the outcome of the assembly poll in four states in November, the party leadership will try to evolve a suitable strategy for both the forthcoming assembly elections and to fight the "war of nerves" relentlessly waged by Ms Jayalalitha.

The BJP executive, which was constituted by the BJP president, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, after he took charge of the party at Gandhinagar in May, is not particularly "pleased" over the out of turn statements of its alliance partners particularly of the AIADMK. The party leadership is of the view that a serious effort must be undertaken to impress upon other allies like the Trinamool Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal that their views aired through the media weakens their "common cause".

The party is of the view that there is no serious threat to the government as the Opposition is divided in the absence of an ideological unity between the Congress and the rest of the Opposition parties. The AIADMK is not being blindly supported by its other allies like the PMK and the MDMK which have seven Lok Sabha MPs, a senior leader pointed out adding that Ms Jayalalitha is getting increasingly isolated in her own front. A threat of a mid term poll is a boon in disguise for us, he said.

The BJP has gained politically in Tamil Nadu as her antics have helped us to make inroads in a state where we were practically non-existent till the last Lok Sabha elections, a senior leader said.

Other issues, which will figure at the three-day meet, will include finalisation of a strategy to win assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram. The top policy-making forum will have to finally clear all doubts whether the party will go to the poll projecting a single leader as future Chief Minister in the four states or will leave the issue to be decided by the elected MLAs.

A section of the party is of the view that if the party decides to project a single leader then the internal bickerings may come into the open which will have a negative impact on the outcome of the assembly poll.

The three general secretaries Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, Mr K.N. Govindacharya and Mr Narendra Modi who were entrusted with the task of supervising the preparation of the assembly elections by the party president, will present their respective reports on Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh at the executive committee meeting. The party’s all India secretary, Mr Padmanabha Acharya, will present his report and assessment on Mizoram.

Duties and allocation of work to the general secretaries and other office bearers, which has not been done till now in anticipation of the impending cabinet reshuffle, may also be completed in consultation with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, sources said.

The executive will also review the performance of the five month-old Vajpayee government. Mr Vajpayee is expected to explain to the party executive the government’s approach to Ms Jayalalitha. The party’s stand on providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state assemblies will also come under discussion.

Mr Advani will explain the government’s stand on the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar and Hardwar in the proposed state of Uttranchal. The controversy over the Prasar Bharati Bill will also figure at the meeting, the sources said.

The Union Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, is expected to present a report on the economic situation and challenges faced by the country after the Pokhran tests.

Besides the customary resolutions on political and economic situation prevailing in the country, the executive will also pass a separate resolution congratulating Mr Vajpayee for carrying out nuclear tests at Pokhran.

Mr Kushabhau Thakre will be accorded a reception when he arrives tonight at Jaipur. Mr Vajpayee will be the main speaker at a BJP rally to be held on Saturday.

The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Jaswant Singh, who will be in Washington for the fourth round of Indo-US talks, will not be attending the meeting. The Human Resource Development Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, will also not be in Jaipur as he is on a tour abroad.

PM gives Rs 12.5 million relief
38 bodies found; little hope for survivors

NEW DELHI, Aug 20 (UNI, PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today sanctioned Rs 12.5 million from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for disbursement among families of 250 persons feared to have died in the landslides in Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag districts of Uttar Pradesh.

At least 180 are reported to have died in Pithoragarh and 70 in Rudraprayag.

Out of this amount, Rs 50,000 each will be disbursed to the next of kin of the deceased, an official note said here today.

The Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh, has announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 each to the families of those killed. In case the deceased happens to be the earning member of the family, the amount will be Rs 1 lakh.

Besides, a sum of Rs 25,000 will be immediately paid to all those whose houses have collapsed.

Employment will be provided to people in these areas under the S.Y.S. scheme and the deserving provided houses under the Indira Avas Yojna.

Teams of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Indian Army recovered 38 bodies of the victims of landslides in Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag districts of Uttar Pradesh as Indian Air Force helicopters today finally managed to take off from Bareilly to get closer to the site for relief operations.

An IAF spokesman here said four Chetak helicopters could finally get airborne today from Bareilly at 4.48 p.m. to reach Dharchula. A MI-17 helicopter also managed to land at Pithoragarh this evening.

In a daylong operation at Malpa village, ITBP teams recovered 16 bodies today after rescue operations had to be suspended last night at the site due to a heavy fussilade of stones and rocks.

This morning, 36 ITBP personnel, six men of the Jat Regiment and 12 members of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), conducted rescue operations. A civilian doctor, Dr Garkoti, who survived the disaster, also joined the operations.

Later in the day, another contingent of the ITBP, supported by 100 local people from neighbouring villages and the police, came from Tawaghat to join the rescue work.

The bodies, in a state of decomposition, were recovered from under five metres of debris. More bodies were expected to be recovered, an ITBP spokesman said here.

Near Okhimath, two columns of the Indian Army began its operations today and recovered 22 bodies, 10 of which were identified as that of labourers working with the BRO.

The men from the Rajput Regiment had to use ropeways to reach the spot where the Madhyamaheshwar river had changed course after the landslides and created a lake, 3 km in length and 800 metres in width. The people of two villages — Burwa and Mansuna — had to be evacuated, an Army spokesman said.

The IAF spokesman said air support for the relief and rescue operations was fully in place. Three MI-17 helicopters and a Chetak had been sent from Sarsawa and Hindon to Bareilly to augment the fleet there.

Fixed wing aircraft were on standby at Bareilly to bring back the critically ill requiring specialised treatment outside Bareilly. Aircraft were also in position at Delhi to take relief supplies.

Earlier in the day, a MI-17 helicopter tried to go to Pithoragarh from Hindon by skirting Bareilly but had to return due to bad weather.

The ITBP said rain stopped late in the afternoon and a mild wind had developed, indicating improved weather in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the eight ITBP victims have been identified as Puran Chand (Head Constable), Arun Kumar, Anand Singh, Bharat Bhushan, Muni Lal and Prashant Kumar (all constables) and Pratap Singh and Zabar Ali Khan (both probationary constables).

Four buried alive in HP

SHIMLA, Aug 20 (PTI) — Four persons were buried alive and one was injured in house collapses following torrential rains in Una and Mandi districts of Himachal.

Three members of a family were buried alive when a house collapsed at Jor Palohara village in Mandi district due to heavy rainfall last night, a report said here today.

The district administration has sanctioned an ex-gratia payment of Rs 25,000 to the next of kin of the deceased.

A 10-year-old boy was buried alive and his mother seriously injured when their mud house in Una district was destroyed in a landslide near here last night.

The police said the deceased belonged to Badthora village in Badayun district of Uttar Pradesh.

The Mandi-Pathankot national highway continued to remain blocked due to a landslide at Guma in Mandi district, where transhipment of passengers was being carried out.

A report from Shimla said landslides had also occurred in certain areas of capital town of Himachal Pradesh. Drinking water supply has also been affected in some parts of the town.

Shimla and its adjoining areas experienced incessant rain during the day, causing a considerable fall in the mercury. The town remained enveloped in a dense fog, forcing motorists to drive with headlights on. Traffic on the Shimla-Kalka, Hindustan-Tibet and Shimla-Bilaspur highways moved at snail's pace due to foggy weather.

Reports of a moderate-to-heavy rain also came in from other parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Dharamsala, Kangra, Jogindernagar, Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Nadaun, Sujanpurtira, Solan and Nahan.

The city and its surrounding areas of Punjab and Haryana were lashed by a heavy downpour this morning, inundating low-lying areas, roundabouts and roads in different parts of the city. The weather office registered 41.2 mm rain in the city till 11 a.m.

Reports of rain also came in from parts of Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab, Nangal dam registered the highest rainfall of 63.2 mm till 8.30 a.m.

A moderate-to-heavy rain was also reported from Jammu division during the past 24 hours.

The weather office has predicted a moderate-to-heavy rain at many places in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana and at a few places in Punjab during the next 24 hours. The meteorological office also warned of heavy rain at some places in the region during this period.