Wednesday, December 2, 1998
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Delhi Ministry on Dec 3 NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The race for ministerial berths in the Delhi Cabinet gained momentum today with the swearing-in of the Cabinet likely to take place on December 3. SC commutes death penalty NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The Supreme Court today commuted two death sentences awarded to Kishori, infamous as "butcher of East Delhi", for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, into life imprisonment but upheld his conviction. CPP executive poll on Dec 15 NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The Congress today announced the schedule to elect executive committee of its Parliamentary wing by issuing a formal notification. |
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Sinha peeved about Khurana's faux
pas NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — A faux pas by the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister today resulted in a swift clarification that the government was for introduction of the Insurance Regulatory Authority Bill opening up the sector for private and foreign investment in the winter session of Parliament.
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Sonia opposed to unruly politics NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — Congress President Sonia Gandhi, is trying to inject a new idiom into national politics: she would like the Congress to behave like a responsive opposition in national politics and run responsible regimes in the states where the party has its governments. No
ultimatum to PM on DMK govt: Jaya Cracks
in AIADMK-led front: PMK
Sahib
Singh back at college Joshi
to expand ministry No
proposal to raise judges’ retirement age Lakhubhai
case: CBI for issue of letter rogatory Sukh
Ram seeks transfer of cases Russian
PM to visit India Relief
for former bank officers BJD
groups move towards truce |
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Delhi Ministry on Dec 3 NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The race for ministerial berths in the Delhi Cabinet gained momentum today with the swearing-in of the Cabinet likely to take place on December 3. As the number of members in the Cabinet, including the Chief Minister, cannot exceed beyond seven, several aspirants have started lobbying to secure entry. Various groups within the Congress Legislature Party have been holding meetings to ensure that at least one candidate amongst them is accommodated by Ms Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister-designate, in her Cabinet. The problems of Cabinet formation are compounded by the fact that the Congress has won the poll with a thumping majority and there are now several ministerial aspirants with most of them claiming to represent some vote bank or other. The party won 51 of the 69 seats for which elections were held with its main rival, the BJP getting only 15 seats. Polling in one constituency, Nangloi Jat, was postponed due to the killing of Samata Party candidate Ved Singh. Two Congress rebels, who contested as Independents, were also elected to the Delhi Assembly while one seat went to the Janata Dal. Moreover, the party would have to give adequate representation to women, Sikhs, minorities and the reserved category. Among the minorities, the Congress has three Muslims and five Sikh MLAs. It also has six women in the new legislature group. Those in the ministership
race are former DPCC chiefs, Mr Deep Chand Bandhu and Mr
Prem Singh. Mr Prem Singh has not lost any election since
1958 from the Ambedkar Nagar constituency. Others include
Ms Tajdar Babar, Mr Mangat Ram Singhal, Mr Subhash
Chopra, Mr S.C. Vats and Mr Mahinder Singh Saathi. |
Sinha peeved about Khurana's
faux pas NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — A faux pas by the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana today resulted in the government issuing a swift clarification that it was for introduction of the Insurance Regulatory Authority Bill opening up the sector for private and foreign investment in the winter session of Parliament. Within just three hours, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister held two press briefings to clarify that the Bill was on the priority of the second list of Bills the government proposes to introduce in the current session. The statement was contrary to what Mr Khurana had said earlier in the day that the Bill was not on the priority list of the government. He said that it was not on the priority list since the Finance Ministry was yet to clear some "technical points" in the Bill. Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha is understood to have taken exception to Mr Khurana’s statement and reported the matter to the Prime Minister, party sources said, adding that in turn Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee asked the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to set the record straight. This resulted in Mr Khurana holding a second press briefing to explain his statement. On his part, Mr Sinha sought to allay the fears of foreign investors about reforms in the insurance sector saying that there was no desire on the government’s part to retrace its steps on opening the sector. The Finance Minister
sought to assure that not only will the Bill be
introduced but would be passed in the current session of
Parliament. |
SC commutes death penalty NEW DELHI, Dec 1 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today commuted two death sentences awarded to Kishori, infamous as "butcher of East Delhi", for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, into life imprisonment but upheld his conviction. Of the seven death sentences awarded to Kishori for his role in the mob that killed several Sikhs in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Delhi High Court had acquitted him in four murder cases but affirmed the capital punishment in three cases. Of these three, Kishori had appealed against two in the Supreme Court. A Division Bench of the apex court comprising Mr Justice G.T. Nanavati and Mr Justice S. Rajendra Babu while dismissing the appeals filed by Kishori, said "on the totality of the circumstances, we are of the opinion that this is not a case where courts below should have imposed a capital punishment. "While affirming the conviction of the appellant on the charges framed against him, we reduce the sentence from that of capital punishment to life imprisonment," the Bench said. The Bench said, "None of the witnesses has stated that Kishori was the leader of the mob or he exhorted the members thereof to do any particular act. His role, it appears was only as a member of the mob." More than 2500 Sikhs were
killed during the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi between
October 31 and November 2 in 1984. |
Minister’s assurance on ‘terminator’ seed NEW DELHI Dec 1 (PTI) — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said that the government proposed to draw up a plan to increase the quantity of seeds and fertilisers given to farmers. The details of the plan were expected to be announced in a day or two, Mr Vajpayee told a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana told reporters here. The Prime Minister said the government was aware of the shortage of seeds and fertilisers which had led to their black-marketing. Steps would, therefore, be taken to ensure that they reached the farmers since many of them had not benefited from the existing distribution system. Mr Vajpayee said as part of government’s efforts to protect the indigenous sugar industry, its import duty was likely to be hiked. The government would be fixing the remunerative price for sugarcane crop, Mr Vajpayee said in response to members demand that sugarcane growers be paid good remunerative prices for their produce. Members expressed doubts about the functioning of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and wanted steps to be taken to streamline it, Mr Khurana said. Earlier the Agriculture Minister, Mr Som Pal, on Tuesday assured the Rajya Sabha that terminator genes would not be allowed into the country as members unanimously demanded a ban on introduction of the genetically manipulated American seeds. Responding to a calling attention motion, Mr Som Pal said: “The interests of Indian farmers would be fully protected and it is our final view that it (terminator seeds) would not be allowed in the country.” “We were the quickest the react after a patent on the control of plant gene expression was jointly taken by Monsanto and the United States Department of Agriculture. Immediate and adequate steps have already been taken,” he said. The Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage of the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation had instructed the import permit issuing authorities to ensure that seeds imported into India did not have terminator genes, he said. The minister however, said the Department of Biotechnology had given permission to Monsanto to test “BT” cotton seeds, and added the terminator gene had not been perfected on the field and it was still in the laboratory research stage. Raising the calling attention motion, K.R. Malkani (BJP) warned these were “seeds of disaster” as it was an American attempt to force a biological warfare and the introduction of such seeds would be a great danger to food security of the country. On no count the seeds should be allowed to enter the country legally or otherwise, Mr Malkani said. Terminator seed is a genetically-altered seed that blocks germination after one season and this is considered lethal and poses a global threat to farmers, bio-diversity and food and ecological security. Mr Som Pal denied the charge that the USA was putting pressure on India to allow multinational companies to sell their hybrid seeds and said the country would not be “susceptible to such pressures”. Mr Malkani said the development of the seeds was a U S attempt to control the food supply of the entire world and this was a great danger to especially the third world. He was joined by S.
Ramachandra Reddy (TDP), Janeshwar Mishra (SP), Adhik
Shirodkar (Shiv Sena), M. Sankara Lingam (DMK),
Jalaluddin Ansari (CPI) and Y. Radhkrishna Murthy (CPM)
in asking the government to ensure that on no count the
seeds should enter the country through either normal
channel or the backdoor. |
CPP executive poll on Dec 15 NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The Congress today announced the schedule to elect executive committee of its Parliamentary wing by issuing a formal notification. As per practice, the executive committee of the Congress Party in Parliament (CPP) elects new office-bearers in the second session after the formation of the new Lok Sabha. However, during the Budget session of Parliament the election schedule could not be formalised both due to preoccupation of the Congress with the session and also uncertain political situation. As per the schedule announced today, December 8 is the last date for the filing of nominations which opens on December 7. Withdrawals will be permitted between December 9 and December 11 and voting, if necessary, will be on December 15. The results will be announced the same day. The former Union Minister,
Mr Ram Niwas Mirdha, will be the returning officer. |
Sonia opposed to unruly politics NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — Congress President Sonia Gandhi, is trying to inject a new idiom into national politics: she would like the Congress to behave like a responsive opposition in national politics and run responsible regimes in the states where the party has its governments. She is opposed to unruly politics. Since the last session of Parliament, Congress MPs have been politely told that trooping into the well of the House can be avoided. This was evident yesterday when the Congress members refrained from joining Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha and some other Third Front elements who had trooped into the well of the Lok Sabha to demand the Prime Minister’s resignation. According to sources, Congress MPs have been advised that protest can be effectively conveyed by standing up from their respective seats and forcefully conveying their viewpoint. The use of language too has to be restrained. Last week, party spokesman Mani Shankar Aiyar, who had described Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee as “Layak aadmi, nalayak neta” had subsequently apologised to the Prime Minister. It is understood that the use of unparliamentary language in a public statement by Mr Aiyar had been looked down upon by Mrs Sonia Gandhi and this prompted the apology. Mrs Sonia Gandhi is playing high stakes. She is trying to rejuvenate the Congress and revive its votebank which had been eroded since the mid-eighties. She is also concentrating on the revival of the party in problem states like UP and Bihar. On November 25, a byelection was held for the UP assembly from Agra (East) where the BJP won the seat defeating the Congress candidate by a whisker. The Samajwadi Party candidate lost his deposit. This result has brought positive tidings for the Congress camp. And so have the results of the indirect Legislative Council elections in Bihar, where Congress has won four of the seven seats from the Teachers and Local Bodies constituencies. Though these are indirect elections, if teachers have started voting for the Congress in Bihar again, then it is a happy tiding for the party. The message from UP and Bihar is that the Congress can attempt to sideline its Third Front potential allies, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav respectively, and try its luck at the hustings after putting in hard work. AICC poll analysts are happy at the revival of Muslim, Sikh and even upper caste votes for the Congress in the November 25 poll. Mrs Sonia Gandhi spent
most of her day today meeting both winning and losing
party candidates in Delhi. Even to the winners a question
was put about the hurdles faced by them and attempts at
sabotage, if any. As a result of her today’s
fact-finding mission, she is likely to clip the wings of
some important CWC members who have been accused of
trying to prop up rebel candidates. |
No ultimatum to PM on DMK govt: Jaya CHENNAI, Dec 1 (UNI) — AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalitha today described as false and mischievous reports in a section of the media that she had given an ultimatum to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee to dismiss the DMK government in Tamil Nadu within 15 days. She also denied that Union Law Minister M. Thambidurai had called on President K.R. Narayanan as her emissary to urge him not to dissolve the Lok Sabha even if Mr Vajpayee recommended it. In a statement, copies of which were released to the press here, Ms Jayalalitha also termed as false media reports that she was making “desperate overtures” to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and that the latter had not responded to them. Ms Jayalalitha said she had told newspersons at the airport here on November 28, before her departure to Hyderabad, that the AIADMK would not cause the fall of the BJP-led government at the Centre or be responsible for any mid-term elections to the Lok Sabha. She said Dr Thambidurai had also attended the coordination committee meeting of the BJP-led front at New Delhi. “At the meeting, he confirmed, under my instructions, that we will remain as a coalition partner in the BJP-led government at the Centre,” she added. Ms Jayalalitha recalled that at the airport press conference she had said the reverses suffered by the BJP in the recent assembly poll were a reflection of the people’s anger against and disenchantment with the ruling BJP at the Centre. Terming as “revealing” Union Home Minister L.K. Advani’s statement that he was dissatisfied with the performance of the government at the Centre, the AIADMK leader said she had also brought this to the attention of the media. There were several occasions for Dr Thambidurai to meet the President and the Prime Minister, she said and added that the claim that he met them to demand the dismissal of the DMK government in the state was mischievous. Referring to the allegation that she was engaged in a conspiracy to deliver a “well-timed blow” to the BJP using the AIADMK’s strength of 18 Lok Sabha MPs, Ms Jayalalitha said: “this is a total lie calculated to besmirch my name.” On reports that she wanted to “expedite” the fall of the BJP-led government at the Centre in the context of the Supreme Court clearing the resumption of trial process in the corruption cases against her and other AIADMK leaders, the former Chief Minister termed them as “fictitious” and “highly imaginary”. Ms Jayalalitha described as speculative, the reports that she had hinted at a “tie-up” with the Congress to block any move by Mr Vajpayee to dissolve the Lok Sabha and “secure more bargaining power with the BJP and the Congress”. She also termed as a
fantasy, the reports that the Congress would have no
qualms about using Article 356 to dismiss the DMK regime
in the state. |
Cracks in AIADMK-led front: PMK CHENNAI, Dec 1 (PTI) — Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss today acknowledged the existence of fissures in the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, but expressed helplessness in dealing with the gulf that seemed to have developed between the AIADMK and its partners. “I agree with you,” he said at a press conference here when a reporter remarked that AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha was maintaining a distance from the front’s other constituents. However, when he was asked what he would do to remove the “friction”, if any, among the alliance partners, he said he did not know how to go about it. Dr Ramadoss reiterated his party’s position that it would back the BJP-led government for its full five-year term, and asserted that the electoral reverses suffered by the BJP in the assembly poll would have no impact at the centre. To repeated questions on what he would do if the AIADMK withdrew its support to the government, Dr Ramadoss said he believed that such an eventuality would not occur, and if it did, the PMK would take an “independent decision”. However, at the time of
the next election, the PMK would continue to be in the
AIADMK front even if the AIADMK moved towards the
Congress, he said, but ruled out supporting a
Congress-led government in the present Lok Sabha. |
Touch that pollutes! DINDIGUL, Dec 1 (PTI) — The “two-tumbler” system (separate drinking glasses for SCs and other castes in hotels and roadside tea shops) is prevalent in 34 villages in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district, according to Intelligence Department sources. A survey conducted by the police revealed that the system was prevalent in Matham, Oddanchatiram, Vedasandhur and Vadamadurai police jurisdictions, the sources said. The survey was conducted
by policemen in mufti on orders of the Tamil Nadu
Government. |
Sahib Singh back at college NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The former Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr Sahib Singh, is back to work. This time, however, he is not managing the affairs of the Capital but of a city college library. “At the moment, I have no assignment. That’s why I have joined back college,” Mr Singh said. “If the party gives me a post in the Cabinet, I will again go on leave,” he clarified. Mr Singh had joined Bhagat Singh College about 24 years ago. He is currently a Reader librarian. “I went on leave after I was elected from the Shalimar Bagh Assembly seat five years ago. My leave expires on November 27. That’s why I have again joined my college.” “Now I will work for
my people before noon and work for my college in the
afternoon,” he said. |
Joshi to expand ministry MUMBAI, Dec 1 (PTI) — The Maharashtra Ministry would be expanded before the winter session of the state legislature, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi said here today. “I plan to induct two ministers to fill vacancies caused by those who were dropped earlier and may be one or two additional ministers of state,” Mr Joshi told reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting. Without naming the sacked
Sena ministers Mr Ganesh Naik, Mr Suresh Navale and Mr
Gulabrao Gawande, Mr Joshi said the seats had been vacant
for the past over two months. “However, I have no
intention to create a jumbo Cabinet,” he said. |
No proposal to raise
judges’ retirement age NEW DELHI, Dec 1 — The government has said it is not considering any proposal to raise the retirement age of the judges. In a written reply to Mr Satya Pal Jain, the Minister for Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Mr Thambi Durai, replied in the negative to a question whether the government was considering proposals for raising the retirement age of the judges. The minister said in his reply that considering such proposals would need a conscious decision in its perspective keeping all factors in view. At present the retirement age for judges and Chief Justices of High Courts is 62 years and in case of Supreme Court judges is 65 years. According to Mr Jain, a lawyer by profession, at the last conference of judges there were some suggestions to raise the retirement age of judges of High Courts and bring it on par with those of the Supreme Court. By doing so, they felt
that it could, to certain extent, reduce the burden
caused by a number of vacancies that existed in High
Courts. |
Lakhubhai
case NEW DELHI, Dec 1 (UNI) — The CBI today sought the issue of a letter rogatory (letter of request) for examination of two US-based witnesses in the 100,000-dollar Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case against former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, tantrik Chandraswami and his aide K.N. Aggarwal alias "mamaji." CBI counsel J.S. Wadia told Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke, holding trial in the case, that a letter had been received from the Indian Embassy in the USA that the witnesses, Mr Kishore Kamdhar and Mr Douglas Hanskitt, could be examined through this process. The witnesses have failed to appear in the court in response to issue of a summons and the court was unable to order the sending of a commission to the USA to record their statements in the absence of a treaty between India and the USA for the purpose. Chandraswami’s counsel A.D. Giri objected to the issue of a letter rogatory, stating that this process was permissible only at the investigation stage, not during trial. Arguments will continue tomorrow. NRI businessman Lakhubhai
Pathak, who was based in London, had filed a complaint
against Mr Rao and other accused that they cheated him of
$ l00,000 by giving him a false promise that they would
get him a government contract for supply of paper pulp. |
Sukh Ram seeks transfer of cases NEW DELHI, Dec 1 (UNI) — Former Communications Minister Sukh Ram today sought transfer of three cases against him from a designated court, stating that he had lost faith in the trial judge. Mr Sukh Ram’s counsel, Mr P.D. Sharma told the court of the District Judge, Mr M.A. Khan, that the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Ajit Bharihoke, had humiliated him and his client on several occasions. He alleged that Mr Bharihoke had also ignored submissions during argument seeking reference to some important Supreme Court rulings which had relevance to the cases against the former Minister. The cases against Mr Sukh Ram pertain to amassing of wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income and criminal conspiracy in the award of government contract to private firms when he was Communications Minister. The court has asked the
opinion of Mr Bharihoke on the application and fixed
December 7 for further hearing. |
Russian PM to visit India MOSCOW, Dec 1 (AFP) — Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov will make an official visit to India from December 20 to 23, government officials cited by Itar-Tass news agency said today. President Boris Yeltsin had planned to visit India from December 6 to 7. The trip was put on an indefinite hold but not cancelled completely when he fell ill again with pneumonia last month. The highlight of the visit was to be the formal extension of a bilateral military cooperation agreement until 2010. A press attache at the
Russian Embassy stressed last month that the signing of
the accord would not be affected by Mr Yeltsin's absence. |
Relief for former bank officers NEW DELHI, Dec 1 (PTI) — The government has decided to provide ex-gratia relief to bank officers who have retired before January 1, 1986. "The banks may provide ex-gratia relief to all such employees who retired on or before December 31, 1985, provided they had rendered at least 20 years of continuous service prior to their superannuation and are not getting any pensionary benefits from the bank", says a Finance Ministry release issued here. The ex-gratia may be paid with effect from November 1, 1997, at the rate of Rs 300 per month with dearness allowances. The dearness relief on ex-gratia amount shall become payable at the rate of 0.67 per cent for every rise of four points over 600 points in the quarterly average of all India working class consumer price index (base 1960-100), says the release. Those who were dismissed
or removed from service or those who resigned from
service are not entitled for the ex-gratia payment, says
the release. |
BJD groups move towards truce BHUBANESWAR, Dec 1 (PTI) — Hopes of a rapprochement between warring factions of the Biju Janata Dal in Orissa brightened today when five rebel MLAs withdrew the court case challenging their expulsion by party President Naveen Patnaik. BJD sources said negotiators from the 'Naveen Patnaik camp and dissidents' group had reached a formula to end the 15-day crisis gripping the party after marathon discussions with the party President on his arrival from Delhi last night. As per the formula, the suspension and expulsion orders were to be lifted and the expelled legislators would reciprocate by withdrawing the case, the sources said. However, there was confusion whether the suspension of two MPs and senior party leader, Bijoy Mohapatra, and the expulsion order on five MLAs had been lifted or not. While party secretary
general Prasanna Acharya said that the disciplinary
action on MPs and MLAs had not been revoked as yet, two
of the expelled MLAs maintained that they had been shown
copies of the revocation orders and accordingly they had
withdrawn the suit from the court of Civil Judge (senior
division) here. |
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| 3 Bhutan army men killed GUWAHATI: Three Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) personnel were killed when unidentified militants ambushed an RBA Brigadier’s convoy in lower Assam’s Barpeta district today, the police said. Unidentified militants waylaid Brigadier Patto Shering’s convoy at Rangapani along the Indo-Bhutan border and killed three RBA personnel on spot, the police said. — PTI Blast case suspect held 2 dacoits killed
in UP Pak spy arrested Muster roll scam Former Kerala CJ
dead NIB sleuths arrest
2 Threat to Umiam
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