tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, December 16, 1998
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No-trust move in WB
CALCUTTA, Dec 15 (PTI) — A Congress-sponsored no-confidence motion against the Left Front government was admitted in the West Bengal Assembly today. Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim admitted the motion after 48 Congress members rose in support of it. The Business Advisory Committee of the House would decide the date when it would be taken up for discussion, Mr Halim said.

Ayodhya case adjourned
LUCKNOW, Dec 15 (PTI) — A special court hearing cases related to the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, today fixed January 20 as the date for framing of charges against all the 49 accused. Special Additional Sessions Judge (CBI) Jagadish Prasad Srivastava adjourned the hearing as four criminal revisions seeking to challenge the summoning order of the special Judge are pending in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Appeal in Kalkat case
NEW DELHI, Dec 15 (PTI) — The Government has filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court for hearing by a Division Bench its single-Judge order quashing the appointment of Lt-General H.R.S. Kalkat as General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) of the Eastern Command. The appeal was filed yesterday against the Justice Virender Jain order allowing a writ petition by Lt-General R. Kadyan alleging that he was superseded by Lt-General Kalkat despite being the seniormost officer at the time of the appointment.

Parthasarthy NCW head
NEW DELHI, Dec 15 (PTI) — Eminent educationist Vibha Parthasarthy has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). Ms Parthasarthy is at present Principal of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in the Capital. The commission was headless for more than five months since Mohini Giri’s term ended in July.

Lanka Army chief
COLOMBO, Dec 15 (PTI) — Major General Sri Lal Weerasoorya took over as the new Sri Lankan Army chief from Lt-Gen Daluwatte who retired today. General Daluwatte, who has headed some of the army’s bloodiest operations against the LTTE, was widely tipped to become the first head of the proposed joint operation command comprising the army, navy, air force and the police.

14 die in mishaps
RAJKOT, Dec 15 (PTI) — Fourteen persons were killed and 13 injured in two different road accidents on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad National Highway today, the police said. In the first mishap, 11 were killed on the spot and 10 injured when their van collided with a state transport bus near Sayla village. In the other accident, three were killed and three injured when a Gujarat State Electricity Board jeep collided head on with a truck on the outskirts of the city.

Gas leak hits 200
THANE, Dec 15 (UNI) — More than 200 residents of the Mohane locality in Kalyan here, were affected following the leakage of gas from a chemical unit last night, the police said today. Residents of neighbouring areas complained of nausea, giddiness and uneasiness soon after the gas leak from the unit of National Rayon Corporation. The affected included rickshaw drivers and passengers waiting for trains at the Kalyan railway station. All are out of danger.

22 pilgrims die
KATHMANDU, Dec 15 (PTI) — At least 22 India-bound pilgrims were killed and several others injured after their bus careened off a mountain road in Ilam district of eastern Nepal today, the state-owned Radio Nepal reported. The bus, carrying 64 Nepalese Hindu pilgrims on their way to religious sites in India, plunged more than 150 meters into a valley, it said. Sixteen of the pilgrims were killed on the spot, while six succumbed to injuries in hospital.