Wednesday, November 11, 1998
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N A T I O N |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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HC denies bail to Laloo,
Mishra Govt
to seek review |
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Patel wins trust vote Bhandari
briefs Advani 2
returning officers removed |
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Tallest building in
quake-prone area Splinter
Congress groups must unite: Mamata Campaigning
begins in Rajasthan Crime
branch to probe case of Reliance chief Wage
boards’ interim report by year-end HC
notice to Centre on divorce Act Rajasthan’s
wandering blacksmiths Protein
to cure male infertility found Rajasthan
varsity VC resigns Chandigarh
SI among 6 convicted |
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HC denies bail to Laloo, Mishra PATNA, Nov 10 (PTI) — The Patna High Court today rejected bail applications of former Bihar Chief Ministers Laloo Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra, former ministers Vidya Sagar Nishad and C P Verma and controversial RJD MLA, R K Rana, in a conspiracy angle case of the fodder scam. Mr Justice M Y Eqbal while turning down their plea for regular bail, said in his order that in view of the gravity of charges and documentary evidence, prima facie involvement of the accused was made out in the conspiracy that resulted in irregular withdrawals from the treasury by the state Animal Husbandry Department. He said for judicial consistency and uniformity it was not proper to allow pleas of the accused or bail as his court had earlier rejected similar applications of other two co-accused in the case. The case RC 64 (A)/96 deals with fraudulent withdrawals of more than Rs 97 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury by state Animal Husbandry Department officials through "forged and fake’’ bills between 1991 and 92. Mr Justice Eqbal, however, did not pass any order on the CBI’s affidavit challenging the stay of Mr Yadav and Mr Mishra in judicial custody at the make-shift jail at the BMP guest house in connection with the case. Earlier, special CBI Judge S K Lal on October 30 had rejected the regular bail applications of Mr Yadav and Mr Mishra along with those of six others and remanded them in judicial custody till November 13 in the case. Following the rejection on their bail applications, the former Chief Ministers, Mr Rana and Mr Nishad moved the high court for regular bail on November 2 and 3, respectively. Bihar Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari after assuming office, accorded his sanction on May 12 for the prosecution of two former Chief Ministers in the present case. The CBI designated court
took cognisance of the CBI chargesheet on July 2 and
directed the RJP president to surrender before the court
and issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Mr Mishra
and the other accused. |
Patel wins trust vote BANGALORE, Nov 10 (PTI) — The no-confidence motion sponsored by the Congress and the BJP against the J.H. Patel Ministry in Karnataka was defeated in the Legislative Assembly today. A total of 133 members voted against the motion and 83 for it. Three Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) members staged a walkout before the voting while four members were absent. The dissident MLAs who are seeking Mr Patel’s ouster also voted against the motion, falling in line with a truce reached in Delhi last week to end the factional feud in the party. The Janata Dal was backed by Independents and its allies including the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party (Progressive), the CPM, the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha, the AIADMK (Tiruvanakarrasu), the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, the BSP and the RPI. Following is the party
position in the 225-member House. Janata Dal (112),
Congress (44), BJP (38), Karnataka Congress Legislature
Party Progressive (4), Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha
(1), Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (1), BSP (1), AIADMK
(T) (1), CPM (1), Bharatiya Republican Party (1),
Independents (18) and the Speaker. One member is
nominated and another seat is vacant. |
Bhandari briefs Advani NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (PTI) — Bihar Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari today met Union Home Minister L.K. Advani and apprised him of the law and order situation in Bihar. After his 30-minute meeting, Mr Bhandari told reporters that he had explained to the Home Minister the prevailing situation in the state. The Governor said he had not submitted any fresh report to Mr Advani on the Bihar situation. "I have not submitted any fresh proposal (for imposition of President’s rule in Bihar) to the Home Minister," he said.) The meeting assumes significance as it comes barely two days after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said in Patna that he stuck to his view that "mafia raj" prevailed in Bihar and specially after Sunday’s massacre of seven persons by extremists in the state. Asked to comment on Mr Vajpayee’s remarks, Mr Bhandari said he had explained to the Home Minister whatever he had to say. To a question whether he still considered that the situation in Bihar was fit for application of Article 356, he said: "I will not add anything new to what I have said earlier." The Governor had earlier said the situation in Bihar was fit for use of Article 356 and had recommended the imposition of Central rule there. The Governor remained non-committal on whether the Union Cabinet would again recommend President’s rule in the state in the light of the Prime Minister’s remarks that "mafia raj" still prevailed in Bihar. "It is for the Centre to do whatever it feels like," was his reply to repeated questions whether some action against the Rabri Devi Government was on the cards. Mr Vajpayee said in Patna on Sunday that the Centre was keeping a "close watch" on the situation in Bihar. Mr Advani told reporters before his meeting with Mr Bhandari that the Prime Minister’s remarks were "most important". "What the Prime Minister is saying is most important," was the Home Minister’s reply when asked to comment on Mr Vajpayee’s remark and if the Centre was contemplating any action against the RJD Government. Mr Advani, however, parried queries whether the Centre would once again recommend the imposition of President’s rule in the state. The Union Cabinet had last
month decided to drop the issue "for the time
being" after President K.R. Narayanan returned the
Centre’s recommendation for use of Article 356 in
the state. |
EC removes two returning officers NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (PTI) — The Election Commission tonight removed two returning officers in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh for failure to apply electoral laws in a proper fashion while dealing with nomination papers of Congress candidates for the November 25 Assembly poll. While ordering re-scrutiny
of nominations in the Seemapuri (SC) constituency in
Delhi and the Nepanagar seat in Khandwa district in
Madhya Pradesh, the commission appointed new returning
officers for the two constituencies. The names of the
returning officers who were removed were, however, not
disclosed. |
Government to seek review of SC ruling NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (PTI) — Three-year-old multi-crore JMM MPs' bribery case took a new turn today with the Union Government informing the Supreme Court that it would soon seek the review of the apex court judgement holding bribe giving MPs liable for prosecution but not those accepting it. Additional Solicitor-General R. N. Trivedi informed the three-judge Bench comprising Justice M.K. Mukherjee, Justice G.B. Patnaik and Justice S.P. Kurdukar that government was contemplating filing a review of the April 18 judgement of the five-judge Constitution Bench which also had held that MPs were public servants. The Bench, after hearing Mr Trivedi’s submission, posted for hearing on Thursday petitions moved by former Prime Minister P.V Narasimha Rao, former Home Minister Buta Singh, former Petroleum Minister Satish Sharma and others seeking the quashing of charges framed against them in the case. The Bench said it would decide on Thursday the course of hearing after apprising itself of the grounds of review in the application, which would be filed shortly. Counsel for Mr Rao, P.P. Rao, submitted that pending the filing of the review application by the government the ongoing trial in the bribery case should be stayed. However, the Bench said as it was taking up the matter again on Thursday, it would decide the question of stay on that day itself. The Constitution Bench headed by Justice S.P. Bharucha in its April 18 judgement had quashed charges against the alleged bribe-takers Simon Marandi, Shibu Soren, Suraj Mandal, Anadi Charan Das, former Union Minister Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, Roshan Lal, Abhay Pratap Singh and Haji Ghulam Mohammed saying they enjoyed the immunity from prosecution as prescribed in Article 105(2) of the Constitution. However, it said those MPs
giving bribe would come under the Prevention of
Corruption Act as MPs were public servants. |
Tallest building in quake-prone area KARAUNDI (India’s geocentre), Nov 10 (PTI) — Two hours of roller-coaster ride on an unpaved road winding through thick forests on the Vindhyachal range leads you to the site where the world’s tallest structure is proposed to come up. The foundation of the 2,222-feet pyramid-shaped building to be constructed by the Maharshi Trust, was laid at “bramhasthan” (or the centre of India), 30 km, from Jabalpur. The proposed structure will dwarf the present highest building — the Petronas tower in Kuala Lumpur — by about 750 feet. The Rs 10,000-crore, 144-storeyed building will house Maharshi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University and serve as the centre for maharshi’s global administration through natural law. Over 1,00,000 vedic pundits will live in the complex and work for the advancement of vedic learning, trust officials said. But behind all the hype, one is forced to think if the building can come up in a siesmologically active area? The trust claims “vastushastra”, the ancient Indian architectural science, can solve that. “A pyramidal structure is the most stable shape for a building and it is funny why no one thought of that before,” Mr Eike Hartmann, who been has entrusted with the task of constructing the building, said. “We will build the
structure taking into account all factors and making
provisions for the building to be able to take more
stress than what it will be subjected to, based on
scientific analysis of different forces acting on the
structure,” he said. |
Splinter Congress groups must unite: Mamata LUCKNOW, Nov 10 (PTI) — Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today asked splinter Congress groups to come together to form a United Congress at the national level to “keep the Congress tricolour flying.” “Splinter groups of the Congress like the Trinamool in West Bengal and the Loktantrik Congress Party (LCP) in Uttar Pradesh are the real Congress and I would prefer a united Congress of these splinter groups at the national level,” Ms Banerjee said addressing the first convention of the LCP, a partner of the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state. The firebrand leader, who had recently quit the coordination committee of the ruling coalition at the Centre over the price rise issue, said the Loktantrik Congress must play a major role in “uniting the splinter Congress groups in the largest state of the country.” Addressing the meeting, LCP president and state Energy Minister Naresh Agarwal, who had broken away from the Congress to form the LCP last year, said he was already in touch with other like-minded Congress factions in different states to form a national-level front. Mr Agarwal claimed the LCP was the “real Congress” in Uttar Pradesh and coming together of the splinter groups would help them work with greater political maturity. Ms Banerjee told the convention constructive criticism of the government “is the right of its coalition partners” and it should not be taken as a “warning to the central government.” She reiterated her demand that the Centre convene a meeting of Chief Ministers to discuss the unprecedented price rise. “It is essential that the Chief Ministers discuss the issue with the Prime Minister in such a meeting,” she said. She said the eventual responsibility of all political parties was towards the people and it was their duty to draw the attention of the government on the issues which were not getting adequate attention. “We are committed to providing stability to the country and there would be no backing out,” she said, adding that “we have also to speak up for the cause of the common man.” Calling upon the Loktantrik Congress to play a similar constructive role in UP, she asked the LCP to raise its voice in the people’s interests. “Being in the government does not mean that we have to keep our eyes shut and remain mum on the problems being faced by the people,” she added. In a political resolution adopted at the convention, the Loktantrik Congress said it was opposed to imposition of President’s rule in any state. “Article 356 should be scrapped because it is often used for narrow political gains,” the resolution said. The Constitution should be amended in such a manner that Parliament and legislatures complete their full five-year terms instead of facing the threat of mid-term elections, it said. The party wanted the
appointment of Governors to be made in consultation with
Chief Ministers of the state concerned. |
Campaigning begins in Rajasthan JAIPUR, Nov 10 — With the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers over, the BJP and the Congress have begun electioneering in Rajasthan. While Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said here yesterday in an interview that the BJP would come to power for the third time in a row, PCC chief Ashok Gehlot asserted that his party would capture at least 150 seats out of the total 200. Mr Shekhawat and Mr Gehlot, however, agreed that the dominating issue in the ensuing elections would be the BJP’s performance during the past eight years. While Mr Shekhawat claimed that unprecedented development work had been executed in Rajasthan, Mr Gehlot said development activities had come to a stop during the BJP rule. Admitting that the state’s plan size had gone up from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 27,000 crore, Mr Gehlot alleged the money had been misused. He said the state had come under a heavy burden of loans , the annual interest liability being Rs 2,200 crore. Asked how many seats the BJP would win, the Chief Minister replied: “I am not an astrologer. Such predictions can be made by astrologers only. But I can say that the BJP will again form the government in Rajasthan for the third time”. But Mr Gehlot said:
“People have seen the failure of Mr Shekhawat’s
government and have therefore decided to dislodge the BJP
from power.” Rebellion by ticket-seekers would have
no impact on the party. People had seen the fall-out of
electing Independents in the last Vidhan Sabha elections,
he said. |
Crime branch to probe case of Reliance
chief NEW DELHI, Nov 10 — The Crime Branch of Delhi Police plans to pursue two lines of investigation in the case registered under the Official Secrets Act against the President of Reliance Group of Industries V. Balasubramaniam. Sources in Delhi Police told this correspondent here today that officers investigating the case would try to find out how the secret documents of the different ministries and those of the Union Budget reached the office of V. Balasubramaniam and in whose possession they were found. Involvement of political leaders and senior officers of different ministries would also come to light, sources said. The papers were reportedly found from V. Balasubramaniam’s New Friends Colony residence and office located in Meridien Tower in Connaught Place on October 29 during a raid conducted jointly by the South Delhi Police and officers of the Income Tax Department. The case was transferred to New Delhi district police and an FIR was lodged on November 6 in Parliament Street Police Station. The case was finally handed over to the Crime Branch for the investigation. The name of Romesh Sharma was also reportedly mentioned in the FIR. Sources said the raid was
prompted by Balasubramaniam’s reported links with
Romesh Sharma, a Dawood aide and self-styled President of
the All India Bharatiya Congress. |
Wage boards’ interim report by year-end BHOPAL, Nov 10 (PTI) — The Manisana Singh Wage Board for Journalists and Other Newspaper and News Agency Employees would submit its interim report by the year end and the final report within three months after that, Union Labour Minister Satyanarayan Jatiya today said. The government would implement the final recommendations very soon after it gets them, Mr Jatiya told PTI here. Attributing the delay on
the issue to the lack of consensus, the minister said,
“we wanted to settle the matter by September 20 but
could not do so because The Indian Newspaper Society
(INS) wanted to make a representation”. |
HC notice to Centre on divorce Act KOCHI, Nov 10 (PTI) — The Kerala High Court today issued a notice to the Centre on a petition seeking the nullification of Section 20 of the Indian Divorce Act under which a Christian needs to get a confirmation from the high court of an order of nullity of marriage passed by a lower court. The notice was issued on a petition filed by Mr Aloysious Thomas of Kochi who said the section was “discriminatory, unjust and against the right to equality guaranteed under the Constitution”. As per the Section, only a
Christian needs to get confirmation from the high court
and that too by a full Bench of an order of nullity of
marriage passed by a district judge.
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Rajasthan’s wandering
blacksmiths SRIGANGANAGAR: On the outskirts of a town or near a water of reservoir in the rural areas of Rajasthan and the neighbouring states found Gadulya Lohars or wandering blacksmiths. Having no house, not even tents, braving the scorching sun and torrential rains — they lead a hard life beneath their carts. Dressed in shabby clothes, they park their bullock carts with their men, women and children and go about their day-to-day routine preparing knives, scissors, bolts, nails, etc. This gypsy tribe’, movement on the wheels is an outcome of a historic decision taken almost four centuries back. The origin of Gadulya Lohars can be traced to the fall of Chittorgarh which was invaded by Emperor Akbar in 1568 AD. Legend has it that the Gadulya Lohars who fought with Rana Partap against the Mughal emperor on returning to the fort were shocked to find death and destruction. The Mughal army did not even spare temples. So enormous and massive was the destruction and massacre that the weight of the “janeoo” ( a sacred thread worn around the chest and neck by Hindus) itself of those laid down their lives, came to over 5,000 kg. In desperation and sorrow, the Gadulya Lohars took a vow that neither they nor their descendants would ever live in a house till Chittorgarh Fort was liberated. At the same time, they also decided to observe the custom of not sleeping under a roof or on a cot until their “lost glory” was restored. In view of their wandering character, it is difficult to collect data on the population of Gadulya Lohars but according to the 1961 census, their population in Rajasthan is about 10,000. Earlier their main work was making and repairing of farm tools and the forging of the metal of bullock carts and tools for carpenters and weavers . Technical advances in agriculture reduced their business and brought them to penury as cheap machines and farm tools became available at almost every village shop. With the intention to let them lead a settled life, the Rajasthan Government drew up an elaborate scheme in 1994 allotting every Gadulya Lohar family land in a town. Under this scheme, many of them were provided a small plot where they have constructed one room mud houses. Although a room made of
non-baked bricks is not large enough to accommodate all
family members at the same time, feels Mela Ram, a
Gadulya Lohar, settled life is a new experience for them.
Mela Ram’s family is among the 10 families who have
settled permanently at Purani Abadi area of this town.
Keeping his bond for the bullock cart intact, Rekhi Ram
has adjusted the cart in his small house. |
Protein to cure male infertility found CALCUTTA, Nov 10 (PTI) — In a major breakthrough in male infertility studies, Indian scientists have pinpointed the first-ever “pure” animal protein which can phenomenally trigger forward motility of sperms in mammals. The promising discovery, which might serve as the panacea for all male infertility problems arising out of poor mammalian sperm motility inside the female genital tract, has been purified for the first time from a biological fluid — buffalo blood serum. Mr G.C. Majumder and Mr M. Mandal from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) here struck upon the “pure” animal glycoprotein while hunting for natural sperm motility regulators in buffalo. “All other motility-promoting proteins earlier reported mostly by American scientists are “impure” since they are a mix of a group of proteins namely albumins and immunoglobins,” Mr Majumder said. In a project sponsored by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the scientists tested the protein on buffalo and goat semen samples obtained from slaughter houses. They reported excellent results at the national congress on andrology and reproductive medicine held here recently. The team has applied for Indian, Japanese, US and European patents for the discovery, Mr Majumder said. The motility stimulating protein factor (MSPF), as the discoverers have named it, describes the true molecular nature of a motility-promoting substance for the first time. While studying the bio-chemical mechanism of sperm motility under the “hormonal control of regulation of buffalo breeding” project, the team found that the monomeric FMSH-stimulated forward motility in all tested mammals indicating no species specificity for its motility-activating potential. FMSH, whose end terminal sequencing was yet to be done to ascertain its biochemistry, weighed 66 kilo daltons and depended on Magnesium ions present in the body for its activity, the duo reported. However, its acidic nature had been proved since it was found to be rich in aspartic and glutamic acids as well as leucine. Mr Majumder said a sugar factor found in the protein was one of the major motility promoting substances since when desugarised, FMSH failed to deliver any biological activity. An exremely small quantity of FMSH, of the order of 0.5 micro molars, could trigger maximum sperm motility, they said. The discovery, to be
presented at the next Indian science congress in Chennai,
also had tremendous commercial potential to increase
buffalo meat and milk yields, Mr Majumder said. |
Rajasthan varsity VC resigns JAIPUR, Nov 10 (PTI) — The Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan University, Mr I Rajagopal, has resigned following an immolation bid by a student outside the campus, official sources said. They said Mr Rajagopal tendered his resignation to the Governor N L Tiberewal, who is the ex-officio chancellor of the university, late last night, adding his resignation was accepted. During Mr Rajagopal’s tenure, the university failed to declare results of nearly 200 examinations in time and to press for immediate declaration of results, the student, Nishant Bharadwaj, yesterday immolated himself but was saved by fellow students, sources said. He is at present receiving
treatment at S M S hospital here.Mr Rajagopal was
appointed Vice-Chancellor last year amid a controversial
departure of former Vice-Chancellor R N Singh, who was
charged with favouritism and maladministration. |
Chandigarh SI among 6 convicted NEW DELHI, Nov 10 — Six government officials chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in different cases have been convicted by the court. A Sub-Inspector of
Chandigarh Police, Gurdit Singh Sandhu, is one of the six
government officials who had been charged by the CBI for
demanding and accepting bribe, an agency release said. He
has been sentenced to three years’ rigorous
imprisonment by the court, the release added. |
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India plans advanced satellites BANGALORE: India is planning an advanced ocean satellite and a satellite for climate observations and studies, the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, announced on Tuesday. These satellites would open up new vistas for international cooperation and for applications in the hitherto unconventional application domains, such as cadastral-level mapping in rural areas, urban infrastructure planning, large-scale cartographic mapping, Mr Joshi said. Inaugurating the 12th plenary meeting of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), the minister said India would soon also launch another Indian remote-sensing satellite for ocean applications. — PTI Fireproof banquet hall
opens India is head of
Antarctic panel Crackdown on PWG,
Sena hideouts Buddhist festival
celebrated Samajwadi Party
stages dharna |
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