Saturday, November 28, 1998
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Indo-Belgian ties poised for growth NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — Indo-Belgian bilateral ties are poised for a quantum jump as contracts worth $ 100 million were concluded during the ongoing official visit of the Crown Prince Phillipe of Belgium to the country. HC admits Jaya’s plea CHENNAI, Nov 27 — The Madras High Court today admitted a petition filed by AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalitha seeking the revaluation of the jewellery seized by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in December 1996. |
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BJP to review poll results NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — The Bharatiya Janata Party Central Parliamentary Board will meet on Sunday to undertake a review of the assembly election results and the party’s performance in it. ULFA kills 5 jawans GUWAHATI, Nov 27 — Five security personnel were killed and an oil pipeline was blown off by the ULFA, which lost a cadre, as the banned outfit observed “protest day” against the imposition of President’s rule in the state eight years ago. |
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MCD hikes floor area ratio NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — The Municipal Corporation of Delhi today announced the regularisation of unauthorised construction in the Capital by increasing the permissible floor area ratio and reducing the additional FAR levy by a big margin.
HC
seeks record of allotments CMs
for ban on lotteries Notice
to AIIMS on appointments Khalsa
march tomorrow Shabana
to take part in AIDS march Restore
copter to Rao: court Aiyar
apologises to Vajpayee |
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Indo-Belgian ties poised for
growth NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — Indo-Belgian bilateral ties are poised for a quantum jump as contracts worth $ 100 million were concluded during the ongoing official visit of the Crown Prince Phillipe of Belgium to the country. Prince Phillpe, who arrived in Mumbai on November 22 and reached New Delhi yesterday, had an hour long meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. The visit ends on Novmber 29. During the talks, Mr Vajpayee told the Crown Prince and the accompanying members of the delegation that India was committed to the process of economic liberalisation and reforms, sources said. In fact, the process would be accelerated, Mr Vajpayee said. The import of the Prince Phillipe can be understood by the fact that the present visit is his fourth official trip to India in the last 11 years. The accompanying official delegation includes not only the Deputy Prime, Mr Elio Di Rupo who is also the Minister of Foreign trade, Economy and Telecommunications but also nearly 80 senior representatives from 54 professional organisations, financial institutions and companies besides around 20 senior officials from the federal and regional levels. Belgium — an important country in the European Union which is going to have a common currency in the next few weeks — is understood to have extended all possible support to India on the nuclear issue. Prince Phillipe told the Prime Minister that though Belgium was a small country but it was willing to do everything for India,sources said adding that Belgium is keen to make long term commitment to India as it perceives the South Asian country emerging as a global player in the next few years. During the delegation’s to Mumbai 3 MoUs were signed. A MoU in the field of transportation was signed between Ablers Bridge and Forbes of TATA. A cooperation MoU for methylamides project was concluded between UCB of Belgium and RCF of India and another cooperation MoU was signed between the Belgo-India Chambers of Commerce. A cooperation agreement between Belgo-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) was signed in New Delhi today. Bilateral trade ,dominated by trade in diamonds, stands today at 4 billion dollars which incidentally has doubled in the last five years. The Belgo-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) is the third largest market for Indian exports to the EU after Germany and UK. The total approved Belgian investment in India has risen sharply and the figure from 1991 to August 1998 is around $ 1 billion. Today, Belgium is one of the nine top investing countries in India. The Crown Prince’s
visit in 1995 was followed by a visit of the Belgium
Prime Minister. During the visit, the Belgium delegation
has evinced interest in the field of infrastructure
(specially ports), software, shipping, financial and
consumer services (information technology), chemical and
petro chemicals and engineering. |
BJP to review poll results NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — The Bharatiya Janata Party Central Parliamentary Board will meet on Sunday to undertake a review of the assembly election results and the party’s performance in it. Briefing newspersons, the BJP General Secretary, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, today said that the parliamentary board would also finalise dates for electing legislative party leaders for the states where elections were held on November 25. The meeting, to be chaired by the party President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, would be attended, among others, by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani and the Human Resource Development Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. The party’s parliamentary party executive meeting has also been scheduled for Sunday at which party’s strategy for the Parliament session commencing from November 30 would be finalised, the BJP leader said. On Monday morning, the customary meeting of the parliamentary party along with the MPs of the allies would be held, Mr Naidu said. When questioned about the ongoing differences with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Mr Naidu declined to comment, saying that the issue had not come to the central level. On whether the Trinamool
Congress leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee, would attend the
coordination committee meeting of the BJP and its allies,
Mr Naidu said he had no information. |
HC admits Jaya’s plea CHENNAI, Nov 27 (UNI) — The Madras High Court today admitted a petition filed by AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha seeking the revaluation of the jewellery seized by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in December 1996, in connection with the disproportionate wealth case. The case relates to the amassing of wealth to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore by Ms Jayalalitha when she was the Chief Minister. Mr Justice K Balasubramanian, admitting the petition, also issued notice to the DVAC returnable by December 14. In her petition, Ms Jayalalitha said the jewellery seized from her Poes Garden residence and now under court custody, should be revalued by the officer empowered to do so under the Wealth Tax Act. Mrs Sasikala Natarajan, a close aide of Ms Jayalalitha, has filed a similar petition before the high court. It may be recalled that Mr S Sambandam, the Special Judge trying the cases of corruption during the previous AIADMK regime, had dismissed Ms Jayalalitha’s earlier petition in this regard. Meanwhile, trial process in cases of corruption during the previous AIADMK regime commenced today with Special Judge (II) V Radhakrishnan ordering the issuance of summons to six witnesses for examination on December 11 in the Rs 83.32 lakh disproportionate assets case against former minister V Sathiamurthy and his family members. The Supreme Court had yesterday vacated its interim order restraining the special judges from proceeding beyond the stage of framing of charges in the cases against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha and her ministerial colleagues. While Mr Sathiamurthy and his wife Mrs Chandra, appeared in the court, the judge allowed the petitions of the other accused, Mr Sathiamurthy’s mother-in-law Thangam, father-in-law Maya Alagu Thevar, sister-in-law Chandradevi and brother’s daughters, Pushpavalli and Nagavalli, seeking to dispense with their appearance today. Besides Mr Sathiamurthy,
former union minister Sedapatti R Muthiah, former AIADMK
ministers V R Nedunchezhian, T M Selvaganapathy, S
Kannappan, E Madusoodanan, K A Sengottaiyan, M
Chinnasamy, Mrs Indira Kumari, Mohamed Asif, S
Paramasivam, S Muthusamy, K Ponnusamy, Nagoor Meeran,
former legislator E Malliga, former IAS officials, T V
Venkataraman, N Haribaskar, C Ramachandran, K Inbasagaran
and H M Pande were among the other accused in 46
corruption cases pending before the special judges. |
ULFA kills 5 jawans GUWAHATI, Nov 27 (PTI) — Five security personnel were killed and an oil pipeline was blown off by the ULFA, which lost a cadre, as the banned outfit observed “protest day” against the imposition of President’s rule in the state eight years ago. Official sources said heavily armed ULFA militants ambushed a CISF party near Doba Tea Estate in Upper Assam’s Sibsagar district last night killing four jawans and driver of the vehicle on the spot. In another incident the militants exploded an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) highspeed diesel pipeline at Lakhipathar between Upper Dihing reserve forest and Gutibari Tea Estate in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district, the sources said. The blast created a hole in the eight-inch pipe between Digboi refinery and Tinsukia storage centre which was later plugged by the authorities, the sources said. The subsequent fire that broke out was brought under control in the early hours of the day. The IOC authorities said the extent damage was yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile, over 300 rounds of ammunition were recovered from Howrah-bound Kamrup Express from Guwahati railway station, GRP sources said. The police is yet to ascertain whether the seizure is related to ULFA’s protest day. The GRP said the ammunition was being carried by Kameswar Ray from Dimapur to Malda when he was nabbed by the police. Ray had been arrested and was being interrogated, the GRP added. In another incident an ULFA militant was killed in an encounter with the police and CRPF at Palengi under Demow police station last night, official sources said. The “protest
day” is against the imposition of President’s
rule in 1990 when the then ruling AGP government was
dismissed and army operation launched against the outfit. |
MCD hikes floor area ratio NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today announced the regularisation of unauthorised construction in the Capital by increasing the permissible floor area ratio (FAR) and reducing the additional FAR levy by a big margin. Addressing newspersons, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr V.K. Duggal, said, “The new building bye-laws permitting the construction of an additional storey in residential areas and considerable lowering of the levy for increase in floor area ratio (FAR) will be implemented with immediate effect.” The additional FAR levy, to be charged from those who want to take advantage of the relaxed bye-laws, has been lowered from Rs 1,550 to Rs 450 per square metre, he said. While the Union Government had cleared the reduced FAR on September 25, the MCD could not announce it earlier because the elections for the Delhi Assembly were announced the same day and the model code of conduct had come into effect, the Municipal Commissioner informed newspersons today. Stating that this was the first time that a major relaxation was allowed in building bye-laws, Mr Duggal hoped it would benefit about 200,000 dwelling units and help alleviate the steep housing shortage in Delhi. Mr Duggal said the money collected by way of the additional FAR levy would be kept in a separate escrow account and would be used only for augmenting civic amenities like electricity, water, roads and sewerage in colonies where additional construction takes place. The MCD hopes to net about Rs 1,000 crore through additional FAR levy. The benefits which will be available to the people comprise exemption of basement area from FAR calculations, increase in FAR for group housing societies and permission to carry out professional activities in residential area, he added. Residents who have already carried out additional construction unauthorisedly, but within the norms now notified, can get these regularised by paying the FAR levy and a surcharge of 10 per cent. People who do not comply with this would have to face demolition or sealing of unauthorised construction, he added. Mr Duggal said residents would now on be able to construct an additional third floor for plots up to 50 square metres and above. Earlier, only two storeys were permitted. FAR in group housing has been increased from 133 square metre to 167 square metre and the permissible height had been increased from 26 metres to 33 metres, he said. Land holding in farmhouses
has been reduced from one hectare to 0.8 hectare and will
be permitted a total covered area of 400 square metres
and the Delhi Development Authority will prepare a plan
of those areas where farmhouses were located to indicate
road network and infrastructure, the Municipal
Commissioner added. |
Shortage of personnel in BSF, says
DG NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — At least 23 battalions are required to tide over the shortage created by the diversion of Border Security Force personnel from border areas to counter insurgency operations in Kashmir and the North-East, the Director-General of the BSF, Mr E N Rammohan said. On the firing along the international border with Pakistan in Jammu during the past two months, Mr Rammohan said the BSF had held talks with the Pakistan Rangers from November 17 to 19, following which firing has stopped since November 23. Raised in December 1965, the force will celebrate its 33rd Raising Day on December 1 which would be presided over by the Union Home Minister, Mr L K Advani. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Rammohan said more battalions were needed to overcome the shortage. “As per the border management plan drawn by the government, we require about 179 battalions while our existing strength is only 156 battalions,” he said. The shortage was affecting the force’s operations particularly in the eastern sector, he said, adding that efforts were on to overcome the shortfall. Stating that the situation in Kashmir had improved in the recent past, the BSF chief said the militants, mostly foreign mercenaries, were now more “defensive”. “Foreign militants have come in, particularly in Kupwara, Baramula and Anantnag. There may be about 500 to 600 ultras holed up in the Jammu-Rajouri area,” he said. The BSF killed 118 militants and apprehended 277 this year, he said, and added that sophisticated weapons, including 899 AK-47 assault rifles were seized in the past two years. Mr Rammohan pointed out that the personnel had not been getting the much required rest during the past nine years, due to the counter-insurgency operations. The BSF’s air wing too was in need of three 120-seater planes for airlifting its personnel as two of the existing Avros were grounded and the remaining three were aged, he said. Conceding that the casualties of the force had gone up from 47 in 1997 to 58 in 1998, he attributed them to encounters other than the counter-insurgency operations. While the BSF had suffered 125 casualties in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, 796 of its personnel were killed during the past nine years of its assignment in Kashmir, both on the Line of Control and in counter-insurgency operations, Mr Rammohan said. One of the largest
paramilitary formations in the world manning the
country’s international borders with Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Myanmar, the BSF is actively engaged in
operations in Kashmir and the North-East. |
HC seeks record of allotments NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to place before it the entire record relating to the allotment of shops in the Capital by February 25, 1999, following allegations in a petition that large scale corruption was involved in the allotment. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta issued the direction after the petitioner — the Bhartiya Bharashtachar Virodhi Aur Jankalyan Samiti (BBVJS) — in an affidavit alleged that allotted shops were being “illegally changed” by the DDA in Pitampura, Rohini, Rajindra Place and some other places. Referring to a specific case of allotment of shop no 27 at TP-Block of Pitampura in West Delhi, valued at about Rs 12 lakh, the BBVJS alleged that DDA officials arbitrarily changed the allotment with another lower value shop at KD-Block. “The action of the DDA is illegal as there is no policy for change of the allotment or locality in respect of a shop given through auction,” the petitioner said. The DDA in its affidavit said since the allottee at KD-Block failed to meet the requirement of the demand letter within a stipulated time of one month, the allotment was cancelled and given to the allottee of shop no 27 at TP-Block as his bid was for bigger shop. The BBVJS, however, said
this was not an “isolated” case of
“irregularity” and cited many instances of such
allotments which, it alleged, were for
“gratification”. |
CMs for ban on lotteries NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — There is general consensus among the state governments to impose a comprehensive ban on all lotteries. In the Chief Ministers’ conference with the Prime Minister, held here today to discuss the issue of price rise, an overwhelming majority have favoured a comprehensive ban on all lotteries. The Chief Ministers from the North-Eastern states have, however, expressed concern about the adverse impact that such a ban could have on their revenues. The Union Minister for
Chemical and Fertilisers and Food and Civil Supplies, Mr
Surjit Singh Barnala, while briefing newspersons at the
end of the conference said that the Centre would consider
these reservations and see how these states can be
compensated. |
Notice to AIIMS on appointments NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on a petition alleging that health care activity has been seriously affected in absence of assistant professors at its various departments. A Division Bench of acting Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice K.S. Gupta issued the notice, returnable on February 22, asked the AIIMS authorities to file a reply within four weeks on the petition filed by the United Communist Party of India (UCPI) through its counsel Sugriva Dubey. The UCPI alleged that health care activity in OPD and burns ward had been seriously affected and progress of about 138 projects, in which huge amount had been invested, stopped due to the non-availability of assistant professors. It said no appointment had been made at the assistant professor (entry) level in the hospital for the past five years and now about 150 posts of assistant professors were lying vacant. The petition said the AIIMS authorities had not made any regular appointment since September 1994 and went ahead with ad hoc appointments with policy of pick and choose method. AIIMS Director in August
has informed MPs that no ad hoc appointment would be
extended further and now there was not even a single
assistant professor at the institute as the appointees of
1993 had already become associate professors. |
Khalsa march tomorrow NEW DELHI, Nov 27 — The tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa Panth will commence in the Capital on Sunday with a Khalsa march from Gurdwara Rakab Ganj. The marchers will be led by Panj Piaras — the five Sikhs — in conformation with tradition as originally composed by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Five elephants, twentyfive
horses with cavalrymen and wardrums (nagaras) will merge
into the grand procession followed by five bands,
including three uniformed bands of school students from
Guru Harkishan Public School, Vasant Vihar, India Gate
and SGTB Khalsa Girls Senior Secondary School, Sis Ganj. |
Shabana to take part in AIDS march NEW DELHI, Nov 27 - Actress and Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi, pop singer Anamika and fashion designers, Rohit Bal, Ravi Bajaj and Ashish Soni, will participate in a march on November 29 on the eve of World AIDS Day. According to a Press note issued here today, the march has been organised by the Society of People for Art, Culture and Environment (SPACE) to spread awareness about AIDS. The march will start from Vijay Chowk and end at the National Stadium. Announcing this, Ms
Aradhika Chopra, Honorary Secretary, SPACE, said:
“AIDS is a crisis. It is an emergency and the only
way to face it is through awareness. We have started the
process with educated persons and opinion leaders and
believe that through a ripple effect, it will spread to
the masses.” |
Restore copter to Rao: court NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (PTI) — A Delhi court today ordered the restoration of a helicopter, allegedly taken by controversial politician Romesh Sharma, to its owner, Mumbai-based businessman H. Suresh Rao with certain conditions. The order was issued by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R.K. Gauba after the CBI and the Income Tax authorities gave "no objection" to the application of Mr Rao, on whose complaint Sharma, alleged frontman of Dubai-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested on October 20. The helicopter was seized by the Income Tax authorities after Mr Rao lodged a complaint that Sharma had hired it from him for campaigning from Phulpur in 1996. Later, Sharma allegedly got the helicopter transferred in his own name. However, Mr Gauba directed
Mr Rao to furnish a bond of Rs 60 lakh and one surety in
the sum of Rs 30 lakh and arrange comprehensive insurance
from any subsidiary of General Insurance Company. |
Aiyar apologises to Vajpayee NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (PTI) — Congress spokesman Mani Shankar Aiyar today tendered apologies to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for calling him "nalayak" (incompetent). In a clarification issued after the daily press briefing at the party headquarters where he used the expression "layak vyakti, nalayak neta", he said what he had meant was that Mr Vajpayee was a good man but a weak leader. "I have subsequently
learned that the expression I used could have an
unparliamentary connotation. Not being a native Hindi
speaker, I seem to have inadvertently used an improper
expression, for which I wish to tender my apologies to
the Prime Minister for any offence unintentionally
caused," he said in his clarification. |
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| Convicted for insuring dead
man NAGPUR: A Development Officer of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and its panel doctor were sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment on Thursday for conspiring to insure a dead man. Chief Judicial Magistrate of Nagpur P.N. Mehta found LIC Development Officer Pradeep Deshpande and LIC panel doctor Prakash Kakani, guilty of cheating and for moving a proposal to insure Fakruddin of Yelahanka near Bangalore, by showing that he was medically examined on December 31, 1991, and declared fit while he had died on December 6 in a road accident. He said in his judgement that leniency could not be shown to people who were “making a fast buck out of a corpse.” — PTI 5 held for
undertrial’s murder Alarming pollution
level 2 more sanctuaries
recommended Jewel thief
arrested |
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