Thursday, September 3, 1998

Teachers converge on Capital
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — University and college teachers from all over the country have started converging on the Capital as the deadlock between the Union Human Resources Development Ministry and the teachers continued for the 23rd day.

2 killed, 5 hurt in police action
SAHARSA, Sept 2 — At least two persons were killed and five injured in police action on a rampaging mob who burnt down a police outpost in protest against seizure of mustard oil in the wake of dropsy scare in Bihar’s Saharsa district yesterday, the police said.

Corruption cases Vittal's priority
PUNE, Sept 2 — The newly appointed Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Mr N. Vittal today said his foremost task would be to supervise the functioning of the CBI in so far as it relates to its probe into corruption cases.

Waqf land ‘sold’ for song
JAIPUR, Sept 2 — Rajasthan Minister of State for Waqf Affairs Nasroo Khan today alleged that the State Waqf Board officials had sold off Waqf land valued over Rs 50 crore at a negligible price to some “influential people” at Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Mount Abu.

Health plan covers all Delhi schools
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — The positive health education scheme of the Delhi Government was today extended to all its schools following the success of the programme introduced earlier in select schools.

‘No demographic bonus for India’
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — Due to poor governance, India will miss out on the “demographic bonus” which greatly helped Asian tigers, according to a UN report released here today.

Lift sanctions against Iraq, says India
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — In a major development, India today called for early lifting of UN sanctions against Iraq.

In his conclusive statement at the end of the three-day deliberations of the 12th session of the Indo-Iraqi Joint Commission, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr K. Ramamurthy, expressed "deep concern" at the continued suffering of the Iraqi people and gave a call for early lifting of sanctions against Iraq.

The Joint Commission, which was co-chaired by Mr Ramamurthy and the Iraqi Oil Minister, Mr Amir Mohammed Rashid, has identified numerous areas, including the hydro-carbon sector, for bilateral cooperation.

In anticipation of lifting of sanctions against Baghdad, India has expressed its readiness to enter into the lucrative and promising hydro-carbon sector. The joint statement, issued at the conclusion of the meeting, said the Indian side "showed particular interest in the Iraq hydro-carbon sector, particularly in areas such as consultancy, exploration, production and pipeline logistics".

"It has been agreed that a joint study group will examine India’s participation in upstream and downstream areas", the statement said adding that "India has agreed to promote technical assistance and training to Iraqis in the hydro- carbon sector".

New Delhi has agreed to extend a line of credit to Iraq of $ 25 million to be utilised by Baghdad for purchase of capital goods, consumer durables and pharmaceuticals.

Both sides have noted India’s deep interest in participating in rehabilitation and exploration of projects in Iraq in power, petroleum, communication, construction and fertiliser sector. In order to identify specific areas of participation by India, a delegation of specialists will visit Iraq at an early date, sources said.

With a view to providing a filip to bilateral economic cooperation, a memorandum of understanding would be signed between the chambers of commerce and industries of the two countries. From the Indian side, FICCI has been identified, sources said.

After the successful meeting between the two sides, there is a strong likelihood that New Delhi would raise loans in the international markets for rehabilitation projects in Iraq which would be awarded to India after the sanctions are lifted. Both sides have also addressed the issue of Iraqi debt amounting to about $ 800 million. The two sides would continue to render the amount on a regular basis with Iraq promising to pay after it starts exporting its crude.

The USA is already getting isolated in the Security Council on the issue of sanctions as France, Russia and China have already questioned the continuance of sanctions. Iraq has the world’s second largest oil reserves. Many countries have been now trying to woo the Iraqi leadership for contracts after the sanctions are lifted.

Keeping this in mind, the Ministry of External Affairs had moved swiftly to have the Joint Commission’s meeting now after a gap of 10 years. India and Iraq have traditionally enjoyed very warm bilateral ties.

Describing the 12th session as a "meeting between two separated friends", Mr Rashid said Iraq had fulfilled all the conditions imposed by the United Nations Security Council for ending of sanctions so now it should be allowed to export its resources. The Iraqi Minister expressed satisfaction at the "positive outcome" of the three-day meeting. He said "the meeting is an important milestone in our relations". A Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of oil and a cultural agreement was also signed.

During his stay, the Iraqi Minister called on the President, Mr K. R. Narayanan, the Vice President, Mr Krishan Kant, and had meetings with the Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar and the Industry Minister, Mr Sikander Bakht.

Don't delay Vananchal, warns Centre

PATNA, Sept 2 (PTI) — The centre today warned of possible "tough decision" if the draft Bill on creation of "Vananchal" state was neglected by the Bihar Assembly even as the RJD government recommended convening of a special session of the state assembly from September 18 to consider the issue.

"We favour consensus and cooperation....if consensus elude us we may have to consider hard options," Mr Naik Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs told reporters here.

"Even in 1956 when Gujarat was created there was widespread violence, he said adding "the state was created in spite of all that....the move did not have legislature’s support even then."

The Union Minister’s statement came close on the heels of some senior Bihar ministers expressing reservations about the draft Bill.

The state Cabinet, in a change of mind, decided to advance by three days convening of the special session to consider the Bill.

While the three-day session of the state assembly will begin from September 18, the Legislative Council will meet for as many days from September 21, according to an official spokesman.

Earlier the Cabinet had decided that the state assembly would sit for three days from September 21. No reason was assigned for the change.

Vananchal is proposed to be created comprising 18 districts of south Bihar.

Fernandes flays Clinton’s remark
Tribune News Service and agency

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — Reacting strongly to the US President Bill Clinton’s call to Russia yesterday to snap all military ties with India, the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes today said that the assumption that the nuclear bomb was dangerous for people of South-Asia was not acceptable.

“It does not behove of Mr Clinton whose country is the only one in history to have used a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan to make such observations,” Mr Fernandes said.

Dismissing Mr Clinton’s remarks that Russia should stop military cooperation with India, he said Russia and India have been friends for decades and that friendship has lasted many ups and downs.

“I am sure our friendship will remain and our mutual support and cooperation will also remain,” he added.

Describing the US President’s statement as “exaggerated and not acceptable”, Mr Fernandes said “implied in Mr Clinton’s statement is a belief that Asian people cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.

“And a corollary of that is that only the P-5 (nuclear weapon powers) have the common sense, wisdom, sagacity and all those virtues, which will never make them press the button. I dismiss all these propositions”, he added.

EC rejects BJP plea on poll code

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (PTI) — The Election Commission has rejected a BJP demand for curtailing the period of operation of the model code of conduct for elections and made it clear that it comes into effect from the date of announcement of the poll schedule by the commission.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner M. S. Gill, BJP Vice-President Krishan Lal Sharma had demanded that the model code be made applicable only after the notification for elections was issued.

Mr Sharma had contended that implementation of the code right from the date of announcement of the election programme ‘’is neither required by any law nor a practical proposition’’.

The commission’s response sent by Deputy Election Commissioner Subas Pani said the issue was discussed in an all party meeting convened by the commission prior to the 1998 general elections and ‘’this position was re-endorsed unanimously by all the parties’’.

He noted that the text of the model code clearly mentions that the provisions will come into effect ‘’from the time the elections are announced by the commission’’.

Mr Pani stated in his letter that the issue had been “well-settled” by a verdict of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had confirmed that application of the model code begins from the date of announcement of the elections.

While Mr Sharma had suggested that the code should be applicable only for a period of 15 days, the commission has contended that to ensure a level-playing field for free and fair polls, it should come into operation well in advance.

In his letter, Mr Sharma said the BJP had expressed its firm view that before suggesting or deciding sensitive and vital issues like resignation of Chief Ministers in the wake of assembly elections, the commission should take the political parties into confidence.

“While BJP is inclined to support the commission on all steps to ensure free and fair elections and we have all regards to this important pillar of democracy, yet the timing and before hand consultation should not be ignored. This is why we could not agree to the suggestion at this stage,’’ he said.

The commission’s letter has, however, chosen to be silent on the issue.

Mr Gill had in a recent interview to PTI suggested that Chief Ministers of the four states —Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram — should resign to enable a neutral administration under Governor’s rule to help conduct free and fair polls.

PM urged to form food safety council
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — Taking serious cognizance of the steady rise in dropsy deaths resulting from intake of contaminated mustard oil, the Delhi Government has requested the Prime Minister to set up a National Food Safety Council.

The toll resulting from the dropsy epidemic has reached 41, according to Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health in the Delhi Government. He said here today that while three deaths were reported from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Ram Manohar Lohia hospitals, four had been belatedly reported from the Northern Railway and St. Stephen’s hospital. He said that 113 fresh dropsy admissions had been reported from various city hospitals.

Meanwhile, a press release from the Health Ministry said that the number of dropsy cases in Central government hospitals was declining. It said that in the last 24 hours, only 13 persons with symptoms of dropsy had been admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge Medical Hospitals and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The Health Minister said the existing Central Committee of Food Standards was not able to take any major policy decisions as its terms of reference was quite general.

He suggested that the council should be headed by the Prime Minister or a senior minister of the Council of Ministers and comprise representatives of Ministries of Health, Food, Environment, Science and Technology, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Industry and should not have more than 12 members.

He said the government had filed four more cases of adulteration in the designated court in Patiala House. He said that so far, 37 cases have been filed in the court.

The Minister said that of the 314 samples taken by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Department of the Delhi government, 231 have been analysed and 129 have been found to be adulterated.

Teachers converge on Capital
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — University and college teachers from all over the country have started converging on the Capital as the deadlock between the Union Human Resources Development Ministry and the teachers continued for the 23rd day.

The efforts to initiate a dialogue between the HRD Ministry and the teachers continued throughout the day with the University Grants Commission Chairman, Prof Armaity Desai, personally taking the initiative. The move, however, did not yield any immediate results, sources said.

The All-India Federation of University and Teachers’ Organisation general secretary, Mr Mrinmoy Bhattacharyya, said that they were open to any discussion with the government.

He, however, said they would be willing to reach an agreement on the three issues — pay scale, third promotion and arrears — before withdrawing the strike.

The HRD Ministry has been insisting that the teachers must call off the strike first before initiating any dialogue.

As a show of strength nearly 30,000 teachers are expected to participate in a rally to be held in the Capital on September 4, on the eve of the Teacher’s Day.

The largest contingent of teachers is expected to be from Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Mr Bhattacharyya said.

Over 10,000 teachers from these three states alone would take part in the rally on the eve of the Teacher’s Day to highlight the grievances of the teachers.

Mr Bhattacharyya said over 5000 teachers would court arrest on that day and would observe the Teacher’s Day as a “black day”.

The AIFUCTO described the HRD Ministry’s offer to pay salary arrears in one instalment as “a high step forward”. But the teachers’ body accused the ministry of misleading them on many technical points regarding their demands.

“Since the government is giving only 80 per cent of the funding to states, the offer cannot be practically implemented and is misleading,” he added.

Similarly, the offer of merit promotion to the teachers without M.Phil or Ph.D. degrees has been tied to their performances in teaching and “research”, he said, demanding that an “assured third promotion as 70 per cent of college teachers do not have research degrees.”

The AIFUCTO general secretary said the move to raise the retirement age to 62 could be implemented only in central universities and not the state colleges.

2 killed, 5 hurt in police action

SAHARSA, Sept 2 (PTI) — At least two persons were killed and five injured in police action on a rampaging mob who burnt down a police outpost in protest against seizure of mustard oil in the wake of dropsy scare in Bihar’s Saharsa district yesterday, the police said.

A mob of over 200 persons yesterday indulged in heavy brickbatting when a police team seized several tins of unbranded mustard oil at Kasnagar market in the district, Mr M.S. Bhatia, SP, said on return from the spot. The mob later attacked Kasnagar outpost of Sonbersa police station, sprinkled kerosene and set fire to it, he said.

Two persons, including a teenager, were killed when the police opened fire in the air in self defence after the situation turned “uncontrollable” and a lathi charge failed to quell the mob, he said.

Five persons were injured in the firing and the lathi charge, official sources said, adding that some policemen were also wounded in the mob attack.

Tension prevails in Kasnagar and one company of the Bihar Military Police had been rushed there, Mr Bhatia said.

Deputy Police Superintendent (Headquarters) Satyapal Singh was camping at the spot, he said.

Mr Bhatia said two FIRs had been lodged with Sonebersa police in connection with the incident.

Official sources said the mustard oil was seized in the wake on a ban imposed by the government on its sale across the state last week following reports of adulteration and detection of dropsy cases.

Corruption cases Vittal's priority

PUNE, Sept 2 (PTI) — The newly appointed Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Mr N. Vittal today said his foremost task would be to supervise the functioning of the CBI in so far as it relates to its probe into corruption cases.

Mr Vittal, who takes up his new assignment tomorrow told PTI in an interview that his priorities would be to "purge the poison of corruption" in India asserting that the entire perspective of looking at corruption has to be changed.

"The judicial thinking that a man is not corrupt unless proved otherwise has created a cushion of safety for the corrupt persons to thrive and cock a snook at the law enforcing agencies by providing him enough loopholes to escape from the clutches of law", he said.

The other factors that breed corruption include scarcity of any service or commodity, lack of transparency in various departments that issue tenders and work orders and red-tapism and the "slow and laborious" system of trying the accused.

Waqf land ‘sold’ for song

JAIPUR, Sept 2 (UNI) — Rajasthan Minister of State for Waqf Affairs Nasroo Khan today alleged that the State Waqf Board officials had sold off Waqf land valued over Rs 50 crore at a negligible price to some “influential people” at Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Mount Abu.

He said Waqf Board Chairman Shaukat Ali Ansari had allegedly been violating rules and committing a number of irregularities during the past eight years. He also alleged that Mr Ansari had also violated rules in the recruitment and promotion of employees in the Board.

Mr Khan said he had sought files pertaining to the misdeeds from Mr Ansari but the Chairman ignored his directives. The minister said the state government would order an inquiry into the matter and might even file a case against the Board Chairman.

Mr Khan said he had recently apprised the Chief Minister of the Waqf Board Chairman’s “misdeeds.”

Health plan covers all Delhi schools

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (PTI) — The positive health education scheme of the Delhi Government was today extended to all its schools following the success of the programme introduced earlier in select schools.

The scheme, seeking to inculcate in children healthy habits and educate them about prevention of diseases like cholera, dengue fever and even AIDS, was launched at a colourful function at Talkatora Stadium here.

Under the scheme, teachers from 106 schools were trained so far on health-related issues. These schools then set up health brigades which educate the children on how hygiene, regular exercise, positive thinking and simple precautions lead to a healthy mind and body.

Lauding the children for the success of the scheme, Delhi Health and Education Minister Harsh Vardhan expressed the hope that schoolchildren, 3,000 of whom are currently involved in an anti-dengue campaign in the Capital, would create health awareness in the society.

‘No demographic bonus for India’

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (UNI) — Due to poor governance, India will miss out on the “demographic bonus” which greatly helped Asian tigers, according to a UN report released here today.

According to the UNPF report, “State of the world’s population-1998,” all of South Asia is poised to experience the “demographic bonus” over the next two decades.

But to take advantage of the bonus from a bulge in the workforce, India and other South Asian countries needed to have invested in their human population, especially in education and health in the manner those countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia did 30 years ago.

“India has not taken these steps and lots of people who could have done much better are going to be denied because of inadequate planning,” said UNPF India representative Wasim Saman.

Several less developed countries in the world will experience a temporary bulge in their working population as compared to the older and younger generations which are dependent rather than productive.

MLA pay hike Bill passed
AGARTALA: Tripura Assembly has passed a bill raising the salary and allowances of legislators. As per the new Bill, the salary of MLAs would be Rs 2,150 per month, from the existing Rs 1,400 per month, while the constituency allowance would be Rs 700 per month from the existing Rs 300 per month, official sources said. — PTI

Contaminated water kills 5
BIJAPUR: Five persons have died and 35 others have been admitted to a hospital after they consumed contaminated water from a well at Mandagatti village near Ilkal in Bagalkot district. According to the police, the water in the well had turned poisonous because of crackers thrown into it during the Ganapati festival. — PTI

Poisoned to death
INDORE: A 45-year-old man murdered four members of his family by serving them poisoned sweetmeats and later committed suicide by consuming the sweets himself in Mhow, about 30 km from here, the police said on Wednesday. Bogged down by financial problems, Raj Kumar, who ran a paan shop, offered the sweets to his 40-year-old wife, two sons and two daughters on Tuesday. — PTI

Fiscal discipline
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Government has issued guidelines to enforce strict fiscal discipline in the government department, including imposing a moratorium on the creation of new posts and purchase of new vehicles in the current financial year. Besides, air travel has also been curtailed to check unproductive government expenditure. — UNI

Keer panel recommendations
INDORE: In a significant order, the Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to take a decision within a month on the Keer Committee recommendations for providing relief to the families of those killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Division Bench, comprising Mr Justice B.A. Khan and Mr Justice Shamboo Singh, on Tuesday gave the directive on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which was filed in 1990. The court directed the state government to immediately examine the recommendations and pass appropriate order within a month. — UNI

10 pc of people infertile
ALLAHABAD: About 10 per cent of the population in the country is infertile and their number is increasing alarmingly, says an eminent infertility specialist. According to Dr Abhilasha Chaturvedi, Mental Stress, blatant use of pesticides and alcohol are the main reasons for increasing infertility. Dr Chaturvedi said artificial insemination could be a solution to the woes of childless couples. However, people are not coming forward, she added.—UNI