Friday, November 26, 1999
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No Chinese activity along
LoC |
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 Defence Minister George Fernandes with Coast Guard Commanders at the 18th Coast Guard Commander's Conference in New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI photo
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More forces for Tripura There was plot to defeat me: PM 3 more to join Goa Ministry today Plea against police chief
dismissed HC directive to govt on PUCL plea ‘Law Day’ celebrations
today Relief materials pile up at
platforms |
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No Chinese activity along LoC NEW DELHI, Nov 25 (PTI) — The government today denied media reports that the Chinese military authorities had undertaken construction of roads and airstrips along the Line of Actual Control LoC in the Tawang and Dibang sectors of Arunachal Pradesh. Terming the report as "incorrect", a Defence Ministry spokesman clarified that, "Contraction of roads, as mentioned in the news report, pertains to the area on the Chinese side of the LoC. "The situation along the LoC in Arunachal Pradesh continues to remain normal and peaceful," he added. Meanwhile, the seventh round of expert level talks between India and China on the border issue ended today with the two sides discussing at length their perceptions and positions along the LoC. Officials said the outcome of the meeting of the experts from diplomatic and military spheres would be conveyed to the Joint Working Group. The group had last met in Beijing. The eight-member Chinese delegation led by Sun Quoqiang, Deputy Director General of Asia Department included officials from the Defence Ministry and the Peoples Liberation Army, while the Indian side included Sujan Chenoy, Director (China) in the External Affairs Ministry besides officials from the Defence Ministry, Army Headquarters, Home Ministry and Surveyor General of India. A decision to hold this
meeting was taken during the visit of External Affairs
Minister Jaswant Singh to China last June when he held
wide-ranging discussions with his Chinese counterpart Tan
Jianxuan. |
George for hike in defence
budget NEW DELHI, Nov 25 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today suggested raising defence allocation from 2.3 to 3 per cent of the gross domestic product, (GDP) saying the armed forces had languished for want of funds during the past 10 years. Inaugurating the Coast Guard Commanders’ conference here, Mr Fernandes said while it was difficult for him to say whether this level could be achieved by next year, he would be pursuing the objective of mobilisation of greater resources for defence. Mentioning the shortage of funds for defence during the last decade, Mr Fernandes said the recent Pakistani intrusion in Kargil had created an awareness among the people about the security concerns. "This needs to be used to make people realise that their role is as important as of men in uniform," he said. Mr Fernandes regretted that the issue of anomalies of pay and allowances of defence forces was yet to be resolved and said he would have the issue processed speedily and there should be no reason to feel neglected. The Defence Minister said the government had earned respect world-wide for its handling of the Kargil situation. India was now taken more seriously and there was recognition of a "more mature nation," Mr Fernandes said and expressed confidence that the country would emerge stronger in the next 25 years. Mr Fernandes complimented the coast guard for creating maritime history by nabbing the pirated Japanese ship in the Arabian Sea with the help of the Navy. He praised the role of Coast Guard in providing relief and succour to the cyclone-hit people of Orissa and lauded the force for its interaction with the neighbouring countries. Such interaction should be strengthened as defence diplomacy had been giving India "good dividends", he said. Naval Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar was among others present at the conference. Earlier, Coast Guard Director General Vice Admiral J.C. d’ Silva informed the minister of improved performance during the past one year with increased patrolling in sea and air. Besides its anti-poaching and anti-infiltration operations, the Coast Guard had also undertaken measures to clean up oil spills and protect Olive Ridely turtles, he said. He said in Orissa, the
Coast Guard had transported 90 tonnes of food and
supplies and helped in restoring communication link in
Paradip port. It had also held during the year joint
exercises with the Coast Guard of Maldives, he added. |
With father’s body for 20 days VIJAYAWADA, Nov 25 (UNI) — An-11-year-old boy was forced to live alone with the body of his father for more than 20 days, while another helped a team of doctors reach an inaccessible village in the cyclone-ravaged Orissa. These incidents came to light, when volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) took up relief and rehabilitation works in the areas affected by the century’s worst disaster, RSS leader Bhimsen Deshpande said here after visiting Orissa to supervise the works. When the RSS workers entered Pottanai village in Kanjanga block of the worst-hit Jagatsinghpur district on November 19, they were shell-shocked to find a boy sitting near his father’s body with no one to look after him. Mr Deshpande said when the volunteers inquired from the boy, he said: "I am the only surviving member of the family. There is no one to do the needful". When they asked the villagers why they did not help the boy, they said without enumeration, the government would not provide any relief to him. Later the workers cremated the body. However, the local officials were annoyed that the body was cremated before enumeration, he lamented. Mr Deshpande said a nine-year-old boy led a team of doctors to an inaccessible Narsagpur village. When the villagers surrounded the team, the boy exhibited his organising skills by making the villagers form a queue, much to the astonishment of the doctors. In another village it was pathetic to find a 25-year-old woman sobbing with three children beside the body of her husband, he added. At Yerasoma village, Upendranath, an RSS worker, whose house had collapsed in the cyclone, took an active part in the relief works, despite his personal loss, he said. Mr Deshpande said a man was found in a semi-conscious state and when he regained consciousness after being given first-aid, he started wailing and said, "all the people in my village are dead. I won’t return to my village since the bad memories will haunt me". Till November 17, 6,120 animal carcasses and 1,280 human bodies were buried by the volunteers, he added. Mr Deshpande said the RSS was operating 482 free food distribution centres, 180 health camps and medical-aid centres round-the-clock with 249 coordination centres to provide succour to the needy. BHUBANESWAR: Meanwhile, with reports of 63 more casualties coming in from Kendrapara, Jajpur and Cuttack districts, the toll in the October 29 super cyclone in Orissa has risen to 9,866, according to official sources. The toll in the worst-hit Jagatsinghpur district, however, remained static at 8,119 for the past fortnight, the sources said. As many as 51 deaths
were reported since yesterday from Kendrapara district
followed by Jajpur (10) and Cuttack (2). |
More forces for Tripura NEW DELHI, Nov 25 — The Centre has decided to immediately deploy two more battalions of the CRPF to Tripura and to restore the deployment to the pre-Kargil level within 10 days. The Chief Minister of Tripura, Mr Manik Sarkar, who called on the Union Home Minister, Mr L K Advani, today discussed the law and order situation in the state. Mr Advani said the Centre would soon deploy two battalions of paramilitary forces and also informed that the proposal to fence the 856-km long border with Bangladesh was in the final stage. Work on it was expected to start by April next. The Centre also proposed
to raise a battalion of India Reserve, the cost of which
would be borne by the Union Home Ministry. |
There was plot to defeat me: PM LUCKNOW, Nov 25 (UNI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said organised attempts were made to ensure his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow. Mr Vajpayee said under a deep conspiracy, candidates of rival parties joined hands and they transferred their votes to the Congress candidate to see him defeated. "These candidates were contesting but not to win," he said. He was speaking at a
function at the historic Roomi Gate to welcome him on his
arrival in his constituency here for the first time after
winning the elections. |
3 more to join Goa Ministry today PANAJI, Nov 25 (PTI) — The Francisco Sardinha ministry in Goa would be expanded tomorrow with the inclusion of three ministers from the BJP, a coalition partner in the government. Mr Sardinha told mediapersons here today that with the induction of the three — Digambar Kamat, Suresh Amonkar and Prakash Phadte — the size of his Council of Ministers would go up to 14. The BJP had said yesterday that it would join the government in the "interest of maintaining stability in the state". Mr Sardinha, along with other 10 rebel Congress MLAs, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lieut Gen (Retd) JFR Jacob last evening after Mr Luizinho Faleiro tendered the resignation of his five-month-old Congress government ahead of a trust vote. The swearing in would take place at 0930 hours at Raj Bhavan. HYDERABAD: Political development is in Goa had punctured the Congress claim that it alone could provide a stable government, BJP General Secretary M. Venkaiah Naidu said here today. "In Goa, the Congress became a victim of its own gameplan and it is ridiculous to blame any party or individual for the crisis," he said. Brushing aside the charge of the BJP being behind the toppling of an elected Congress government, Mr Naidu said. "We cannot be responsible for the infighting the in Congress". Meanwhile, the Samajwadi
Party today accused the BJP of "hijacking" the
Goa government with the help of Congress rebels and
reiterated its decision to maintain equi-distance from
the Congress and the BJP. |
Plea against police chief
dismissed NEW DELHI, Nov 25 — A petition challenging the appointment of Ajay Raj Sharma as Delhi Police Commissioner was yesterday dismissed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) as it saw no reasons to interfere in the case. A Division Bench
comprising Vice Chairman S.R. Adige and Lakshmi
Swaminathan rejected the petition filed by Director
General of Home Guards, Ajay Kumar Singh, a claimant to
the prestigious post, and said "Sharma was found
more suitable to the post owing to his superior record of
service as manifested in his career records". |
HC directive to govt on PUCL plea NEW DELHI, Nov 25 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today asked the Union Law Ministry to expedite opinion if former Law Secretary V.K. Aggarwal had violated service conduct rules while giving clearance in 1994 to the Oman gas pipeline project sought by the then Petroleum Minister, Capt Satish Sharma. The project was, however, scrapped by the government after the opinion of the then Attorney-General. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Arun Kumar and Mr Justice D.K. Jain said the Law Ministry should give its opinion as sought by the Petroleum Ministry by January 27, 2000, the next date of hearing. The court’s directive came on a petition by the People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) which alleged that Mr Agarwal had violated the service conduct rules as he gave his opinion in "consideration" of a gas agency allotted in the name of his wife by Captain Sharma, who was "keen" to push the deal through. The PUCL petition filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan about two years ago had sought initiation of disciplinary action against Mr Agarwal, who retired in April last year. Mr Bhushan said Law Ministry had been "deliberately" sitting on the file sent by the Petroleum Ministry for its opinion. To a query by the court whether the Law Ministry had said any thing in this regard, an officer of the Petroleum Ministry present in the court said, "The Law Ministry has given no opinion and we have withdrawn the file as it was required for the court hearing." To a query by the court whether Mr Agarwal had solicited for allotment of the gas agency in the name of his wife, standing counsel Upamanyu Hazarika said there was nothing specific on record. After perusing the notings on the file, the court also wanted to know whether there was any other file regarding a departmental inquiry and disciplinary action against the officer as the existing file deals only with alleged "criminal conspiracy aspect." To a noting on the file by a senior official of the Department of Personnel and Training that no case was made out against Mr Agarwal and "no action was required", the court said, "It seems that the opinion was given without application of mind." Mr Bhushan said the
service rules clearly lay down that no public servant
would secure any business benefits, agency or any other
interests for himself and his family members in discharge
of his official duty. |
‘Law Day’ celebrations
today NEW DELHI, Nov 25 — To commemorate the golden jubilee of the adoption of the Constitution in 1949, "Law Day" will be celebrated in the country tomorrow. The Constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly after three-long years of deliberations which lays down an effective system of governance. The Supreme Court will begin its golden jubilee celebrations tomorrow and they will end on January 28, 2000, with a main function, a release said. A number functions are
being organised in the Capital in which Chief Justice of
India, Prime Minister, Vice-President and other members
of the Bar will participate. |
Relief materials pile up at platforms BHUBANESWAR, Nov 25 (UNI) — Large quantities of relief materials have piled up at the platforms with no takers. Cartons, boxes and polybags inscribed "for the super cyclone victims of Orissa" lie around. These materials have been lying at the platforms for days together in the custody of the railway authority, with the state government officials finding little time to process the items and forward the consignments to the affected areas. The plight of officials
accompanying the larger consignments is still worse. A
senior government official from Hyderabad, who has to
handover the medicine consignment, says it is frustrating
to see the attitude of the government officials here. |
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| Jain is Rajasthan
Lokayukta JAIPUR: Former Chief Justice M.C. Jain, who probed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has been appointed Lokayukta of Rajasthan. The order appointing Justice Jain, a former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, as Lokayukta for a term of five years was issued by the state government on Wednesday. — PTI Apang Mitra Award Miniature Koran
found Historian passes
away Malayalam author
dead 3 VCs appointed Rajasthan civic
poll today Lalit Kala
Akademi vice-chairman 3 British
nationals detained Dacoits kill
one, rape three |
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