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| Thursday, February 8, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Centre proposes to build ‘new Kutch’ Memory of quake still haunts them
Satellite photos not for relief operations |
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Sikhs plan hospital in
Bhuj
Serial blast accused shot dead Gadgil cremated
with state honours PM for global fund
to eradicate poverty Decision on
crop MSP delayed Ministry seeks ban on
transporting cattle Rajmata’s will disentitles Scindia Moves to dilute focus of conference
on racism opposed
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Centre proposes to build ‘new Kutch’ NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — The Centre today proposed to build a “new Kutch” township with modern planning and quake-resistant houses even as it directed the Gujarat Government to formulate a concrete plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation so that more funds could be mustered through bilateral and multilateral agencies. According to the estimation done by the Gujarat Government the total loss in the four quake-hit districts has been put at Rs 20,875 crore, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said while briefing newsmen on the third meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoMs) on disaster management. The loss due to damage to industrial and commercial establishments is Rs 8,000 crore while damage to houses and belongings is estimated to be Rs 11,000 crore besides Rs 1,875 crore loss for public buildings, she said. Ms Swaraj said Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha had given directions to LIC and GIC to ensure that financial resources are not a hurdle in settlement of the claims of policy holders in quake-hit areas and asked them to attend a special meeting of the bankers’ committee in Ahmedabad on February 9, to be coordinated by Dena Bank. Special claim settlement cells have been set up across Gujarat with some of them still working from tents, she said adding that the LIC and GIC agents had also been asked to reach out to policy holders in settling the claims instead of waiting for them to come. Mr Sinha at a meeting with chiefs of LIC, GIC, banks and financial institutions made it clear that financial resources would be no constraint in the settlement of claims, she said. At the GoM meeting, Mr Sinha informed that the World Bank and Asian Development Bank had committed Rs 3,170 crore for reconstruction and rehabilitation in quake-hit regions, besides Rs 2000 committed by HUDCO and the National Housing Bank. In the worst-hit Kutch district, the GoM proposes to build a “New Kutch” township with modern planning and quake-resistant houses, she said. Ms Swaraj informed that of the total 3,259 bank branches in Gujarat, 187 located in Kutch district have been affected in the killer quake. Of this, 45 had been totally destroyed and the bank authorities have been able to make functional 23 branches in make-shift tents. On the relief operations, Ms Swaraj claimed that in nine towns and 772 quake-hit villages, water supply had been restored even as in a majority of the quake-affected areas, power, communication, rail and road networks had been re-established. She said 80,000 tents had been sent to Gujarat by various agencies and the Ordnance Factory, Kanpur, had assured a supply of 500 tents per week to the quake-hit regions. While China has sent 20,000 acrylic tents, a huge consignment of tents is expected to arrive soon from the USA. For the removal of debris, 500 cranes, 300 bulldozers and 2700 dumpers have been pressed into services in various quake-hit areas, Ms Swaraj said, adding that the local authorities had been asked to take utmost care while removing debris as there could be someone still alive, though the chances are bleak. |
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Memory of quake still haunts them AHMEDABAD, Feb 7 — As the city rises like the proverbial pheonix from its own ashes, return to normalcy in the quake-ripped city still seems a far-cry. Ashen-faced families return to pick up pieces of their life from the debris, recalling horrors of the black Friday that sent them scurrying to safer cities. Trains chugging in at Kalupur railway station are no longer pictures of happy families alighting to get back home. Ironically safe but shaken and anxious individuals, uncertain of their future, hurry about, getting back to whatever little is left of their life. Inside the train, the scene is only a little different — the families sit huddled together fearing the worst as hope runs out, discussing the “nightmare” in hushed tones and planning meticulously for an uncertain future ahead. Returning from Delhi 12 days after the ordeal, Ms Namrata Juneja, a resident of Suryaheta Towers, doesn’t let her children out of sight. “You won’t believe it and I have lived through it. The swinging staircase, the precariously hanging buildings and the house ransacked by the quake keep coming back to haunt us,” she contends. Then begins a detailed description of the “when” and “how” of things, oft-repeated and etched indellibly on her mind. Her children, studying in Class II and IX, have flatly refused to go to school. “Mummy ne mujhe pichhle earthquacke mein bahut mushkil se dhoonda. Main ab nahin
jaoonga, ’’says 7-year-old Ishaan. The two have come back only after they were promised that no more earth- quakes would rock whatever is left in their house on the ninth floor. Another family, that of the Johris, returned from Jaipur, not out of love for their home but compulsion of office and school work.”The children were in school and I was in bathing when the earth shook,” claims, Ms Neerja Johri, residing in Naranpura. The ticket-checker in the train can’t help sharing the sorrow of the passengers even as he chips in,”Nothing is left of this city. Ane nazar lagi gai. Bau ocha passenger ave
chhe.” |
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Satellite photos not for relief operations NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — The satellite photographs of quake-hit Bhuj are not unlikely to be made available for assisting relief operations as they cover sensitive imagery of defence installations. According to officials in the Department of Space, the photographs taken by Indian and foreign satellites, are currently with the Hyderabad based National Remote Sensing Agency (NSRA). The Ministry of Defence has not approved the distribution of these photographs to government and non-government relief agencies, as the imagery of Bhuj, situated very close to the Pakistan border, is considered sensitive. The Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, has said that satellite imagery and information technology tools would be extensively used for better disaster management in the capital. “Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), the technology of satellite imagery and IT, are based on data-bases containing both spatial and non-spatial data and can help in integrating the country as well as the world”, Ms Dikshit said. Since about 90 per cent of any government agency data is geographic in nature containing an address, service boundary and PIN code, the application of GIS and GPS has become vitally important, she added. Meanwhile, the Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Mr Didier J Cherpitel, today called on the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, to apprise him about the various measures being initiated by the Indian Red Cross Society in Gujarat. So far, 18 cargo planes with 700 tonnes of relief material have been made available to Gujarat by the Federation. Initially they were targeting a case-load of three lakh earthquake victims with essential relief material. Russia has offered to adopt 400 quake-hit children temporarily for a period of up to two months. Government-owned Russian enterprise, Rasoboronexport, has communicated to the Indian Government about its willingness to adopt upto 400 children in the age group of 7 to 12 in special camps on the Black Sea coast |
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Sikhs plan hospital in
Bhuj AHMEDABAD, Feb 7 — Sikhs here have sought the help of the Punjab Government in building an ultra-modern hospital in Bhuj district, the epicentre of the Republic Day quake. “We have written a letter to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to extend help in building a hospital in Bhuj, as all the existing medical facilities have been destroyed in the quake,” said the president of Gurdwara Gobind Dham, Mr Ishwar Singh. Mr Ishwar Singh told The Tribune that the Sikh community was planning to build an ultra-modern hospital in Bhuj, the largest district in the state. with about 900 villages. He said a large amount of relief material has come from Sikhs in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Gujarat. Though the Sikh population in the state is not huge, the president of Gurdwara Gobind Dham, who is coordinating the relief operations of the community in Ahmedabad, said that the Sikhs had come forward and rendered help to reduce the pains of the quake victims.” He said food was being served free of cost in Bhuj, Bachau, Rapar, Gandhidham and other quake affected areas. Mr Ishwar Singh said the relief work would continue at least till December as the quake victims, who had lost all their belongings, would take time to recover. “Our objective is not only to provide short term relief to the victims. but also long term help. We are confident that the historic town would once again thrive, as it has done in the past,” he said. Even Gujarat Government officials are confident that the state would overcome the setback within a couple of years. The officials said the state has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 20,875 crore. The second most industrialised state, Gujarat accounts for 11 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and an eighth of its industrial output. Its four ports — one of which, Kandla, is among the largest in the country and has been extensively damaged — carry a third of India’s exports. The state has more than 200,000 small units and over 2,000 large and medium enterprises. Besides, the state’s diamond cutting and polishing industry is among the largest in the world, with a daily turnover of Rs 300 million. Moreover, Gujarat’s share in the country’s petrochemicals, petroleum refining, natural gas, fertilisers and pharmaceutical sectors is 36 per cent, 30 per cent, 22 per cent, 32 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively. |
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Memorial to
buried schoolchildren AHMEDABAD, Feb 7 (PTI) — In memory of over 300 schoolchildren who were buried alive under the debris with national flags in their hands on Republic Day at Anjar in the worst-affected Kutch district, the Gujarat Government would construct a memorial. The children, who were marching through the streets of this small town as a part of the Republic Day celebrations, were buried under the concrete debris when houses on both sides of the street collapsed on them. “We will build a memorial to these children at an appropriate place in the town of Anjar once the reconstruction work is taken up,” Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya said. The quake has left many a children orphaned, he said, adding that the government was getting requests from all quarters regarding their adoption. “Many families from abroad and parts of India are approaching us for adoption of these orphaned children, he said, adding that the government would make the adoption legalities simpler in cases of the quake-affected children. In case of children killed by the quake, the government had announced an exgratia amount of Rs 60,000 to be paid to the parents, Mr Pandya said, adding that “we are making an additional payment of Rs 50,000 to the parents who lost their children under the debris.” |
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Panel on disaster
management formed NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — The Centre today formed a 35-member National Committee on Disaster Management (NCDM), which will be presided by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and will have representatives of all national and state parties. The NCDM, whose immediate task would be to suggest short, medium and long term steps for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the quake-affected areas in Gujarat, would have the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Mr Sharad Pawar, as its Vice Chairman. The committee would also deliberate on the necessary institutional and legislative measures needed for an effective and long-term strategy to deal with national calamities and look into the parameters that should define a national calamity. Several Ministers, including Mr L.K. Advani, Mr George Fernandes, Mr Yashwant Sinha, Mr Nitish Kumar, Mr Kashiram Rana, and Mr Jagmohan, along with the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr K.C.Pant and the Principal Scientific Advisor, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, are part of the NCDM. The Cabinet Secretary would be its Member Secretary. Representatives of national parties would be the Presidents of the Congress, the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Bangaru Laxman and Mr Kanshi Ram and General Secretaries of the CPM and the CPI, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Mr
A.B. Bardhan. |
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School tests except
Board exams waived BHUJ, Feb 7 (PTI) — keeping in mind the hardship of students, the Gujarat Government has decided to waive the school promotion tests for students in the quake affected areas except for those appearing in the Classes X and XII. “We have decided to promote the students in Classes up to IX and those studying in Class XI on the basis of their performance in the quarterly examinations held some time back,” state Education Commissioner P. K. Parmar said. He said the state Cabinet took a decision in this effect yesterday. “Even those appearing for the Board examination or for the Class XII examination would be given the option of appearing for these tests either on April 3 or in the first week of May, he said.” |
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Census in quake-hit areas rescheduled NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — The enumeration for the Census 2001 will be rescheduled in the worst-affected Kutch district of Gujarat and two talukas of Rajkot and Jamnagar, Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India Jayant Kumar Banthia said here today. “Of the 25 districts in Gujarat, there is no problem of conducting the census in 22 districts. In the worst affected Kutch district and two talukas in Rajkot and Jamnagar, the enumeration has to be rescheduled,” Mr Banthia told newspersons. The census process begins on February 9 and will end on February 28. The reference date for the Census 2001 will be March 1, 2001. Stating that the commission was ready for the single largest administrative exercise, he hoped that the level of accuracy of the data would be over 98 per cent. “As per the past experience we had an accuracy rate of 98.2 to 98.3 per cent. We hope to improve upon it this time,” he said. |
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All
miners dead PATNA, Feb 7 — All 30 miners trapped inside the flooded Bagdigi mine pit have been declared dead by the BCCL management and a case has been lodged against nine BCCL, DGMS and security officials. Two more bodies have been identified and the bodies of the other trapped miners have been located but the BCCL management is avoiding to fish out the bodies to avoid riots as the relatives of miners waiting outside after the last rites of Pritam Singh were performed. The SP and DC are having tough time in handling them. It is believed that the bodies would be fished out late in the night and the news would be made public only after reinforcement arrives. It is believed that the divers have located the bodies and have informed the BCCL management. The officials have already prepared the gratuity and provident fund amount of the dead miners and even finalised the compensation amount that would be handed over to the relatives along with the bodies to avoid violence. Sources said the names of the nodal officials who would hand over the bodies and compensation had been finalised. The BCCL management is preparing the list of relatives who would be given jobs and compensation. A compensation of Rs six lakh and a job has been finalised. Union Minister and local MP Rita Verma yesterday met top BCCL officials and has been reportedly informed of the facts. To assuage the feelings of the angry mob, the BCCL has also made public the name of the nine officials against whom the case has been lodged under Section 304/34 of the IPC and 72C of the Mines Act. Prominent among the accused in the case are Lodna Area Manager V.S. Shrivastava and an absconding officer, A.K. Sengupta. Ms
Verma told mediapersons that the culprits would be punished. She is
trying to assuage the hurt feelings of the miners and relatives.
Earlier the Navy divers’ team had stopped rescue operation after one
of the divers fainted due to lack of oxygen. There is still lot of
water inside the pit and the bodies can be fished out only after at
least 25-30 metre water is drained. Giving this information, Lodna
area General Manager P.K. Sinha said the four pumps had to stop on
Monday night as they failed to drain water further. Now, a platform is
being constructed to reach the pumps lower to drain the water
effectively. Meanwhile, BCCL control room sources admitted that due to
lack of updated map of the mine, divers had problem locating the pit
and the rescue operation was thus delayed.  Serial blast accused shot dead MUMBAI, Feb 7 (PTI) — Hanif Kadawala, film producer and accused in the 1993 serial bomb blast case, was today shot dead at his office at Vaz Bungalow in suburban Bandra, the police said. The assailants fired at him from point blank range. Kadawala, who was released on bail by a TADA court two years ago, received injuries and was rushed to Bhabha Hospital, where he was declared dead before admission. The motive behind the killing is not yet known, police sources said. In the early 1990s, Kadawala had teamed up with Samir Hingora to form Magnum audio-video company. They also turned to film production and their company was engaged in purchasing video rights of Hindi movies. Hanif and Samir were arrested in the serial blast case in April, 1993, and allegedly admitted their crime. Based on their statements, the police also arrested film actor Sanjay Dutt after his arrival here from Mauritius. The case of the prosecution was that Hanif and Samir had allegedly paid for the tickets of family members of absconding accused Tiger Memon, who reportedly left the country a day before the serial blasts. The approver in the serial blast case, Usman Jan Khan, had also named both of them as the accused who had threatened him in jail not to tender evidence in the serial blast case. Although Sanjay was released on bail in October, 1996, Hanif and Samir were initially denied bail on the ground that they had allegedly threatened the key prosecution witness and would therefore tamper with evidence if released on bail. Both were in custody for nearly five years from 1993 to 1998. |
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Gadgil cremated
with state honours PUNE, Feb 7 (PTI) — The mortal remains of veteran Congress leader V.N. Gadgil, who died in Delhi yesterday, were consigned to flames at Vaikunth crematorium here today with full state honours. The funeral pyre was lit by his son Anantrao Gadgil. Earlier, a large number of people gathered at his residence Gadgilwada in Shaniwarpeth to pay homage to the departed soul and offer condolences to the bereaved family. The funeral procession, which started from Gadgil’s residence, passed through different routes before culminating at Vaikunth crematorium. Maharashtra ministers Ramkrishna More and Balasaheb Shivarkar laid wreath on behalf of the state government and Mayor Datta Gaikwad on behalf of the city residents at the crematorium. All-India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde was present on behalf of the AICC President Sonia Gandhi. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govindrao Adik, Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Kalmadi, Nationalist Congress Party leader Vithal Tupe and city Congress chief Mohan Joshi also paid homage to the departed leader. A condolence meeting was held at the crematorium, where several leaders spoke about Gadgil’s contribution in the social and political fields. |
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PM for global fund
to eradicate poverty NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today suggested creation of a global poverty alleviation fund through international levy on capital flows between developed countries and all capital repatriations from developing countries. Inaugurating the first-ever Delhi Sustainable Development Summit at Vigyan Bhavan here today, Mr Vajpayee said, “It is high time we considered imposition of an international levy on capital flows between developed countries and all capital repatriations from developing countries.” The three-day summit is being organised by the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI). The Prime Minister said that the aforesaid fund could aim at accelerated liquidation of all public external debts of low-income countries and poverty alleviation programmes targetted at those who have lost their livelihoods in economic crises brought about by reversal of external capital flows in developing countries. The Prime Minister stressed the need to substantially increase the resources of governments in developing
countries to pursue developmental projects and programmes aimed specifically at poverty eradication. Mr Vajpayee said the resources of multilateral and bilateral development agencies needed to be significantly enhanced and this called for a high level of political will in industrialised countries. While suggesting need for greater global cooperation to deal with natural calamities, especially in developing countries, Mr Vajpayee acknolwedged the help extended to India by the international community after the devastating earthquake in Gujarat last month. The Prime Minister also released DISHA (Directions, Innovations and Strategies for Harnessing Action) researched and compiled by a team of TERI researchers. He said that the book focussed on green technologies, the use of market-based
instruments, a new code of ethics for the corporate sector and effective governance at all levels. Mr Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme, USA, said the consequences of the earthquake had been multiplied by the issues of poverty and environmental degradation. |
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Decision on
crop MSP delayed NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved proposals for maintaining the infrastructure and support system for Reproductive Child Health Programme at a cost of Rs 8790.15 crore during the Ninth Plan. The CCEA, however, did not decide on the crucial issue of announcing minimum support price for agricultural produce, an issue that has the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana on the tenterhooks. Under the Reproductive Child Health Programme, the CCEA decided to revise the norms for provision of assistance to states for direction and administration of rural and urban infrastructure; rationalise the structure of post partum centres and urban family welfare centres; increase the compensation payable for tubectomy from Rs 200 to Rs 300 and for vasectomy from Rs 180 to Rs 200. Of this, Rs 150 would be paid to the acceptor. The CCEA approved the continuation of centrally sponsored scheme for providing investment loan assistance to state governments for participation in the share capital of new cooperative sugar factories as well as term loan assistance and diversification. The other decisions taken by the CCEA include the approval for gauge conversion of the Cuddalore Vrindachalam-Salem line at a cost of Rs 208.36 crore; approval of the revised cost estimate for construction of new port at Ennore near Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1058.52
crore. |
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Ministry seeks ban on
transporting cattle NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which is also looking after the concerns of animal welfare, has written to the Railways, requesting the Railway Board to issue orders to ban the transportation of cattle on trains in the light of recent violations. The most recent breach was reported from Agra only on Tuesday afternoon, where 40 bogies were found carrying 800 oxen. While drawing attention to inaction on the Railway Board’s reported contemplation to ban
transportation of cattle by trains, the ministry has said that the male cattle aboard the train could not have been certified as milch cattle. Emphasising the gravity of the problem, the ministry has pointed out that four trains carrying cattle were stopped in the last two months on their way to the eastern region and thousands of cattle had been transported illegally. “The fact that 99 per cent of the cattle is from the northern states, including Rajasthan, towards Howrah indicates that there is some organised nexus operating there,” the letter says. Mr Rajeev Gupta, Commissioner of Agra, who has been on leave told TNS here today that 13 handlers from Nagaur in Rajasthan, who were trying to smuggle 40 bogies full of bullocks to Magar in West Bengal have been arrested under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Pashu Krurta Niwaran Adhiniyam and the Uttar Pradesh Gau Vadh Niwaran
Adhiniyam. |
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Rajmata’s will disentitles Scindia NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — Unravelling the bitter mother-son relationship, the will of Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia comes out strongly against her only son Madhav Rao Scindia and bars him from any claim in her property. Released to the press on the 14th day of the demise of Mrs Scindia, the will, spread over 11 pages and written in her own hand on September 20, 1985, spells out her beliefs and feelings about her children and associates. The will was read out to mediapersons today by Sardar S C Angre, former MP and secretary to Mrs Scindia. Contained in sealed covers and deposited with Mrs Som Raj Rajeshwari Devi Angre (wife of Sardar Angre), Mr S Gurumurthi, and M/S Lovell White and King (Mrs Scindia’s solicitors in London), the will was opened after Mrs Scindia’s cremation in Gwalior. The will comes out harshly on Mr Madhav Rao Scindia, whom Mrs Scindia accuses of being unworthy of the heritage of the Scindias. Devoting almost a page of the will to her feelings about her son, Mrs Scindia describes him as the most painful part of her life. “The hard and true fact is that he has disentitled himself and rendered himself unfit even to the right to cremate his mother’s dead body and do the last rites (kriyas), which is the religious duty of every son.” She says, “Any mother can imagine how painful and agonising it is to disown her only son - but the way my son disowned all that the Scindias stood for in their long struggle in defence of the country left me with no option but to try and forget that I ever had a son.’’ “To show his loyalty to political masters and to strengthen his rapport with them, he mentally tortured, persecuted and humiliated me, his mother, by diverse means... He foisted by his power and money, false criminal cases on my loyal friends and relatives merely because they were loyal to me, locked me out of my own house, got my private living apartments raided by the help of police and his own staff in my absence under the allegation of theft with the sole objective of humiliating me, his mother. He has morally forfeited his right to call himself my son,’’ the will says. Her will appoints Mr Angre and Mr Gurumurthy as joint executors and authorises them to take charge of all her estate, including properties,
assets, heirlooms, works of art, furnishings, jewellery and rights in or over any unpartitioned property. To her three daughters - Union Minister of State Vasundhara, Usha and Yashodhra — and their progeny, the late Rajmata has bequeathed the legal rights to her jewellery and said that this should be kept with the collector in the manner and terms as that of the Gaekwad royal family of Baroda. About the Scindia Villa in South Delhi, the will says that Dr J.K. Jain of Surya fame who has his Jain TV studios in the complex, will continue in the present position. The Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, which has been made into different trusts, along with Shanti Niketan, another building in the palace compound, should be converted into a great education centre run on the lines of “Bharatiya traditions.” The will says, “Sardar S.C. Angre has been appointed the seventh trustee of the ‘Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Trust’ after the execution proceedings of my will are completed along with my daughters when they are also taken in as trustees of this trust (that is if they have not become trustees already)”. |
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Moves to dilute focus of conference
on racism opposed NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today announced that India would oppose moves by some countries to dilute the
focus of UN-sponsored world conference on racism. Addressing the first meeting of the National Committee on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, the External Affairs Minister said in an obvious reference to Pakistan, that efforts were being made by some countries to broaden the scope of the conference to bring all forms of discrimination within its ambit. “We are opposed to discrimination in any form. But racism should not be confused with discrimination in general”, Mr Jaswant Singh said. The National Committee, which has 15 members with the External Affairs Minister as its Chairman, has 10 ex-officio members, including Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. Members are the Attorney
General, Mr Soli Sorabjee, a former Supreme Court Chief Justice, Mr Rangnath Mihsra, Mr Abid Hussain, Mr K. Ramalingam, Mr N.N. Jha and Mr G.R. Gharekhan. The meeting was in preparation for the conference in Durban beginning from August 31 this year. The committee recommended that India should continue to play an active and constructive role in preparing for the conference and endorsed that conference should be action oriented. Indo-China security
talks today NEW DELHI, Feb 7 — India and China will discuss bilateral, regional and international security issues in their second round of security dialogue tomorrow. The security dialogue, instituted between the two countries during External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh’s visit to China in June 1999, will cover issues like international and cross-border terrorism which have emerged as a major threat to the stability of the international political and economic system. The first round of the dialogue took place in Beijing in March last year. |
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Profit distribution function held HANUMANGARH, Feb 7 — The district Collector, Mr J.P. Chandellia, at a profit distribution function organised by the village Sewa Sahakari Samiti at Bahlolnagar under the ‘Sarkar Apke Dwaar’ campaign, advocated cooperation. He urged villagers to increase the agricultural produce and store fodder, so that the fodder could be made available in the famine affected areas of the district. Mr Chandellia also presented a cheque for Rs 68,220 as profit to the samiti out of which the samiti donated Rs 9,308 to the Chief Minister Relief Fund for the quake victims of Gujarat. |
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People unhappy with Cong: Shekhawat HANUMANGARH, Feb 7 — When the BJP was in power in Rajasthan it carried out a number of development works but for the past over two years the Congress had not done any significant work and the people of the state were not satisfied with its performance said former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, while talking to TNS here yesterday. To a question whether he was satisfied with the working of the Gehlot government in the state, Mr Shekhawat said unemployment was rising and nobody in the government seemed interested in the welfare of the people. He said the Congress government in the state had failed to get its share of water from other states and due to shortage of water, crops had damaged resulting in a famine-like situation. Mr Shekhawat said relief work in the famine-affected areas of the state was not enough and people were crying for help. The Leader of the Opposition said the ISI was active in the state and it had over 12,000 agents operating in the state. He said after his disclosure in the media about the activities of the ISI, surveillance had been increased. About the Gujarat earthquake, Mr Shekhawat said it was a tragedy and expressed happiness that people of Rajasthan were contributing generously towards the relief works. About his visit to Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts, Mr Shekhawat said he went to various canals and reviewed the situation. |
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Bill to enlist 15 pc poor families HANUMANGARH, Feb 7 — The Bill for listing 15 per cent below poverty line under the Antyodaya Ann Yojna was approved by the municipal council at a meeting, on Monday. The meeting was presided over by the vice-chairman, Mr Yadvendra Sharma. Mr Sharma said out of the total 7,935 poor families in the city, 1,428 families were put in the main list and 2,384 were kept under reserved category scheme. These families would be given wheat at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. Though the Bill was passed unanimously yet the council from the Opposition demanded the survey be conducted again as the survey report of the families was not satisfactory. The members also passed the agenda of the meetings held on January 1 and January 31. |
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