M A I N   N E W S

CEC warning to ministers on tours
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 10
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dr M.S. Gill, today warned the ministers in the states going to the assembly poll on May 10 against undertaking official tours or use their official vehicles for trips following the announcement of the poll schedule.

“We know that the only trips that they would now be undertaking are election trips. The ministers are, therefore, advised not to use official resources for these,” Dr Gill told newsmen here.

The model code of conduct had come into effect with the announcement of the poll schedule in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry on March 31 and the ministers should not undertake official tours or use official vehicles for their trips, the CEC said.

Dr Gill asked the political parties and candidates not to indulge in violence and short-cuts and warned of stern action against those who do not abide by the code of conduct.

MIG crash near LoC

New Delhi, April 10
A MIG-21 crashed today in the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir but it was not known whether the pilot bailed out to safety, sources in Air Force said here.

The debris of the plane had not been sighted as yet, the sources said. But unsubstantiated ground reports indicated that the plane crashed about 4 km near the LoC on the Indian side, the sources said.

According to the sources, the plane took off on a routine sortie from Srinagar at 2.30 p.m. and soon after there was loss of radar contact. UNI