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| Sunday,
April 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Sonia: Tehelka expose
eye-opener Medha serves legal notice on MP Dy
CM BJP team fails to break
impasse NJP joins
NDA front in Tamil Nadu |
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Maran to stay away
from active politics Judicial custody
for Verma, others
Amendments to Wildlife Act sought Famine relief works to be checked Property rates fall in Hanumangarh
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Sonia: Tehelka expose eye-opener Jaipur, April 14 “Tehelka episode has opened the eyes of the people to the fact that corruption has penetrated at every level in the government like cancer and it is for them to decide how many more days such a government shall be allowed to continue,” she told a rally here hours before an all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister to break the impasse in Parliament over the issue. Accusing ruling party members of levelling charges against opposition leaders to divert people’s attention from the issue, Ms Gandhi said, “The same people who were never tired of criticising Congress policies and its leaders in the past are now panicky of their own criticism.” Tehelka episode related to the country’s defence and contained evidences of corruption that “lowers our head in shame,” she told the rally organised by the party’s Rajasthan unit as part of the Congress offensive against the Vajpayee government on the expose. Reacting to the NDA charge that the Congress was in a hurry to come back to power, Ms Gandhi said, “We are certainly in a hurry to stop this country from being taken on the path of ruin.” Flaying economic policies of the Vajpayee government, Ms Gandhi said these were benefiting only a handful of people while others were facing unbearable hardships. “Coming generations will not forgive us if we fail to caution them against such policies. We will, therefore, continue our struggle against economic policies of the government,” she said. On stock market scams, she said thousands of small investors had lost their hard-earned money. Farmers were on the verge of ruin and many of them were being forced to commit suicide, Ms Gandhi said, adding that “poor people are finding hard to arrange two meals a day”. On the law and order front, she said, “Crime is on the rise. Women and children are not feeling safe.” She said the next month’s assembly elections in five states would go in favour of her party and asked the people to help her party in its struggle to save the country from “chaos”. Ms Gandhi chose the occasion to pay glowing tributes to Dr B.R. Ambedkar on his 110th birth anniversary saying he would always be remembered as an architect of the Indian Constitution which was a document of social change. She said her party would oppose any move to change the country’s “great and unique” Constitution. Ms Gandhi said her party was not in “haste” to capture “power”, as alleged, but in a hurry to save the country from the path of destruction. People were hopeful of her party waging struggle in this respect, Ms Gandhi said. She expressed confidence that the results of the forthcoming assembly polls in five states would be in favour of her party.
PTI, UNI |
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Medha serves legal notice on MP Dy
CM Bhopal, April 14 Ms Jamuna Devi was reported to have made the allegations in a press conference at Kopargaon in Maharashtra and these were published in the Marathi daily Lokmat on February 9,2001. The paper quoted Ms Jamuna Devi as having observed that Ms Medha Patkar was “a stooge of foreign powers” and was creating hurdles in developmental activities in the country. The minister was also reported to having alleged that the NBA was receiving foreign funds and was a “shop to deceive the tribal people.” The notice sent by an eminent lawyer, Mr Prashant Bhushan, on April 11, 2001, says: “The NBA has never received foreign funding in last approximately 17 years of its existence. In fact, the money associated with various national and international prizes conferred on Ms Medha Patkar had either been declined acceptance by her or donated by her for the benefit of general public.” The NBA has also denied the allegations made by Ms Jamuna Devi against the NBA and Ms Medha Patkar as being “false, baseless and untrue.” The NBA had earlier filed a defamation case against the Indian Express and the National Council of Civil Liberties of Ahmedabad, which had inserted an allegedly defamatory advertisement in the Paper. |
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BJP team fails to break impasse Guwahati, April 14 BJP General Secretary Narendra Modi, however, tried to play down the failure of the leaders stating that the Central team had actually come to meet the state leadership to fine-tune the poll strategy. Mr Modi, Mr Sunil Shastri, in charge of the North-East and Vice-President Pyarelal Khandelwal were rushed from New Delhi as the dissension had taken an alarming shape with a vertical split among the grassroots workers. “This is not a split. Only a few persons have gone out of the party. This will have no bearing and as we near the poll date they will realise the mistake they are making’’ said Mr Modi. The BJP leadership had a closed door meeting with Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today who had expressed apprehension yesterday that an alliance between the BJP and the ruling AGP might not do well if the dissension was not quelled immediately. The breakaway group spearheaded by Mr Hiranya Bhattacharya decided to put up candidates in more than 60 constituencies, seriously jeopardising the chances of the alliance candidates, a party source said. Although none of the senior office-bearers had deserted the party, but the grassroots party men were leaving the organisation to protest against the new alliance. In frustration they also ransacked more than a dozen local offices of the party. State BJP President Rajen Gohain, however, clarified that the latest poll pact was imposed by the Central leadership.
UNI
NJP joins
NDA front in Tamil Nadu Chennai, April 14 Under an agreement signed between the DMK and the NJP today, the latter was allotted five seats — Arani, Bhavani, Rishivandayam, Tiruvallur and Sholingar. DMK President M. Karunanidhi and Shanmugham signed the agreement, DMK party treasurer, Arcot Veerasamy, told newsmen here today. The party had been in two minds for several days, demanding 20 seats, but subsequently scaled it down to eight. It finally settled for five, as DMK chief Karunanidhi is due to release the final list of DMK candidates at a public meeting tonight.
PTI |
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Maran to stay away
from active politics Chennai, April 14 Mr Maran, who was in the city, announcing his surprise decision to UNI, however, declined to state whether he would campaign for the DMK-led NDA in the Assembly elections. Mr Maran, hospitalised recently for obstructive cardiac myopathy, had recovered fully and was active in attending to normal official duties. According to party sources, Mr Maran was peeved at the recent developments which saw the ascendancy of city Mayor and DMK youth wing leader M.K. Stalin in the party. |
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Judicial custody for Verma, others New Delhi, April 14 The CBI asked for further police remand of B. P. Verma as he was sick and could not be properly interrogated. In her order Duty Magistrate Anju Bajaj Chandna remanded Verma, Siddharth, Bhavna Pandey and Rajeev Sharma to judicial custody for two days. Senior counsel, Gurdial Singh filed the bail application of Rajeev Sharma which would be heard on April 16 along with the application of Bhavna Pandey on Monday. Ms Chandna also directed the Tihar Jail authorities to provide proper medical treatment to Verma who was brought to the court in a wheel chair. Verma’s advocate, S. Hashmi, asked that he should be sent to the private nursing home where he had been receiving treatment for his ailments. The accused would be produced before Special Judge M.L. Chugh on Monday. Siddharth, Rajiv Sharma and Bhavna Pandey, who allegedly acted as a conduit for B.P. Verma, were present in the court. The other two
Chennai-based accused — K. Vijay Pratap and Sravan Kumar — were in judicial custody till April 23.
UNI |
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N. India power situation
gloomy New Delhi, April 14 The tardy pace of the much-talked about reforms in the power sector has not helped anybody’s cause and some of the state electricity boards, unable to meet the meagre increase in demand, have already resorted to load shedding. While the demand for power is increasing with every passing day, the supply position is not up to the mark. According the 16th Power Survey, the power demands are estimated to sustain an average growth rate of 6.3 per cent per annum during the period 2001-2017. The northern and north-eastern regions are expected to grow at rates higher than the national average. The survey has estimated that during 2001-02 the energy requirement in the entire northern region would be 1,57,466 million kwh. According to Investment Research Information Limited, the shortfall of power for the northern region by 2002 would be minus 7.30 per cent. In 1997, the shortfall was minus 38.50 per cent. High transmission and distribution (T&D) losses is another aspect which has continued to show little signs of improvement putting avoidable pressure on the existing infrastructure. According to the survey, while the national T&D losses during 2001-02 is estimated to be 22.53 per cent, the corresponding figure for the northern region would be 28.22 per cent. The huge backlog of transmission works has led to severe overloading of the system which has affected the system parameters such as voltage adversely. The unplanned growth of distribution in the rural areas and the unethical practices of distribution staff in collusion with consumers has resulted in losses officially estimated at over 18 per cent. While the Central Government is pushing hard for power reforms, the continuing financial deterioration of the state electricity boards (SEBs) has affected the pace of the reforms at the ground level. The Union Power Minister, Mr Suresh Prabhu, minces no words in underlining the need for reforms at the state level. However, the SEBs do not have enough resources to finance future programmes. Also, the inability of the SEBs to pay their dues to the Central Power Utilities is adversely affecting the finances and investible funds. Realising the need for better quality power for the overall economic growth, some state governments have come forward with time-bound plans and have entered into memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Centre for power sector reforms. These MoUs envisage the unbundling of transmission and distribution, privatisation of distribution in a time-bound manner, 100 per cent electrification of villages, and energy audit at all levels among others. The Centre, in reciprocation, has committed to provide technical and financial support, besides allocating additional power to these states from central generating stations. Mr Prabhu had gone on record saying that by curbing thefts of power and preventing T&D losses, the country could save Rs 40,000 crore annually. This in turn could be ploughed back to the cash-starved power sector for modernisation and upgradation. |
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Couple’s murder creates
panic Muzaffarnagar, April 14 In fact, in the beginning, the parents of both Asif and Dr Naaz Parvin were against their marriage. But when the couple disappeared from the town for 25 days, their parents approached them and coaxed them to come back. According to police sources, both Asif and Dr Naaz were killed by a gang of six persons, including the brother of Dr Naaz Parvin, when they were going in a rickshaw from the bus stop to their home. Police sources maintained that the couple was dragged out of the rickshaw and were murdered with sharp-edged weapons. Dr Naaz Parvin died on the spot. Asif tried to run away but he was fired at. Later, when he fell down, he was brutally killed with knives and an axe. Both of them were murdered in full view of the public. No one came to the help of the two lovers. Later on, the parents of the girl and the boy made an effort not to lodge any FIR against the culprits. The police on its own registered a case of murder against the brother of the girl. But he has still not been apprehended. In fact, the district is fast becoming a graveyard for the couples in love . Earlier also a boy and girl were murdered in a village on the orders of the panchayat when they had dared to marry. Conservative people here don’t accept inter-caste marriages and marriages in the same “gotra”. Even in the Muslim community, there are strict regulations for celebrating marriages. The district was earlier known for the kidnapping incidents for ransom. But now, it has of late, become notorious for murders, especially, of couples in love. |
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1 million to ‘embrace’ Buddhism New Delhi, April 14 Flagging off a ‘Dhamma Vahan’ (Religious Chariot), which will go around the country to mobilise people to adopt Buddhism, here today, Mr Ram Raj said this was the only way left for the Indians to come out of the stranglehold of the deep-rooted caste system in society. During the six-month campaign to be led by Mr Ram Raj, the chariot will pass through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana before returning to Delhi. The chariot was flagged off on the Parliament Street here on the occasion of the 110th birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Mr Ram Raj said their movement was aimed not only at removing caste system in society, but also arousing patriotic feelings among Indians.
UNI |
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Amendments to Wildlife Act sought New Delhi, April 14 The trust has proposed that persons who own articles as tiger and leopard skins, deer antlers, elephant foot stools, black buck head mounted trophies, ivory and shahtoosh, should only be allowed to pass them on to the family by inheritance. Sources in the ministry said the draft amendment was said to have been finalised and was awaiting the approval of the Law Ministry. The sources said the ministry was trying to ensure that wildlife articles were transferred only by way of inheritance.
Famine relief works to be checked Hanumangarh, April 14 Sources revealed that administrative officers of the tehsils had been appointed as in charge for checking the relief work. The checking would be conducted without any advance information also. For this purpose, development officers and tehsildars of tehsils concerned had been appointed. The sources said with these checkings, transparency in the relief works would be insured. Officers were asked to check the quality of work being done and insure that employment was provided to the maximum number of needy persons. The development officers of Nohar and Bhadra Panchayat Samiti, the SDM, Nohar, the Assistant Collector of Rawasar, and the Additional Working Officer of the district council, have been ordered to submit their reports after regular checkings. Under the famine relief operations, 368 persons have been provided employment at Rawatsar, 1515 persons at Nohar, and 970 persons at
Bhadra.
Property rates fall in Hanumangarh Hanumangarh, April 14 In many populated areas of the city the price of land had come down by 70 per cent. At places like Durga Colony, Dhillon Colony, main market the rates have slashed down by Rs 400 per square yard. In the main market, there are many shops which the buyers refuse to buy even at Rs 2 lakh yet the government is demanding 3,50,000 for these. The four places in the junction behind Shiv Mandir, near Anand Cinema, police station and in front of the Collector’s office, land were earmarked by the government for constructing new shopping complexes, but due higher DLC rates nothing has been done so far. According to sources the cost of each shop in these complexes is not more than Rs 50,000 but the government demands Rs 2,00,000 each for the same. The rates of both constructed and unconstructed properties have gone down to such an extent, that the owners interested in selling them were not even getting the amount spent by them on these properties. The property dealers are of the view that famine has been one of the reason for the rates of properties not getting high as people don’t have the money to buy them at higher rates. Also the higher DLC rates fixed by the government had adversely affected the rates at some places, they said. |
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