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Wednesday,
June 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Mamata for
rejoining NDA govt Nirupama Foreign Office spokesperson Gill philosophical about future |
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Stocks scam: JPC to examine ATR today New Delhi, June 12 The Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the stock market scam will examine tomorrow the action taken report on the previous JPC that looked into the 1992 multi-crore securities scam. Poll funding: BJP for all-party meeting Thackeray
calls on Vajpayee |
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Rao was ‘indifferent’ to Babri row
Jaya summoned
to appear in court Manoj Prabhakar eludes
police Spurious drugs unit unearthed Manipur action plan reviewed Motion for Sarpanch’s recall defeated
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Mamata
for rejoining NDA govt Kolkata, June 12 This was disclosed to The Tribune by her close associate after a meeting last night in which five of the TMC’s nine MPs and several prominent MPs were present Dr Panja, the elder brother of the rebel TMC MP, Mr Ajit Kumar Panja, was not invited to the dinner. Mr Nitish Sengupta and Ms Krishna Bose were also absent. At the meeting, Ms Banerjee apprised the MPs and MLAs about her recent talks with the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the NDA chairman, Mr George Fernandes. She admitted there was no “request” from either Mr Vajpayee or Mr Advani to her for returning to the NDA. But Mr George wanted to know what would be the TMC stand on national politics after the result of the Assembly elections in Bengal where the TMC lost against the CPM under an electoral adjustment with the Congress. Ms Banerjee, however, refused to disclose anything to the Press. But she admitted that their rejoining the NDA was not ruled out in the changed political situation. She said they would organise a rally in the city on June 21 on the eve of the monsoon session of Parliament to strengthen themselves politically. At that meeting, she would seek the people’s verdict about their re-joining the NDA. Mr Tapan Sikdar, Union Minister for Communication, reiterated today that they would oppose Ms Banerjee’s return to the Vajpayee ministry. “There is no room for a betrayer like Mamata Banerjee in the Vajpayee ministry. But all other MPs, including Ajit Kumar Panja and Ms Krishna Bose, are welcome”, remarked Mr Sikdar. On the other hand, WBPCC president, Pranab Mukherjee said it was an internal matter of the TMC whether it would rejoin with the BJP or not. |
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Nirupama Foreign Office spokesperson New Delhi, June 12 Ms Rao, a topper of the 1973 civil services examination, told newspersons after assuming charge she would ensure “accessibility and transparency”. The new spokesperson said, “I am looking forward to interacting with the Press and I hope I would be able to discharge my responsibility to the media’s satisfaction”. Ms Rao, who was a Joint Secretary in MEA’s Economic and Multilateral Economic Relations Department till now, has served in the USA where she was Minister, Press. Hailing from Kerala, Ms Rao had her education at Bangalore and Aurangabad and stood first in the 1973 IFS and IAS combined examination and then opted for the Foreign Service. She is married to an IAS officer, Mr Sudhakar Rao, from Karnataka cadre who is posted at Bangalore. Having served as India’s Ambassador in Peru, Ms Rao knows German and Spanish well. She was Deputy Chief of Mission in Russia and has served Indian diplomatic mission in Austria. From 1984 to 1992, Ms Rao was on the China desk of the Ministry of External Affairs. Her predecessor, Mr Jassal, served as Joint Secretary (External Publicity) for over two and a half years and had briefed the media during the 1999 Kargil war when he was seen by million of viewers and became almost a household name. |
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Gill philosophical about future New Delhi, June 12 “Bhagwan Jane (god knows) what I will do...there is always a bend in the road...whatever it is I will play the ball one by one,” Dr Gill said in his farewell press conference here today. Dr Gill, who served the commission for about eight years, ducked the question on whether he is eyeing on the President’s post by merely saying: “It is too big thing...I will be a citizen like you from tomorrow.” To a question whether any offer has been made to him by the Centre, he said: “No offer...none whatsoever”. The outgoing CEC stressed that in his tenure at the commission he had endeavoured, along with his colleagues, to strengthen India’s electoral democracy and to run it in a stable neutral manner. “I am sure my successor (Mr
J.M. Lyngdoh) carry forward the tradition even better than me,” he said. He dwelled at length various steps initiated by him like the introduction of electronic voting machines, voter identity cards and amicable resolution of various pending court cases against the commission. Stating that it had been his conviction that close interaction with political parties is essential to run a good electoral democracy, Dr Gill thanked all parties for the cooperation and courtesy these parties have always extended to him. |
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Stocks scam: JPC to examine ATR today New Delhi, June 12 Briefing about today’s in-house meeting, which was attended by 23 of its members, chairman of the JPC Mr Prakash Mani Tripathi said Finance and Company Affairs officials would also be called during the examination of the ATR. Though the government had presented to Parliament the ATR on the 1992 securities scam in 1994, not all of its 237 recommendations had been implemented so far. At its meeting today, the JPC decided to invite memoranda from persons interested in giving information and suggestions relating to its terms of reference. The memoranda would be invited through advertisements in newspapers and the interested persons could either send these to the chairman or could make a request for hearing. The JPC, which was formed on April 26, 2001, would meet for another three days till June 15 before it reconvenes on June 25. It would meet from June 25 to June 28 and from July 9 to 12. “The idea is to speed up the process and get as much work done before the monsoon session ends,” Mr Tripathi said. On Thursday, the JPC will hear opinion of some senior mediapersons who have been writing about the stock market scam. It is also planning to call some experts of both the capital and financial markets. The JPC also decided to send a questionnaire to the Ministry of Finance for its answers. The questionnaire, Mr Tripathi said, would be finalised in the next few days. It would also be sent to certain other regulatory institutions. The terms of reference of the JPC include going into the irregularities and manipulations in all their ramifications in all transactions, including insider trading, relating to shares and other financial instruments and the role of banks, brokers and promoters, stock exchanges, financial institutions, corporate entities and regulatory authorities. It has also been assigned the task of fixing responsibility on the persons, institutions or authorities in respect of such transactions. The JPC will identify the misuse, if any, of failures/inadequacies in the control and the supervisory mechanisms and make recommendations for safeguards and improvements in the system to prevent the recurrence of such failures. It will suggest measures to protect small investors, and deterrent measures against those found guilty of violating the regulations.
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Poll funding: BJP for all-party meeting New Delhi, June 12 Talking to newspersons in her room after assuming charge as one of the three BJP spokespersons, Mrs Maya Singh said elections were becoming costlier and expensive and this was one of the causes of corruption. In this background, it was time for evolving a consensus on the issue of electoral funding, the spokesperson said. Asked as to how could this consensus be evolved, Mrs Singh said the Election Commission could convene an all-party meeting on the issue. Elections are coming under sharp focus of the BJP as its President K. Jana Krishnamurthi along with his senior colleagues has decided to attend the meeting of the Uttar Pradesh state executive committee at Saharanpur on June 15 and 16. While the party high command has not yet decided about the timing of the Assembly elections in the biggest state, the BJP, which is ruling both at the Centre and UP, is leaving no stone unturned to emerge victorious at the hustings whose adverse verdict may well set the tone for the next Lok Sabha poll. Immediately after attending the state executive meeting, Mr Jana Krishnamurthi has convened meetings of the central office-bearers, state in charges and presidents of the various frontal organisations of the party on June 20, 21 and 22 to discuss the forthcoming Assembly
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Thackeray calls on Vajpayee Mumbai, June 12 Mr Thackeray, who was accompanied by his nephew, Raj, was with the Prime Minister for about 15 minutes. “Mr Thackeray inquired about the progress of Mr Vajpayee’s, health’’ local BJP MLA Mangalprabhat Lodha, who is party’s camp in charge at the hospital, said. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Ram Naik has sent a set of cassettes and CDs of poems and songs of legendary Marathi litterateur late P.L. Deshpande. A group of Buddhist monks also offered special prayers at the hospital wishing the Prime Minister a complete and speedy recovery, Mr Lodha added.
UNI |
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Rao was ‘indifferent’ to Babri row New Delhi, June 12 During his reign serious initiative was taken to reslove the issue through a dialogue between the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC), he said deposing before the inquiry commission probing the December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya. The talks were focused on one question whether there was a Hindu temple or structure at the disputed site in Ayodhya before the Babri Masjid was superimposed on it, Dr Joshi said. “The dispute was never so focused during the previous (Mr V.P. Singh’s) government and there were many issues jumbling the matter,” he said. The Narasimha Rao government, which came to power after Mr Chandra Shekhar’s, kept quiet on the matter and did not do anything substantial till the VHP announced ‘kar seva’ at Ayodhya, he added.
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Jaya summoned to appear in court Chennai, June 12 Principal Sessions Judge S. Ashok Kumar posted it for hearing to September 12, even as the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sought an year’s time to further investigate the case on the ground that it had come across certain additional facts. On April 17, the judge had taken the charge sheet, filed by the DVAC in the case relating to the purchase of the hotels by companies floated by Mr Dinakaran, on file and ordered issuance of summons to Ms Jayalalitha and Mr Dinakaran to appear before the court today.
UNI |
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Manoj Prabhakar eludes police New Delhi, June 12 Neither the efforts of the Uttaranchal police to arrest Prabhakar have yielded results nor has the ex-cricketer surrendered before the court, which issued the NBWs on May 18. This has left the police with no option but to approach the Haldwani court in Nainital to declare him a PO.
PTI |
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Spurious drugs unit unearthed Sriganganagar, June 12 The factory was being run from a two-room apartment in a residential area of the city and medicines — both allopathic and ayurvedic — worth lakhs were consficated by the medical authorities with the help of the police. As many as 66 types of allopathic medicines, besides an equal number of ayurvedic formulations were being “manufactured, bottled and packagaged” on the premises.The accused, Jagmohan Sharma, has been arrested. He had been booked in a similar case earlier also. According to sources, the authorities had got information that an illegal drug manufacturing unit was being operated from a house, 130-P-block, in the city, by an unknown person. He had rented the accommodation six months ago and used to live alone. He was said to be the lone operator who used to scout the countryside and bring orders for the medicines required by quacks, and then manufacture them. Playing safe, he would then personally deliver the same to his customers and also collect payments. This had been going on for the past six months. A raiding party led by Mr Narendra Singh, SDM, comprising medical officers and the police raided the house and caught the accused when he was labelling a batch of bottles, which had been filled with spurious medicine. A number of state-of-the-art machines were being used for mixing and bottling medicines, making tablets, etc. Samples of the medicines have been sent to the government laboratory for chemical analysis. The magnitude of the operation can be gauged from the fact that a truck-load of medicines were taken in to custody by the authorities. Hundreds of samples — given by salesmen to doctors to popularise a particular medicine — of both allopathic and ayurvedic companies too formed a part of the seized drugs. Meanwhile, the police has registered a case under the Drugs Act, but further action will be taken after the report of the laboratory is received. Sources said the police would also proceed against those who bought medicines from the accused and prescribed them to the unsuspecting public. “It is too early to say whether the medicines supplied by the accused resulted in any serious complications to anyone, but we are looking into the matter,” an official revealed. |
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Manipur action plan reviewed New Delhi, June 12 This decision was taken at a review meeting on Manipur action plan held late last night by the Additional Secretary (H), Dr P.D. Shenoy, with the Advisers to the state Governor and other top officials of the state here. According to Home Ministry sources, the salaries of the state government staff for the months of April and May were given from the Central grant. Among other major decisions taken at the meeting included the disbursement of salary to the staff through cheques to avoid extortion by militants, constitution of a Joint Operation Group (JOG) with GoC 3 Corps/57 Mount Division as the convenor to coordinate and conduct counter insurgency opeations in the state. The JOG would comprise of the DGP (Manipur), DIG (Manipur), DIG (Manipur Range, Assam Rifles), DIG (BSF) and DIG (CRPF), official sources said. The meeting also discussed the status of cases referred to the CBI for investigations, like Manipur lotteries scam, fake appointments in the Education Department, supply of police uniforms, fake ex gratia payments and politician-militants nexus, shifting of NSA detainees, change in the police administration, surrender of weapons to militants by the police, deployment of MR battalions outside Manipur and toning of jail administration. |
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Motion for Sarpanch’s recall defeated Bhopal, June 12 The motion seeking recall of the Jhopali village panchayat Sarpanch, Ms Mamtabai, in Badwani district was put to vote on Thursday. It was defeated as only seven voters supported it and 11 cast their votes against the motion. Three voters were declared invalid. The movers of the motion led by the Upa-Sarpanch, Mr Gyan Singh, then indulged in vandalism. They destroyed the poll stationery, upturned tables and chairs, beat up Ms Mamtabai and even tried to set her sari on fire. The police has registered criminal cases against 30 persons, including the Upa-Sarpanch. The new law was first invoked against the Anuppur Nagar Panchayat President, Ms Pallavika Patel, in April this year. She was unseated. The Sanchi Nagar Panchayat President, Ms Shyamabai Mehra, survived the motion to unseat her. |
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65 lakh for wasteland project New Delhi, June 12 The districts covered under IWDP are Agra in UP, Bathinda in Punjab and Thoubal in Manipur. While Rs 50 lakh have been released for Thoubal, Rs 54 lakh have been released for Agra, a ministry statement said. |
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40 fast-track
courts start functioning New Delhi, June 12 The 40 new ad hoc Courts of Additional Sessions Judge/fast-track courts had been established in 33 sessions divisions, he said adding. In-service judicial officers had been appointed in these courts on purely temporary ad hoc basis initially for two years extendable by another two years or till they are promoted on a regular basis he added. |
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Lok Jana Shakti launches rath yatra New Delhi, June 12 Flagged by the Union
Communications Minister and the Party President, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, the rath is scheduled to visit all 134 municipal wards of Delhi.
Manufacturing units fined for power theft Sriganganagar, June 12 According to sources, a team led by the SE (Vigilance), Mr J.C. Kapoor, raided the premises located on the Abohar road and found that the power was being drawn directly and the meters had been stopped by inserting slivers of X-ray film. One of the units was fined Rs 3. 30 lakh while the other unit was fined Rs 1.50 lakh. The owners of both companies paid a sum of Rs 2. 40 lakh on the spot while the balance would be cleared in the coming days. The department had been receiving complaints for a long time about illegal drawing of power and this reflected in their bills also, the sources added. |
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The Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M.S. Gill today struck a philosophical note about his future plans after he demits office tomorrow.
“Bhagwan jane (god knows) what I will do...there is always a bend in the road...whatever it is I will play the ball one by one,” Dr Gill said in his farewell press conference here today.
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at
Breach Candy Hospital here, where the latter is recuperating
after Thursday’s knee replacement surgery. Mr Thackeray, who
was accompanied by his nephew, Raj, was with the Prime Minister
for about 15 minutes.
