 |
Tuesday,
August 21, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
|
Rs 600 cr
swindled in fodder scam: CBI Bin Laden
smells out US move, shifts place
INS Kulish commissioned |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle No. plate system by Sept 28 Nitish
rules out Rlys’ privatisation BJP
backs move to give relief to security forces SIMI
warns Advani against ban move Fresh
floods ravage parts of Bihar Byelections
to 2 LS seats on Sept 20 Govt
reduces wheat export price Dara
Singh on indefinite fast SC
directive to Centre on starvation deaths Students suffer while mats gather dust Family
of 3 dies for god’s sake Case
registered against 2 doctors Curfew
clamped on Bihar town Servant
stabs man to death
|
|
Rs 600 cr swindled in fodder scam: CBI Ranchi, August 20 On the basis of documentary evidences, the agency had proved the swindling of public fund of Rs 650 crore by politicians, bureaucrats and private suppliers in the Animal Husbandry Department, CBI Additional Director U.N. Biswas said. The evidences were collected in course of the four-year-long investigation into the 64 fodder scam cases which rocked Bihar in 1996, he said, claiming that a lot more had gone underground. He appealed the people to report to the CBI if they had any information regarding the scamsters and their property. Dr Biswas also asked the media to fish out illegal transaction of scam money and investments made by them. He said field investigations in the fodder scam were over. The charge sheets in the 22 cases, which had not been filed so far, would be submitted before the court by December 31 if the agency received the required sanction from the state government and the Centre to prosecute the officials and the state employees involved, he added. The filing of charge sheets in at least four of the fodder scam cases — 45/96, 48/96, 52/96 and 68/96 — had been delayed as clearance was not given by the Jharkhand and the Bihar governments so far. The CBI had sought sanction for prosecution from the Jharkhand Government also in Regular Case 47/96 against 39 government employees on March 11 this year. This, according to the agency, was denied by the government, saying that those in question were still employees of the Bihar Government as the official cadre division had not been finalised between the two states. Then the CBI moved the Bihar Government on May 18, seeking prosecution against 69 employees, including 39 from Jharkhand in the Regular Case 47/96. While in the later four cases — 45, 48, 52 and 68 — the CBI moved the Bihar Government in the last couple of months seeking sanction for prosecution against 189 employees though they were posted in Jharkhand and planned to file the charge sheet as soon as it received clearance.
UNI |
|
Bin Laden
smells out US move, shifts place New Delhi, August 20 Bin Laden has been on the most wanted list of the United States of America for his alleged involvement in the bombing of the American embassy in Sudan. Two of his close associates, Ramzi Ahmed Yusuf and Mir Aimal Kansi were arrested with the cooperation of Pakistani authorities in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Intelligence sources here who have been monitoring the activities of Osama bin Laden and his terrorist outfit, the Al Quaida, said that the idealogue of the Islamic fundamentalists who is known to have been running several training camps in Afghanistan, had gone incommunicado several weeks ago after Pakistan allowed UN observers to be stationed along its border to monitor sanctions imposed against Afghanistan. It is generally believed that the stationing of these UN observers, equipped with sophisticated communication and detection equipment is a precursor to a dramatic commando operation by the US special forces to capture Bin Laden. The United States of America has been trying to secure the custody of Osama bin Laden to face trial in the US for the past couple of years but Afghanistan has refused to accede to its requests. These sources said that Osama bin Laden, along with a dozen of his very close associates, had suddenly moved to an undisclosed location and was communicating with his cadres only through messengers to avoid possible detection. The US had attacked his bases in Afghanistan with Tomoahawk missiles in August 1998 without causing any tangible damage and the reports that time had suggested that the US experts had zeroed in on his location through the signals emanating from his sattelite telephone. He had subsequently abandoned that particular mode of communication. Osama bin Laden and his cadre have been waging a relentless war against the US and other “enemies of Islam” globally targeting installations and individuals. It had also, recently threatened to escalate violence not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in other parts of the world. Indian security agencies while refusing to comment officially on the recent development said that they were watching with “keen interest” the US efforts to capture Osama bin Laden. |
|
NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, August 20 In a written reply to a joint question from Mr Bhagatram Manhar and Raju Parmar, the minister informed that out of a total of 647 sanctioned posts of judges in various high courts, 177 posts were vacant as on August 10, 2001. While one post of judge is vacant in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, four posts of judges are lying vacant in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said. The filling of vacancies in the high courts is a continuous consultative process among the constitutional authorities, the minister said adding that while every effort was made to fill the existing vacancies expeditiously, vacancies do keep on arising on account of retirement, resignation or elevation of judges. As far pending cases in high courts, the Minister informed the upper house that while 2,26,394 cases were pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, 36,794 cases are pending in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and 15,065 cases in Himachal Pradesh. Central Road Fund:
An amount of Rs 1047 lakh has been allocated by the Centre to Haryana from the Central Road Fund during the current financial year for state roads, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Maj-Gen (retd) B.C. Khanduri, informed the Lok Sabha. In a written reply to a question from Mr Trilochan Kanungo, the minister said while Rs 1028 lakh had been allocated to Jammu and Kashmir, Rs 348 lakh had been allocated to Himachal Pradesh and Rs 1433 lakh to Punjab. Construction of National Highways:
The Centre has earmarked Rs 48 crore during 2001-02 for the construction and development of highways in Punjab, Maj Gen (Retd) Khanduri informed the lower house. Haryana has been allocated Rs 55 crore for highway construction, Rs 47 crore had been earmarked for Himachal Pradesh and Rs 4 crore to Jammu and Kashmir, the minister informed. Construction of bridges over rivers:
Eleven bridges in Himachal Pradesh have been included for construction in Annual Plan 2001-2002, the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways informed the Lok Sabha. While eight bridges in Punjab have been included in the annual plan, one bridge in Haryana has been included in the plan. Approval of CTZ assisted health system projects in HP:
A note of exchange/agreement concerning the Indo-German project support for the establishment of a decentralised health services in Himachal Pradesh has been signed between the Government of India and the Government of Germany on June 29, 2000, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare A Raja informed the Rajya Sabha. In a written reply to a question from Mrs Chandresh Kumari, the minister said an amount of DS 6 M had been committed by the Government of FRG (GTZ) for this purpose. |
|
BJP backs
move to give relief to security forces New Delhi, August 20 Briefing newspersons, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said “Home Minister L.K. Advani’s statement that the Centre wants to give relief to the security forces in the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir would help the government in tackling militancy and para-military forces fighting militancy in these areas”. Stating there was a need to keep the morale of the forces high so that they are able to effectively tackle the problem of militancy, Prof Malhotra said there was a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to keep tabs on allegations about human rights violations of these forces. India was a signatory to the International Human Rights Convention, he said adding that if there were any violations, corrective steps should be taken. Those security forces whether the Army, the paramilitary or the police who fought against the extremists’ forces should not be punished. They had done their duties under difficult times. Nobody would tolerate punishing such duty conscious officials, he said. Prof Malhotra said the BJP was also supporting the recommendations of four state governments to ban the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who were sowing seeds of communal discord and hatred throughout the country. The spokesman also took exception to the Congress raising the issue of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s views on Christian missionaries and forcible conversions. Mr Vajpayee had praised the devotion and service -oriented attitude of these missionaries, but it would not mean there could be religious conversion through allurements or other such tactics in the country, Prof Malhotra said. The spokesman avoided answers to questions on former BJP General Secretary K.N. Govindacharya and Sports Minister Uma Bharti saying it concerned their personal lives. |
|
SIMI warns Advani
against ban move New Delhi, August 20 “If the government imposes a ban on the basis of baseless allegations, it will have dangerous consequences and Mr Advani will be responsible for it,” a SIMI leader said at a press conference here without elaborating. Reacting to Mr Advani’s recent statement that the movement would be banned and a foolproof case was being made against it, SIMI general secretary Sadar Nagori said SIMI was doing nothing which warranted such a move by the government. He accused the government of harassment, illegal detention and foisting of false cases against SIMI members. SIMI press secretary Shahbaz Hussain charged that Mr Advani himself had led the “rath yatra” in 1991 which left “a trail of death and destruction.” Besides, he and the Sangh Parivar were also accused in the demolition of Babri Masjid. |
|
INS Kulish commissioned Kolkata, August 20 Indigenously built by the Garden Reach Ship Builders, the 1,500-tonne state-of-the-art vessel is an upgraded Kora class corvette with an array of modern weapons and sensors, including 16 sea skimming long range surface-to-surface missiles, each with a range of 100 km. Equipped with multi-layered anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, the 91-metre long vessel also has the soft-kill measures like the Chaff rockets, used to clutter the sensory inputs of an incoming enemy aircraft or missile and hard-kill measures ranging from the shoulder launched IGLA surface-to-air missiles to the 76 mm super rapid gun mount and the multi-barreled 30 mm guns capable of delivering about 6,000 rounds per minute. Fitted with advanced sensors and an improved electronic warfare system to become one of the most potent and offensive platforms for its size,the ship is capable of staging Chetak and the indigenous ALH helicopters for enhancing the early warning and threat countering capabilities of the fleet. Speaking on the occasion,the Governor underscored the need for more research and development of indigenously built advanced defence equipment at a cheaper rate than the expensive foreign equipment. Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, John C. DeSilva said INS Kulish, suited for picket duties, would act as an effective sentinel in the Eastern Command in the Indian Maritime zone.
UNI |
|
New vehicle No. plate system by Sept 28
New Delhi, August 20 The high security number plates would have letters and numbers embossed and hot stamped and also have a chromium based hologram, containing Ashoka emblem with “Bharat
Sarkar” and “Government of India”, that would be applied by hot stamping. Hot stamping film bearing the inscription “India” would be applied on the letters and numerals of the licence number, he said adding that a permanent identification number of minimum seven digits would be laser branded on the reflective sheeting of the registration number plate. A third registration plate which would be in form of a self-destructive type chromium based hologram
sticker would have to be affixed on the inner side of left hand corner of windshield of vehicles.
PTI |
|
Nitish rules out
Rlys’ privatisation Patna, August 20 The Railway Minister also ruled out the retrenchment of any of the 18.5 lakh railway employees saying, “the ministry can take good care of its staff.” While asking the Danapur DRM on Saturday to present the detailed project of the proposed Rs 15 crore heart hospital and Rs 5 crore general hospital at Danapur, he set aside the rumours of his ministry contemplating to handover the railway hospitals to private sector. He announced Rs 1 lakh as ex gratia payment and grant of Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of those killed in the mishap. Meanwhile, the Railway Safety Commissioner, Mr R.P. Agrawal started probe into the mishap. He, however, refused to comment on the mishap and the probe. He visited the Danapur hospital and rushed to the accident site. The Railway Minister said the probe report would be submitted within two days and harsh action taken against the guilty officials, howsoever, big and powerful. He admitted that railway security had been lackluster in the past eight years owing to the lack of funds. He said the Rs 1500-crore Rail Safety Fund could not get the Union Cabinet sanction and that was why money could not be spared for the rail safety aspects. He admitted that at least 1560 rail stations had outdated signal systems. He assured that the action would soon be taken on the Khanna Committee and Rakesh Mohan Committee for rail safety. |
|
Fresh floods
ravage parts of Bihar Patna, August 20 The link between the two districts stands severed, district administration reports maintained. The floodwater had come from the swelling river
Baghmati, the state Water Resources Department (WRD) report said. Incessant rail in the Nepal areas had caused the fresh floods in Bihar. A large part of Nepal had been receiving downpour the past 72 hours and that had threatened large parts of the north Bihar areas adjacent to the international boundary, the WRD report had warned on Sunday. The WRD has on Monday sounded red alert to the District Magistrates of East and West
Champarans, Goplaganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur cautioning them of the possible spill over of water from the rivers Gandak and
Baghmati. The security on the embankments had been beefed up, the WRD report said. The department report presenting yesterday’s status report said in the last 48 hours, Nepal had received around 490mm rainfall. The Gandak catchments area of Pokhra received around 357mm and Mairwa around 127.7-millimeter rainfall. The Baghmati catchment area of Simra recorded 144.4mm and Kathmandu around 26.4 mm rainfall. The WRD Commissioner, Mrs Radha Singh informed that as the Meteorological Office warned of continued heavy rainfall in the Nepal river catchment area, the district administrations concerned had been put on high alert. She admitted that so far 26 persons died of floods and standing crops in 2 lakh hectares had been damaged in the floods. The official figures of the damaged houses stood at 1.7 lakh. Overall, floods affected a population of around 26 lakh, she said. |
|
Byelections to
2 LS seats on Sept 20 New Delhi, August 20 Tonk (SC) seat fell vacant due to the demise of Mr Shyamlal Bansilal of the BJP while the Banaskantha seat fell vacant due to the death of Ms Nisha Choudhury (Congress), wife of former Gujarat Chief Minister Amarsinh
Chaudhury, during the devastating earthquake in the state. The eight Assembly constituencies which would go to the polls were Vuyyur and Siddipet (Andhra Pradesh), Pakkekasanj (Arunachal Pradesh), Itabar (Assam), Sabarmati (Gujarat), Pusand and Dhond (Maharashtra) and Rairakhol (Orissa), it said. While notifications for the byelections would be issued on August 27, September 3 would be the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of the nomination would be taken up the next day and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature would be September 6. The polling would be held on September 20 and the entire election process would be completed before September 24. The Model Code of Conduct came into force in these constituencies with immediate effect, the Election Commission said, adding that electronic voting machines would be used in all these constituencies, except Arunachal Pradesh. |
|
Govt reduces wheat export price New Delhi, August 20 An official release said that the other terms and conditions for sale of wheat for export purposes remain unchanged. The government also decided to abolish the turnover period limit of 30 days imposed on recognised dealers of sugar. This decision has been taken to further liberalise the sugar trade in view of the comfortable position of domestic availability of sugar. As on June 30, the total stock of sugar in the country was 155 lakh tonnes. In July, the government had lifted the restrictions on stockholding limit on recognised dealers of sugar.
UNI |
|
Dara Singh
on indefinite fast Bhubaneswar, August 20 The 12 prisoners, including Singh, the principal accused in Staines murder case, have been insisting on special treatment for Surath Nayak, who has been ailing since July. They had also submitted a petition to the Jail Superintendent in this regard, the sources said. The jail sources said pathological tests indicated that Nayak was afflicted with tuberculosis. He was admitted to the Capital Hospital here today for treatment, the sources said. The trial concerning Staines murder has been continuing for the past several months at the court of the District and Sessions Judge here, which is the designated CBI court. Meanwhile, over 100 prisoners, mostly convicts, have been on strike since Saturday night in the district jail at Puri alleging distribution of sub-standard food and protesting against unhealthy conditions inside the prison besides harassment, jail sources said.
PTI |
|
SC directive
to Centre on starvation deaths New Delhi, August 20 The direction was given by a three-judge Bench comprising Mr Justice
B.N. Kirpal, Mr Justice M. Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice Brijesh Kumar during the resumed hearing on a public interest petition by the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties. The court adjourned the wearing till September 3 for possing interim orders on the matters. The petition highlighted starvation deaths in the states of Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra, besides disclosing half-hearted and ineffective implementation of the Centre’s food-for-work scheme. It was alleged that hardly 10 per cent of the total number of those, who approached for work under the scheme, were allowed to work. Under the scheme, 50 per cent of wages were paid in foodgrains and the remaining in cash.
UNI |
|
Students
suffer while mats gather dust Hanumangarh, August 20 It is learnt that to provide mats to the students, the DEO (Primary) had informed the Principal, but they did not respond. The state government has sent other material, including geometry boxes, maps and globes etc, to provide better educational facilities to the poor children, but this is also lying unused as the schools have not obtained it from the authorities. The Principals of the primary schools in Chak 7 DBA, Chak 18 SPD, Chak 4 ASP, Chak 42 SSW, Chak Jandawali, Chollawali, Bhagatpura and several other schools in various villages have not taken the mats from the DEO’s office. The DEO (Primary) has written a letter to the Divisional Primary Education Officer to inform the Principals of various schools to take possession of the material allotted for these schools. |
|
Family of
3 dies for god’s sake Baripada (Orissa), August 20 Pandu Kisku and his daughter Sakarmani hanged themselves after Kisku allegedly killed his 35-year-old wife Bali with a sharp-edged weapon in their thatched house on Friday night, the police said.
PTI |
|
Case registered
against 2 doctors New Delhi, August 20 The case has been registered under Section 304 A of the IPC against Dr A.K. Jain and Dr Diwan Singh, the police said. The constable, Rahimuddin, who sustained serious injuries in Faridabad, was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital yesterday. He was bleeding profusely. Instead of giving him prompt treatment, the doctors allegedly kept him transferring from one department to another. |
|
Curfew clamped
on Bihar town Patna, August 20 Official sources said here that the police opened fire killing one person and injuring two others. Earlier, some local people had taken out a procession in protest against the murder of a businessman yesterday. The police fired when the processionists indulged in arson, official sources said.
UNI |
|
Servant stabs
man to death New Delhi, August 20 The incident occurred this morning when D.N. Aggarwal and Gaurav were asleep and D.N. Aggarwal’s wife, Mrs Sunita had gone for morning walk. When she returned home, she found her husband and son in a pool of blood. The suspect hide himself inside the house. Sunita called the neighbours who overpowered the servant and handed him over to the police. The neighbours took the victims to Sunder Lal Jain Hospital where D.N. Aggarwal succumbed to his injuries while Gaurav was discharged after first aid, the police said. |
|
Abducted
child rescued New Delhi, August 20 The victim was abducted from in front of his house in Mangolpuri in North-West Delhi in the last week of July. The abductors demanded Rs 50-lakh ransom from the parents of the victim. The police suspected one of the neighbours of the victim and questioned him. During questioning, the neighbour, Dilip, confessed for his crime. He disclosed the names of his accomplices as Guddu, Yogesh and Banwar Singh. The police said Banwar was still to be arrested. |
|
Cable operators’ strike Saharanpur, August 20 The cable operators here had gone on strike in July also but if fizzled out. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
