New Delhi, August 27
In a major decision, the government late tonight decided to amend Article 16 (4A) of the Constitution to ensure benefits of seniority and protect consequential seniority with effect from June, 1995 of SC/ST employees, who get promotion by virtue of reservations.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, presided over by the Prime Minister.

The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to nullify the 1997 government’s order.

The promotional benefits of SC/ST employees were taken away in 1997 following the official orders by the personnel departments in view of the court judgement. Leaders of SC/STs had been pressing for the benefits granted to SC/ST employees.

The constitutional amendment will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament as it required President K.R. Narayanan’s clearance because it also pertained to financial matters.

The Cabinet today also approved the enactment of Convergence Bill — a new legislation envisaging the establishment of a common regulatory authority for information technology, communications and broadcasting.

“The Cabinet approved the enactment of a new law on convergence namely the Communication Convergence Bill and consequential repeal of five laws”, Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley told newspersons after the Cabinet meeting today.

The Bill has been drafted on the basis of the recommendations of the Group of Telecom and IT (GoT-IT) wherein it has been suggested that a super-regulator in the form of communication commission of India be set up in India.

The Telegraph Act, Telecom Regulatory Authority Act and Cables Law Act will be repealed and incorporated with the proposed new legislation.

The Cabinet also approved amendment to the Major Port Trust Act and the Indian Ports Act.

Islamabad, August 27
Ahead of his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New York next month, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today brought the Kashmir issue to the fore saying that he would guarantee there could be no progress in Indo-Pak ties unless it was solved.

Pakistani official news agency APP quoted General Musharraf as saying that he would meet Mr Vajpayee in New York on September 19 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

But officials here later clarified that the Pakistan President would leave for New York on September 19.

“We have already extended an invitation to the Indian Prime Minister” and the meeting would take place on September 19 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he said while addressing the joint session of the PoK Assembly and the Pakistan Government constituted Kashmir Council, at the PoK capital Muzaffarabad, APP said.

A day after Mr Vajpayee said in Lucknow that he would meet the Pakistan President in New York next month, General Musharraf said: “I give this guarantee whether talks take place in Agra, New York or Islamabad one thing is clear that without solution of Kashmir issue, progress in the relations between Pakistan and India is not possible”.

General Musharraf today went hammer and tong on the Kashmir issue asserting that finding a solution to this vexed issue was a priority number one for improvement of relations between the two countries and said it would remain focal point of his future dialogue with Indian leadership.

Amid thunderous applause from the PoK legislators, General Musharraf declared that “we are ready to discuss everything but Kashmir should be the first priority.”

Strongly dispelling that Indian allegation that he was unifocal and rigid, he said he never stated that he would not discuss issues other than Kashmir with India. “What I have stated is that we should prioritise the issues and Kashmir should be the first priority”, he said. “I hope better sense will prevail across the border in India to make efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue”, he said.