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Thursday,
May 2, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Trade unions hold protest rallies Mayawati coming, clean-up begins Labour Minister extends May Day greetings
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French naval chief
meets Fernandes CISF takes over security of Taj Give tourists security, states asked
Discontinue search, say
Joel’s parents Officers directed to surrender plots Xen, contractor held for graft
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Trade unions hold protest rallies New Delhi, May 1 The Indian National Federation of Trade Unions called upon the working class to defeat the "Hindutva" forces out to "strengthen the fascist trend in the country." "The ruling BJP, which now openly carries out the Hindutva agenda, has already taken many anti-worker steps like the abolition of Chapter VB of the Industrial Disputes Act that provides security," the federation said in a statement. It said the Centre had imposed immense burden on the people in the Budget while committing concessions to national and international monopolies. Under the cover of a communal holocaust, the Hindutva forces sought to divert the attention of the people from the negative impact of globalisation and privatisation, the statement added. The National Front of Trade Unions (NFTU) organised a rally on Parliament Street to protest against the amendments to the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, and the communal violence in Gujarat. The NFTU chairman, Mr B.K. Prasad, criticised the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat for not controlling the communal riots effectively. He said the BJP-led government at the Centre had tried to gain political mileage from the Gujarat incidents. The protesters also burnt effigies of Home Minister L.K. Advani and the Gujarat Chief Minister. The Uttariya Mazdoor Union, an affiliate of the Federation of Indian Railwaymen, observed Labour Day by sitting on a relay fast and holding gate meetings at Baroda House, the headquarters of the Northern Railway, in protest against the "anti-labour" policies. The Civil Audit Staff Association held a lunch-time demonstration outside the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s (CAG) office demanding pay parity for Senior Auditors with the Assistants of the Central Secretariat. |
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Mayawati coming, clean-up begins Lucknow, May 1 Not only streets, even Dalit, icons like the statues of Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Parivartan Chowk — the much cherished dream of Ms Mayawati — are being spruced up. Officials of the Lucknow Nagar Nigam are burning mid-night oil to ensure that when she takes charge everything should look neat. The nigam officials have identified 27 statues of Ambedkar in the city which were lying in state of neglect. “Contractors have been given charge to ensure that all these statues are cleaned by Friday morning – the day Ms Mayawati is expected to be sworn in as Chief Minister,” said an official to a group of mediapersons today. The focus is, however, Ambedkar Park – the sprawling 27- acre park on which over Rs 100 crore has been spent so far. The project was to be completed by October 1998. But once Ms Mayawati was dethroned, the project was thrown to the lumber-room. The renovation work has begun in the park. Statues of five elephants, the BSP symbol, are being installed in the park. This is expected to cost the state exchequer over Rs 80 lakh. The Lucknow administration is not bothered about the money now. The Commissioner, Lucknow Division, Mr Saurabh Chandra, is monitoring the construction work as it is expected that Ms Mayawati is likely to visit Ambedkar Park immediately after being sworn in. “The park is being spruced up. The guest house is getting a fresh coat of paint and the marble flooring is getting finishing touches,” said an engineer of the Lucknow Development Authority. Though the Ambedkar Park is projected as a symbol of Dalit supremacy, it was used as a hammer by different parties to rap Ms Mayawati. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report had found Ms Mayawati guilty of diversion of calamity fund for the construction of this park. Even former chief minister, Mr Kalyan Singh, had instituted an inquiry as how Rs 100 crore was spent in the construction of the park. The inquiry conducted by a senior IAS officer, Mr George Joseph, had found Ms Mayawati and senior BJP leader Mr Lalji Tandon, guilty for overspending. “This is past. The fact is that if we fail to spruce up the park, the axe will fall on us,” said a harried assistant engineer. |
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Labour Minister extends May Day greetings New Delhi, May 1 In his May Day greetings, the minister said: “They must get the fruits of prosperity as well.” Seeking the cooperation of the trade unions in the nation’s reconstruction under the current economic reforms, Mr Yadav said the workers were one of the important factors that contributed significantly to the nation’s development. The minister said the report of the Second National Labour Commission, expected shortly, would be expeditiously examined and its recommendations implemented at the earliest. The commission has been set up to evolve an umbrella legislation for the workers in the unorganised sector and to suggest the rationalisation of laws relating to workers in the organised sector, he added. |
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He cuts open bodies to earn living Patna, May 1 Lallu, 52, has the dubious distinction of performing the post-mortem cut on more than 12,000 bodies in the past 20 years. But still he thanks God the day he has no bodies to work on. When asked about Labour Day today and its significance in his life, Lallu gives a dry smile and says, “achchha hai aaj lash nahin cheerna padega”. His daily life often includes a date with bodies. In the peak of the summer heat, he gets drunk on countrymade liquor and cuts the stomach of the body with a knife. More often than not, Lallu has an altercation with doctors as he refuses to perform his work on children’s bodies. Even after 20 years with the dead, he still cries and his hands tremble with compassion and remorse as he opens the belly of a child brought for a post-mortem. He also weeps for the minors and youths before doing his job. Lallu used to pull a rickshaw before he took up this profession. Recalling a bad day in his life, he says once he had to perform the post-mortem cut on a one-day-old baby. He had a fight with the doctors but finally had to perform his task. Another bad day was when he had to perform the post-mortem cut on 22 bodies in succession. They were killed in caste violence in Danwar-Bihta. He also did his task following the caste killings of Bathani Tola, Ekwari, Nadhi, Karthuwa and Dev-Sahivara. Lallu regrets the large-scale violence that has become a way of life in the state. He maintains that before 1992, his job was relatively easy as bodies were brought to him only of accident victims or of those who had committed suicide. However, frequent killings have made his job quite demanding. |
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French naval chief
meets Fernandes New Delhi, May 1 Admiral Battet, who is on a five-day “goodwill” visit to India from today, met the Defence Minister in the evening, besides meeting Defence Secretary Yogendra Narain, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Madhvendra Singh and the Vice-Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen N.C. Vij. Admiral Battet also met the CIDS, Lt-Gen Pankaj Joshi. Reports here said the basic purpose of the French naval chief’s visit to the country was to strengthen cooperation between the navies of the two countries. He is also likely to have further discussion on the equipment which the Indian Navy is seeking from France. Incidentally, India and France are to carry out joint naval exercises along the western coast from May 14-16 and the details of the exercises are also likely to the worked out during the visit. After completing the formalities here, the French naval chief will be visiting the Andaman Islands and Cochin from tomorrow. |
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CISF takes over security of Taj New Delhi, May 1 Deputy Inspectors-General Sudesh Kumar and R.R. Bhardwaj of the CISF supervised the take-over exercise, a CISF press note said here today. About 150 CISF personnel in all ranks under the command of a Deputy Commandant will be deployed to protect the premises of the Taj Mahal and also regulate entry of thousands of visitors, who come every day to see the great monument. The CISF contingent will be a dedicated force exclusively to look after the national monuments. These personnel will be supervised by senior CISF officers of the North sector. The CISF has decided to train the officers and men deployed at the Taj, to be tourist-friendly, so that foreigners as well as in numerable visitors from all parts of the country will leave with a good feeling after seeing the great monument, the press note said. The CISF also plans to have a separate uniform and has requested the NIFT to design one. It will have an ethnic character considering the great national monument, which they will be protecting as the backdrop. Necessary gadgetry will also be inducted shortly to ensure that all visitors are properly accounted for and they are conducted inside without any delay or hassles, it said, adding that cameras, CCTV and turnstile gates would be installed to upgrade the access control around the Taj Mahal. |
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Give tourists security, states asked New Delhi, May 1 In a written reply, Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan said his department had also set up a tourist complaint cell and redress of tourist grievances was regularly monitored. To discourage fake guides who cheat foreign tourists, the government had laid down guidelines for the selection and training of guides, he said. However, the minister said no specific complaints had been recently received by his department against fake guides. The minister informed that his department had ordered the closure of five tourism offices in Moscow, Buenos, Aires, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Stockholm following the recommendations of a committee under the chairmanship of the Director-General (Tourism), which was constituted to review Indian Tourism Offices abroad and suggest restructuring. An amount of about Rs 262 lakh, which was incurred on maintenance of the five offices decided to be closed down, would be saved, the minister added. Meanwhile, the government has undertaken major renovation and developmental work programmes at 84 tourist destinations of ancient Jain monuments and archaeological sites in the country, he said. The total expenditure involved was Rs 3,406.92 lakh, he added.
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Discontinue search, say Joel’s parents New Delhi, May 1 “After great consideration and much heart-searching, we have decided to ask the authorities to discontinue the search for our missing son Joel,” the parents said a personal statement circulated by the British High Commission here. Kitchen, a paraglider, went missing while handgliding in the mountains of Himachal on April 7. The parents in the statement said “we know that he has been extremely happy here in these mountains. It is therefore our wish that no one else be put in danger and that he should rest peacefully”.
PTI |
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Officers directed to surrender plots Ahmedabad, May 1 The judgement was given by the high court on a suo motu petition based on a letter by Mr Piyush Soni. In the letter, Mr Soni had alleged that irregularities were committed in the allotment of land to some IAS and IPS officials of the state. The court also ordered that those who had obtained an additional plot in Gandhinagar would have to pay a penalty of Rs 20,000 and a difference of Rs 2,437 per sq metre with interest. The judgement, delivered by a division bench comprising Mr Justice B.C. Patel and Mr Justice R.R. Tripathi, also ordered the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) to confiscate the open plots of the society.
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Xen, contractor held for graft New Delhi, May 1 According to a CBI press note here today, V.B. Batas, Executive Engineer (Electrical) had allegedly abused his official position as public servant while serving at the Electrical Postal Division, Thane (Maharashtra) and demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 29,000 as his “percentage” for clearing the work orders and bills of the complainant. The officer directed the complainant to hand over the bribe money to a contractor Sandip Savkar, the CBI note said, adding that the sleuths of the agency laid a trap and arrested the two while they were demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 29,000 from the complainant. Searches were conducted at the officer’s official and residential premises which yielded Rs 79,000, fixed deposits valued Rs 95,000, NSCs worth Rs 43,000 and Rs 20 lakh in at least 16 bank accounts, the CBI note said. The search of the personal briefcase of the Executive Engineer resulted in the recovery of Rs 30,000. During the investigation, it was admitted by another contractor that he had given Rs 20,000 as bribe to the official for showing favour to him, the CBI note said. |
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