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Friday,
July 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Indo-US
military ties get a boost India,
Myanmar to fight terrorism
Grain
offtake from central pool up |
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Mamata’s
ultimatum to Nitish CM for
joint action against PWG Mufti
meets PM on J&K election Special
envoy to Kabul resigns
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Indo-US military ties get a boost New Delhi, July 11 Besides conducting joint military exercises, the USA is also keen on improving ties in the other sectors, especially economic, political and military. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, who just concluded a highly successful visit to the USA, was told by his American interlocutors that the Bush administration was keen to give a new dimension to its relationship with India in all fields— economic, political and military. The two sides decided that Indian and the US forces would conduct a series of joint exercises in the coming months. IAF sources said in the last week of October, Air Force and Army units would conduct joint exercises with US forces at Alaska. This would provide an opportunity to the Indian forces to operate in cold conditions. The exercises, a follow-up to the manoeuvres conducted by the two countries at Agra in May, would include activities such as loading, unloading, air-dropping, para-dropping and contingency squadron activities. Perhaps for the first time, India would send an IL-76 aircraft by the end of this year along with Air Force personnel for exercises with their American counterparts at Guam (USA). The US Special Forces might also participate in these exercises. The Air Force chief, who visited the USA from June 24 to July 2 at the invitation of his counterpart Gen John P. Jumper, also discussed various other areas of cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries. The sources said the US Air Force was at present conducting its annual exercises at Alaska, for which India had decided to send four observers. Three observers of the Wing Commander level had already reached Alaska while an Air Commodore would soon be leaving. “The USA has invited India to participate in these exercises next year...for this also, we will be sending an IL-76”, they added. In addition, the two sides also decided to launch Subject Matter Expert Exchange Programmes. For this, a number of delegations from the USA will be visiting this country. In fact, an Indian Air Force officer, Flt Lt Saha was at present in the US Training Command, working as flight instructor. On a reciprocal basis, a US Air Force officer will also be soon in India to train Indian officers. The two countries also planned to organise a series of seminars on relief and rescue operations. |
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India, Myanmar
to fight terrorism New Delhi, July 11 This was decided at the eighth national-level meeting
between India and Myanmar which concluded here today. Union Home Secretary Amal Pande led the Indian delegation while the Myanmarese side was led by Brig-Gen Thura Myint
Maung, Deputy Minister in the Myanmar Home Ministry. Apart from security related matters, other issues which were discussed included free movement regime, maintenance of the Klaytamu Highway, Kaladin project, construction of a tourist centre at Rhi Lake and release of prisoners, an official spokesman said. The meeting was held after two years.
TNS |
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Grain offtake from central pool up New Delhi, July 11 The offtake of foodgrains from the central pool during April was 26.06 lakh tonnes comprising 16.49 lakh tonnes of rice and 9.57 lakh tonnes of wheat as against 17.44 lakh tonnes (7.16 lakh tonnes of rice and 10.28 lakh tonnes of wheat) during the same month last year. The offtake during May this year was 35 lakh tonnes (provisional) — 23.70 lakh tonnes of rice and 11.30 lakh tonnes of wheat — as against 17.75 lakh tonnes (8.26 lakh tonnes of rice and 9.49 lakh tonnes of wheat) during May, 2001. The total offtake of rice and wheat from the central pool during the first two months of the current financial year was 61.06 lakh tonnes (provisional) as against 35.19 lakh tonnes during the same period last year
representing an increase of 73.5 per cent. The stocks of foodgrains held by the FCI and state agencies as on May 31, 2002, were 649.31 lakh tonnes comprising 233.28 lakh tonnes of rice and 416.03 lakh tonnes of wheat. A quantity of 29.99 lakh tonnes of rice had been lifted for export since March 2001 and 39.93 lakh tonnes had been paid for. Since November 2000, the total quantity of wheat lifted for export stood at 95.41 lakh tonnes while 107.24 lakh tonnes of wheat had been paid for as on May 31, 2002. The offtake of foodgrains from the central pool during April was 26.06 lakh tonnes comprising 16.49 lakh tonnes of rice and 9.57 lakh tonnes of wheat as against 17.44 lakh tonnes (7.16 lakh tonnes of rice and 10.28 lakh tonnes of wheat) during the same month last year. The offtake during May 2002 was 35 lakh tonnes (provisional) — 23.70 lakh tonnes of rice and 11.30 lakh tonnes of wheat — as against 17.75 lakh tonnes (8.26 lakh tonnes of rice and 9.49 lakh tonnes of wheat) during May 2001. |
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Mamata’s ultimatum to Nitish Kolkata, July 11 She claimed that the people of Bengal and all political parties of the state stood by her in her fight against the conspiracy to disrupt and destroy the cordial inter-state relations and the respective states’ economies. On the other hand, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and MLAs of various political parties of the state, decided to send a counter-delegation to both Prime Minister and Mr L.K. Advani, demanding the bifurcation of the Eastern Railway and setting up of Hajipur zone, which they said had been necessary for the development of economically backward Bihar. An all-party MLAs delegation of Bihar led by Ms Rabri Devi will meet Mr Vajpayee, Mr Advani and Mr Nitish Kumar to press their demand for setting up of east central railway with its headquarters at Hajipur as proposed by the Railways. Bihar MLAs, belonging to the CPI and the CPI(M) will also be part of the delegation. Contradicting Ms Banerjee’s claim, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee denied that they were supporting Ms Banerjee’s agitation against the bifurcation but he said they were certainly against the bifurcation. Congress leader Somen Mitra also said they were against the bifurcation of the Railway but did not support Ms Banerjee’s agitation, which he alleged, aimed at her returning to the Cabinet as the Railways Minister replacing Mr Nitish Kumar. Mr Bhattacharjee said the bifurcation issue should be considered a national matter and be discussed and further reviewed since many states were against the Railways arbitrary decision of the bifurcation without consulting the respective states. He said he had already submitted a formal suggestion to Mr Advani in this regard and he hoped an appropriate step would be taken by Mr Nitish Kumar after consulting Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani. The Chief Minister said they wanted that a solution be arrived at which would serve the interests of both Bengal and Bihar and they did not want that a strained relations be prevailed between the two friendly states over the bifurcation issue. |
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CM for joint action against PWG Kolkata, July 11 Already, in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, these activists have killed over 100 persons in the past one year and in Bengal during the past two months 16 persons, mostly, belonging to CPI(M), have been either shot or hacked to death in Midnapore, Birbhum and Bankura districts in south Bengal. Some prominent persons, including professors of universities and colleges and senior government officials have been ideologically supporting the PWG and MCC activists. Mr Bhattacharjee said he had already requested the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, who also looked after the Home (Police) Department, to convene a meeting of the inter-state council to discuss the inter-state law and order problems and adopt a joint concerted move to curb all sorts of criminal activities committed either by political parties or anti-social element. The Chief Minister also wrote separately to the Andhra Pradesh and Bihar Chief Ministers. Meanwhile, different political parties, including the ruling CPI(M) and Left Front partners, like CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, criticised the police action against Abijit Sinha, an official of the Central Excise Department and Prof Kaushik Banerjee of Science College. Both had been arrested from their residences on the charges of associating themselves with the PWG and severely beaten up in the lock-up. Abhijit later committed suicide. Prof Ganguly is still inside the lock-up. Left Front Chairman, Mr Biman Basu, also a CPI(M) politburo member, said they had asked the Chief Minister to take adequate security steps for the protection of people against PWG and MCC activists. The Left parties were also directed to organise counter-force for protecting themselves against PWG and MCC. activist The Chief Minister said the PWG and MCC were now an inter-state problem and hence a joint operation by the police of the respective states was necessary. He said he had already spoken to Mr Advani in this regard during his last week’s visit to New Delhi. Mr Advani also agreed to convene a joint meeting soon with the Chief Ministers and senior police officials of these states to discuss the matter and take appropriate steps, Mr Bhattacharjee
said. |
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Mufti meets PM on J&K election New Delhi, July 11 During his 40-minute meeting with Mr Vajpayee, Mr Sayeed discussed current political and security situation in the state. The former Home Minister had been demanding elections under Governor’s rule to ensure wider political participation and free and fair poll. He urged the Prime Minister to accelerate the process of dialogue with all political parties without any reservation. He also made a strong plea for announcing “employment package” for the unemployed youth of the state.
UNI |
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Special
envoy to Kabul resigns New Delhi, July 11 An official spokesperson today said Mr Lambah had resigned “voluntarily” and submitted his resignation letter to External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, who accepted it “reluctantly.” Mr Lambah, who was appointed Special Envoy to Afghanistan in November last, was actively involved in discussions for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the war-torn country. A former Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr Lambah represented India in international parleys for establishment of an interim administration in Afghanistan under Hamid Karzai after the fall of the Taliban. |
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Panel flays attack on Sahgal New Delhi, July 11 |
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