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Friday,
July 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Govt policy on J&K muddled: Ashwani NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT Shekhawat, Shinde
left in the fray Sonia urged to revamp labour
cell |
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Narayanan is Advani’s
new neighbour Pak reservoir of
terrorism: India Sukh Ram gets bail in telecom
case Punjab ministers meet Mohsina Left,
JD(S) give memo to EC
Orissa seeks 500 cr as drought relief
BJP discusses
Ramnagar poll
Laloo seeks President’s rule in Jharkhand Provide relief to farmers: Ajay Chautala
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Govt policy on J&K muddled: Ashwani New Delhi, July 25 Talking to TNS, he said political rhetoric must yield to sound economic policies so that the future of the state and the younger people was not mortgaged. Asked if the Congress had softened its opposition to foreign direct investment in the print media, Mr Ashwani Kumar, who heads the Vichar Vibhag of the AICC, said the Congress had made its stand clear in the light of various developments and the felt sensitivities on the subject across a wide spectrum. “The party does not favour foreign investment in the print media and would, in any case, resist any attempt by the government to increase the limit of foreign investment beyond 26 per cent. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has clarified the party’s position,” he said. On the Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Ashwani Kumar, who is a former Additional Solicitor-General and the lone Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha, said the demand for the Governor’s rule was directly related to the ground reality of the law and order situation and the fairness of the administration in conducting elections. He said the local unit of the party had made a demand for the Governor’s rule which would be considered by the high-command. He alleged that the Centre’s policy on Jammu and Kashmir was muddled and betrayed a lack of vision. On the question of tackling the issue of free power in Punjab, he said the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, had said power tariff would have to be rationalised so as to harmonise the interests of marginal farmers and the poor. At the same time, the financial health of the state electricity board had to be taken care of so that it was commercially viable, he said. Talking of the party’s performance in the Assembly poll and the subsequent local bodies’ elections, he said the party had benefited from the maladministration of the Akali-BJP combine and the unity shown by the Congressmen during the elections. “It is true that the victory of the Congress is primarily at the expense of the BJP because the people of Punjab lost faith in the sincerity of its leaders both at the Centre and in states. The Congress is a secular party and will continue to consolidate its support base among all sections of the Punjabi society,” he maintanied. Asked if the “honeymoon factor” was over for the Punjab Government, Mr Ashwani Kumar said in democratic politics, the honeymoon factor never lasts long unless extended by good governance. He said the Amarinder government had earned a lot of goodwill for an unrelenting crusade against corruption in high places in accordance with the priorities spelt out by the Congress President. However, the agenda for Punjab’s economic renewal must focus on the conceptualisation of economic policies and thrust in the information technology, bio-tech, health and education sectors while also taking care of the small-scale sector. “I would be asking the Centre for a special economic package for Punjab because the state has fought the country’s war against terrorism and has proved a shield in the nation’s armoury against Pakistan’s aggression,” he said. The MP, who feels that the Congress would return to power at the Centre, said he discerned a paradigm shift in India’s politics. “The middle class in the urban and rural India have become increasingly assertive and have begun to play a major role in the electoral politics of the country. This is because the electronic and print media have significantly contributed to the convergence of responses to issues in rural and urban India.” The politics of the country, he said, was returning to ideological moorings and the countrymen would have to make a considered and decisive choice between an ideology that promotes pluralism and an ideology that seeks to divide citizens along communal lines.
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NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, July 25 At present 18.57 per cent of the assessed potential of Jammu and Kashmir is either developed or is under various stages of development, the Minister of State for Power, Mr Jayawanti Mehta told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. There is a vast scope for development of hydel power in Jammu and Kashmir. The CEA and the Ministry of Power is formulating an action plan and strategy for the development of the balance of hydel potential in the country. The hydel projects to be taken up on priority for development in the state form a part of the action plan. Two projects, Baglihar hydro-electric project (450 mw) and Sawalkot hydro-electric project (600mw) are under execution in the state sector, the minister said. The NHPC is presently executing the Dulhasti hydel (450 mw) project with an installed capacity of 390 mw. The project is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of December 2003. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Hydro-electric Power Corporation and the J&K Government on July 20, 2000, consequent to which seven projects in the state of J&K were handed over to the NHPC for execution in the Central sector, the minister said. A proposal was received by the Planning Commission from the Pradhan Mahila Mandal
Nandla, Chirgaon in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh for release of funds for construction of Mahila Mandal Bhavan/guest house under the rural shelter component of Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY), the Minister of State for Small Scale Industry, Mr Vasundhara Raje told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today. As per the guidelines circulated by the Planning Commission for implementation of the PMGY during 2002-03, the state government themselves have been given freedom and flexibility to decide not only the allocation for Additional Central Assistance (ACA) among the six components of PMGY, including rural shelter, but also the manner of utilisation of these funds as per the guidelines of either their own state schemes or any centrally sponsored schemes in the specific
sectors. It is entirely for the state government of Himachal Pradesh to take appropriate action on this proposal, the minister said. |
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Shekhawat, Shinde
left in the fray New Delhi, July 25 Of the 27 nomination papers filed, 19 were rejected due to the non-fulfilment of various criteria, the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha, Mr G.C. Malhotra, told newspersons here. While four of the nomination papers were in Mr Shinde’s name, two were for Mr Shekhawat, he said. Polling will begin on August 12 at 10 a.m. and continue till 5 p.m. Counting will begin at 6 p.m. and the result will be announced the same day, Mr Malhotra said. The non-payment of the security deposit of Rs 15,000, non-submission of certified copy of electoral rolls and absence of signatures of 20 proposers and 20 seconders were among the various reasons for the rejection of 27 nomination papers. |
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Sonia urged to revamp labour
cell New Delhi, July 25 Several senior Congressmen believe the party has been lately losing out in enlisting the support of the working class because of a complete lack of focus in this regard. Mrs Gandhi has been told that the absence of working class representation among its nominees during the Assembly and other elections in the country has cost the Congress dearly in terms of seats besides being left out in the cold in being represented in various committees of the Union government, international bodies and Parliament. Punjab’s M.M.S. Cheema, former Chairman of PPCC’s labour cell, has submitted drafts to the Congress President for reorganising the labour cell both at the AICC headquarters and in the states up to the block level. |
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Narayanan is Advani’s
new neighbour New Delhi, July 25 After President A.P.J Abdul Kalam took leave of them and the ceremonial motorcade wound its way back to Raisina Hill, Mr Narayanan kept himself busy by formulating plans to “settle down and make this house habitable.” “It is a great relief from formalities and ceremonies,” Mr Narayanan said of the change of address. Asked how he would assess his tenure as President of India, he said : “I have not thought about it. I am yet to make a judgment. I have been all involved so far and had no time to give it a thought.” He was not sure just yet of his plans for the future, particularly of penning his autobiography. “I will write something or the other,” was all he would say to mediapersons. His wife Usha, however, had worked out her priorities. A keen lover of flowers, she would plant more flowers in the “lot of space” available in the “new home.” Mr Narayanan added as an afterthought : “This house is very new and a lot of things need to be done up.” He had no regrets. He was unhappy, though, with a newspaper report that had mentioned that his new residence comprised 11 bedrooms. “The house has only three bedrooms and not 11,” he said with a flourish of his hands.
BJP lauds services of Narayanan New Delhi, July 25 |
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Pak reservoir of
terrorism: India New Delhi, July 25 “There are direct overland pipelines of terrorism from Pakistan into India. Pakistan controls the taps of these pipelines,” Ms Nirupama Rao, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters. Meanwhile, European Union High Representative Javier Solana will arrive here tomorrow for wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra on Indo-Pakistan relations. |
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Sukh Ram gets bail in telecom case New Delhi, July 25 The two co-accused are telecom official Runu Ghosh and P. Ramarao, former managing director of Hyderabad-based firm Advance Radio Masts (ARM). Mr Justice M.A. Khan, while suspending the sentence of the accused, rejected the plea of Ghosh for suspension of her conviction. Sukh Ram and Ramarao had not pleaded for suspension of their conviction.
PTI |
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Punjab ministers meet Mohsina New Delhi, July 25 Sources said that at least 10 ministers and MLAs, some of whom met her individually, demanded that the new PCC chief should be a person having the confidence of the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. They said the person should be able to carry along the partymen and contribute to the smooth functioning of the government. The meeting of ministers and MLAs with Ms Kidwai came after fresh indications that the high command may not appoint a person of the Chief Minister’s choice as the PCC chief. The high command had earlier remained lukewarm to the plea of the DCC chiefs about retaining Capt Amarinder Singh as the PCC chief for some months. Over 20 DCC chiefs had come to the Capital about a fortnight back urging the high command to defer its decision about the PCC chief in Punjab. Sources said that supporters of Capt Amarinder Singh are keen that the new PCC chief is a confidant of the Chief Minister. With the name of a senior leader from Amritsar now doing the rounds as a choice for the PCC chief, there is a renewed activity among the supporters of the Chief Minister. While there has been opposition to the name of Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo from the supporters of Chief Minister, they have also not been enthusiastic about the candidature of Mr Virender Kataria, who is a former PCC chief. Mr H.S. Hanspal is also among the top contenders being considered by the Congress president for PCC chief. Mr Gurmail Singh and Mr Sant Ram Singla, who are also in the race, met Ms Kidwai a few days back. Ms Kidwai, who had been away from the Capital for some days, would soon meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi to decide the issue of PCC chiefs in Punjab and Haryana. The
uncertainty on the issue has affected the working of PCCs in the two states, specially in Haryana, where the Congress seems to have lost the issue of nailing the Chautala government over the killing of farmers in police firing in Jind villages. Sources said the ruling Indian National Lok Dal had quietly paid Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those killed in the firing. Party workers of the two states want the high command to end the
uncertainty over appointment of PCC chiefs by either making early announcements
or ruling out changes for some time. |
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Left, JD(S) give memo to
EC New Delhi, July 25 Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, CPM leaders Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury and CPI leaders A.B. Bardhan and D. Raja met Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh and Election Commissioners T.S. Krishnamurthy and B.B. Tandon for nearly half-hour and handed over a two-page memorandum to them. “We are of the considered opinion that the Gujarat Cabinet’s decision to recommend the dissolution of the Assembly is a move to pressure the EC into holding early elections in the state,” the memorandum said. They urged the EC to make its own assessment and decide on the timing of the elections. “In our opinion, Article 174 of the Constitution in no way makes it mandatory for the elections to be held so that the newly elected Assembly can meet within six months of the previous Assembly session,” they said in the memorandum, adding that “the EC should conduct the elections in such a manner that the responsibility bestowed on it by Article 324 of the Constitution is carried out both in letter and spirit.” Stating that a large number of people in the state were still living in relief camps and were unable to return to their homes, they said: “When the fundamental right to life and liberty cannot be ensured, how can the right of franchise be fairly exercised”? The leaders said the EC gave them a patient hearing. A delegation of SAHMAT, led by cine actress Sharmila Tagore, also called on the Election Commissioners to urge them to delay the elections. In a four-page memorandum, the SAHMAT delegation comprising, among others, Prabhat Patnaik, Zoya Hassan, Vivan Sundaram and Gohar Raza, said: “Determined to show normalcy, the government is pressuring members of the minority community to return home, but in most cases where Muslims have returned to their villages, they are faced with economic and social boycott for having named the guilty or have returned only to find their homes and shops occupied by others.” |
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Orissa seeks 500 cr as drought relief Bhubaneswar, July 25 The worst-hit are the districts of Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada and Padampur subdivision of Bargarh, which have come to be known as a rain-shadow area. Official sources said it appeared as if the monsoon had bypassed the region, with agricultural activities suffering greatly. The entire affected area has little irrigation facilities and is completely dependent on the monsoon. Highlighting the situation, Minister for Agriculture Amar Prasad Satpathy put forth the demand for Rs 500 crore at the conference of Agriculture Ministers in Delhi yesterday.
PTI |
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BJP discusses
Ramnagar poll New Delhi, July 25 Talking to The Tribune, Mr Jain said he would go to Dehra Dun tomorrow for assessing the situation and would report to the central leaders after his interaction with local leaders. Mr Jain, who was made the member of the BJP national executive by party President M. Venkaiah Naidu, was given charge of Uttaranchal affairs last Sunday. This would be his first trip to Uttaranchal after being made ‘prabhari’ of the state. |
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Laloo seeks President’s rule in Jharkhand New Delhi, July 25 Raising the matter during zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Yadav accused Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi of giving his own definition of the domicile policy in the state. |
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Provide relief to farmers: Ajay Chautala New Delhi, July 25 He said large areas of the country were under the grip of the drought, some others facing floods. He urged the government to take immediate steps to provide relief to the farmers. |
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New Delhi, July 25
