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Friday,
March 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Parties’
stand on delimitation within 15 days Probe VHP
fund collection: Oppn Pandits
flay Advani’s plan Jaswant
for MEA-type PR set-up Walkout
by SP members Kalam’s intervention sought |
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Parliament okays vote
on account Contribution
of revolutionaries ‘being undermined’ LS, RS
adjourn for recess Himachal seeks aid for water supply
Dawood’s brother booked under MCOCA Raja
Bhaiyya’s remand extended Priest
shot dead
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Parties’ stand on delimitation within 15 days New Delhi, March 13 During the meeting, Law Minister Arun Jaitley told the participants that the government was prepared to bring a Constitution amendment to make the 2001 Census the basis of the delimitation process but political parties must make it clear in writing to the Centre their position on the issue. The meeting was convened by the Centre in the wake of demands by political parties to make the 2001 Census as the cut-off year for the delimitation of constituencies as also complaints regarding the functioning of the Delimitation Commission. Mr Jaitley told newspersons after the meeting that it would be difficult to conduct the delimitation exercise based on the 2001 Census before the Lok Sabha elections next year as the census report was likely to be published only towards the end of this year. “It should not be seen that 1991 was chosen as the basis of the delimitation process because of the ruling NDA and not other political parties,” he said. The Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state Assemblies had already ratified that the 1991 Census should be the cut-off document to the delimitation process, he said. Sources said if the parties did not agree to the 1991 Census being the basis of the exercise, then the government would have to refer back to the 1971 Census which could affect the number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. On the demand of the parties for greater involvement of associate members of the commission even before the draft proposals were issued, Mr Jaitley said the views expressed by them would be conveyed to the commission. On POTA, Mr Jaitley said when the legislation was passed, the government had said provisions of review would be there. TDP leader K Yerrannaidu said all parties agreed that the associate members should be consulted even before releasing the draft proposals on the delimitation of the constituencies. He said the commission had released draft proposals for seven states and the associate members were not consulted. Mr Somnath Chatterjee (CPM) said there was some uncertainty among the parties as the commission had not even consulted the members while embarking on the exercise. Mr G.M. Banatwala said the time was not appropriate. The commission was carrying out the task in such a “great hurry” and even the provisions of the Act were being violated, he said. |
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Probe VHP fund collection: Oppn New Delhi, March 13 Raising
the issue during zero hour, Samajwadi Party MP Ramjilal Suman accused
the VHP of indulging in “loot” in the name of temple
construction. Amidst protest by BJP member Adityanath, Mr Suman said
even the Shankaracharya of Badrikashram had demanded an investigation
into the collection of huge funds by the VHP, which had allegedly
called for Re 1 per brick to be used for building the
temple. Supporting him, Lok Janshakti leader Ram Vilas Paswan and
Congress Chief Whip P.R. Dasmunsi accused the VHP of misleading the
entire country in the name of temple construction and hoodwinking
lakhs of innocent devotees. “Where has the money gone ? Can someone
account for the public money which has been collected ?,” they
asked, seeking the probe. SP member Chandranath Singh also sought a
CBI inquiry into alleged loss of royalty to Indian Airlines and
Air-India on account of a magazine being launched for
passengers. While Independent member Ramdas Athawale asked for a CBI
inquiry into alleged tax evasion by Satyam Computers, JD (U) leader
D.P. Yadav wanted the Centre to take immediate steps to address the
plight of farmers growing paan, litchi, tulsi and mango. |
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Pandits
flay Advani’s plan New Delhi, March 13 In a statement issued here, the president of the Kashmiri Pandits United Forum, Dr
B.L. Kachroo, has accused the Central Government of “acting as a pawn in the hands of some vested forces and has made the Pandits scapegoats for its petty political mileage”. Mr Advani had made a statement in the Rajya Sabha that the government has proposed to resettle 500 Pandit families in makeshift flats in the vicinity of
Mattan. However, the segregation of the minority community in specially created security zones is being perceived as an attempt which will cause further deterioration in the relations between the Hindus and the Muslims. Dr Kachroo pointed out that talks with the representatives of Kashmiri Pandits should be conducted prior to any initiative, which is taken for the rehabilitation of the community. |
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Jaswant
for MEA-type PR set-up New Delhi, March 13 Taking a cue from his earlier ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Finance Minister has moved a proposal on the same lines. The proposal has apparently been sent to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad for his clearance. According to sources, the Finance Minister has sought clearance from the IB Minister to bring out a magazine similar to one being brought out by the XP division of the MEA. While the magazine gives any Indian perspective on the whole, the Finance Ministry’s magazine will apparently be giving the Indian economic perspective. The sources said as per the proposal the information department of the ministry would have an officer of the Joint Secretary level heading the department. As per the hierarchy in the XP division, the Finance Ministry would also have a Director level officer and some Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) to look after the information department. If accepted, the proposal could open the flood gates for other ministries, There have been a number of ministries wanting to have their own information set-ups. The Finance Ministry had been rejecting the proposals on account of finance allocation. The proposal has had the PIB in some discomfort. The clearance would reduce the role of the PIB and could lead to it becoming defunct as far as the major ministries are concerned. Incidentally, this is the second time that such a proposal has been moved. Earlier, a proposal had been moved for the Ministry of Defence. |
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Walkout
by SP members New Delhi, March 13 The walkout came after Speaker Manohar Joshi said the issue, on which SP members Akhilesh Singh and Ramajilal Suman moved adjournment notices would be discussed during zero hour. Waving newspapers to stress his point, Mr Akhilesh Singh alleged that the BSP had also threatened to “kill me and my brother” for repeatedly raising the issue of corruption in UP. Describing the matter as “very serious” pertaining to the security of a member of the House, the Speaker said: “I have taken notice of it and it will be brought to the notice of the Union Home Minister”. The SP members then walked out of the House alleging Ms Mayawati had threatened Yadav. Earlier, Mr Joshi had said he had received several notices for adjournment of question hour on important issues which included VHP’s fund-raising drive, income tax evasion by capitalists, misuse of public finance by the Civil Aviation Ministry and damage and destruction in West Bengal due to floods. He said discussion on these subjects would be taken up during zero
hour. |
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Kalam’s intervention sought New Delhi, March 13 Led by Dr Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and Mr Shivraj Patil, Deputy Leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, the Congress leaders gave a memorandum to the President in this
regard. |
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Parliament okays vote on account
New Delhi, March 13 The Upper House returned the relevant appropriation Bill along with two other Bills relating to supplementary demands for grants for 2002-03 and excess demand for grants for 2000-01. These Bills had been passed by the Lok Sabha on March 11. A detailed discussion on the demands for grants of the Budget will now be taken up during the parliamentary recess beginning later this weekend in the departmental standing committees of Parliament.
PTI |
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Contribution
of revolutionaries ‘being undermined’ New Delhi, March 13 “No one denies the immense contribution of Gandhiji to the freedom struggle. But some of his followers are bent on derecognising the contribution of revolutionaries like Udham Singh and Savarkar, which is deplorable,” BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan said at a “Dalit Swabhiman Divas” function organised in the memory of Sardar Udham Singh here. “The contribution of revolutionaries to the freedom struggle is equally important. As a tribute to them, I will appeal to the Speaker to create a photo gallery of these revolutionaries on the Parliament premises,” he said. Without naming Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Mahajan said “a president of one national party even wrote to the President against unveiling the
portrait of Savarkar. “I suspect that she may not even be knowing anything about Savarkar and his contribution to the freedom struggle. But even then she opposed the function for the sake of it,” he claimed. |
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LS, RS adjourn for recess New Delhi, March 13 The Lok Sabha took up a short duration discussion on the drought situation in the country before it adjourned for the recess. Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh will reply to the discussion when the House meets next month.
UNI |
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Himachal seeks aid for water supply
New Delhi, March 13 State Irrigation and Public Health Minister Thakur Kaul Singh, who called on the Union Rural Development Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar here today, said Rs 56.35 crore were being spent this year under the programme to provide clean water. According to an official press note, the minister requested the Centre to release Rs 11 crore to execute 475 schemes sanctioned under the Swajal Dhara programme in the state. The minister asked the Centre to sanction Rs 20 crore financial assistance to set up two mobile
laboratories, water testing labs, water harvesting and other necessary infrastructure in the state. He said the state had been declared as draught-affected and demanded Rs 25 crore central assistance. He requested the Centre to give priority to connecting panchayat headquarters with special emphasis on backward and
remote areas under the Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna. |
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Dawood’s brother booked under MCOCA
Mumbai, March 13 Designated judge A.P. Bhangale allowed the accused to have home food and essential items in the jail. He also permitted them to meet their lawyers and relatives. The court allowed Iqbal’s wife and sister to meet the accused in jail briefly within the sight and hearing of the police. Others arrested with Iqbal are Abdul Rehman Abdul Gafoor Shaikh, alias Rehman Boss and Abdul Sattar Haji Hiva Radhanpur, alias Sattar Teli. The trio are facing the charge of forcibly evicting a women from her hut which obstructed the entrance of a shopping centre allegedly owned by Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Chhota Shakeel in South Mumbai. They were arrested on March 6 in this case and charged with offences under the IPC. Today, they were booked under MCOCA. PTI
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Marandi govt defeated Ranchi, March 13 On a day of fast paced developments, the beleaguered Chief Minister Babulal Marandi faced fresh trouble with seven ministers announcing their resignation on the floor of the House when it was discussing a cut motion on the demands of grants of a ministry. An elated opposition welcomed the seven — two of the JD (U), three Samata and two belonging to local parties — into its ranks and insisted on an immediate vote on the cut motion. In the midst of uproar and chaos, the Speaker put the cut motion, moved by P.N. Singh, to vote and announced that it has been adopted by a voice vote.
PTI |
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Raja Bhaiyya’s remand extended Kanpur, March 13 District Judge Shailendra Saxena, who is also the Presiding Officer in the designated court, today remanded the jailed MLA, his father Udai Pratap Singh and MLC cousin Akshyaya Pratap Singh in judicial custody at a special sitting of the court in the Kanpur District Jail here. The hearing in the case was held on the jail premises on request of the district administration on security grounds. While Raja Bhaiyya was presently lodged in the Kanpur Jail here, his father and cousin were brought for hearing from the Pratapgarh and Mirzapur jails, respectively. Mr Saxena, however, rejected the request from Udai Pratap Singh and Akshyaya Pratap Singh for the exemption from the personal appearance before the court for hearing.
UNI |
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Priest
shot dead Moradabad, March 13 The miscreants carried a country-made pistol and a knife with which they stabbed the other two priests. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits and the injured have been admitted to a local hospital.
UNI |
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